Wishlist 1997

Readers’ Choice of new Figures and Vehicles in 1:72 Scale

The purpose of this page was to initiate a process of encouraging manufacturers to produce figures that are most wanted by figure collectors, wargamers and hobbyists. Readers were asked to submit proposals for new and interesting plastic figure sets which they would have liked to see at the local hobby shop soon.

The entries on this list are unsorted reader proposals, they were subsequently voted on, to arrive at a popularity ranking. A total of 1190 votes were received by 22.JAN.97, and the ranked list has been posted as the new Wishlist 1998. The final results were submitted to manufacturers at Nuremberg International Toy Fair 1997, and mailed to a number of firms which did not attend the show.

Comparing the Wishlists 1997 and 1998, you’ll notice that over 10 % of the proposed new products were released in 1997: The British Matilda Tank (Airfix), Crusaders and Saracens (Italeri), Bundeswehr (Revell) and Brunswick Avantgarde (HaT Industrie). These items have been excluded from the Wishlist 1998, they need not be voted for again.

Readers are now encouraged to add proposals, and to vote for products listed on the Wishlist 1998.

Bavarian Line and Light Infantry 1807–1815, Jägers 1815

  1. 4x Officer/Standardbearer, advancing
  2. 8x Füsilier/Light Infantryman, advancing 1
  3. 7x Füsilier/Light Infantryman, advancing 2
  4. 7x Füsilier/Light Infantryman, advancing 3
  5. 7x Füsilier/Light Infantryman, advancing 4
  6. 6x Grendadier/Karabinier, advancing
  7. 3x Sergeant of Grendadiers/Karabiniers or Schützen, advancing
  8. 1x Drummer of Grendadiers/Karabiniers, advancing
  9. 6x Schütze with rifle, advancing or skirmishing
  10. 1x Hornist of Schützen with bugle and rifle, advancing

The selected poses add up to 50 figures, two thirds of which (33 figures) are from the Füsilier companies. The remaining third (17 figures) are elite soldiers from the Grendadier/Karabinier and Schützen companies. The sergeant may be converted to a Füsilier company sergeant simply by removing the plume from the left side of his Raupenhelm. Every box supplies enough figures for four battalions, which may be painted as line, light or Jägers. The officer should be easy to convert to a line infantry standardbearer.

With the exception of the Spanish peninsular campaign, Bavarian troops participated in all major campaigns from 1800–1815. The Bavarian army was large enough to make it an attractive wargaming contingent which may be engaged on either side of the conflict:

  • 1800 with Austria against Napoleon
  • 1805 with Napoleon against Austria
  • 1806–1807 Campaign against Prussia
  • 1809 Campaign against Austria
  • 1812 Invasion of Russia
  • 1813 Campaign in Saxony, until the armistice
  • 1813 Battle of Hanau, against Napoleon
  • 1814 Campaign in France, against Napoleon
  • 1815 Campaign in France, against Napoleon

Line and light infantry regiments wore the same uniforms and equipment, distinguished by the coat colour: cornflower blue for the line and light green for the light infantry, which was changed to dark green in 1809. Infantry regiments consisted of two battalions (increased to three in 1815) with four Füsilier, one Grenadier (Karabinier in the light infantry) and one Schützen company per battalion. To distinguish the elite companies from the centre companies, Grenadiers/Karabiniers and Schützen wore red and green plumes on the left side of the Raupenhelm respectively. The 1st and 2nd Jäger battalions raised in 1815 wore standard line infantry uniform.

The cornflower blue Bavarian uniforms are very attractive and add a unique touch of colour to the Napoleonic battlefield. The few poses outlined above are sufficient to recruit the entire Bavarian infantry in miniature, with the exception of the Landwehr infantry which wore standard French line infantry uniform. In 1812, the Bavarian army marched into Russia with 30,000 infantry in 13 line and 7 light infantry regiments. At the typical 1:60 figure scale, wargamers will require 500 infantry figures to raise these regiments.

  • Asterix the Gaul

    1. Asterix with short sword
    2. Obelix & Idefix
    3. Troubadix with backpipe
    4. Majestix with sword and shield
    5. Gutemine
    6. Gaul with sling, loading or at the ready
    7. Gaul, standing 1
    8. Gaul, standing 2
    9. Gaul, standing 3
    10. Gaul, kneeling
    11. Gaul, advancing 1
    12. Gaul, advancing 2
    13. Gaul, advancing 3
    14. Gaul, charging, shield forward, weapon at his right side
    15. Separate weapons: Lances, spears, swords, short swords, large and small shields. The Gauls should have ring hands which accept separate weapons.

    Asterix the Gaul is a popular comic series around the world, translated into 30 languages, including Latin. Asterix, Obelix and Idefix have popularized the Gaulic struggle against their Roman enemies. The cute comic book characters are immensely popular with young and adult readers alike, and anyone licensing them for a set of plastic figures would virtually be assured success. Any such figure set would have to be designed in the same caricaturized fashion as the original characters, with a mixture of tall and short, skinny and fat, ugly and attractive looking Gauls.

    A similarly designed box of caricaturized Romans would really make this set of figures a winner with kids and grown-ups around the world. In order to compete with Airfix, ESCI and Revell Romans this set of figures might include two or three cavalry figures which may be converted to mounted infantry officers. A small Balista (bolt thrower) and crew might be another winning addition.

  • Napoleonic Personality Set

    Napoleon and his Marshals, Wellington, Picton, Blücher, Scharnhorst, Braunschweig, Prinz von Oranien, Czar Alexander I, Kutusov, Bagration et. al.

  • Korean War U.S. Marines

    In Winter uniform with parka. Weapons: M-1, M-2 carbine with 30 round magazine, Browning Automatic Rifle, 3.5 in rocket launcher, .30 cal machinegun.

  • Korean War Chinese infantry

    In quilted winter uniform. Weapons: PPSH (Burp gun), Moisin Nagant rifle with socket bayonet, Russian light machinegun, mortar. Don’t forget the Bugler.

  • French grenadiers á cheval

  • Brunswick hussars for the Waterloo campaign

  • Brunswick infantry for the Waterloo campaign

  • Spanish troops for the Napoleonic Peninsular campaign

  • World War II British Infantry Tank Mk. II, Matilda II (A12)

    Trevor Brabyn writes: It is disappointing that such an important vehicle of the early years of the war is unavailable as a 1:72 scale model kit. Airfix used to make a Matilda in 1:76 scale, but have since removed it from their listings. If they were to reissue the kit or another company release it, this gap in modelling would be filled.
    The Matilda, with its 2 pdr gun and 78 mm of armor, could knock out any German tanks during those days of the war that led up to Dunkirk. The Matilda II fought at the BEF counterattack at Arras in France, and took part in Wavell’s early desert offensive against the Italians in North Africa. The Matilda was also virtually immune to all enemy anti-tank guns other than the German ’88.
    Because this important tank is unavailable in 1:72 scale, it is difficult to simulate any early WWII campaign involving British forces. Therefore, I feel certain that if any manufacturer were to produce a Matilda II kit in 1:72 scale, it would become very popular.
  • Nassau infantry for the Waterloo campaign
  • French empress dragoons
  • French foot artillery
  • Napoleonic casualties figures
  • Napoleonic infantry with ladders, attacking La Haye Sainte or similar a strongpoint
  • Dutch infantry for the Waterloo campaign
  • Dutch cavalry for the Waterloo campaign
  • Franco-Prussian War French infantry
  • Franco-Prussian War Prussian infantry
  • Franco-Prussian War Bavarian infantry
  • Assyrians
  • Ancient Israelites
  • Modern Israelis
  • Modern Arab Armies* (ESCI planned to do them)
  • Crusaders
  • Saracens
  • Lanzknechts
  • Janissaries
  • Vikings
  • Huns
  • Late Romans
  • Republican Romans* (ESCI planned to do them)
  • Carthaginians* (ESCI planned to do them)
  • Boxer Rebellion Chinese/European armies
  • Samurai
  • Golden Horde Mongols
  • Jacobite Highlanders for the 1715 and 1745 Rebellions
  • 18th Century Hanoverians

  • Bundeswehr – German Federal Army, 46 Figures + Equipment

    1. 4x Platoon/Squad Leader with Uzi and map case, standing
    2. 3x Assistant Squad Leader with G3, waving or pointing
    3. 3x Soldier with MG3, advancing or prone, firing
    4. 3x Soldier with ammo boxes for MG3, advancing or prone, feeding ammo
    5. 3x Soldier with G3 and new helmet, advancing 1
    6. 3x Soldier with G3 and fieldcap, advancing 2
    7. 3x Soldier with G3 and fieldcap, advancing 3
    8. 3x Soldier with G3 and beret, advancing 4
    9. 3x Soldier with G3 and beret, advancing 5
    10. 3x Soldier with G3 and new helmet, prone, observing
    11. 3x Soldier with G3 and new helmet, rising up from prone
    12. 3x Soldier with G3 and new helmet, kneeling, observing
    13. 2x Engineer with two AT-mines, G3 on back
    14. 4x Soldier with G3, seated (to be used on and inside vehicles). It would be useful if this figure could be converted to a driver simply by removing the weapon.
    15. Separate weapons: Light and heavy Panzerfaust, Radio, fuel cannisters, MG3 resting on bipod, ammo boxes.

      Following the downsizing, re-equipment and modernization of the Bundeswehr, these figures may become very popular with collectors and diorama builders. ESCI produced a set of NATO soldiers, but there were only three useful poses of Bundeswehr soldiers among them. Standing, firing soldiers are not very common on the modern battlefield, which is why we have proposed the advancing, kneeling and observing poses here. In order to change these figures into the older, olive grey Bundeswehr uniform style, American steelhelmets with netting cover may be scrounged from Revell WW2 US Infantry.
      16. #
  • World War I British Infantry (steel helmets). Including stretcher bearers, Vickers machine gun crew, Lewis gun, officer with flare and soldier with field telephone.
  • World War II Polish Infantry, 1939
  • World War II Romanian or Dutch Infantry (Similar uniforms and helmets, figures could be painted as either Romanian or Dutch troops)
  • Hellenistic infantry
  • Hellenistic cavalry

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