Czech Mate

 Here is Tristar's 1/35 Pzkfw. 38(t) ausf. B, built OOTB, with two kitbashed figures. I really like puns in diorama titles, and this is no exception. The 38(t), a Czechoslovakian vehicle, has been knocked out by a Soviet anti-tank team... i.e, Czech Mate.

 The vehicle was a joy to build, in fact I haven't had as much building a model as I did building this little gem.

  I airbrushed the complete interior with acrylics before I finished assembly, to help me get at the hard-to-reach areas. I used some interior placards from Archer to add a splash of color, but otherwise, I didn't really add anything that didn't come in the box.

 The camo was airbrushed using slightly altered Tamiya paints, using 'Silly Putty' to create the hard-edged pattern.

 The two figures are examining their kill, one of them holding a massive PTRS-41 anti-tank rifle. This weapon was often fired at tracks or vision slits, because they were unable to penetrate thick armor. I wanted to show that the tracks had been shot out and that the engine had been damaged, forcing the crew to abandon the vehicle. The figures were cobbled together from a few dozen figure sets... I honestly can't remember exactly which kits all the parts came from. I used oils over acrylics, as usual, to finish the two figures.

 The figure on the left is sporting a stylish "Budenovka" hat, which was popular with the Red Army from the days of the civil war until the early 1940s. I thought it resembled a Rook chess piece, which I felt fit with the theme nicely.

The tarp is made of Apoxie Sculpt, rolled flat with a hobby knife.

 Here are a few shots of the interior. Tristar spared no expense in making every last detail perfectly rendered. I normally dislike the construction phase of modeling, but this model was really a blast.

Thanks to Sean B. for help with the photography. Thanks for looking!