Top 5 Toys

[Benn]

Dropping in late again, so I'll just jump in with the last one... Which may be hard, actually! Blimey, bladed weopons...

5. PLayArts Kingdom Hearts Sora - Keyblade. I don't know how a key works as a sword, I don't. But somehow it's become the iconic weapon for a huge franchise. Who am I to argue?
4. PlayArts Final Fantasy VIII Squall Leonheart - Gunblade. It's mental, and it makes no real sense. But damn it's cool.
3. Revoltech Neon Genesis Evangelion Eva Unit-01 - Sword. Basic simple giant robot sword. The green and purple colour scheme help it stand out.
2. Revoltech Zone Of The Enders Jehuty - Energy blades. Funky forearm mounted energy blades which make a pleasing 'ZIIING' noise.
1. PlayArts Kingdom Hearts Version Cloud Strife - Buster Sword. An iconic weapon in and of itself, but for some reason wrapped in bandages. It works more on Rule of Cool that logic, but is fantastic with it.

[Philip Ayres]

5) Tri Klops/Fisto's Sword: Nice simple long bladed sword

4) Original Luke Bespin's Lightsabre: points for finally becoming an independent weapon not something that mucks up the look of the hand and the arm. Finally I can give my Luke X-Wing a weapon!

3) Original GI Joe Stormshadow's sword: the store in his backpack! Amazing!

2) MOTU: Power Sword: 2 part weapon, half with He-Man, half was Skeletor that clips together. A fab idea.

1) Luke Skywalker (POTF2) Lightsabre: finally a clear bladed lightsabre for a smaller figure. Bonus points for also coming with the POTF2 Luke X-Wing and for getting a running change to make it the right size

[Bogatan]

Catch up time
Lego Return of the Jedi

4. 9496 Desert Skiff - On the list because I have it, but I still haven't opened it.

3. 8038 Battle of Endor - lucky me I have come across 2 incomplete sets of these at car boot sales so I think I am now close to being able to build the full set minus minifigures. The door mechanism seems to be massively complicated.

2. 75003 A-Wing Starfighter - Akbar comes with a glass mug, it makes no sense.

1. 9516 Jabbas Palace - does feel very small for such an expensive set, but does have a lot of heft.

0. 10236 Ewok Village - I don't own it, buts if theres one set I might pay that sort of money for, well this is it.

[Bogatan]

Week 46 Hand Guns

erm, I don't have any non Transformers hand guns.

Week 47 Pointy Things
I like the TMNT so they would probably top the list if I could remember them. Thundercats, MOTU and MASK might offer some competition.

[Philip Ayres]

Week 48 Missiles and Missile Launchers

Anything that looks like a missile (functional or otherwise) or a missile launcher (ditto)

[Hero]

Week 47
Heavy Metal Raphael, Drumstick Sai
Rappin' Michaelangelo, Nunchaku Mic
Panthro 80's, Nunchucks
Laser Rod Optimus Prime, Sword
Shogun Megazord, Power Sword

[legios]

Week 47: Swords and other bladed weapons

Right, leaving aside Transformer swords, as we will be here all night (but with an honorable mention to Black Convoy/Scourge's SWORD.OF.FURY!...)

Other honorable mentions: Arming Sword for the CM's Corporation Legioss and Tread set from "Genesis: Climber Mospeada". Makes the list on sheer "Really, they actually put that in there?" surprise factor. It is a fairly ordinary looking Arming Sword, with a western style twin-edged blade and cross-guard. But what makes it fun is that it isn't even a "real" weapon for either mecha - it was seen once in a surreal "I fell down, hit my head and got a concussion" dream sequence episode, and looks every bit as daft in the hands of the toys as it does in the show - but it is an endearing kind of daft.

The short-bladed lightsaber which came with at least one (not sure which) of the Yoda toys - a short-bladed lightsaber is a much more useful thing than a double-bladed lightsaber would be (but then, given that a double-bladed lightsaber would seem to be more limiting than something like a cortosis quarterstaff...). Really liked the look of the short-blade and was tempted on several ocassions to pick up a Yoda just for the Saber.


5) Bespin Luke's Lightsaber: First toy lightsaber I ever owned, and I always felt that in toy terms Luke's medieval style grip gave him an edge over Vader (when I got one) with his fencers grip.

4) Masterpiece Exkaisers sword:- What's that Mr Voltron? Something about a Blazing Sword? Hang on... I think we can go you one better. Fantastically shiny sword and, whilst it falls into the "absurdly oversized sword" category, it does slightly better than most such by being more oversized in the length dimension and feeling like it could actually hold an edge (most modern absurdly huge swords look more like big metal clubs by constrast), and having a hilt long enough that it could conceivably be usefully wielded by it's bearer.

3) MOTU Power Sword - As previously mentioned, this was for many years my go-to image of "Magic Sword". It still retains an iconic presence as far as I am concerned

2) Rise of Cobra City Strike Snake Eyes's Katana - only barely a Katana, a touch larger and it would actually be an O-Dachi to match the style in which he is wearing it. Nice little steel-coloured blade with a nice plain looking black handgrip, as befits a Ninja. Pegs into his back leaving Snake's hands free for modern firearms but still swiftly available if he needs his trusty blade.

1) Goldran's Katana - There are many things about Goldran which are marvellous - his sheer shininess, his vast array of missile launchers, but for today's purposes his Katana should concern us. It may be merely undifferentiated grey in colour, but the shape of the moulding on the blade is marvelous - one of the best Giant Robot Katana Takara ever made, the elaborately shapes Tsuba (or handguard) is wonderful, and best of all he has a Saya in which he can sheath the weapon which he can wear at his waist in the proper style. Truly a giant robot of breeding and distinction

Karl

[Hero]

Did we ever do vehicles?

[Shockprowl]

I'm a bit behind, so I'm just going to quickly do my favorites from each weapons section.

Gun: Episode 3 Clone Trooper large rifle. Just a great long beefy blaster! Best Star Wars gun easily.

Sword: Snake Eyes' sword that was straight and had the diamond shaped holes in it.

Missile Launcher: Armada Unicron's leg launchers AND his chest launcher. The leg launchers seem to fire missiles for miles! I'll never forget the time one flew just inches about infant Piglet's head one time! And the huge chest launcher can knock several deluxe TFs down at once!

[Philip Ayres]

Week 48 Missiles and Missile Launchers

To be honest I'm a bit weak on this one. Star Wars never had missiles (post BSG incident), Lego have rubbish missiles and in many other cases they were just bits to be lost.

5) GI Joe Wolverine Missile banks: 12 missiles in 2 banks that rotate and elevate.

4) GI Joe Snowcat Missile Rack: 4 missiles in a moveable launcher. Oh if only they fired. They do on a recent redo, the Wolfhound, but you can forget finding that (Crazy Jetty?)

3) Microman Magna Gun Body: such a fun toy packed with missile firing goodness

2) Microman Baron Fist Launcher representing all the legions of launching fist toys we've known and loved.

1) There can only really be one winner here can't there?

Captain Shark's Gattling Missile Launcher

Just look at it! Yes you turn it and it fires. All those missiles. For shear quantity it cannot be beat. I challenge you to find me a better missile launcher anywhere.

[Bogatan]

Dammit Transformers has to steal Captain Shark

[legios]

Oct 27, 2013 14:52:41 GMT Bogatan said:

Dammit Transformers has to steal Captain Shark

Captain Shark is a Pirate Space Shark - you don't steal him, he steals you.

Karl

[Bogatan]

Dammit Captain Shark has to steal Transformers!

[Philip Ayres]

Week 49: Accesories (misc)

Anything that came with a toy that's not a gun, bladed weapon, missile or missile launcher!

Backpacks, companions, pets, any weapon that's not covered above, shields, helmets, respirators..... a wide range of options here!

[Benn]

For me, I can only think of one right now but it should win anyway...

1. Comes packed with the Marvel Legends Guardians Of The Galaxy set, GROOT.

I can't think of any other specifics, but any version Of Michealangelo's nunchucks that has actual chains are cool too.

I may have to return to this.

[legios]

Week 48 Missiles and Missile Launchers

5. GI Joe/ Action Force Wolverine - A pair of box launchers, that can rotate and elevate and where the missiles are removable so that you can woosh them through the air. Great fun.

4. GI Joe/ Action Force Mobile Missile System - A towed missile system with a really good real-world look, and a nice cable-linked control module. Looks great on its own and fantastic on tow behind the SAS Force Panther Jeep

3.Sora-Kage's Missile Launchers - Two long single-stack missile launchers which Sora-Kage deploys when he combines with Goldran so that they stick vertically up above Goldran's shoulders. Great fun in play when you can ripple off a volley of projectile and they look great reaching up from behind Goldran.

2. RMS-1 Reaction Missiles, from the 1/48th scale Yamato Valkyries - The larger scale makes for some nice, sizeable, renditions of the Reaction Missiles from the TV series - just the thing when you need stop a warship the size of a small city in its tracks. Crisply moulded, and true to the look of the missiles in the series, they can also be detached from their launch rail for that "still loading" or "missile away" look.

1. Captain Shark's "Pepperbox" Missile Launcher - To my knowledge the toy missile launcher that can unleash the largest Itano Circus on record. Such fun to watch them swarm out in a great cloud of doom when it is triggered.

Karl

[Jim]

Oct 28, 2013 8:06:05 GMT Philip Ayres said:

Week 49: Accesories (misc)

Anything that came with a toy that's not a gun, bladed weapon, missile or missile launcher!

Backpacks, companions, pets, any weapon that's not covered above, shields, helmets, respirators..... a wide range of options here!

1. Bespin Luke from about 10 years ago - came with an antenna thing with a suction cup so you could hang it from the underside of shelves with him dangling from it. Also had a removable hand and a medical device to replace it with. Great figure! The recent update is a good sculpt but suffers for a lack of accessories.

2. Bespin Chewbacca with his net of C3PO parts - the head detached from the torso and triggered some lighting when popped back in.

3. Continuing the theme, the Vader from the same line came with a column which popped apart as if sliced through when hit - combined with the spring loaded light sabre action of the figure, this was great fun!

4. 1985 Snake Eyes's Timber - largely for nostalgia, but I loved that he came with his dog!

5. The BAT's backpack of alternative hands was a lot of fun at the time.

There must be a gazillion things bubbling under, and lots that I haven't thought of. Alpine's grappling hook was a good one. Vintage Collection Moff Tarkin's little hedgehog droid thing.

-Jim

[legios]

I forgot to make an honourable mention for last week, as I don't think they will fit in anywhere else

Week 48 Missiles and Missile Launchers

Honorable mentions to

1) The CMs Corporation Tread's missile launchers, or as they are better known, the Tread's entire torso. Not only does most of the top of each side torso slide upwards to reveal a couple of rows of small painted missiles, but the entire front of each side torso drops down to reveal that it too conceals missile launchers. The general effect is pretty much that the Tread is what you deploy when you need a load of things to go away very quickly.

2) The forward parts of the NFP-BP-01 Boosters for the 1/48th Scale Macross Valkyries - A really nice rendition of part of the FAST-pack system. Detachable from the booster section (so that one of them can be replaced with the Movie's dual beam cannon)(I will get to the rest of the FAST system in due course :-) , but also the outer shell can be slid off so that you can add the separate missiles to the launch-tree inside. It's a nice touch and I've seen it used to great effect for display purposes, with 1/48th deck crew figures bustling around servicing a Valk's launchers so that it can be reinstalled.

3) The arm/ventral mounted missile pods from the Yamato 1/48th Valkyries - love these, look properly chunky and like there is room to fit the two missiles inside properly (the Matsushiro/Takatoku/Bandai version never quite sold me because it feels a bit too thin and flat to be anything other than a lump of metal attached to the Valks arm). These have the definition and heft that the Toynami equivalents lack and the white missiles (versus Toynami's black ones) draw the attention properly to the business end of the launchers


Week 49: Accesories (misc)

5) GI Joe Rise of Cobra Shipwreck's Parrot - Shipwreck has a parrot... because he just does. I love the fact that amongst all his assorted gear Shipwreck brings his pet along on operations. It is just such a marvellously daft idea

4) GI Joe Pursuit of Cobra Lowlights Rifle Bag/case: I'm not entirely certain which is is supposed to be - when it is closed it looks like a rolled up rifle bag, but the internals look more like the inside of a rigid rifle case. (GI Joe really does have some very advanced tech). Like 2) below it is a really nice real-world touch to include - that rifle is a precision instrument, you don't want to bump it around when you are going halfway around the world in a Hercules.

3) Star Wars Hoth Backpacks: Cheating slightly as I'm not sure if these were sold with the figures but I know they were in a mailaway accessory set. I like backpacks for toys, because backpacks mean carrying more gear which suggests the character is suitably prepared for the adventures which are about to ensue, and gave eight year old Karl carte blanche to assume that they had an excuse for having whatever might be needed to contrive a way to circumvent the next hazard that he might dream up for our heroes. These were great little backpacks, which sat nicely on most of my Star Wars and Action Force figures and looked the part as bags of essential supplies.

2) GI Joe Pursuit of Cobra Lowlight's Spotter scope: For a lot of the time that Lowlight has been designated as primarily a spotter he seems to have been somewhat poorly equipped for that role, with his only apparent spotting gear being a scope on a rifle - which rather defeats the purpose of him being a spotter rather than a shooter. But the POC version has this well covered. He comes with a nice tripod mounted scope for staring through to help guide as sniper onto his target, do range estimation, windage, and the situational awareness maintenance that it is useful to have someone around to do when your world has narrowed to what is at the end of your scope. Lovely little bit of attention to detail in his accessories.

1) FAST-pack Back-mounted thrusters and leg-mounted fuel tanks, Yamato 1/48th scale Valkyries - the missile launcher components I have covered elsewhere, but I am very fond of the rest of the FAST components as well. The leg-mounted fuel tanks have a load of inscribed detailing - access hatches and the like, and the chromed exhaust bells of the verniers look great. Likewise the dorsal/back mounted thruster units that the tanks are carrying the fuel for are well detailed - the black and chrome main thrusters give them a nice "real world" air and the chrome on the verniers on these catches in the eye in the right way.

Karl

[Philip Ayres]

ooops: I forgot to mention GI Joe Scrap Iron's non functional but really superb looking missile launcher the other week

[Philip Ayres]

Week 49: Accesories (misc)

5 Hit n Run's Rappel Line bag

4 Timber from 85 Snake Eyes

3 Mutt from Mutt & Junkyard

2 Blizzard's Ski Gear - skis which attach to the backpack to form a sledge

1 Snow Job's Ski Gear - skis and poles all of which attach to his backpack

[Philip Ayres]

So 3 weeks to go..... and I don't think you have to be a genius to figure out the theme I've chosen for the last 3 regular weeks of this feature

[Philip Ayres]

Week 50: Character Building Doctor Who

Your top 5 CB DW toys be they figures or sets.

[The Doctor]

Oh, I can do this one!

Blue Dalek, Orange Dalek, White Dalek, Red Dalek, Yellow Dalek.

-Ralph

[Philip Ayres]

Saw that one coming a mile off.....

.... but the Daleks are very good and the CB New paradigm are better than the real things mainly due to having the correct number of neck rings (3, like the classic series, as opposed to 4 on the real New Dalek Paradigm props and larger toys)

[Shockprowl]

I don't have any Dalek toys. I should have Daleks. My army building instincts tell me I should have Daleks. Do Dalek toys exist in the 3.75 - 4 inch scale?

[Philip Ayres]

Yes.

We will be doing Dalek toys shortly. Prepare to have your mind blown again

[The Doctor]

Nov 4, 2013 16:48:27 GMT Shockprowl said:

I don't have any Dalek toys. I should have Daleks. My army building instincts tell me I should have Daleks. Do Dalek toys exist in the 3.75 - 4 inch scale?

The most affordable army of Daleks are the CB ones. I have 102 of the buggers!

-Ralph

[legios]

Nov 4, 2013 7:08:28 GMT Philip Ayres said:

Week 50: Character Building Doctor Who
.

Hmm... CB Doctor Who... Hmmm.

A cheeky mention for the HM Armed Forces Figures being all the U.N.I.T Troopers one could want. :-)

5) Tardis Control Room - It isn't a great set from an engineering stand point, and is a but frustrating to put together. But once assembled it makes for a decent place to display the minifigures.

4) Dalek Factory- It has a conveyer belt, to trundle Daleks reinforcements off to eliminate all non-Dalek life, and a control panel for a Dalek to operate it. Can't you see, Man's had his day!

3) Rory Willams - A perfect job, capturing the character rather nicely. You just expect it to ask you to wait a minute, it didn't understand at any moment. Also, it is amusingly accurate in another way - it is Rory, made of plastic... Just like Roman Rory...

2) Second Doctor (a.k.a The New Doctor Who) - lovely little rendition of Troughton, plays up the Cosmic Hobo bit rather nicely.

1) The New Dalek Paradigm - The best toys to date of the New Daleks, small enough that you can have a Dalek Horde of whatever size takes your fancy without it taking up too much space. And they come in all the different Jelly Flavours.

Karl

[Shockprowl]

Nov 4, 2013 18:27:00 GMT The Doctor said:

Nov 4, 2013 16:48:27 GMT Shockprowl said:

I don't have any Dalek toys. I should have Daleks. My army building instincts tell me I should have Daleks. Do Dalek toys exist in the 3.75 - 4 inch scale?

The most affordable army of Daleks are the CB ones. I have 102 of the buggers!

-Ralph

Outstanding Army Building, sir! Are they 3.75 inch scale? Any given Army must be able to fight other armies. Imagine... Daleks vs Cobra!!!!! Daleks vs Stormtroopers!!!!! Daleks vs Cobra vs Stormtroopers!!!!!!!

I've just climaxed!!!!!!!

[Philip Ayres]

Aprox 1 inch


You can get 3 3/4 inch Daleks in many toy stores at the moment.