Author Topic: What is Your Favorite Figure "Scale"?  (Read 6833 times)

Offline Brian

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What is Your Favorite Figure "Scale"?
« on: December 8, 2003, 03:27 PM »
I'm not sure if this is the best forum to post this in, so if its not, feel free to move it :).  I was just curious, which "scale" of action figures do you feel is the best, or your favorite?  Do you prefer the 3 3/4" scale of our beloved Star Wars, or the 6" scale that is more common in many other figure lines?  There seems to be advantages of both scales, such as the space/vehicle/playset advantages of 3 3/4", and the added articulation (and in some cases, detail) of the 6" scale.  Personally, I really like the 3 3/4" scale, because that is basically what I grew up with between Star Wars and GI Joe, and it allows more vehicle, playset releases, and is easier to display overall I think.  I do have some 6 inch-ish scale things, a handful of ML, LOTR, and MOTU figures....as well as some of the Unleashed line...and in the case of Unleashed, it seems that the likenesses are often done a little better, although I think hasbro does a pretty good job overall with the 3 3/4" scale liknesses.  Anyways....what scale do you like the best?

Offline MisterPL

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Re: What is Your Favorite Figure "Scale"?
« Reply #1 on: December 8, 2003, 04:25 PM »
6" is unavoidable, unfortunately.

I got into it big time between Toy Biz's LOTR line and DC Direct's figures. Still, I'd replace them all in a heartbeat with 3 3/4" versions. With the properties I collect, it's as much about the environment as the characters. Star Trek figures need a bridge. Luke's gotta have an X-wing. Maybe someday my Ringwraiths will have their Weathertop and my SuperFriends will have their Hall of Justice, but they'll be some bigass dioramas!

3 3/4" please.
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Offline Brian

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Re: What is Your Favorite Figure "Scale"?
« Reply #2 on: December 8, 2003, 04:48 PM »
I really doubt I would have been able to avoid as much of the LOTR figures as I have if they were in the 3 3/4" scale...I would have been all over those I'm guessing :).

Offline Darby

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Re: What is Your Favorite Figure "Scale"?
« Reply #3 on: December 8, 2003, 07:51 PM »
I totally agree.  If the LOTR figs were 3 3/4, they would be even more popular than they are now.  I remember Toy Biz flirted with the idea before committing to the present scale, but felt the hobbits would be too diminutive in the SW scale.  Obviously Play along didn't think so.

I do like the 6" scale, though, and many of the LOTR figs, Marvel Legends, etc., are fantastic.

Offline Morgbug

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Re: What is Your Favorite Figure "Scale"?
« Reply #4 on: December 8, 2003, 11:02 PM »
I prefer 3 3/4, primarily due to space issues.  I also like that vehicles and playsets can be reasonably priced and scaled for these figures.  

6" is nice too though.  I love the Marvel Legends and the current release of Batman.  The articulation sucks on the Batman figs relative to the ML stuff though.  And McFarlane sportspicks, aliens, predator are in the quote/unquote 6" scale.  The predator figures dwarf the ML stuff, so not quite the same scale.  The hockey figs look so much better in that scale and with that detail than did the older stuff.  

12" does little for me.  I have a few and they look cool on display, but they leave so much opportunity for error and it becomes glaring when it happens (Hoth Han first release).  The imperials look nice though, no faces to sculpt.

As with others, thank goodness LOTR didn't do 3 3/4, I would have been in for sure.  6" takes too much room for those.
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Offline Mainland05

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Re: What is Your Favorite Figure "Scale"?
« Reply #5 on: December 9, 2003, 10:55 AM »
I think Star Wars is fine in 3 3/4 figure scale, but i just can't see Lord of the Rings figures being so small, it is just to hard to imagine, but arent they hobbits like Frodo, Bilbo, Pippin , Sam always in the 3 3/4 figure scale, i always thought they were.?
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: What is Your Favorite Figure "Scale"?
« Reply #6 on: December 9, 2003, 08:47 PM »
3 & 3/4" or 1:18-ish is my scale of choice.  

Much like the esteemed Lord P of L, I feel environments and vehicles are important for my figure lines I like.  Scale's also important to me, as is articulation.  The 3.75"-ish scale allows for to-scale vehicles in most instances (Even if Hasbro decides NOT to do things that way) and some decent playsets are possible.

I've found more an outlet for those things through customizing than Hasbro actually doing them.  21st Century Toys and BBI thrive on to-scale vehicles to their military lines though, and the quality/fun shows through in them.  I got a P-47D Thunderbolt Fighter from World War 2 (21st Century Toys, at Wal-Mart) just today and it's an impressive toy to say the least.  :)  Easily can picture it hanging above a D-Day battle scene dropping its bomb on a Tiger Tank.
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Offline Ben

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Re: What is Your Favorite Figure "Scale"?
« Reply #7 on: December 12, 2003, 10:26 PM »
I prefer 3 3/4, mostly for vehicles and space issues. The LOTR line would have been even bigger had they been 3 3/4.

Though when it comes to stuff like MOTU and Buffy, the larger scale works better for them. Plus you can dropkick a MOTU figure against a wall and it will come out unharmed.
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Offline MisterPL

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Re: What is Your Favorite Figure "Scale"?
« Reply #8 on: December 14, 2003, 10:45 AM »
Plus you can dropkick a MOTU figure against a wall and it will come out unharmed.

It's true. I do this at TRU all the time.
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Offline Ben

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Re: What is Your Favorite Figure "Scale"?
« Reply #9 on: December 14, 2003, 11:57 AM »
I'd like to do that at my local TRU, but they don't have any MOTU figs. ;)
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: What is Your Favorite Figure "Scale"?
« Reply #10 on: December 20, 2003, 03:03 PM »
I agree with HMI.  Imagine a 3.75" ultimately articulated LOTR line...  You'd have some seriously large army building and diverse character choice going on.

That'd be a darn fun line to collect, and things like the Oliephants wouldn't be absurd to think of in toy form, and a "to-scale" Balrog wouldn't have been out of the question either.

Hell, a Mine's of Moria playset anyone?  Yes, I think so!  And Helm's Deep Wall sections for the action figures would've been dandy sellers I think.
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Offline Brian

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Re: What is Your Favorite Figure "Scale"?
« Reply #11 on: December 22, 2003, 10:20 AM »
I agree, even more so after seeing ROTK this past weekend...I think I would be all over a 3 3/4" scale LOTR line.  Toy Biz's stuff can be great, but I personally just don't have enough space for a lot of the 6" figures (I only have 2 actually).  If they did it Star Wars-style (size, beasts, etc.), I think you'd see even more hard-core LOTR collectors than there are now.

Offline BigDumbWookiee

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Re: What is Your Favorite Figure "Scale"?
« Reply #12 on: December 22, 2003, 11:59 AM »
I've really enjoyed Playalong's AOME scale (1:24?). It's small, displays well, and takes up little room, plus it allows for scaling up large playsets and environments. Since nothing much happens in the scale though, Ill have ro go with 3 3/4" for my top choice. A LOTR line in this scale would have been spectacular, and a LOT could have been done with it. I've never really been a fan of 12" scale, except for a few figures. I like the 12" Taun Tauns and Speederbikes, and the Gamorrean Guard, but little else...
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Offline Jedi Idej

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Re: What is Your Favorite Figure "Scale"?
« Reply #13 on: April 22, 2004, 12:42 AM »
I'm partial to 3.75" figures (aka, the Loomis scale). They're big enough to allow for a good likeness yet small enough that a large collection is manageable space-wise. Also, most vehicles can be made to scale.

I know the LOTR figures, as is, appear to be doing well. But had this (and Planet of the Apes) been 3.75"... Oh, mama!

Offline Brian

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Re: What is Your Favorite Figure "Scale"?
« Reply #14 on: April 22, 2004, 09:39 AM »
I agree, I've always thought that too.  The LOTR figures look great in the 6" scale and everything, but if they would have been Star Wars-size, I would have bought into these big time.  Just helps with display/space issues, and that scale works well for ships/playsets, etc.