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

[Jesse James]

I am hoping the images are wrong too.  The modern figs are pretty nice....but these Germans looked very much like those InToyz figures from several years ago.
 

Yikes, the sculpts looked that bad?  Any interesting gear/weapons pictured?

You're scaring me with that above quote.

[Jesse James]

From none other than our own Paul Mundheim, here's pics of the new FOV Tiger I 1:18 scale tank at Target.  For a scant $30, I think I can overlook the lack of weathering and some details (no MG on the command hatch, no smoke grenades, etc.).

Pretty slick looking...  Needs a little work the 21st tank didn't, but it will be fun fixing it up.  I love the zimmerit detail too.  That's as of yet produced on a German tank, so it's nice that it sorta changes up this Tiger from the first and repaint Tiger I's 21st made.

Nothing will beat the interior though...  FOV is close to making a comparable tank for a lower price though.  $30 is affordable to do "customs".  I'd love a burned out Tiger I with GI's clamoring around it for souveneirs.  It's easier to hack at a $30 tank than it is to hack at a $50 tank.

[CHEWIE]

I saw the Tigers at Target today... pretty cool.

Got any pics of the Platoon figures?  I hear Darth Delicious got some as he's already using them for custom fodder.

[Jesse James]

I think some pages back CHEWIE there are some...  Those and the generic Nam figures are out as well at TRU.  The Platoon ones just showed up this past week as well, I think.  I've yet to see any Nam guys though.  The generics have been out for most of December.  Along with the camo Quad .50 halftrack and camo Pak-40, which I saw the Pak, but cannot afford it this month.

[CHEWIE]

I'll b euser to thumb through the Vietnam figures next time I hit TRU. Thanks, Jesse.

[Darth Gamboa]

Picked up a couple of  1:18 BBI M-1 Abrams and one wheeled vehicle in Lancaster Target for $12:50 each! Humvees were 10 bucks but I passed. Picked up a 21st C  1:18 P-51 at a nearby Wal-Mart for 10 bucks too.

All going to the nephews for Christmas.

[Nirvana]

I got the German PAK-40 Hanomag for Christmas. I absolutely love it. My only complaint is that I wish it could rotate/elevate a little bit more. I'm not sure whether to leave it as it is or customize it into a mobil artillery vehicle for my Stormtroopers...

I also got a German with an open coat- pretty cool, thouh I just wanted the coat for customs, and I also got one of the new Vietname figures. They're nicely made, the legs and arms are tight even after switching them out, and the accesories are very detailed. My only complaint is that the could've cast the the arms in a fleshtone- the paint is starting to scratch already, even on the fixed arms.

[jedipurge]

Awesome they finally have a guy with a luger, been wanting one and was tempted to go through Marauder.com to get one.....custom blaster for NJO era Han.  I also love the rifle that the Imperial Concussion Rifle is based on with the extra ammo drum on the side.  Gotta couple of my sandtroopers sporting those bad boys.

[Paul]

I saw the Bravo Team/Force WWII guys today.

The figs have (had) potential.  The historical inaccuracies are way too glaring.  Army Collar Tabs with SS Sleeve Eagles, SS Camo, Army Insignia.  Don't ask about the ammo pouches.

The GI's...M43-ish Jackets with Some odd brown pants with Hip, Bellows pockets and Leggings..It is like they took one element from different US unifroms from 1936 to 1962 and slapped it on a figure.

I guess I am over critical, but before I sank that much into Molds and Tooling, I would sink $15 into a book or look on the internet.

[Jesse James]

hah...

Well, I'm still into them...  But you're not too critical Paul.  I'll probably mod them best I can is all.  The German insignias won't really bug me much, and sometimes you can just "remove" them with a quick swipe of the hobby knife or a little goof-off on a fine brush.

The US guys sound much more difficult to fix however.

Glad these are surfacing, as I need a 1:18 soldier fix...  WM's got the same D-Day figures now for a month or so, no sign of anything new, and TRU is sort of dead at the moment.  Nam guys showing up sometimes, but not around me.

I'm pumped for the new figures from FOV though...  WOuld like to find the Tiger too in a week or so.

[Paul]

I forgot to mention they had another Tiger and it was on clearance with all the other Bravo Force vehicles.

[Jesse James]

What paintjob was it Paul?  I'm intrigued now. 

For the price, these are a steal, but the comparisons with 21st's Tiger really show all the lacking detail on FOV's.  Saw some figure pics last night and the Germans look pretty top notch really, but no American pics.

[Jesse James]

I got 3 Nam dudes tonight...  They're ok.  Nice sculpts, nice accessories, but the painted flesh tones are sort of unattractive and show green through in spots.  I also am disappointed in the pre-posed arms, as the hands are molded to the arms as one piece, whereas before I always used the trigger hand from these arms for the poseable set of arms.

The pre-posed legs though, that's a slick addition.  I won't use them, but as a collector, I can't help but point out how this kidn of innovation pushes 21st a notch ahead again, as this scale toy-makers go.  You can have a fully posed figure, or a super poseable figure, all for $4.99.  That's sick.

[Paul]

What paintjob was it Paul?  I'm intrigued now. 

For the price, these are a steal, but the comparisons with 21st's Tiger really show all the lacking detail on FOV's.  Saw some figure pics last night and the Germans look pretty top notch really, but no American pics.

Same paint job as the one I have...which reminds me I need to return that thing before my receipt expires.

You aren't disappointed that they have WSS sleeve eagles and Heer Collar tabs?  Two organizations with completely different supply chains, factories, insignia and philosophy.  I can honestly say I have never seen that combination of Insignia.  I've seen rare and random pics of Heer wearing SS camo, but not insignia.  If historical accuracy is the goal, they missed. 

The sculpts other than the innacurracies (if one can get past that...and apparently I can't) are fairly good.  But the sloppy paint on these and 21st figs (and BBI for that matter) really ruin what could be a great line.  I never realized how spoiled we were by hasbro with SW and Joe with their paint aps, sure an occasion figure gets cross eyed, but never droopy eyed or worse look like they are wearing makeup put on by a street walker (early 21st was the worst about that).

I still can't figure out what they are trying to do with the Pants on the US figure. Brown (so wool) with External Pockets (like Airborne or Mountain).  The Brown Pants and Green Jacket is common enough, but not the pockets.

Did you notice that FOV also has added extra pairs of hands to their WWII figures (to hold rifles and pistols/smgs)?  Nice touch.

You are right, Hasbro could take a lesson from these guys on "Extras" these two minor players in the Action Figure world for the SAME price point (I know they don't have to pay a license fee for WWII stuff).  In the recent figures we've gotten extra Arms (both articulated and not), extra Heads, extra hands, spare gear.  The most interesting thing I saw was 2 sets of arms, one ball socket, one swivel that could be put on the same figure, that is some engineering.

[Jesse James]

Yeah, honestly the insignia bothers me the least, because it's something that can be removed...  I would say the pockets annoy me more.  Rangers had the pockets I was thinking as well though, didn't they?  The coats are a little extra green for my liking, and almost seem to resemble old WW2 movie inaccuracies, but whatever...  I'm pretty tollerant with the little stuff.

The gear is fantastic, the sculpts are nice if not accurate...  I'm ok, I just would like accuracy as well, but whatever.  The Germans just look better to me due to being able to remove the insignia, and basically have generic "blank" Germans...  If that makes any sense?  The Americans are a little mroe annoying to me I guess.

I hope for some new vehicles from them though.  Perhaps something in the small to mid-range like halftracks, smaller armor, Jeeps/Kubels, and maybe Artillery.  FOV also has branched into other nationalities with their other scales, so maybe we'll get some Brits or something too.  One can hope for that kinda stuff.

When you're into this stuff, pretty much anything is better than nothing...  BBI's not fast with anything, 21st is steady, but far from reliable distribution, and little in the way of "expansion" from what we can tell (same German/American standards).  FOV breathes possible new life into things, and competition means improvements I believe.

I agree on the paint aps too...  BBI's not that bad IMO, but 21st's lacking lately with their skin tones, and FOV's are good except for these paint inaccuracies with the WW2 guys.  21st, to me, is the crew that need to improve that aspect.  I think quality sometimes suffers for the "extras" with them.  FOV to me is offering some of the best stuff overall.  And the prices on all of the figures from any company are fantastic.  I mean, $5 figures are a dream to me... 

I'm hoping to see FOV improve accuracy, 21st improve paint aps and "diversify" their stuff some, and BBI just to crap or get off the pot (to put it bluntly) with stuff.  BBI did give us a Red Devil this year though.   That's a start...  And they're the only ones to deliver a Zero too...  If they'd actually put out new stuff, I think they'd be the force to be reckoned with in this hobby.

EDIT:

By the way, I changed the thread title here because, well, there's just too many companies to have it just be for 21st in the thread title...  I mean, technically there's also Admiral's Toys making planes too...  I forget about them as I'm not into the planes too much.  I've got planes, but man if you're into those, there's variations, repaints, and different models galore out there.  I would like an ME-262, and if they ever do the B-25 as they mentioned, I'm down for that.  I'd also like a nice cargo plane for my para's to stand in someday.