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« on: April 24, 2019, 03:10:39 pm »
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.