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

[TopJedi]

Oh ya bro, I'm alive and well........and JD IS my SW home

[Jesse James]

Cool Beans TopJedi.

Always neat to see the carryover fans between lines.

Get the Marines yet from BBI?  I got 3 of them and I ahve to say I like the Army Spec. Forces guys better personally.  I miss the ankle joint, and the arms aren't as poseable on the Marines it seems (Same articuatlion points and count, just a little poorer quality).

The headsculpts are the best yet though I think.  Still myf avorite BBi figure is the Littlebird Pilot.  That dood F'n rocks!

I'm sad to see the holsters that work gone the way of the do-do too though.

Anyway, it's cool to see you here alive and posting!

Check GP's post about what's coming from 21st Century too?  I'm bummed that the figure information was sporatic and didn't seem promising for figures seeing a routine/regular release schedule like the less expensive items deserve.

Planes are nice, but there's no way they're outselling figures.  I just cannot imagine $40-$60 items are ever going to outsell $5.99 figures.  The logic isn't there, haha.

And I'm itchin' to build a Battle of the Bulge diorama something feirce but cannot find figures...  I'm lucky I found all of them in that short window they were released last year.  Just wish I could've bought doubles, triples, and even 10's and 20's of the rifleman and BAR gunner.  

[TopJedi]

JJ, I've been staying current with GP's site....so I read all the posts  I would love to have more planes (I only have one original Mustang) and I'd kill to have more amour......but it seems that it's not in the cards for me

I've got a few armor pieces....and roughly 50 XD figs....Nam and WW2..... I want to set up a play table in my room and build a few scale city blocks for WW2......

I've been picking up a few of the new BBI pieces......just the Specops guys.....nice stuff so far.....

Have you seen those new Corps! Elite figs yet?  I picked up a few.....the weapons are kinda nice....with the exception of one M4 that had the scope reversed on the mount...hahahahah   I'm trying to figure out how to transplant these heads to other figs.....

Also, how hard is it to transplant heads on 21st XD figs? Is it a boil job? What does the base of the head look like?

I'd kill for some of those BOB figs.....LOL, I'll clean the shelves if they hit again I just watched episodes 7-10 yesterday of Band of Brothers..........the BOB scenes have to be one of the best War movie scenes EVER filmed!  After seeing it I was all sad that I couldn't replicate it in XD

Well, I've rambled on enough.......I've gotta go to work now.....

Anyone have any extra bits and pieces of XD for trade???  

Laters, Brian

[Jesse James]

I may have a ton of XD stuff I'll sell off to ya actually.  

If you wanna swap XD heads, it's easy.  They pop right out with boiling water.  Their bodies are even pliable plastic that softens in the heat.

XD and BBI are some of the easiest figs to customize I've ever seen.  

GP says Battle of the Bulge is making a comeback so keep your eyes open I guess.  And "Variant" figures in the playsets too?  Whatever that means.  

I'd buy playsets if the figures are unique enough, even though I got the farmhouse and barn on clearance here.

[TopJedi]

JJ, shoot me a list of what you might have to part with. I'm in the process of paying for some car maintenance repairs, and some shelving material for my soon to be set up toy room (FINALLY...Thank God ) but you never know....... Do you collect any other toy lines? I have alot of stuff.....so maybe I might have something that interests you.

[Mister Skeezler]

Are the XD or BBI figures compatible with Star Wars figures? I'd love to make some generic characters, officers, smugglers, etc.

[Jesse James]

Hey Lando, sorry I didn't catch this...

The XD and BBi are the same scale if that's what your'e going for.

Headsculpts are far superior to anything Hasbro does, that's for sure, as the entire sculpt is really.  And articulation...  And accessories...

Yeah, they're superior and they're compatible.  I hope to have the heads from both lines "available" at some point to the customizers out there.  **cough cough**

The neckpegs of both lines are NOT the same as SW though, just so you know.  

They're really diverse though.  The German Paratroopers have some of the best "Imperial" gaunt/thin heads I've seen.  The BBi line has a HUGE variety of generic white and black male heads/hairstyles though the SWAT BBi figures aren't as easy to find (Yet had the best diversity of headsculpt).

The new marines and army (And SEALS) have a decent variety too though.

At $5.99 or $4.99 though, it can be pricey to buy just for a piece or two, just keep that in mind.

My favorites so far are the Army Spec. Forces from BBi and the Battle of the Bulge from X-Treme Detail (Though some XD pilot figures are FREAKING AMAZING in sculpt, articulation, and decoration on their own).

[Vator]

Hey,jesse james you got any GIjoes from the 2000 line?Thye look like thye could be good custom fodder...

I'm commodre vator at GPs...I haven't posted in awhile sice I have put my ww2 thing on the back burner...

[Jesse James]

I've bought some Joes for accessories to use for SW customs mostly, not much else though...  I tend to avoid Joes for customs.

I'm more impressed with the modern Joe line though...  I still prefer the accurate proportions of the vintage RAH but modern Joes are getting pretty heavy with the articulation.

In the "news" front though for 1:18 military...

-BBi's at some toy show going on right now and displayed an F-18...  OH YES!  at approximately 3 ft. long, this is one HUGE Fighter.  Come On Star Wars, compete with that!  I want a scale Y-Wing...  It still wouldn't even be this big.

BBI also displayed their LAV in packaging with a driver that has goggle outlines from the desert sands...  Very cool, and their new Abrams Tank with driver which also looks spot-on scale and DAMN good.

-21st Century was also recently at a con displaying things like their deuce and a half troop truck (The only WW2 item I was gaga over though because I can't collect planes much).  They did display multiple planes though, including the Messerschmitt in winter white which does look sharp, and I believe the new P-47?  

21st is still in the game, but when/where they show up is up in the air because I never truly accept 21st's timeline as the truth.  They say we should see some of the planes at Wal-Mart soon....  I'm more interested in figures though.  Where's my battle of the bulge fgures?  1st series resculpts?  Marines and Japs?  Come on!

-Dragon came out with new images of some U.S. Infantry that look pretty damn sharp...  I hate that Dragon won't go for articulation, and subsequently they don't get as much of my $, but I will buy a set of these.  Great sculpts as always from Dragon and will look  nice in a display I think.

Well, here's to hoping that 21st gets back in the figure game soon because they were putting out the top-notch figures for a while.

BBi's taken the reigns, but have some work to do to get perfection.  I think series one of theirs were better than series two (The marines) as the marines have awkward leg scupts that seem too close together.  They're close to having the BEST figures on the market though so I hope BBI keeps changing things to improve.  And I hope BBi jumps into WW2 here soon too!

[Vator]

So,whats up with you guys?Buy and nice things?

[TopJedi]

I'm still alive....but I haven't bought any military toys in a while. Between working on setting up my toy room and focusing on Star Wars again this toy line has been put on the back burner.

I've even been contemplating parting with my 1/32nd scale stuff.........I guess time will tell.

[Jesse James]

21st's supposedly got stuff on the water from Asia right now...  Spitfire, Winter ME109, etc...

Not much to report on them right now though I think.

BBI's Apache is out they say, but I've yet to see it.  I want one I think, but the size of it may limit me and I'll skip it.

The LAV I will get and someone said it's out too...

I've yet to nab anything new for a while though.  Not since the BBI Marines came out.

[Jesse James]

For those of you interested, I had a new XD experience the other day...

Wal-Mart in Delmont, PA had the Motorworks/21st packaged P-47 with checkerboard design for D-Day invasion.  Not a bad looking plane really.

And they had a grey helicopter...  modern of course, which is either an Apache or some other chopper?

21st put out 2, an Apache and some other one (Not a blackhawk) recently.  Ours had just this grey chopper...

Figure quality for the chopper pilot looks poor, and really the overall look of the toy didn't look too swift either but the P-47 looked great.  It came with the 1st P-38 pilot in the leather jacket and parachute.

Good stuff on the plane, mediocre stuff on t he chopper...  I think BBi's Apache looks better personally, but it costs more if I'm not mistaken?

BBI's prices seemed to spike on the wave 2 vehicles by the way...  $60 for the Apache is on-par with the $60 for the Blackhawk, and they're similarly sized, but the LAV is $40 if I'm not mistaken, and easily should be a $30 or less toy...  

Nice figures in the Apache and LAV though for BBI.  The LAV driver has a scarf around his face evne, pretty neat, but $40's a bit outta my price range for a vehicle so seemingly small.

Plus, BBi's quality has dropped off of late...  Their 2nd series has not impressed me like their 1st wave did.  I'm hoping they pick up the ball here and improve their figures some for their following product lineups.  

Right now they're leaving as sour a taste in my mouth as 21st has by not releasing much of any product of late.

[Vator]

New planes coming!Including Avenger torpedo bomber!

[Jesse James]

Wow, the topic sees some life.

More than I can say for 21st Century.  

The big possible rumor now is that they've possibly been taken over or sold.  Seems that items are coming out in the Motorworks boxes, but with 21st Century Toys stamped on the vehicles (as always), yet not a SINGLE mention of 21st Century Toys anywhere but the company stamp in the plastic itself.

Nowhere on the box...  Nothing.  SOme other company IS listed however (forgetting the name).

Could it be 21st Century has been sold?  Or possibly just partnered with another production facility allowing them use of the molds produced?

Hard to say at this stage, but I want a freaking Bradley Fighting Vehicle for my BBI Grunts, that's all I know!

21st may be in the crapper big time, and trying to dig their way out.  A shame, considering how well their figures sell.  If they'd focus on those instead of huge plane after huge plane, the line would be doing much better I think.

Planes are nice, but you gotta do that stuff in moderation.  Big ticket items just don't move well, as any toy company will gladly point out (And as FAO Swartz will gladly attest to as well).