NEW PRODUCT: VERYCOOL: 1/6 Miss Spetsnaz: Russian Special Combat Russian special combat female action figure (#VCF-2052)

GubernatorFan wrote:

Interesting, did not know that.

Actually I should clarify: ALL Ukrainians speak Russian and Ukrainian. The people in cities prefer Russian, the ones in the countryside prefer Ukrainian.

But politicians in Ukraine use now deliberately Ukrainian language, to make a point. Often they actually sound a bit awkward, because for them Ukrainian is the 2nd language, and Russian the first.

Sorry of this topic turns a bit into the political realm, but I could not resist using Miss Spetsnaz for this currently highly relevant issue

I have a friend whose parents live in Moscow, and his other family and friends live in Kiev. The whole situation is horrible for him, as you can imagine. And there are many more like him. Links between Ukraine and Russia are plenty. And nobody understands Putin and his war...

JohnByng wrote:Perhaps, considering the forum's policy of a ban on political matters, there should also be a ban on any political action figures? V. Putin, D. Trump, A. Hitler, J. Stalin W. Churchill etc. Plus all the political military figures like SS and NKVD. Also modern Russian soldiers should be nixed, as the Russian military is de facto a political entity.

I am not being a smartass ( I hope) this is a serious suggestion and in line with the policy.

Well... it depends what you do with them, I suppose. If you are just reviewing a Putin or Trump or Biden or Obama action figure (set or kitbash), objectively (likeness, accessories, articulation), that's fine. Same with Stalin, Hitler, Churchill, etc. Besides, those last three are history, although the repercussions of their policies may still be with us today. While I'm not really a fan of relativism, if you nix all modern Russian soldiers, there would be (for someone anyway) as much of a rationale to nix all US soldiers, all Chinese soldiers, all British soldiers, all Roman soldiers, etc. Again, exploring products, kitbashes, historical or fantasy reenactments must be fine... as long as we do not go veering off the path into propaganda and recrimination territory. If we nix all that, what is left? Only fantasy/sci-fi?

one/sixth-uals wrote:Actually I should clarify: ALL Ukrainians speak Russian and Ukrainian. The people in cities prefer Russian, the ones in the countryside prefer Ukrainian.

But politicians in Ukraine use now deliberately Ukrainian language, to make a point. Often they actually sound a bit awkward, because for them Ukrainian is the 2nd language, and Russian the first.

Sorry of this topic turns a bit into the political realm, but I could not resist using Miss Spetsnaz for this currently highly relevant issue

I have a friend whose parents live in Moscow, and his other family and friends live in Kiev. The whole situation is horrible for him, as you can imagine. And there are many more like him. Links between Ukraine and Russia are plenty. And nobody understands Putin and his war...

Naturally, I expected that those who grew up in Soviet times would have been able to communicate in Russian, I was just surprised that for many of them (actual Russians apart) Ukrainian is not their first language. But it makes sense, given what you shared.

One certainly does not have to agree with either side in this conflict to understand, to some degree, its motivation and its perception of justification. And I know enough of history to realize that there is always potential for nuance -- again, not trying to be a relativist. I suppose a Ukrainian character wishing an invader leave her country is only natural and basic enough. But this is not a venue that is either appropriate or constructive to argue these things out (or to sound off any political platform), so let's leave it at that and not stir the flames of argument and recrimination by pursuing this further. And let's hope all sides in the actual conflict quickly return to the negotiation table and make whatever mutual agreements and concessions are necessary to resume peaceful and hopefully friendly coexistence.

"If we nix all that, what is left? Only fantasy/sci-fi?"

Isn't that the logical extension of the policy? Politics is everywhere and in everything. Perhaps you are correct that all soldier figures (past and present) should be banned as they represent political actions by nation states.

Censorship is a difficult business.

It’s also a fine line to walk trying not to over censor and still keep posts going. I am VERY aware and active when it comes to politics, and the number of times I’ve had to just scream to myself about how stupid and unaware the average person is is often overwhelming, but I still bite my tongue and drop it; it’s not easy, but it’s often necessary to “keep the peace”. We can’t just ban entire groups of figures (and in the process, groups of collectors), just because self-censorship is sometimes too difficult. We are a 1/6th community, and we need to be welcoming of all types of genres and niches (as long as we keep it within the bounds of forum policies).

I suppose this is not the place to ponder the imponderables.

I think the policy must be applied in a VERY subjective way because it is illogical, but I am learning that Human Nature accepts that paradox so I must be content to have had my say.

I only have one wish, please don't ban post apocalyptic figures once they became real politics.

I completely agree with Mark's additional remarks. We try to be fair and inclusive but also neutral, and it is difficult to do so, both because we do not want to intervene heavy-handedly, and because we do not want to offend or discourage posters. I would hope we are as objective as we can be. Even if we could achieve that perfectly, I'm sure anyone who chooses to do so could still accuse us of being subjective. Such are the times we live in, if they were ever different. John, not to sound combative (which is not my intention), but was your point "merely" rhetorical? Ovy, excellent point; I think I wrote a response that was a little bit along these lines not too long ago...

A scale representation of a person isn't a political statement in itself. Its merely a representation. Were a person to post a figure of Vladamir Putin and comment on its merits of likeness, quality, realism, etc. It isn't suddenly a glowing endorsement, or mockery of the man himself, or his politics, necessarily.
Now, if the poster starts ranting about the real man being great/evil, whatever, that is a different matter. And I personally don't think there is room for either sentiment on this forum. Being part Polish, I'm no fan of old Vlad, but there are plenty of other forums where I can share those views.

I personally know two collectors who collect war figures, including Nazi regime figures. Neither of them are nazi sympathisers. One is Jewish even. They collect for Historical appreciation reasons. So they wouldn't consider such posts political.
I personally don't like nazi figures, but it's not my place to stop others collecting, or discussing them.

Censorship is a slippery slope.
Do we censor all figures based on real events/people?
Do we only allow "allied" war figures, because WE (western collectors anyway), consider them the "good guys"? Plenty of other countries would disagree on that!
Then do we ban threads about demonic looking, or witchcraft based figures, because it might offend some faiths?
Ban skimpy clothed figure threads, because they may upset more Conservative readers in the crowd?
Where does it end?

GubernatorFan wrote:I completely agree with Mark's additional remarks. We try to be fair and inclusive but also neutral, and it is difficult to do so, both because we do not want to intervene heavy-handedly, and because we do not want to offend or discourage posters. I would hope we are as objective as we can be. Even if we could achieve that perfectly, I'm sure anyone who chooses to do so could still accuse us of being subjective. Such are the times we live in, if they were ever different. John, not to sound combative (which is not my intention), but was your point "merely" rhetorical? Ovy, excellent point; I think I wrote a response that was a little bit along these lines not too long ago...

I felt I had to say something, but I will now go back to being a quiet man.

Ghost808 wrote:A scale representation of a person isn't a political statement in itself. Its merely a representation. Were a person to post a figure of Vladamir Putin and comment on its merits of likeness, quality, realism, etc. It isn't suddenly a glowing endorsement, or mockery of the man himself, or his politics, necessarily.
Now, if the poster starts ranting about the real man being great/evil, whatever, that is a different matter. And I personally don't think there is room for either sentiment on this forum. Being part Polish, I'm no fan of old Vlad, but there are plenty of other forums where I can share those views.

I personally know two collectors who collect war figures, including Nazi regime figures. Neither of them are nazi sympathisers. One is Jewish even. They collect for Historical appreciation reasons. So they wouldn't consider such posts political.
I personally don't like nazi figures, but it's not my place to stop others collecting, or discussing them.

Censorship is a slippery slope.
Do we censor all figures based on real events/people?
Do we only allow "allied" war figures, because WE (western collectors anyway), consider them the "good guys"? Plenty of other countries would disagree on that!
Then do we ban threads about demonic looking, or witchcraft based figures, because it might offend some faiths?
Ban skimpy clothed figure threads, because they may upset more Conservative readers in the crowd?
Where does it end?

You make good points.

Ghost808 wrote:A scale representation of a person isn't a political statement in itself. Its merely a representation. Were a person to post a figure of Vladamir Putin and comment on its merits of likeness, quality, realism, etc. It isn't suddenly a glowing endorsement, or mockery of the man himself, or his politics, necessarily.
Now, if the poster starts ranting about the real man being great/evil, whatever, that is a different matter. And I personally don't think there is room for either sentiment on this forum. Being part Polish, I'm no fan of old Vlad, but there are plenty of other forums where I can share those views.

I personally know two collectors who collect war figures, including Nazi regime figures. Neither of them are nazi sympathisers. One is Jewish even. They collect for Historical appreciation reasons. So they wouldn't consider such posts political.
I personally don't like nazi figures, but it's not my place to stop others collecting, or discussing them.

Censorship is a slippery slope.
Do we censor all figures based on real events/people?
Do we only allow "allied" war figures, because WE (western collectors anyway), consider them the "good guys"? Plenty of other countries would disagree on that!
Then do we ban threads about demonic looking, or witchcraft based figures, because it might offend some faiths?
Ban skimpy clothed figure threads, because they may upset more Conservative readers in the crowd?
Where does it end?

A beautiful exploration of why I think this kind of censorship would be inadvisable. Thank you.

JohnByng wrote:I felt I had to say something, but I will now go back to being a quiet man.

Whether we actually disagree or not, I certainly hope my comments do not discourage you from voicing your opinions.

"Whether we actually disagree or not, I certainly hope my comments do not discourage you from voicing your opinions."

Hi, GF. I am discouraged, but for reasons of my own personality, not you.    I am not very comfortable with all the mental contortions that are necessary to live in this world. But that is the way of my disappointing species, so I have to learn to live with it.

JohnByng wrote:Hi, GF. I am discouraged, but for reasons of my own personality, not you.    I am not very comfortable with all the mental contortions that are necessary to live in this world. But that is the way of my disappointing species, so I have to learn to live with it.

You are not alone. We live in a profoundly troubling environment -- I mean the "real world." I do not expect we would all always agree completely on things, but the things I witness, the degree to which misinformation has been accepted as truth and then passionately asserted with absolute confidence, is deeply disconcerting.

Is the helmet from this figure made by DAM toys? I plan to get a dozen of the ones from the upcoming Multicam Black variant, and I need to know if I should get more of the ones from the E&S LAPD swat figure I already have six of and transfer the helmet covers over to those (really the main reason I’m interested in this figure at all), or swap all my figures over to the Spetsnaz helmets instead. I’d still need to source more black G24 NVG mounts, though. If the Miss Spetsnaz helmets are indeed made by DAM, then when their upcoming MEU figures drop I would be able to put the counter balance pouches included with those on my helmets. Speaking of modifications, what could I use as retention straps for the NVG cables to sew onto the sides of the helmets?

Welcome Wesker, I'm pretty sure the helmet was made by Damtoys. I always look at parted out pieces from Damtoy military figures and the helmets look exactly the same minus the NVG. For straps, maybe those elastic banding that they use in sewing may work?  I've seen them in black and white only though so you'd probably have to paint or dye them. There are two straps with hooks already on the helmet. I'm not an expert, are those what you are talking about? Hope that helps. Here are some pics from all sides.

Thank you, glad to join here. I likely misspoke in calling the parts in questions straps. Pictured here is a similar 1/1 helmet cover, and next to the velcro portion on the side are the feature’s I had in mind. As said, they are for routing the cable for the NVGs and their respective battery pack. What material then, would be best for simulating them in 1/6 scale?

I feel like it's like the elastic banding used often in sewing. It comes in various widths, but you could probably cut it down to size. The other option would be to find a similar piece of item in 1/6 that has them and remove them as I feel it's used a lot in military figures.

Here's an example of some elastic banding I'm thinking of, it's probably still too wide for the helmet but you could probably cut it.

https://www.amazon.ca/Coopay-Length-Elastic-Stretch-Sewing/dp/B087R3GHPT/ref=pd_day0fbt_img_1/147-4441502-7618806?pd_rd_w=WqWz7&pf_rd_p=acc65436-fc4e-45ed-98e6-1cea96557795&pf_rd_r=FD0ZTJWE1P8SY70SGBGE&pd_rd_r=21da2497-18f3-4709-a5ce-b98195eed859&pd_rd_wg=EO5oD&pd_rd_i=B07V8DYZH2&th=1

Version 2.0 arrived today. For those curious, the paint job is indeed different on the new version (more subtle, and the skin tone has actually changed -- it's paler (actually looks closer to TBLeague's Suntan -- or New/Current Suntan). Some quick pics (both on the S17B)

Original version:




New (also sits a bit higher on the neck peg):




Side by side:

Thanks for sharing! It's nice that the newer version is closer to the suntan. The opposite happened with 2031 and 2035 Villa. The 2031 Villa is a bit lighter than the 2035.

Interesting, thanks for the comparison, Mark.

Is the new head a bit bigger, or is that just a slighty more zoomed in/closer picture?

Looks good though.

At least on the pictures, the old one looks superior imo

Thanks for showing. Now we need a knock off head comparison, too lol

Thanks for the comparison pictures Mark! Interesting to see that it's changed. I wonder if it's just a manufacturing plant that caused the differences or if it was a change dictated by Verycool.

Stryker2011 wrote:Version 2.0 arrived today. For those curious, the paint job is indeed different on the new version (more subtle, and the skin tone has actually changed -- it's paler (actually looks closer to TBLeague's Suntan -- or New/Current Suntan). Some quick pics (both on the S17B)

Original version:




New (also sits a bit higher on the neck peg):




Side by side:

Thank you very much Stryker 2011.
Is the old version with brown eyes and the new one with blue eyes? Looks like it...
On aliexpress there are two different offers, 1 discounting from ca. 65 EUR to ca. 45 EUR and another one discounting from ca. EUR 45 to EUR 22 or so. They seem to be slightly different versions, the ears seem to be slightly different and I think the more expensive version is superior to the other one.

Am I wrong? I'd like to read your thoughts and advice. Thank you.

i

The super cheap one is definitely the bootleg version. I think there are pictures in some earlier pages of this thread. (usually about 22-25USD on ebay) The paint ap is ok, but not as good as the official verycool versions. The official ones go from like 45-70 USD i think.

one/sixth-uals wrote:Here is Miss Spetsnaz in her civilian clothing. She just visited her family in Charkov, and now she is back in her domicile outside of the Ukraine.
But she promises that she will be back...

is the head sculpt genuine or fake? I guess fake.

koloth wrote:is the head sculpt genuine or fake? I guess fake.

I agree. The eyebrows are raised too high and the lips look too dark and flat. Still pretty though.

Is this the bootleg version? It wasn't a cheap deal, so I was hoping to get the real one.

If it's that hard to identify, then does it matter?

I can see some differences, but even the genuine article probably isn't painted by the same person, and if so, that person will have... good days and bad days? Or get faster or whatever. There will be variation.

The hair seems too red compared to Mark's pictures, but that could be a lighting thing.