“What-a-mistaka-to-maka” as Capitano Alberto Bertorelli from Allo Allo may say. Thinking about Italians for Blood Red Skies

My Blood Red Skies collection is a bit eclectic. I have RAF, RAAF, Fleet Air Arm, IJN, IJA, Soviets, Luftwaffe, Finns, Dutch and even a few US Squadrons. 

I have been waiting around for Warlord to release Italians for well over a year, actually closer to two years. We’ve seen the model masters, I’ve even seen the box art, but the actual production models – nope. I have no idea why this is. Warlord have in the same time period released a totally revamped Italian range for Bolt Action, and Italian ships for Victory at Sea. Surely it makes sense to release the Blood Red Skies Italians at the same time to tie it all in???

Apparently not

So waiting patiently. Except I think I’ve had enough of that. If Warlord are happy to sit on models and not support the game then I think I’m justified in looking and spending my hobby £££ elsewhere. Here is my plan.

As always, I like to collect matched fighter and bomber Squadrons, and probably early, mid and late war options. So what do I go for?

Early -with some trepidation I think either a biplane Squadron of CR42s or FIAT G50s and some FIAT Br20s may be an idea. These have the advantage of being deployed against the RAF during the Battle of Britain by the Corpo Aereo Italiano (CAI). The trepidation about the CR42s is my previous experience with biplanes is they’re fiddly to paint and (IMHO) they’re not that good in game

Mid War – Macchi 200 or 202s and Ju87s are nice options and would theme well as Malta or Western Desert.

Late War – one of the Serie 5 types, not sure it matters which as they’re all excellent C205, G55 or Re 2005 like I say they’re all bloody great, and Sm79s as bombers – ok this last is a bit mixed as the Sm79 fought all the way through but there were no really late war bomber planes available. I’d like a Re2001 in there, and just for giggles a Breda 65, which has to be one of the worse warplanes in history, but that would probably be a bit too far.

So where are these models coming from? Six Squadrons or thirty models in total. I’d like to support Warlord by buying their products, but if they don’t offer them and have sat on them for literally years with no suggestion they’re ever going to release them and don’t seem interested I’ll 3d print them, or get them from Armaments in Miniature. If Warlord ever get around to releasing their models, well sadly that boat will have sailed.

Any thoughts?