Tag Archives: Skeletor

Mythic Legions Ninian Infantry

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Watch the YouTube unboxing review HERE

When I saw these guys…I immediately bought TWO. I had been gifted some money for Christmas, and I spent it on a bunch of figures. I thought this was so good I had to get more than one.

Evidently, this was offered at Legions Con, as a preview for a big pre-order set coming up. A set with a story about thousands of years before the main story of Mythic Legions…(which I don’t know much about anyway).

So why was it so great? Keep reading!

PACKAGING

I took some photos and videos at home while I was sick, and some when I was on a trip in early February to the SCMEA convention in Columbia, SC. The hotel had a nice office area and also a good table with a book light that made for a terrific spotlight! (See New Eternia Evil-Lyn on the runway!)

So we get this blister. And it looks really cramped. It doesn’t help that the plastic collector friendly case is very reflective.

We get a lot with this figure. you can see it with the main head, an open mouth head to its left, and a spear to the right. You can see the zippy bag behind him.

But extra striking on the front of the packaging is the foiled out MYTHIC LEGIONS branding.

On the back we have this desert that we have seen before I’m pretty sure. But there is a HUGE Four Horsemen Studios symbol, also in foil.

The story of Mythic Legions is summarized in this too-small-to-read text on the back. This is all I know of the story, besides some that I have picked up from bios on the internet. This is the main way Four Horsemen Studios want you to get this story. As far as I know there is no comics or cartoons or anything, though supposedly there is a video game going to come out some time.

Let me summarize this story even more.

“Mythos has been a peaceful place, with legions of followers devoted to past heroes. There are rumors about evil forces from the past coming back to wreak havoc, and they are bringing their own dark villains to lead them.” How’s that?

On the side we get this bio for Ninian infantry. A true army-builder. You can make it who you want it to be. (I’m pretty sure this is a male…there are definite females in the Bassylia wave made available to pre-order. But as it is, it’s hard to tell with snakes.)

And “snake-men” is what the Ninian Infantry amounts to! That’s why I had to get it. No doubt MASTERVERSE will be coming out with Snake Men in 2025. Too many hints have been dropped. The packaging for Snout Spout…the even more recent packaging for Battle Armor Skeletor. They’re coming in MASTERVERSE form, no doubt. In the original MOTU line Cobra Kahn was the “harbinger,” and to me these guys fill that role as far as my collection is concerned.

WHAT DO YOU GET IN THE PACKAGE?

Package contents:

  • Ninian Infantry figure
  • Alternate open mouth head
  • Optional tail
  • Optional pauldrons
  • Spear
  • Mace
  • Shield
  • Five pairs of additional hands

Exceptional amount of things, I would say. And this guy didn’t even cost that much. Roughly the same as other “army builders.”

NINIAN INFANTRY FIGURE REVIEW

I strongly suggest using the hair dryer. I didn’t have any problems, like for instance with the Monkey King, but just be cautious. I never have been able to get the pauldrons on or the tail in properly without using a hair dryer.

He stands very well, and is super articulated. There is soft goods layered underneath the plastic armor, and it is all very complimentary.

As always, the Four Horsemen Studios have given us a terrific sculpt and such good paint. Each scale has a paint hit. And there are scales on this figure from the tip of the head to the feet. That is incredible! The design they went with is a surprising homage to the Coral Snake, a species that lives on the coast of South Carolina. Not my first thought when I think of Snake Men, but here we are! (Coral snakes are actually red, black, and yellow. BUT, these guys still make me think of them).

You can of course choose to use the tail or not to. Masters of the Unverse Snake Men don’t usually have tails. I like the tail, however. And I also prefer the fanged head.

He stands with no problems and can balance in several poses. There is a scaly “hump” on his back that you can remove to see what you usually see on the backs of Mythic Legions characters. (It’s a rectangular slot, and then the two holes are there for pegs)

ACCESSORIES

We have had the mace and the spear before, but never with this “enamel” treatment. It is like hardened, glossy paint on the business end.

PICTURED: Masterverse Revolution Sorceress Teela (I call her Green Goddess), and Mythic Legions Ninian Infantry. This image of Snake Mountain is from the recent New Eternia Panthor (review coming soon)

The shield is new, and I don’t really know which way is up. And is that a snake tail? A lizard? Well, I know what it looks like. NUMBER MUNCHER. (See there, I just out-nerded all of you!)

All those hands…this is similar to the amount of hands that came with the space version of Wal-Torr the Mad. I guess we won’t be getting too many other snake guys in these colors or something.

PROVE HOW GOOD IT IS, SPARTANNERD

This figure is so photogenic. The Meso-American styling is creative and unexpected. With snake men, my first thought is “green.” Which is pretty stupid when you think about it. Most of the Masters of the Universe snake men are fairly colorful.

The figure looks great with Evil-Lyn. Remember the 200x story, where she sold out to the Snake Men, and her payment was to be eaten by King Hiss?!! No wonder Skeletor tried to feed her to an inter-dimensional being.

PICTURED: MASTERVERSE New Eternia Evil-Lyn and Mythic Legions Ninian Infantry. Evil-Lyn is using a blue lightning magic effect, proving that those effects don’t have to be for good guys.

Ninian Infantry also goes very well with Wu Kong, the Monkey King. Similar colorfulness. And these people seem like they would be enemies. In fact, aren’t snake men everyone’s enemies.

PICTURED: Figura Obscura Sun Wu Kong the Monkey King vs. Mythic Legions Ninian Infantry.

NOPE. Thulsa Doom worships the snake god Set.

PICTURED: Mythic Legions Ninian Infantry X2, Super7 Ultimates! Battle of the Mounds Conan the Barbarian, wearing MASTERVERSE New Eternia Beast Man’s armor and wielding the bloody axe exclusive to the Battle of the Mounds set. Being sacrificed by Thulsa Doom is Valeria (Spirit), also from Battle of the Mounds. This backdrop is from the Mythic Legions Ogre Accessory set (I think)
PICTURED: Cosmic Legions Wal-Torr the Mad and T.U.5.C.C. Pilot, both with the Illuminati Ninian Infantry heads. This backdrop is an Extreme Sets piece called The Compound.

Try these heads out on the Cosmic Legions space men. The Horsemen have already offered a “character pack” using these heads with a Cosmic Legions figure also. I thought of this with the space men first, so I beat them to it! (I did pre-order these blue heads, and also some traditional alien heads.)

And let’s not forget about the packaging for Snout Spout.

PICTURED: MASTERVERSE New Eternia Snout Spout vs. Mythic Legions Ninian Infantry. The backdrop was the surprising diorama that featured King Hiss and Lady Slither, a part of Snout Spout’s packaging.

SPARTANNERD RATING OF MYTHIC LEGIONS NINIAN INFANTRY

Sculpt, terrific

Paint, unexpected and brilliant.

Accessories, perfect for army building, and extra head at that.

Articulations, no stupid problems. Just remember the hair dryer.

And what does this add to the SpartanNerd’s collection? So Much Value! Snake Men, I’m waiting.

PICTURED: MASTERVERSE Revelation King Grayskull, armed with the techno sword from the 200x Castle Grayskull. He is fighting the Mythic Legions Ninian Infantry.

So I rate this figure a 5/5. Do you agree or disagree, Hub City Geeks? Let me know in the comments!

MASTERVERSE New Eternia Skelcon

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Who? I don’t remember this guy (or “these guys”) from my childhood in any way. Possibly they were in minicomics, or non-American media. I don’t remember them from Filmation.

I decided to get him when I saw it go up for sale as an army builder. But I already have an army of skeletons, with more to come. So I only got one. He seemed like he would go well with Battle Armor Skeletor and Undead of Vikenfell. I ordered it, and then had to wait about a month.

He’s OK…but how OK? Keep reading!

PACKAGING

Skelcon comes in the now standard MASTERVERSE packaging. You can see the figure from the belt up, with a spear on his left. Now, right away you can see one goofy expression on this face. He has such a long nose that the articulated face is askew. This is bad for a Mint-On-Card collector. I haven’t seen other examples, so I don’t know if this is how everyone’s will turn out.

We have nice artwork on the front featuring Skelcons fighting Stratos and Avionians. We can see Avion in the background. Wait-a-minute. I see a Skelcon with wings. (No wings with this figure…curious). Notable that we don’t have Stratos in MASTERVERSE (that I know of). I suspect this is a teaser for the future. And on the side we are treated to a lady Avionian, who totally could be done in MASTERVERSE.

The other side shows Skelcon standing with a shield, and his portrait floating above, making it completely possible to store and file easily on card.

The back is one of those dumb photoshop pictures. There is no cross sale, but we do get a bio that mentions Infinita, the nearly forgotten opposite of Eternia. (There was this “series bible” in Mattel’s files as they were designing the Masters of the Universe line. Infinita was a planet on the same orbit as Eternia, but diametrically opposite. This is where Skeletor and “his people” are from.)

FIGURE REVIEW

Just beamed in from Infinita

What do you get in the package?

  • Skelcon Figure
  • Battle Axe
  • Spear
  • Dagger with sheath
  • Shield
  • Alternate fist hands (not pictured)

I am not counting the harness or the girdle…though you might.

This figure has several re-used parts. I pretty much think he feels like the same figure as New Eternia Mer-Man, with a different head. But this isn’t so entirely. Just the legs and feet.

The Battle Armor Skeletor vibe is also unmistakable. But he doesn’t share parts…he “seems” to, but for instance Skeletor’s three-toed feet have these metal boots on them.

The best thing about the sculpt is the head. That articulated jaw opens and closes…and he has a nasty, gray…perhaps decayed tongue sculpted to the lower jaw. He has a horned helmet that is glossy purple, and black “highlights…(sounds wrong…outlines) there are red eyes that look like Skelcon is always in attack mode. I have a little bit of paint smudge over the eye on mine, but this adds to the figure! He looks like he has a scar or burn.

PICTURED: MASTERVERSE New Eternia Mer-Man and NE Skelcon.

He stands as well as Mer-Man, which is to say, he is lanky. I have a bit of a time getting him to stand independent of leaning on the wall.

This figure is in Skeletor blue. So kind of you can swap parts easily. The armor is in dark purple, almost black, and there are pops of glossy purple. The horned skull on the belt ties it together.

BUT, the paint on this figure is really plain compared to other skeleton warriors. From MASTERVERSE and other lines. And I am not sure it is from lack of application…it is color scheme. The SpartanNerd isn’t that great with colors…a problem that is getting worse the older I get. I don’t see the black straps on the armor right away…my eye gets lost in the forest and leaves the trees behind.

I do feel that the body could use some kind of “wash,” rather than being flat blue. Also, the chain mail on the armor could use some wash.

PICTURED: Left to right. MASTERVERSE Revelation Scare Glo, Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell, MASTERVERSE New Eternia Skelcon, Mythic Legions Skeleton Legion Builder (with MOTUC Vikor cape, MASTERVERSE NE Battle Armor Skeletor, and Mythic Legions Demistros. All on the Extreme Sets Compound backdrop.

ACCESSORIES

The armor is well sculpted, but the best sculpts are on the head and the weapons. The bone motif is very strong, with a consistent yellowed, aged hue.

Attack the usurper! PICTURED: MASTERVERSE New Eternia Skelcon and Super7 Ultimates! Black Falcon. You can see the bone paint job here in comparison to what is on the throne.

Once again, I have to complain about this shield. It is the same dumb shield we have had several times. This time even more boring because it is just flat dark gray. I sense some paint in the future. (It might snow on Wednesday and Thursday, so…). (It did not. And I did not paint.)

He really does come with a lot of accessories. He was the same price as New Eternia Evil-Lyn, who practically had no accessories. (I guess they spent the budget on this guy instead). These accessories are very useful and add a good bit to the rest of the collection.

PICTURED: Kitbash Conan the Barbarian fighting MASTERVERSE NE Skelcon. (Conan is Super7 Ultimates! Battle of the Mounds Conan alternate Schwarzenegger head, Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell cape, GI Joe Classified Gnawgahyde necklace. Notice the comparison of the two shield here…Skelcon’s shield vs. the same kind of shield in Mythic Legions.

SPARTANNERD RATING OF MASTERVERSE NEW ETERNIA SKELCON

Once again…Who?

I would have rather had Stratos, or even his sister. I would have rather had the more recognizable Eternian Guard…which I probably would have bought a few more of to army build.

The head sculpt is great, but most of the body feels so much like the other lanky figures, especially Mer-Man because of the three toed feet. But he doesn’t have that great paint that Mer-Man has, does he? BUT the accessories are well sculpted…among the best in MASTERVERSE.

He came with lots of accessories, and his articulation is very good with really no stupid problems. That knife sheath came off when I removed him from the blister, but it is designed to come off. Sometimes he is hard to get to stand, and he always feels lanky and leggy.

I am going to rate Skelcon a 3/5. He adds another skeleton to my collection, and one with a horned helmet no less. I like that Mattel is digging deep to give us a character like this…I just don’t know who he is. (I am looking it up after I publish this blog entry). But it is good to see Mattel bringing up Infinita again, remixing it into New Eternia, which has a story that I am not even sure is coherent.

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

SpartanNerd Action Figure Showdown- Undead of Vikenfell vs Battle Armor Skeletor

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Watch the YouTube video HERE

This is the final post about these two. And it’s about time.

Both of these figures are 5/5. So which is better? After thinking about it and posting a video review, the way I can do this is just exactly the way I did Mythic Legions Demistros vs. Super7 Ultimates! Black Falcon. Compare specs to specs.

FIRST OF ALL, A WORD ON THE RATING SYSTEM

I award up to five points. These are based on qualities of the product.

  • Sculpt
  • Paint
  • Articulation (noting “stupid problems”)
  • Accessories (quality and quantity)
  • And something intangible. “What does this add to the collection” is a common question. Another, “What does this figure represent?”
PICTURED: All MASTERVERSE figures. 40th Anniversary He-Man, New Eternia Trap Jaw, NE Mekaneck, NE Snout Spout.

Each of the above figures is a 5/5. (Note: I retro-actively upgraded 40th Anniversary He-Man to 5/5. I’m allowed!). Each has a great sculpt, good paint, articulation without stupid problems, a good amount of accessories that are also excellent in sculpt, paint, etc, and finally they each represent something intangibly awesome. Rev. SpartanNerd might even say “spiritual.”

He-Man is the OG He-Man, made into MASTERVERSE scale. Like I said, I upgraded him eventually, realizing that he was the best He-Man we would be getting in MASTERVERSE and is the ceiling of “epic” for that line. Trap Jaw is the greatest Trap Jaw figure ever made. Mekaneck represented the addition of new and indispensable heroic characters, and look at how great they made him (I have added five neck joints). And Snout Spout always seems to be some kind of “wimp” to make fun of, but they made him an awesome firefighter who is fighting Snake Men on the package. Plus, he’s huge!

PICTURED: All Mythic or Cosmic Legions. Sir Godfrey, Demistros, and SSKUR’GE.

Same here. Each of the above is a 5/5. They hit all of those boxes. PLUS Sir Godfrey is fully chrome (I have swapped Father Christmas alternate head). Demistros is a Skeletor homage, but more of the horned head comic version, and SSKUR’GE is a Whiplash homage.

PICTURED: Super7 Ultimates! Black Falcon and GI Joe Classified Series Gnawgahyde, Porkbelly, and Yobbo.

Once again, but from different lines. These guys are 5/5. In this case they both have so many awesome accessories.

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN WHEN PITTING TWO 5/5 AGAINST ONE ANOTHER

PICTURED: MASTERVERSE News Eternia Battle Armor Skeletor. The SpartanNerd took this photo with the head from the Skeletor that came with the Bone Throne. The helmet fits just as well.
PICTURED: Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell. This head is the SpartanNerd’s favorite skull head now.

Back to what I said. Lining up the two side by side and measuring the qualities. Mythic Legions sculpt is already better than MASTERVERSE, but there is a price difference.

Vikenfell’s paint is intricate and masterful, while Battle Armor Skeletor’s is basic and lacking on the body of the figure. (The armor is well done.) But then there is that price difference.

Both have great articulation., with Undead of Vikenfell being slightly better, but Mythic Legions are more expensive and just have a different M.O. with the parts swappability.

Accessories…Vikenfell has more. Skeletor wins the axe battle because of the size, but only barely because Vikenfell’s axe is so much more detailed. Vikenfell’s scimitar is better. He has a shield, three different heads, two hands, and a cape. Hello! This is the winner.

But in the abstract fifth category, they both tie. Battle Armor Skeletor’s needed to be released for MASTERVERSE…and you could say it was inevitable. But who saw Mattel doing as awesome a job as they did? Undead of Vikenfell is just one of many Mythic Legions skeleton warriors, BUT he is so unique.

I believe the clear winner this time is Undead of Vikenfell. More and better accessories including alternate AWESOME heads. Just a better product all around.

Do you agree or disagree, Hub City Geeks? Let me know in the comments! Don’t forget to like and subscribe, and also to subscribe to my YouTube channel, where this review exists in a different form as well as many other reviews including the stats-trouncing Con-exclusive Loyal Subjects CheeBee Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collection!

Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell

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Watch the YouTube video HERE

This flu sickness just keeps on. I went back to work for two days, but now I am sitting here just shivering. And today is the warmest it’s been in weeks. I got Battle Armor Skeletor’s blog review up, and now and getting up this Undead of Vikenfell. You can see the YouTube version of the unboxing here. And I want to do one more post of which figure is greater. It’s kind of philosophical. So many of the toys I review I give high marks to…but does that mean anything? On the other hand, this project is getting long in the tooth, and I want to get to other reviews soon.

Well let’s get into what Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell is actually about, then we can theorize later.

PACKAGING

The box is your typical Mythic Legions box. It has a large window bubble on the front, and a cardboard back, making it collector friendly packaging. (Little tabs let you remove and replace the cardboard.

There is a little blurb on the side about what this character is…essentially a skeleton Viking. A strong warrior in life, the character has found this undeath to be what passes for Valhalla because of the intervention of “Skalla of Necronominus”. (I know I messed that all up). But THEY messed something up also…the word “unsatiable” should be “insatiable”)

The back features the image that goes with this wave that is impossible to pronounce.

These figures on the side…I believe I saw the blue-skinned lady. The others I have never seen as they are a part of the upcoming wave. The thing on the bottom is a skeleton beast. Third from the top in Maxillius, who should be shipping soon. But I have been saying that for three months, so…

FIGURE REVIEW

What do you get in the package…

  • Undead of Vikenfell Figure
  • Two alternate heads (I have my favorite on for this photo)
  • A shield
  • A sophisticated curved sword
  • A Viking axe
  • A cloth-goods cape
  • Alternate “open” hands
  • Shoulder pauldrons
  • Weapon strap

This is a lot of stuff, even for Mythic Legions. This figure feels like a Legion Builder, but has so many more pieces. I am told that it is a “retailer exclusive,” meaning the Four Horsemen Studios made this specifically to draw people to toy stores. Giving the figure so many accessories and deluxe paint apps helps with that.

Yes. I regard this as deluxe paint. When I made my video, I didn’t even realize…this is the same body as the one that came with Father Christmas! The paint here is so pronounced it felt totally different, and we are talking about something I was messing with everyday. (Back in December…)

PICTURED: Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell and Figura Obscura Father Christmas. This is a “kitbash” with MASTERVERSE Revelation Evil-Lyn’s alternate heads and other Mythic Legions weapons.
PICTURED: Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell and Legion Builder Skeleton. Legion Builder is wearing Masters of the Universe Classic Vikor’s plastic molded cape, and it just “feels right.” He is a chunky figure in scale with those. The new Undead of Vikenfell has a lighter and daintier feel.

This body, which I understand is actually an elf knight’s body, has a smaller frame to it than the other skeleton warriors I have from Mythic Legions. In both cases, the joints feel very loose. I don’t know how I feel about that with the new figure. At least the older one has an excuse.

But all of these Mythic Legions are modular and designed to come apart. So it should turn out OK. I didn’t have any trouble getting them to stand for photography late at night on a Saturday, so that’s good.

PICTURED: Super7 Ultimates! Valeria (Spirit) and Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell. They fight over who has the best wings on their helmet.

The winged helmet is the signature piece of this figure, though it isn’t my favorite head. These wings, which are removable and feel like they need a bird-body, are painted with awesome action. And there is a tassel that attaches to the back of the helmet. That makes him feel a little bit like “The Predator.”

I don’t believe these wings will be a liability (unless I somehow lose one!) BUT I have a Marvel Legends Thor figure that I keep around in my classroom, and the tip ends of the wings on his helmet are cracking off. Yes…that is one of the worst figures I have ever bought. Just the same, it is something I will always be thinking about when I have characters with tall horns or something.

PICTURED: Mythic Legions Demistros, Masters of the Universe Classics Vikor, Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell, and Super7 Ultimates! Valeria (Spirit). These guys are arguing about who’s property is who’s property. Undead of Vikenfell’s cape looks great on Vikor.

ACCESSORIES

The cape. It is big…maybe a little bit too big for the Undead of Vikenfell. It goes very nice on Vikor. (this Vikor is a kitbash of Super7 Ultimates! Conan the Barbarian Battle of the Mounds neutral head and MOTUC Vikor). I have put the necklace that came with GI Joe Classified Gnawgahyde on him. You can see the comparison of the capes below.

Below you can see a comparison of Undead of Vikenfell’s cape and Demistros’ cape. Demistros cape is more premium, BUT the trade off is that it is so difficult to get on and off of the character.

Undead of Vikenfell’s cape is asymmetrical, and I don’t know if it was on purpose or not, but when I first used it I noticed one side was stitched together with a single small thread. I looped it around an arm and got the head on (you need to remove the head and place the hole over the peg). But after just a couple of reconfigurations, that little thread broke. I actually don’t even know if that was done on purpose or not. It just made it look bunchy up around his neck, and I don’t count this as a malfunction.

The sword is quite savage. This is a cross between a broadsword, a scimitar, and a saw. Gruesome! The axe is one of the few Mythic Legions battle axes (the only?) that is not modular. This is all one sculpted piece with marvelous wood grain in the handle and designs on the axe head. The shield is gold with silver paint apps, and is honestly one of the prettiest shields I have for an action figure now.

SPARTANNERD RATING OF MYTHIC LEGIONS UNDEAD OF VIKENFELL

Five points- One point for each metric

Sculpt is very good…the bones in the feet and hands feel so human. Each head has nice character, and I especially like the etched skull and wooden axe handle. So here is a point!

The paint is very good. Every inch of this figure has paint apps. Maybe the sword could have some more paint, but honestly it doesn’t need it. I like how savage and rustic it is.

Articulation…don’t all Mythic Legions excel in this area? Having entirely modular parts makes for unlimited possibilities.

Accessories- Almost like, what didn’t we get? This skeleton has everything you would want in an undead Viking. Except for the boat.

Meaningfulness- I didn’t have a skeleton of this type of elf knight build. The shoulder pauldrons are something that will add to future smaller figures…I tried the larger more traditional one on Father Christmas, and they didn’t really work so well. But these are perfect for that. And this is another “generic” skeleton. I do like barbarians fighting skeletons. And Skeletor needs minions.

So of course I rate this at a 5/5. I don’t have a single complaint.

So now I have to decide between MASTERVERSE New Eternia Battle Armor Skeletor and Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell…which of them is the top figure. Stay tuned to the SpartanNerd blog for the verdict!

MASTERVERSE Battle Armor Skeletor

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Watch the YouTube video HERE

The SpartanNerd has been SO SICK. The Type A Flu has done a number on me and the SpartanFamily. So I have been home on these cold, cold days, with no motivation to do anything but sleep. Not much eating. Some TV watching. But the idea of taking action figures down and getting photos of them…as non-intense as that is. The motivation just hasn’t been there. And it is a shame because I have so many nice reviews waiting to happen.

I’ve had Battle Armor Skeletor for awhile. After Christmas break, you know, back to work. And then the flu. I filmed the video unboxing of Skeletor and also The Undead of Vikenfell before Christmas break was over. I can’t say my greatest video. (You can watch that video HERE). But today, January 21, I am determined not to lay around anymore. I’m GOING to do this. And get the review of the Undead of Vikenfell up, and New Eternia Evil-Lyn, and then four other Mythic Legions should be arriving today.

PACKAGING

Once again, the MASTERVERSE packaging is really good. On the front you can see Skeletor very well. Notable that Skeletor’s helmet is kind of loose in my example. A MOC collector might look out for one that is fit on the figure better.

There are illustrations of Skeletor fighting Snake Men along with New Eternia Evil-Lyn, and as you turn the box around you can see an image of King Hiss. Severe hinting that by the end of the year we will have some Snake Men. We already had hints about this with Snout Spout’s diorama…that is kind of a non-sensical thing to include with a firefighter.

The other side has an illustration of Skeletor without the helmet at the top, and standing there holding the battleaxe looking…Reverend SpartanNerd will say BadAss. How else can you put it? Mattel propping up the more barbarian side of Masters of the Universe is terrific, but with Skeletor they could have gone full-on mage. Instead we get the surprising champion, conquerer, victorious, “I dare you to mess with me” version of Skeletor. And I can’t get over all of the completely Death Metal spikes they put on the helmet and the armor. What a terrific redesign!

As usual, I do not like what they are doing with the backs of the new packages. They are showing us a photoshopped picture of the toy, and they have done things like airbrushed out the seams on the thigh-cuts, etc. Little windows on the side show the features of the figure, and this figure is in berserk mode swinging the axe and the sword. There is cross-sell on the bottom, this time featuring Man-O-War, Sorceress Teela, New Eternia Mer-Man, and the Battle Armor Skeletor that you already have. I own all of these now except for Man-O-War, and just don’t care for him much.

FIGURE REVIEW

Here’s what you get in the package

  • Skeletor figure
  • Removable horned (and spiked!) helmet
  • Battle Axe
  • Scimitar
  • Alternate battle-damaged armor plate.

Skeletor has the three-toed monster feet with boot cuts. Think about that for a minute…this means that these shoes were tailored specifically for his specialized feet. Depending on your view, this is awesome or ridiculous. (I’m leaning towards awesome)

There is a chain mail loin cloth that looks like soft goods, but it is sculpted plastic. He didn’t come with any alternate hands, but now I have five Skeletor figures PLUS King Keldor, so if I need an alternate hands I have them. Both hands are gripping hands that rotate and have hinges, and probably he is usually going to be holding weapons..

PICTURED: MASTERVERSE Revolution King Keldor opens a portal to his home dimension, summoning his people through the portal. (This is a remix of the old miniternia story). The two Skeletor figures in the portal are both New Eternia Skeletor figures. (Viking and Throne)

His head sculpt is just a little bit too jolly for my taste. It looks good, and the chain mail skullcap is a very nice touch. The jolly-ness comes from the smile along with the pointed chin and pointed cheek bones. Definitely more of a smile than a grimace. This is an articulated jaw, but it has limited mobility and opening the mouth doesn’t help much. As it is, I prefer the Alcala inspired head that came with the Havoc Throne. (There is some opinion that that head looks too much like a chimp skull. I say those people need to go back and look at the source material.)

PICTURED: New Eternia Battle Armor Skeletor with New Eternia Skeletor (Havoc Throne) hoodless head, wearing the helmet.

The shoulder pauldrons might be removable. I can’t tell and am not willing to force it. A customizer can probably do a lot with this. I love how there are these spikes on the shoulder. Blood Bowl anyone?

You don’t have to remove the armor to swap the scratch plate. It easily pops out and then you can easily replace it by slotting it in behind that little skull emblem on his chest. I did eventually remove the armor out of curiosity, and the whole thing structure reminds you of the armor power up you can get in a game of DOOM. There is also a girdle of armor protecting his hips. And this is also removable.

I believe they learned from their mistakes with the two Battle Armor He-Man figures we have been given, and perfectly addressed concerns with those.

PICTURED: MASTERVERSE Revolution Battle Armor He-Man battles MASTERVERSE New Eternia Battle Armor Skeletor.

ACCESSORIES

MASTERVERSE New Eternia Fisto
Mythic Legions Legion Builder Skeleton
MASTERVERSE New Eternia Man-At-Arms

The helmet is really one of the things that was the biggest draw for getting this figure. It is what caught my eye first. I was a big fan of that helmet that came with MOTUC Panthor, but there were a lot of critics of that. I say “WHY?” Horned helmets are awesome, and Battle Cat has a helmet…Panthor should too. In Skeletor’s case here, he is given something the character has never had before in his normal context. He always has a hood. He might be bare-skull occasionally. There is Skele-God from the Revelation cartoon, and the golden god Skeletor from the movie (more of a spiky headdress), but these don’t look so metal. I say this because this helmet adds a lot to Battle Armor Skeletor as a character. Anyone remember “Molar?” This was the Eternian Dentist from the Robot Chicken skit. Mattel gave us a figure of Molar with an accompanying Skeletor, and that figure was missing a tooth. It took no time for people to put that head on MOTUC Battle Armor Skeletor and add some effects to create an awesome kitbash.

This is what I am talking about. OAFE.Net

This horned helmet does something similar to the character of Battle Armor Skeletor. It doesn’t “snap” on…it fits loosely. But you can put it on many other figure’s heads because of this loose nature. It has curled horns that would belong on Panthor or on the Havoc Staff, and spikes up the middle for even better effect. Skeletor wears this way better than Super7 Ultimates! Black Falcon. (His non-removable helmet has spikes up the middle and Viking horns.)

The Battle Axe is one of the best battle axes. I like how it is large and epic. It has that asymmetrical nature like Snout Spouts that we can tell where the main business end is. It has wraps around the handle also, and is well painted, and once again LARGE. It’s true that Revolution Battle Armor He-Man’s axe is spectacular chrome paint, but it is smaller and doesn’t bring that well-used patina. And yes, I am being picky.

This is some of my battle axes. Lines represented: MASTERVERSE, Super7 Ultimates!, Animal Warriors of the Kingdom, and Mythic Legions.

The Scimitar is different than other curved swords we have in MASTERVERSE. It feels like more basic of a weapon than the battle axe, but has a deadly and savage feel, as opposed to say what we got with Fisto. (This is the same scimitar that came with the first New Eternia Skeletor (Viking) but in a black and silver color scheme.)

PICUTURED: Curved sword collection. Bottom to top: Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell (review coming soon), MASTERVERSE Revelation King Grayskull, MASTERVERSE Revelation Merman, MASTERVERSE New Eternia Skeletor (Viking and Battle Armor)

SPARTANNERD RATING OF MASTERVERSE NEW ETERNIA BATTLE ARMOR SKELETOR

Not only does Skeletor excel in all 5 areas I check for, (sculpt, paint, articulation, accessories, and significance), Mattel has built on knowledge of making two less-successful Battle Armor He-Man figures. He has all of their strengths, but none of their weaknesses.

So he gets a 5/5. Do I have any complaints? Skeletor feels like he needs to have the Havoc Staff. You might argue that the helmet IS the Havoc Staff, and with recent comic book stories it seems like his skull gets melded with it or something. So perhaps that’s what is happening here? And then that face sculpt is just a little bit too happy for me. But that is offset by the sheer Slayer-ness of the rest of the presentation, plus it is backed by a chain mail skullcap. I can’t mark off for that.

So the SpartanNerd’s rating of MASTERVERSE New Eternia Battle Armor Skeletor is 5/5. AND, if you watched the video, you know I have to declare a winner between this figure and The Undead of Vikenfell. Stay tuned!

The Loyal Subjects Con Exclusive CheeBee TMNT…SpartanNerd Review

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I was gifted this cute set for Christmas by one of my own loyal subjects! I told her I would certainly post a review.

It came in this beautiful collector friendly package. we get the classic logo on the front

On the back and sides you get more pics of the figures. But the real magic is back on the front side.

Yep. It opens up revealing the figures in their blister and a manhole cover, making this a photogenic scene!

The blister just slides out and is a double designed to hold them in place. This a a more modern order, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Leonardo.

The manhole cover in front of the box is a very nice place to display or photograph the figures.

The sculpt and paint are spot on. They have a bigger head than usual, indicative of the CheeBee style.

These are non-articulated mini statues. So this is the pose you get.

We also got some trading cards, one for each figure, with a kid-friendly bio on the back.

The static nature of the figures puts them into a classic category of minis. So let’s do some fun comparisons.

Here they are with Dollar Tree Mer-Man, who did NOT come in a collector friendly package.

Compared to Eternia Minis Buzz-Off and Jitsu. The Eternia minis don’t stand as well because they have extremely oversized arms and tiny legs. The TMNT minis are totally stable

By far the best comparison is the Fisher Price Little People Skeletor and company.

As these were a gift, I’m not going to offer a rating. They are in line with similar minis or something like Funko Pops. A very nice addition to my collection!

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