General TBLeague 1/12 Discussion

GeeWillikers wrote:Well I've finally bitten the bullet and ordered the 1/12 Vampirella, which will be my entree into this scale after being a vehement 1/6 purist. I've also pre-ordered two of the new Imperial Guardians with an eye on two more if I like the first two. And then... Sonja or Sariah, decisions, decisions... Death Dealer also looks interesting...

Curse you all for getting me interested in 1/12!

YAY!!!! Welcome to the fold!

I was considering giving Sariah and/or Sonja into a new home, but it seems I'm not quite willing to part with them. ^^
Good choices all around!

Which Guardians did you order?

Vampirella or Sonja (both pre-teen crushes of mine since the 1970s) have had me wavering over the 'buy' buttons for some time as it was, especially as I don't own full sets of either in 1/6. While I'm not as sure about Sonja in this scale, Vampi does indeed look like she works even better in this scale than she does in 1/6. Sariah looks like a decent Sonja alternative, plus: more skulls.

I could still also get Sonja for the outfit and mix and match with Sariah. Maybe use that bloodied Sonja body for one of Vampi's victims...

Diana wrote:Which Guardians did you order?

Yellow and Blue to start with as they seem the most distinctive, possibly with Red and Gold to follow.

Vampi needs a pair of 'opposites' to parry with, so blondie and ginger seem ideal (if they hold up to the promo shots of course). Yellow/Blonde because, well there has to be a blonde, and so far I'm not thrilled with any of TBL's other 1/12 blondes. Blue/Ginger looks quite cute, the rookie of the squad, and the copper hair is a nice change from the usual regulation TBL Fire-engine Red.

Death Dealer. Well there's got to be a guy, and he looks impressive. And who can argue with Molly Hatchet.  

I'm probably going to limit myself to just a few 1/12 sets (famous last words) because I still have a few qualms that are purely down to limits of the scale (such as limited articulation and detail), but I'm willing to be impressed. We'll see how Vampi And The Imperial Guardians fare (first single, 'These Boots Are Made For Walking' out this September on Demise Records).

But then there are also advantages to this scale over 1/6: easier storage, and dioramas/sets are easier to come by (if not necessarily build) in 1/12.

It's The Beginning Of A Great Adventure, as Lou Reed once wrote. About parenting...

Funny. Gold and Silver were my first picks. Blue and Red my last. ^^
Black is the only one with bangs. I wonder, what the red dress would look like with the red armor...
The Ginger/Blue does look cute. Her sculpt reminds me of Tariah. Same softness. I wonder how similar the hair color is to that of Sonja.

Those advantages you list are the reason why I have rarely resisted buying the TBL 1/12 (female) sets. I only skipped Vampi and Arhian, despite the fact that Vampi does look fantastic! I just don't have a connection to the material, and considering that, the costume is a little too skimpy for my taste. I'd love to have that head though... *sigh*

YES! Less storage. Less money. BIG factors.
And tons of dioramas and doll house stuff out there... Not so much something I care about, but if it lures you in I'll gladly mention it.

Great photo, David. You are the master of these moody dark red glow photographs, which seem to so appropriate for this character in particular.

It’s nice to see that 1/12 is alive and well and attracting new collectors. I’ll probably pick up the MT Toys Ada Wong set eventually since I have a couple of 1/12 bodies lying around. I’d like to see more third party sets like that. Meanwhile, I think I’m sticking with gold and silver on the Imperial Guardians, at least until I have them in hand.

davidd wrote:Resistance is Futile, puny mortal![/center]

He looks great! You really are good at these moody shots!

Xavion2004 wrote:It’s nice to see that 1/12 is alive and well and attracting new collectors.   I’ll probably pick up the MT Toys Ada Wong set eventually since I have a couple of 1/12 bodies lying around.  I’d like to see more third party sets like that.

I did order Tifa, but I've resisted YM Toys Ada. I prefer the rooted hair, but that dress is VERY red. Again: no connection to the material, so the set itself is boring to me. I really just want the head. I'm a collector of heads it seems. I have too many 1/6 heads lying around...

Xavion2004 wrote:Meanwhile, I think I’m sticking with gold and silver on the Imperial Guardians, at least until I have them in hand.

How... good of you.  Maybe I'll let that inspire some wisdom in me. Gold and Silver are must haves for me. I laid down the deposit only for Black and Yellow. But... I already KNOW I'll want Blue and Red as well. And that I'll be able to sell them if I change my mind so no point resisting really.

Resistance is indeed futile.

These Guardians have really put me on a shopping spree. I was OUT! For so long! I guess I was only out for as long as there were no TBL 1/12 releases.

Diana wrote:

Xavion2004 wrote:Meanwhile, I think I’m sticking with gold and silver on the Imperial Guardians, at least until I have them in hand.

How... good of you.  Maybe I'll let that inspire some wisdom in me. Gold and Silver are must haves for me. I laid down the deposit only for Black and Yellow. But... I already KNOW I'll want Blue and Red as well. And that I'll be able to sell them if I change my mind so no point resisting really.

Resistance is indeed futile.

These Guardians have really put me on a shopping spree. I was OUT! For so long! I guess I was only out for as long as there were no TBL 1/12 releases.

I’ve been on a shopping spree since I bought Vampirella in February.

I have a rather odd way of looking at figures in my collection. I imagine someone offering to buy any of my figures from me for the original purchase price (including shipping). No hassling with eBay. Just hand the figures over and get paid. What would I keep and what would I sell?

My keep/sell ratio on this year’s purchases is WAY below average. I’m not going to be too hard on myself. I started collecting a new (to me) style and/or scale of figures this year, and it takes awhile to figure out what “works” and what doesn’t. So I decided to slow down a bit until I do figure it out.

Two months ago, I would have been all in on the Imperial Guardians. Now it’s “Let’s start with two, wait until we’ve had them in hand for a couple of weeks, and go from there.” I’m sure they’ll sell out quickly at Giantoy, but it will take them a few weeks to make their way to the shops here in the states, so I should have time to decide.

Xavion2004 wrote:I have a rather odd way of looking at figures in my collection.   I imagine someone offering to buy any of my figures from me for the original purchase price (including shipping).  No hassling with eBay.   Just hand the figures over and get paid.  What would I keep and what would I sell?

That's a really good strategy!
At this point I would actually keep every single figure, hoping that the offer still stands next year.
But if it was a one-time offer... Purgi and possibly King of Sparta would go. I'd keep all 1/6 figures. Not bad! Turns out I have selected well.

Keep:  Skarah, Tariah, Arhian (City of Horrors), Vampirella, 1x Pale Body, 1x Suntan Body

Take the Deal:  Red Sonja, Skarah, Purgatori, Captain Sparta, Arhian (Pirate), Arkhalla, 1x Anna Head

On the Fence:  Villa

Fortunately, my track record has been a lot better with 1/6:

Keep:  Nancy in Hell, Android 18 set, MT Jill Valentine set, SD Chun-Li (Black) set, SD Tifa set, Kerr, Villa, Jenner A, Jenner B, Miss Spetsnaz, HT Winter Soldier Black Widow, Kimi KT005 head.

Take the Deal:  VS Tifa, VC 3.0 med body, miscellaneous accessories (not too much spent there)

On the Fence:  TBL Spartan Commander (Golden), TBL Spartan Commander (Black), Ada Wong Locomotive Girl set (this one is growing on me), TBL S23B body (swapped out with S21B for Chun-Li, but could be useful.

Yeah, I’m surprised by the Spartan Commanders being On the Fence too, but if you look at the rest, they’re the odd ones out. I really want then in 1:12 now.

Interesting lack of love for Purgatori! I have two of them, and I wish I'd had the funds and foresight to nab three or four more when they were available at original retail. I find them to be just plain fun! And a horde of mini demons scampering around would be creepy-cool! I'm hoping for a re-release!

Purgatori is a great figure.  The only thing the figures on my “Take the Deal” list have in common is that they didn’t appeal to me when they were first solicited.  It was “pass, pass, pass” until I got Vampirella, then Skarah, Tariah, and Arhian (City of Horrors).  Those are the ones that I really wanted.  The others, in retrospect, were me self medicating and literally having nothing else to buy.  I was caught up on all of the other lines I collect and I hadn’t made the jump to 1/6 yet.  I got into 1/6 after there was nothing left to buy in 1/12.  I think I’ve made better choices in 1/6 because a) they’re so damn expensive and b) there’s so much to choose from. You’re almost forced to narrow down your choices to the “best of the best”. Also, as I mentioned before, I think I have a better feel for what “works” for me and what doesn’t.

We’ll see though.  I try not to sell off anything too impulsively.  That’s one reason I parted out VS Toys Tifa instead of throwing her on eBay.  If I change my mind, I can always put her back together, but at least I’m getting some good use out of the figure in the meantime.

Xavion2004 wrote:The others, in retrospect, were me self medicating and literally having nothing else to buy....

I'm finding myself in that mindset today, which means I really need to step away from the computer. I don't need anything new right now, I don't specifically want anything new right now, I have several pre-orders for which I need to save up the balance, and I even have a couple of unopened figures, but I keep looking. And looking all too often leads to Buy It Now and Regret It Later.

Window shopping is so much fun, though!

Diana wrote:

GubernatorFan wrote:I think you may be right -- why not Narama? She would make sense, fit in, and might possibly work even better in the 1/12 scale.

I agree with that assessment.

I wasn't too keen on the 1/6 version. Can't point my finger at why. But I'm sure she'd work well in 1/12 and she would fit in with the other releases.

My all-time favourites are still Painkiller Jane and Nancy, though I don't know whether I'd allow myself to spend money on getting a smaller version of figures I already have. For Nancy they'd have to transfer the S29 body to 1/12 first, which should actually work well.

What I really want to see next is the Spartan Army Commander series. I'd get all three. I passed on the 1/6 release relying on seeing them in 1/12 one day.

Others I would likely get tempted by:
Phantom Killer
Career Killer Kiyoha
Fighter Woman
Athena
Silver Huntress
Mercy Dante
La Muerta
Huntress!!
The Last Female Student
Red Fox in Fire
Female Agent
Fire White Rose
Fire Red Rose

Aside from that,...

Viking Woman would look good next to Arhian, and maybe they'd change the head like they did for Sariah.

Sinful Suzi would look good with Purgatori.

So I can imagine them coming next.

There's quite a few of those I'd be tempted with too... Really kicking myself for not getting Purgatori when it was available in 1/12....

londonroadhog wrote:Really kicking myself for not getting Purgatori when it was available in 1/12....

I'm sure she will find her way to you some day.
I was close to offering her up to you, but then I couldn't... too valuable right now as a drawing reference. But I'm sure there will be other figures with wings in the future and that's when I might let go of Purgatori. By then you'll probably have found her elsewhere.

Though I was surprised to not find a single one on Ebay!

Diana wrote:Though I was surprised to not find a single one on Ebay!

That has surprised me too. All website stores are out of stock too. It is. A shame that TBL don’t keep their item continually available like the bodies…

They show up in odd places.  I got mine from Amazon Japan, and this was back in March.  I’m always hunting for something, so if I come across one, I’ll let you know. One way or another, you’ll find one.    In 25 years of collecting, there hasn’t been anything that I haven’t found eventually at a reasonable price.

Yes, Phicen La Muerta and Phicen Robyn Hood….even you will fall to me eventually.   I am inevitable!    

Xavion2004 wrote:They show up in odd places.  I got mine from Amazon Japan, and this was back in March.  I’m always hunting for something, so if I come across one, I’ll let you know.  One way or another, you’ll find one.    In 25 years of collecting, there hasn’t been anything that I haven’t found eventually at a reasonable price.

Yes, Phicen La Muerta and Phicen Robyn Hood….even you will fall to me eventually.   I am inevitable!    

Thanks. It is good to know people are on the look out for my wants as well as myself. I thought I found one in Singapore but when I put it in the basket, which it let me do, it then said it was out of stock. Not sure why they would allow you to put it in a basket, and pay for it, when they then label it as out of stock... Hmm. Dodgy site maybe...

Was that Carousel by any chance? If so, I had the same experience. It’s like an eBay from Singapore except they have things that were listed years ago and never taken down.

I believe it was XL-Shop.... Malaysia, sorry, not Singapore.

Yeah, that’s another one. Anytime I search for something, XL-Shop comes up. I think they’re a legit site, but again, not good at taking stuff down when it goes out of stock.

I did try to do a review search of XL-Shop, and it seemed legit, so was willing to try to get Purgatori, but of course, then I found it was out of stock. One day she might show up, and if I can afford her while I am still planning and making the Red Sonja saga, I’ll get her. However, if I’ve moved on with the story, then I may pass. It all depends on how long it takes to find her.

Of course, once she is in my collection. She’ll be here to stay. I don’t think I’ll ever let any of them go.

Well, I've now got my first 1/12 figure, the TBL Vampirella, which is lovely all round. It seems so small and delicate after handling 1/6 figures though that I'm currently afraid of breaking something, but I'm sure that will pass.    But the lack of elbow rotation is going to quickly become a real pain, I can already tell.

The sculpt seemed a little undersized at first, until I realised that it's the boots that are making her legs seem reallllllllly long and are throwing my perception off a little as a result. The expression is unusual - a slightly sad and reflective looking Vampi, which is actually a nice change from the previous haughty/imperious 1/6 versions and the just plain weird SHCC 'winking' and Munro sculpts. Alongside the neutral SHCC sculpt, I think this one is my favourite and is more in character (I would love the even more character-accurate 1/6 Gonzalez sculpt if only that sideways glance wasn't so limiting).

I also found it odd that given how skimpy it is, the costume isn't 'glued on' like with some other 1/12 figures, and there have been wardrobe malfunctions aplenty already.

All-in, though, well worth the money. Now all I have to do is start engineering a 1/12 environment for her and her future friends and enemies to exist in.

Sariah is on the way already (I bagged the last one remaining at GianToy by the looks of it), and two Imperial Knights are on pre-order.

GeeWillikers wrote:All-in, though, well worth the money. Now all I have to do is start engineering a 1/12 environment for her and her future friends and enemies to exist in.

Sariah is on the way already (I bagged the last one remaining at GianToy by the looks of it), and two Imperial Knights are on pre-order.

YAY!!!! So fun to have you on board!

GeeWillikers wrote:Well, I've now got my first 1/12 figure, the TBL Vampirella, which is lovely all round. It seems so small and delicate after handling 1/6 figures though that I'm currently afraid of breaking something, but I'm sure that will pass.    But the lack of elbow rotation is going to quickly become a real pain, I can already tell.

The sculpt seemed a little undersized at first, until I realised that it's the boots that are making her legs seem reallllllllly long and are throwing my perception off a little as a result. The expression is unusual - a slightly sad and reflective looking Vampi, which is actually a nice change from the previous haughty/imperious 1/6 versions and the just plain weird SHCC 'winking' and Munro sculpts. Alongside the neutral SHCC sculpt, I think this one is my favourite and is more in character (I would love the even more character-accurate 1/6 Gonzalez sculpt if only that sideways glance wasn't so limiting).

I also found it odd that given how skimpy it is, the costume isn't 'glued on' like with some other 1/12 figures, and there have been wardrobe malfunctions aplenty already.

All-in, though, well worth the money. Now all I have to do is start engineering a 1/12 environment for her and her future friends and enemies to exist in.

Sariah is on the way already (I bagged the last one remaining at GianToy by the looks of it), and two Imperial Knights are on pre-order.

Oohhhh... Welcome... I think we are going to see some fun things coming from your camp... I have a Sariah too, and wardrobe malfunctions seem to be common there too. I don't really want the outfits glued, as that would limit possibilities. Although, just having another body to put the head on will cover that thought...

Anyway, I am in the process of getting a Vampi too. Missed out on the Purgi unfortunately. Still looking every day on the old fleabay... Nothing, except a very expensive ($600+) 1/6 version. No thanks... I want the 1/12... But welcome to the 1/12 world. It is starting to take off for me too.

I was perusing eBay and saw an Arhian COH head at a reasonable price. All that time, effort, and money trying to find a decent head for Pirate Arhian, and the answer was right under my nose the whole time. She wore both outfits in a 24 hour span in the comic. Why wouldn’t she have the same hair and face as COH Arhian?



I’m been kind of missing the 1/12 lately. Time for some Imperial Guardians!

Xavion2004 wrote:I’m been kind of missing the 1/12 lately.  Time for some Imperial Guardians!

AGREED! And even though I never warmed up to her... she looks great. Of course. But maybe a real cloth would look better than that plastic thing...

I find these 1/12 figures very frustrating compared to their 1/6 counterparts. I just want to clarify first that these are very nice figures, no doubt about it, I just hope that Tbleague makes some minor but immensely significant improvements to them.

Bicep swivel/elbow rotation - Why, TBLeague? Just...why? It's pretty outrageous they took it out and the most important change they can make in future bodies.

Tops and belts/waist flaps - They don't sit on the figures right. Arhian CoH, Skarah, Sariah, Captain Sparta, probably Tariah, the darn things just don't fit compared to the 1/6 versions. They look off and they don't stay up/on. I don't know if the fix is a differently shaped body or larger/stiffer clothing but something needs to be done because you so much as look at the figures and the waist clothing flies up and the chest clothing falls down LOL. The Imperial Guardian, at least, won't suffer from this problem.

Head sculpts - I think they're improving here ever so slightly, but in general the heads don't have a lot of detail and the hair is so much worse than the 1/6 figures. They also make some odd choices in coloring and expression, Red Sonja's head and hair being a prime example. Sariah's head is more Red Sonja than the actual Red Sonja figure (it looks good swapped btw), and the Sariah head is wrong for the Sariah character and strangely different in aesthetic and coloring from the 1/6 offering. Also two of the base bodies come with unpainted heads, something I've never come across from this company before, and most of the official pictures show the heads painted. It's silly.

I enjoy the 1/12 figures, I have them all except for Tariah and the re-color of Sparta, I just wish they were truly the miniaturized versions of the 1/6 figures they seemed at first glance, rather than the compromised figures we currently get.