Warlord Games 28mm 1/56 Stuart Review

Todays review is Warlord Games new M3 Stuart, kindly supplied by them for me to take a look at. 

This kit is part of their continuing partnership with plastic kit manufacturer Italeri, and follows the norm of that range of kits by being relatively complex for a war-gaming model, but also superbly detailed. 

There are some smaller and fairly fiddly parts, so this may not be to everyone's taste. Personally I like it and prefer the fidelity this approach offers, however if you're looking for a quick bash together model for the tabletop there could be some frustration. 

Instructions are a massive leap forwards to most war-gaming kits, being clear 3D renders, with relevant parts labelled by suitable symbol, so the Soviet star for the Lend Lease variant, the Desert Rat for the Western  Desert British vehicle, and so on. 

 

Each variant possible is identified at the start of the instructions too, and the instructions suggest dry fitting before applying glue, which is nice to see. 

The kit includes parts to build a British M3, a Soviet lend lease M3, a British M3A1, an American M3A1 in Tunisia, and finally a USMC M3A1 with hull flame thrower.

 

 Also included are 3 commander figures, one British, one American and finally a Soviet one. These figures are ok, but I'll be replacing mine with a metal one at some stage. 

 

The set is rounded out with a  nice little decal sheet and quick reference cards for Bolt Action, as well as a set of smoke markers. No stowage is included, and I found quality of moulding to be excellent, with a nice slide moulded main gain.

 The  only real imperfection was a sink mark in the centre of the hatch, which I only noticed once painting was complete, hence the map... 

 

The only other addition I made to the kit was the addition of an aerial made out of jewellers wire. 

Assembly was simple, and took me around 45 minutes to put together. It pays to go through and highlight the stages relevant to you before starting building. 

Also, use a good plastic glue or solvent, such as Plastic Weld or Tamiya liquid thin, as super-glue will be an exercise in frustration. The new instructions served to make assembly relatively easy though, and fit was good.

 

I've prepared a painting guide for the model which should appear on Warlords website in the not too distant future. Overall I found the kit to be very well designed and an enjoyable project, and at £18 is pretty good value.

I look forwards to adding another 2 to my collection to make a troop.  As ever you can find more of my work at Volley Fire Painting Service, and you can get your own M3 Stuart at Warlord Games.

For more on the war in the desert, or historical gaming chat in general, come over and join us at The Brit, The Yank and the Hobby Podcast