Sluban Battle of Kursk Review M38-B0697

Welcome to my Sluban Battle of Kursk review of set M38-B0697.

A lot of people have questions about the quality and compatibility of Chinese Lego knock offs so I’ll be reviewing a bunch of these military Lego style sets.

If you’re interested, click this link to see my Kazi Panzer IV Tank Review.

I always wanted to build Lego tanks as a kid but the major problem was the track system. For a while I had some rubber tracks but they weren’t big enough to build a cool looking tank.

Lego Technic tracks came in expensive sets and weren’t economical to build a few custom tanks.

Chinese block makers like Sluban, Kazi, Gudi, Xingbao and others fill this crucial void in the building block market.

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Battle of Kursk 1943

The Battle of Kursk was largest tank battle in history.  Thousands of Soviet and German tanks slugged it out for 2 months in July and August of 1943.

In addition to tanks, tens of thousands of artillery guns, anti-tank guns and tank destroyers were involved. 

The result was a strategic victory for the Soviet Union.  After Kursk, the entire German army on the Eastern Front began 2 year retreat that ultimately ended in defeat.

Here’s my Lego photo recreation of a Panzer IV tank and German SD KFZ 251 half track at the Batte of Kursk:

Sluban Battle of Kursk Set   

The scale of the Battle of Kursk was absolutely enormous so it’s really tough to capture such a huge battle in a 998 piece play set. That said, Sluban did a pretty decent job capturing the essence of the battle on the ground and in the air. 

The set has 7 different builds to recreate the Battle of Kursk.

There is a SU-85 tank destroyer which is really cool.  Sluban also sells that set individually for about $15.

There is an IL-2 ground attack aircraft.  Again this set is also sold individually for about $12-$15.

There is a super cool anti-aircraft / anti-tank German 88 gun, but it is stationary. I would have liked to have seen some wheels included for this piece so it could be towed or moved around.

There is a motorcycle with side car that was used for reconnaissance in the German Army. 

Next, we have a bunker with a machine gun. This is pretty cool.

Finally there is a Soviet artillery gun and a jeep with a grenade launcher.

Oh and I almost for the mortar tube, shells and sand bags!

The one thing I noticed about this set is that the Soviets have a clear and decisive advantage. They got a tank, aircraft and a howitzer; while the Germans got a bunker, AA gun and a motorcycle!?! They don’t stand a chance!

I wish Sluban would have included a tank for the Germans…even their Panzer II set would do. This would even up the odds a bit, but I guess it would also add to the price tag of the set.         

Sluban Battle of Kursk Features

The Sluban Battle of Kursk set (M38-B0697) comes with 998 pieces and the price is right at about $35 USD.

The set includes 9 minifigures: A pilot, tank driver, infantry etc., and lots of other stuff like weapons, barricades and ammo crates.

The designers did an excellent job on making all of the pieces in this set look like the real thing. 

The SU-85 tracks move really well, especially on carpet.  The tracks are the thin ones offered by Sluban.  The gun raises and lowers.  But there is no rotating turret.

The .88 Anti-Tank / Anti-Aircraft gun fully rotates and the gun raises and lowers.    

Overall, the set is a pretty solid build.  If you collect the other sets in the Sluban World War 2 line, then you’ll have plenty of tanks, half-tracks and aircraft to use in a huge mock battle.       

How to Buy Sluban Battle of Kursk Set

I bought mine on Ali Express and it came in a few weeks. If you want one follow the Sluban Battle of Kurrsk link to Ali Express: AliExpress.com Product – 0697 998pcs Military WW2 World War Ii Fighter Tank Artillery Building Blocks Bricks Toy

I hope you enjoyed this Sluban Battle of Kursk review.