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

[Jesse James]

I scored Marine figures tonight, finally.     And the one rifleman they only had in camo so I had to settle.  I don't like the camo though since it wasn't heavily used in the pacific theater.

Gotta pop these open!

Not a fan of the headsculpts on some, and the hands that are molded so you can't use them on some are REALLY F'n annoying.

Finally some Leathernecks.  Now I need to find those Japanese.  The cardbacks show 2 of the same Japanese guy though.  I hope that's a mistake.  Some of their headsculpts look almost racially stereotypical.  Kinda frightening.

[Vator]

  Some of their headsculpts look almost racially stereotypical.  Kinda frightening.

Sorta like the Germans did?

[Jesse James]

I dunno, I liked the German sculpts.  They looked European, but that's to be expected...  They were a little too "alike" for my tastes though.  They all seemed very similar on some level...

The Japanese though...  The one guy, from what I can tell, looks like he's bucktoothed and his eyes are just little slits.  The picture is bad of course on the cardback, nothing to really judge by, but man that doesn't look "good", ya know?  I can't tell if the guy's just yelling or what...

I hate...  repeat HATE...  these gaping screaming mouths.     You'd think 21st would have seen the ****-tacular job Hasbro did with this kinda sculpting and how it went over lik ea turd in a punchbowl, and they'd not do the same damn thing. 

[Jesse James]

Looked like MacArthur had hit the beaches at the local WM tonight.  Green-shirt Leathernecks by the higginsboatful.  So many they didn't have nearly enough pegs.  Probably could've filled 2 more with the figures piled on the bottom shelf.

I want XD figures, but some diversity would be nice.  Seemed that all they were throwing out there was Green Marines.  No camo, no Japanese, no Battle of the Bulge, and no pilots/pattons.   

BTW I'm highly disappointed with the lack of at least extra hands for these guys.  21st's hands they used suck donkey nuts, to put it bluntly.  My guys can't hold their guns in firing poses with these hands even.

[Vator]

Well I do know the Japanese have lots of extra hands...lots of extra everything. Those really are done in the classic 21C vein.

[Jesse James]

Nice...  I wonder why the skimping on the Marines then?

And after seeing all those Marines at WM, I still hate those headsculpts.  They're so terrible on some of them.  I'm amazed some of the guys at P51's boards are so gung-ho (no pun) about them as they are.

I don't want guys that look like they just came from the port-o-potty...  Those faces are blech.

[jokabofe]

I don't know if these are even made by 21st century or not, but they look like it. Found these on the Target website this morning...

Modern Military Figure Assortment Comic-Con 4 pk

[Vator]

Yeah, those are 21C...with those BBi things that Targets getting, mayhaps they're getting into the game?

[Jesse James]

Indeed Dave those are 21st as Vator mentioned.

They're the half-assed modern figures they made (the Arab figures are ok, and a sneaky means of getting around PC police by making them "allies" but also making them look noticeably crazy).  The Spec. Forces and British SAS are weak efforts though good sculpts on the faces/heads.

I got the Comic-Con set when Matt was out there (these were from last year, not this past year), and they were neat to have but short of buying extra arabs for SOMEONE to shoot at my modern figures, I really am not too into them.  Plus $30's even more than they sold for at CC, yikes.

Weird seeing them at Target.  Be nice if they'd get off their ass and carry 21st stuff.  They do have the BBI "Cheapies" (not the high-quality Elite Force line at TRU, but knock-off styled figures put out also by BBI at Target's request).

If I walked in Target and found pegs full of Battle of the Bulge figures, Japanese, or revised Series 1 Infantry, I'd be all about that.

[Jesse James]

OOOOOOOoo baby!

So 21st busted out big news that they're partnering with Toys R Us (holy ****!  !?) of all people, who dumped 21st and their contract because of special interest pressures, and they're going to produce a 5-pack of figures with vehicles to distribute as a "Merril's Marauders" (sp) set.

The Marrauders were a group that totally F'd with the Japanese behind enemy lines.  Army Rangers, special forces guys...  Very cool.

The set is 5 all-new figures (so it says, though the heads look like Para heads I think) with gear, a 1.5 ton Dodge Truck (Troop Carrier), and a Dodge Command Car with no distinguishing markings so it'll be a cool "hit & fade" vehicle.

Anyway the whole set looks great and I hope it's not terribly expensive.  There's a LOT in there though so it could be pricey.  Still it's nothing they don't already have the toolings for it seems save for maybe the figures.

Way to go 21st on making the figure guys happy and seeing there is potential for the figure line overall really.  World War II offers a buttload of material to make.  I just hope they start diversifying to nationalities like British, Russian, French and Italian troops...  I'd also like new 1st series Germans and U.S. Infantry, as well as various cammo variants on the Germans, some DAK variants on the Germans, some North African U.S. and British troops...

French, or "generic" resistance fighter figures would be cool too.  They could really do a generic line that fit for Poland, France, the Netherlands or elsewhere...  Russians are a must in this line at some point, along with re-releases of the BotB Germans to go with the Russian Troops.

WW2 offers so much diversity that would be popular if marketed right, that I just hope this is a sign of great things to come.  US Spec. Forces from Pacific?  I'd never have guessed. 

Some D-Day Rangers are now a must!

[Jesse James]

Thanks to SLC (Ryan) I got a handful of the Japanese tonight and I'm pleased as punch.  These are among 21st's best figures.

Ball/socket shoulders and cut joints at the thighs are great for poseability...  The sculpts are fantastic too.  Probably their best ever really.

I wish the hats were removable on the hatted dude I got but the helmets do come off so that's a plus.  I don't know why 21st's afraid to tackle hats but whatever.

Great figures...  Tons of gear too.  I'm glad to see 21st willing to improve upon itself.  The shoulders and thigh joints are the kinds of things you have to have I think.  They just add a lot to these figure's poseability.

[Jesse James]

Vator, where the hell did you go?

Anyway, new pics of new BBI World War II figures have surfaced as they hit TRU shelves as well.  There's D-Day (really simply generic actually) Infantry guys which look great, and 2 Para's as well (sans their jump gear).  The Infantry just are stunning looking, and the Para's are as well (Pathfinder and 101st regular I think, not sure).  I really want to army build with the infantry though because 21st's been lax on getting regular German and U.S. infantry out...  Sad because N. Africa repaints and different stuff would be doable if they would take the chance to revisit their first series.

[Ryan]

Vator, where the hell did you go?

Anyway, new pics of new BBI World War II figures have surfaced as they hit TRU shelves as well. There's D-Day (really simply generic actually) Infantry guys which look great, and 2 Para's as well (sans their jump gear). The Infantry just are stunning looking, and the Para's are as well (Pathfinder and 101st regular I think, not sure). I really want to army build with the infantry though because 21st's been lax on getting regular German and U.S. infantry out... Sad because N. Africa repaints and different stuff would be doable if they would take the chance to revisit their first series.

Nothing but the paratroopers at our local TRU. I'd like to see some of the D-Day Rangers. I'd love to start collecting some stuff from this line, but due to financial restictions I'm limited to only picking up the occasional figure. I use these for customs a lot now. I really like the way the torsos are put together. They are 2 piece with a hard shell outside and a soft plastic ocre, it makes part swapping increddibly easy, you don't even need to boil them. It is a really cool idea because it lets you easily vary up the troops. Anyone know where I can find some of the older stuff relatively cheap online?

[Jesse James]

Yeah, their headsculpts are cool, lotsa extra gear and perhaps good parts for cusotmizing, however I'm not pleased with them as actual military figures. 

Theyr'e cool for that brief period where a Paratrooper's dropping from the sky, but once the 82nd and 101st hit the ground they're dropping those chutes like mofo's, and 90% of that **** they were forced to lug along (if it wasn't ripped off in the drop).

To me the 82nd and 101st figures coming out (no drop gear) are the ultimate though.  If I could I'd buy all the chuted figures and just swap heads onto these other bodies just to make the combat ready figures.

At least BBI stuff shows up though.  That's more than I can say for 21st figures, as you know Ryan.  I can't find jack besides Marines around here.  Either the store is packed with Series 1 and 2 Marines or they're just not stocking XD figures at all.  I'm bummed because after the Japanese figs you sent, I know I want an army of these guys.   They're fantastic!

And god knows I need more BotB Germans...  I despise Wal-Mart like you wouldn't believe.  Their distribution is just F'd from start to finish.

[Vator]

Vator, where the hell did you go?

School, unfortunatley. 

I'm loving that TRU pack, but I've got to say looking at some of the prototypes (some guy at GP post a link in the thread about the PT boat, if I recall) they've had over the years I'm more interested in 21C getting back into Vietnam. I mean the Japanese were a step in the right direction for the WW2 line, but I'm getting a little tired of just having "America VS Nazi's" or "America VS Nazi's...IN COATS!" or "America VS Nazi's...THAT CAME FROM THE AIR!!!!".