Sleepy’s review of Modelling the Jagdpanzer 38(t) 'Hetzer' (Osprey Modelling) > Likes and Comments
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I have collected most of the different series from Osprey but none of the modeling ones yet. Are they any good? Is there background material or just tips on modeling. I have a rather large collection of models but use them for gaming. They are not museum quality but I don't care. I just hate the photo etched parts. I only have a few of the 'this verses that' books, mainly to get additional information on vehicles. I was really disappointed in one as it was a rehash of info from other books in the series. So are these books worth checking out? I already have about 2000 Osprey titles.
These are largely just focused on modelling the subject, there's a small intro section but it's very paltry on that front. I am also with you on PE, it's just too damn small for me to deal with regardless of scale. XD
That said, this series does tend to give good heads up with photo reference on how to scratch build or "fix" various aspects of the subject. So for example, the early Hetzer's had weird weight distribution which made the front end rest lower than the rear suspension wise. The book shows how and what the author did to make the suspension give it an accurate nose down look with both pictures and text. I learn best by seeing with instruction so I do find these helpful.
Osprey does tend to re-release some books in a hard bound then eventually soft cover compilation basically. EG: Knights of Jerusalem: The Crusading Order of Hospitallers 1100-1565 is simply a larger hardbound version (Then softcover) compilation of both Knight Hospitaller (1): 1100–1306 & Knight Hospitaller (2): 1306–1565 but without the color plates, just photos instead. Which is dumb. LMAO
If you buy online it's hard to detect these sorts of things from their General Military line, if you purchase in person, you can check the front as it'll say on the copyright page something about it being an edited comp of however many previous Osprey titles.
Long run, for what you described, I'd hazard that unless you can find subjects in this series say at a used or remainder marked book store at a steep discount, I'd pass. You won't find much in them that would change or affect one's tabletop gaming fun, I don't think.
You and me are definitely bredren on the Osprey front ahaha! I don't think I've ever counted my Osprey collection, granted I could make a shelf on here and find out. I don't buy them all but if it's in one of the eras I am interested in I usually pick them up. They tend to be the perfect intros to a subject, plus the eye candy art. Their quality in terms of subject matter/writing has vastly improved since they showed up in the late 80's/early 90's as well.
What's your preferred tabletop ruleset? In high school I was big into minis gaming, then in college I discovered board war games which for about the same price of just one 40k unit I could have an entire complete game and I haven't looked back. XD Love me some hex/counter, hex/block etc. wargames. The Commands and Colors family (For my interests, Ancients, Medieval, Samurai, and Memoir '44) remains firmly my favorite. For heavier fare, I really enjoy cold war gone hot stuff, so The Third World War Designer's Edition, MMP's SCS Iron Curtain, also the COIN series from GMT, Fire in the Lake and Colonial Twilight. I could go on and on. LOL
I don't know how I missed this. To get back to you, years ago my brother and I used the old Angrif rules which were rather simple. We moved away from each other and went our own ways as far as rules. There was a short time in which we had tried out using Avalon Hill's Tobruk rules with miniatures as well. He later invented his own rules to play with a friend and they concentrated on the GHQ micro armor while I stayed with 1/72 scale. He liked big units.
For the past couple of years I have just collected and painted models. I have tried out some of the 3D models coming on to the market. Some look really neat while others look like they were put together with Play Doe. The big problem with them is that the scales are not the same. I mean, plastic 1/72 scale between companies are pretty close in size but if you order 1/72 3D from different companies there is a massive difference. Somebody tried making a tank for me and he had to increase the size by over 100% to make it comparable to a plastic version of the same! I have a 1/72 plastic model of the German Thor mortar and the 3D one he made me is really tiny.
The games I have played are Axis and Allies and Avalon Hill's Squad Leader. I have only two computer games I play, Axis and Allies and one on a Play Station One, to my grandson's horror! I prefer computer games with maps moving units rather than the guy running around switching weapons which he has earned through game points. In my opinion, such games for wussies. Even paintball isn't the same as stalking an enemy using blanks. But that is my opinion.
I do have a 4' x 8' tabletop which I play Squad Leader on or my large version of Axis and Allies. If I can mark off hexes about 5" wide that would be great. Then I would use Squad Leader rules. I have seen a game room for miniatures that had actual 5'' hex blocks that they made themselves. That would be cool.
Getting back to the books, I must have over 2000 Osprey titles and probably another 1000 others. Of course I have been collecting for over 50 years. At one time I wanted to collect them all but now I have scaled back to titles that catch my eye. My wife got me some that I will get on Christmas. Oh, Boy!
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Joe
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Aug 01, 2025 07:42AM
I have collected most of the different series from Osprey but none of the modeling ones yet. Are they any good? Is there background material or just tips on modeling. I have a rather large collection of models but use them for gaming. They are not museum quality but I don't care. I just hate the photo etched parts. I only have a few of the 'this verses that' books, mainly to get additional information on vehicles. I was really disappointed in one as it was a rehash of info from other books in the series. So are these books worth checking out? I already have about 2000 Osprey titles.
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These are largely just focused on modelling the subject, there's a small intro section but it's very paltry on that front. I am also with you on PE, it's just too damn small for me to deal with regardless of scale. XD That said, this series does tend to give good heads up with photo reference on how to scratch build or "fix" various aspects of the subject. So for example, the early Hetzer's had weird weight distribution which made the front end rest lower than the rear suspension wise. The book shows how and what the author did to make the suspension give it an accurate nose down look with both pictures and text. I learn best by seeing with instruction so I do find these helpful.
Osprey does tend to re-release some books in a hard bound then eventually soft cover compilation basically. EG: Knights of Jerusalem: The Crusading Order of Hospitallers 1100-1565 is simply a larger hardbound version (Then softcover) compilation of both Knight Hospitaller (1): 1100–1306 & Knight Hospitaller (2): 1306–1565 but without the color plates, just photos instead. Which is dumb. LMAO
If you buy online it's hard to detect these sorts of things from their General Military line, if you purchase in person, you can check the front as it'll say on the copyright page something about it being an edited comp of however many previous Osprey titles.
Long run, for what you described, I'd hazard that unless you can find subjects in this series say at a used or remainder marked book store at a steep discount, I'd pass. You won't find much in them that would change or affect one's tabletop gaming fun, I don't think.
You and me are definitely bredren on the Osprey front ahaha! I don't think I've ever counted my Osprey collection, granted I could make a shelf on here and find out. I don't buy them all but if it's in one of the eras I am interested in I usually pick them up. They tend to be the perfect intros to a subject, plus the eye candy art. Their quality in terms of subject matter/writing has vastly improved since they showed up in the late 80's/early 90's as well.
What's your preferred tabletop ruleset? In high school I was big into minis gaming, then in college I discovered board war games which for about the same price of just one 40k unit I could have an entire complete game and I haven't looked back. XD Love me some hex/counter, hex/block etc. wargames. The Commands and Colors family (For my interests, Ancients, Medieval, Samurai, and Memoir '44) remains firmly my favorite. For heavier fare, I really enjoy cold war gone hot stuff, so The Third World War Designer's Edition, MMP's SCS Iron Curtain, also the COIN series from GMT, Fire in the Lake and Colonial Twilight. I could go on and on. LOL
I don't know how I missed this. To get back to you, years ago my brother and I used the old Angrif rules which were rather simple. We moved away from each other and went our own ways as far as rules. There was a short time in which we had tried out using Avalon Hill's Tobruk rules with miniatures as well. He later invented his own rules to play with a friend and they concentrated on the GHQ micro armor while I stayed with 1/72 scale. He liked big units.For the past couple of years I have just collected and painted models. I have tried out some of the 3D models coming on to the market. Some look really neat while others look like they were put together with Play Doe. The big problem with them is that the scales are not the same. I mean, plastic 1/72 scale between companies are pretty close in size but if you order 1/72 3D from different companies there is a massive difference. Somebody tried making a tank for me and he had to increase the size by over 100% to make it comparable to a plastic version of the same! I have a 1/72 plastic model of the German Thor mortar and the 3D one he made me is really tiny.
The games I have played are Axis and Allies and Avalon Hill's Squad Leader. I have only two computer games I play, Axis and Allies and one on a Play Station One, to my grandson's horror! I prefer computer games with maps moving units rather than the guy running around switching weapons which he has earned through game points. In my opinion, such games for wussies. Even paintball isn't the same as stalking an enemy using blanks. But that is my opinion.
I do have a 4' x 8' tabletop which I play Squad Leader on or my large version of Axis and Allies. If I can mark off hexes about 5" wide that would be great. Then I would use Squad Leader rules. I have seen a game room for miniatures that had actual 5'' hex blocks that they made themselves. That would be cool.
Getting back to the books, I must have over 2000 Osprey titles and probably another 1000 others. Of course I have been collecting for over 50 years. At one time I wanted to collect them all but now I have scaled back to titles that catch my eye. My wife got me some that I will get on Christmas. Oh, Boy!
