The 2022 offerings from McFarlane in their fledgling Warhammer 40k line saw the introduction of two more Space Marine Chapters with the arrival of the Dark Angels Assault Intercessor Sergeant and the Raven Guard Veteran Sergeant. It also saw the line move on from the Necrons to the Genestealers with the release of the Tyranid Genestealer.
All of the figures come in the usual McFarlane window box with a darker blue outer colour scheme and a contrasting yellow card back. The figures are extremely well strapped into the boxes and the included circular stands are glued onto the backing card within a plastic tray meaning the box will get damaged and can't be reused if you choose to take out the stand.
The McFarlane line uses a base model for the Space Marine's with the ability to change and adjust the various armour panels, helmets and chest pieces to vary the figures. The Dark Angel Sergeant features a winged helmet as well as Dark Angel Chapter Badge sculpted in relief on the chest and left shoulder. The armour is a deep green, perhaps a bit to bright for the Dark Angels, with details picked out in single tone paint or decals. There are no washes, weathering or other paint apps on the figures - most likely to keep the costs around the £20 mark. The Dark Angel Sergeant comes armed with a flamer pistol and chainsword. As has been an issue on previous releases, the hands are quite hard to manouver around the grips of the weapons and I would advise in warming these up first to make them a bit easier to use.
The Raven Guard Marine has a full black armour design with white chest emblem and helmet and a bit o red trim on the shoulder armour, The black and white are a nice contrast but there is not enough decor elsewhere to give the figure some more depth. The Raven Guard is also an odd choice as a release considering we've seen the more iconic chapters so far (Blood Angels & Ultramarines) and more mainstream choices like the Imperial Fists or the Salamanders may seem a more obvious choice? The Raven Guard is armed with the chain sword and bolter pistol.
Both Space Marine figures have the same articulation, and they are quite mobile considering the bulk of the armour. The arms are quite loose, while the chest and leg joints are tight and secure. You will not need the stand to keep your Space Marines upright.
The Tyranid Genestealer is perhaps the star of the 2022 standard releases, but it certainly doesn't initially look the part because McFarlane have taken off some of the arms ad packed it side on in the box so they can use the standard window-box. Assembly is tough and you will most likely need to heat up the arms to get them to plug into the body.
The Genestealer uses the more modern white paint scheme with blood red joints and physiological detailing around the head, chest, arms and legs. In my day the Genestealers were darker in tone with lots of blacks and purples, but in hand the lighter colour pallet has grown on me. The articulation is insane, with four joints per arms, articulated hips, knees and toes as well as joints in the chest and neck. The figure is top heavy with those four arms and the toe joints can make the figure unstable when posing. You will most likely use the circular stand for display.
The McFarlane Warhammer 40k figures retail around the £22-£24 mark, but these 2022 releases have been sold at B&M stores at £12.99 each,, which is a bargain considering the quality of the figures.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...