best armor kit for a modeler new to armor

I just got done with Tamiya's M60A1 USMC Desert Storm tank.  The thing just about built itself.  It gives you the opportunity to do some minor parts prep like removing mold lines and cutting off sprue bits without the need for a whole lot of parts correction unless that's what you want to do.  Then you just pick and choose what you want to superdetail and leave the rest.  It's also a great canvas to learn how to weather a vehicle.  It's not a dinky tank but it's also small enough to fit inside a 1/18 scale display box.  

all the comments above are great do not spend a huge amount of money on a kit that has a huge parts count,if your not sure of your modeling skills take it slow if you find that your first kit wasn't as challenging as you expected find one with a bit more challenge to it REMEMBER it's a hobby,build what sparks your interest. also try garage sales,or flea markets for older kits most are inexpensive and sometimes not even out of the plastic. one last statement for now         welcome to the dark side (insert maniacal laugh here)

Hmmm,

Definately Tamiya imo.

Their StuG III Ausf B is a great kit for a newcomer - the Hetzer too (I'd look at the 1/35 scale ones to start with).

If you want a proper turret the Cromwell is nice as is the Panzer II French Campaign which I'm currently working on.

These are all affordable and not mega expensive like their newest stuff.

There's always the Dragon Cyber-Hobby range too. A T-34 would be a good choice as would a basic Sherman.

I haven't read the whole thread - have you mentioned if you want Allied/Soviet or Axis or modern armour.

The early Tamiya is a good place to start looking? Cheap and simple but very effective. I picked up their Marder II for £15 and that built up beautifully.

Let us know what you get!

Ben

The newer Tamiya kits have a glueable "rubber band" type track, instead of the type you heat melt the pins.

As a fairly new armor modeler, I'd have to say the Tamiya kits are the way to go. They're less expensive and practically build themselves.

I hate the rubber tracks though, as I have lots of problems getting the pins 'melted' properly.

I'm also new to armor but not new to modeling.  I've done mostly large scale cars and aircraft but I became a bit burned out so I decided to try a tank.  I loved it.  I started with the Tamiya M60A1 US Marine tank with the reactive armor.  It has a lot of little fiddly bits but I'm used to that from aircraft.  I also agree that the Tamiya kits are a great place to start and you don't have to get into the massive superdetailing arena to wind up with a great looking model.  

I like the Tamiya Pz II F/G and would recommend it, although this is assuming you are looking at 1/35 scale. Revell do nice 1/72 scale armour and so does Dragon, they are just a bit smaller. I would highly recommend Tamiya 1/48 scale although I don't think it fits in the inexpensive category.

My first armor kit when I returned to modeling (and from a Ship and A/C background) was the Tamiya T-34. Perfect as a first kit for all the reasons mentioned above and the fact that it is monochrome; no need to learn camo/tricolor schemes. Also allows you to play with color modulation/dot filtering, washes, etc.

T26E4

Stikpusher: I'm advising to steer clear of the old Pz II F/G kit because of the multitude of better kits easily available.  I wouldn't give a kid a Starfix P-51 Mustagn as a first model plane either.

Now I have heard noting but horror stories about Starfix and never seen one with my own eyes, so I will defer on that. I would give an old Hawk/Testors kit as a first airplane model to a kid though. And having built both the Panther A and the Panzer II F/G, I would give those to a kid (including my own) as a first build or recommend them to a novice armor builder for learning purposes. No, all things Tamiya are not golden, but both kits are simple builds, something that a novice builder needs. Just because they are "dogs" for accuracy issues does not rule them out for starter builds. Other Tamiya kits being "easily available" is a relative term. Online posting and online purchasing capability are two different animals. And if one can only buy kits at a local store such as a Michaels or Hobby Lobby that may only have those kits available, it makes no sense to pass up what is available on the shelf because there are better kits out there. Those better kits may not be available for purchase under someone's circumstances. But I do agree that the M4A3 and T-34 are great beginner kits too...

Go with a Tamiya T-34. If you build them OOB you can almost just toss the parts in a box, shake it up, and a finished model falls out.

Stikpusher: I'm advising to steer clear of the old Pz II F/G kit because of the multitude of better kits easily available.  I wouldn't give a kid a Starfix P-51 Mustagn as a first model plane either.

I'm of the thinking that cutting into a Tamiya T-34 or Tamiya Sherman M4A3 kit will lead to an immensely satisfying result.

To the OP: under NO circumstances should you get the Tamiya Panther ausf A kit.  It's very available but about as bad a kit still commonly available.  Not all things "Tamiya" are golden.  This is definitely a dog.

I'll add the Tamiya Sherman Early to the list. Nice detail, some extras, great fit, and relatively cheap.

Alex - I see you have your answer....

as for the Forum Gods....at some point we need a FAQ list in each area. It could be a permanent page. All the old timers (I am not talking about age though I fit both) could be polled for questions and their answers. Then when a newbie comes to join us he has most of our answers at his disposal!!.....Just a thought

Rounds Complete!!  

Why not? It's a good kit to learn with and practice building techniques upon. Just because it is not up to todays standards does not make it a bad kit for the novice. I bet that most armor builders here cut their teeth on that and all the other "inaccurate" old Tamiya kits.

Don't get the old Pz II ausf F/G kit.  Pretty toylike.  Disappointing.  

thanks, ill check the tamiya website and see if my local hobby shop carries them. thanks again!

I second the Tamiya suggestion,they assemble real nice.The older kits come in a great variety,German,Russian,American,and British.

Most people will recommend starting with one of the older Tamiya offerings, eg. Pz.II or T-34. They are dead simple and relatively cheap. Or you could go up a step and have a look at something like Tamiya's Pz.III Ausf.L for something that's still fairly simple, but with a few more parts. Just about all of the Tamiya kits go together with a minimum of fuss and the instructions are clear and easy to follow.