I’ve been wanting six inch scale G.I. figures for quite a while now so the reveal of the Classified line was very exciting to me. I think I really wanted the ARAH re-done in the six inch scale and was expecting a more edgy modern military take from Hasbro, so the aesthetic of these figures surprised me a bit. Even though I didn’t get exactly what I wanted or expected in wave one, they are all pretty great toys. Let’s take a look at Duke!
The box has a very Star Wars Black Series feel to the shape, though the art makes me think of legends with the more comic-book style character artwork on the front and sides. I do like the poster on the back and the Duke figure definitely looks like he stepped right out of that artwork here. One thing I do miss, of course, is the file cards.
Duke comes with a rifle, pistol, binoculars and backpack.
The binocs are pretty tiny and have a somewhat futuristic feel to them. I think my favorite feature is that they can attach to the belt on a peg because it adds a nice irregular shaped piece of equipment to the belt and breaks up the intense green a bit. The peg holds it pretty securely thankfully as I’d hate to lose it. I do wish there was a little paint detail on it.
The pack attaches securely to the back with a single peg. Unlike with Snake Eyes, there isn’t a hole in the bandolier for the pack’s peg, but it rests on there fine. I love the cloth-textured detail on this piece and the painted shovel is a nice touch. When he’s all geared up with the pack, binocs, and weapons, I just want to take this guy outside to the backyard to play. The nostalgia factor is pretty high with this figure for me.
The guns are probably one of the more controversial aspects of this figure as I know a lot of people are bothered by the sci-fi designs. I think I would have preferred regular weapons, but the pistol works well for me as it’s not too outlandish in style. There’s a bit of brass paint over the flat gray plastic that ties it in with his rifle and and armor pieces and it fits securely in the thigh holster.
The rifle feels like a regular gun until you get to the barrel where the sci-fi elements come in. I think I would have preferred a traditional rifle, but I don’t mind this design too much and I really like the second handle for firing poses. What does bother me is that it’s slightly warped so the barrel is bent and I haven’t been able to get it completely straight.
The bandolier is easily removeable and since they are seperate pieces, you could take off the belt and the holster, but you would need to heat up the pieces to stretch them over the body. There is an overlay of soft green plastic on the crotch piece and my figure has some damage in that area. Looks like it got chewed or run over, but fortunately the belt covers most of it. I do wish he came with a helmet.
Sculpting on this figure is a real treat with all of the cloth wrinkle and texture details. Duke has great proportions too and the head perfectly matches his look from the poster. He’s a bit younger looking than I usually think of Duke being, but they nailed the feel of the character and that scar looks dope.
I particularly like how the paint and sculpt work together to accomplish the fade on his high and tight haircut.
The Iron-Man style armor on the shins and knees is still throwing me a bit and is the part of this aesthetic that has taken the most getting used to for me, but it’s very sharply sculpted and I do like the brass metallic paint.
One paint aspect I do not care for are the red highlights on the gloves and shirt and the orange on the watch. The colors feel a little much and oddly clash, and the paint itself is fairly thick and gloppy, so I think it takes away from the sculpted detail. I also think I would have liked the belt and pack to be slightly more olive green.
The articulation was a highlight of the Snake Eyes figure from this line for me, so thankfully Duke has the same range of movement with:
- Ball and socket lower neck, head, and waist
- Swivel/hinge shoulders, wrists, hips and ankles
- Swivel biceps, thighs, and boots
- Double hinged knees and elbows
- Drop-down hips
- Hinged neck, mid-torso, and butterfly pecs
The combination of a hinge and dual ball joints in the head allows for some really nice and natural range of motion for the head that I feel adds a ton to the posing of the figure. I love that I can get him in belly crawl and he can actually look forward.
Overall, I still have some reservations about the style, but the figure itself is a slam dunk. He’s definite hand candy, super fun to play with and pose and takes me back to the days of backyard play with my friends. I was never really a Duke guy, but this figure is making me one.
