New variant discovery! Bugger, Bugger, Bugger!

[Hopper]

Evening all.

VARIANT ALERT... VARIANT ALERT... VARIANT ALERT...

So, I won a pile of figures recently and was going through them with a fine-toothed comb, checking condition and for variants.

There was something about the head of my Series 1 Mountain and Arctic that was odd, but I couldn't place it.

Then I saw it... the microphone sculpt.
It was long and thin in one head sculpt and round in the other.
I checked some Series 1 Naval Assault figures to see if it was the same... and lo!
It is only the head sculpts that are different in each case, all parts of the body are the same.
The head painting seems also to be darker in the long thin microphone version, and lighter, more pink, in the round version.

See attached photographs - left = long and thin, right = rounded.

I then went around the internet and BFTB archives comparing and contrasting.
Yeah, the variant head sculpt is a thing! It's real, and now we (happy obsessives) have to seek these out too.

The problem is that this head sculpt occurs on the following figures:
Series 1
Arctic Assault
Ground Assault
Mountain and Arctic
Naval Assault

Series 2
Q Force - Sea Skimmer (Surfer)

And therefore, one suspects, all their variants.
So we have 18 possible/definite variants of these 5 figures.

Happy hunting folks.

[Chopper]

I'm glad you are on the job, Hopper.

[meertoh]

Hopper, I am full of glee at this new discovery and I laud you for your eagle eyes. However, at the same time I find myself in an uncomfortable position as your discovery means that I must seek out all my bemicrophoned figures and compare them to each other, whereas before I saw them all as equals.

[meertoh]

Also...BUGGER!

[Red Baron]

I think it's likely we'll all end up insane due to variations. I think I'll put up the white flag!

[Chopper]

Agreed. I also think Hopper needs to put a stop to this madness, SteveD will go insane. It'll be a padded room for him at this rate.

In saying that, worn molds?

[Hopper]

In saying that, worn molds?

Yeah, possibly.
But they look a little too neat, too perfect to my eyes. Designed rather than accident.
And they look a lot like a microphone, if you see what I mean!

Yeah. Sorry. I can't help myself!
And is there a helpline number SteveD can ring? Samaritans maybe?

[Chopper]

Of the 8 figures I have only 2 are the round mic, the rest are oval. Notice the lack of paint around the round mic version? Anyone got an oval mic Surfer? I'm guessing no, I have a hunch........

[Hopper]

Of the 8 figures I have only 2 are the round mic, the rest are oval. Notice the lack of paint around the round mic version? Anyone got an oval mic Surfer? I'm guessing no, I have a hunch........

No kidding, I have just this second opened a package that contains one!
Ha!
Yeah, Its exactly like the others.
Photographs will follow in a moment.

Hurrah!

[SteveD]

DAMN!!!!