Action Figure Review: The Saboteur from Soldiers of Fortune by Big Bad Workshop

   I ordered three of Big Bad Workshop's Soldiers of Fortune figures when the preorders went up and while I reviewed the first two back in May (The Agent/ The Spy- Black Tuxedo and The Agent/ The Enemy- Light Blue), it's taken me a couple months to get to the third: The Saboteur! The cool thing about Soldiers of Fortune is that the figures are generic enough to fill various gaps in your 1/12th collection. I'm thrilled with how many great 1/12th scaled military themed lines we've been getting over the past 5 or 6 years and even with how much great stuff we've received, the Saboteur still feels quite unique; he's just your average guerilla or terrorist. Need some generic bad guys for any 1/12th collection? How about some of your heroes on an undercover, black bag type of operation? The Saboteur fills that niche and scratches that itch. Let's take a look at this basic bad guy after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 6 3/8ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, double hinged knees, thigh swivels, balljointed hips w/ vertical hinged pegs, balljointed waist, balljointed mid-torso, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck base, hinged neck, and a balljointed head. 

Accessories: 2 swappable heads, 8 swappable hands, RPG, shotgun, baseball bat, 2 sticks of dynamite, and display stand.

Non-Scalper Price: $38- $40 dollars

Comparison:

* I'm sure there are plenty of parts here shared with other lines but the one that jumped out at me was the Saboteur's jacket. The Saboteur (left) shares his jacket with the Sleepwalker from Operation: Monster Force (right). That's some interesting reuse, but it sure does work quite well. 

The Positives:

* The Soldiers of Fortune figures have fairly basic designs, yeah, but that's part of their appeal. This guy could be almost any nameless, faceless terrorist, a member of a guerilla army, or just some random burglar or thug. The green jacket looks pretty cool and it's distinctive while still being basic enough for an army builder. Underneath, the Saboteur is just wearing a basic black sweater. The colors are solid and while there isn't a ton of paintwork, the little details like the painted buttons are well done.

* Two portraits are included with the Saboteur. They're both the same sculpt, though the skin tones and eye colors are different. The Saboteur is wearing a black, ribbed ski mask that's completely generic. I mean, the point is to not be able to single this guy out, right? 

* Here's the second portrait, this time with light skin and blue eyes. If you decide to grab a few Saboteurs then you can at least have a little bit of variety in your ranks with two different portraits. 

* The kneepads and combat boots are really cool, too. I love the look of those huge tactical kneepads. There's some really nice paint detail on the kneepads, giving them a great appearance that makes the details still out.

* The articulation on the Saboteur (and all of the other figures from Big Bad Workshop that I own) is very similar to Operation: Monster Force and Order of the Crimson Moon. The plastic quality is excellent and the joints are nice and smooth here, allowing for some great poses. There aren't too many things encumbering the movement other than the jacket overlay. If you're familiar with any of the other Big Bad Workshop lines or Hasbro's G.I. Joe: Classified Series, then you know what to expect. The articulation is quite similar and just really pleasing. He'd fit in with multiple other 1/12th scale lines.

* Eight hands are included, all of which swap easily. The hands are all sporting fairly heavy gloves that match up with the kneepads quite well. You get the usual set of a pair of pistol grips, a pair of standard grips, a pair of fists, and a pair of open or grappling hands. 

* A nice assortment of weapons is included with the Saboteur. They all have paint applications and I believe they were designed by Gridiron Studios. First up is a standard RPG which I believe is based on an RPG-4 since it only has one grip. The metal parts have a really nice paint effect that makes them look a bit tarnished while the wood bits get some paint applications.  

* For closer quarters, a Mossberg 500A 12 shotgun is included. This is a gorgeous replica of the weapon with a detailed sculpt and a nice finish. The only thing that I find a bit odd is that it doesn't have an ejection port on either side. Weird, right?

* Need to bust some skulls or break some kneecaps? Then how about a baseball bat. It's a standard wooden bat with a wrapped handle. Brutal, basic, and effective. Definitely something inexpensive and easy to acquire that some guys just trying to cause trouble and send a message might have access to.

* I'm actually really thrilled with these sticks of dynamite. You get two of them and they even have a fuse. They're simple, sure, but how often do you see dynamite like this in a toyline? I can think of some of the dynamite plates from the older Lego wild west sets and Power Keg from Hasbro's C.O.P.S. & Crooks line.

*  Last up is a small, flat display stand. The stand is the same mold as the stands included with the C.O.P.S. & Crooks and The Order of the Crimson Moon toylines, but it has the Soldiers of Fortune logo. It keeps your figure upright and doesn't take up too much real estate on your shelf. I'm always a fan of action figures coming with a stand, so this is a welcome touch. 

   Back in the early 2000s, during my later high schools years and early college years, I was really into Resaurus/ Plan B Toys' Special Forces action figure line. They were excellent military themed action figures and while I wasn't buying a ton of them at that time, I did amass a decent collection. That's what this line reminds me of: Special Forces; generic figures that fit roles in your collection that more specialized and unique figures just don't. Whether this is a terrorist, a burglar, some hired goon, or even one of your heroes in disguise, a plain guy like this is just really useful. He's cool because he just kind of blends in and he should be a rather useful figure for photographers and folks who create dio-stories. The accessories are all top notch, too. The prices on these guys still seem a bit high, but they're definitely quality product. This is a Great and a 1/2 figure and well worth tracking down if you're at all interested in having a generic bad guy for your heroes to fight. 

This is the first figure of the Saboteur from this line I've reviewed. For more Soldiers of Fortune reviews check out the following:

The Agent/ The Enemy (Light Blue)

The Agent/ The Spy (Black Tuxedo)