Archive for the ‘ 1/6 action figures ’ Category

School of Pompeii part 2

The new gladiatorial set by Kaustic Plastik. In the box one body, two helms, two shield and various weapons. So you can build one gladiator of a kind but you have pieces to build two more. You need another two bodies or you can change equipment to the present body when you want to do it. Quality is great and real metal is used for weapons and helms. Real metal is another thing rather than coloured plastic. My only concern are long necks, typical in 1/6 action figure to accommodate changing heads: helms are fitted too high so neck and shoulder protection is ineffective. However,… a must have! This Kaustic Plastik improves over time. Limited series, obviously.

Myrmillo

Thraex with sica supina

Thraex with spiculum. It isn’t an hoplomachus, but this is a common mistake. Hoplomachi are myrmillones with a more rhomboid shield and an helm with sides with a pronounced vertical shape.

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Rufina 2014

An expedition of the Ganesha Games team (I and Andrea) towards Rufina, a wargame convention on the hills at the east of Firenze. Inside a villa.

Our vendor stand.

My display game.

This is my biscuits tin arena with cork walls. Small but very beautiful. And with a little of drama added.

On the right side of the villa the open area for wargames.

From Macerata this scenario with Englishmen versus Indians.


Fight on the sands to determine the right name of God.

Italians in Africa to build an empire.

The theme of Salute 2015: Agincourt.

A radio controlled tank in 1/6 scale.

A model of Italians in Africa in 1942. During this convention there was even a modelling show.

A diorama with Russians.

Naval modelling.

A beautiful German ship.

A german submarine with interiors. Have you ever watched Das Boot?

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Romics: Autumn 2014

With Autumn, Romics came. This is the second annual edition of the Roman convention about comics and cosplay, with games added. We haven’t a table because people is not interested in wargame but cards games as Magic. Sometimes you can spot Warhammer. Cultural issues are not contemplated, all is about comics and gadgets vendors. Cosplay is the only thing that provides huge hordes of people (more than 100000 presences?) in this far land outside Rome. But to be free from the crowd we visited the fair only the first day, Thursday, so we couldn’t see lots of naked girl around.

Japan is worshipped in every form. Here one of stands with Japanese blades (but made in China and sold though San Marino state). At the end a ramen shop. However this Romics edition will be remembered as the one with 28 people intoxicated by rotten sushi sold in the fair.

A vendor specialised in coloured wigs. Yes, we are in a comics fair…

“Mommy, I want the RedSkull bust!”. And the vendor eats a panino with roasted pork (porchetta).

Some toys prototypes. Ma.K.s!




This time was present the local 1/6 action figures maker called Kaustic Plastik.

A new gladiator set in the box was presented as preview.

Their 1/6 real metal helm collection. I bought the secutor one and one of the legionary types.

And now another kind of action figures. Big breasts here.

Other fine imports from Japan.

And if you don’t understand, more Japan porn for you…

We met our friends of Elara, sci-fi editors. And after we visited the film area, where we viewed a trailer of the upcoming Doreamon film. It is like the anime but in 3D. I want to watch it!

In the late afternoon, under a raining sky, we proceeded toward the Ikea near my house to buy a new large bookcase for Andrea’s miniatures.

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New 1/6 gladiators

Gladiators in 1/6 dimension are one passion of mine. I own two of them but the high prices keep me away from new purchases. In the meantime two new products are on the market. The first one is a delicious dimachaereus (a fighter with two curved swords) by ACI, the best maker for this kind of figures. Moreover it is almost historically correct. The only evident (and common) mistake is the metallic junction at the elbows. And the points of the swords aren’t inside as sabers but external as hooks. But you can just turn them and all is fine. The right sword could be more long than the left one, but you can be satisfied the same. Quality of the finish is awesome indeed. Available in two versions that are different as colours of metal parts. A really great piece!

I’m less pleased by the other gladiator by CMTOYS. It is simple: it is neither a gladiator as fight category, nor a Roman as dress. It is sold as “Roman Gladiator Coach”. I think it is a transposition of a character from that TV series that I dislike called “Spartacus”. A fantasy item, then.

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1/6 Gladiators: School of Pompeii 1

Some news about Kaustic Plastik with a new gladiator wave. This time they are going to realise 3 gladiators dresses and weapons for a “School of Pompeii” set. You obtain the pieces to mount a complete figure and the spare pieces to partially dress two more figures. It is called set number 1. Could we expect a number 2 and a number 3? The quality is higher than previous, with better faces and new armours. In the meantime they had realised some beautiful imperial legionaries, so after hard work some lessons were learned to arrive to this new production. The set is based on the classic match Myrmillones versus Retiarii.

A secutor! This is my preferred gladiator kind. I like the big close helm with only two holes for the eyes. Pity, the figure neck is too much high, so the helm don’t cover it and the part of the shoulder near it. Another regret is the shield, a little too small and with upper acute angles. The net could tangle on them, so a shield with upper rounded angles was better. However for an overall verdict on this figure I can say that it is very good. Extremely very good.

A scissor! This secutor version is peculiar with the arbelas instead of the large shield. A metallic armour was needed to protect the body from fucina deep shots. But a mail shirt can be dangerous when points penetrate in the rings that constitute it. So maybe was better a plate armour. But the mail shirt is more flexible for a better fighting. And under it a protective padded cloth could stop the points.

The best retiarius in 1/6 format. It is very similar to that previously made with the Totti’s face but a better head make the difference.

So after this realise we can find a lot of gladiators kinds to build our schola. But remind, these are very expensive limited editions – for example this set is realised in only 400 copies – so you have to be hurry. This set is available starting July in Asia, August in USA, September in Europe.

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1/6 Gladiators: Kaustic Plastik

I have got an outrageous backlog about work as web designer, homework, game designer and tester for Ganesha Games. More, I have a main daily job and the last weekend I visited Turin for three days. So my Dadi.Com reports is delayed again. However I prepared before another 1/6 action figure review, so here it is…

Kaustic Plastik are 1/6 action figure producers based here in Rome. I suppose they had a past experience about WWII action figures, when they released a Italian soldiers range. Their pieces are a little cheaper than rivals. Good as historical accuracy but some details look not so perfect because of fault manufacture design for some proportions, like you can see for the leather sleeve, the long neck or the large vests. But the overall and historical look is pretty good.


A retiarius with the Totti’s face, the captain of the Roma football team. I’m not a football fan, so it is awful to me. I would buy another head as substitute…


This thraex has got a real bronze helm! The better thraex around in 1/6 format.

Well, at this moment I don’t know more 1/6 gladiator figures. These are almost limited edition for collectors at high prices but with finer details than a 28mm miniature cannot give. To accomplish my dream of a game with 12″ action figures I should choose a fighter couple. The support to keep them standing can be utilised as a base, following Ferrum et Gloria rule principles. But my rules aren’t thought to this scale and the possibility to add details that are spontaneous to give to a fight with these enormous “miniatures”, would lead to the adoption, and the creation, of an entirely new rule system. What will I do? I don’t know, now I’m only dreaming about it.

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1/6 Gladiators: ACI Toys

While I’m recovering from Dadi.com convention, selecting photos to show that event, I retake the 1/6 gladiator action toys reviews. ACI Toys wants to create a full gladiator range. At the moment we have got a myrmillo, a dimachaereus and a provocator, but more are on arrival. You can go to their website to follow their production.

What can I say? Almost perfect. With the right muscle body too. The only fault is the metallic sleeve with the articulation at the elbow, build according to a wrong concept. To have the needed flexibility at the elbow they wore leather plates. But this is a common fault.

According to me, this is the most beautiful gladiator 1/6 action figure. What I like most is the colour choices, perfect! Do you want to find a flaw? The sword is too long and the shield was a little smaller, egg-shaped and with a reinforcement on the end.

Another gladiator inspired by a famous tv show. If as myrmillo and provocator the result is really great, as dimachaereus we have got a fantasy puppet. The swords are right, the shin guards too, but the armour is absurd. Well, if you are a follower of a Hollywood soap-opera with sex and violence that claim to represent Roman times, you can think that is beautiful. I don’t think so. This is sold as an expansion kit, only head and armour.

Another dimachaereus, with the same name (?), always from Spartacus. The axes are purely fictional, but the helm is great, a real thraex helm! The shin protectors are not decorated but they better because they are really realistic. Give him a sword and a shield, so you can have a thraex. Still at preproduction phase, it will be out towards the end of the year.

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1/6 Gladiators: CM Toys

After the unsatisfying Ignite action figures, this time I’m showing you something very better. CM Toys is producing some gladiators inspired by Spartacus television series, without a real license I think. I’ve never seen this series and never see her (I’m not interested in fantasy soap-opera added with sex and violence), but I can still enjoy these figures.


This is Spartacus, or at least the television Spartacus. Even if this figure is not historically based, the final appearance resembles a gladiator and the “dirty” look is great. The problem is that you can use it as a generic fantasy fighter too, because does not refer to the look and the armament of any gladiatorial category. But at least it is a beautiful figure.


Almost a thraex, only some wrong details, as the short shin protectors or the long sword. I find great the dirty look or the lion on the helm. Instead the sleeve is not so good.

These pieces have got a better look even because you cannot see the joint parts of the figures. The internal structure is covered by a skin made of flexible gum. Great solution but maybe in the course of time this skin could lose his tone ruining the figure, but I don’t know.

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