Boreus-Mythic Legions Horse…SpartanNerd Unboxing and Review

I have been eyeing getting a Mythic Legions horse for awhile. I’ve seen them in stores and conventions for around $80, and they are a large item seemingly worth all that. You start to get into issues of “do I have enough room?” Etc. And there are a few different ones. I’ve seen a brown one, for instance, and the Headless Horseman comes with a scary black horse with red eyes. There’s an undead one, and one with batwing ears. There are a few other animals, one a moose, and a bear coming out next year, There’s a centaur, and also a skeletal horse next year.

But at his heart, the SpartanNerd wants to be economical. And on Cyber Monday this year (2024) Boreus was on sale at Storehorsemen for $55.

I was purchasing the Figura Obscura Father Christmas and started to look around for what else I might want,,,I considered the Ghost of Christmas Past, but at $60 and a buy-in to the Scrooge ecosystem, (‘cause you know I couldn’t only have one, Jacob Marley, the other two ghost, probably eventually Scrooge), I decided to skip that for now anyway, even though she is exceptional.

I started looking at other offerings, and there were other things that seemed like a good opportunity to buy. But seeing Boreus at $55, a gray horse that could be used by anyone, This was too good to pass up. On top of that, I received a Cosmic Legions ashcan comic for my double order.

This is the ashcan Cosmic Legions comic on top of the Father Christmas packaging. Not much story-wise here, but a cool item with sketch drawings and panels without dialogue.

So how is Boreus? Keep reading!

PACKAGING

Boreus comes in a large box with a large window, where you can see everything inside, which includes the horse with saddle, bridle, etc already on, and an extra “flowing” mane for added action.

Unfortunately in box there is unsightly plastic around straps holding him in. This is to protect the paint, but for a MIB collector this is unfortunate. That doesn’t describe me, but I thought it important to point out.

Here are the sides of the box

One side shows the aforementioned horse with bat ears, but has Boreus bio. It turns out that Mythic Legions horses are spiritual beings (think Torrent from Elden Ring). This is a cool thing, and this bio gives even more life to this horse. The other side shows the aforementioned moose. All this terrific art is by Nate Baertsch,

Here is the back…

The top cross sell is Duban the Ranger…this is the supposed owner of Boreus. A figure I haven’t seen except in a promo photo.

A big epic image, showing the shiva-like main villain, some demon guy, and a couple of other evil characters. I actually own the Xylernian guard, and so that is something rare for the SpartanNerd in reference to Mythic Legions. That other text is general Mythic Legions story, which itself is vague.

There is a very nice backdrop that I actually have used already in the nerd closet.

BOREUS FIGURE REVIEW

It’s a horse, sculpted and designed by The Four Horsemen. As such, it is very similar to MOTUC Battle Cat. In fact, I think it has exactly the same articulation besides the articulated jaw on the tiger.

So it has a neck that goes up and down, and a head that has up and down, side to side motion. The front legs havc a shoulder and knee joint…these are back and forward. The hooves are rockers.

The back legs have some spread on the hips. The legs are jointed the same as in real life, and once again the hooves are rockers.

The tail is on a ball joint and is fully articulated.

Unfortunately, Boreus can’t lower his head low enough to drink.

I’ll point out that my Battle cat is secondary market and over ten years old. So his joints are loose, especially the head and neck. Boreus joints are nice and tight, and the hooves have a ratchet, which makes it easy to have him rear up for a pose.

ACCESSORIES

The saddle and bridle are nice pieces of work, with plastic stirrups and also loops to store weapons. (The same loops that Battle Cat’s saddle has).

The reign is liberal, and feels to be real leather. It fits in gripping hands with no problems.

This saddle is removable, but I don’t have a reason to remove it. It doesn’t have a strap belt across his belly that undoes…instead you would have to make the legs straight and the move the head down with hairpieces removed, and then slide it over the head. I haven’t done this and have no pics of it, but it can be done if they ever release more saddles. Also notable, the bedroll on the back of the saddle is swappable with another bedroll, if you ever somehow get one. (Maybe a different horse has a different color one.)

The only other accessory is the mane, which is easily removed and swapped. Now the unexpected nuance of this is that the horse also has a “toupee” that is removable, and allows the hair to layer over the bridle how you would like.

PICTURED: Super7 Ultimates! King Conan holding the axe from Battle of the Mounds Conan. The king rides on Mythic Legions Boreus, who has the Sword of Atlantis mounted on the saddle. MASTERVERSE Revelations Scareglow leads Mythic Legions Skeleton Legion builders in the attack.

THE ART OF BOREUS

PICTURED: Masters of the Universe Classics Battle Cat, who is evidently entranced by the evil Super7 Ultimates! Battle of the Mounds Thulsa Doom, jousting against Mythic Legions Boreus and Mythic Legions Gold Knight II Legion Builder. Thulsa Doom is armed with the Bident that came with Super7 Ultimates! Black Falcon, and Gold Knight is armed with a spear from the Animal Warriors of the Kingdom Red Weapons loot. (Link to the similar gold version) My money’s on Thulsa Doom for this one…

Boreus is great. He is just so fun to photograph. He is this generic gray or flat black color, so he could be anyone’s horse. He is billed as “Duban the Ranger’s” horse, itself a cool figure, but above you can see that Gold Knight Legion Builder really pops.

Check out this cuteness.

PICTURED: Mashup of MASTERVERSE Revelation Evil-Lyn and Figura Obscura Father Christmas, feeding Mythic Legions Boreus.

This totally works.

PICTURED: Figura Obscura Father Christmas, leading Mythic Legions Boreus.

A Mythic Legions horse is just…it is the most useful item. And this sculpt…

Earlier I mentioned that I had thought about getting one for awhile. Some of my hangup is that there are toy horses out there for much cheaper. Like…at the dollar store kind of thing. Even Barbie horses are cheaper.

But you want to get the scale right, and you want a quality product. Boreus is a CHUNK of plastic, and there just is none better that the Four Horsemen sculpting any toys out there. I did see a McFarlane Gunslinger Spawn on a horse at GameStop for around $50 sometime in the past year. The workers advised me that it would probably go on clearance soon, and I haven’t seen it since. Now I am curious to compare the two…maybe I will.

SPARTANNERD RATING OF MYTHIC LEGIONS BOREUS

I don’t have any complaints. So let’s look for something to complain about…

Crickets….

OK. So he can’t lower his head low enough to drink. There’s one. If you look at him from above and the back legs are kicked out to the side, there is a lot of daylight around the joints and tail.

Really. That’s it. I had to dig deep for that last one. OK…the plastic around his neck in package was unsightly. Boreus doesn’t lose any points for these!

SCULPT: Superior

ARTICULATION: Superior

POSABILITY: Superior

USABILITY: Superior

SPARTANNERD HAPPINESS: Superior!

I award Mythic Legions Boreus 5/5, and he is going to be celebrated as one of the best of the year for me. Furthermore, I am CONVINCED to get the Headless Horseman.

Do you agree or disagree, Hub City Geeks? Let me know in the comments!

New Eternia Mer-Man-SpartanNerd Unboxing and Review

So, I already reviewed a modern Mer-Man, didn’t I? (Yes. HERE)

My complaints about that figure were the sculpt and the accessories…It was based on the Revelations cartoon rather than vintage sources. Well as you can see, New Eternia Mer-Man solves some of that.

PACKAGING

The top picture shows the typical recent MASTERVERSE packaging. I love this art, and it also features a giant pink octopus. That octopus is very typical of Mer-Man, but I can’t help but think about Aquaman. (The SpartanNerd is a longtime Aquaman fan…from the Superfriends to Jason Mamoa. I always wanted the MOTUC/DC collaboration. I missed it though 😦 )

The back also shows more of that octopus. Once again, I am complaining that this is a photoshopped image of the toy and not more illustration. Furthermore, this specific picture makes him appear too “muppet” ish. It is because this must have been a prototype with a more closed mouth. So Fozzy. We get some action shots of the weapons and also a little profile picture with “MER-MAN: Ocean Warlord|With New Eternia shattered into thousands of islands, Met-Man terrorizes everyone foolish enough to travel the oceans in search of Castle Grayskull.”

Flavor text. Magic the Gathering Cards and descriptions of items in Elden Ring. Mattel has caught on.

The cross-sell images. I have Masters of the Universe Revolution Sorceress Teela (review), but have passed on the Man-Of-War. Battle Armor Skeletor is a bag of hurt. I missed it. I currently have a pre-order at Entertainment Earth for it…maybe January sometime. The truth is I pre-ordered this whole wave on “Backorder” with them. Then got frustrated. So I went ahead and picked up Mer-Man at Target and got Sorceress from Amazon.

WHAT DO YOU GET IN THE PACKAGE

Contents:

  • New Eternia Mer-Man figure
  • Ocean Warlord spear
  • Coral sword
  • Pair of swimming hands

What do I wish it came with? A TRIDENT. A fish monster friend. An alternate head.

NEW ETERNIA MER-MAN IN ACTION

Here is New Eternia Man-E-Faces throwing NE Beastman into the water on top of NE Mer-Man. This was a really hard picture to get. Everything kept falling.

Notice the “bump” on the coral sword. (Most of us call this the corn-cob sword.). That stupid bump is so you can mount the sword on a hole in the back of the armor. Which would be fine if it didn’t look stupid.

Comparing the older and the newer. Really, not fair. Revelations Mer-Man has that “play-doh” color scheme when compared the paint on NE Mer-Man. He was based on the cartoon, so he has those scars and stuff which is fine. But compared to NE Mer-Man that one now appears to be generic side henchman. NE Mer-Man also has a much glossier finish. The head sculpt is far better. And don’t think these two share parts…Maybe the feet and hands are the same sculpt?

We don’t see a lot of combos between these two. I wonder why? (Also notice Mekanek is using his new underwater scouting role)

This trident came with Cosmic Legions SSKUR’GE. A weapon befitting the ocean warlord.

SPARTANNERD RATING OF NEW ETERNIA MER-MAN

I need to consider this product objectively, separate from the version that came before. If you read my previous review, you saw I awarded a 3/5. In that context, this is a strict 5/5 improvement. If you are ever given the choice of the two to have, unless you are just a huge fan of Masters of the Universe Revelations I don’t know why you would choose the earlier offering.

So let’s ignore that. New Eternia Mer-Man has a monstrous green paint scheme, with nice paint details, and the grading between the green and yellow on the arms is one of the elements that brings the whole thing together. The armor is meticulously sculpted, bringing that “corn-cob” of scales feeling into it all. The spikes around his collar make him fit with other NE villains like Beast Man. The actual face of the actual toy is an evil look with nice fins on the face. His articulation is pretty much exactly like every other MASTERVERSE figure. He does have single hinge elbows, however.

The accessories…That spear is very savage. Like I said…I prefer a trident for this character. The coral sword looks good on the front, but that stupid bump can’t pass as anything but poor design. If they had done something like paint it red or made it somehow a power gem…that would have been very cool. But it’s just an ugly peg. And that’s where this figure loses a point. I would have preferred a scabbard, or a loop on the armor, or nothing at all…this bump was a conscious and irresponsible design choice.

So SpartanNerd’s rating of New Eternia Mer-Man is 4/5. A strict upgrade over the Revelation Mer-Man. He could use an alternate head, some other accessory like a sea critter, and some other way of mounting that sword on his back that doesn’t compromise the sculpt of the toy.

4/5. Do you agree or disagree, Hub City Geeks? Let me know in the comments!

Action Figure Showdown- SpartanNerd Review of Wal-Torr the Mad and Cosmic Legion T.U.5.C.C Pilot

It’s Rivalry Week, and in South Carolina, this means CAROLINA vs clemson (not a typo). The Gamecocks are poised to take out the Tigers this year, by a great margin. And oh satisfying will that be! But this blog is a review of toys, so…

I picked up Wal-Torr the Mad on a special sale (the same sale I got the Ogre Scale Accessory Pack). This was an item I had my eye on but waffled…There is a traditional fantasy Mythic Legions version, and then there is this Cosmic Legions space version. So space toy vs. fantasy toy.

Ultimately, after looking at the photos awhile on the internet, I decided the space version was the best, even if it was hideous orange.

But the presentation was adorable…the skull headed spaceman looking at a flower in a setting reminiscent of Mars. It looked like some kind of familiar scene somehow.

And I already have some of the parts in the Mythic Legions version, while the only Cosmic Legion I have is the SSKUR’GE ogre scale figure. So I jumped in…and glad I did.

BUT…that isn’t all of this story, is it? I went to the Toy Federation in Greer, SC one day just for some spontaneous shopping. And behold…they had a copy of this same figure but in a glorious Garnet color scheme. The T.U.5.C.C. Pilot (that is an annoying name to type) is the same basic idea, but instead of being a named character he is an army builder. Army builders are a tad cheaper than “legendary” creatures, so I paid the same price for both of these figures (just from different sources.)

Let’s examine the packages first.

PACKAGING FACE-OFF

Both packages have a nice window box. Wal-Torr’s is more orange nebula, and Pilot’s is more space purple. (So unfortunate colors to have together.)

Both have faction symbols in the top corner, but I don’t know anything about what they mean. You can see the alternate headsculpts easily. One of the big mysteries for me when I first got Wal-Torr was…what really is going on? He has this helmeted alien head, but then he has this human skull. So many questions! But those questions were answered when I saw the alternate head sculpt of the Pilot. Wal-Torr is supposed to be an homage to a real human, and the other is what kind of alien he is. I get it (I guess). I don’t know much about it, but perhaps Walter Hagen is big into skeletons…seems like an awesome guy then! (Walter Hagen is the leader of the Mythic Legions Cabal fan group.)

Wal-Torr’s box features a nice illustration of”hologram” on the bottom. Important that it shows the collar option.
The back of Wal-Tor’s package. Perhaps this is the planet he is on or from.

The back of both boxes feature cross-sell images from the rest of their respective Cosmic Legions wave.

Both have nice art on the side, both with a bit of a Bio.

The front of T.U.5.C.C. Pilot’s package. His hologram importantly shows the hoses.
I don’t know what kind of ship he pilots. Is this it in the corner right of the package back?

I actually appreciate some of the vagueness of the bios and packaging. Maybe that’s Wal-Torr’s home planet? Maybe this is the T.U.5.C.C. Pilot’s ship? Who knows. Maybe this is all artistic technobabble. I’m good with that.

There is one new backdrop. Wal-Torr comes with a background that I haven’t had, while T.U.5.C.C. Pilot comes with a smaller version of what SSKUR’GE came with.

This is the backdrop. A space scene. I am showing you a photoshop work screen. It is stretched and there is some “spot healing.” I’ll make it super-usable yet.

One more thing about the packaging. Both contained this message, and also a little tray of pegs. At first I thought “What is this? Ammo?” They CAN stand in for ammo. But the intention is that they be mounting pegs. That they are translucent is a nice bonus…translucent works great in science fiction, right?

Somehow I didn’t get a photo of T.U.S.C.C. Pilot in his blister. But I assure you readers, it was comparable to Wal-Torr’s.

WHAT DO YOU GET IN THE PACKAGING?

Let’s start with Wal-Torr

  • Wal-Torr figure in terrible urrnje coloring.
  • Two options for a head (alien helmet and skull)
  • Astronaut Space-Suit helmet, which is a collar and bubble
  • Backpack
  • Sci-Fi rifle
  • Sci-Fi pistol
  • Another piece of gear (can be a couple of different things)
  • Map hologram
  • Translucent pegs (that can be ammo)
  • Back adapters
  • Shield
  • Hose
  • Seven (!) pairs of hands. Notably human hands…

So much here, it takes a few photos to capture it all.

This shield comes apart…you could trade pieces if you had more than one.

What about the T.U.5.C.C. Pilot? (GO GAMECOCKS!)

You get…

  • T.U.S.C.C. Pilot figure in glorious Garnet.
  • Two head sculpt options, both aliens, one helmeted and the other weird and blue unhelmeted.
  • Space collar
  • Armor pieces
  • Backpack parts (you can see that I assembled these together.
  • Sci-Fi Rifle
  • Sci-Fi Pistol
  • Multi-purpose weapons part
  • Map hologram
  • Translucent pegs (that can be ammo)
  • pair of alternate hands, (notably three fingered alien hands)
  • Two hoses

As above, it takes more photos to show it all off.

You can remove the bubble from the helmet to get a better look at the “face” on both figures.

There are a lot of similarities here. They have the same exact guns. Wal-Torr wins the accessory battle because he comes with a shield and all those hands. WOW. I figure that they included all of these because they won’t ever issue them in this color again probably. While the pilot’s hands could go on anyone (being black gloved alien fingers).

BUT…You get a lot of options with T.U.5.C.C. Pilot also. Perhaps making the shoulder wings into a backpack was an unintended use…but it’s my toys…I get to play with them! (Thank you, Rob Base!)

Both have the same sculpt in some ways, but different in others. Pilot has sculpted slacks and upper sleeves, while Wal-Torr’s body is fully armored. Both have the same torso with a fan sculpted on the chest. Pilot’s cover’s his up when wearing that collar. Wal-Torr’s backpack was actually one of the intriguing sculpted elements that caught my attention in pictures. I didn’t realize it was a backpack until I had the figure in hand, however.

The hose with Wal-Torr creates questions. Where is it supposed to go? The two hoses with Pilot seem very purposeful. In the photo above, I only realized right before taking it that there were holes in the collar for it.

Their guns are the same with different colors. And there is that other little piece. Is it a scope sight? Is it a laser for the wrists? Is it a magazine or power supply? I guess it’s up to your imaginination…it can be all of those things.

The hologram is the same for both figures, only Wal-Torr’s is a more pleasing blue shade and Pilot’s is grayish. (If you read enough, you know this must be the five rings of the cosmerium or something like that.)

A big problem with the Wal-Torr figure…that space helmet doesn’t snap on. The collar sits loosely. The bubble snaps on to the collar just fine, but the collar is the problem.

The space helmet fits on Man-At-Arms exactly as good as it does on Wal-Torr. Not great. It looks good on him, though.

BUT…that skull head is a great thing. It is missing a tooth, providing options for me to display other skeleton warriors. And it has an articulated jaw.

This is what the New Eternia Skeletor looks like with the skull swapped out. I prefer Skeletor to have some color in his face, rather than being a boring normal skull. Notice that this head is loose on the MASTERVERSE peg.
Perhaps Black Falcon is telling his carrier pigeon to go poop on Demistros‘ limo!

SHOWDOWN…WHO WILL WIN?!

First of all, you all know I am going to be unbiased…(totally)

T.U.5.C.C. Pilot drops in, ready to spray down Wal-Tor with his awesome garnet ammunition. Wal-Torr makes good use of his shield but can’t rightly aim with his pistol in the face of heavy fire.
Quickly thinking about his high school varsity level sled training, Wal-Torr bucks up with that shield and knocks T.U.5.C.C. Pilot LaNorris Sellers back.
Far outclassing his opponent in physicality and skill, our glorious garnet Gamecock is able to chin-kick the hideously colored Clemson opponent.
The Tigers are done for as Wal-Torr is unable to recover from his nimble opponent’s reverse!

Yep. I say I believe the Cosmic Legions T.U.5.C.C. Pilot is the winner here based on his paint job. Now…It is true I don’t like that Clemson orange, but the details on the Pilot really pop with shiny metallic details. I believe mostly Wal-Torr is molded in orange plastic and then washed with a darker shade, while the Pilot has attention to detail that out does him. Now I believe Wal-Torr has better accessories and more adaptability with that skull head. But the amount of variation you can get from T.U.5.C.C. Pilot is greater. The skull head is kind of puzzling, but the blue alien head is a new sculpt that resolves some of the mystery about who these aliens are. And besides. GO GAMECOCKS.

SPARTANNERD RATING OF COSMIC LEGIONS WAL-TORR THE MAD AND T.U.5.C.C. PILOT

I give both figures a 5/5. Great fun! Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments!

NOTE: On November 30, 2024, the South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the Clemson Tigers 17-14. My prediction came true!

Mythic Legions Ogre Scale Accessory Pack

I picked up the Ogre Accessory Set on the same day I ordered a Cosmic Legion (Review next week). It was on sale at Store Horsemen and at $20 I thought this might be a good way to put some more life into my ogre scale figure and even make SSKUR’GE even more like Whiplash from Masters of the Universe…well let’s see how that worked out.

But first you should read my review of Balthor the Tower Ogre, which I purchased loose, and then my review of SSKUR’GE.

PACKAGING

The Mythic Legions Ogre Scale Accessory Pack came in this flat window box, not unlike the Mythic Legions Magic Effects came in. You can see most of the contents very well. I say “most” because the hammerhead is hidden behind the title card.

The back features some artwork of a castle in a volcanic setting surrounded by ogre scale characters. The featured character appears similar to what Balthor the Tower Ogre should look like armed with most of the kit. You can also see a cyclops, which I have seen at the Toy Federation in Greer, SC, and some other big guy. Two or three smaller guys look up from below in fear. It’s a good illustration. The side of the box has some pictures…one is the title and the other features other characters from Mythic Legions, with that bear symbol being a faction. (something like “the noble bear.”

But most impressive is the backing liner of the packaging. We get the same castle from above, but without figures. So anytime I could use a fantasy lava scene or need a quick castle to photograph, the Four Horsemen provided that as a nice bonus to this product.

WHAT IS IN THE BOX?

As you continue to open it, you see it has a blister with a rectangular blank cap on top.

From left to right clockwise you get

  • Antlers
  • Weapons strap
  • Shield with an evil face
  • Double ox-headed hammerhead
  • Tusks for the shield
  • Alternate Viking horns
  • Diamond-spiked shoulder pauldrons
  • Bearded head
  • Hammer Handle

Now, this seems like a longer list than it should be. The tusks are supposed to always be on the shield, and the hammerhead should be on the handle always.

The hammerhead…OK I had seen pictures online, but I didn’t really realize what it was until I had it in hand. I thought it was just some kind of furry thing or giant blocks with moss hanging off or something. Nope. MOO. Gruesome MOO. And there is something evil about this too. It almost seems to be an altar of some kind. It has the ball joint so that other standard size heads can fit on the top of it, reinforcing my point.

SO HOW IS IT?

Here is Balthor with the alternate head and antlers, wielding the hammer. I can’t for the life of me get those paudrons on him properly. The antler gets in the way, or the armor straps get in the way.

The Antlers are very impressive! These are “moose” type of antlers, and were a big draw to me getting this set.

PICTURED: Balthor the Tower Ogre armed with the Mythic Legions Ogre Scale Accessory Pack. He is holding MASTERVERSE Revolution Sorceress Teela.

I decided to try something different. Let’s remove the Balthor armor and replace it with the weapons strap. Then put the pauldrons on. So we have another problem then. The pegs that are supposed to go into the holes on his back are too big. I mean…that’s just it. I can barely get them in. The way I accomplished this photo was: Head off first. Remove armor second. Put on strap third. JAM THOSE PALDRONS AS HARD AS I COULD fourth. Get the hammer in the strap fifth. Put pauldron that fell off sixth. Loosely put head on last.

He was standing OK, so I thought I would see how far I could take it with a classic barbarian-holding-woman trope. I seriously thought it would tip over when I put that piece of dress on his left hand.

The Pauldrons are very heavy, and hammer is also very heavy.

So what about SKKUR’GE?

If you remember, SKURR’GE had some plugs on his back covering some holes to add wings, etc. I took those out, but the recesses are too deep for the pauldrons to fit properly. Too bad, because he looks awesome with them on. (They are just sitting loose.)

The shield is another matter. The handle is just like the other Mythic Legions shields we have. It has a handle that fits in the figure’s gripping hand. This handle pegs on the back of the shield, and here is the first problem. It is very loose. It always wants to let go. And the tusks…the left side doesn’t want to stay on. (You can see in the illustration on the box that the tusks are supposed to face outwards.) I think this shield is the goofiest thing. That face…it’s kind of “doopid.” And honestly was one of the reasons I never purchased this until it was marked down.

As for the weight of all this, SSKUR’GE already is a very heavy boy. His tail takes a lot of burden off of the leg joints. Adding this stuff starts to tip the balance forward from where it needs to be.

WHO WINS? I think Balthor swings the hammer down but it is met with the shield. Whiplash slides the shield up and presses forwards with the tusks, knocking Balthor back. In the same motion his tail crushes in on his bare arm.

I find that the tusks work better if you reverse them, which looks fine, actually even if it wasn’t the intended way.

THE MOST CHALLENGING THING

PICTURED: Balthor the Tower Ogre armed with the Mythic Legions Ogre Accessory Pack and a kit bash Conan made of Masters of the Universe Classics Vikor body, Battle of the Mounds Conan neutral head, MOTUC Vykron axe, and a Mythic Legions silver spear.

The picture shown here took forever to accomplish. Balthor kept falling over. The hammer is so heavy and his wrist joints are loose. (This is an old figure…well cared for but also worn). That head is barely on and necessarily turned to accommodate the pauldrons. Only one pauldron would work, and notice I used the more boring Viking horns. The shield kept falling apart, either off of the handle or the tusks would fall. And remember, stuff falling off or weight shifting pretty much caused the figure to fall over. I posed Balthor armed with as much of the accessory pack as I could for about twenty minutes. I got him where I wanted him, and then set Conan up there, and this element caused him to fall over AGAIN!

SPARTANNERD’S RATING OF THE MYTHIC LEGIONS OGRE SCALE ACCESSORY KIT

Mythic Legions is solid stuff. Really…the figures all have heft to them. And the modularity of them, where parts can be swapped in scale just adds a whole other element. And that this is a generic kind of story…it goes great for any fantasy property. Pair it with Cosmic Legions and you can have that sword-and-sorcery-sci-fi world complimentary to Masters of the Universe.

I’m saying all of this glowing stuff because the weaknesses of the Ogre Scale Accessory Pack take some of the joy out out it. You don’t want to spend fifteen minutes arming a figure and then it being too heavy to support your work. You don’t want your display, set up awesomely in your nerd closet to be knocked over because your Balthor or SSKUR’GE figure couldn’t bear the weight of its armor and balance at the same time. It shouldn’t take thirty minutes to get a photo.

The moose antlers are cool. It is good to have some alternate Viking horns. That hammer is gruesome, and I don’t know if that is a good thing. The pauldrons would be awesome if the pegs would fit in the holes. The armor strap is versatile and can be used in lots of other places with other figures. The shield…(face palm). No really FACE PALM. I really like the bearded head, but I wish it had eyes painted in. (My same complaint with Balthor’s original head…it looks like Batman). The backdrop was a very enjoyable bonus.

I am awarding this set a 2/5. I bought this on some type of clearance sale at storehorsemen for $20, making this just about the least expensive item in Mythic Legions. And I see why, now that I have it. I will use it…in fact the pauldrons really do it for me in displaying SSKUR’GE. They do make him look even more like Whiplash, and that was enough for my $20.

Do you agree or disagree, Hub City Geeks? Let me know in the comments!

Mythic Legions Gold Knight II Legion Builder- SpartanNerd Unboxing and Review

The Store Horsemen had a sale, where some of their overstock was put up with the special “flat shipping” deal. I pretty much only purchased this, however. Almost the cheapest thing they had. But that gold paint was pretty irresistible.

The front of the box…yep. A Mythic Legions box. (They are pretty much all the same.)

But the back is an image I had not seen before. We have this cyclops leading a band of giants. And wouldn’t you know there is a cyclops figure advertised on the left side. He looks pretty cool also.

Here is a little story on the side.

I have two legion builders skeletons, both of different builds. So this is my first knight legion builder. But I DID order the blue knight, who might ship at the beginning of 2025. That guy comes with a ton of accessories, alternate heads, and so much more. He was pricier, but worth it. (I expect anyway.)

WHAT DO YOU GET IN THE BOX

  • Gold Knight figure
  • Alternate head
  • Weapons strap
  • Sword
  • Spear
  • Shield

Let me point out that this is the most boring gold knight you could possibly have, and that’s the point.

PICTURED: Gold Knight Legion Builder and Sir Godfrey.

You can see from this picture what I mean. Sir Godfrey…well he is an obvious Knight Templar. I mean, there are three crosses in a row (Helmet, shirt, and shield.). And he has gold details over his terrific chrome paint. While Gold Knight Legion Builder doesn’t even have a design on his shield. But he IS brilliant gold.

ARTICULATION

This is the same figure as Sir Godfrey, but with different paint, and a spear. I am totally tempted to add some paint. And maybe I will one day when it snows or something.

But he is totally posable, and his parts are completely swappable. For display, I am using the round helmet to differentiate these two guys.

PICTURED: Do I really have to name these guys?

I was able to get the Animal Warriors of the Kingdom sword to fit in his hand. That is a pretty thick handle, but his hands are pliable and I don’t feel like I was stretching it. SO MUCH GOLD!

I think this is the third blog entry that I have used this photo. (Cosmic Legions SKURR’GE). But a fight against a giant dragon thing is the perfect setting for two knights.

SPARTANNERD RATING OF MYTHIC LEGIONS GOLD KNIGHT II LEGION BUILDER

I got what I paid for. Sir Godfrey with gold finish and less paint apps. He is meant to be customized. I look forward to doing something with that shield. I look forward to adding rusty colors and battle damage. That is where the fun is. Will I get more knights? Well I keep getting tempted to pick up the black Knight Templar. Maybe I will one day.

SpartanNerd’s rating of Mythic Legions Gold Knight II Legion Builder is 5/5. So much hope for the future here. Hope for fun and photos. Hope for variety and options. and another piece of my barbaric force.

Conan Battle of the Mounds

Another one of those orders that took SO LONG. I ordered the Super7 Ultimates! Conan Battle of the Mounds set in March of 2023. And I received it right at the beginning of August 2024

And now it is the last day of September. It has taken me so long because so much drama in life. And we can cap that off with a Hurricane Helene. Regardless I am blessed. Read my review to escape the gloom and doom. (But not the Thulsa Doom.)

There are four figures in all: Conan, Subotai, Valeria (Spirit), and Thulsa Doom.

PACKAGING

You can see a review of the packaging if you click this link.

The front packaging is a nice window box where you can see every figure. There is no slip cover with these, which is different from the others that I have. There is a little bio on the back.

So we didn’t get more torches as a background…instead this bonfire behind each figure. At first glance I thought this was strictly worse. Imagine lining up those torches in a row to create a “hallway.” But actually this bonfire can be pretty useful…I have already found some creative ways to use it. So … Cool!

PICTURED: Mythic Legions Gold Knight Legion Builder (Review coming soon,) Sir Godfrey, and Cosmic Legions SSKUR’GE. This little scene is made of different packaging pieces…the fire adds some chaos. I’ll use these figures again later in the review.

I have taken some spicy pics, but for this review I am using very basic props, so you can have a fair look. In some of my prettier pictures, I am using the alternate “bloody” weapons from the exclusive super pack that you received when you ordered all of these as a set.

CONAN

First, Conan. Here is the figure with all you get in the box.

Conan comes with:

  • Conan figure
  • Scabbard for Atlantean Sword
  • Atlantean Sword
  • Battle Axe, as seen in the movie
  • Alternate, unhelmeted, neutral head sculpt.
  • Alternate hands..gripping and open.
  • Eye of the Serpent necklace

I have King Conan to compare him to. This is a classic, less costumed design as it was of the 20-something year old Arnold Schwarzenegger with his natural face. And it does indeed capture the likeness. As presented, they are two different characters. Obviously the king is old, wise, grizzled, and wizened. This is youthful arena champion-turned adventurer Conan. He is out for revenge against the cult of Set.

PICTURED: Super7 Ulimates! King Conan with Throne of Acquilonia, Super7 Ultimates! Battle of the Mounds Conan, and Masters of the Universe Classics Vikor with the alternate Battle of the Mounds head. All three are armed with a different version of The Atlantean Sword.

There is a little problem with the armor…See that button on the right shoulder? That is a rubber plug that connects the shoulder pauldron to the tunic. It might have supposed to have been glued…unsure. But it comes out, and it is difficult to get it to stay in. I’ve had to use the hairdryer.

PICTURED: Super7 Ultimates Battle of the Mounds Conan with bloodied axe, and Super7 Ultimates! “Timber” from Snake Eyes. You can see that berserker Conan here has a hole in his armor where that pauldron plugs in. In the movie, a pack of wolves attack him. Next scene, he has fur all over his armor…

The berserker/maurauder head is insane, but I prefer the more relaxed unhelmeted head.

All of the articulation is what you would expect, and furthermore if you could remove the armor, I am certain you would just have Masters of the Universe Classics Vikor’s torso buck underneath. The hair does hinder the head movement some.

Though the Atlantean Sword is huge in the movie, I believe this rendition with all of these figures is just too big to be an accurate recreation. You can see that there is better paint on this version than the version that came with the king. I haven’t had any paint chip off of the hilts in this set (yet)

THULSA DOOM

I am writing this just one week after James Earl Jones passed away. Sad stuff. He was a great actor…he contributed so much to everything he did, from Thulsa Doom to Mufasa to Darth Vader to The Sandlot. And in this movie he was a very terrifying villain if you like Conan the Barbarian at all. All of these worshippers…he had them completely hypnotized. And that he could change into a snake was a cool power. I know it was the 1980’s, but this was an underused power in the movie.

Here is what you get with Thulsa Doom:

  • Thulsa Doom figure with removable cape.
  • Alternate head sculpt capturing Thulsa’s awesome battle helmet
  • Twin daggers
  • The ceremonial snake “Fangs of the Serpent” Dagger
  • A bow with a snake arrow.
  • Alternate hands…fists and praying hands.

This sculpt looks just like James Earl Jones. Really, the likeness to the look of the character in the movie is remarkable. Just like Conan, you have identical articulation that is restricted by the head sculpt only. Very likely also Vikor’s buck with some armor sculped and glued over. This cape is an improvement on what we saw on King Conan. It has Velcro straps that reach around.

I think the helmeted head is over-the-top. I wish we had a curly snake. In the movie he takes the normal snake and stretches it into this arrow with the instructions “seek.” It becomes a homing arrow. Unfortunately, you can’t get him into a proper archery pose. Like most figures nowadays that have bows and arrows, he can’t properly “knock” the arrow. Check out the back of the cape.

The Fangs of the Serpent knife is very detailed and welcome, though I am uncertain he ever actually uses it in the movie. If I remember right, it is the king who hires them to save his daughter that has it.

SUBOTAI

If you ever read any Conan the Barbarian comics, he is usually paired with someone weaker but smarter. In this movie that is Subotai.

Here’s what Subotai comes with:

  • Subotai figure
  • Alternate head with a different expression
  • Spear
  • Short sword with a scabbard
  • Bow with arrow
  • Alternate hands with…wait for it…separations in the fingers so you can “attempt” a proper arrow pose.

This buck is different, and I looked to see who I have that might share it. I believe Ultimates! Snake Eyes from GI Joe has this same torso. It is smaller, skinnier as to be expected with no ab crunch.

Once again, this head sculpt looks like the actor and the character. (Gerry Lopez-he is also a professional surfer!)

Perhaps of the four, this is my least favorite. But it is good variety, and I wish I had the monk guy, and also Thorgrim, (this figure costs a ton at this point). And now an admission from the SpartanNerd. I got so frustrated trying to get Subotai into an arrow pose, I didn’t even try with Thulsa Doom. 😦

PICTURED: Super7 Ultimates! Battle of the Mouinds Conan and Subotai with MASTERVERSE New Eternia Snout Spout. There is a classic Robert E. Howard story, the Tower of the Elephant, or something like that. So here is a remix of that.

VALERIA (Spirit)

Valeria isn’t even named in the movie, only the credits. But she is truly the driver of this story about a slave who finds freedom. She has her own type of slavery to be free of.

This is the perfect portrait of Sandahl Bergman. I’m sure Arnold and the estate of James Earl Jones don’t need this NIL money so much, but I hope this figure bankrolls Sandahl and Gerry. Especially Sandahl, who was such an underused actress after this terrific performance. Enough glowing…get to it SpartanNerd! Of these four figures, Valeria is my favorite to photograph!

But we don’t get much with this figure. And readers of the blog know that this really bothers the SpartanNerd.

With Valeria we get…

  • A slender, curved sword, like she wields in her final scene.
  • Alternate hands. There are gripping and fists. (She came with princess wave hands displayed).

And that’s it. 😦

We could have got The Eye of the Serpent necklace that she and Conan stole. (But Conan from this same set came with that…)

We could have got…really all kinds of accessories. But we got just the basics. To be fair, this is what she used in the scene where she returns as a Valkyrie to save Conan, and this is what she was wearing.

So…some sort-of uncomfortable things to talk about…

To preserve her side hip profile, which is obviously a panty-less lady barbarian, there is a ”split” in the skirt piece on her leotard. This is left unpainted, but you can see the joint seams, and that isn’t very flattering.

(OK…she has silver-painted under there. I know someone was wondering. Reverend SpartanNerd condemns thee!) But on the side profile, what could be the most attractive curve on the figure…the way this breaks up the sculpt doesn’t do it for me.

The articulation is very good, and she can turn her head but you have to move her locks over. These shoulder pauldrons are glued on, and her straps are painted details. That she is chrome silver is very nice.

PICTURED: Super7 Ultimates Valeria (Spirit) and Mythic Legions Sir Godfrey. Both have brilliant chrome paint.

I think Sandahl is actually taller than this figure portrays. Probably to accommodate those ridiculous wings on top of the helmet (AWESOME!), they made the figure just a tad shorter. Below I am showing off the Masters of the Universe Classics Battleground Teela along with Valeria (Spirit,) and I think they have made her shorter. Wouldn’t this figure technically be the 5.0 MOTUC figure?

The Snake Dagger is perfect with the Teela, Warrior Goddess outfit.

Actually, I think they are the same basic body. So maybe not. Maybe just the MOTUC scale is actually too small to properly capture Sandahl’s height. (I am using the MASTERVERSE Revelation Teela’s alternate hair’s-down head, as I usually do. No, it doesn’t fit snugly)

BATTLE OF THE MOUNDS BLOODY WEAPONS SUPER PACK

Here’s what you get with this exclusive pack:

  • Conan Broken Father Sword
  • Conan Atlantean Sword (Bloody)
  • Subotai Spear (Bloody)
  • Subotai Arrow (Bloody)
  • Thulsa Doom Fangs of the Serpent Dagger (Bloody)
  • Subotai Sword (Bloody)
  • Valeria Sword (bloody)
  • Conan Axe (Bloody)
  • Conan Father Sword
Don’t these guys just look better armed with these weapons!

Conan’s father’s sword, along with the father’s half-sword he uses when he defeats Thulsa Doom at the end of the movie… I believe this is the only way to get these two weapons. Conan’s father’s sword is even bigger than the Atlantean sword.

PICTURED: Super7 Ultimates! Thulsa Doom armed with Conan’s Father Sword. he is on the MASTERVERSE New Eternia Bone Throne. If someone besides Skeletor would sit there, it would be Thulsa Doom or King Hiss.
SPOILER ALERT. This is how the movie ends.

SPARTANNERD’S RATING OF THE BATTLE OF THE MOUNDS SET

How should I even do this? As a set, it is a perfect 5/5…it leaves me wanting more, like Thorgrim and the monk guy. Isn’t there another barbarian thug on Thulsa’s team? I think so. I want those guys. As a set, 5/5.

Here is my rating of each part of the set.

Conan– 4/5. The armor strap button is a problem. You can see how loose it is even in these pictures.

Thulsa Doom– 5/5. James Earl Jones is honored very well with this figure.

Subotai– 4/5. even though he has that notched finger, it is still pretty hard to get him to pull off an archers pose.

Valeria (Spirit)– The sculpt and the paint carries this one. 5/5…my favorite to photograph. Though there are some unsightly seams on the hips and not many accessories.

Bloodied Weapons Super Pack– 5/5. How useful are these?! See above…the snake witches knife goes perfect with Teela in her cobra snake armor. As far as I know, we never had Conan’s father’s sword. The other weapons are the same that came with the other figures, but with blood. How can that be worse than plain?

So do you agree, or disagree, Hub City Geeks? This time Super7 didn’t ask me to apply for their affiliate program. Either way, these figures are excellent, and I highly recommend them if you like Conan the Barbarian or just barbarians in general.