Top Plastic Kits We'd Like To See (And Can Actually See Happening!)

 Dave Cooper:

As any fellow hobbyist can attest to, there's nothing quite like getting your hands on a new kit. There's nothing quite like the hype from seeing a new model get revealed then having it in your hands and on your desk and then the satisfaction of seeing it painted and fitting it into your collection (or your ever growing pile of shame, if we're being honest...)

That being said, I thought it would be a fun to make a list of models or characters that the team here at Drawn Combat would love to see make it into the game. Games Workshop definitely stick to the big hitters when it comes to plastic, so while we'd all love a plastic Goblin Prowlers or Golden King of Abrakhan, we've tried to keep it at least semi-realistic and include things that at least have a chance of being greenlit.

Disclaimer - yes, we're painfully aware that we haven't had a new plastic troops box in a long, long time, and even new plastic characters seem like a blissful memory of a bygone age. Just work with us - if you're really a stickler, you can probably divide all of our likelihood scores by ten. 

But it's fun to pretend! 

Dave's Pick: Frodo and Sam

Name two more iconic characters to Lord of the Rings than Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee. While we've seen new plastic models for the majority of the Fellowship; Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli in the Three Hunters pack and Merry and Pippin with Treebeard (And their armoured versions in Gandalf the White and Dernhelm respectively), we're still yet to have a nice new sculpt for Frodo and Sam. To their credit, Games Workshop have rereleased the Emyn Muil sculpts for the pair which are probably the two nicest sculpts in metal, but it would be great to have them in plastic, similar to Merry and Pippin.

Credit: New Line Cinema

I'd like to hope our favourite duo in Middle Earth will get some love in the future, sclupting has come such a long way since their last models so I'm very keen to see what GW could come out with now! Picture it - the way they look leaving Osgiliath through the sewers, Sam laden with pots and pans, both looking like the weight of the journey is taking its toll. 

Credit: Games Workshop

Adding plastic Gollum for a new character 3-pack also seems like an absolute slam dunk. I'd part with my cash instantly!

Likelihood: 7/10

Dan Stu's Pick: Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth

By and large, the fiefdoms is a pretty good looking faction. We’ve got some slightly dated but extremely characterful models, the troops are all nice and distinctive, and the big centrepieces of the Swan Knights are available in both plastic (mounted) and resin (unmounted) kits, both of which are lovely. Where they really drop the ball though, is in their leader – instead of ‘Prince Imrahil the fair’, we get Rocky Dennis riding a horse. The fiefdoms are a slightly more niche faction and Imrahil not being present in the films is a real sticking point, so this probably falls in to the wishful thinking category – but I think a really nice Imrahil model wouldn’t struggle to shift units or make its way in to a lot of alliances. 

Credit: Games Workshop

Liklihood: 2/10

Dan Slob's Pick: Rivendell Elves

The very first words spoken in the LOTR movie trilogy are “The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air.” And they are spoken by an elf. 

Ironic, then, that the main elf troops are still models from 2002. 

Credit: Games Workshop

You can still only have: elf with arms up, elf with arms a bit less up, elf with bow and one arm up, elf with bow and arms sort-of-up. Let the elves put their arms down, it’s been 21 years, they are tired.

Likelihood: 3/10

Sean's Pick: Rohan Royal Guard

We’ve all looked at the a box of Riders of Rohan, checked the price for Royal Guard and then searched for a conversion guide in the vain hope of not needing to sell a body part to fund the dream.

It’s no secret that Royal Guard are a very popular model for Rohan. Extra fight, extra defence, great flexibility all for a few extra points. Sticking them on a horse, yelling death and charging them into combat is the cinematic moment we all want to see on the gaming board.

Credit: New Line Cinema

Sadly, the price is the a huge issue when it comes to fielding them on horseback. £36 for 3 is expensive when you really want 6 to 12 in any respectable Rohan collection. The 'cavalry box' format is a natural fit for Royal Guard- not to mention that half the job is already done as Royal Guard are mounted on plastic horses anyway! In a sane world, the leap to a plastic box set really shouldn’t be that far away!

Likelihood: 8/10 (But we know GW love their cash cows, so realistically 0/10!)

Colm's Pick: Orc Warriors

Is that a quiver or is it a humpback? Is that a face or a bit of fluff that’s landed on your model?

Unfortunately the current plastic orcs have been showing their age for a while now and an upgrade with the crisp detail GW is now capable of would have us all quivering in our boots (for all the right reasons). Orcs are a major part of some of the most iconic armies of LOTR and to have modern and exciting miniatures would rejuvenate the look and feel of vast swathes of the game. It could even broaden the game's player base! I know I was initially turned off from MESBG by how dated the current little guys look. Come on GW, you know it needs to happen (but it never will).

Credit: Games Workshop

The recent Battle of Osgilath starter box would have been a logical place for a new Orc or Morannon Orc kit - and the cynical part of us says that if we were ever going to get new Orcs, that probably would have been the time. 

Likelihood: 1/10

Bonus Entry: Sauron (and The Mouth of Sauron!)

The Dark Lord himself. In most games, he'll take up at least half of your army should you choose to field him - and what do we have to show for the Lord of the Rings? A rather stiff, boxy model who is now over 20 years old!

I'd love to see a more dynamic model for Sauron, possibly even making him taller and overall more foreboding on the table. Jerry Vanderstelt, one of the artists for the Peter Jackson trilogy, did a fantastic piece which I think encapsulates him perfectly. Standing tall and menacing, his mace hanging low by his side with his cloak flowing behind him like a dark shadow. I'd love to see Games Workshop channel this vibe for an updated model - I wouldn't even be mad if they worked it into Forge World's Character Series.

Imagine an SBG where Sauron was this cool. And, you know, actually good in-game. 

You can't mention updating Sauron without mentioning The Mouth of Sauron. While I think the model for him is passable, it still shows its age - particularly in its skinny profile. I'd love an updated model, possibly based more off the iconic scene where he presents Frodo's Mithril vest to Aragorn - even if this is just an optional piece. The dismount is where I think the model shows it's age the most. Like Sauron, it's quite a stiff and static pose. An updated sculpt could reflect his status as a leader - personally I've always loved a good authoritative pointing pose of a commander leading his troops. And I think that his iconic scene in the film, combined with the large number of lists he finds his way in to, is enough to warrant his own plastic model. 

Credit: Games Workshop

And if we're really wishlisting - a character 2-pack of Sauron and the Mouth, alongside a new supplement complete with Barad-Dur Legendary Legion really is the dream - and I don't know an SBG player alive that wouldn't buy it. 

Likelihood: 4/10

So there you have it - five kits we'd love to see in the future, plus a bonus Sauron entry.

We'd love to hear what characters or kits you think are in dire need of a revamp, or do you think we're way off the mark with our list? Let us know in the comments!