Official 1:18 Military Toys Thread (21st, BBI, FOV, etc)

[Jesse James]

Perhaps Ryan...  Especially U.S. troopers in greatcoats in particular.  Open or closed...  I don't have any but they're sorely missing from my BotB dioramas, haha.  I always thought the trenchcoats were more prevelant than Mackinaws too but what do I know?   

On 21st/1:18 scale news...  HOLY **** there's a ton of BBI stuff going on.

The WW2 figures have been showing, mostly online, but out of left field there's a WHOLE new series of modern.  The new modern figures take BBI from comparable to 21st to slightly superior IMO.  The articulation on the new ones is their new style articulation, which I honestly have to admit is better than 21st's due to the sculpting and engineering behind it (if you own the Infantry, you know what I mean...  Their elbow joints are perfect for holding rifles properly).

Beyond that though...  The new modern guys kick much ass.  There's 2 paras, one in Woodland and one in Desert fatigues.  Both look great with chutes and look like they have packs that make them look good without their chutes and combat ready too.

The Spec. Forces guys htough...  Holy crap.  They include a sleaveless guy, who is easily the best sleaveless custom fodder in history, guys have laptops and crap, there's SEALS in their combat gear with the dive stuff for them to wade onto shore into a zone...  Silenced pistols, the works.  New headsculpts, new bodies, new parts, new articulation, new weapons...

I really am stoked for modern again after seeing these.  BBI has taken this to another level, so 21st's extra heads/arms and stuff were REALLY needed to even keep up at this point.

Keep your eyes open at TRU for those BBI figures.  I must have those...  NOW!

[Ryan]

Do you by chance have any pictures or links to the stuff?

EDIT: I found pictures of two of the Modern Para, but that is it.










I have to say that I'm really digging the new articulation style too. I really only pick up bbi and XD stuff of customs but these are really starting to make me want to get into this line fully. The only thing holding me back is money, of course. 

[Ryan]

 

[Jesse James]

The only disappointment on those BBI figs is it seems some lack wrist articulation, a major flaw IMO.  Sure it'll show on some (bare-armed guy) but at the end of the day the wrist joint is too important to skip like that I think...  Be damned aesthetics, give him the articulation point.

Give him gloves or something...  just get it done.

Either way, some great figures, and fodder, in those shots.  I need those figures...  The Sniper.  Look at the Guille suit stuff on his head.  I love it.

[Jesse James]

I saw the new US Modern Paratroopers tonight.  Wow...  I passed because I'm short on cash really but wow...  Nice figures.  I also noticed I think new/repainted WW2 Paratroopers.  I saw an OMG BBI Paratrooper w/chute, which I don't recall from before...  It's cool looking.

I just hate the molded-on jump gear.  Why can't BBI do cloth straps or something so the jump gear comes off and you get a combat-ready Infantryman?     That's what I want...  My only complaint though with these figures, which is saying a ton about them.

[Ryan]

Yeah I saw some the other day too, I passed as well though. I couldn't take the higher price mark at the time.

I agree on the jump gear. At least you can tuck the straps behind the backpack so you can have pre-jump troopers.

[Jesse James]

Yeah, I have a pre-jump set of paras from WW2 and they're ok but not great.  I got them mostly for the headsculpts for customizing casts.

They display ok, but they're of course limited to that pre-jump or jump look and that's it.  It's like OTC Dagobah Luke...  You either have him training with Yoda on his back or handstanding.  Luke did a ****load more work than that.  Some articulated arms were in order, but alas not to be had.

[Smartypants1635]

Where do you guys find the 21st toys? The only military i have found are the blue dotz toys at my local Tru.

[Jesse James]

Wal-Mart carries 21st's line.

[Smartypants1635]

Ok. thanks a bunch, everyone has been talking about how good this line is so I thought I'd pick some up.

[Ryan]

I found the whole lot of new moderns tonight, as well as the three new WWII figures. I have to say I'm a wee bit disappointed. I'll do a quick a review of each of the figures.

Sleeveless SEAL- At first the arms seemed like they would be excellent, I'd really have liked wrist articulation on them. The skin is also painted on like it is on the head so there is so chipping at the joints and when you bend the arms you can see lots of green at the joint. The holster doesn't work for some reason, the pistol is sculpted in. The hat/headgear is also sculpted onto the head and isn't removable.

Navy Combat Diver- He's got the standard articulation for the most part so no real complaints there. The accessories are all pretty cool, but there is no easy way to get the pack on, and the regulator is too low. I broke the back strap the first time I tried to put it on. The holster like the other guy is also a non working holster.

USAF Nightstalker- The gear he comes with is pretty cool. I really like the little laptop, it actually opens and closes. But like the SEAL his wrists aren't articulated, there really is no excuse for this one. The gloves would hide the joint easily. And like both the others the holster has the pistol sculpted in, again I seen no reason for this especially cause they already have working ones made.

Sniper- I think he may be the best of the moderns but he still has some flaws. The head piece and back piece of the ghilli are removable which is nice but the headpiece seems to fall of fairly easily. It would have been nice if the suit had been removable on the arms and legs too, it looks goofy when the head piece and back piece are removed. Mine won't hold either of the guns very well. The hands are sculpted so they have a really tight grip and it is hard to get the guns in there, especially that .50 cal, its handle is way to big. The head is ball jointed which is nice, it doesn't work quite as well as Hasbro's but it is still nice to have.

[Jesse James]

I was gonna toss out a comment on the holsters myself...  I noticed on the 2 modern paras they made that the holsters have a pistol sculpted in them, and that sucks butt since they do have working holsters on the line overall.

The Marines didn't have them though...  They had those lame holster/belts I didn't even keep on my figures.  I wish htey'd go back to working holsters though, those looked fantastic, and a pistol in his hand with one on his hip looks stupid to me.

You saw a lot of these Ryan?  I've seen nothing new with BBI for ages. 

I'm ok with the bare armed Spec. Forces dude not having wrists but I'm bummed to hear the Night Stalker lacks them.  That's a load of BS, no doubt.  The Spec. Forces guy should have them too...  To me articulation outweighs aesthetics.  The paint thing, eh...  I don't get BBI's unwillingness to cast in flesh tones unless they worry about matching paint to it or some such. 

Not without their flaws but still they look great to me.

[Ryan]

Not a lot really, I think someone else got to them first but I saw at least 1 of each of them, there were 2 of a few.

[Jesse James]

From what I heard the WW2 guys were shortpacked in the new modern figure cases...

I have yet to get any of the BBI WW2 combat ready dudes at retail.  My buddy sent me one to drool over when I sold stuff to him recently, knowing I'd go nuts after I got this figure open.  NOw I want these figures I can't find.

BBI's not often restocked at TRU...  They sit on those jump ready paras and don't go for the lower pricepoint figures much.  Some TRU's have no basic $5 figures, just the paras.

[Ryan]

Yeah the TRUs by me (either the one up here in Fort Collins, or the one down by my parent's house) are hit or miss. Sometimes they will have a few weapon packs and that will be it, I went for a bout  weeks without seeing a single basic figure at retail, and now figures have started to show up again, not it great numbers or anything, but they're there.