When Subbuteo introduced the Zombie figure to run alongside the Heavyweight (HW) figures, it marked a significant departure from the traditional charm of the game. These figures, often dubbed as “Zombies,” lacked the lively dynamism of their predecessors and failed to gain much traction in the UK market. However, they became a necessary step in Subbuteo’s evolution as kits became increasingly intricate and required machine printing. This Figure/figures time frame is a bit convoluted and so I have dated it as the same as the Zombie but more likely to be shorter as Arturo Parodi said in a Subbuteoworld interview “We had a figure made in Portugal by a company called Juao Ruano…. They were only done for Parodi just for a short period, maybe one year. I did not like this figure and it didn’t sell well”.

The introduction of the Zombie figure was met with dissatisfaction among Italian customers, prompting Edilio Parodi to take matters into his own hands. Parodi, recognizing the need for improvement, decided to create his own figures. However, as the bases were likely sourced from England with disc fittings, Parodi had to design his figures to accommodate peg fittings.

The result was the creation of a hybrid figure – a heavyweight footballer styled akin to the work of Stadden, mounted on a peg. These figures, sometimes referred to as HW Hybrids, seemed promising in theory, combining the style and class of the heavyweight figures with the convenience of peg fittings. However, the casting results were less than satisfactory and the Hw Hybrids were only sold for a few years

Parodi entrusted the production of his hybrids to a Portuguese factory, led by Juao Ruano, but the outcome fell short of expectations. The casting quality was inferior to that of the authentic Subbuteo figures, resulting in figures with disproportionately sized heads – either too large or too small – which gave them a somewhat comical appearance. Due to the poor castings, The Hw Hybrids was giving two separate names… The Big head ones were called Hydra’s and Small headed ones are Micro… (No point doing separate sections)

The Portuguese factory that created the Hw Hybrid also did their own lightweight figure. I don’t see these as official Lw’s and Personally see these as part of the Hybrid era of figures… These had all the hallmarks of the Hybrids and there poor casting, with deformities like small feet, big heads, and “flash” on the hands. They are only noticeable side by side with the proper Lw’s but I still class it as a Hybrid all though technically it isn’t as they have been given the name “Royals” by Andre Moura According to Peter Upton’s site….

The Term Hybrid was first used by Peter Upton and has become the standard name for the figure in the Collecting Community ever since… Before that there was never a official name before it

So this Section will have The LW Royals sold in Portugal as well as the HW Hybrids sold in Italy(But Also In Portugal)