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Over the past two months, we had been gradually showing you a series of 1/56 (28mm) scale SdKfz 250/251 plastic expansion sets, including:

1. SdKfz 250/1 Neu - base vehicle
2. SdKfz 250/3 & SdKfz 251/3 - standard radio vehicle
3. SdKfz 250/7 & SdKfz 251/2 - 81mm mortar carrier
4. SdKfz 250/8 & SdKfz 251/9 - with 7.5cm KwK37 L/24 Howitzer
5. SdKfz 250/9 & SdKfz 251/23D - with 2cm KwK38 L/55 Autocannon
6. SdKfz 250/11 & SdKfz 251/7 - with sPzB-41 Heavy AT Rifle
7. SdKfz 251/16 - Flammpanzerwagen
8. SdKfz 251/22D - with 7.5cm PaK40 AT Gun

We promised, we deliver (high quality but slowly)!

















For more info on these kits, a link is provided below. Enjoy!

https://www.facebook.com/rubiconmodels

Our Q4/16 New Releases are now shipping...









Enjoy!

For more info, please go to our website http://www.rubiconmodels.com

Some interesting stuff in development from Rubicon which can be used in Bolt Action or just for modelling. These and a lot more in the thread below.

http://forum.rubiconmodels.com/index.php?topic=235.0

Bases.



Wittman & Co.





German Tank Crew.



Prototype Sprue.



German HMG team.



Monty.



British tank Crew.





Patton.



USA tank crew.



USA truck crew.



Various small arms weapons.



Russian tank riders.



Also looks like they are developing a buildings line.

http://forum.rubiconmodels.com/index.php?topic=55.0

Picture

Really nice stuff!

Loving the modular house, the idea of basically double sided Linka, but in plastic appeals no end

The modular houses look really excellent. I picked up my first Rubicon kit from Salute this year after keeping an eye on their (rapid) progress in announcing and releasing some impressive looking kits.

The early Panther tank I've assembled is once of the nicest, easy to build plastic kits I've ever tried, really impressive stuff.

To top this all off the terrain nut in me gets to hear you're developing modular plastic houses?! Too cool!

Rubicon certainly seem to be raising the bar substantially in the 1/56 WW2 gaming arena.

The fact they are going all plastic is also a big plus in my opinion as it allows for much more kit bashing and customisation. I also think it shows they are a serious player in the market,.

Not sure what plastic colour they will produce them in? Hopefully the same as the Warlord ones as I find that colour quite easy to see when assembling and posing as going a bit blind close up LOL and dark plastic makes it harder for me. Their figure bases in the post 4 up would be an ideal colour for all their kits for me.

It's also interesting they are packaging weapons teams with some of their half tracks, wouldn't take much for them to sell them as separates? Shame they don't have their own web store but maybe going the distributor route will give them more exposure at this point.





Wouldn't take much to produce a PAK plastic set as looks like the AT rifle crew could easily work with the PAK. Just need a plastic PAK and different ammo boxes.

Some more German crew (from vehicle sets).





If they ever get to the point of producing plastic infantry sets they could pretty much sew up the market. They seem to have a massive passion to make the best they can and also a faithful reproduction at this scale of the original relevant tank, uniform, equipment etc. They also seem to build thir kits with not only gamers but modellers also in mind.

I have ordered a Tiger tank on ebay more out of curiosity than anything else and it will be interesting to see what it is like. I will certainly be keeping a close eye on Rubicon, especially once they start filling out their British range.

For the same cost as a metal weapon team by another company one of the Rubicon Sd.Kfz addon kits includes two of the weapon and one of the crew. It seems moot then to sell them on their own, just use the extra vehicle bits for another project (with my alternative history stuff I used the spare top of the 251 with a 234 to make a 234 APC). The posing on the Rubicon one's won't be as dynamic due to them being a plastic kit of course, but well, that's what greenstuff's for.

Still waiting on the .222, Opel Maultier, and Opel Blitz radio cab kits coming out. Oh, and now they're coming out with new turret kits. Its just a pity that when Rubicon show something off that it'll be a year before its actually released. :/


Oh, and yes, at this point it should go unquestioned that in 1/56th Rubicon are selling the best plastic kits. Their miles ahead of Warlord's (hmn, maybe miles doesn't describe the difference accurately enough? On a whole other planet maybe). No seriously. ...Beyond just the underside of the tanks having details. Plus there's usually extra bits in the kits to make variants or different versions of the same vehicle. Warlord have a Tiger II coming out in a bit, which I'll buy, but I'll be waiting on Rubicon's (unfortunately when I asked whether they'd be making on a year ago they said they weren't going to focus on late war stuff).

 Wyrmalla wrote:
For the same cost as a metal weapon team by another company one of the Rubicon Sd.Kfz addon kits includes two of the weapon and one of the crew. It seems moot then to sell them on their own, just use the extra vehicle bits for another project (with my alternative history stuff I used the spare top of the 251 with a 234 to make a 234 APC). The posing on the Rubicon one's won't be as dynamic due to them being a plastic kit of course, but well, that's what greenstuff's for.

Still waiting on the .222, Opel Maultier, and Opel Blitz radio cab kits coming out. Oh, and now they're coming out with new turret kits. Its just a pity that when Rubicon show something off that it'll be a year before its actually released. :/


Oh, and yes, at this point it should go unquestioned that in 1/56th Rubicon are selling the best plastic kits. Their miles ahead of Warlord's (hmn, maybe miles doesn't describe the difference accurately enough? On a whole other planet maybe). No seriously. ...Beyond just the underside of the tanks having details. Plus there's usually extra bits in the kits to make variants or different versions of the same vehicle. Warlord have a Tiger II coming out in a bit, which I'll buy, but I'll be waiting on Rubicon's (unfortunately when I asked whether they'd be making on a year ago they said they weren't going to focus on late war stuff).

Your suggestion could work but seems a no brainer to bring support team kits included in vehicles to market as separates.

Is it because they have limited technical staff that it takes so long? Or they are just so perfectionist? I guess it pays for them to get any kit they produce right.

If it was just down to limited development funds? They should just go Kickstarter. If they said they were going to produce a Sherman V/Firefly kit I would be in. As the bonus goals being met maybe they could produce a Universal carrier with bonus/add ons being HMG weapon, crew, British personalities/officers, maybe even a British Mortar crew LOL, they could think these up I am sure and more. If it meant waiting for 6-9 months I would be happy with that. I would be happy with a £30-35 pledge to support as I am sure would many others, especially if the add ons were good. I wonder how many supporters they would need at around this pledge amount to make it viable?

They have a plastic infantry range in the works, so we may see individual teams in future. Though the weapons included in the upgrade kits so far are more niche than say machine guns are, so for the cost of creating new sprues I don't really see the point in them releasing individually. The upgrade kits are usually only one sprue as it is, and yeah, like I said, you're already getting 2 weapons for the price of any other metal weapons team kit... Just use the extra bits as objective markers or extra stowage for vehicles.

They're 3D printing the sprues, and the big push right now is for the original sprues to be as compatible as possible with future variant kits. At the moment, at a great cost I'd imagine, they're completely re-designing their Panzer IV kit to cover every possible version of the base tank, plus considering all the addons like flak guns, etc. So far it looks like they're aiming for around 4 releases a quarter at least (the next stuff up IIRC is the Opel Maultier, Opel Radio/ Ambulance Cabl/ Sd.Kfz 221 turret for the 250/251).

I imagine its all down to costs, plus the aforementioned future proofing. They just bought a line of resin French vehicles which they're retooling, so I doubt for such a new and small company they want to be rushing themselves. The Rubicon kits sell like hotcakes, so I doubt they're short on funds. Judging by the stuff they've shown on their Facebook group they must have at least a dozen kits in the works right now at least. I've no idea what Warlord's release schedule for plastic vehicle kits is like for comparison, but they're probably in the same ballpark for their WWII stuff (Warlord do come out with a load of resin vehicles, along with metal soldiers, and the odd plastic soldier kit. Plus have their other lines as well).

...Its just annoying seeing something in what the average wargamer would consider a finished state a year ago, but it still not being out for sale. However that doesn't account for all the manufacturing and sales considerations behind the scenes.

I really would like to see Rubicon selling a Tiger II though. :(

Thanks for the heads up Wyrmalla, good to know they have plastic infantry incoming also. Do you have a link or any pic's as I couldn't find any concept art/pieces.

I came across the discussion when digging around on the purchase of the company who produced the French resin vehicles so obviously another string to the Rubicon bow although I have little interest in that stuff, I am sure it will broaden their range/appeal.

Not sure why they wouldn't focus on late war. That's where all the Gucci stuff/equipment is. Got to agree with you on the Tiger 2 and surely it would be a better seller for them than an ambulance etc but then again I am not in the know. Would seem to make sense from a sales point of view to bring the most popular stuff out first. Maybe they are niche filling gaps in the market more aimed at modellers?

They seem to have a hell off a lot fizzling away in the background. Maybe there will be a deluge of product at some stage? Point taken about the slow realisation of concept to market. If the quality is their I guess I can live with it

Anyway digging around I have found more stuff in the pipeline. Glad to see the Jeep & Para crew and liking the berets sculpting, much more realistic than others I have seen. Hopefully they will have some armament to add to it.

German anti tank crew.





Willy's Jeep with various crews.

The infantry are the same models on their Facebook page. They're mostly just 3d models at the moment, but they did show the US GIs as part of a diorama. To me they look a bit chunky, and the proportions are distinctively 28mm (they compared some of the models of historical figures with period photographs. Its obvious how squashed the features are), They'll be there as an alternative to the existing plastics, which're mostly Warlord stuff at this point, so'll do as replacements for that line (hopefully the infantry will come with as many addons as the vehicle kits). I don't expect them to handle much climates/ periods other than a generic European theatre force however (no plastic Kharkov style Germans... :( ).

They need to actually RELEASE all that stuff.

The plastic house was previewed in 2014.

Their release rate is the most disappointing aspect, as there's several dozen kits I want that definitely won't be released this year despite being previewed for several years now...

 Wyrmalla wrote:
The infantry are the same models on their Facebook page. They're mostly just 3d models at the moment, but they did show the US GIs as part of a diorama. To me they look a bit chunky, and the proportions are distinctively 28mm (they compared some of the models of historical figures with period photographs. Its obvious how squashed the features are), They'll be there as an alternative to the existing plastics, which're mostly Warlord stuff at this point, so'll do as replacements for that line (hopefully the infantry will come with as many addons as the vehicle kits). I don't expect them to handle much climates/ periods other than a generic European theatre force however (no plastic Kharkov style Germans... :( ).

Guess we will be playing the waiting game on these, Italieri are safe for the moment.

 judgedoug wrote:
They need to actually RELEASE all that stuff.

The plastic house was previewed in 2014.

Their release rate is the most disappointing aspect, as there's several dozen kits I want that definitely won't be released this year despite being previewed for several years now...

I am a bit late to the party but can understand your frustration.

Well they seem to be on a roll this quarter and have just announced more kits to be released in Q2. Hopefully some of your wishlist is among them.

http://forum.rubiconmodels.com/index.php?topic=609.0

Can't wait to get those Bikes for Africa

Is all this too small for 40k? I really like some of the trucks.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
Is all this too small for 40k? I really like some of the trucks.

I suspect if you added 40k weapons the scaling would look okay.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
Is all this too small for 40k? I really like some of the trucks.

Absolutely too small. You would need, at the minimum, 1/48 for 40k, but I would recommend 1/35 especially considering the current scaling GW has been doing since 2012.

1/56 scale are for 28mm. Take this picture into consideration.



The dude on the far right is a Perry WW2 British infantryman, truescale 28mm - effectively 1/56 scale. That's what Rubicon (and Warlord, and Company B, and Trenchworx, and anyone else making 1/56 vehicles) is scaled to.

Here's an old Dakka thread with 1/35 vehicles used with Warhammer 40k models. - https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/313817.page#1881413

And there is actually a Dakka wiki entry w/ vehicle scales - https://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Scale_Model_Kits_for_40K

The Perry troops is on a shorter base than the figures it is next to. It is slimmer than the human next to him, but not really much different in size overall.

And we're not talking about humans/people, we're talking vehicles. I really don't see why a Rubicon truck couldn't do as a small truck in Warhammer. Warhammer weapons put on it would give it a sense of Warhammer scale.

 CptJake wrote:
The Perry troops is on a shorter base than the figures it is next to. It is slimmer than the human next to him, but not really much different in size overall.

And we're not talking about humans/people, we're talking vehicles. I really don't see why a Rubicon truck couldn't do as a small truck in Warhammer. Warhammer weapons put on it would give it a sense of Warhammer scale.

A Cadian or Catachan guardsman, aka, the standard for human sizing in 40k, would make a 1/56 truck look like a Power Wheels.

I can take a pic of some 40k figs with 1/56 WW2 vehicles if you'd like, when I get home from work. It's pretty bad.

from facebook

..

Rubicon Models uses ABS plastic for our products. The most important mechanical properties of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) are impact resistance and toughness, and because of its finer particles, it produces better detail on our products. And since our base customers are mostly tabletop gamers, we wanted our kits to be tougher to handle and be able to get knocked around a bit without getting damaged.

While some model kit manufacturers still use polystyrene (PS/HIPS plastic), we choose ABS over PS. ABS combines the strength and rigidity of acrylonitrile and styrene polymers with the toughness of polybutadiene rubber. While the cost of producing ABS is roughly twice the cost of producing polystyrene, it is considered superior for its hardness, gloss, toughness, and electrical insulation properties. Most important of all, ABS had less impact on the environment. Discarded polystyrene does not biodegrade for hundreds of years and is resistant to photolysis.

There are sporadic reports that some plastic cements don’t work on our products... which might be true because customers are using the wrong type of cement. Liquid cements that we bought for testing work well with our kits. Most liquid cement are now PS/ABS compatible, except for a few ones using older solvent formulas. Ask your hobby store to recommend a glue for you!

something I didn't realise (although I was aware their plastic felt a bit different),

guess my glue does both (although it won't stick lego which is also ABS?)

anyhow worth knowing if you're having issues

Gotta agree these won't work with 40K, just a bit too small even for Guard.

Interesting info on the ABS plastic, wasn't aware of this at all.

Well got my Tiger through and popped it together earlier. Gotta say for the first Rubicon model I have built it's a great little kit. Goes together easy and just few very minor gripes.

Pro's
Instructions were easy to follow.
Came with options for early, mid and late war including three tops for the turret with different hatches, track sets and light configurations and also air filter and pipes that go at rear (not on my example) which look cool but more for dusty environments.
The pieces went together very easily with no gaps on mine at all, first time I have ever experienced this on a kit and didn't have to do the usual trim and fit job.
The tank looks great put together and feels/looks like a Tiger should.
Gun doesn't drop and can be positioned up (as in pic) or down and anywhere between.
Feels robust apart from MG on cmdr's hatch but that's unavoidable.

Con's
Be very careful trimming residual sprue of the pieces once snipped away from the main sprue. I was shaving a bit off the lower hull and the knife cut very easily taking a little more off than I wanted but no drama as was underneath anyway and only on a join.
The muzzle wasn't drilled out on the gun barrel (my biggest gripe).
Things like the gun sight and the bow machine gun would have benefited from a close up on the instructions.
I am not sure how the commanders will sit nicely in the turret once Rubicon produce them. It's a straight drop down to the hull! guessing they will advise how to do this.

Not so much a con but I would have loved this to have been in the lighter grey colour similar to Warlord plastic figures as I can see detail more easily when putting together. I also feel the Warlord colour/material has a less glossy finish and prefer it but this is a personal thing and I am sure others will have no problem with the darker grey on the Rubicon kits, The colour and look of the grey bases below I would much prefer.

The con's were really minor and all in all I loved the kit, very well done Rubicon! Cant wait to get Wittmann & Balthasar to pop in the top hatches.

By the way I used Citadel plastic glue with the thin long metal applicator and it worked fine with the ABS plastic Rubicon use.

Right, just to put it out there; in no way shape or form will 1/56th scale models work for Warhammer 40K. 40K's models stand around 1/48th scale in height, but are far, far wider than a normal human of that scale (I'm talking by like a 1/3rd at least). You might be able to creatively hide a 1/48th scale model with your 40K stuff, but even those will look *really* titchy compared to Game's Workshops stuff. For example: a Tamiya 1/48th StuG comes out as being a smidge thinner than a Chimera, but about 1/5th shorter. A 1/35th scale Sd.Kfz 251 comes out slightly thinner than a Chimera, but about 1/5th- 1/4th longer (bearing in mind that in the real world a StuG III was around 1/3rd wider than a Sd.Kfz 251).

Below's a Rubicon 1/56th Opel Blitz (or rather an Opel Maultier, but semantics) compared to a Tamiya 1/48th Opel Blitz. Both vehicle's ends are in the same position. The infantry here are a 1/56th Clockwork Goblin Fallschirmjäger (on a small integrated base) and a Cadian (Warlord Game's models are *not* 1/56th scale. They're around the same height, but they're "heroic" 1/56th - as in again, excessively wide).





I personally use 1/48th scale models alongside my 1/56th scale stuff as super heavies. A 1/48th scale Panther tank used alongside 1/56th vehicles comes in just smaller than an E-100 Super Heavy Tank...

For demonstration as well, an image I stuck up here a while back of a comparison between 28mm scale WWII models. The one third from the right is an actual 1/48th scale model (which is where I prod 28mm WWII players who use 1/48th scale models with their 1/56th scale troops. Yeah, they look all right if your models are really wide, but tanks are not that big in the real world. ...Ah, that's been discussed to death though).



The manufacturer's are on the image's page btw if anyone wants to pick up any of those

So to summarise: I'd say 1/48th in 40K could be used as set dressing and civilian vehicles, but they're still really titchy compared to Games Workshop's models (again, and I have to emphasise this *really* titchy based on experience). A 1/35th scale Sherman is around the same size as a Leman Russ, though naturally, the Sherman's barrel's still nowhere near the GW model's size (you'd need to buy one a German Sturmtiger to come close). 1/56th scale model's use in 40K is for being torn up and converted into other junk to disguise how small they are. Hell Forgeworld Grot Tanks are a similar size to full sized tanks in 1/56th...

Thanks all, really thorough answers!

Having seen several model kits converted to 40k. I'd say the best ones are 1/35 kits that have been shortened. That is they have been cut somewhere in the middle, had an inch or two taken out then put back together. The reasoning there is that most 40k vehicles are very wide when compared to most real vehicles.

It depends always on the original size of the tank

a 1/48 Tiger works well as Battletank in 40k, while a 1/56 SdKFZ 222 or similar is perfect as Tauros (the FW Speeder) or Ork Buggy and a 1/35 FT1 is the right size to be used for Ork Trucks

but standard modern transport tanks works best in 1/35 and be cut down
http://kodosderhenker.blogspot.co.at/2012/10/135-jgsdf-type-82.html
http://kodosderhenker.blogspot.co.at/2015/02/135-jgsdf-type-82-count-as-chimare.html

That is really sweet looking.