This is my second experience with Playhouse Toys – the first time out was with their exceptional USMC RCT figure. So I had high hopes when I heard that they were launching a GSG9 figure. This one is designated as the “Low Profile” GSG9, which has many of us chomping at the bit for a “High Profile” version. Looking at the figure on the web, and later in hand, I was impressed… Simple ( or Low Profile ), but effective. I am not sure how acccurate the load-out and uniform/clothing elements are, but then again, with figures like this there is a lot of room for interpretation.
I should mention before going any further that I had already weathered the weapons, and reworked the head-sculpt before taking pics of the fully outfitted figure. I did however take before and after shots of the weapons, and head-sculpt themselves for the purpose of comparison. I waited to add weathering to the figure’s uniform and gear until after the first set of pics. In other words, the figure is fully personalized ( weathered, painted, etc ) in the second set of pics. I apologize for any confusion this may cause, and I will give more thought and planning to in future reviews.
Head-sculpt, and base body…
It seems fair to assume that this is intended to be a likeness of Kiefer Sutherland – you know, Lost Boys – dance in the shadows, ride motocross on the boardwalk, sleep hanging from you taloned toes in a cave with a Jim Morrison poster ( think anyone out in the 1/6 customizing world will be cobbling together an LB “David” figure? ). Some folks on the boards have even pointed out that this figure on a whole seems to modeled after Kiefer’s Jack Bauer character from the t.v. show 24. I can’t shed any light on this as I have never seen the show, but I can say that this does look like Kiefer.
The sculpt is decent, with nice sculpting and even a bit of an “expression” ( I read indignation – which is better than constipation as with Playhouse’s USMC RCT sculpt ). The head is painted in light skin tones, with clearly defined eyes and hair. But there is some room for improvement. Luckily this can be achieved with a bit of acrylic paint and some pastels.
The body seems to be the same body used on the USMC RCT figure, with the industry standard of articulation. The joints are stiff enough to hold poses, and ankles feature a full range of natural movement with rotation, pronation, and supination. In my opinion you need to have the full range ankle joint to really enable the figure to be posed in knees bent action poses. I am also pleased to report that the head is easily removable via the tried and true ball and socket configuration. Another must have feature…
There are two sets of hands in the set – one a bare posable set, the other a molded glove set. The gloved set is something new ( to me at least ), which seem to be inspired by a cross between driving gloves and tactical gloves. Good sculpt on the gloved hands, but they are a bit stiff, so take care when posing the weapons and accessories in the gloved hands. There is only one set of pegs, which is not unusual, but it would be nice to see the day when companies don’t scrimp on the little things like an extra set of pegs. All things considered I feel it is fair to award a score of four out of five stars in this category.
Uniform…
While there isn’t much to the uniform, or wardrobe with this figure, what is included is really nice. Let’s start with the jacket. It’s a little different than what we have seen of late – not a high-tech TAD or Crye style piece made from space age material and replete with beaucoup zippers and velcro. Instead, we are offered what I view as more a cross between an M65 jacket and a Carhartt work jacket.
The detail herein is great, and I am happy to say that the little snaps on the jacket’s placket are even functional, just take care when opening and closing them as it sometimes seems to be the really cool minute details that are the easiest to break. One point that would have been nice to see, would have been the addition of a velcro tab/patch on which to apply and remove the supplied German flag patch. Instead we are given a peel and stick flag patch, which despite it’s immaculate detail and construction is still peel and stick and therefore ( in theory ) non-removable. This may have been done on purpose so as not to effect the look of the jacket.
Also included in the set is a nicely constructed long-sleeved tee-shirt. It has a good fit, and allows for more posing options ( i.e. jacket open ). The vest is a lighter weight ballistic style with velcro tabs at the shoulders and waist. This is a simple enough piece, but even here you see that Playhouse has really made an effort by way of material and attention to detail. This vest is one of those simple pieces that I would seriously consider picking up multiples of as a loose parts purchase.
Next we have the boots and socks. Nothing too spectacular here – molded boots with molded laces, and basic black socks ( no Agent Booth argyle sorry to say ). But then again, what is included is really nice. Also included is a well constructed and nicely finished leather-like belt. The belt, like the jacket, shirt, boots, and soon to be mentioned jeans, seem to give the figure a Low Profile/civie look – and would no doubt be good for various types of bashes.
Now for those jeans. I am including the under shorts ( padded ) here as well, as they go a long way toward completing the look of the jeans and therefore the figure. Now to fully appreciate these jeans, you need only refer back to the myriad examples we have seen over the years. In my opinion most of the 1/6 scale jeans, despite the best intentions of the manufacturer, have been somehow lacking. There are exceptions – Hot Toys SDU casual version jeans come immediately to mind. But despite a few exceptions, something almost always seems to be lost in translation. It may have something to do with the structure and drape of denim that make it so difficult to scale down. Luckily in this case Playhouse scored a home run. These jeans not only look good, they are well finished, with just the right amount of wear ( read “railroading” – an effect that refers to the wear that shows on the seams of broken in denim jeans, and resembles the consecutive ties of railroad tracks ). The fit of the jeans is further helped by the addition of a pair of padded undershorts. These add just enough bulk to make the figure look more lifelike in the jeans ( that sounded wrong ), without interfering with articulation. This is a simple solution that goes a long way. Also included in the set is a basic black balaclava, which I chose not to use in my pics.
Also worthy of addition to this section is a quick discussion on what I call “Thread Patrol”. Let me explain… One of the byproducts of sewing is leftover thread. This is an unavoidable outcome that can be solved with some deft scissor work. For the most part 1/6 companies do a fair job of removing the surplus thread remnants, but there is always something leftover. Often times the amount of leftover ( overlooked ) thread remnants is roughly equal to the quality of the garment ( the better the sewing – the better the finishing ). And in some cases ( I won’t mention names as I don’t want to hurt any feelings ), the amount of leftover thread can be downright ridiculous. With that said, part of my preparation of a figure always includes the removal of the thread remnants from any and all of the cloth elements – I feel it just looks better to have the figure’s uni and gear neat-looking and squared away. My preferred method for removing the pesky threads is the use of a butane lighter. I simply pass the flame over the loose end of the thread and viola… it’s history. In cases where the loose thread is longer that an inch or so I will trim it down with scissors before giving it the butane lighter treatment. The lighter not only burns the thread down, it also cauterizes ( or seals ) the end of the thread thus helping to keep the seam from unraveling. This method requires some practice as you want to melt the thread without burning the garment. But once mastered it can become an invaluable finishing tool. With the cloth goods Playhouse has done a good enough job with their post-sewing finishing that I had very little Thread Patrol to execute.
Getting back to the review… All in all each wardrobe element of the this GSG9er’s kit is well made, well finished, and appropriately scaled. Accordingly, I feel that a score of five out of five stars is deserved in this category.
Gear: ( soft lines – or web and cloth gear, and hard lines )…
This category is similar in most ways to the clothing category. There isn’t much by way of gear, but what is included is really nice.
Let’s start with the sling-bag. It has that Maxpedition look that I am so fond of – high-tech, with zippers and pouches, and gear loops galore. To my understanding Playhouse has offered similar Maxpedtionesque pieces in the past with their PMC A and PMC B sets. I have never handled either of the pieces that came with those sets, but after handling the one that comes with the GSG9 I am eager to track down the other two. This thing is a prize bit of 1/6 scale ingenuity, with clean sewing, fastidious detail and construction, and plenty of the afore mentioned pouches, zippers, and gear loops. Amazing piece – a must have loose parts purchase.
Also included in the set is a paddle style holster for the Sig, and a ballistic cloth holster for the MP7. Both pieces are well appointed and finished. By way of hard lines we are offered a pair of aviator shades with dark amber-colored lenses and folding temples… Nice. Also included is a cellular telephone, with a folding and rotating display screen. The details on the cell are top notch. All this adds up to a perfect five out five stars scored in this category as well.
Weapons…
The primary weapon in the set is the MP7, the secondary weapon a Sig Saur ( I imagine a P226 if the engraved detail on the slide is accurate ). Both feature good detail with clean crisp lines and decent finishing. I was happy to see that little points of detail were represented, including the afore mentioned Sig slide engraving ( or stamping ) detail, and the cut out detail of the flash hider on the MP7. It would, however, have been nice to have an extra magazine for the Sig to place in the mag slot on the paddle holster. Not sure why, but it seems a lack of magazines has been a long time issue in the 1/6 world. Happily, there are exceptions, including Playhouse with their PMC sets… Not here though.
Another nice detail would have been functional front and rear folding iron sights on the MP7 ( the supplied iron sights are sight down ). But it may be that adding this functional detail would have not only detracted from the overall detail, but would have caused major headaches in the form of lost little bits. Don’t get me wrong, the iron sights are really nice with great detail. I did have to futz around with them to get them to fit on the MP7 top rail ( there was a little vestige/nub of plastic – too small to be a peg or pin, but large enough to interfere with the fit ). I addressed this issue with my hobby knife by scraping the nubs off. Aftre that the fit was spot on. I am not sure if this is a product wide problem, but it is something to be aware of when assembling the MP7.
Also of note, is the placement of the Sig in the supplied plastic tray. In my case the concavity in the tray was a little tight for the Sig. This lack of space resulted in the trigger gaurd being bent in toward the Sig’s frame. I was able to fix this by gently bending the guard back into the proper shape. All things considered I am awarding a four and a half out of five stars in this category.
Things to be mindful of/overall score…
Not too much to mention here. There were issues with a lack of finishing on the head-sculpt, as well as the bent trigger guard on the Sig. And of course extra magazines are always a plus. But all in all this is a nice, simple figure with decent finishing, and good attention to detail. Therefore, I feel that it is fair to award this one a firm four and a half out of five stars.
Score Recap:
Head-sculpt, base body, hands: 4 out of 5 stars.
Uniform: 5 out of 5 stars.
Gear ( soft lines ): 5 out of 5 stars.
Gear ( hard lines ): 5 out of 5 stars.
Weapons: 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Grand total: 4.5 out of 5 stars.
What I changed and added…
I really didn’t have to add anything on this one. I did repaint the iris’s, and used pastels to add color to the face, and beard stubble. I finished the head by adding Future acrylic floor wax ( yes, this is a legitimate technique ) to the eyes and lips to provide the proper amount of shine in order to create natural catch lights. I also weathered the weapons and uniform/gear for that personalized look. These changes can be seen in the second set of pics.
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