A selection of horsemen from 'The Last Charge' Kickstarter campaign

Hello everyone and welcome to another review /r/PrintedWWII review. As I dive into 3D printing, the lack of extensive documentation and reviews of what is good, what is bad, and what works with care, has been vexing to me, so my hope is to provide a little bit of what I wish was readily available for me when I started!

Today's focus is on 'The Last Charge', a Kickstarter campaign from Propylene Foliescu. It is focused primarily on Waffen-SS Cavalry, as well as secondary German units and vehicles. While the Kickstarter campaign has finished, most files have been completed and delivered and are available a la carte on Wargaming3D under the 'Just Some Miniature' storefront.

A selection of the infantry figures from 'The Last Charge'

For the purpose of this review, I backed the Kickstarter normally and have received the files as a backer.

Printing

Mounted officer and friend

I printed the models in resin with an Elegoo Mars 3 Pro, and the files were sliced in Chitubox using default settings. They were printed out with Elegoo ABS-like 2.0 Resin for the people/horses and Phrozen 4k for the vehicle/artillery. As recommended by the designer, I scaled the files down slightly, printing them mostly at 93%.

Maltier Half-track model. Oddly, the axel seems to be designed so the vehicle is turning

During printing, I didn't have any errors or misprints. All of the files are provided in both a pre-supported and unsupported version, and I did a mix of both for printing. I ran into no appreciable difference in the final result between the two, with the pre-supports being well placed and easy to get off after the fact. If there was any gripe, it would perhaps be that they always seemed to be oriented to take up the most square footage on the build plate as possible, but what works best is what works best, so it is hard to complain when it gives good results. I would also note that, despite scaling the prints down slightly, I saw no impact on the quality or functionality of the supports and the smaller scale didn't impact their printing.

The Models

Close up of a mounted figure

This isn't the first time I've printed models from Foliescu, both having done a review for the 'Just Some Miniatures' storefront, as well as models he has done for other releases independent of his own branding (most notably RKX). As in the past, his attention to detail remains clear, and the figures that he produces continue to be some of the absolute best looking designs out there, striking a great balance of 'realistic' look without necessarily being 'True Scale'.

A Pak 38 and crew. It can also be done in a towing configuration.

Detailing aside, the models generally just look good whether up close or table distance. Poses are generally quite varied, faces have some good expression to them, and the way that the models are styled looks generally natural. Those standing still don't come off as still, but instead seem to be in 'real' stances, while those intended to be in motion have a fluidity to them that gives good effect to their 'action'.

28mm Scale comparison (Mounted): Last Charge; Warlord Plastic figure on Perry Horse; Last Charge; Company B Metal figure (All Last Charge prints at 93%)

As I've noted in the past though, the one frustrating thing about Foliescu's designs are with the multi-part kits of which there are several included here. As always seems to be the case, the fit just isn't right and arms refuse to sit right on the body. Compared to past examples, it seems like there might be some improvement, as the gaps seem a little smaller than past examples I've printed, but silicone putty or something similar is essential when assembling them, and based on past experience, does a stellar job hiding it, so it is in the end a venial sin, not a mortal one. In documentation, it is suggested that you can do the 'assembly' digitally, but this does require some baseline knowledge of Blender or similar, so not accessible to everyone.

Arms don't quite sit flush on the multipart figures, but it does feel like it is improved somewhat from previous releases

As far as the models went generally though, while printed at 100% they would definitely be too large, the documentation specifically recommends printing them at 95%. Why they don't just do them in that scale by default I do not know, but aside from the occasional "oh shit, did I remember to scale that?!" moment of forgetfulness, it isn't really a big deal. I actually ended up printing most of mine at 93%, instead of 95%, based on some previous ones, but playing around with a few points difference there will generally result in perfectly fine prints. After all some people are a good bit taller or shorter than others. And when printed at scale, the models fit in pretty nicely with other 28mm lines.

28mm Scale comparison (footsloggers): Warlord Plastic; Last Charge; Warlord Metal; Last Charge; Warlord Plastic; Last Charge (mounted figure) (All Last Charge prints at 93%)

As for the vehicles and weaponry, these also have some very good levels of detail to them as well, and come off looking quite good. That said, they are one of the weaker points in the campaign. The truck that I printed was broken down into quite a few parts, which amounted to more than necessary in my mind. While it does make painting the interior easier perhaps, multiple pieces just for the cab can be a bit of a pain. I would have preferred at the least having a 'full breakdown' version and a 'minimal' breakdown with just the wheels and treads off but the cab and truck body/bed as one piece, but that wasn't included. It is a nice truck, to be sure, but if I need more down the line I'd probably print something different and simpler.

Breakdown of how the Maltier truck prints. Would have preferred an option with just the treads/wheels broken off of the complete body, but a small nit to pick at

Selection

Although the core campaign only included 10 cavalry and 10 infantry models, that wasn't too bad at the price of the campaign (given in Polish złoty, at 150 PLN it was roughly just around $40 US), but blowing past its target several fold, the end result was over 20 additional stretch goals, especially impressive as only six had been planned and announced at launch.

Cossack 'flavored' figures featring the distinctive hat, but sadly no cherkeskas to be found

This meant that while narrow in scope, the Kickstarter nevertheless manages to be pretty deep, with the core cavalry unit, plus a number more horsemen, supporting infantry, and a selection of trucks and anti-tank support as well in the form of a Pak 38 and a Hetzer. The inclusion of several multi-part kits ensures that there is a lot of variety possible and not just the same few figures repeated to make multiple squads. Similarly, there are quite a few smaller accoutrements to add extra flavor, such as a number of captured weapon options, or some the appropriate flair to give your squad a Cossack vibe (although I'm annoyed that it is mainly just through the heads, and there isn't a single torso in a cherkeska)!

Infantry figures in a variety of poses and with a mixture of weaponry

Conclusions

Overall, The Last Charge presents a great selection of files and would be quite sufficient to build out a complete force for Bolt Action entirely based on the Kickstarter. It brings to the table the same top-level aesthetic I've come to expect from Foliescu's designs, and there continue to be few which can match just how beautiful this figure sculpts come out. But his foibles continue to dog at him too, particularly the poor design behind the multipart kits that he releases which doesn't ever seem to really get fixed. But while it is a bit of a black mark, it doesn't do much to diminish the overall shine of another solid offering.

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For Previous Reviews and other 3D printing topics related to WWII gaming, head over to r/PrintedWWII

Also be sure to check out:

• The Printed Vehicles Reference Guide
• The Printed Infantry Reference Guide