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

[JangoTat]

Jesse in regards to the PTE toys how much does the watch tower with three soldiers usually go for? i recently saw a couple at a toy store selling for $12.99 but now that the dollar is the same i wouldnt mind getting my sis to pick some up if they are cheaper.

[Jesse James]

$9 each...  Here's a little rundown on prices.

-Single-figure sets w/accessory (large) = $2.50 (these include anyhthing from articulated horses/camels to a motorcycle, a tent half, or "destroyed" wall sections)

-3-figure sets w/small accessories = $4.50 (Army Rangers, SWAT, Firemen, Marines, Spec. Forces, SEALs, etc.)

-Watch Tower w/3 figures = $9 (or $9.50)...  You get a rope ladder with the set too, real rope/string and little foot pads.  Very cool.

-Playset/Command Center = $30...  Lots of stuff in it.  Lots!

-Bridge Playset/Expeditionary Force = $20...  Lots of stuff and a kick ass wooden bridge.

-M1 Abrahams Tank = $20...  slightly underscaled Abrahms Tank w/gear and figures.


That's some of the sets.  There's humvee's and things.  I don't own them but they're to-scale, and I think $12 or so.  Same with a small dune buggy too for Spec. Forces guys and a Navy SEAL Boat.

Get her to get you some of the towers and ship them OUT of the packaging in a smaller box.  You'll save money that way because the boxes often are roomy.

[JangoTat]

$9 each...  Here's a little rundown on prices.

-Single-figure sets w/accessory (large) = $2.50 (these include anyhthing from articulated horses/camels to a motorcycle, a tent half, or "destroyed" wall sections)

-3-figure sets w/small accessories = $4.50 (Army Rangers, SWAT, Firemen, Marines, Spec. Forces, SEALs, etc.)

-Watch Tower w/3 figures = $9 (or $9.50)...  You get a rope ladder with the set too, real rope/string and little foot pads.  Very cool.

-Playset/Command Center = $30...  Lots of stuff in it.  Lots!

-Bridge Playset/Expeditionary Force = $20...  Lots of stuff and a kick ass wooden bridge.

-M1 Abrahams Tank = $20...  slightly underscaled Abrahms Tank w/gear and figures.


That's some of the sets.  There's humvee's and things.  I don't own them but they're to-scale, and I think $12 or so.  Same with a small dune buggy too for Spec. Forces guys and a Navy SEAL Boat.

Get her to get you some of the towers and ship them OUT of the packaging in a smaller box.  You'll save money that way because the boxes often are roomy.

                                                                                                                                                  Alright Thanks a lot man!

[Jesse James]

New 2-packs from 21st...  And new characters/paintjobs for army building extravaganza's! 

I'm all for this myself as long as the price is reasonable since it's mostly recycled parts and all.  I do hope for something "new" though to mix into this line as well.  I could see some kickass "dueling" figure sets like a Russian infantry packed with an eastern front German infantry as well.  Or a D-Day Yank with a MG-34 German for the bluffs maybe...  Just different stuff to beef up the concept of 2-packs.  Though "army building" sure is a good way to market it too, with two late-war German infantry.

[Jesse James]

First there was 21st Century Toys at TRU...

Then they left, and BBI jumped into the 1:18 scale arena by taking over the TRU slot.  21st moved their 1:18 gig to Wal-Mart... 

2007?

Forces of Valor have now thrown their hat into the increasingly lucrative 1:18 scale military toy market!  And can you believe you can get a 1:18 scale Bradley Fighting Vehicle for a scant $20?  I think my 21st Cent. Toys one was $30 on CLEARANCE, much less $20 MSRP.








And check out the back of that box there...

Yes, 1:18 Abrams tank...

Yes, 1:18 Bradley APC...

Yes, 1:18 Modern INFANTRY Grunts (finally, you can army build modern figures rather than Spec. Forces/Navy SEALS)...

But even more so...  YES, a Sherman Tank, and a Tiger I with what looks like Zimmerit detailing, and a simply kick ass rockin' camo paintjob too.

I cannot wait for those prices on the WW2 stuff and hope Target gets it in.  BTW, find the modern stuff at Target guys. 

I have yet another action figure erection.

[Jesse James]

And now, zee figures! 

Very much like BBI's, but better even, and just regular old modern military guys.  Support your troop in your family by buying him a little replica of himself for $5!    Pretty cool.


And yes, those are MRE boxes...  Pretty slick, eh?



There's a number of them too, in I believe both desert fatigues as well as woodland camo fatigues.  I'll get at least a full set, and extras of both camo variants as I have a Bradley to fill, an LAV to fill, an Abrams that needs some guys running beside it...  And that's it since my Army Spec. Forces guys are filling the Blackhawk already.

Still, got a lot of vehicles to fill out with grunts!

[Ryan]

Looks like I have a new line to be checking for... It appears as if there are some really nice headsculpts, without the excesive paint washes that almost ruin 21st Century heads IMO. Those accessories are looking pretty damn cool as well, the MRE's and backpacks especially. I'd love to see a big accesory kit from these guys. Thanks for the heads up on this one Jess.

[Jesse James]

I live for these toys as much as Star Wars, so it's my pleasure...  The military toy lines are some of the best collector-oriented (but apparantly with growing and very strong kid markets actually) toy lines out there I think.  And from companies that deliver a lot of bang for your buck too.  $5 SA figures, and vehicles that are 100% true-to-scale too...  I don't care what anyone says, Hasbro could take some lessons.  With as often as things are repainted and re-released, they could offer better ships in the modern line IMO.

A scale snub fighter's really in line with any of the modern or vintage warbirds out there at the moment, and I'd surely be willing to shell out $50 or so for a to-scale X-Wing or Y-Wing...  In multiple paintjobs, and usually 2 or even 3 ships at a time of any given paintjob for "squadron" building.

[Jesse James]

21st Cent. Toys updated today too...

Vietnam Era baby!  Check out this dude, complete with the new "pre-posed legs" that are now included as well!  Yes, arms and legs.  Seems the 'Nam is gonna get more than just figures from the movie Platoon as well, as this figure is based on the liason for the XD forum that talks to the 21st Cent. Toys reps to get information.  He also runs/updates their website.

Don't know if the headsculpt is based on this gentleman or not, but if it is he could make himself as a Star Wars character, as his online name is TKO...  Wondering if he's a fan?   



I like it a lot.  The arms seem a little bit large but they're turned as well, so they may be more slip turned the proper way.  Great figure, and while Nam's not my thing, I'm down for the figures from it.

[CHEWIE]

I saw those Bravo figures at Target tonight.  Didn't pick any up but they looked pretty sweet.

[Jesse James]

Nice headsculpts on them (IMO).  Very unique, yet somehow still generic...  For instance one guy's got short sides with longer/wavy combed back hair on top.  The guy I pictured above there has a #1 buzz with a sharp widow's peak (very imperial IMO), there's another african american that has a fairly plain haircut, etc.  They mix well with the BBI figures I think, as far as giving people a plethora of unique and yet somehow generic headsculpts of various races.

Asians still are sort of lagging behind, but 21st's Japanese figures did give a # of different headsculpts too, and there's likely to be some Nam add-ons I figure as well.

BTW, another new Nam guy from 21st tonight...  An M-60 Gunner:



Kickin' ass and takin' names...  So goes the green machine!




Added the last 2 of the series...  That's, I think, 4 generic VN guys, 4 Platoon VN guys... 

I gotta admit though, I'm slightly disappointed that we saw no photos of a VC, or NVA.  Charlie and the gang need represented so these guys have someone to shoot at!  Nam's not my thing really, but I'll get a set for sure.  I'm really hoping for some Vietnamese military for them to duke it out with though.  Those would be not just nice figures, but good custom fodder too I think.

[Jesse James]

Interesting things shaking up the 1:18 military world...

Word is BBI is on their way OUT of the Target stores...  I guess FOrces of Valor are moving in fast and furious on that set-up, and they're looking to put out Blackhawks, Apaches, and the other stuff BBI makes, and deliver it at cheaper prices than BBI does...  This is a big hit to BBI, as their presence at Toys R Us is still unknown as well.

Could BBI go out of 1:18 all together?  If Target isn't carrying them, and the potential TRU drops them, they'd be homeless...  WM's got 21st, as does TRU.  I'm personally hoping BBI remains at TRU in some capacity alongside the blitz of 21st Cent. Toys figures being there. 

Forces of Valor can just hang at Target then...  That'd be the ideal set-up to me, especially since Forces of Valor is showing a fairly decent desire to get into 1:18 World War 2, while Target's interest in WW2 was sporadic without any sign of new basic $4.99 WW2 figures or any vehicles at all besides planes. 

BBI's stuff is top-notch though, so seeing it go completely would suck...  I think there's plenty of room for Forces of Valor, BBI, and 21st in this market.  Just a matter of who wants to take the helm and venture into NEW product instead of retreading the stuff that's been done.

[Ryan]

Damn. Didn't BBi just come to Target a few months ago? Man I really hope this doesn't hurt the BBi line, as a line I think it is supperior to the 21st Century stuff.

I did pick up my first Forces of Valor figure last night, and I was pretty impressed. I grabbed Capt. E.J. Hilts, one of the marine offerings. The figure had decent articulation. I did however notice that the joints are all VERY stiff, and some felt like they would tear with the slightest pressure so I didn't really move them yet. One of the arms keeps falling off just below the shoulder when I try to move it at all. But considering I just bought it mainly for custom fodder and all the great accessories I can overlook it. Hopefully it was just a factory error on the one figure and the rest of the line doesn't suffer the same problems. I'd love to see FoV delve into WWII stuff, cause you can certainly never have too much of that.

[Jesse James]

Yeah, the "rumors" are flopping from one side of this to the other too, so there's no telling if BBI is leaving Target or not...  But $30 Apache and Blackhawk helicopers are things that are easy to get used to, ya know?  Bummer if they're leaving.

At the same time, FOV puts out incredible stuff... E very review I've heard is that their modern figures beat BBI's simply for being modern basic infantry figures, while BBI's kind of given us special forces and little else.  BBI's supposedly not dead according to some sources, others say they're leaving Target...  We'll see.

I hope BBI's still in it somewhere, somehow.  There's room for all 3 I says to ya!

[Paul]

My closest Target just re-reset the toy aisle and the BBI stuff is still strong and in abundance.  I think they may have even added some pegs.

For the first time I saw both Helicopters and the Abrams all side by side.  Plus Paratroopers and figures.

The FOV guys have sold out there twice.  But I did get to see the Desert Bradley. Tempted to snag it and do a side by side comparison with the 21st C/Motorwerks one.  Or paint it Cobra Blue...

21stC has been just about Non-existent in my Wal Marts now.