New Panzer Korp - Tiger I

It's not a surprise Dragon is going to release the new 1/144 Tiger I in kit form (Panzer Korp) before the Cando release. Unlike the Cando releases which are pre-painted, you will get 3 identical tanks (112, 141, 142) as you need to paint them yourselves. I will still buy the Cando version to complete my collection but I don't see any reason to buy these.

OMG - Cando "new" Tiger I

Oh my god. It turns out the re-release of the Tiger Is from Dragon is not the worst news. What even worse is Dragon is so lack of imagination that it releases the same tanks with different decals. As you can see from the pictures, one is 141 and one is 142. I know these are early production tanks so the variations are limited but why picked this topic? I think we got similar tanks from WTM5 and you can buy a whole battalion of decals from a Japan seller to build a whole battalion. If Dragon wants to make this more attractive, why not just give us a tank with no decal and then provide a separate decal sheet similar to those from Panzer Korps. I think we will be more happy and someone may just want to buy it for the decal. BTW, what is that special? Is it the one for Operation Sea Lion?

Guess what will be the next Cando release from Dragon, the answer is...

According to the preview slip included in the box of the Stug III & IV, it seems the next release from Dragon is ......( music : da...da...da.....) - another Tiger I. Although it's a new mold but how many Tiger Is do you need?

Cando Stugs III & IV

For sure this is the best Christmas Gift I will buy for myself - the Cando Stug III & IV. I found a couple pictures from Japan and they look very good so far. Hope they will release in the US very soon. Can't wait...

Panzer Korps - StuG III & StuG IV

Probably not a surprise to you. Dragon US has just published the Panzer Korp StuG III and StuG IV. Release date : January 2007. It seems the only tank missing from the Cando lineup is the StuG III A in box 14044. Any one like me waiting for a StuG III A to complete the Wittmann collection, don't miss the chance. Click here for Dragon's site and the original Cando page.

Cando Tiger I - US & Japan versions

Normally there are not many differences between Japan and US versions. However, the Tiger I which Japan first released in Japan was using a different mold than the same tank released in the US later. As you can see from above, the side armor between these 2 versions are visible. The Japan version is more like a straight line and the US version has different slopes for 4 side armors. Check the pictures and you will know what I mean. The paint scheme also has slight differences. Since the special Tiger I of the Japan version is rare and very expensive now and the cost of US version should be pretty much in line with other Cando specials (a lot lower than the Japan version). Please be careful not to buy the wrong tank with the wrong price.