SCS DIRECT: Fantasy Creatures Series II
SCS Direct is at it again. They have just released a second series of their Fantasy Creatures. Twelve new figures in the same old light and dark gray.
Fantasy Toy Soldiers
DARREN HATLEY'S AMAZING CUSTOM FANTASY TOY SOLDIERS!!!
Darren Hatley is a fellow cllector and long time friend of this Blog. He lives in England in a hole in the ground and boils all of his food. Darren has an amazing collection but takes things one step farther by creating his own unique custom figures. He is a true master of the art of customizing figures. You may have seen some of his creations on Stad's Stuff a couple of years ago. You will get to see far more of his work here. It is my privilage and joy to let him present his works of art and describe them in his own words in the first ever guest post on this Blog. So, with no further ado . . .
Hi my name is Darren.A.Hatley. I'm 51 years old and i live just outside London England. I started collecting Toy Soldiers and other figures when i was 4. I now collect mainly plastic 1/32 Scale ie 50mm to 60mm or 2 inch to 2 and half inch Ancient, Medieval Soldiers/Warriors and Fantasy figures. My collection has grown to around 5000 figures, About 1000 of which ive converted and painted in some way or another. I started converting and painting about 15 years ago, 1st off because i enjoy it, But the main reason was that i was always frustrated that there were not more figures that i wanted in 1/32 scale being made, Especially Fantasy figures. Of course there are some really nice figures but not enough. So i searched the internet and i found that there were many companies from all around the World making Fantasy figures from 35mm up to large scale but not as toy soldiers. Some were 1/32 scale but most were not. However i found that with some imagination patience and skill many of these figures could be made to be 1/32 toy soldier scale. 99% of my figures are between 50mm and 60mm which is my preferred scale size. Almost all of my conversions are unique one offs as i dont like multiples of 1 pose unless its a row of archers. There are basically 2 types of ways to convert, The 1st is say moving a figures own arms into a different position to make a new pose, And the 2nd type is mix and match different figures together, Some of my conversions are made of 4 or 5 separate figures. Simple conversions can take just a few days to complete, Where as harder conversions with a full paint job can take up to 3 weeks. I always try to pin my figures together as well as using Super glue and American made Quick Grip glue for maximum strength. Also the Quick Grip can be manipulated into clothing skin and muscle. My aim is to have an army of 1000 Fantasy Monsters of which i'm up to about 700 now. So here are just some examples of my work.Regards Darren
Toy Major Custom Skeletons
I love these Toy Major Skeletons but I thought they had Great potential for many more dynamic poses, So I mixed and matched there body parts and came up with these figures.
Russian No Name Goblins & Werewolf Knight
They are nice figures but i thought they were a bit short, The Knight and Werewolf were 45mm and the Goblins were 40mm and as i may have told you before i like most of my figures to be 50mm to 60mm so that they all fit nicely together in scale size and of course they fit nicely with my 1/32 scale Ancient and Medieval figures. So these were more straight forward conversion, I simply cut the short legs in half pinned them back together again at there new height size and then filled in the gaps with bits of plastic and glue as armour. I liked the Metallic Blue colour of these Goblin figures so i left them as they were and painted the new legs with Metallic Blue paint to go with the rest of the figures. I used string for the Werewolf legs and plastic silver armour from a Knight for the No Name Knight. So now the Goblins are 50mm and the Werewolf and Knight are about 52mm
Helm Toy & Others
This next figure is a Black Demon i made from a Native American body with a DFC Demon head, The Shield i made from bits of plastic. Then the figure has a full paint job.These next 6 figures are Helm Toy Ogres/Orcs and another Creature. I extended the bodys and legs to make the Ogres taller, And moved the Creatures arms and gave him a different weapon, And gave them all a full paint job.The next 3 are Mummy figures in which i carefully wrapped up 3 Cherilea Nubians and Egyptian figure with masking tape and gave them a shield.
Reaper Bones
These next 11 figures are from a company called Reaper Bones Miniatures, 6 Orcs/Goblins, 1 Lizardman, 1 Tiki or Merman, 1 Gnoll and 2 Ogres. They are made in China but are American designed i think? Most of these figures come in at 35mm to 40mm but the top half of the figures are just about 1/32 scale but they have tiny legs which ive replaced with bigger longer legs, Then ive covered the waist and top of the legs with a loincloth made of plastic and Quick Grip glue which is quite hard and takes time to do but very rewarding when finished. Then a full paint job on every figure.
AD&D
These Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures and Pathfinders Battles figures have been going for about 15 years now. They make all kinds of Brilliant well detailed and prepainted Fantasy figures. There are many sets and Thousands of figures been made, But 95% or more are way to small or large to fit into 1/32 scale. However 5% or a couple of figures from each set is either 1/32 scale or can be converted to it. I have done nearly 50 figures from this range and here is 7 figures to show how they can look. Perhaps the hardest part of the conversion with these figures is matching the paint colour of my converted pieces to the prepainted figure.
M.U.S.C.L.E.S.
Mattel M.U.S.C.L.E. made these Great weird and wacky Men and Monster wrestle figures back in the 1980s in the United States, And there have been quite a few more made in recent years mostly He-Man Muscle figures so overall there must be around 300 of them. Although they measure from 40mm to 45mm they are basically 1/32 figures with small legs. So i have cut the legs off around 50 of these and replaced them with longer legs and they make great 1/32 or 54mm to 60mm figures, Here are 5 examples of these figures i have converted.
SCS Direct
I really like these SCS Direct Monster figures which are a good toy soldier size, But i like my figures to be as dynamic as possible. So i made new poses for these figures and gave them weapons and shields and as i usually do with most of my figures a full paint job.
Gormiti & Such
Gormiti figures from Italy are mostly to big and chunky to really fit with 1/32 toy soldiers, But i came across a series in a pound store which came in at 40mm to 45mm but with a bit of converting fit really well as 1/32 figures, Here are 4 examples of these figures.The next 2 figures i have no idea who made them and in what country but i got them on ebay a while back. They are a Sharkman and Alien type figures, So i gave them weapons and different taller legs and a full paint job and i think they make really good Fantasy figures.
Monster in my Pocket & Converted Demons
These are 2 Monster In My Pocket figures. I made them taller as usual as they come in at 40mm to 45mm, And i stuck some extra bits to them that i thought might improve there look including the vines on the Tree Monster using bits of plastic and of course a full paint job, And the weapon on the staff of the Charon figure. These are 3 Red Demons i put together using bits and bobs of different figures and the paint job as standard.
Nolzurs
These next 3 figures the Minotaur and 2 Dragonborn Warriors figures are from a company called Nolzurs which are very similar to the Bones Reaper figures in material colour and size, They only came in at 35mm to 40mm so they needed a lot of work to bring them up to 1/32 scale. On the Minotaur i stretched out hes Torso and legs, And on the 2 Dragonborn figures i had to stretch the Torso legs and arms and of course a full paint job for all 3. They took up to 3 weeks to finish but were i think worth it when i had finished.
Arco, Yu Gi Oh & Orc
These next 2 figures are Arco: Dragons and Monsters Cyclops and Lizardman, I replaced there original legs with longer legs to bring up there height and paint job.The next figure is a Yu-Gi-Oh Black Cat/Panther Warrior, I moved the arms for more dynamic pose and put him on taller legs and full paint job.The next figure is a mixture of 3 different figures i put together to make this Orc Warrior and of course paint job.
Navia Dratp & Massive Darkness
This is a Navia Drapt figure from Japan, I moved hes arms and gave him another weapon, But the hardest thing about this figure was that i couldn't match up the colour paint to the original colour so i gave him a complete paint job which wasn't my original intention.These next 3 figures i brought from a website here in England from a company called Massive Darkness, They needed quite alot of work. I made them taller by either stretching the legs of the Troll and making a loincloth out of plastic bits, Stretching the Demons body or putting new legs on the Orc and a loincloth made of glue, I moved the arms for more dynamic poses and added weapons and shields, And a full paint job on all 3 figures.
WWE MIghty Minis
As well as doing all kinds of Monsters i also do Human figures and as soon as i came across these 6 WWE Mighty Minis figures which are of famous American wrestler figures i thought they would make excellent Fantasy Barbarian Warriors. So i stuck the bodies onto Tehnolog Gladiator legs, And i use the Brilliant Russian made Tehnolog for many of my conversions, Then i gave them weapons and shields. For the hair of the Warriors i carefully and patiently manipulated the Quick Grip glue for the affect. The rock that one of the figures is holding i made from a small toy elephants body, Obviously cutting it to a shape of a rock and then using 2 small screws fixed it to the wrestlers hands.
Lizardman!
This Lizardman figure took me about 3 weeks to make and is made from 4 different figures. He is one of the hardest figures ive ever done especially the skin which is made from thin pieces of plastic and the good old quick grip glue carefully put over the top of a human torso figure.
Merman Before & After
Over the last 6 months or so China and Hong Kong have been bringing out some brilliant but unbranded Fantasy figures like this Merman i recently did. As you can see the original red Merman is nice but only 40mm tall with the typical small legs. So i cut the original legs off and put him on a Tehnolog figures legs and then i moved the arms into a more dynamic pose, I then replaced the weapon on the left arm with a Warhammer Lizardman shield, I then put a horn on hes head and more barnicles onto hes body and then finished with a full paint job, This figure also took about 3 weeks to do.
Warrior Before & After
The original figure is a drinking buddy figure i got from a supermarket. I then cut hes arms and legs off and added better ones, Gave him a long main using the quick grip glue and a full paint job and turned him into a Warrior.
Hi my name is Darren.A.Hatley. I'm 51 years old and i live just outside London England. I started collecting Toy Soldiers and other figures when i was 4. I now collect mainly plastic 1/32 Scale ie 50mm to 60mm or 2 inch to 2 and half inch Ancient, Medieval Soldiers/Warriors and Fantasy figures. My collection has grown to around 5000 figures, About 1000 of which ive converted and painted in some way or another. I started converting and painting about 15 years ago, 1st off because i enjoy it, But the main reason was that i was always frustrated that there were not more figures that i wanted in 1/32 scale being made, Especially Fantasy figures. Of course there are some really nice figures but not enough. So i searched the internet and i found that there were many companies from all around the World making Fantasy figures from 35mm up to large scale but not as toy soldiers. Some were 1/32 scale but most were not. However i found that with some imagination patience and skill many of these figures could be made to be 1/32 toy soldier scale. 99% of my figures are between 50mm and 60mm which is my preferred scale size. Almost all of my conversions are unique one offs as i dont like multiples of 1 pose unless its a row of archers. There are basically 2 types of ways to convert, The 1st is say moving a figures own arms into a different position to make a new pose, And the 2nd type is mix and match different figures together, Some of my conversions are made of 4 or 5 separate figures. Simple conversions can take just a few days to complete, Where as harder conversions with a full paint job can take up to 3 weeks. I always try to pin my figures together as well as using Super glue and American made Quick Grip glue for maximum strength. Also the Quick Grip can be manipulated into clothing skin and muscle. My aim is to have an army of 1000 Fantasy Monsters of which i'm up to about 700 now. So here are just some examples of my work.Regards Darren
Toy Major Custom Skeletons
I love these Toy Major Skeletons but I thought they had Great potential for many more dynamic poses, So I mixed and matched there body parts and came up with these figures.
Russian No Name Goblins & Werewolf Knight
They are nice figures but i thought they were a bit short, The Knight and Werewolf were 45mm and the Goblins were 40mm and as i may have told you before i like most of my figures to be 50mm to 60mm so that they all fit nicely together in scale size and of course they fit nicely with my 1/32 scale Ancient and Medieval figures. So these were more straight forward conversion, I simply cut the short legs in half pinned them back together again at there new height size and then filled in the gaps with bits of plastic and glue as armour. I liked the Metallic Blue colour of these Goblin figures so i left them as they were and painted the new legs with Metallic Blue paint to go with the rest of the figures. I used string for the Werewolf legs and plastic silver armour from a Knight for the No Name Knight. So now the Goblins are 50mm and the Werewolf and Knight are about 52mm
Helm Toy & Others
This next figure is a Black Demon i made from a Native American body with a DFC Demon head, The Shield i made from bits of plastic. Then the figure has a full paint job.These next 6 figures are Helm Toy Ogres/Orcs and another Creature. I extended the bodys and legs to make the Ogres taller, And moved the Creatures arms and gave him a different weapon, And gave them all a full paint job.The next 3 are Mummy figures in which i carefully wrapped up 3 Cherilea Nubians and Egyptian figure with masking tape and gave them a shield.
Reaper Bones
These next 11 figures are from a company called Reaper Bones Miniatures, 6 Orcs/Goblins, 1 Lizardman, 1 Tiki or Merman, 1 Gnoll and 2 Ogres. They are made in China but are American designed i think? Most of these figures come in at 35mm to 40mm but the top half of the figures are just about 1/32 scale but they have tiny legs which ive replaced with bigger longer legs, Then ive covered the waist and top of the legs with a loincloth made of plastic and Quick Grip glue which is quite hard and takes time to do but very rewarding when finished. Then a full paint job on every figure.
AD&D
These Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures and Pathfinders Battles figures have been going for about 15 years now. They make all kinds of Brilliant well detailed and prepainted Fantasy figures. There are many sets and Thousands of figures been made, But 95% or more are way to small or large to fit into 1/32 scale. However 5% or a couple of figures from each set is either 1/32 scale or can be converted to it. I have done nearly 50 figures from this range and here is 7 figures to show how they can look. Perhaps the hardest part of the conversion with these figures is matching the paint colour of my converted pieces to the prepainted figure.
M.U.S.C.L.E.S.
Mattel M.U.S.C.L.E. made these Great weird and wacky Men and Monster wrestle figures back in the 1980s in the United States, And there have been quite a few more made in recent years mostly He-Man Muscle figures so overall there must be around 300 of them. Although they measure from 40mm to 45mm they are basically 1/32 figures with small legs. So i have cut the legs off around 50 of these and replaced them with longer legs and they make great 1/32 or 54mm to 60mm figures, Here are 5 examples of these figures i have converted.
SCS Direct
I really like these SCS Direct Monster figures which are a good toy soldier size, But i like my figures to be as dynamic as possible. So i made new poses for these figures and gave them weapons and shields and as i usually do with most of my figures a full paint job.
Gormiti & Such
Gormiti figures from Italy are mostly to big and chunky to really fit with 1/32 toy soldiers, But i came across a series in a pound store which came in at 40mm to 45mm but with a bit of converting fit really well as 1/32 figures, Here are 4 examples of these figures.The next 2 figures i have no idea who made them and in what country but i got them on ebay a while back. They are a Sharkman and Alien type figures, So i gave them weapons and different taller legs and a full paint job and i think they make really good Fantasy figures.
Monster in my Pocket & Converted Demons
These are 2 Monster In My Pocket figures. I made them taller as usual as they come in at 40mm to 45mm, And i stuck some extra bits to them that i thought might improve there look including the vines on the Tree Monster using bits of plastic and of course a full paint job, And the weapon on the staff of the Charon figure. These are 3 Red Demons i put together using bits and bobs of different figures and the paint job as standard.
Nolzurs
These next 3 figures the Minotaur and 2 Dragonborn Warriors figures are from a company called Nolzurs which are very similar to the Bones Reaper figures in material colour and size, They only came in at 35mm to 40mm so they needed a lot of work to bring them up to 1/32 scale. On the Minotaur i stretched out hes Torso and legs, And on the 2 Dragonborn figures i had to stretch the Torso legs and arms and of course a full paint job for all 3. They took up to 3 weeks to finish but were i think worth it when i had finished.
Arco, Yu Gi Oh & Orc
These next 2 figures are Arco: Dragons and Monsters Cyclops and Lizardman, I replaced there original legs with longer legs to bring up there height and paint job.The next figure is a Yu-Gi-Oh Black Cat/Panther Warrior, I moved the arms for more dynamic pose and put him on taller legs and full paint job.The next figure is a mixture of 3 different figures i put together to make this Orc Warrior and of course paint job.
Navia Dratp & Massive Darkness
This is a Navia Drapt figure from Japan, I moved hes arms and gave him another weapon, But the hardest thing about this figure was that i couldn't match up the colour paint to the original colour so i gave him a complete paint job which wasn't my original intention.These next 3 figures i brought from a website here in England from a company called Massive Darkness, They needed quite alot of work. I made them taller by either stretching the legs of the Troll and making a loincloth out of plastic bits, Stretching the Demons body or putting new legs on the Orc and a loincloth made of glue, I moved the arms for more dynamic poses and added weapons and shields, And a full paint job on all 3 figures.
WWE MIghty Minis
As well as doing all kinds of Monsters i also do Human figures and as soon as i came across these 6 WWE Mighty Minis figures which are of famous American wrestler figures i thought they would make excellent Fantasy Barbarian Warriors. So i stuck the bodies onto Tehnolog Gladiator legs, And i use the Brilliant Russian made Tehnolog for many of my conversions, Then i gave them weapons and shields. For the hair of the Warriors i carefully and patiently manipulated the Quick Grip glue for the affect. The rock that one of the figures is holding i made from a small toy elephants body, Obviously cutting it to a shape of a rock and then using 2 small screws fixed it to the wrestlers hands.
Lizardman!
This Lizardman figure took me about 3 weeks to make and is made from 4 different figures. He is one of the hardest figures ive ever done especially the skin which is made from thin pieces of plastic and the good old quick grip glue carefully put over the top of a human torso figure.
Merman Before & After
Over the last 6 months or so China and Hong Kong have been bringing out some brilliant but unbranded Fantasy figures like this Merman i recently did. As you can see the original red Merman is nice but only 40mm tall with the typical small legs. So i cut the original legs off and put him on a Tehnolog figures legs and then i moved the arms into a more dynamic pose, I then replaced the weapon on the left arm with a Warhammer Lizardman shield, I then put a horn on hes head and more barnicles onto hes body and then finished with a full paint job, This figure also took about 3 weeks to do.
Warrior Before & After
The original figure is a drinking buddy figure i got from a supermarket. I then cut hes arms and legs off and added better ones, Gave him a long main using the quick grip glue and a full paint job and turned him into a Warrior.
MARS: Zombie Pirates
Mars is another Ukrainian company that does not believe in copyrights. These are full on Pirates of Caribbean ripoffs, and that is hard core cool.
Check out my new for sale page
I am selling off some stuff. Check it out here: FOR SALE
TIMMEE/PPC: Fantasy Figures
UPDATE 12/28/19: Master set pictures.
Timmee, later Processed Plastics Corp, gave up its license to make marvel comic figures and remolded them into 70mm fantasy figures. You can still tell which hero or villain most of these were originally. These started showing up in header bags in the early 1980s. Some of the coolest figures ever made.
There are three generations of bags, two vintage and one modern. The first generation are glow in the dark figures in bright green, orange, blue and white. The second generation are in pastel green, purple and yellow. The modern figures are pea green, gray, brown, black and red. The modern Timmee could drop more new colors anytime.
(original post 1/3/15)
Master Set (so far)
Gen 1
Gen 2
Gen 3
Gen 3,2,1. The new green is very close to the gen 2 green.
Hulk is not just a caveman, he is a saber-toothed caveman.
.JPG)
Gen 2 bag.
Modern bag.
Alternate modern bag.
More Master Set Pictures
Timmee, later Processed Plastics Corp, gave up its license to make marvel comic figures and remolded them into 70mm fantasy figures. You can still tell which hero or villain most of these were originally. These started showing up in header bags in the early 1980s. Some of the coolest figures ever made.
There are three generations of bags, two vintage and one modern. The first generation are glow in the dark figures in bright green, orange, blue and white. The second generation are in pastel green, purple and yellow. The modern figures are pea green, gray, brown, black and red. The modern Timmee could drop more new colors anytime.
(original post 1/3/15)
Master Set (so far)
Gen 1
Gen 2
Gen 3
Gen 3,2,1. The new green is very close to the gen 2 green. 
Hulk is not just a caveman, he is a saber-toothed caveman.
.JPG)
Gen 2 bag.
Modern bag.
Alternate modern bag.
More Master Set Pictures
More fun stuff from Russia
Russia just keeps on turning out new figures. I don't know who made any of these.
Tehnolog Bootleg Skeletons. (soft rubber)
My source tells me these are very hard to find even in Russia.
Martial Arts figures.
Russian 30mm Hobbits.
Russian 30mm Goblins. From the same company that makes to no name orcs and wolf riders.
Tehnolog Bootleg Skeletons. (soft rubber)
My source tells me these are very hard to find even in Russia.
Martial Arts figures.
Russian 30mm Hobbits.
Russian 30mm Goblins. From the same company that makes to no name orcs and wolf riders.
1980s Rubber Warrior Eraser
I finally have some solid information about this 1980s rubber fantasty warrior thanks to friend of the blog Daton and a recent ebay find. I have him in my Misc Unpainted Figures post but it is time to take a little deeper look. He came in a box of loose figures called Warrior Scented Erasers that is very similar to the CH Muscle Warriors box. If they are actually warrior scented I assume that means they smells like sweat, blood and dirty a$$.
He also came in a carded Ja Ru rack toy called Power Queen Dragon Guard which is very similar to Ja Ru's Hercules Hero of Strength line. Then there are the Dragon Master Puffy Stickers sets which seem to show him in multiple stickers. I would love to find out if there are more Dragon Master figures or products (maybe a game or a failed cartoon).
I only own the first picture. The other pictures will be removed if requested by their owners.
Photo from imgur.
Photo from an ebay auction.
Photo from an ebay auction.
Photo from imgur.
Photo from imgur.
He also came in a carded Ja Ru rack toy called Power Queen Dragon Guard which is very similar to Ja Ru's Hercules Hero of Strength line. Then there are the Dragon Master Puffy Stickers sets which seem to show him in multiple stickers. I would love to find out if there are more Dragon Master figures or products (maybe a game or a failed cartoon).
I only own the first picture. The other pictures will be removed if requested by their owners.
Photo from imgur. 
Photo from an ebay auction.
Photo from an ebay auction.
Photo from imgur.
Photo from imgur.SCS DIRECT: Fantasy Creatures & Robots
UPDATE 11/10/2019: Four new poses have been added to the Fantasy Creatures set; a knight; a minotaur; a griffin and a snake woman.
The new sets from SCS Direct are finally available on Amazon . . . only about two years later than expected. They are only available on Amazon so far. I do not even see them on SCS's own website yet.
These are nice sets of figures. In addition to the "Fantasy Creatures" and "Robots" labels, they each have a decal identifying them as "Wicked Duals." The figures are a bit smaller than SCS's zombie and monster sets. I like all of the Fantasy Creatures except for the pixie. There was no need for a pixie. I was hoping for a lizardman in this set, but no, we get a pixie. The Robots score very high on the weird scale, and I like that. I just wish they came in more, or better, colors.
Fantasy Creatures
New poses added in 2019,
Robots
The new sets from SCS Direct are finally available on Amazon . . . only about two years later than expected. They are only available on Amazon so far. I do not even see them on SCS's own website yet.
These are nice sets of figures. In addition to the "Fantasy Creatures" and "Robots" labels, they each have a decal identifying them as "Wicked Duals." The figures are a bit smaller than SCS's zombie and monster sets. I like all of the Fantasy Creatures except for the pixie. There was no need for a pixie. I was hoping for a lizardman in this set, but no, we get a pixie. The Robots score very high on the weird scale, and I like that. I just wish they came in more, or better, colors.
Fantasy Creatures
New poses added in 2019,
Robots
The Twenty Hardest to Complete Fantasy Toy Soldier Sets.
I started to specialize my toy soldier collection in fantasy around twenty years ago when I realized just how many figures and sets are available. Nobody else I knew of was collecting this stuff. When I really got into it, I started having a blast finding and learning about a whole category of toy soldiers that other, and much older and knowledgeable, collectors were ignoring. It has been my pleasure to share what I have learned through this blog.
Some fantasy toy soldiers are much harder to find than others and some sets are very difficult to complete. Their are fairly common sets with just one or a few super rare figures that make them hard to complete, and other sets are all very rare. Below is my best guess at the twenty rarest. I have tried to add pictures of individual figures that make certain sets hard to complete. These are all complete sets of original figures, no bootlegs and no worries about color variations, just the base figure sets. These were all commercially produced and mass marketed. There are no custom figures like the insanely rare sets made by the Alliance of the Free on this list.
My list is based on twenty years of experience collecting and conversations with other collectors since I started this blog. That is all I have to go on. So, the rankings are debatable. I have looked for solid information without any success. I even summoned Cthulhu last Christmas and offered up my brother's soul but he did not have any useful insights.
20. Toyco Demons & Dragonriders.
19. Arco Dragons n' Monsters.
18. Durham Fantasy Figures.
17. Unknown 1980s Soft Rubber Weirdness.
16. Skinner The Lurkers.
15. Supreme Dragon's Lair Castle Playset Figures.
14. Simba The Legend of Zortan.
13. Percy Jackson Movie Figures.
12. HEI Vampires.
11. Larime Blacktar.
10. Galaxy Warriors.
9. Unknown Ant Warriors.
8. Games Work Shop Fighting Fantasy.
7. Oritet Elves, Dwarves, Goblins & Fairy Tail Characters.
6. Unknown Vending/Party Favor Rubber Orcs.
5. Polotoy Battle of the Ancients (and other titles).
4. TSR Dungeons & Dragons Character Figures.
3. Helm Toy Playset Figures.
2. Yolanda? Horrors n' Heroes.
1. LarGo Toys Stingers & Wings.
Some fantasy toy soldiers are much harder to find than others and some sets are very difficult to complete. Their are fairly common sets with just one or a few super rare figures that make them hard to complete, and other sets are all very rare. Below is my best guess at the twenty rarest. I have tried to add pictures of individual figures that make certain sets hard to complete. These are all complete sets of original figures, no bootlegs and no worries about color variations, just the base figure sets. These were all commercially produced and mass marketed. There are no custom figures like the insanely rare sets made by the Alliance of the Free on this list.
My list is based on twenty years of experience collecting and conversations with other collectors since I started this blog. That is all I have to go on. So, the rankings are debatable. I have looked for solid information without any success. I even summoned Cthulhu last Christmas and offered up my brother's soul but he did not have any useful insights.
20. Toyco Demons & Dragonriders.
19. Arco Dragons n' Monsters.
18. Durham Fantasy Figures.
17. Unknown 1980s Soft Rubber Weirdness.
16. Skinner The Lurkers.
15. Supreme Dragon's Lair Castle Playset Figures.
14. Simba The Legend of Zortan.
13. Percy Jackson Movie Figures.
12. HEI Vampires.
11. Larime Blacktar.
10. Galaxy Warriors.
9. Unknown Ant Warriors.
8. Games Work Shop Fighting Fantasy.
7. Oritet Elves, Dwarves, Goblins & Fairy Tail Characters.
6. Unknown Vending/Party Favor Rubber Orcs.
5. Polotoy Battle of the Ancients (and other titles).
4. TSR Dungeons & Dragons Character Figures.
3. Helm Toy Playset Figures.
2. Yolanda? Horrors n' Heroes.
1. LarGo Toys Stingers & Wings.
LOD: Amazons! The War at Troy.
LOD just released this set of four foot and two mounted 60mm amazons as historical rather than fantasy figures. These are intended to be more realistic female warriors than the sexy figures made in Russia. Some have armor and most show a little less skin than the Tehnolog or Oritet amazons. I like both styles.
They are made from a soft plastic. The quality is very good but the aqua color is a bit difficult to photograph. A nice set but a little expensive at around $30 a bag for 10 figures (two of each foot pose).
Scale Shot
They are made from a soft plastic. The quality is very good but the aqua color is a bit difficult to photograph. A nice set but a little expensive at around $30 a bag for 10 figures (two of each foot pose).
Scale Shot
MR. LUCKY BAG: Horrors n' Heroes
10/2/2019 Finally completed my set of these guys and just in time because of the prices they are fetching these days.
These came in surprise bags released some time in the 90s or early 2000s. There are 16 figures based on Greek mythology. They are about 50mm, and are made of soft plastic. Only released in Europe as far as I know. Very rare. Most people think they were made by Yolanda of Spain, but I do not know for certain.
8 Horrors
8 Heroes
I found this picture on the net (MXD I think).
This picture is also from MXD I think
This picture is also from some place on the net.
Found this picture on the net a few years ago, I don't remember where.
These came in surprise bags released some time in the 90s or early 2000s. There are 16 figures based on Greek mythology. They are about 50mm, and are made of soft plastic. Only released in Europe as far as I know. Very rare. Most people think they were made by Yolanda of Spain, but I do not know for certain.
8 Horrors
8 Heroes
I found this picture on the net (MXD I think).
This picture is also from MXD I think
This picture is also from some place on the net.
Found this picture on the net a few years ago, I don't remember where. Russian Planet of the Apes
These figures are amazing. I cannot describe how cool they are. Just look at the pictures. 60mmish.
Toy Major skeletons in bright colors
I just found these three guys in an ebay lot from England. I suspect that they are either bootlegs or a new run for the bags Toy Major sells them in with the pirates. They seem to be just a little bit smaller than the original figures and the guy with two axes has his head in a slightly different position. Now that I know they exist I will be obsessing about them until I find more.
EMCE: Nano Force Fallout 76
EMCE has released four more boxed sets for the video game Fallout 76. The figures include more people, mutants, aliens, robots and zombies. The quality is excellent. I wish the other Nano Force offerings like the Aliens v. Marines set were done this well. There are so many figures in this set now that I am giving it its own post. You can see the original video game figures post here Video Games.
New Russian Made Orcs and Ogres
Here are some more Russian made orcs and ogres. I don't have any information about who made them. They seem to be hand crafted in very small runs. Includes three female orcs.
Scale Shots
Scale Shots
WARHANSA: Fantasy Series
UPDATE 10/12/19: New Anti Paladin and sets of 5 Goatmen and Dwarves.
UPDATE 4/7/19: Even morehansa from Warhansa! They just released 60mm Conan and Zena figures. Copyrights? What Copyrights? There is also a cool new evil priest and sacrifice.
UPDATE 2/25/18: Morehansa from Warhansa! They have relased new 5 figure sets of 54mm Asterix the Gaul and post apocalyptic weirdos along with a 4 figure set of 60mm ninjas. There is also a new bad ass 65mm orc gladiator, and a 28mm scale troll that works as a goblin in toy soldier scale.
Original Post:
Warhansa is a small company that makes truly outstanding figures. They recently made their first 1/32 scale (60mm) fantasy figures, and I hope they make more. These guys are a barbarian warrior and some kind of non-human assassin. The detail is excellent. The smaller blue guy is called the Night King and is intended as a very large figure in 28mm scale. He is about 54mm. The figures are made in small batches, so they are kind of expensive, but the quality makes them worth the price.
I asked them to describe their company and this is what they wrote back:
We are an international team united by passion to toy soldiers. We have been dreaming of making our own minis since childhood. We started our project 3 years ago. Production is based in Russia. We make miniatures according to our taste in relatively small quantities and gladly share them with fellow hobbyists.
You can check them out here Warhansa.
UPDATE 4/7/19: Even morehansa from Warhansa! They just released 60mm Conan and Zena figures. Copyrights? What Copyrights? There is also a cool new evil priest and sacrifice.
UPDATE 2/25/18: Morehansa from Warhansa! They have relased new 5 figure sets of 54mm Asterix the Gaul and post apocalyptic weirdos along with a 4 figure set of 60mm ninjas. There is also a new bad ass 65mm orc gladiator, and a 28mm scale troll that works as a goblin in toy soldier scale.
Original Post:
Warhansa is a small company that makes truly outstanding figures. They recently made their first 1/32 scale (60mm) fantasy figures, and I hope they make more. These guys are a barbarian warrior and some kind of non-human assassin. The detail is excellent. The smaller blue guy is called the Night King and is intended as a very large figure in 28mm scale. He is about 54mm. The figures are made in small batches, so they are kind of expensive, but the quality makes them worth the price.
I asked them to describe their company and this is what they wrote back:
We are an international team united by passion to toy soldiers. We have been dreaming of making our own minis since childhood. We started our project 3 years ago. Production is based in Russia. We make miniatures according to our taste in relatively small quantities and gladly share them with fellow hobbyists.
You can check them out here Warhansa.
Ninjas & Kung Fu Part 1: Ninja Ninja Ninja!
Just about every Asian fantasy movie I have seen and story I have read revolves around one or more martial arts masters who's skills rise to the level of super powers. Asians love to mix fantasy with martial arts, and who can blame them. Martial arts and fantasy are a natural fit. Part 1 of this post is about ninjas. Part 2 will be about other martial arts figures.
Japan's supernaturally sneaky ninjas exploded into the world's culture in the 1980s and were quickly paid tribute in the form of cheap plastic ninja toy soldiers. The first ones to show up in the USA were made in Hong Kong and China. Some very nice ninja figures have also come out of Russia more recently. I see no reason not to include ninjas in any fantasy world. Having trouble with pesky orcs? Sick the ninjas on 'em.
UPDATE 4/1/19
I found a bag of ninjas from 1997 made by Boley that I had never seen before. They must be fairly rare. Ego aside, if I miss something like this for 20 plus years, it has to be hard to find. I also found a few of the unknown 54mm ninja that come with separate weapons that are very similar to the Marty Toy Galaxy Warriors figures.
Hong Kong/China Ninjas
Boley 1997 50mm
These guys are about 54mm if you consider that they are all bent at the knees. They actually stand at about 50mm. Four poses.
Hing Fat 45mm.
The first ninja toy soliders I found were made by Hing Fat, but were distributed by lots of different companies. These figures are about 45mm.
Photo from an ebay auction.
Photo from an ebay auction.
Photo from an ebay auction.
The red guys are copies made by Sopla of Greese.
Photo form an ebay auction.
Photo from an ebay auction.
Unknown 54mm.
These 54mm Ninjas are just about as common as the Hing Fat figures, but I don't have any idea who made them.
Photo from an ebay auction.
Separate Weapons Variation
Redbox Return of the Ninja Playset.
This is the only Ninja playset I know of. The figures are only about 35-40mm and are a little cartoonish, but the playset is very cool.
GI Joe Copy Modern Ninjas.
These are 54-60mm copies of 3.75 inch GI Joe figures. I have no idea who actually made them.
Other Ninjas.
These are 40mm from Blip, LLC's Ninjas v. Robots set.
These were vending and prize figures. About 45mm.
These come apart the the waste. About 45mm.
Unknown
Don''t know a thing about these guys other than I want some. Photo from an ebay auction.
Photo from an ebay auction.
Russian Made Ninjas
Russia is a little late jumping on the ninja bandwagon but they have made some exceptional figures.
Oritet.
Tehnolog.
Unknown (because I can't read Russian). 90mm.
Warhansa 54mm
Mattel Guts Akido Force - Close Enough.
Mattel called these guys the Akido Force, but they look enough like ninjas to me.
Greek copies.
Japan's supernaturally sneaky ninjas exploded into the world's culture in the 1980s and were quickly paid tribute in the form of cheap plastic ninja toy soldiers. The first ones to show up in the USA were made in Hong Kong and China. Some very nice ninja figures have also come out of Russia more recently. I see no reason not to include ninjas in any fantasy world. Having trouble with pesky orcs? Sick the ninjas on 'em.
UPDATE 4/1/19
I found a bag of ninjas from 1997 made by Boley that I had never seen before. They must be fairly rare. Ego aside, if I miss something like this for 20 plus years, it has to be hard to find. I also found a few of the unknown 54mm ninja that come with separate weapons that are very similar to the Marty Toy Galaxy Warriors figures.
Hong Kong/China Ninjas
Boley 1997 50mm
These guys are about 54mm if you consider that they are all bent at the knees. They actually stand at about 50mm. Four poses.
Hing Fat 45mm.
The first ninja toy soliders I found were made by Hing Fat, but were distributed by lots of different companies. These figures are about 45mm.
Photo from an ebay auction.
Photo from an ebay auction.
Photo from an ebay auction.
The red guys are copies made by Sopla of Greese.
Photo form an ebay auction.
Photo from an ebay auction.
Unknown 54mm.
These 54mm Ninjas are just about as common as the Hing Fat figures, but I don't have any idea who made them.
Photo from an ebay auction.Separate Weapons Variation
Redbox Return of the Ninja Playset.
This is the only Ninja playset I know of. The figures are only about 35-40mm and are a little cartoonish, but the playset is very cool.
GI Joe Copy Modern Ninjas.
These are 54-60mm copies of 3.75 inch GI Joe figures. I have no idea who actually made them.
Other Ninjas.
These are 40mm from Blip, LLC's Ninjas v. Robots set.
These were vending and prize figures. About 45mm.
These come apart the the waste. About 45mm.Unknown
Don''t know a thing about these guys other than I want some. Photo from an ebay auction.
Photo from an ebay auction.Russian Made Ninjas
Russia is a little late jumping on the ninja bandwagon but they have made some exceptional figures.
Oritet.
Tehnolog.
Unknown (because I can't read Russian). 90mm.
Warhansa 54mm
Mattel Guts Akido Force - Close Enough.
Mattel called these guys the Akido Force, but they look enough like ninjas to me.
Greek copies.
ARCO Sword & Sorcerer Bootlegs From Mexico
I recently found out that the bootleg barbarians in my Arco Sword & Sorcerer post were made in Mexico back in the 1980s or maybe very early 1990s. The figures come with built in weapons and the riders don't the have peg holes in their butts to fit onto the original horses. They were sold in header card bags. The bootleg sets include all of the figures and one of the two dragons, but no horses. The figures are almost the same size but with much thicker bases. The header card is all in English and very close to an exact copy of the original card backs.
I got these figures in a trade with a collector and artist in Mexico. I am very grateful to be able to get figures like these that I probably would never have found without help. My benefactor is Nando Murio. You can check out his art on pinerest here. He also sent me an amazing bag of bootleg ninja turtles that includes some bootleg battle beasts. I will post some pictures in my TMNT post.
Side by Side with Originals.
No peg holes in the riders. They won't fit on the original horses.
I got these figures in a trade with a collector and artist in Mexico. I am very grateful to be able to get figures like these that I probably would never have found without help. My benefactor is Nando Murio. You can check out his art on pinerest here. He also sent me an amazing bag of bootleg ninja turtles that includes some bootleg battle beasts. I will post some pictures in my TMNT post.
Side by Side with Originals.
No peg holes in the riders. They won't fit on the original horses. 
Video Game Toy Soldiers
Video games are joining movies and television as a source of inspiration for toys and other swag, including a few new sets of toy soldiers. McFarlane was the first (and in my opinion still the best) with the amazing Halo Heroic line but others have recently made nice efforts as well. Over the last few years I have seen bags of toy soldiers associated with Starcraft, Killzone 3 and now Fallout 76.
These sets tend to have a very limited number of poses and are expensive to buy in the after market. I don't know if they came with the video games or had to be bought separately. I have seen copies of the Starcraft Zerglings for sale on Ali Baba. Chinese companies are already offing to sell copies of Blizzard Entertainment's intellectual property. The Chinese have no honor when it come to bootlegging, and I love them for that. I will be ready to take shameless advantage as soon as I get the chance to buy cheap copies of these figures. I anticipate seeing bootlegs of some or all these figures sooner or later.
These are all sci fi and post-apocalypse themed sets, but aliens and mutants can work as fantasy monsters. They may not strictly fit into the fantasy theme of this blog, but I want to post about them anyway. I can do whatever I want with my blog, so nah.
STARCRAFT (2016)
KILLZONE 3 (2018)
FALLOUT 76 (2018)
These sets tend to have a very limited number of poses and are expensive to buy in the after market. I don't know if they came with the video games or had to be bought separately. I have seen copies of the Starcraft Zerglings for sale on Ali Baba. Chinese companies are already offing to sell copies of Blizzard Entertainment's intellectual property. The Chinese have no honor when it come to bootlegging, and I love them for that. I will be ready to take shameless advantage as soon as I get the chance to buy cheap copies of these figures. I anticipate seeing bootlegs of some or all these figures sooner or later.
These are all sci fi and post-apocalypse themed sets, but aliens and mutants can work as fantasy monsters. They may not strictly fit into the fantasy theme of this blog, but I want to post about them anyway. I can do whatever I want with my blog, so nah.
STARCRAFT (2016)
KILLZONE 3 (2018)
FALLOUT 76 (2018)
DFC: Copies, Knockoffs & Bootlegs
UPDATE 11/10/2018:
I have come across a new mystery line that includes some knockoff DFC knights. This is the second mystery line to include bootleg DFC knights. They are marked "China" but that does not say much to narrow down who made them or how they were packaged. They are just like the older knockoffs. They are same smaller size and have the same modifications but some of them come in new colors like red, orange and salmon along with the more common blue. As with he old set of bootlegs, here is no copy of the DFC bowman.
The ones I have found came in ebay lots from the UK. I have almost always found them mixed in with a set of what look like Robin Hood type figures which I first posted in my 45mm Army. They were probably some short lived cheap bag or carded set. I don't know if I have a complete set of the Robin Hood figures or not. I suspect there might be one more figure for eight total. I want to get all the knights in the red, orange and salmon colors pictured and any other colors I haven't found yet. Please comment if you know anything about these guys.
ORIGINAL POST:
There are surprisingly few DFC bootlegs. The most common are slightly modified versions of the knights. These knights are just a little bit smaller than standard DFC knights, and four have slightly modified weapons. I have found only one example of these figures in original packaging and it is a strange mash up of DFC, Chinasaurs and The Sword & The Sorcerer. The bootleg knights also seem to be associated with the little gray figures pictured below, but I don't know were they come from.
I eventually found a header bag of knockoff gray knights from Straco, and a carded set from Gordy with both blue and gray knights.
New colors found over the last five years or so.
The new Robin Hood Guys.
Here are some side by side pictures with the older mystery set which also has Robin Rood type figures but are not as well made or detailed.
Well matched with the knights.
Oddly, the salmon DFC bootleg is one of the few figures that came from a USA ebay lot. The color match is dead on.
The older figures have similar stands to the DFC bootlegs. The new guys have flat stands with no ridge.
Older Bootlegs
*
*
I have found these figures with the bootlegs more than once. So, I think they are related.
*
This undated set by Famus Toys has the blue bootleg knights, a Chinasaur giant bird, and the red boarder around the card is the same as on the cards for Arco/Fleetwood's The Sword & The Sorcerer figures. Very strange but very cool.
Here is a interesting set from Gordy with both blue and gray bootleg knights. King Arthur and the knights of Justice. It even includes some authentic medieval razor wire. Dated 1992.
Stracos' set of the knockoff knights in gray.
Joseph Svec III sold me this odd bag of MPC knights with DFC knights and dragonriders.
I don't know if these are a factory mistake, a bootleg mix, or some kind of strange joint venture, but I have never seen DFC mixed with MPC before.
Miner industries owned MPC.
Scale Shot.
I have come across a new mystery line that includes some knockoff DFC knights. This is the second mystery line to include bootleg DFC knights. They are marked "China" but that does not say much to narrow down who made them or how they were packaged. They are just like the older knockoffs. They are same smaller size and have the same modifications but some of them come in new colors like red, orange and salmon along with the more common blue. As with he old set of bootlegs, here is no copy of the DFC bowman.
The ones I have found came in ebay lots from the UK. I have almost always found them mixed in with a set of what look like Robin Hood type figures which I first posted in my 45mm Army. They were probably some short lived cheap bag or carded set. I don't know if I have a complete set of the Robin Hood figures or not. I suspect there might be one more figure for eight total. I want to get all the knights in the red, orange and salmon colors pictured and any other colors I haven't found yet. Please comment if you know anything about these guys.
ORIGINAL POST:
There are surprisingly few DFC bootlegs. The most common are slightly modified versions of the knights. These knights are just a little bit smaller than standard DFC knights, and four have slightly modified weapons. I have found only one example of these figures in original packaging and it is a strange mash up of DFC, Chinasaurs and The Sword & The Sorcerer. The bootleg knights also seem to be associated with the little gray figures pictured below, but I don't know were they come from.
I eventually found a header bag of knockoff gray knights from Straco, and a carded set from Gordy with both blue and gray knights.
New colors found over the last five years or so.
The new Robin Hood Guys.
Here are some side by side pictures with the older mystery set which also has Robin Rood type figures but are not as well made or detailed. 
Well matched with the knights. 
Oddly, the salmon DFC bootleg is one of the few figures that came from a USA ebay lot. The color match is dead on. 
The older figures have similar stands to the DFC bootlegs. The new guys have flat stands with no ridge.
Older Bootlegs
*
*
I have found these figures with the bootlegs more than once. So, I think they are related.
*This undated set by Famus Toys has the blue bootleg knights, a Chinasaur giant bird, and the red boarder around the card is the same as on the cards for Arco/Fleetwood's The Sword & The Sorcerer figures. Very strange but very cool.
Here is a interesting set from Gordy with both blue and gray bootleg knights. King Arthur and the knights of Justice. It even includes some authentic medieval razor wire. Dated 1992.
Stracos' set of the knockoff knights in gray.
Joseph Svec III sold me this odd bag of MPC knights with DFC knights and dragonriders.
I don't know if these are a factory mistake, a bootleg mix, or some kind of strange joint venture, but I have never seen DFC mixed with MPC before.
Miner industries owned MPC.
Scale Shot.
