Rubicon Models > Wish Lists

Focusing on the more useful kits – wake up and smell the molded plastic!

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Tracks:
For me, just a bit of venting here because sometimes gamers (and at times model companies) can’t see the bigger picture - even when it’s obvious, and this astonishes me at times. Not to point fingers, but there is this unhappy gamer, and he is angry because no one has released a plastic kit of the T-35 in 1:56 scale. Would a 1:56 scale plastic kit of the T-35 be neat? Yes, certainly, but there are so many other more important and useful plastic kits that gamers would like to see long before hoping for a T-35 Soviet Heavy Tank!

These days we should count ourselves fortunate when it comes to 28mm (1:56) scale plastic gaming miniatures/models. Not so long ago – just a few short years really – the only vehicles available for gaming at this scale were either metal or resin with metal bits. More importantly, most of these were a joke (visually ugly and disproportioned), but we didn’t have much of a choice at that time. Yes, some of the newer resin stuff is looking better, but compared to a good plastic model kit (and sometimes even a mediocre one as well) they are still inferior in several ways.

That being said, there are still a few common items that gamers would really like to see released in plastic. What I mean by “common items” are things that would see a lot of use on the typical gaming table for games like Bolt Action, Chain of Command, Battleground WW2, Operation Squad, and several other skirmish level games, and players use 28mm (1:56) scale miniatures/models. Before I want to see a T-35 or even an M26 Pershing, I would very much like to see – and I hope I’m not alone here - the following 1:56 (28mm) scale plastic kits:

= List updated April, 2019 =
= List updated October, 2020 =
= List updated November, 2021 =
= List updated January, 2022 =
= List updated October, 2022 = probably last time

American vehicles and equipment in plastic:
Plastic AT-Guns  - these would be popular. – a 37mm is available and a 75mm is coming soon!
M3 Medium (Lee) – best if it can be a Lee & Grant kit - coming soon?!

British vehicles and equipment in plastic:
Plastic AT-Guns  - these would be popular – a 25pdr/17pdr kit is available
M3 Medium (Grant) – best if it can be a Lee & Grant kit - coming soon?!
British Armored Car – one of the most common types.
Note: a Humber Mk II/IV is already available.**
British Truck – RM is releasing a Bedford Truck – available
Valentine Tank – for those that need them. – available Valentine - II/III/IV/V/IIICS/IX/X/XI
** Sadly, this is not a Rubicon Models kit, but still a very good plastic model kit from Warlord Games.

French vehicles and equipment in plastic:
Plastic AT-Guns
Renault R35/39/40 or Hotchkiss H35/38/39 – more Renaults were built.
AMD Panhard armored car.
French Truck  - one of the most common types.

German vehicles and equipment in plastic:
SdKfz 10 half-track – available and a SdKfx 10/4.
Note: before the SdKfz 10, Rubicon Models also released a Krupp Protze. Product Code: 280082
SdKfz 231 8-Rad armored car.
Note: There is a very nice SdKfz 222 kit kit from Rubicon Models. Product Code: 280062
Panzer II Ausf A/B/C/F – available
Panzer III (early to late) – available
StuG III Ausf A-E – not as numerous as mid to late war versions, but useful for those early war scenarios.
Note: Rubicon Models has already released a very nice kit of the StuG III Ausf G. Product Code: 280017

Soviet vehicles and equipment in plastic:
Plastic AT-Guns  - these would be popular.
BA-64 – one of the most produced Soviet armored cars.
Note: There are very nice kits of the BA-3/BA-6 and Ba-10 from Rubicon Models.
BT-5/7 - coming soon!
T-60/70
SU-76

Italian vehicles and equipment in plastic:
Several things since there isn’t much available.
Carro Armato M13/40 & Semovente Commando M40  – available
Semovente da 75/18 SPG  – available
Very nice plastic model kits.

Japanese vehicles and equipment in plastic:
Several things since there isn’t much available.

Now, there are going to be those (because there always is) that will say, “I really want to see the M7 Priest in plastic.” Or maybe a T-35 Heavy Tank, a Brummbar, a Ferdinand, an ISU-152, an M26 Pershing (available), a 152mm ML20 how, a Borgward, a 155mm Long Tom, an M12 GMC, a Char C2, a Sturmtiger, a Sexton, a Staghound, a GPA 'Seep', a DUKW, and so on, but to be blunt and hopefully obvious about it all, I think the items listed above would be far more useful to the average or typical gamer that collects and uses 28mm (1:56) scale miniatures to play such games like Bolt Action, Chain of Command, Battleground WW2, or Operation Squad. Something like a 155mm heavy howitzer for example would be unlikely to see much use (if ever) in your typical skirmish level game. So instead of a 155mm heavy howitzer or a Brummbar, wouldn’t it be so much useful and better to have that M3 Medium Lee/Grant (coming soon?) or that SdKfz 10 half-track (available) that we all have been waiting for?

After the model companies have already released all the more common and useful kits, than maybe exploring the need for something like a T-35 or M7 Priest can be explored.

tyroflyer:
Sympathetic to your point of view Tracks. As my wargaming interests are varied I can't envisage building many WWII armies. I currently desire vehicles that are compatible with the Polish campaign and the German/Russian armies of the period. Bit of a niche perhaps but there are too many things to do and no time to do them all. It must be very difficult to please everyone as we all have different projects in mind.

I agree entirely long range weapons such as the 155mm howitzer shouldn't have any place in a skirmish game unless it's an objective marker or perhaps part of an ambushed convoy in some scenario. Any rules that think these weapons make sense in a skirmish game has missed the mark in my view. On that basis I wouldn't prioritise them if I had any say in it. I wouldn't be interested in fantasy or one of vehicles either.

No doubt Rubicon will make heaps of money producing big guns and 'orrible imaginary things because they understand their customers better than I do!   

ultravanillasmurf:
I understand where you are coming from (who would want an M7 Priest, a Sexton would be so much better ^___^).

I also sympathise with Tyroflyer, I would like cruisers and lorries suitable for BEF and early North Africa.

British guns should include the 25 pounder, it is iconic and used as AT.

ripley:
I agree with you as well, Tracks . As much as I want that cool limited production vehicle/ tank ( Maus , Tortoise ) ,the reality is with only 3 companies making plastic 1/56 kits while trying to balance game piece / model kit , we are going to get your bog standard , produced in their hundreds or thousands , truck , AC or tank , which in some cases , has its own cool facture (numerous  T-26  types  for example) . Maybe, if like in 1/35 scale  we had 30 odd companies making kits we would  get the weird and wonderfully obscure .

H0ffmn:
Tracks, back when Rubicon started writing about the upcoming M4A1 Sherman tank kit , they did mention the early suspension for the M4A1 would be used as a platform for other vehicles kits using the same suspension. They did mention a M7 Priest and a M3 Lee as future projects.

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