Italeri presents a Limited Edition box of the famous Tiger 131, which is currently shown on The Tank Museum, with several World of Tanks extras.

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This has marketing department sales ploy written all over it. Before everyone chimes in with crud about accuracy or the " same old dog again " this kit isn't intended for you. It's for World of Tanks players who don't know models and/or are intimidated by a Dragon kit.

But at least the standard front fenders, exhaust shrouds and turret escape hatch are in the same box with the early Tiger kit. I'm kind of fond of the Italeri Tigers as they were the first 1/35 Tigers I built. But only because they were inexpensive and at the time there were no other alternatives.

It's also to tie in to the fact they just released this particular Tiger as a premium purchase in the game - but it has slightly worse statistics than the normal Tiger.

Totally for marketing.

Hey if it gets gamers to buy and build models, more power to 'em!

The artwork hints at what you're getting; Tiger 131 in a sand desert, which probably never happened, but it's what the "man in the street" imagines. Close enough for W.O.T.

But seriously, why didn't they copy the Dragon decal sheet? They don't provide the rear cross!

David

Well you see it was a choice between the rear cross and the WOT logo and Italeri was contractually obligated to use the WOT logo so no rear cross.

Marketing is more important than accuracy here.

I see it includes the secret ingredient to make plastic kit addicts out of casual game players who thought they just fancied a dabble at modelling - liquid cement. Once combined with the plastic, allowed to set overnight and all the real poisonous fumes have gone... I love the smell of set cement in the morning.

Isn't this just a repackage of the long-of-tooth Italeri Tiger kit with all that that implies? Why not just buy the Dragon kit? Oh right, the poster...oh look! designer glue no less!

I always wanted a WOT poster.

First it is a marketing ploy aimed at WOT players not model builders.
Second, its sticker price is €44.9 which is about $50. That's $10 less than a discounted Dragon Tiger 131 and without all the intimidating teeny tiny parts and dense confusing instructions.
Third, there are still those who prefer Tamiya Tigers of the same vintage as the Italeri, so there probably are those who like the ancient Italeri kits. They are simple builds and the link and length track is a little better than a rubber band.

All very reasonable suppositions to those without the passion for complexity and accuracy that to a casual observer might appear to verge on a mental disorder. And then there are marketing types wishing to cash in on gaming mania and building a new potential market.

Well it's certainly not going to win any accuracy contests! It's an old clunky kit and probably the least accurate kit save for the original Tamiya. That being said the gamer or OOB modeller can make it look ok with a deft paint job. If the gamers help keep kit manufacturers in business, that can't be a bad thing. I don't believe serious tiger fans will be "fooled" by this release, but it does fill a market need..

My Tiger 131 from Dragon comes with DS cactus plants ,I bet this doesn't have that.

I just took a look at the decals. They are *very* much like Dragon's ones. Which I drew.

David