Subject:
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Review of MB 9012 Mag Warriors Battle Scorch
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.clone-brands
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Date:
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Wed, 10 Aug 2005 18:06:15 GMT
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2694 times
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Review of MB9012 Mag Warriors Battle Scorch
MSRP: $6.99
Pieces: 18
Figures: 1
I acquired
this set today and promptly built it for display on my desk. I recall the
time, long ago, when I was afraid to be “outed” as a fan of construction bricks,
but those days are past. Even a cursory glance at my cube reveals an array of
Mega Bloks elements, and I’ve happily entertained more than a few questions
about them.
Battle Scorch is a particularly eye-catching addition. He’s about 4.5 inches
tall in ornate red armor and brandishing a shield and a huge two-headed axe.
His armor is a kind of fantastical high-gothic plate with numerous small
projections like thorns, massive pauldrons and a helmet with large horns. Yes,
everyone knows that horns-on-helmets are of dubious historical authenticity, but
this is a fantasy genre after all, so the inaccuracy is irrelevant, IMO. His
shield is roughly eliptical with cut-outs on top and bottom, and the axe is
almost as tall as he is with a butt-spike, a thrusting tip, and gold-hued
blades.
The packaging deserves a special mention because of the outer casing and because
of a missed opportunity. The
small
sets in the current Metal Ages Dragons line come in tins with sculpted and
studded plastic lids/roofs, but here the packaging is basically disposable,
which is a shame. The casing is transparent except for the stickers and the
“chrome” lid, but there are no points of stud attachment. It might even have
been nice to include a bit of metal so that the Warrior can stand on the lid.
As it is, the container can be used for storage but not much else.
However, the set does include a steel “card” printed with Battle Scorch’s stats
and a dramatic picture of him. This provides an element of collectibility and
also gives him a place to stand.
The most innovative aspect of this figure is the joint structure. The head,
arms, and legs a wide contain magnets surrounded by rubber pads or gaskets
allowing a range of smooth motion and/or dynamic poses. His pauldrons likewise
attach to the shoulders via magnets. I was a bit leery of the magnetic joints
at first because I didn’t think they’d be strong enough. However, seeing them
in action, I’m impressed with their strength and versatility. One thinks
immediately of the interchangeability between various Mag Warriors; an arm from
this one, a leg from that one, and so on. Further, the limbs are
interchangeable even within the same figure, so you could connect the legs to
the shoulders or vice versa. Also, the fact that the limbs detach allows for
all kinds of grisly “severings” or “decapitations,” which can’t have been absent
from the designers’ minds. Insert your Monty Python jokes here.
The waist can swivel 360° laterally, and this joint is all but invisible at a
glance. The knees and elbows are fairly standard hinge joints, while the ankles
and wrists are ball-and-socket. When I was assembling Battle Scorch, the force
required to connect these made me a little nervous about snapping off part of
the joint, but it all worked out. Still, the set is recommended for ages 6 and
up, and I think that kids might need an adult’s assistance in connecting the
anklebone to the shinbone.
Each of the soles of Battle Scorch’s boots has a magnet allowing him to distort
your monitor or to stand on the aforementioned “card.” I like this particularly
because it keeps him from toppling too readily and allows cool poses. The hands
are semi-clenched like fists to allow him to grip a standard-diameter bar or
shaft (his axe and shield, for example).
Altogether he has 14 points of articulation: ankles, knees, hips, waist,
shoulders, elbows, wrists, and neck.
One final detail--if you press one of the horns/spikes/studs atop the helmet,
his eyes glow red. This is a small but nice touch that adds another layer of
playability.
On the whole I find this figure to be extremely cool. He has an air of menace
and towers over standard 1/18 scale action figures (take that, GI Joe!). He’s
also fairly weighty for his size. The magnetic joints allow a great deal of
versatile play, and I frankly just like the look of him.
The downsides:
No, he’s not made of conventional bricks, he’s not a standard minifig, and he’s
not greatly compatible with conventional bricks. He has a 2x2 square of studs
on his back and a stud on the back of each forearm, but I confess that I’m not
sure how to make use of these. Of course, the non-compatibility is only a
factor if you were expecting a tall, magnetic minfig, which I was not. As an
action figure, he’s great.
As I mentioned, the knee, elbow, ankle, and wrist joints are a little tough to
assemble, but this is hardly a deal-breaker. Visually, his thighs are a little
bit skinny compared to his massive armored shoulders, but that’s true of most
jointed action figures.
Really, that’s about it. If you buy this set expecting to get a bunch of
magnetic 2x4 bricks, you’ll be disappointed. But if you buy with the
expectation of a well-designed, visually engaging action figure, I think that
you’ll find Battle Scorch to be a good set.
When you can pay six bucks for a five-jointed rendition of an anonymous CGI Jedi
with special Bad-Thespian Force Power, I’d be pleased to shell out an additional
dollar for a cooler figure with much greater playability.
Dave!
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