Soldier Story 160th SOAR Night Stalker Pilot CW4 Todd McDunn ( SS-046 )

Soldier Story 160th SOAR Night Stalkers Pilot Todd McDunn (SS-046)

The excitement and anticipation for this figure started shortly after the first pre-release pics surfaced on the boards… And rightly so, as there has been a demand for an updated SOAR ( read any SOAR at all ) to fill the void left since the Hot Toys versions sold out years back. I suppose that one could argue that this is proof positive that the sixthscale big boys ( companies ) are looking to the boards for inspiration on what to produce – which they would be foolish not to. And with any figure with which there is a great deal of pre-release attention focused, there is always the possibility that the final version will be a disappointment… Well, without giving too much away too early on in a review, I can tell you that disappointment is not a word that I would use to describe the Soldier Story 160th SOAR Night Stalkers Pilot Todd McDunn figure.

In this case we have something that is somewhat rare in the sixthscale world, and that is a modern military figure that is based on a real person. The figure is based on 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) “Night Stalkers” Pilot CW4 Todd McDunn. I do not know the specific details surrounding the genesis of this project, but from what I have read, it seems that this was a labor of love from Soldier Story, Cal-Tek USA, Monkey Depot, and CWO Todd McDunn. And even though I am not learned as to the details of the development of the figure, I am still very happy to know that Mr McDunn was involved to at least some degree with the development of the figure. A point that lends a huge weight of credibility and authenticity ( gravity ) to the figure. I mean, it is even looks like him – sans his signature ( epic ) moustache…

I feel that it is fitting, and important, to take a look at the history of the 160th SOAR Night Stalkers before fully launching into to the particulars of the figure.

A basic overview of the 160th SOAR:

From wikipedia:

The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) is a special operations unit of the United States Army that provides helicopter aviation support for general purpose forces and Special Operations Forces. It’s missions have included attack, assault, and reconnaissance, and are usually conducted at night, at high speeds, low altitudes, and on short notice. The 160th SOAR is headquartered at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The 160th SOAR (A) are also known as the Night Stalkers and their motto is: “Night Stalkers Don’t Quit”.

The regiment consists of a training battalion, the Special Operations Aviation Training Battalion, and four operations battalions: the 1st and 2nd at Fort Campbell, the 3rd at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, and the 4th at Fort Lewis, Washington.

The 160th SOAR (A) consists of the Army’s best-qualified aviators and support soldiers. Officers volunteer while enlisted soldiers volunteer or are assigned by the U.S. Army Human Resources Command. All soldiers receive intensive training upon joining the 160th and are required to pass the Green Platoon course. The basic Night Stalker course for enlisted soldiers lasts five weeks; the officer course 20 to 28 weeks. A new Night Stalker is designated fully mission qualified after a year or two, and earns flight lead qualification in three to five years. The 160th recruits women, though only for staff positions.

I also thought that it was important to include at least some measure of information about the man himself. After surfing a set of web waves, I found some stuff over at the Soldier Systems site. It seems fitting to include it herein, as it not only discusses Mr. McDunn, but also touches on the origins of the figure…

From Soldier Systems:

Soldier Story and Cal-Tek USA are releasing an 12″ action figure of none other than 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) ‘Night Stalkers’ Pilot CW4 Todd McDunn. Since retiring from the Army, ‘McStache’ as he is fondly known, has been in charge of Eagle’s aircrew systems program.

With assistance from Monkey Depot, Soldier Story and Cal-Tek have worked with a real 160th pilot Chief Warrant Officer McDunn. Eagle Industries supplies the tactical nylon gear to the Night Stalkers and CWO McDunn is in the unique position of not only having served in the 160th, but have access to the ‘latest and greatest’ upcoming gear allowing Soldier Story to have unprecedented access to the gear load out of a 160th pilot. In addition, this is the only action figure produced to have the approval to use the official Night Stalkers insignia and be approved by the unit.

The 160th SOAR “Night Stalkers” Todd McDunn figure is loaded with accurate equipment and features the new Eagle CIACS 6 aviation body armor. The HGU-56 helmet has been engineered based on an actual helmet and includes the smallest details never before produced in 1/6th. This amazing figure will be available at all authorized

Soldier Story retailers in January 2011.

Unfortunately, that was all I was able to find, but it at least gives us a modicum of information on the man, as well as the figure.

Head-sculpt and base body…

I have to tip my hat to Soldier Story and their merry band of sixthscale sculptors and painters for the work that went into this sculpt. It really is a new standard that we are seeing these days in comparison to the sculpts from just a few years back. The quality of the detailing within the sculpting, and the paint effects are very impressive – just compare the latest Soldier Story head to the first Soldier Story head, and you can see quite a difference. I sincerely believe that at least part of the realism of today’s sculpts comes from the choice of materials used to cast the heads – a semi translucent urethane that reminds me of skateboard wheels, and that allows just enough light to pass through to give the head a lifelike radiance. And I suppose that lifelike radiance is a funny turn of phrase to use when describing a sixthscale head-sculpt, but hey…

The base body is the latest, and dare I say, greatest of the Soldier Story line – the narrow shoulder S2 – although it might be better to call it an S3, or at least an S2.5 as isn’t just the shoulder girth that sets this version apart from earlier iterations. Many people have asked if the new S2 has stiffer joints, and is it any more durable than it’s predecessor ( which had the occasional floppy limb and or shear away waist joint )… The answer to the first part is yes – the joints are stiffer, and the clicking ratcheting sound that issues forth from the shoulder joints seems to bear this out in audible terms. After all, nothing is quite as reassuring or quantitative with quality construction as a pronounced and hearty ratcheting sound. The answer to the second part is still to be determined, but one can certainly hope.

The hands that come with the set are the newer slimmer finger type that first appeared with the Soldier Story Afghanistan Marine figure. These hands have been compared by some to the hands that come with the latest Hot Toys True Types. I happen to like the slimmer sculpt, and pose of the hands – relaxed enough to pass for empty hand poses, with just a hint of pistol grip in the right hand, and stock grip in the left hand. In other words, they will hold a weapon or pass for restive and relaxed.

There are also a nice pair of molded glove hands that come with the set, that are you guessed it, Mechanix inspired. I suppose that this is in keeping and is accurate to what is used in the real world by the real men and women on the front lines, so I am not quick to complain about the lack of other designs. And happily, these represent a new sculpt ( or make ) of Mechanix glove than what we have seen in the past. More often than not the Mechanix glove that gets the most love by the sixthscale manufactures is the Mechanix CG Heavy Duty or CG Impact Pro, but in this case we are seeing what appears, to me at least, to be a pair of Mechanix M-Pact Coyote gloves. The same glove that will be featured with the upcoming China Model Exposition and onesixthxpo ( or Xpo ) exclusives. And yes, you will see a review of the latter…

The sculpt and paint application on the gloves are both very nice, and the material used is soft enough to allow the gloves to be manipulated without having to use the jaws of life to pry the fingers apart… How many times have you broken a sixthscale weapon while trying to insert it into, or take it out of, the steely rubber grip of a pair of mega-stiff gloves? It’s like sixthscale gloves on Viagra right? I only said that because I wanted to add the word Viagra into a document where it really has no business – and to increase the likelihood that some bored individual out there in the Internet ether will do a google search of the word Viagra and will stumble upon this review… And be equally bored with the contents herein. Anyway, the gloves look sharp, and they do the trick, so happy times all around.

This time out we get a pair of cloth boots ( something Soldier Story and others seem to be trending away from ). They are meant to represent Danner boots, and the cut and detailing are exquisite – that from a fan of both cloth and molded boots. The coloration and styling seem to be quite similar to the Danners that came with the Soldier Story SFOD DELTA figure, so that can be counted as a plus as that is, and was, a clean mean and downright gorgeous example of cloth boots done right. There is a slight flat footedness to the attitude of the sole ( kind of like the wearer is having a massive toe curling foot cramp ), but this is not enough of an issue to detract much from the overall appeal of the boots.

And since these are cloth boots, we get a pair of feet with the base body. There is also a pair of what are described as “extra foot pegs” by online sixthscale dealers ( including Monkey Depot ) – but I am not sure that they are meant to be foot pegs. Why an extra set of foot pegs and not an extra set of wrist pegs? After all, there are only one set of feet and two sets of hands, so an extra set of foot pegs seems an out and out waste. There must be something that I am missing here – maybe the extra set of pegs is intended to be an adapter set with which to allow the consumer to switch from a Soldier Story base body to another brand of base body… But why?

Note: After taking a second look at the pre-release pics, I realized that these are indeed ankle pegs, and that it seems likely that they are intended to be a way in which to make the figure slightly shorter. I would hazard a guess that the degree of reduction in height would be roughly equal to an inch or two… So imagine making a six foot tall figure five foot eleven or ten. That going on the supposition that if a 1/6 scale figure stands roughly twelve inches tall, it would be equivalent to ( or would convert to ) the figure being six feet tall in 1/1 scale. So that I suppose that it is kind of a neat idea to be able to adjust the height of a Soldier Story base body to add some height variety to your troops.

Lastly, we get a pair of multi-rotational wrist joints that have the requisite ball end insertion pin ( hey, ball end insertion pin should be up there in that second to last sentence from the previous paragraph ). These multi-rotational wrist pegs represent one of the major leaps forward in sixthscale body articulation. Add to this the multi-axis pronating and supinating ankle joint and we have whole new avenues of posing potential.

And in relation to that particular subject, before the big boys of the sixthscale manufacturing world incorporated these features into their figures, sixthscale bashers and customizers had to try to figure out stuff like the wrist articulation thing out for ourselves. I remember many a thread back in the old days that featured how to’s by the big boys of the sixthscale customizing world, demonstrating how to tweak and modify existing parts to make them better. Time was if you wanted to have your figure hold a weapon in a more natural way, you had to modify the wrist to get it to pivot on a vertical axis. There was a great demo of this using old DML Ranger series Nomex gloved hands – big tip of the hat to that individual whoever it was.

So as grateful as I am for the improvements, and the innovations, that the manufacturers make, I am still driven to seek out the next challenge in how to modify or improve this or that little detail. And I am happy to include and share recollections of the “good old days” with younger readers and those who have joined the hobby in recent times. It is always good to remember how thing were, not only to appreciate how they are, but also to be inspired and driven to make one’s own innovations and steps forward.

The score for the head-sculpt and base body: 5 out of 5 stars.

Uniform…

The uniform that comes with the set is meant to represent the A2CU ( Army Aircrew Combat Uniform ), and it is rich with detailing. Everything from the weight and clarity of print of the fabric, to the cut and stitching is at the pinnacle of sixthscale wardrobe crafting. The pockets, the velcro, the zippers are all sixthscale size appropriate, and are really quite stunning. It is easy to imagine being able to actually wear this uniform – of course you would need to either shrink yourself or enlarge the uniform to prove the point, and neither option are within the realm of possibility ( outside of a Disney movie ). But it still isn’t too much of a stretch to say that this uniform has all of the necessary details and appointments to make it a fair representation of the actual life-scale equivalent of the A2CU. We also get an ACU ( or grey green ) duty belt to help McStache hold up his trousers.

In addition to the A2CU uniform, we receive a “Chief McStache” tee shirt in black with white screen printing, with “Chief McStache” printed on the rear of the shirt, and “Eagle Aircrew Systems” on front left breast area of the shirt. The detail of the screen print is decent, and the art is pretty cool – I would wear the life-scale equivalent were I presented with opportunity. I can see picking up a loose tee to use with a bash as the screen print element on the front is low enough that it does not show from under the open collar of a typical uniform top.

The last piece of uniform goodness that we receive is a super sweet EAS ( Eagle Aircrew Systems ) fleece jacket in basic black. It’s one of those multi pocketed, high tech looking fleece jackets that one would expect to see in an REI or Campmore catalog, and I fell in love with the thing the first time I saw pics in the pre-release pics on the forums. The version that we get in the set seems to be an exact match to the prototype images, so those who saw the jacket then and wondered if the final version would be as good should not be disappointed. It has a boatload of small ( 0 ) scale zippers, and enough pockets and loop side velcro fields to offer plenty of options. Definitely a great piece, and again, worthy of a loose parts pick up.

The score for the uniform elements: 5 out of 5 stars.

Gear – softlines ( webbing and pouches )…

When preparing this section of the review I was presented with a sort of dilemma… Normally I would add a list of the parts that fit the category, and would then elaborate where elaboration was applicable and appropriate. However, this time out, I was at a loss to uncover much detail about the softline gear aside from the fact that it appears that most of it is Eagle Industry gear.

So I am going to go off script a bit and make a guess or two about what’s what, and at the risk of being wildly inaccurate I am going to I.D the majority of the gear as EAS ( Eagle Aircrew Systems ) even when it may not be. The camouflage printed gear is ACU digital camouflage, and the solid color gear is ( in my opinion ) best described as ACU grey green. With that in mind, here is my “take” on what we get with the set:

EAS ( Eagle Aircrew Systems ) CIACS 6 aviation body armor with detachable shoulder armour ( pauldrons ), and what appear to be shoulder strap reinforcement pads for the shoulder straps on the vest in ACU grey green

EAS ( Eagle Aircrew Systems ) horseshoe shaped floatation life jacket ( Mae West ) in ACU grey green

EAS ( Eagle Aircrew Systems ) bungee retention lanyard in ACU grey green

EAS ( Eagle Aircrew Systems ) Escape and Evasion hydra-pack with bite valve drinking hose in ACU grey green

EAS ( Eagle Aircrew Systems ) smaller version pilot’s medical pouch in ACU grey green

EAS ( Eagle Aircrew Systems ) Lifesaver Medical Combat bag in ACU grey green

EAS ( Eagle Aircrew Systems ) canteen pouch in ACU digital camouflage

EAS ( Eagle Aircrew Systems ) Ambidextrous Airborne holster with detachable pistol magazine pouch ( detachable so you can switch to the reverse side of the holster ) in ACU grey green

EAS ( Eagle Aircrew Systems ) Drop leg molle platform in ACU digital camouflage

EAS ( Eagle Aircrew Systems ) SAW pouch in ACU digital camouflage

EAS ( Eagle Aircrew Systems ) M4 30 round magazine pouch in ACU grey green

EAS ( Eagle Aircrew Systems ) General Purpose pouch ( long ) in ACU grey green

EAS ( Eagle Aircrew Systems ) admin pouch in ACU grey green

EAS ( Eagle Aircrew Systems ) HABD ( Helicopter Aircrew Breathing Device ) pouch in ACU grey green

Ontario PET ( Personal Egress Tool ) pouch in ACU grey green

And of course all of this stuff is astoundingly detailed and really well crafted – I spent a good twenty minutes just looking the vest before I even started to think about putting it together. I should also add that the ACU grey green color does present some promising bashing potential – I am envisioning a high speed CQB operator with an all black uniform and all ACU grey green gear. Or maybe a variation thereof presented in a science fiction themed figure. Whatever the case may be, I feel that the gear has potential outside of it’s intended use.

The score for the softline gear elements: 5 out of 5 stars.

Gear – hardlines ( tools and sundry parts )…

Hard-line gear speaking, the big thing, that comes with the set is the HGU-56/P helmet. It is one of those examples of sixthscale hardware that demands attention and respect. And luckily Soldier Story has seen to both. But before we get into that, let’s have a quick overview of the HGU-56/P helmet…

From the official GENTEX site ( gentexcorp.com ):

Designed to keep pace with innovations in flight technology and emerging mission scenarios, the HGU-56/P helmet system offers modular engineering for cross-platform use within multiple Army, Coast Guard, Law Enforcement and civilian rotary aircraft. The helmet’s enhanced design features a multitude of options to improve aircrew personnel fit, functionality, mission adaptability and essential head safety and protection.

The helmet comes standard with a clear visor or neutral visor. For particularly demanding mission requirements, laser visors, high contrast visor and gradient visor are available from GENTEX to improve visual acuity in day, night or inclement weather conditions. All GENTEX visors are made of polycarbonate and meet all performance requirements of MIL-V-43511 and have an abrasion-resistant coating on the front and back surfaces in accordance with MIL-C-83409.

The HGU-56/P can also be upgraded to include the Maxillofacial Shield (MFS), specifically designed to protect the lower face from flying debris common to the helicopter environment. An optional helmet bag for proper storage and protection is available. Oxygen mask bayonets can also be ordered for field installation, so the MBU 12/P Oxygen mask can be donned in high-altitude environments.

All HGU-56/P helmets can be readily modified to install the Communication Ear Plug (CEP), which is now standard on all U.S. Army flight helmets.

The helmet is tested in accordance with ANSI Z90.1-1979. Impact testing is accomplished at high and ambient temperature only and head-form deceleration is limited to 150G in the crown and 175G in the headband area. Lateral impact in the ear cup area does not exceed 150G with a drop velocity of 6.0 m/sec. When tested in accordance with ANSI Z90.1b-1979 using a 1950 Newton tension equivalent load for two minutes, the chinstrap does not elongate more than 3.8 cm from the preload of 110 Newton.

It seems like before the figure even made it’s way into the hands of the dealers and collectors, I began to hear stories about the fragility of the HGU-56/P helmet… Particular emphasis was placed on the potential for breakage with concern to the visor. There was even word that the helmet was shipped out from the factory separately from the rest of the figure – maybe to ensure that once it made it to the wholesaler or retailer it would have to be inspected before being placed into the box with the figure. Who knows… Point is, the helmet had taken on a sort of mythic undertone before anyone had had the chance to play with it.

With this in mind, I was actually hesitant to even remove the thing from the box – or to look at it for more than a second or two at a time for fear that my gaze would somehow prove to be too much for all of those teeny tiny immaculately detailed pieces. I did finally ( reluctantly – carefully – with sweat beading on my brow ) withdraw the helmet from the packaging – using the same level of caution and steely concentration that one might use to carefully lift a baby chick out of the clutches of snoozing bobcat.

Luckily I was able to get the helmet out without breaking it – or having a spell of the vapors. And maybe I needn’t have worried so – still, these are not cheap to be had loose, and I have even read that one online retailer will not take back a helmet should it end up damaged. So I guess all of the hype and preamble kind of got in my head and spooked me enough to not even want to touch the helmet let alone play with it.

All of that aside this is one of those sixthscale gems that is a true pleasure to behold – right up there with my hands down all time favorite sixthscale helmet – the BBI Apache pilot helmet. And despite the hoopla about potential breakage, it is still at least sturdy enough to make it onto the figure’s head – just be careful – like you most likely are with every sixthscale deelybob that you get hold of. And remember, this isn’t like breaking a mirror, or walking under a ladder, or picking a fight with a mama grizzly bear – this a highly detailed piece of fun that is meant to be enjoyed.

Aside from the HGU-56/P helmet, we receive some very nice ( and notable ) hardline gears. Including the following:

HABD ( Helicopter Aircrew Breathing Device ) with detachable hose

Ontario PET ( Personal Egress Tool )

VIP LED

Paramedic shears ( the ones that can cut a penny in two )

Functional metal D-Ring carabiners ( one black, one silver )

MK18 smoke grenade ( red )

All of this stuff is nice, and if I had to quantify for it for someone unfamiliar with Soldier Story detail and quality, and just where it lands in the sixthscale scheme of things, I would have to describe it as the sixthscale equivalent of a Lynyrd Skynyrd song wrapped in a t-bone steak, shared with the stunningly beautiful Cote De Pablo, on a warm summer’s day… Too personal? Then let’s just settle for the top of the heap, A number 1.

Note: I did some major tinkering around with the Ontario PET ( Personal Egress Tool ), to try to fit it into the accompanying PET pouch. I found that the flap on the pouch wasn’t quite long enough to fit over the end tool and therefore fully close. So it may be best to not have the tool in the pouch where it could become bent or broken – when the flap on the pouch is fully closed you really can’t tell if the tool is in there or not, so hey, why not save the tool for another project. Or even display it on another part of the vest, or have the figure holding it so it can be seen – maybe thread a little loop of miniature cording ( carpet or button thread would work well ) through one of the lanyard holes to give it some extra detail.

Also, I discovered after some tinkering around with the helmet visor system, that the visor adjustment tab on the right side of the helmet seems to raise and lower the clear visor, while the visor adjustment tab on the left side of the helmet seems to raise and lower the tinted visor. It seems help things along if use your fingers to nudge and coax and pinch the visors along on the edge that is not supported by the adjustment tab. Bottom line, be careful and patient when playing around with this feature.

The score for the hardline gear elements: 5 out of 5 stars.

Weapons…

The highlight piece in the weapon portion of the set is the M4. It has all of the usual bells and whistles that we have come to expect from Soldier Story ( M4′s ), and has what I feel is an improvement by way of a spring added to the bolt mechanism. This makes it slightly easier to cycle the bolt without having it hang up in the either the buffer tube or ejection post opening. One small detractor is that the fire selector switch on this version seems to be part of the lower receiver mold, and not an independent piece. This means that it doesn’t move, and that is a small set back in my opinion – but still not what I feel would constitute as a deal breaker.

Along with the M4, we get the following accessories:

Folding rear iron sight

Eotech holosight ( not sure the exact model )

Aimpoint sight ( not sure the exact model )

AN/PEQ-15 laser sighting/pointing module

Insight Tech Gear M3 style weapon/TAC light

Surfire style weapon light with turbohead

Pressure switch duo coupler thingamabob to link the PEQ and Insight M3

Vertical foregrip with removable pressure switch plate.

Magpul 30-round 5.56 caliber P-Mags x 8

Weapon sling

Not bad right? And as with the SEAL Team 1 SDV figure, Soldier Story has given us enough weapon paraphernalia to outfit and configure the M4 in multiple ways. And fit wise, the acessories and attachments that come with this particular Soldier Story M4 seem to fit better and are easier work with than previous versions. So no sanding, filing, or adjustimg were necessary to get the scopes and such on and off of the rails. Thank goodness.

I should add that it is markidly easier to attach the Eotech and Aimpoint to the M4′s upper reciever RIS rail if you first separate the foregrip and barrel assembly from the receiver and butt stock assembly. Be careful when doing this as the flanged disk like spacer between the M4 receiver and barrel assembly seems to be a new design.

This new design incorporates the aforementioned flaged spacer disc that twist locks over a notched out area on the end of the barrell that fits into the reciver. All of these features interact together in a way that is near to impossible to describe in words ( I am including pics to help ). But all of this complex engineering seems to ensure that the whole kit and kaboodle does not fall apart – you may have had your older Soldier Story M4′s seperate between the receiver and foregrip assembly as these parts were not glued together but were insstead friction fit. This would happen at random and not by design, but it was one of those happy accidents that we could turn to our collective advantage when it came to optically tricking out our M4′s. I have to wonder if this new twist lock flange feature is intended to be a user friendly design to help aid in fitting add ons to the upper RIS rails, or simply an aspect of refined manufacturing and assembly.

Before I forget, I want to mention that there is a nifty bit of detailing on the Aimpoint scope with the word “Aimpoint” ( or some litigation avoidance savvy version thereof ), crisply embossed or etched into the plastic of the protective lens covers. This is a great bit of detailing that has only been seen one other time that I can think of with one of BBI’s ( Blue Box International ) old Aimpoint. So as cool as this detail is, it is not one of those flag planter first time out levels of detail. Not that Soldier Story doesn’t already have a couple dozen or so of those to their credit.

There is also a crisp bit of type detail on the Insight Tech Gear M3 style weapon/TAC light ( the tan one ). It is also a really neat bit of detail that you might not even notice if you were not looking for it. Very cool touch Soldier Story – now please tell us how we can produce such impressive results at home…

The final bit of weaponry in the set is a non railed M9 Beretta. The Beretta may be a disappointment to some as it is one of those been there done that weapons of the sixthscale realm, but let us not forget that the real 160th pilot Chief Warrant Officer McDunn put in his two cents with the development of this figure, so technically speaking the Beretta is included it may be a completely accurate element of his loadout. And of course the Soldier Story version of the Beretta M9 ( both railed and un-railed ) is easily one of the best sixthscale representations out there. The detailing is crisp, the finish is very nice, and the overall quality sings Soldier Story. And we get two extra M9 pistol magazines, so that’s a plus.

The score for the weapon elements: 5 out of 5 stars.

Packaging and final impressions…

A bit off topic, but at one time I wore a tie and other uncomfortable business attire and drafted such oddly worded things as back half business plans and hour to dollar forecasts in a hectic fast paced ( pain in the brains ) world called retail. In true middle management fashion, I also cleaned toilets, mopped up vomit from under changing room benches and filled in for college aged sales associates who had the contracted some rare and virulent form of “flu” after a long night of “studying” at the frat house. I was actually very successful at meeting my department(s) sales goals, and winning customer service awards. So I like to think that through some hard work, advice and guidance from my mentors, and some strong ties made with customers and fellows in the workplace, I have a rudimentary grasp of business.

And that meager and decidedly unglamorous background does, from time to time, creep into my stirrings in the sixthscale world. So I tend to think that it would behoove sixthscale companies to not only lurk on the forums in order to skim ideas, and announce upcoming releases, but to also become visible and active participants in the forums… Introducing themselves, asking for feedback, polling and sampling, and getting to know the folk who buy their product. Even seeking artists with which to collaborate – for example, Loading Toys recent partnership with the uber talented and genuinely friendly OSW member mgbb. The SAS set that came out of this partnership is not only a great set, but is also a great case of a company employing the unique skills and talents of a person in mgbb who has quite literally perfected the art of sixthscale kitbashing and weaponsmithing.

I for one look at this as a step in the right direction of defining the sixthscale higher end figure market as a specialty market ala collectors time pieces or fashion paraphernalia – both cases in which products developed, created, crafted, and branded by an individual artist can be highly sought after exclusives. Why not have “basher” one offs and “signature series” figures? If Emeril Lagasse can sell pots and pans, and Britney Spears can sell perfume, why not a figure designed from head to toe by the likes of mgbb, or gaiagear, or widescene ( just to name a few )?

I can loosely tie this to the figure in this review in that it was developed with the input of an individual with first hand experience and expertise. It was also a step in the right direction in that it was influenced to at least some degree by folks who are dealers and collectors ( and have a fair bit of knowledge ) – which isn’t to say that previous Soldier Story figures have not been graced with this level of input and expertise, but this one seems to be just a little bit different from the perspective of the aforementioned expertise and input having a face. And lest I should give off the wrong impression, I am certain that Soldier Story are keen on what the market is for their product, and that they have more than a few talented and knowledgeable hobby fans and artists in their employ. And this is a nice way for them to have demonstrated the will and savvy to reach out and collaborate with the community and the real life heroes like CW4 Todd McDunn.

Score recap and totals…

Head-sculpt and base body: 5 out of 5 stars.

Uniform elements: 5 out of 5 stars.

Sofline gear: 5 out of 5 stars.

Hardline gear: 5 out of 5 stars.

Weapon elements: 5 out of 5 stars.

Grand total: Perfect score of 5 out of 5 stars – cue up the music and wheel in the giant cake that Miss. May will pop out of…

What I changed or added…

I added weathering details in all the usual areas, but laid off a bit with the weathering as I did not want it to look like the figure had been through the opening sequence of Raiders of the Lost Ark. The M4 and the helmet received the most attention with heavy custom paint detailing. I also decided to follow Migster ( Don’s ) advice as seen over at OSW concerning cutting down the cords that issue forth from the RIS attachment dual switch. These are the same cords that attach to the AN/PEQ-15 and Insight Tech Gear M3 – the ones that seem way too long, but are from what I hear actually that length in the fullscale world. Once they were shortened a bit they did look better, and were easier to pose on the M4. So thanks Don.

Another area that Brian and I discussed before the figure arrived for review, was doing something special with the helmet. Brian did some research and found multiple pics of HGU-56/P helmets with “custom” maxillofacial shields – imagine if Orange County Choppers had Nub paint up a series of theme helmets. Most of the designs depicted skulls, and a few were inspired my comic book/film characters ( The Incredible Hulk, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ). There was even a yellow and black “Have a Nice Day” smiley face design.

So all of this got me to thinking, and I finally settled on my own design idea – or should I say bastardization of an existing design idea – the “Why So Serious” Heath Ledger Joker grin. I feel it was a good choice for the helmet, and the addition of the now famous catch phrase on the side of the helmet should leave no doubt as to the derivation of the grin.

But well before all of that, and even before I set up the figure, I did my best to trim off and melt away any errant threads. I like to include a description of the process with each one of figure set reviews as I feel that it is a good way to clean up a figure before setting it out on the shelf. So here it is, the description – the run down on thread patrolling…

Thread Patrol:

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 – better sewing and better finishing, less loose thread. 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 a whole lot 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. Once mastered it can become an invaluable finishing tool.

There are two sets of pics that accompany this review. The first set shows the figure as it stands after having been set up with no modifications. These pics are intended to represent as closely as possible, the look of the figure from both the pre-release or web campaign pics, and the pics on the box art. This set of pics is denoted by the addition of the word “stock”, which will appear somewhere in each of the pics. The second set of pics represents my take on the figure. These pics are intended to show the custom touches and modifications that I made to figure. This set of pics is denoted by the addition of the word “custom”, which will appear somewhere in each of the pics.

Wow, we are at the end of another review. I cannot believe how many of these reviews I have done, and a big motivation for me to keep them rolling is the feedback I get from the folks who read them. I really appreciate the time taken to look them over, as well as time spent checking out the pics.

Best regards, Mike

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