Tamiya 35164 1/35 King Tiger Production Turret Tank Plastic Model Kit Review (2026)

Who this kit suits

Tamiya's 35164 depicts the King Tiger with its production Henschel turret, the mass-produced version that replaced the small run of early Porsche-turreted vehicles built in 1944. At 1/35 scale the kit builds into one of the largest and most imposing German tanks of the war, armed with the long L/71 88mm gun that could defeat roughly 170mm of armor from a kilometer away, and it comes with a commander figure to pose in the open hatch. Armor fans drawn to sheer scale and firepower are the target audience here, while builders who specifically want the earlier Porsche turret variant, or a kit with molded zimmerit paste texture already in place, should look elsewhere since this boxing is the plain production-turret version.

Scale, size and detail features

The kit measures 294mm long and 108mm wide once assembled, giving weathering and chipping practice plenty of flat hull surface to work with. Tamiya includes turret interior details such as the gun breech and shell racks, and the turret's crew escape hatch is engineered to move, so it can be posed open on the finished model rather than molded shut. Other hatches around the hull can likewise be built open or closed depending on how much interior needs to be shown. The Henschel turret itself carries molded weld-line texture for a more realistic surface, tracks are supplied as a paintable belt-type material rather than individual links, and nylon mesh covers the engine deck grilles.

Build quality and assembly

Tamiya's fit and engineering carry over from its other 1/35 Military Miniature Series kits, and the hull and turret go together with the tight tolerances the brand is known for, so builders spend more time on painting and weathering than on fighting seams or gaps. The belt-type tracks are the one area where this kit shows its age: they are quicker to assemble than individual link-and-pin tracks but read as slightly less crisp in close-up photos, which is a fair tradeoff for most builders given how much time it saves during assembly. Because zimmerit anti-magnetic paste coating is not molded into the hull, anyone who wants that rough, ridged late-war texture needs to apply it separately with putty or an aftermarket decal sheet before painting.

How it compares with other armor kits

Among Tamiya's own armor lineup, this King Tiger ranks below the Tiger I Early Production and the M4A3E8 Sherman in these comparisons, and roughly level with the lighter M5A1 Light Tank and Airfix's and Academy's competing Tiger I kits. Next to those rivals, the King Tiger's main selling point is scale and screen presence: it is a physically larger, more dominant model on a shelf than the earlier Tiger I, which appeals to builders who want their armor collection to include the war's biggest production tank. Builders choosing between this and the Tiger I Early Production kit should weigh subject preference more than build difficulty, since Tamiya applies a similar level of engineering and detail across both kits.

Finishing and weathering tips

Because the King Tiger's flat hull sides and turret faces are large, unbroken surfaces, this kit rewards practice with chipping, streaking and panel-line washes more than a smaller, busier subject would, and it is a common recommendation for modelers working on late-war German armor weathering techniques. Painting the turret interior before closing up the hull is worth doing early, since the escape hatch and interior details are much easier to reach with a brush while the turret halves are still separate pieces. Given that glue and paint are not included, picking up plastic cement and a late-war German color scheme before starting keeps the build moving without a mid-project supply run.

Frequently asked questions