Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Action Figure Review: Night Ops Senshi from Action Force by Valaverse

 

   Action Force has been one of my favorite action figure lines for the past few years and I'm excited to start 2025 off with a very cool release: Night Ops Senshi. While the standard Senshi figure was a regular release, I held out for this incredibly cool Night Ops version that is exclusive to Big Bad Toy Store. While it was always cool to get martial arts themed figures in G.I. Joe, so often they seemed impractical as they were running around without shirts or shoes, not even carrying a firearm for when things got really nasty. Senshi doesn't have that issue, though. He's wearing a mixture of regular modern combat gear with some samurai themed armor over the top. He's carrying a katana, sure, but he also has a pistol and a submachinegun. Senshi reminds me of what Budo from G.I. Joe could look like in the Classified Series if he was released and not just a straight up redo of the vintage figure. Ready to check out Senshi? Then join me after the break...





The Facts:

Height: 6 3/8ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, calve swivels, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, ball jointed drop down hips, ball jointed waist, balljointed mid-torso, butterfly pecs, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck base, hinged neck, and a ball jointed head.

Accessories: 8 swappable hands, vest, holster, ammo pouch, 2 shoulder pads, helmet, facemask, crest, nightvision attachment, sword, sheath, pistol w/ suppressor, SMG w/ suppressor, 3 magazines, and display stand. 

Non-Scalper Price: $30 dollars



The Positives:


* Like most other Action Force figures, most of the gear is easily removable, allowing you to have a more scaled down figure that still looks just fine if you're wanting to customize him a bit or just have a more casual version hanging around. While the standard Senshi is wearing tan and green, the Night Ops version is sporting mostly dark grey with a light green torso. The green of his sweater is mostly covered, though, leaving him mostly grey and black. He fits right in with any other Night Ops/ Night Force figures you might have, adding some extra stealth to the team. 










* Check out Senshi all armored up! Just put his vest on (they are much easier to put on the figure than they were way back in series 1), slide the thigh guards around his thighs, and put the bicep/ shoulder pads on and Senshi looks ready for everything. It's a great cross between a samurai suit of armor and ballistic armor. The grey and black color scheme looks fantastic, as well. This guy just oozes coolness.






* I believe this face painting technique is called kumadori and it really stands out on Senshi, highlighting and accenting different areas of his face. I'm pretty confident it's the same portrait as the standard version of Senshi (again, I didn't pick him up as I was waiting for this one), but it looks so radically different with the face paint. The red and black just look incredibly dramatic, changing Senshi's countenance and probably scaring the heck out of an unsuspecting villain.







* Here's a closeup of the armor so you can see the detail on the individual plates on the vest and the sode inspired armor cover Senshi's biceps. 




* Senshi comes with one of the helmets like we've seen before which appears to be a take on the Ops-Core Future Assault Shell Technology Helmet, or FAST helmets used by a number of special forces groups. It's a smaller helmet and fits tightly on his head. There is an attachment port on the front and two holes on each side. 






* Senshi has customized his helmet with a facemask, or menpo, attachment. This easily plugs into the holes on the sides of the helmet and stays in place, giving him the mask of a samurai. Extra protection and a look that is sure to spook the bad guys he's scent to take out. 








* There's also a maedate that fits into the port on the front of the helmet. Should we call the helmet a kabuto then? Adding this piece in there, you really get a cool, tactical take on a samurai warrior. I like Valaverse's take here. Senshi definitely has the samurai vibe, yet everything is sleek and modern. He has the spirit of a samurai but is equipped to go up against terrorists and the like who are armed with modern arms and equipment.





* If you pop off the maedate you can attach the nightvision goggles, something a Night Ops operative opts to operate with with when operating at night, or at least when night is nigh. They are now hinged so they can swing up and down into position. Very cool!






* The quality of the most recent figures feels even better better than those that came before. All of the Action Force figures I've picked up so far have largely had the same articulation style though we now have a few differently designed joints. The joints and range of motion are excellent and everything is nice and smooth right out of the package. These are sturdy, well made made action figures that are a lot of fun to pose and mess around with. Senshi is one of my favorites in the line to date, I think.





* Senshi comes with the full complement of swappable hands: Pistol grips, standard grips, cradling hands, and fists. Everything swaps easily, so no concerns about broken pegs and no need to use a hairdryer, at least on my end.





* Senshi comes armed with what looks to be a Sig Sauer MCX Rattler, a short barreled variant of the Sig MCX. That's my thought. If anyone else thanks they have a better guess I'd love to hear it. It's a great weapon, though. It's compact and looks like something that would be useful for fighting indoors, at close range, and even firing one handed if the need arose. Valaverse's weapons are always excellent and the details are incredibly sharp and crisp. 









* Not only does this weapon have a removable magazine but you also get two extra mags and a detachable suppressor. That's a nice kit!










* The two extra magazines store into the pouch attached to the thigh armor on Senshi's left thigh. They stay in there quite securely, so he has his extra magazines ready when he needs them. 







* I'm pretty sure this is an HK Mark 23 USSOCOM pistol, pretty much what Solid Snake uses in Metal Gear Solid. It's an amazing looking pistol with the laser aiming module below it and a removable suppressor. This is a darn fine accessory and gets Senshi some extra coolness points. 









* Both the pistol and the suppressor fit into the holster on Senshi's right thigh. They actually fit in there separately, so you can pull the pistol out and leave the suppressor holstered. 




* Senshi does come with a katana, a perfect weapon to go with his samurai appearance. It's a nice blade that comes with a functioning sheath. 






* There is a belt with a loop on it for storing the sheath. It slides inside nice and tight, keeping it at the ready for when Senshi needs to go quieter than quiet during a mission.









* Valaverse has switched up the stands for Action Force a bit with series 5. Now we get a dusty looking bit of ground with rocks and the Action Force logo stamped into the ground. There are more pegs here, allowing for more options, and you still have a place to display the file card, too, if that's your thing. They're excellent stands and take up about the same amount of space as the previous designs. 


The Negatives:


* My only complaint is just an aesthetic one: With Senshi's holster and magazine pouch attached to the sides of his leg armor, they look like they extend out a bit further than you'd think. I know it's a combination of having to have both the armor and the holster/pouch, but the design just seems a bit off. 


   Senshi is one of my favorite Action Force figures to date. Easily in my top five, for sure. This is an Epic figure and one heck of a cool design. The portrait is incredible with the kumadori makeup and the kabuto inspired helmet, the colors overall look great for a night operations, the articulation is useful, and the weapons are just perfectly chosen. Senshi is still available on BBTS and he's well worth grabbing. You're getting a lot with this guy. Flip down nightvision goggles! This figure just oozes coolness and will enhance Action Force, Night Force, Ninja Force, or whatever collection you want to add him to. 
















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