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IF you have NOT heard of the Ultimate Soldier line of uniforms, equipment, weapons and figures, you are REALLY missing something! I don't like to single out, as I said before, but the Ultimate Soldier is basically the most-detailed, and well-priced stuff I have seen since the inception of GI JOE into the 1990s! The Ultimate Soldier line is based on actual uniforms and equipment of both the Vietnam war period as well as the Modern period of today. Some minor infantry units abound, but what gets everyone else's attention are the Elite unit (i.e. Green Berets, SEALs, Force Recon, LRRP, SWAT, etc.) uniforms and equipment.
Twenty-First Century toys, also pronounced, 21st Century Toys, is the one responsible for all these great uniforms and pieces of equipment to outfit 12-inch figures with. Originally they entered the market with 9 Vietnam era uniforms. Of which the US Army Special Forces, Long-Range Recon Patrol, USMC Force Recon, and US Army Radio Telephone Operator have been the MOST popular of the line. The original nine included:
In addition, 21st Century also put out two Vietnam weapons sets and one vehicle. The vehicle didn't really match the era of the uniforms, but that didn't stop a lot of collectors and kids from getting their hands on it.
Now, in 1998, specifically Summer and Fall, 21st outdoes itself in a whole line of new uniforms. Seven new Vietnam era uniforms, with three of them again concentrating on Elite units, and 16 new MODERN, yes that's right...MODERN uniforms, concentrating mostly on Elite units, including two versions of a Navy SEAL, US Army Special Forces, US Army Ranger, 82nd Airborne Paratrooper, USMC Force Recon, USAF Combat Controller, and a police SWAT officer. In addition, 21st has released two new weapons sets for the Vietnam era (Listening Post and Special Operations Weapons), and a bundled sandbag set of ten pieces. However, it doesn't stop there. 21st has also released, or will release, 6 new weapons sets for the MODERN period as well. A complete listing of these and the Vietnam era items are listed below.
Vietnam Era
Modern Era
In addition to the above, 21st has released some exclusive figures and accessories. Kaybee Toys has a new Special Operations Ranger figure and a Fire Base Accessory Set. They will also have a USMC Recon Trooper figure. Toys R Us will see a Special Forces Combat Set, and Target will get the Arctic version of the M1025 Reconnaissance Vehicle.
In addition to these sets, 21st is releasing ALL NEW figures, with 14 points of articulation. Each figure will represent a branch of the military. There are four: Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Each comes with a PT (physical training) uniform with shorts, socks, logo t-shirt, and running shoes.
Lastly, four new vehicles are also being released. Whether these pieces carry the same HIGH price tag as the Cargo Carrier Hummer, is not known right now. The vehicles include: Hummer Armored Reconnaissance, Hummer Avenger Air Defense, Desert Tan Cargo Hummer, and M151 AM General MUTT Jeep with trailer.
To see some great-looking pieces, goto my 12-inch figure gallery. Here you will find GI JOE and other worthy figure pictures, either custom-made or out of the box.
