Earlier this year, Waltersons debuted their first pairing of new 1:700 warships when they released their Imperial Japanese Navy battleship, Yamato. While the Yamato had been a part of the original Unimax fleet as well as the reinvigorated Watersons navy unleashed several years ago, the updated Japanese battleship is now available in two distinct versions – one with a full hull and a second as a waterline variant that can satisfy wargamers. Both have done well at retail since leaving port, which has encouraged Waltersons to delve deeper into their line, this time around taking their US battleship, USS Missouri, out of proverbial mothballs and back out to sea.
Expected in early June, the updated warship features new gun turret tooling that enables them to sport individualized gun movement. Additionally, the full hull version comes with an all-new display base, updated packaging, and a slicker tri-color camouflaged paint scheme that better reflects the warship’s appearance during the middle part of the Pacific campaign.
Down the road, or, as the case may be out to sea, its a good bet that Waltersons will offer the same treatment to other previously released warships such as the German battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz, not to mention the nuclear-powered USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, along with newer builds that have been hinted at for some time – the USS Kitty Hawk, HMS Invincible and others, to name but a few. Its a good and viable strategy provided they can lay the keels and christen these nautical behemoths in a more timely manner.
