Four Horsemen In-Stock sale Legions haul…SpartanNerd Review.

Find a YouTube video review here!

PICTURED: Cosmic Legions Cosmic Ladies head pack, Cosmic Legions Kalian Shunn, Cosmic Legions Zeerian Spyre, and Mythic Legions spare barbarian parts.

Four Horsemen Studios had a storehorsemen “in stock” sale…a situation where really they offer flat-rate shipping more than discounts. Still, they open the vaults, and this time they offered something a little special different. “The Cosmic Legions Cosmic Ladies Character Pack.” (I find this to be a genius way for them to do a clearance sale). My order took almost all of the four weeks to arrive…that hasn’t been usual for the greatest action figure makers in the 6-inch scale. I decided to pick that Cosmic Ladies Character Pack up, and went ahead and got Kalian Shunn and the Barbarian Spare Parts. So I am going to discuss the entire haul and offer a rating of the two Cosmic Legions figures. (My rating system is based on sculpt, paint, articulation, accessories, and the intangible “feels” point..why did I want it…and what does it represent to me).

BARBARIAN SPARE PARTS

So this is the most unceremonious thing I have bought from the Four Horsemen. They shipped them in a poly bag.

The Barbarian Spare parts on my project table. Already looks like a battlefield.

It is what it is. A torso, parts for an upper thigh, and parts for upper arms. I have had experience with the thigh…longtime readers will know that Kannox Vull’s stump leg broke immediately out of the package, and I had the Horsemen send me a replacement part. They only sent the lower thigh…not the thigh-cut joint. So I had to extract that from the old stump and that was SO DIFFICULT. Seriously…I almost cannibalized the Warrior Beast Head Hunter figure…I would have just had to paint his thigh purple.

But now I have spare parts for such mishaps. I will probably use them to customize…I might even add some red sharpie for…you know…blood! (These are of the same complexion as the Legendary Barbarian).

COSMIC LADIES CHARACTER PACK and KALIAN SHUNN

This came as two packages…I expected that because I have purchased head-packs before when they did a similar thing earlier in the year. (I got the blue snake heads and the alien heads, but I didn’t get the character packs that are actually still available). Basically, I would have never picked up the Zeerian Spyre (Zeeri) as she is such a plain character. Actually, I thought, and probably many other fans also believed this to be a “legion builder,” after all, the title Zeerian Spyre kind of sounds like a race name followed by an occupation. Which is probably why she has wound up in this kind of clearance sale. The two heads, which I apologize for the glare, these are Barbie heads in Caucasian and African-American style. With these heads I should be able to make lots of different female builds, and that is the draw of paying $40 for this set.

Kalian Shunn (Kailey) comes in a similar kind of box. This is one that appeals to me because of the colors. I have almost picked this up at a toy store a few times, but never felt it was worth a $70 price tag. So I always put it back…if I am going to spend $70, it better be something substantially good for certain. Usually I was looking for something else that they didn’t have. But during this sale she was only $34, and so I went ahead and got it, taking advantage of that lower shipping cost as well.

I won’t bore you with photos of the backs and sides…basically they both have bio information and a description of the “wave” of figures, in font that I can’t read. It is best to just go to the Horsemen’s website. The backs of the packages show off a cross-sell of other Cosmic legions, and I believe Zeeri was from wave 1, while Kailey was from a later wave. (You can tell because all of the available Cosmic Legions are on the back. My photos were all burry 😦 … I really need a new iPhone)

What do you get in the packages?

Zeerian Spyre

  • Zeerian Spyre (Zeeri) figure
  • four translucent peg pieces
  • a pair of alternate hands.
  • a hologram
  • a pair of pistols
  • a sniper rifle
  • a cloak
  • a re-breather
  • an alternate head with a different hairstyle

I can’t go any further without discussing the alternate heads. I think a couple of photos will tell the story.

PICTURED: Ne’ve’ with the Cosmic Ladies blonde head on the Masters of the Universe Chronicles movie Battle Cat. Notice the 1987 Movie Masterverse figures I have in the background with my vintage storybook collection…AND…that popcorn bag I bought at the Mandalorian and Grogu last week!
PICTURED: Cosmic Legions T.U.5.C.C. Pilot with the Cosmic Ladies alternate head. With the terrible 1987 Movie Beast Man figure partially shown, Dolph Lundgren-ish He-Man, and Frank Langella Skeletor. She fights Meg Foster’s Evil-lyn over the Cosmic Key.

In case you can’t tell, I’m ultra excited about the movie coming out next week! And I DID get a preview ticket! So I will see it Wednesday, and have a review ready for Friday!

So these alternate heads just add a lot of value, and they look great on Zeeri…more photos ahead.

Kalian Shunn

  • Kalian Shunn (Kailey) figure
  • four translucent peg pieces
  • a pair of alternate hands
  • a shoulder pauldron
  • a weapons strap or belt
  • a high-powered laser rifle
  • a rocket
  • a pistol
  • a bo staff
  • a cloak
  • an alternate helmeted head

It seems kind of humble after that above showing of what is included, doesn’t it. But really, as a basic figure, Kailey has more stuff than Zeeri…I just paid out for an upgrade.

Figure Reviews

One big thing to say…these are almost identical figures as far as sculpt and articulation. Kailey is a later repaint of Zeeri. And that tells this story.

PICTURED: Cosmic Legions Zeerian Spyre with a basic setup. Of all the photos I took today, I think this is my favorite.
PICTURED: Cosmic Legions Kalian Shunn with a basic setup.

Besides the obvious difference in the heads, they have different lower legs and shoes. And really that is about it. It is notable, and perhaps unforgivable, that Kailey has to wear a dress. She has a socket on the front of her waist that the Horsemen did not give us a part for. This is the only time I have seen this…for instance even the Figura Obscura Father Christmas, who has a similar body underneath all of that Christmas robe, has a loin-cloth piece to plug in there. You can see why I wanted this figure…she looks great, with a cool color scheme. But the more I messed with it, the more I realized that this was the Horsemen geniusly maximizing their value out of the already percolating on-the-shelf Zeerian sculpt.

PICTURED: Cosmic Legions Kalian Shunn vs. GI Joe Classified Series Jinx. Both with their bo staves. BUT…Jinx has a “naginata” or bladed staff, while Kailey’s is probably some kind of energy weapon.

Even that belt…it is the same. I was almost fooled! About an hour of taking pictures and video, and I started to realize it. Something else…in the photo above, you can see the alternate masked head. (You can remove that orange part on the crown, but underneath isn’t much to look at). Without the cape, you have a bare orange neck that just seems wrong. There should have been a blue neck peg or some kind of collar piece to hide the neck peg. Instead they gave us this hood that doesn’t work with the default head. Furthermore, she has a bare orange arm, limiting the head-swapping action to other orange or at least alien heads.

Because of this parts re-use, they have identical articulation…except for one thing. Kailey’s hair is so stiff that her head can’t move. AND, because of the shoulder pauldron and that hair, her right arm is limited range too! Big issues with Kalian Shunn. Otherwise, the articulation is at every joint. Mythic Legions, Cosmic Legions, and related lines use pop-and-swap to where getting new parts is actually a point of collection for some people, especially customizers. For what it’s worth, I find the parts collection of Horsemen figures to be WAY COOLER than Legos.

Accessories

Both of these figures really shine in the accessory department. And you know the SpartanNerd hates it when figures don’t come with much. (Evil-Lyn is notorious for coming with nothing…Why Mattel)?!

PICTURED: GI Joe Classified Series Shooter and Cosmic Legions Zeerian Spyre with one of the Cosmic Ladies alternate heads.

The sniper rifle that Zeeri came with is really great! Notice that I have slotted one of those pegs in the side as a power source or ammo source. With that head and the sniper rifle, we now have a comparable Legions figure to GI Joe Classified Series Shooter. And now I have some guidance on how to paint Shooter’s rifle in my Summer Break free time.

PICTURED: Cosmic Legions Kalian Shunn and MASTERVERSE New Eternia Man-At-Arms, armed with MOTUC 200x arm cannon.

I have this Kailey’s high-powered laser in other colors…this time it is painted terrifically, giving me ideas on how to improve my others. I didn’t even realize that she came with a wrist-rocket. You can attach this piece to the side of the gun as well.

These people are so fun to photograph it is hard not to just “run rabbits.” So here is some fun.

PICTURED: Left to right…Cosmic Legions Walthor the Mad with Cosmic Legions Greyborn alternate head from another character pack, Cosmic Legions T.U.5.C.C. Pilot, MASTERVERSE New Eternia Mosquitor, Cosmic Legions Kalian Shunn, Cosmic Legions Anthophilees, and Cosmic Legions Kalian Shunn.
PICTURED: Cosmic Legions Kannox Vull and Cosmic Legions Zeerian Spire with one of the Cosmic Legions Cosmic Ladies character pack heads. I also didn’t realize until late in the photographing that the blonde head is the exact same as Kalian Shunn’s head, making it even more frustrating that she has a bare orange arm. Dialogue for this photo “Baby Yoda is MY quarry!”
PICTURED: Cosmic Legions Anthophilees and Cosmic Legions Kalian Shunn discuss how to disarm the trap meant for Heatboys Donatello’s pet turtle drone. See how those heads are the same?

This is the same photo as earlier, take away the non-legions figures. The space men are 1.0 figures, while the ladies are considered 2.0 figures. I am not an expert on this, but basically in the past two years the Four Horsemen have added this 2.0 design for smaller figures like elves, but also ladies. But notice one of the first pictures I have…Ne’ve’ is a recent lady figure, and she is a 1.0. A heavier build than these two. One of the most obvious improvements with 2.0 is the neck peg, as opposed to a ball joint that is permanently attached to the torso. (See the barbarian parts above)

SPARTANNERD RATING OF COSMIC LADIES CHARACTER PACK AND KALIAN SHUNN

Well, both of these basic figures are 85% the same sculpt. And this is a good sculpt and design. However the cutting of corners that the Four Horsemen used to make Kalian Shunn…she is mostly a repaint with a different head. This feels like a strike against that figure. On the other hand, Zeerian Spyre is a humble paint job. That figure by itself feels a little less spectacular than Kalian Shunn. But that isn’t the full story, is it. The two additional heads that can make two completely different feeling figures, and that is where the strength is found in the Zeerian Spyre. But the fact that the Cosmic Legions/Mythic Legions/Figura Obscura/Infinite Legions build system is so modular and poppable-swappable means that the selection of character heads offered as a character pack with Zeeri makes it something extra special. Zeeri wouldn’t have the feels point if it weren’t for the option of the character pack…I would have never bought that figure. I considered getting Kailey several times before…(I only paid $37 during the “in Stock” sales event at store horsemen…not $70 at a local brick-and-mortar store). I guess I consider Kalie’s paint more awesome, even if that orange-ish skin-tone limits the swappability somewhat. Still…that hood covering up this problem is kind of a janky solution. And this is the only figure out of all of the legions that I own that has to wear a dress…she wasn’t given a piece to cover her front waist. You have no head articulation using the default head, and her right shoulder is also very limited, especially with the pauldron attached.

Breaking down the points, The Cosmic Legions Ladies set with Zeerian Spyre gets 5/5, while Kalian Shunn gets 3/5.

Cosmic Ladies/ Zeerian SpyreKalian Shunn
Sculpt- 1
Paint- 1
Articulation-1
Accessories-1
Feels point-1

Sculpt- 0
Paint- 1
Articulation-0
Accessories-1
Feels point-1

It’s just too hard for even a “legendary creature” kind of figure like Kalian Shuun to overcome the additional power of what is really three alternate heads. You have so many options. Kalian Shunn isn’t a bad figure…she just doesn’t measure up to what she is cracked up to be. Kind of like Kannox Vull turned out. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments!

New Eternia Whiplash- SpartanNerd Review

Click here to see the video version of this review

When I first began to collect MASTERVERSE figures, this one was…around. I saw Whiplash, but was determined to save my money for Masters of the Universe Mega Blocks. Well…we all know how this turned out. The MEGA went away. And one fateful day at Target, I picked up 40 anniversary He-Man and became sort of ravenous for MASTERVERSE figures. I started cherry picking the ones I wanted, of course. No Sun Man…no Netflix CGI figures. None of those. I wanted to recollect my childhood figures.

There weren’t that many of them out there, though. And suddenly I remembered passing up on all of those times I saw Whiplash at Walmart or wherever. So I went to order it online, only to have my order canceled. Ultimately looking at pictures on the internet, etc. he looked really scrawny. And they always show him with a horned helmet and holding a torch…kind of wacky. Then I saw the Cosmic Legions SSKURGGE at the Toy Federation in Greer, and decided this was a better Whiplash figure. I thought I might find a better head somewhere or even have a custom made. (All of the people I contacted about making a custom for this declined, not wanting to work in the Ogre scale.)

But here we are. At the apparent end of MASTERVERSE in the wake of the upcoming Masters of the Universe The Movie. And at the SCMEA (South Carolina Music Educators Conference) that happens in Columbia, SC, I visited LT Toys and Games where they had this on the shelf. I might have seen this sometime in the past three years before, but this time I got it along with GI Joe Classified Series Beach Head. (I ALSO saw Combiner Wars Thundercracker but passed on that…more to come!)

(Both links above refer to Todd Venture videos)

After having the figure in hand, do I have better feelings about it?

PACKAGING

PICTURED: New Eternia Whiplash in box. this box shows evidence of damage. Also we can see recently reviewed figures, Mythic Legions Terpiculi, Transformers Studio Series Soundwave, and GI Joe Classified Series Retro Cardback Beach Head.

MASTERVERSE New Eternia Whiplash comes in the sporty original packaging that the early run of figures used. It has blue a blue window with little call-outs to various Masters of the Universe elements in faded graphics. You can see the figure very well in the window. Unfortunately, there are signs that this Whiplash has been opened before. The cardboard shows some damage and the tape isn’t factory. And also, the crease in the window of the box is cracked. And on opening it, it became apparent that the figure has been at least partially removed. The little ties were loose and the blister was crumpled. But there are more details about this package to cover. You can see the figure inside, but also can see that the weapon appears to be dislodged.

There is artwork on the side depicting the classic appearance of Whiplash…important because this tells us that that helmet is removable!

The back shows Whiplash in New Eternia action with excellent art that reminds me of the art we got with the New Eternia Clawful, which is to say…awesome stuff that the line has been lacking for a few years. The bio reminds us that Whiplash is of the Caligar race, but also gives us a new dimension know as “The Demon Zone.”

The cross sell art shows Mer-Man, Grizzlor, Buzz Off, and Faker. I have all of these figures other than Grizzlier, who I don’t want. They didn’t do him right by not giving him rooted fur.

FIGURE REVIEW

What do you get in the package?

  • Whiplash Figure
  • Torch
  • Spear
  • Axe
  • Punching hands

NOW….he comes with the armor on default from the package. But in my mind, these are technically accessories…I won’t be displaying him with these much. The armor is typical Skeletor type of stuff in purple and blue, but has brown straps. There is a gold belt with purple “stille” (probably misspelled) hanging down. And then there is the helmet, which looks cool and fresh, but is thankfully removable. OK…one more thing. The tail isn’t an accessory, though it is packed away from the figure. You assemble this into the octagonal hole beneath the already installed backpack looking piece of tail hanging from his shoulders.

FIGURE REVIEW

As a figure, my example is very loose. Usually figures are stiff when taken out of a package. More evidence that this specific Whiplash figure has been out of the box already and played with. Important. By design, his legs can’t extend out straight. Mattel wanted him to remain in a squat stance by default evidently. But I am going to count this as a stupid problem. Other figures in this scale can extend their legs out. It makes it seem wrong and a person could try and force it on Whiplash and wind up breaking something.

PICTURED: The Bounty Hunters. MASTERVERSE New Eternia Two Bad, Trap Jaw, and Whiplash. Cosmic Legions Kannox Vull. MASTERVERSE 1987 Movie Beast Man, MASTERVERSE Revelation Triclops and Stinkor (armed with AWOK shotgun). Find all of these reviewed at SpartanNerd.com

The tail is made of a heavy rubber material, and I don’t know how much abuse it could take or if it will break down over time. It IS posable, but also stiff enough that you feel like you could overdo it.

PICTURED: MASTERVERSE 1987 Movie He-Man and Evil-Lyn, with New Eternia Whiplash

This tail is a balance point, just the same way that the tail of a real animal is sometimes used. Whiplash has big, flat feet, and this is helpful, but that tail really makes it work. You can prop him up with it, or use it to counterbalance.

PICTURED: MASTERVERSE New Eternia Terror Claws Skeletor and Whiplash fight against Thunder Punch He-Man.

Whiplash’s sculpt is very nice. but his paint is lacking except for in his face and on his armor. In the above photo I have him fighting Thunder Punch He-Man with his own raised fists. And Terror Claws Skeletor has his hilarious claws read also.

PICTURED: Mythic Legions Ninian Infantry and MASTERVERSE New Eternia Whiplash

You can see a real quality difference between the Masterverse figure with a lower price point, and the Mythic Legions figure with a higher. The paint and sculpt on the Ninian Infantry soldier is just incredible, making Whiplash’s seem to be $30 less of value 🙂 I wanted to use this example because of the tail. the Mythic Legions tail is more bendable. But I have also broken one of these snake guys’ tail off. There won’t be any danger of that happening with Whiplash.

Whiplash’s colors could be worse.

Yes. You can remove the fire from the torch. PICTURED: Masterverse New Eternia Moss Man and Whiplash. Both menacing green extreme. But Moss Man is so DRAB. Whiplash has accomplished it with style!

A BIG COMPARISON

So, as I mentioned above, I already have had a Whiplash figure…I should say “Whiplash” figure.

PICTURED: Cosmic Legions SSKURGGE and MASTERVERSE New Eternia Whiplash.

So, once again…the Mythic (Cosmic) Legions is clearly MORE incredible than the MASTERVERSE figure. We have to set that aside, however and be subjective for one. SSKURGGE is not the same person as Whiplash. And this is a real difference. He isn’t “The Real Slim Shady,) only a copycat. You should watch my video as I do headswaps and get cracked up…it is pretty funny. Otherwise, these guys are the exact same colors of green. (Find the review of SSKURGGE here).

WHAT DOES HE ADD TO THE COLLECTION

I mean…He’s Whiplash. An essential character!

A great bounty hunter…look as he and Cosmic Legions Kannox Vull bring in GI Joe Classified Series Zarana on Cybertron.

PICTURED: Cosmic Legions Kannox Vull, GI Joe Classified Series Zarana, and MASTERVERSE New Eternia Whiplash

He belongs with a certain trope of characters.

SPARTANNERD RATING OF MASTERVERSE NEW ETERNIA WHIPLASH

PICTURED: MASTERVERSE New Eternia Whiplash, Vintage Masters of the Universe Whiplash, and 200x Masters of the Universe Whiplash.

Above is my original whiplash toy. As a kid I had countless hours playing with this. So he doesn’t have a tail anymore 😦 I picked up the 200x version right before I got SSKURRGE. Whiplash gets the feels point all day because of who he is.

I don’t think he is as good as the Cosmic Legions KO version. But then we are really comparing wildly different things that are just in the same color scheme.

I am awarding MASTERVERSE New Eternia Whiplash 4/5. My logic for the lost point…his paint could be better, and his articulation is strange. I feel like the knee issue is a stupid problem especially, and one that is “baked in.”

He has been a blast to play with…way more fun than Thunder Punch He-Man or Moss Man in this same blog review. And there is a nostalgia factor that is also present that I love.

THE SPARTANNERD RATES WHIPLASH A 4/5…do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments!