Updated Top 10 Requests!

[Matt J]

My take on it, is that Dave gets made what he thinks is cool, if someone else wants them its a bonus  (I really hope it is like that   )

[Leon]

With any new range/item, there's always a lot to consider and very often a lot of compromise involved.  You can break them down into three categories:

- Long term: Like the Napoleonics or the Ancients, we set out to do a huge amount of stuff, but it will take several years to complete.  It's never a quick fix, but we do keep plugging away at it.  Sometimes we have to give the sculptors a break, either because they're tired of shakos and epaulettes or because we need to prioritise something else for a while.  This happened with the Naps (moved onto some WWII French for a break) and the Ancients (moved onto the Warband expansion).  We'll come back to those long-term projects as soon as we can.

- Short term: These are the quick ranges, like the WWII French or the Mongols, where we can take 3 months or so to knock out all the sculpts needed and then we go back to the other projects.  Ranges on the list that would come under this category would be the 1860 Italians or the Indian Mutiny.

- Quick fix: This would be anything that only requires a handful of figures and can be done within a months batch of sculpts.  These get fitted in here and there, sometimes where a sculptor has got a bit of a gap in his monthly budget, other times where we've not quite prepped the next larger job for them.  Sometimes we'll also have a full month's worth of smaller items, just to tick some off the requests lists.


Just to run through the lists:

1.   Indian Mutiny - Short term project, could be done in 3 months or so.
2.   Yom Kippur - Same as above.
3.   Modern Infantry - Bit longer project, 6 months or so, but we're waiting until we've got more vehicles done.
4.   War of 1812 - Will come as part of the larger Naps project.
5.   Aztecs - We're looking at doing these here and there when we have a gap.
6.   1860 Italian revamp - Short term project, 3 months.
7.   Korean War - Short term project, 3 months.
8.   1920's/1930's Gangsters - Unfortunately an unlikely one to appear any time soon.  As people have said, it's not the most viable range to look at producing, so we'll have to wait and see.
9.   Boxer Rebellion - Short term project, 3 months.
10. Naps in India - As with 1812, this will come as part of the Naps expansion.

1.   Werewolves - These will be done as part of the Warband expansion.
2.   WWII Italian Artillery - Working on these at the moment, we've got the crews done so we just need some more artillery pieces.
3.   1870's Marching Band - Not sure on these, we might be able to do 4 or 5 figures one month, but the sales of them will be limited.
4.   AWI Wagons/Carts - Need to wait until the vehicle guys have got a spare month and we can get a few wagons done.  We do want to do these as they always sell well.
5.   SYW Ottoman's - Not sure on when this one might appear, but we do want to do it.
6.   Modern Police - Wouldn't be more than a handful of figures, probably when we come to the rest of the modern infantry.
7.   WWII Russian 37mm AA - I'll have a check, but I think this may be on one of the design schedules somewhere.
8.   T-35 - Not on the radar just yet, the vehicle designers have got quite a lot on at the moment.
9.   Armoured Mongols - This is one of the easier ones, we just need to send a set of the current Heavy Cav masters down to Phil and he can convert those.
10. Vietnam Radio Op's - Again, an easy one to do, and we'll probably fit it in with a larger batch of new Vietnam figures from further down the requests lists.


As to the viability of a lot of them, that always a decision we have to make, but we are in a favourable position when it comes to that.  We've got wide ranges that sell well consistently, so we've got a bit of leeway when it comes to the 'novelty' items in some areas.  We might not sell loads of 19th C. marching bands, but we always find that people will buy them for the fun factor, just to paint them up and stick them on the table as a little vignette, or put them on a command base, etc.  We probably won't recoup the sculpting costs, but I think things like that make the range stand out a little from the crowd.

My take on it, is that Dave gets made what he thinks is cool, if someone else wants them its a bonus 

And that is what we call the X Factor, as there are occasions when this does indeed happen... 

[MR T]

Indian mutiny, would be great 

[FierceKitty]

Indian mutiny, would be great  

This would have to include Flashman figures! Cowering behind bush, riding for the horizon, en flagrante.

[Bill Braham]

Leon,

Indian Mutiny in a 3 month schedule? Not as long term as Napoleonics it is but 3 months? Possible it depends on the number of codes you have in mind - potentially it is a much bigger range than say the 1860 Italians even allowing for the bolt on from the 1860s Canadian militia as troops in home service uniform. Much of course depends on the initial scoping of the project - worth looking at the various 28mm ranges of Mutiny figures that have come out in recent years - they have the same core figures but each has its own slant. For the real trainspotter range look at what Empress are doing with their 28mm range which is being mentored by Mike Snook.

Boxer Rebellion could be a short term project - some codes from other ranges (eg from the Boer War, Russo-Japanese War) could be pulled into provide the European armies but potentially the Chinese codes could be numerous. The devil lies in the detail of how the thing is scoped out.

Gobsmacked to see a T35 on the list - does anyone apart from China have enough metal to be able to cast one up? I shudder to think what the postage cost would be! Would it work in resin with metal turrets?

I notice that the French Revolutionary War has not made a separate appearance or do you consider it a part of a greater Napoleonic project?

[Leon]

Indian Mutiny in a 3 month schedule?

I'll have to dig out some notes I made on it a while back, but I think it was around the 3-month mark, maybe a little more.  Half a dozen codes for the Indians, same for the Brits and then a handful of cavalry or thereabouts.  We've already got a few sculpts in the drawer here at Pendraken HQ as well.

I notice that the French Revolutionary War has not made a separate appearance or do you consider it a part of a greater Napoleonic project?

The revolutionary ranges are constantly hovering in and out of the Top 10, but they are up there.  They wouldn't be done as part of the Naps project though, as all of the major requestees have asked that the range be done by Clib, so we'll need to finish up some of the LoA, AWI additions first, and I'd also like to get the Late Roman opponents done before we head off in a completely new direction.

[Chad]

The French Revolution is sadly neglected by almost all manufacturers in any scale. There are opportunities for games ranging from small skirmishes to good size battles involving the armies of several nationalities covering a period of almost 10 years. Never quite understood the fascination with 1809 compared to 1805-1807, 1813 or 1814.

Personally I have never seen a wargame that included a marching band in any period and find it difficult to understand why time and effort would be put into something like that when there is clearly a need to revamp/expand existing ranges where there is a greater sales potential.

Chad

[Mako]

Glad to see #3, Modern Infantry.

Really, really, really need/want Cold War Soviets, and/or their East German allies, since there are none to go with all the current Soviet/Russian vehicles you have for sale already, which are suitable for the 1950s - 1980s.

Argentine troops can pass for very early West Germans - late 1950s, though I'd like to see more modern West Germans produced as well - the early troops were equipped with the M48 and M113s you already sell, though I'd love to see HS-30s, Spz Kurz, Jagdpanzers, and eventually Leopards and Marders too.

US troops and vehicles from Vietnam can be used in Western Europe as well, as is, though I'd kill for some nice M60A1s, M114 scout vehicles, M551s, and M59 APCs to go along with all the other modern US armor you already produce.  We also need some 3.5" bazookas, 106mm recoilless rifles, and M151 Mutt jeeps too.

[alanl]

Would it be intended that modern would include Bush Wars or is that a seperate range?

There is curremtly great interest in this era in both 20 and 28mm with some great figures and behicles being produced.

However, there should be interest in figures and vehicles for large scale actions in southern Africa.

Alan

[barbarian]

And it's not like you already have the talibans done. 
And some Special forces too...

[Dave C]

How about napoleonic casualties.  Gap in the market across most miniature ranges.   Good for game mechanic markers and scenic additions to bases and terrain.  Not a sculpter but a little play with the Awi ones would give the required result

[Leon]

Naps casualties is definitely something we'll be getting to, probably after we've fleshed out the French range a bit.

[Orcs]

Personally I have never seen a wargame that included a marching band

One of the guys at the club has one for each of his ACW armies in 15mm

[Orcs]

Gobsmacked to see a T35 on the list - does anyone apart from China have enough metal to be able to cast one up? I shudder to think what the postage cost would be! Would it work in resin with metal turrets?

Somebody does - I picked up a white metal T35 in 20mm off ebay a week or so ago. Weighs a ton

[fsn]

Gobsmacked to see a T35 on the list - does anyone apart from China have enough metal to be able to cast one up? I shudder to think what the postage cost would be! Would it work in resin with metal turrets?

Overall, a T35 probably isn't that much bigger than say, a Centurion. It was a big tank (9.7m x 3.2m x 3.4m)  as compared to a Cent at  7.6m x 3.4m x 3.0m, but possibly because of the big turret, the Cent feels bigger.



Anyway. Someone else does the T35 - FSN 

[Dave C]

Leon good to hear about naps casualties and the other intended additions.  The whole financially viable issue must be a real conundrum/gamble for you guys.   don't envy the decision making process at all (do like seeing the results though)

[Leon]

The whole financially viable issue must be a real conundrum/gamble for you guys.   don't envy the decision making process at all (do like seeing the results though)

It can be interesting at times, but the bigger sellers usually prop up anything that's not as popular.

[Rob]

I'd be interested to know whether the casualty figures are commercially successful or not.

To me 10mm means more troops per base and still cheaper than 15mm. But I don't want to remove bases as casualties. I also don't want chits, dice or bits of paper to record losses and unit status. Therefore casualty figures become essential.

As a matter of interest I have in the past purchased one or two items from Redline. They are not as good as Pendraken but the proprietor sends some nice casualties figures as extras in each order. Every time I try to contact them to order some separately there is no reply, I think they are as a company wobbling.

Rob

[Orcs]

As a matter of interest I have in the past purchased one or two items from Redline. They are not as good as Pendraken but the proprietor sends some nice casualties figures as extras in each order. Every time I try to contact them to order some separately there is no reply, I think they are as a company wobbling.

Rob

They also produce the basics of  a very nice ww2 Polish Range. I ordered some to mix in with those I have and they are very nice.

[Leon]

I'd be interested to know whether the casualty figures are commercially successful or not.

Casualties are usually OK, being just a single sculpt and a mould, so if we can shift 30-40 packs of them then we've probably covered basic costs.