Hi Guys,

This is certainly a golden age for this genre in 1/35 scale. Over the period of a couple of years we have gone from a couple of old sets of figures form Tamiya and DML to a whole new era.

What sometimes puzzles me is what seems to be a lack of response when new sets get released. Is this just the 'Great British Reserve' ?

From MasterBox we've had .







Still to come



From MiniArt we've had:





Still to come







From Tristar we've had:



I should also include here the DML :

British 8th Army Set
Commonwealth Infantry Italy Set
Allied Assault Monte Cassion Set

I find this truely amazing, so perhaps we are all stunned into silence or shock

I do hope you all support these releases, speak up and say thanks to the manufacturers.

A couple of areas I'd like to see added are some medical troops and wounded soldiers and some more British Officers.

Lets hope now they have the figures rollling we will see some infantry support weapons coming along too like the Vickers, 3inch mortar and a new 6pdr AT gun.

I don't know when I'll get to building all these but when I do I will certinly enjoy them and by that time we should have some NWE tank riders too

So my thanks to all the Manufacturers for all the additions and I'll look forward with renewed hope for more imaginative and useful figures in the future.

Al

Great to see a thread like this Allen, I really would like a set of the engineers! it is great to see more figure sets coming out!

Next up commando's!

Hi Martyn,

Yes, the Engineers are very welcome, I'm looking forward to those too.

In the past we have been lucky if we got a new set of British Figures every 3/4 years or more , now it's like Christmas every couple of months .

Al

Hey Al,
It's been a good time of late for those of us who like British/Commonwealth subjects.
Save for a few new DML and Tamiya's kits in the preceding 20-25 years, we've had a slew of new offerings in the past 2-3 years from a wide assortment of manufacturers.
In plastic, I'd like to see more seated vehicle drivers, for jeeps, trucks, etc.....
And slightly , the vehicles to populate them with of course.
How about some artillery pieces like a new 6pdr and 17pdr anti tank gun, a new 25pdr, a 3.7inch anti aircraft gun and maybe a 4.5inch and 5.5inch cannon to be towed by those trucks and crewed by those figures ?
And more guys wearing cold weather gear like overcoats and parkas or tropical and jungle gear dress like shorts, short sleeves or even shirtless, etc....
It has been good, we've been spoiled of late with more new British/Commonwealth figures and vehicles but they could do more.
Cheers

jjumbo

Hi John,

My point here in a round about way was yes lots of people ask for new items but when they come along all is quiet .

This post is a good example, 2 replies and 122 hits, hence my comment about the 'Great British' reserve!!

Al

Hey Al,
What ?
Are you trying to politely say that Anglophiles tend to be on the quieter side than those who prefer Teutonic or other subjects ??
There do seem to be a greater number of skulkers on the site of late.
Maybe it's because of the holiday season

jjumbo

Royal marines and Commandos , these should be released!

hey Alan

these are all great sets there are a few i would like out of this selection youve posted here
i would love to see a boxset of british tankriders europe like the dragon boxset of the us tank riders.

or maybe some british paras collecting up parachutes after an airdrop lol maybe this can be scratchbuilt but it would be a lovely idea if any of the manufacturers made this

but as you say this is to say thank you to the manufacturers for there kits theyve brought out and there is a wide selection out there =]]

tony

Thanks for this Thread Alan - an interesting series of thoughts...

The 'malaise' which you highlight is one which, I, for one, feel very strongly about. For those who've been around for a few years, it's a bit like the demand for U.S. Half-tracks. Every few days, someone would publish a wish-list as to what they'd like to see in Allied releases - head of the list was the M2 or M3 H/T. We've had a series of them since the first was released - unfortunately, there don't seem to be as many built as were requested...

The same with Allied figures. We've published an extraordinarily tempting series of official announcements (and WIPs) from Masterbox and MiniArt which, to be honest, have had LOADS of Page Views, but response has been (ahem) muted...

I don't think it's any kind of 'reserve' - rather a reluctance to post suggestions or comments. Curiously enough, there doesn't seem the same reluctance to link to other sites when we've already covered the items in question. A pity more people don't actually check OUR News Section first?

The lack of comments is also negative from another aspect. All the manufacturers visit the Kitmaker Network on a regular basis. When they see comments or feedback on a New release, they can act on these comments. Case in point, the holsters on a recent announcement of a British AFV crew - unfortunately it was too late to change them, but notes were taken on this. Thanks ENTIRELY to feedback...

The moral of all this? feedback is vital as there ARE (evidence to the contrary sometimes) that manufacturers LISTEN...

Alan,

I recently picked up the British Tank Crew from Hornet Hobbies (thanks Dave Brown) and they are in my humble opinion extremely nice figures. I also received Master Box paras / glider pilots that come in the DML "orange box" Firefly Ic hybrid hull kit. Nice figures as well.
Now I'm just waiting for the Royal Engineers (I'm a ex sapper) and Tank Riders sets. I would love (meaning would buy) other sets of troops in cold weather gear, short sleeves, crewing a vickers, a 3 inch mortar, even a 2 inch. How about a desert set with a boys ATR being fired? Or even sets with personal armour protection kit? Or white camo uniforms?
Oh and a new 6lb AT and a 17lb!!
Let's hope
Darryl

Alan, We surely read and appriciate the news/reveiws even if it takes awhile to get them to market. Now. maybe the written responce may not be that large but the world wide sales will speak up in support of new items. Also, priorities are always first so we buy as can afford. There are so many new kits being released that I for one must pick carefuly to what I purchase due to being laid up for the last 17 months. Belive me, if things were as good as they were, I'd be broke from my purchases. As a dio/vin builder I could spend a small fortune. This is a great time to be a modeler, years ago we had the basics. Now we have a enormus amount to choose from, from every time period to boot. Also, I read a write up on armorama about posting to increase ones ratings, which might deter some from responding as they would. Maybe the differance can be sumed up like those who applaude and those who nod in aproval.

Hi Guys,

Jim really hit it on the head, the feedback from customers is key. It lets the manufacturers know if they are on the right track and often brings up erros that if they can't be fixed before release hopefully get noted and fixed next time aorund.

The hits on the variious news and review articles show that people are interested but don't indicate approval or disapproval, just interest.

Calvin, re the Royal Marines, not too much work needed there if you have a good selection of basic infantry figures and an Accurate Armour Update set, but yes, I think they would, like the Paras, be a popular item.

Anthony, yes, a set of 1/35 coloured parachutes would be neat!!

Darreyl, Yes, agree about the new tankers, I've just sent in a review on the set I bought and I think they are very good indeed, holster issue aside. Amazing after all these years we get a generic set, not just of tankers, but of other crewmen as well with more to come for the jeeps.

Bob, agree about the cost if SWMBO ever finds out I'm in deep trouble . On the posting in the thread issue. I've been singled out as a 'Post Whore' in the past, but if you don't use the site to communicate, build friendships, get involved in things then part of it's purpose is waisted. That's a personal choice.

I actively post in most threads concerned with the British/Commonwealth genre for a number of reasons, it helps to raise the Commonwealth profile and I happen to enjoy the subject. It also gives the site a better balance of areas of interest and that I think is a good thing, and as most British things I hap on about are connected to the smaller manufactuers, that gives the small produced a look in too as they can get ignored, or missed.

Plastic Injection Manufacturers are now starting to give us what we have been asking for for years, so saying thanks or good effort more attention to detail next time please, has got to be a positive thing.

Responses in threads also feed them ideas, they may or may not use them but as my Mum used to say if you don't ask you don't get!!

These are just some of the reasons I post as much as I do, the others being gathering of knowledge/information and the fun of being part of a world wide community who have similar interests as me.

Thanks for the responses folks.

Al

those tank riders really excite me

i might use them with a matilda

It's odd. If you ask people what sets they'd like to see you get a lot of responses (some of them asking for figures that are already available or are easily converted from existing sets) but if those asked for sets are produced there is a deafening silence. I buy at least one set of every new Allied set-US, Commonwealth and Soviet set that gets produced in plastic. Maybe people are buying them and adding them to their stash without opening the boxes- I've been guilty of that in some cases myself. I suppose time will tell -if the producers are not making money from them then they'll stop producing them

Hi Alan, yes would like to see some RM commandos (D Day),mabye some generic RN figures, marching infantry akin to tams set and as you say a vickers gun group and mortar team would be welcome masterbox might even produce some WAAFS and aircrew in their woman at war releases,

As (too often) happens, Alan's original thread now seems to be going into yet another of those interminable wish-lists which is duplicating another active thread...




This, and correct me if i'm wrong, seems to be the key element in the thread?

Jim

Thanks for pointing it out - was about to do the same but you beat me to the punch

C'mon guys, read Al's initial post before posting a wish list - and incidentally I believe there is a Allied wish list thread floating in these very forums, so feel free to post your hearts desires there.

Thanks

Rudi

Masterbox already offer a Commando set, its one of their very early offerings. The units that took part in D-Day wore pretty much standard british infantry uniforms with the exception of the use of bergans. Weapons were slightly different in that they employed thompsons instead of stens and also used vickers machine gun from ex aircraft mounts in addtion to brens. I've even seen one photo from D-Day showing the use of both SMLE and No 4 Lee Enfield. By late 44 the use of parachute smocks seemed to have been standard, so they would have appeared, with the exception of the use of the standard infantry helmets, very much like paras.

By the way back to the point, though not a WW11 modeller, I think the increase in British subjects is fantastic and if he allied modellers dont applaud it loudly maybe the manufactures will get the wrong idea!!

Hi Jason,

That's what I was getting at, Pat says it well too in his thread, lots of "can we have" but then when things turn up "silence", not a very positive message for the companies large or small.

If you had asked me 18 months ago if I would get to a stage where I have 13 new sets of British plastic figures to choose from I'd have probably said "in your dreamms", but here we are with more choice then ever before. That's cause for much celebration me thinks, and a small effort on my part to say thanks and well done to the manufacturers - hence the thread

If it helps promote the genre and helps the sales well that's just great because we then might get some more and that would be excellent.

I dread going back to the days when you saw maybe one new set every 2/3 years if you were lucky.

Thanks to all who resoponded.

Al

I agree that there are a lot of great sets out there, which I have too few of! In fact only 1!

One of the reasons for me is who the manufacturers are, with respect to their availability. Masterbox, Tristar and MiniArt are not the kind of companies you see at your LHS too often. So for me the only option is internet (wife sees credit card bill!) or at shows, where I usually have a budget and lots and lots of things that I want to buy with that budget but can only get at shows.

So, for me, if they were more widely distributed in the UK it would be much easier for me to pick up a set at the LHS when I nip in for a tin of paint and sneak them past the wife

Neil

Im suprised when you say that theres a lack of availability for these manufacturers. Im based in Cardiff which is only a medium sized city by british standards. We have a model shop (which is part of a small chain) and a branch of Ian Allen bookshops who are increasily stocking models. Both offer a wide range of both Masterbox and Miniart kits. They have also stocked Tristar but I have yet to see the well bikes.

To add to that Dragon also has a commando set

The answer to that is to badger your LHS.
My local LHS here in Ireland gets his Masterbox and Miniart from a UK wholesaler and any set I want that he doesn't have in stock he'll add to the next order for me. So they're readily available from wholesalers in the UK. Print out some of the piics opf the sets you want and show them to the LHS owner, tell how good we say they are. If he gets a couple of sets for you he might get some spare sets and people will always give something new a go




Do you mean the SAS set?