Combat Mission 80 plastic pound store soldiers Part 1 Charge!

 

These slender running infantry figures caught my eye in the packet … and three bags of “Combat Mission 80 Soldiers” figures later, I have 24 new copies of this figure.

Around at the moment in pound stores and seaside gift stores are these mixed bag of evolved , morphed, degraded or downsized  ‘pirate’ versions of Airfix WW2 figures – Combat Mission 80 soldiers for around £3.50 – £4.00.

After buying the first bag, attracted by one of my favourite poses of the charging rifleman, I bought two more bags to get more of this pose.

Packaging for the Combat Mission 80 Soldiers pack.

The graphics for these suggest a more modern Iraq / Afghanistan “Desert Storm” type of content than the generic WW2 figures that are really inside.

The header illustration is more typical of the other Combat Mission figures that I  bought recently which retailed at just over a penny each, whereas these 80 soldiers cost about 4 to 5 pence each (2017).

https://poundstoreplasticwarriors.wordpress.com/2017/05/30/more-seaside-pound-store-plastic-warriors/

So whilst these 80 soldiers are not quite pound store prices, they are cheap in comparison to the Airfix originals. The equivalent 54mm / 1:32 WW2 Airfix figures would today at a average box price of £7 for 14 figures cost you about 50 pence per Airfix figure.

The probable inspiration for this figure can clearly be seen alongside the original Airfix German infantryman. Over 40 years of Hong Kong / China Made cloning has reduced the detail and the original size into what looks more like a Britain’s lead charging soldier.

Original Airfix 1:32 54mm figure, then the new Combat Mission 80 Soldiers copy and a similar pound store one found and painted toy soldier style c.2007/8.

As well as a half dozen similar figures painted in this toy soldier style c.2007/8, I now have 24 new charging infantry to paint up (out of 240 new plastic figures for around £11). They have shrunk a bit over the years to roughly 42mm, rather than the original 54mm.

One part of the attractive old toy soldier look is to have multiple figures of the same pose to make up units.

Chaaaarge! The first wave of painted figures almost completed …

I look forward to painting up this 30 strong unit of charging infantry, having used my other metal or hollowcast similar charging figures for inspiration.

Chaaarge! Some of my favourite  charging toy soldier figures in pound store plastic,  new metal and  Britain’s, Taylor and Barrett and other manufacturer’s 54mm lead hollowcast, all in this slender style.

My new Combat Mission 80 plastic, Britain’s almost 54mm hollowcast lead charging Russian infantry, original  Airfix Russian and German WW2 charging infantry.

I will show the other 9 poses  (such as those below) for the rest of the Combat Mission 80 Soldiers set in Part 2 (my next blog post).

More Combat Mission 80 Soldiers set of slender toy soldiers. Really like the sub machine gun infantryman as well, matches the charging infantryman size and style really well.

Blogposted by Mark, Man of TIN for the Pound Store Plastic Warriors blog on a rainy 10th June 2017.