We have this excellent thread going for individual kit ideas.
https://wargamesatlantic.com/community/xenforum/topic/81951/digital-wish-list
This thread is to present monthly theme ideas.
I will say off the bat I like themes and ideas that augment existing plastic kits. I.E. Command Groups, heavy weapons, etc., for existing plastics. STLs like that will enable one to actually field a fully playable army/force.
Casualties and Zombies has already been proposed. This is a fantastic idea. Casualties are geat for casualty/fatigue/pin markers. Bonus if WGA includes a printable base for the casualties that has a dial or at least holds a dice to record numbers.
And of course Zombies make every game and setting better.
Command and Control is another already proposed theme that would be great. Officers, NCOs, Color Bearers, medics, RTOs, etc.
An obvious theme is "Heavy Support" to help round out existing sets. Kits could look something like this:
https://youtu.be/0deTf57rUqE
Other welcome WW2 "Heavy Support":
Male and female Resistance PIAT and Panzerfaust arms.
Italian Elfantino gun.
Italian mortar.
Etc.
Or how about "Seamen/Mariners"?
Print em up and drench your table top with seamen.
The WW1/RCW and WW2 Russian/Soviet Sailors could be compatible... Making an awesome flexible set.
https://wargamesatlantic.com/community/xenforum/topic/45912/suggestions-for-new-great-war-releases
Forgot about Kriegsmarine for WW2 as well.
The theme for March 2023 is females. I'm sure we will see this theme repeat as there's so much one can do.
I'm hoping for female bodies compatible with the plastic arms from existing sets. (Much like how the female Cannon Fodder bodies can use the arms from both sets). Yes I am talking about female Panzer Lehr, female Conquistadors, etc.
More details here:
https://wargamesatlantic.com/community/xenforum/topic/83966/january-digital-theme-open-for-suggestions
Also would love to see Viking Shield Maidens:
https://wargamesatlantic.com/community/xenforum/topic/57522/what-dark-ages-sets-would-you-like-to-see-next
And female Landsknechts:
https://wargamesatlantic.com/community/xenforum/topic/74316/female-landsknecht
@JTam 2 Birds one stone for Pirates would be a set of Ogre/Vain parts that Piratify both options
For Seamen/Mariners, maybe some Chinese Pirates with characters.
@Miyuso
That's really clever. And Pirate Ogres would be awesome.
In sci-fi & fantasy females' figures would be OK, but in history? Nope, except for the Red Lanterns (pratically females' equivalent for the Boxers). Logically you've to consider a product's marketability, don't think female napoleonics will ever an option, (except for civvies/guerrillas, either spanish or russians). Ancient female greeks logically would be seen as Amazons, and for female (fantasy) pirates a plastic multi part kit could be interesting (NO high hells, please!)
@Alessio De Carolis
Just because you don't have an interest doesn't mean there isn't one.
Female Napoleonic miniatures are having a mini renaissance right now. (Pun intended). At least three companies are making physical female Napoleonic (Hussars, Rifleman, etc) miniatures and at least one is making STLs.
I believe there is a similar interest in female combatants for all eras. There's only one way to find out....
"But, but, but, it's not historical!" No matter how hard one tries it will always be a GAME played with toy Soldiers, not a simulation. It's OK to have fun.
For Seamen/Mariners:
Maybe conversion parts to turn Cannon Fodder into hard hat divers.
Totally behind a Nautical themed month. Maybe frame it as "Ships and those that sail upon them" so the boats and/or Spacers can get included?
"Boarding Parties" is also generic enough for all categories, and could be used seperate to a general Mariner month theme.
@JTam As I just said there's a difference btw historical and fantasy, the real problem is to sell some products more than others, naturally if all-female range sell well the better, this is the benefit of 3D's printing, whoever can create a range of figures and sell the STL files without too many costs for either manifacturing and stockings.
P.s. a "generic" boarding party, either in plastic or STL could be interesting, given the lack of uniforms the sailors had until early 19th century, it could cover pratically from late 1600 'til the napoleonic era, with 5/6 bodies and various heads/arms & weapons options, similar to Blood & Plunder's sprue.
@Alessio De Carolis and on top of that, naval uniforms FROM the 19th C through in some cases present day were very similar internationally too. You could probably cover age of sail and age of steam/diesel with two sets 😉
I think some conversion parts COULD make Cannon Fodder look a lot like this:
Death fields could also go with canid aliens for that last one.
Classic Fantasy could likewise go there with Werewolves or Dog-people.
Had a good idea for the "Best Boys" "Imperial Conquests" kit:
Dog sleds.
From Cradle and Grave: Children and very old soldiers as combatants.
I don't know if I can reconcile a theme called "Best Boys" with the Tank Dogs...
@Mark Dewis
A dog that just stopped a Panzer attack from over running your position at the cost of his life is the best boy.
Plus bomb dogs have rules in Bolt Action. This would be a popular STL.
@JTam if there are rules for them in Bolt Action, I'd hope they take into account that the dogs almost certainly caused more freindly fire than damage inflicted on the enemy, and that many of them had to be shot by their own side when they panicked and returned.
Which I imagine could not have been great for morale, concealment or ammunition stocks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-tank_dog
Bolt Action Bomb Dog Rules:
Bulldog's Cyber Bulldog - something like this:
@Mark Dewis There was an old novel by P. Anderson ,"Hunters of the sky Cave", where the main adversaries were a race of "wolfmen", a sort of evoluted wolwes, very similar to those pictured.
And yes, USMC in the Pacific used extensively dogs against enemy snipers, it seemed that these animals had a sort of sixt sense to locate the enemies.
@Alessio De Carolis not so much a sixth sense as better in some of the regular five than humans (particularly smell, but dogs have a different hearing range too, so might hear noises that humans on both sides do not).
Back to the Seamen theme.
From "Athenian Trireme Vs Persian Trireme The Graeco-Persian Wars 499-449 BC" by Nic Fields:
1. Xerxes
2. Themistocles
3. Eva Green
Really good volume. Highly recommend.
@JTam yeah, IMHO that table gives FAR too high a chance of success. Should be more like successful on a 6, no effect on 4-5 and runs back towards the handler on a 2-3. In the case of the latter give the owning side a chance to shoot it. Failure it blows up the handler, "success" gives a morale penalty of some kind.
(I would note that that rule gives no chance of a bad result if the owning side has no vehicles left)
@Mark Dewis
There really isn't a problem if the dog returns to Soviet lines/particularly the handler. Look at the mechanism of the bomb in the above diagram. Unless the dog crawls under a fixed object the bomb is not going off. The only real danger (as represented by the Bolt Action rules) is if the dog is drawn to the familiar diesel powered goodness of a Soviet tank.
Not so late Roman Marine:
Theme - "Commo".
Death Fields: Ooh Rah remote piloting/commo station
Classic Fantasy: Message arrow arms for skeleton / Goblin signal drums
First Empires: Persian monument / Inscribing the Rosetta Stone.
Decline and Fall: Mounted Roman Officer handing down orders to dismounted unit Officer.
Blood Paths: Standing stone with glyphs.
Renaissance: Dismounted Conquistador handing orders up to mounted runner.
(Much like this).
Napoleon: Semaphore station / Mounted Officer handing orders down to Rifleman Officer/ Discovering the Rosetta Stone.
Imperial: Smoke signal set/ telegraph station
The Great War: Frenchmen launching messenger bird/ Bavarian trench runner / Tommys with air recognition and message panels
WW2: Panzer Lehr company level RTO / Italian WW2 radio operator
General Accoutrements: Steampunk style voxcaster with phonograph horn
WW1 Soldier launching a messenger pigeon.
All major combatant nations used them so the miniatures could be French, German, or British ....
Set could consist of two miniatures. One with basket on back and the other launching the bird.
(^ This is interwar or WW2 but you get the idea).
Or WGA could get a jump on their plastic American Doughboys by modeling two American Soldiers launching the most famous messenger pigeon of all.
https://www.timelinesmagazine.com/publications/civil-war-courier/the-legend-of-cher-ami-the-story-of-an-avian-icon/article_cee32e64-6243-11eb-98db-ff612fab390a.html
Discovering the Rosetta Stone:
Napoleon sightseeing:
The Rosetta Stone discovery set could be similar in scope to the WGA guillotine kit.
Bonus points for a Paulina Foures mini in Chasseur uniform.
Theme "Armor".
Armored upgrades, armored bodies, armored troops etc.
Armored Arms for plastic Imperial Romans:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manica_(armguard)
Get your Legionnaires ready to campaign in Dacia!
Einherjar Exoskeletons... Maybe something like this ....
Ooh Rah Lifter a bit like this:
Harvesters could get extended, thickened carapace pieces you could glue onto the plastic miniatures.
Helmet with Stirnpanzer fitted:
Arditi:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arditi
Franco-Prussian War Cuirassiers would compliment the upcoming WGA plastic Franco-Prussian War Bavarians.
The obvious choice would be Bavarian Cuirassiers:
But Prussians Cuirassiers:
Or French Cuirassiers:
Would also be great kits.
The Perry Brothers are just releasing the French Infantry to compliment their Franco-Prussian War Prussians.... So interest in gaming the Franco-Prussian War is probably currently at its high water mark.
For the Napoleonic Wars Cuirassiers:
Perhaps Russian Cuirassiers to complement the WGA Russian Infantry STLs:
Or Spanish Cuirassiers to compliment the upcoming Napoleonic Spanish Infantry plastics:
For the armored bodies for the WGA plastic Lizardmen... Perhaps something between this:
And this:
And we all know our old friend the armored skeleton...
