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In-Box Review
132
Diorama Base
Mardsen Matting Base
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by: Matt Odom [ SCRODES ]

Introduction
Zoukei-Mura have just released a series of display bases and I was eager to get my hands on one.

The last time I ordered a 'base' was decades ago, and boy was I disappointed when it came in. It was the old Verlinden "carrier deck", which I had incorrectly assumed would be resin and not a printed piece of cardboard.

Once bitten and twice shy, I was hesitant to order a similar product sight unseen. I waited for someone to publish a review with some decent photos before I decided....however I not the most patient man.

The Contents
I ordered the Zoukei-Mura Mardsen Matting base in 1/32nd scale, as I had just the model for it.

The base is circular and 12" in diameter. My first thought upon opening the parcel was that the molding is beautiful - very convincing and three dimensional.

The strip of sand beside an edge of PSP matting is a nice touch and will frame a model nicely.

I was a little disappointed in how monochrome the base is - but this prevents it from taking away from the model.

I look forward to adding a bit of weathering to my base - some stains and some polished edges to some of the metal sheets and so forth.

Keep your subject in mind - anything larger than a single engine fighter will dwarf the base to the point of it being distracting. I think the base could have been a tiny bit larger, but that's a very minor complaint.

Conclusion
I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking. In short I am very impressed with this product - it's very nicely made and I think it's pretty cheap for the quality that you're getting.

I will likely be buying more of these in the future for some of my showcase builds.

It appears that these bases are designed to partner with one of ZM's models so the setting you're looking for may not be available yet, but the range of bases is still pleasantly vast.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on Aeroscale.



SUMMARY
Highs: A very nice product for very little money, a beautiful way to showcase your builds
Lows: Could stand to be weathered a bit more by the manufacturer
Verdict: Just shy of a must-have. Proof positive that ZM really understands scale modelling.
Percentage Rating
95%
  Scale: 1:32
  Mfg. ID: DB03
  Suggested Retail: $23.99
  PUBLISHED: Jun 05, 2016
  NATIONALITY: United States
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 93.50%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 91.78%

About Matt Odom (Scrodes)
FROM: ONTARIO, CANADA

Copyright ©2021 text by Matt Odom [ SCRODES ]. Images also by copyright holder unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AeroScale. All rights reserved.



Comments

this diorama see be good.
JUN 05, 2016 - 01:51 PM
I got suckered into the old Verlinden paper carrier deck too... yuck. This PSP base looks great, though! Thanks for posting the review.
JUL 19, 2016 - 09:24 PM
   
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