Author Topic: Marauder Inc.  (Read 34558 times)

Offline Spectre

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Marauder Inc.
« on: November 13, 2005, 01:08 AM »
Just want to open everyone's eyes to a GREAT new source of 1/18 scale weaponry!

There's a new company out there called Marauder Inc. that makes BRAND NEW 1/18 scale action figure weapons. I repeat, these are NOT resin casts of weapons from other manufactures, but ORIGINAL SCULPTS made by actual toy industry sculptors. I have several of their products and can personally vouch for their quality not only in sculpting, but in the plastic used to produce them. The weapons are molded in a slightly glossy black plastic that has a feel very reminiscent of old-school "Vintage" Star Wars accessories or 80's G.I.Joe accessories.

So far their product range is almost exclusively military in design, but they are branching out into more sci-fi weapons as well over the next 2 assortments. They currently have 11 different weapons available in various sets via their on-line store ( http://www.marauderinc.com/servlet/StoreFront ) and have an additional 22 different weapons coming in the second series (There's going to be some VERY happy customizers on this site :) )!

Stop by their on-line store and have a look around, I think the "Colonial Marines Gun" will appeal to many on this site. I have one and made it a VERY Star Wars-esque weapon with only some slight mods, but it also works well as-is :)

As a note to customizers, these weapons can be easily modified as they are rigid, but not brittle, and take Krazy Glue ™ without the plastic getting discolored! :D


Marauder Inc.'s products get the "Spectre Seal Of Approval"!
« Last Edit: November 13, 2005, 01:11 AM by Spectre »
Looking for EXCELLENT 1/18 scale weapons? Check out Marauder, Inc.
www.marauderinc.com/servlet/StoreFront

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Offline Spectre

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Re: Marauder Inc.
« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2005, 01:10 AM »
John over at Marauder Inc. just e-mailed me pics of the prototypes for the second wave of all new weapons from his great company!

While most of these weapons will not be of great use to me as I'm a Star Wars/sci-fi customizer, I have to hand it to Marauder Inc for putting out another great wave of accessories :D Plus, there are at least 4 weapons here that I think will be HUGE hits and essential customizing needs for this crowd (even more if you're a straight out military customizer) ;)


M249 SAW and M60-E3 (both will have removable ammo cases)
The bottom one would be great for certain heavily armed 'gate crashers :)

M249 SAW: near perfect execution of this great weapon. I can see most everyone ditching their oversized Joe heavy machineguns for this sleeker, more realistic model. The removable ammo box is always a plus!

M60 E3: A weapon in high demand by customizers of a certain Sci-Fi Channel show. Great execution of another awsome heavy weapon with another great removable ammo supply.



M4 w/ "under" shotgun and M16 w/ grenade launcher

M4 w/"under" shotgun: Much better scaled and detailed than the ones Hasbro has given us of late. A welcome addition to anyone's S.W.A.T. arsenal as well as military arsenal.

M-16/M203: While reminiscent of the old rifle/grenade combo that came with that mustached Marine from years ago, there are enough differences and improvements (more accurat;y sized clip springs to mind instantly :) ) that you could toss out all of the older Hasbro ones!



SIG 550 with scope & "double" clip and AK-74 w/ grenade launcher & tactical grips

SIG 550: A great weapon that I believe has never been offered in this scale. Definately a must for arming blueshirted squads!

AK-74 w/grenade laucher: This first variant of the AK-74 offered in the last wave gives new life to this already impressive weapon!



British L85 and MP5 full stock w/ tactical flashlight & "double" clip

British L85: Another great new weapon that I do not believe has ever been offered in this scale. Plus, the more foreign weapons we can get, the better :)

MP5A4: Another great addition to anyone's S.W.A.T. and military arsenals. You can never have enough variants of this versatile little weapon.



AUG 77 and "mini" MP5 with front grip & no stock

MP5K: Same as above!

AUG 77: Another great, little seen in this scale foreign weapon!



Tommy gun with front grip & removable drum magazine, Mac 10 w/ silencer and Glock style pistol with silencer & tactical flashlight

Tommy gun: This gun is so cool that I really wish I had a use for them! The removable drum is just another great feature for this awsome weapon. Like the MP5, there are also alot of variants that could be produced.

MAC 10: A vast improvement over old dog handler's teeny tiny little version of this cool weapon. Very nicely detailed for such a small piece.

SOCOM MK23(Glock style pistol): A great little pistol with several cool attatchments! You can never have enough different types of pistols, especially since Hasbro seems to like giving us the same 3 or 4 over and over again.



RPG modern version

RPG: A severely overlooked group of weapons in 1/18 scale! I can only think of 3 different releases of 1/18 scale RPG-type weapons since the early eighties.



The "NVR" Rifle (a modern & realistic "twist" of an imaginary favorite)

NVR Rifle: Nice update of a much loved weapon. Looks a bit more American in design than what is usual, but it still works.



P90 with silencer (had to get a little "creative" with the handle to be sure it would fit in the figures hands, stay in scale AND still look like a P90 when reduced. For those that don't want a silencer, it can be "cut off" very easily and still leave the "regular" barrel)
How many of THESE are you going to order straight out of the 'gate? :D
I'm down for a dozen myself :)

P90: I love this gun and it will only take a slight bit of modification to use it as a blaster-type weapon as it's already futuristic looking. Plus, they'll be bought by the ton by several sci-fi customizers I know! :D



"Sci-Fi" Blaster (for all you "Space fantasy fans")  and 9mm Beretta
I can tell you that I, personally, will be ordering at least 2 dozen of the bottom weapon!

9mm Beretta: Again, you can never have too many different types of small pistols!

Sci-Fi Blaster: I cannot say enough about how cool looking this weapon is! I'm also VERY flattered to have just found out a day or so ago that Marauderjohn designed this weapon for me in response to my praise of his Wave I Colonial Marines Gun and my general enthusiasm for his expanding into more sci-fi areas. Thanks Marauderjohn! :D



P38 Walther with rifle stock, extended barrel & scope. Kept the trigger & trigger guard on this item (didn't look "right" without it...but won't have as good a fit in most figure's hands).

P38: I really like this weapon and was actually planning on making one myself to put into Comic Book Guy's store in my diorama as one of the toys in his display case (I'm sure everyone knows what this is, if not, shame on you! :D ). Marauderjohn just saved me several hours of fabrication and painting time!
 


Samurai Sword (can't see in the photo, but the detail on the handle is amazing)
I could see some on this board wanting to take the highland with this sword :)

Samurai sword: I'm not much of a martial arts fan, but I'd like to see the detail work on the handle.


I saved the best one (in my opinion anyway :) ) for last!:


NCMPR Pulse Rifle (again, for all you "Space fantasy fans!")
I'm sure everyone will want a dozen or so of these for their own personal bug hunts! :D
I plan on stocking up on LOTS of these guys!

M41A Pulse Rifle: I plan on getting at least 3 dozen of these as I have always wanted a 1/18 scale Pulse Rifle! I may actually make these rifles the official armament for my "Brotherhood Of The Serpent" basic troopers if they come out before I finish painting my Troopers!


There's also a "secret" weapon that will be available but it won't be shown until these guys are available for order. Based on the great sculpting seen here I bet it'll be GREAT!!

If all goes as planned, these weapons will be available on Marauder Inc's site come late November. They will be available both singly or in various sets.
« Last Edit: November 13, 2005, 01:12 AM by Spectre »
Looking for EXCELLENT 1/18 scale weapons? Check out Marauder, Inc.
www.marauderinc.com/servlet/StoreFront

1 Stop Shopping For all Your Customs Needs:
www.goodtogocustoms.com

Offline Spectre

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Re: Marauder Inc.
« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2005, 09:34 PM »
Wave 2 has been delayed a few months due to a manufacturing glitch :)

Here's the "secret" weapon I hinted about earlier:



Heckler And Kotch G36
This is the same weapon that was used in "Aliens Vs. Predator" (the mercs had them collapsed inside their briefcases), "Doom" (standard battle rifle carried by The Rock and others), and the last 2 "Blade" films (in the hands of some of the Vampires and their human cronies).
Looking for EXCELLENT 1/18 scale weapons? Check out Marauder, Inc.
www.marauderinc.com/servlet/StoreFront

1 Stop Shopping For all Your Customs Needs:
www.goodtogocustoms.com

Offline Ryan

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Re: Marauder Inc.
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2005, 10:23 PM »
Man those look excellent. How much do the sets sell for? I've been waiting on a P-90 but it may look like I might be making my own, if they don't come out too soon. :-\

But I'll probably end up buying at LEAST several dozen of those when they are ready. :)
« Last Edit: December 15, 2005, 10:44 PM by Ryan »
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Offline efranks

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Re: Marauder Inc.
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2005, 12:07 AM »
Wow, that's some amazing work!  I'm eyeing up that 12 pack of AK-47's to outfit my Cobra soldiers from last years TRU 6-pack.  That's a way better deal than customizing or tracking down Hasbro released stuff on eBay.
   
I could also think of a few situations where that Samurai sword and M41A Pulse Rifle could come in handy.  Thanks for pointing these out!

   E...
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: Marauder Inc.
« Reply #5 on: December 16, 2005, 04:14 AM »
Definitely some cool gear but it's a shame that the company seems to be so specifically focused on earth military and very little sci-fi...

I think if they'd take a note from Build-A-Rama and start branching into OTHER gear like diorama bits and maybe Sci-Fi generic items, they really could do even better...  Diversify the product line some.  I know I have some BAR stuff and it's choice...  Competition would definitely get my $ though, especially since BAR's slow to put anything out and they're non-responsive to Sci-Fi gear...  Considering the Star Wars market alone, Sci-Fi gear could be REALLY a good niche to jump into...

Hell with sponsorship, say around here, they really could tap a good market what with the photonovel guys and such...  Good potential there.
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Offline blaster_e11

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Re: Marauder Inc.
« Reply #6 on: December 20, 2005, 10:48 AM »
i've just ordered some assault rifles for my cobra troopers, i can't wait to lay my hands on those
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Offline Spectre

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Re: Marauder Inc.
« Reply #7 on: December 22, 2005, 12:35 PM »
Passing on an update from Marauder John!

Quote from: marauderjohn
Hey Folks!
Finally received the CORRECTLY reduced 1:18 scale prototypes of the second series weapons. Took some time, but believe me they were worth the wait! The detail of the items is amazing...the low res images don't even come close to doing the items justice.  To show the scale of the weapons took several images of the weapons WITH 3 3/4" figures. Chose dark figures on a dark background, so the light colored prototypes could be seen clearly (production will be black, like first series).


*Complete set of all Series 2 weapons "reduced" 1:18 scale prototypes (with a Series 1 AK47 to show size comparison).

* M4 w/ "under" shotgun, the NVR Rifle, Aug77 and MP5

* Samurai Sword, Socom pistil w/ silencer & "Modified" P38 Walther

*M16 w/ grenade Launcher, Tommy Gun, Mini MP5 & 9mm Pistol

* Saw, M60 & RPG

* Mac 10 w/ silencer, "NCMPR" Rifle, AK74 w/ grenade launcher & "Sci-Fi" Weapon

* P90, L85, G36 and Sig 550

* Close-up of P90

* Close-up of "Modified" P38 Walther

* Close-up of SAW

* Closeup of the "NCMPR" Rifle, to try and get a better view of the detail on the weapons (pictures still don't even come close to the real detail).

The final production items are still a few months away, but wanted you all to see the current progress.  Since many of you wanted to see the "reduced" prototypes with 1:18 scale figures as soon as possible.  The ammo cases on the SAW, Tommy gun & M60 are REMOVABLE (and a bipod can be mounted on the SAW).  Hope you all like the look of them!  If the final products turn out as good as the prototypes we will be set!  Final prices of each item will be in-line with the prices for the first series (still need to get the total tooling & production costs to finalize).
Marauder_John
PS The AK47 w/ wooden stocks are now back in stock and available.
Looking for EXCELLENT 1/18 scale weapons? Check out Marauder, Inc.
www.marauderinc.com/servlet/StoreFront

1 Stop Shopping For all Your Customs Needs:
www.goodtogocustoms.com

Offline efranks

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Re: Marauder Inc.
« Reply #8 on: December 23, 2005, 01:16 AM »
I want to customize a squad of Colonial Marines just so I have an excuse to buy that insane pulse rifle.

Any chance these guys could do some 1:6 stuff?   ;D

   E...
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Offline Gregorbian

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Re: Marauder Inc.
« Reply #9 on: December 25, 2005, 07:08 PM »
Thanks for letting us know about these guys Spectre!  I ordered from them about a month ago and was amazed at how great these weapons are in person.  They are hard plastic and the detail is incredible.  I will definitely be ordering a bunch of those Space Marine rifles when they come out. 

Also, I e-mailed the guy asking him some questions and he was very friendly and responsive, I definitely recommend ordering from him if you need any 1:18th scale weapons  ;D
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Offline Nirvana

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Re: Marauder Inc.
« Reply #10 on: December 25, 2005, 09:31 PM »
I'm probably going to buy a 12-pack of the Pulse Rifles. My new custom Legion needs an official rifle. How fast is the shipping?
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Offline Gregorbian

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Re: Marauder Inc.
« Reply #11 on: December 25, 2005, 10:28 PM »
I'm probably going to buy a 12-pack of the Pulse Rifles. My new custom Legion needs an official rifle. How fast is the shipping?

It was lickity split.  Very fast, it only took a few days to get my pulse riflfes
The scariest thing that I've ever seen,
Is the terrible AT-AT walking machine.
It's as big as a house on walking legs,
and whatever it steps on it crushes like eggs.

Offline Nirvana

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Re: Marauder Inc.
« Reply #12 on: December 26, 2005, 03:14 PM »
Cool. I ordered 2 AKs and a 12 pack of pulse rifles today. Can't wait for 'em to show up.
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Offline Spectre

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Re: Marauder Inc.
« Reply #13 on: December 27, 2005, 08:51 PM »
The Wave 1 Pulse Rifles are great! I actually did a mod to them to make them fit the Star Wars aesthetic a bit more.:

I cut off the magazine and shortened the handle by about 1/6 the overall length.

I then glued the portion of the handle I removed to the left side of the rifle opposite the shell ejector (on the right side of the rifle) so it had a side-mounted powerpack. I would have just used the magazine, but I felt that the smooth handle looked more "Star Wars"-y than the ribbed magazine (not to mention that on the very first one I modded, the magazine flew off after being cut and disappeared ;) ).

I'll be posting pics when I finishe up my "Brotherhood Of The Serpent" Troopers as Marauder Inc.'s Wave 1 "Pulse Rifles" and Wave 2 "MCMPR" rifles will be their official small arms :D
Looking for EXCELLENT 1/18 scale weapons? Check out Marauder, Inc.
www.marauderinc.com/servlet/StoreFront

1 Stop Shopping For all Your Customs Needs:
www.goodtogocustoms.com

Offline blaster_e11

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Re: Marauder Inc.
« Reply #14 on: December 30, 2005, 07:31 AM »
yes, i received the other day my order and i must say i' really impressed those AK and M4 are awesome, now my troopers are ready to kick some gijoe ass !

i also got a surprise bonus : a dragonov sniper rifle with bipod in the package, mesa a happy gungan !
"Wars don't make one great"