The Forces of Valor Update: Tigers on the Rhine

Recently, Waltersons posted several comments concerning their upcoming 1:32 scale Tiger tanks to their Facebook page. According to the FOV rep, 24 versions will eventually be offered, although its not clear if all of them will come out in 2020 and how many involve repaints which the Company considers as a separate SKU. What is known is that the manufacturer has spent an inordinate amount of time and effort retooling the original mold which first surfaced way back in 2003, thereby ensuring that it will pass muster amongst the FOV community of 2019. Four versions of the Tiger I will be produced (initial, early, mid and late revisions) each with their own intricate features, characteristics and shortcomings that should sit well with discriminating collectors. For starters, all of the vehicles feature a reworked suspension enabling them to smoothly roll along a flat or uneven surface. Each will come with their appropriate road wheels, which ranged from the initial rubber rimmed wheels that tended to get bogged down in the mud to the more efficient steel rimmed wheels used in the latter versions of the Tiger I.

According to Waltersons, the Sturmtiger, which was never a part of the original Unimax line up of combat vehicles, will likely come out in mid-year and feature a fully detailed crew compartment, although its not clear at present if collectors will be able to remove the superstructure to peer inside the vehicle. Likewise, its not certain if the vehicle will come with stacks of ammunition stored inside the vehicle and/or a crane that was used to lower the ammunition into the gun’s breech. Since the manufacturer tends to take the high road when it comes to replicating armored fighting vehicles of World War II its more than likely going to occur, albeit at a slightly higher price considering all of the extra work, labor and material going into the effort.

Lastly, the Company claims that the first batch of Tigers will be completed some time in January. Even if this pans out, its not likely we will see any of the models before March, at the earliest, due in part to the upcoming Chinese New Year, continued tension in the streets of Hong Kong and trade war currently underway between the Peoples Republic of China and the US.

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Our Facebook Shop Goes Live

Even though its taken us some time to get around to it, customers can now purchase a select group of items from our Facebook page. While not every item in our growing catalog will be added to our Facebook shop, we will put up for sale many of the most recent arrivals, taking them down once inventory has been depleted. Thus far, only a handful of items have been included within the “shop” but expect many more items to be added as more new items come in this holiday season. Keep in mind, these very same items can be purchased from our web site, which contains everything we sell as well as those items not yet released by the manufacturers. We will likely build out our Instagram shop next, followed, in rapid succession, by our Target + and Toys ‘R” Us sales channels in early 2020.

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Tales of Transparency: Lagging Indicators

With the end-of-year tariff imposition looming, it appears as if several manufacturers and distributors are doing their utmost to stuff as much product into the supply chain to avoid unwarranted and potentially expensive fees that are then tacked on to the asking price of most hobby-related items. As a result, several late year deliveries, which were expected in early November, now seem to be delayed by several weeks, possibly arriving after the all-important Thanksgiving Day weekend. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that a late November/early December time frame will see the arrival of a number of shipments, among them Forces of Valor, Eaglemoss, Air Commander and Air Force 1. Where this puts our December shipments is anyone’s guess so we’ll stay on top of this issue as best we can and report any further delays should they arise.

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Hobby Master Dashes Once More Unto the Breach

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USMC McDonnell F-4N Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – 15323, VMFA-531 “Grey Ghosts”, USS Coral Sea (CV-43)

Certainly one of the most prolific model makers of our time, Hobby Master has nonetheless kept one eye on the mill stone and one on the clock ever since they came into being back in 2006, releasing a steady diet of replicas month in and month out that have become the envy of aficionados world over. For April, collectors can expect to look forward to taking delivery on the following models:

On the ground…

#HG5313 – Republic of China (Taiwanese) M41A3 Walker Bulldog Light Tank (1:72 Scale)

#HG5314 – Republic of China (Taiwanese) Marine Corps M41A3 Walker Bulldog Light Tank (1:72 Scale)

…and in the air

#HA0152 – Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21PFM “Fishbed” Fighter – “Red 50” (1:72 Scale)

#HA3336 – US Navy Northrop F-5E Tiger II Fighter – 527th Aggressor Squadron, Alconbury AB, England, 1976-1988 [Aggressor Scheme] (1:72 Scale)

#HA8904 – USN Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat Fighter – Lt. Edward H. “Butch” O’Hare, “White F-15”, VF-3, USS Lexington (CV-2), 1942 (1:48 Scale)

#HA3876 – USAF General Dynamics F-16C Block 25 Fighting Falcon Fighter – “Ghost Scheme”, 64th Aggressor Squadron, 57th Adversary Tactics Group, Nellis AFB, Nevada [Aggressor Scheme] (1:72 Scale)

#HA19014 – USMC McDonnell F-4N Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – 15323, VMFA-531 “Grey Ghosts”, USS Coral Sea (CV-43) (1:72 Scale)

#HA5605 – Syrian Air Force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25PD “Foxbat-A” Interceptor – 5th Aerial Squadron, Tiyaz, Syria, 1985 (1:72 Scale)

#HA3026 – RAAF General Dynamics F-111C Aardvark Strike Aircraft – A8-272, No. 6 Squadron, 1994-2007 (1:72 Scale)

#HA5113 – US Navy Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet Strike Fighter – VFA-103 “Jolly Rogers”, 75th Anniversary Commemorative Scheme, USS Lincoln (CVN-72), 2017 (1:72 Scale)

This May, the following aircraft are scheduled to swoop in:

#HA4210 – USAAF Douglas A-20G Havoc Medium Bomber – “Little Joe”, 389th Bombardment Squadron, 312th Bombardment Group, 5th Air Force, Early 1945 (1:72 Scale)

#HA1328 – USAF Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II Ground Attack Aircraft – 66th Weapons Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, April 2005 (1:72 Scale)

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Product Spotlight: The Welsh Guards

Corgi’s 1:50 scale British Cromwell Mk. IV Tank – “Blenheim”, 2nd Armoured Battalion, Welsh Guards, 6th Guards Armoured Brigade, Brussels, Belgium, September 1944

The liberation of Belgium from German occupation was completed on February 4th, 1945, when the entire country was reportedly free of German troops. The operation began when Allied forces entered on September 2nd, 1944. The liberation came after four years of German-occupied rule. The Belgian government was returned to power on September 8th, 1944, after Allied forces captured Brussels, its capital, four days earlier.

The invasion began with the 2nd Canadian Division entering Belgium on 2 September. On the evening of September 2nd, Brian Horrocks briefed officers of the Guards Armoured Division in Douai that their objective for the following day would be Brussels, 110km further East. The announcement was greeted with “delighted astonishment”. The Division suffered casualties on their drive into Belgium but with the Germans still in disarray after their defeat at Falaise, the Household Cavalry on the British left and the Grenadier Guards on the right led the way with the Welsh and Irish Guards following close behind.

Citizens of the Belgian capital had not expected to be liberated that soon and huge crowds greeted and slowed the liberators.

The Welsh Guards landed and joined the fight on September 4th with minimal resistance. The British Second Army captured Antwerp, the port city on the river Schedlt in northern Belgium, close to the Netherlands, on September 4th as well. In the following days and weeks, the Battle of the Scheldt claimed many lives, as the port of Antwerp could not be operated effectively without control of the Scheldt estuary. Antwerp was the first port to be captured by the Allies in near perfect condition, making it very valuable, especially with its deep water facilities. On September 6th, the 4th Canadian Armoured Division crossed the border with Belgium and took areas around Ypres and Passchendale.

“Blenheim”, a newly released 1:50 scale British Cromwell Mk. IV tank produced by Corgi, is now in stock and ready to liberate the diecast military battle ground.

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The Forces of Valor Update: Tanks for the Memories

Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Sd. Kfz. 186 Jagdpanzer VI Jagdtiger Heavy Tank Destroyer with Henschel Suspension – schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Germany, 1945 [Bonus Maybach V-12 HL 230 P30 Engine]

Behind-the-scenes, we’ve had some frank discussions with the powers-that-be at Waltersons, the new caretakers of the Forces of Valor line. While the Company is doing its utmost to maintain the highest levels of quality to ensure satisfaction and value at every level, they’ve also stepped up the rate at which they are bringing new product to market, with several 1:32 scale military vehicles due out before the 2020 Chinese New Year. In other news, they will begin including numbered limited edition collector cards with each new item beginning with their upcoming Jagdpanther tank destroyers. Also being included will be a warranty card, thereby making it easier for collectors to obtain replacement parts should the need arise.

Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Sd. Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther Tank Destroyer with Zimmerit “302”, schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 654, Normandy, 1944 [Bonus Maybach HL230 P30 Engine]

In other news, we’ve signed off on our first Forces of Valor print advertisement, which is scheduled to run in the February issue of World War II magazine and be picked up in the March issue of Military History magazine. While the format will likely remain the same throughout the year, the ad’s contents will be updated periodically as new products begin to filter into the marketplace and other older vehicles are slowly phased out. These ads will likely be bolstered by other complementary advertisements designed to showcase several of their other product categories, particularly their aircraft, helicopters and, dare I say, the Extreme Metal series, of which so many people have been asking about over the years.

That’s it for now, but keep an eye out on our blog and web site for the latest information as it pertains to the Forces of Valor series.

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Eaglemoss Transitions from Impulse Power to Warp Drive in Birmingham

Eaglemoss’ Star Trek Archer’s Toy Ship [With Collector Magazine]

At the Destination Star Trek event held in Birmingham, England, Eaglemoss unveiled a bunch of new items for several of their Star Trek product lines. Here’s a quick look at all of the new ships you can expect to see in the months ahead:

Standard Sized Starships

#EMST0170 – Star Trek Penk’s Starship [With Collector Magazine]

#EMST0171 – Star Trek Denobulan Medical Ship – The Barzai [With Collector Magazine]

#EMST0172 – Star Trek Xindi Insectoid Fighter [With Collector Magazine]

#EMST0173 – Star Trek Antares Class Freighter – The Arcos [With Collector Magazine]

#EMST0174 – Star Trek Archer’s Toy Ship [With Collector Magazine]

#EMST0175 – Star Trek Pakled Transport – The Mondor [With Collector Magazine]

Special Edition Starships

#EMSTSP22 – Special Edition No. 22: Star Trek T’Plana-Hath Class Vulcan Lander – T’Plana Hath [With Collector Magazine]

Star Trek Discovery

#EMSTDISC24 – Star Trek Klingon Daspu Class Vessel [With Collector Magazine]

#EMSTDISC25 – Star Trek Section 31 Drone Ship [With Collector Magazine]

XL Sized Starships

#EMSTMEGA20 – Star Trek Federation Galaxy Class Starship – USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D [With Collector Magazine] (Large Scale)

#EMSTMEGA21 – Star Trek Federation Crossfield Class Starship – USS Discovery NCC-1031 [With Collector Magazine] (Large Scale)

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The “Shock”-Tober Update, Part 2

So, news has been flooding in of late concerning the release schedule. To begin with, we now have a fair idea of which Eaglemoss Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica items are expected in November, and which have likely been pushed back to a late year arrival. Rather than list everything here, we’ve updated our Eaglemoss sections and release schedule accordingly. Bear in mind that Destination Star Trek, which is currently being held in Birmingham, England, will undoubtedly show off some new items, which we’ll add to our web site the minute the news rolls in.

We were under the impression that both Wings of the Great War and Luft-X were terminally ill and on their respective death beds and that we weren’t likely to see anything new from either line, much less receive our back orders, which have been languishing for months on end. Well, we’ve been set straight, so-to-speak, and can now happily report that both lines are expected to resume production in early 2020. We’re not sure what is happening with their distant cousin, AF-X, a similarly conceived line unveiled earlier this year, that has received little in the way of further reinforcements beyond the lone X-15 produced to date. Reading between the lines, that means AF-X will likely take a back seat until both Luft-X and Wings of the Great War have resumed their aerial campaigns.

Modelcollect seems to be back in the swing of things after lolling about with their fantasy-based Fist of War series. Two BMP-3s are schedule for a late year release and we’re willing to bet that other more-traditional AFVs are probably falling in behind them. While the Company has been making 1:35 scale model kits, it remains to be seen if they are giving the go ahead to a pre-assembled line of military vehicles.

As we indicated in a previous post, Dragon has caught its breath and is finally resuming production of their iconic Dragon Armor line. Three replicas, all based upon the Stryker family of Infantry Carrier Vehicles, are slated for a November roll out, although the manufacturer has been known to delay releases for extended periods of time. Stiff upper lip and all that chums as we await their release and hopefully more new items as we head into the new year.

That’s it for now, but expect further updates as we transition to a November war footing.

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Dragon Rises from the Ashes

My heart beat still. After headed the way of the Dodo bird over the last year, Dragon has seemingly risen from the ashes and posted three new Dragon Armor pieces to their web site this morning. All three are based upon the US Army’s family of Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicles. We had pretty much given up hope that the Dragon Armor line would ever return to its former glory, so the news that not one but three new vehicles are in the offing comes as quite a bit of a shock to us and I’m sure to others.

Right now, all three vehicles are listed as rolling out in November, although this shouldn’t be taken as gospel just yet since Dragon has posted optimistic forecasts in the past. Still, its nice to know that they are back and in a big way, no longer ceding the market to several companies that have carved out respectable shares of the marketplace while Dragon snoozed.

We are keeping our fingers crossed that this is but the start of something big for everyone concerned, and that other product categories in the Dragon catalog, long dormant but never quite counted out, will begin to make a return to their illustrious past.

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