Post Apocalyptic Toy Soldiers

As a teenager, I loved 1980s post apocalyptic movies like the Road Warrior and its legion of B movie spawn. There were several post apocalyptic themed toys in the 1980s, but not much in toy soldier scale.   I have kept my eyes open for these kinds of figures since I started collecting in 1989.  I found more mini action figures than toy soldiers until I found Tehnolog.  As far as I now, Tehnolog has produced the largest, and maybe only, selection of true Road Warrior inspired post apocalyptic toy soldiers (Orited did also make one set of post apocalyptic amazons).  The figures are great looking, and Tehnolog understands that the moahawk is the official post apocalyptic haircut.   I think these toys do well in the USA and Russia because they resonate with the deep fear of nuclear war we shared during the cold war years.  All out nuclear war would not be good for any part of the world, but Americans and Russians have always known that we would take the worst of it.  

A few toy lines from the 1990s and 2000s fit the bill, but they are more like miniature action figures than true toy soldiers.  Toy Biz released a line in the early 1990s called the Battle Builders that is a mix of Road Warrior rigs, friendly aliens, and villains that are aliens and robots powered by human brains.  The figures in this line are dead on 54mm toy soldier scale and move at the hip, knee, shoulder and neck.  They are amazing little figures, but with no cartoon to attract notice, the line went nowhere. Chap Mei copied the style of the figures (with less articulation) in the mid 1990s for its Stellar Force Series III line.  

In the 2000s, Yolanda and Kids Goods put out toy soldier scale figures of the Toxic Crusaders and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that make great post apocalyptic mutants. Mattel's Mega Heroes line included some good post apocalyptic figures in its Judge Dredd series. Fantasy Flight games put out a whole series of painted 54mm figures for the game the Mutant Chronicles in the mid 2000s that includes mutants, aliens and soldiers.  Playmates released some mini figures for the movie Terminator Salvation in 2009 which is a different kind of apocalypse, but still counts.   

I don't collect this stuff with the kind of obsessive insanity that I save for fantasy toy soldiers.  I don't always know if I have complete sets or not and I am sure there are plenty of figures that are unknown to me.  Here is what I have found.

Tehnolog: Fantasy Battles

These are some of Tehnolog's first post apocalyptic figures.  They are about 60mm.

60mm.

60mm.

I think these are intended as space warrior types, but they would look right at home after the apocalypse.  54mm.

i think these are intended as post apocalyptic pirates.  The guy with the double barred lever action gun is the give away.

These have moving arms are are about 65mm.

These are intended as post apocalyptic mutant giants.  They are about 80mm.

Post apocalyptic orcs.  50mm.

These are called Pinochet (after the late dictator of Chili I assume).  50-55mm.

These are newer and have dart firing cannons in their arms.  70mm.

These are about 45mm.

45mm.  The guy with the severed head is kind of rare.  

These are about 40mm and are from a different set.

The Dogs of War.  50mm.  Just slightly smaller than current production.

54mm post apocalyptic Native Americans.  O' ya. 

Post apocalypse robot zombies.  Freak'en robot zombies!  

Nuclear Nazis?

These are called insurgents but work fine in a post apocalyptic setting. 

Toy Biz: Battle Builders 

These are the alien villains who have conquered the post apocalyptic Earth.

These villains are human brains in robot bodies.  Very cool.  The pictures below do not do them justice.  

Chap Mei: Stellar Force Series III

Like most Chap Mei toys, these guys have no back story.

The flame headed green freak is my favorite.  

I hunted for the orange alien for years and when I finally found it, I found two in the same week. 

Playmates: Terminator Salvation 

Yolanda: Toxic Crusaders

Kid's Goods: Toxic Crusaders & TMNT

Fantasy Flight Games: Mutant Chronicles

Mattel: Judge Dredd

These guys make great post apocalyptic rouges.  

These guys are ok. 

This is my favorite post apocalyptic figure of all time.  He makes me forget the movie was a stinker.

The judges don't really fit in a post apocalyptic world.

This set had a lot of cool figures.