German Tank Destroyer Marder I

This is a typical Tamiya armor kit. Lots of detail without being overly complicated. The tracks to this vehicle are made in a combination of single links and longer sections. Also included are lots of interior detail as this vehicle is open topped. Instructions include Tamiya's Tech Tips sheet which shows basic skills, the kits actual instructions and a Multi-Language Background Information sheet which includes 3 Full Color schemes and some actual photos. Over a very nice kit.

Having grown up on the 1970's Tamiya models, I was excited to see what a 2020 Tamiya would be like. The good things about the brand have been maintained. Easy to follow directions, one-way can't go wrong fittings, and the ambiance of an old, tried and true brand was nice to find. There is no key to the sprues, but there's logic in how they are organized and it wasn't a problem finding parts. An examination of the plastic revealed no warp or flash; this is a very good quality model without tons of pieces. Working the model started from the base and builds upwards to the gun. The seams on the main chassis build are crisp and go together in a way that makes intuitive sense. This part of the build was super fun. Then came the track... I did not enjoy the track. Long and short pieces that need small-finger attention. My fingers are fat. The long top track had built-in droop between bogeys that didn't make sense. I thought I had laid it on backwards, but no, it just wasn't the best fit. The rest of the frame went together well, but there was a sliver of a seam exposed in the rear protective walls. That could be chalked up to a casual builder doing my best and not succeeding, but I think more so, it is due to a series of problematic angles all coming together. Lets talk barrels. I am not a barrel snob, but the designer made the muzzle a glue-together piece, and the seam was quite visible. Putty and sanding almost fixed that, but I consider this a flaw. The gun placement is also a bit of an issue. Horizontal swivel should be 20 degrees, but when moved, almost immediately the gun shield makes contact with the upper walls and acts as a spring bringing the gun back to its origin. Onward to the soldiers. There are two strangely posed crew that are gazing upwards. Once together, I appreciated them more. They actually stand up well, and the detail is better than those from the 70's, no doubt about that. Lasting impressions? Good experience, mostly fun, challenging in places, and an interesting military vehicle to think about. My overall rating is 4.7 stars.

This was a nice kit to put together as most of Tamiya's are. No problems with fit or having to trim pieces or fill in places. Everything went together smoothly. Only problem I had was caused by my impatience. In my last review I mentioned starting my ww2 engine next. Well that didn't happen. In the middle of moving so no place to build a kit as large as that one. So picked this one up and glad I did. Would recommend this to any modeler from 12 on up. Maybe younger with help.