britains new releases (1 Viewer)

VIRIATO

Command Sergeant Major
Joined
Apr 28, 2005
Messages
2,393
Hi,
What's your opinion on Britains new and upcoming releases? WWII speaking, I've just seen photos of the upcoming strike attack sets ( art of war series ) here at Treefrog, and they look very good. I'm already thinking of a bridge to match with them. Does anyone have the new British artillery piece? It also looks good on photo.


Happy collecting,
Paulo
 
Paulo, I,ve bought quite a few of Britains WW2 sets, only when I found them at a decent price. Now before I say what I,m gonna say, you must realize I consider K&C the very best, and know one matches them in quality.
I paint my Britains a solid color so they match up with my Conte plastic figures.
I know it sounds dumb and really is but I need regular GI,s to fight my Germans.
So I don,t think a whole lot of their paint jobs.
Gary
 
Hello,
I happen to agree with you on K&C. They are top of the league at the moment and my personal priority. In fact they are in a different league altogether, because their's is a different scale. I buy K&C but I'm also interested in 1/32 soldiers and tanks from Conte, Britains, ONTC,FOV and on Minichamps tanks ( 1/35 ). For the moment I'm collecting some WWII battle fronts with K&C and some other WWII scenes with the others. It all depends on the sets that I like the most. But I think Britains have some good sets, like the ones I mentioned above, although they could surely improve on their quality. I have some Big Red One and German sets and some tanks, which I do like. Britains detail is not as consistently good as K&C but I think they are not that far away, specially if you think of the potential for improvement from such an important toy soldier company. After all, Richard Walker worked for them and just look at his terrific work at Forward March, albeit ACW.


Warm regards and happy collecting,
Paulo
 
G'Day Viriato,

Yes, I agree the new WW2 range is great especially the 'strike attack sets'; however, Britains needs to make sure they continue making future sets to go with it or similar range of sets to go with otherwise us "Britains die hards" end up with lots of 1 offs that don't match up and make sense in our collecting cabintes if you get my meaning.

Britains are doig a good job in my opinion and I beleive they can only get better.
 
Buckomp said:
G'Day Viriato,

Yes, I agree the new WW2 range is great especially the 'strike attack sets'; however, Britains needs to make sure they continue making future sets to go with it or similar range of sets to go with otherwise us "Britains die hards" end up with lots of 1 offs that don't match up and make sense in our collecting cabintes if you get my meaning.

Britains are doig a good job in my opinion and I beleive they can only get better.
Hi Buckomp,
Right on spot, at least in my opinion. I'm going to repeat myself, but a good example of what they should do is the Big Red One series.

Best regards,
Paulo
 
If you guys have noticed Ken threads poping up here and there, he is a sculptor who did Contes WWII, Also has his own line and is also working with Britians. I believe it is his intention that the Britians line will not only grow but would match up quite well with his other lines. I believe that within a few years youll see people new to the hobby deciding which way to go, K&C may not be the pinnacle that it is today.

Oh and stop painting over your Britians and be patient for TSSD and Contes Plastic GIS!
 
G'Day TLP and forum users.

I agree with you, TLP, if Britains (First Gear) get thier act together with the new guys then I believe they can recover market share and get back to being the best Toy Soldier company on the planet and certainly give K&C a run for thier money.

See ya

Antony
 
G’ day Guys (especially TLP and Buckcomp),

Like you I welcome a revitalized and remanaged Britains back into the heart of the toy soldier business.

Come to that I’m looking forward to seeing what some of the new people – Tempest and British Commando can do as well.

If you know K & C and me, you’ll also know that we welcome healthy competition. It keeps all of us on our toes and pushes the hobby on the greater heights.

Some people seem to think that K & C just suddenly appeared one morning and lo and behold people started to buy our products because there was nothing else out there…

Well it’s been 21 years now and a long, hard struggle along the way. No one ever bought or collected K & C because of my pretty face. We’ve constantly tried to improve, innovate and originate product lines that would appeal to as broad a range of collectors as possible. At the same time we’ve always had competition since day one and that’s not about to change now or in the future.

So, bring on the new competition – I’m sure we can look forward to some great new ideas and approaches from these people.

But remember this…K & C didn’t get to the position where we are now by sitting around sucking our thumbs and gazing at our belly buttons! We’ve got more than a few ideas of our own plus some great ones from our loyal “band of brothers” that collectors can look forward to in the not too distant future.

Don’t worry Buckcomp we’ve always had to “run for our money”…and we ain’t stopping now!

See ya,

Andy C. Neilson
 
King & Country said:
. No one ever bought or collected K & C because of my pretty face.

Darn, I'm going to have to find another reason now :D :eek:
 
Hello Paulo:

Thanks for the very kind comments. You like the WWII Britains you see now - wait until next years collection hits the shelves! Ken Osen has been sculpting some of the finest 54mm WWII figures for W. Britain I have ever seen. His knowledge of WWII equipment and uniforms is without equal - heck - he wears the real thing and does life size museum displays for some of the leading military museums in the US. So, if you want the most accurate, nicely sculpted and detailed WWII figures around please have a look at the new 2006 W. Britain collection - catalog due out in January 2006.

What new WWII figures and vehicles would you like to see?

Again, appreciate the kind comments about W. Britain and will do everythign in my power not to disappoint.

All the best,

Richard Walker
General Manager
W. Britain
 
Good evening Richard,

In regards to ideas for the WWII range, I personally would like to see some British figures from the North African Campaign. The 8th Army had quite a diverse make up -- troops from all over the Commonwealth, as well as free French, Greeks, Poles etc. Forces of Valor has several British tanks from this campaign, so some troops to accompany them would be great.

Additional vehicles for the range could include the M3 Stuart "Honey", the Crusader tank and the Valentine.

Blackhat
 
Hi All,

I will add my two bits here. I would like to see some more tanks especially from the Burma/India Theater. Valentines or Lees or even a Sherman with the markings of some of the Colonial Cavalry or Tank Brigades would be fantastic. I would also like to see some Italian and Japanese Armor. I dont collect King and Country because it is not the same scale as the rest of my Britains collection but would be very glad to see Britains produce some of the tanks the folks at King and Country have produced. I would also really like to see a Sherman and a Half Track (with the infantry) from my regiment in Normandy, the 66th Armored Regiment of the 2D Armored Division. They fought with the 101st through the Carentan Area.

Dave
 
My two cents as well. First to Andy, thanks for weathering the storms. King and Country has been around a lot longer then many and you have inspired numerous others to follow. When the other companies witheared you continued, you improved adapted and overcame. Your success has truly helped the hobby! Thank you!

Now as far as Britians new stuff? I would suggest a few things. First off your going to have a hard time pumping out a Panzer four in resin when I can buy a 21st century piece or a FOV piece thats half the price or one fith. So I would suggest you go with things that compliment the other lines in your scale. To begin with. If you continue with the more common pieces add to them something the others dont have. If you do a Stug or panzer find a model not well represented ( good luck) add in tank riders, and a good crew, accessories, this alone will sell the vehicle.

Cargo trucks are missing. A opel Blitz and of course the Deuce are badly needed in this scale. An SDKfz 7 with a rear mounted Flakverling or single 37mm flak gun with a mtd gun crew? and ammo trolly!

Release your 251 hanamogs with a mounted crew or dissmtg greniders? It makes em more attractive. Also how about multiple versions of this, you already have the base? Rockets, radio racks etc? flak gun or pak mounted?

Lastly Axis vehicels are well represented. American on the other hand? British? There are at least five companies producing 1:32 shermans? None produce an M10? None produce the M7? A cromwell? If you do a cromwell, eay add is use the base new turett with the bofors, bang for your manufacturing dollar. M10 is pretty much the same thing as the sherman, new turrett. How about you keep the smaller field artillary comming as well? Nebbelwuffer towed type, with crew? Flak gun and trolly towed? US atg with airborne crew? ( love your pak 75) You have a pak 40 with Wermacht, kick out some more guns in cammoo paint with an SS crew, again more bang on your investment. Oh and how about a 10.5 CM field gun for the Germans? It would go well with the other artilary pieces you have.

As far as figures go if you do a set represent with it. Take for instance your last set of Falscherimjager? Three guys with an odd cammo scheme nobody has ever seen? All three in **** near the same pose running? If you do a set back it up so there is a few sets. I would like to see say a mortor team, MG-42 group, then add in figure sets of threes and fours, and give us five sets of these guys, that way we have a collection not a single set? This is where nobody can touch Andy. He has Normandy covered,( as he covers each subject with material that allows you to create or collect the entire theater of operation. Just about every unit you could want every pose, every vehicle tank, ATG, LCVP, LST etc etc etc. Show everyone that you can do Normandy ( or any other theater) on a scale so grand and you will find more faithful customers.

Anyway hope this helps, I will be awaiting eagerly all your new stuff. Good luck and keep it comming!
 
Just reading your wish list makes me happy to know that we are on the right track already. I can't really be specific, but I am sure that we will have at least one buyer for some of the new things that are coming your way. It is great to hear folks tell us what they would like to see. Although as you might guess, not everything will appear at once...we really do listen...and make lists!
 
Hi Ken,

How about some Chindits from the Burma campaign, and a figure of Orde Wingate And some Ghurkas too?

Also consider selling singles in addition to the 3 figure sets. The poses in some of the three figure sets are odd and do not necessarily lend them selves for display as a group.

Lastly, how about some more british light infantry from Saratoga. Also how mortars from the FI/AWI time period.

Good luck.
Benjamin
 
Hi Richard,
You're welcome, just can't wait for the new catalog. On the wish list department, I'd like to get:
-Eastern front, really full size, Stalingrad, the works;
-Burma ( Japs v. Commonwealth );
-North Africa;
-American Civil War, as good as...Forward March or...Conte, shouldn't be too hard;
-Scenery and terrain ( Conte's sets with terrain pieces look like a good idea to me;
-Casualties, to make things more realistics.
Also please keep up your fine artillery pieces and Big Red One sets.


Best wishes for Britains,
Paulo
 
Many great ideas here - please keep them coming. While the Western front of WWII will always be popular I like the theme here that we need to get a bit out of the box and look at CBI, North Africa, Eastern Front, etc. Unusual vehicles are a great idea too. Really like some of the tanks and variations mentioned. We're on it - thank you very much!
 
Here are the images of the new WWII items coming out early next year. I believe they are the last sculpts done by RC2, but they look pretty good!

scan.jpg
 
Richard and Ken,

As you know I am mostly a K & C collector. However, I love the paratroopers that was done a couple of years ago. As someone who is keenly interested in the North African campaign, I would like to see more there. I have the Desert Rats set of 3 that you issued under the former regime but was disappointed, especially as compared to K & C. I will be keenly interested in what you do there and if the sculpting is as good as K & C's, no matter the size, I will purchase some of these sets.
 
Real Simple Matte WW1 (I do know some are in the works),
Gary
 

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