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One of the things Jedi: Fallen Order did very well was to pit the playable character, Cal Kestis, against hordes of Original Trilogy Imperial Troopers and within that re-imagine and tweak some of them into new roles. The Return of the Jedi Scout Trooper was taken off their Speeders and placed on reconnaissance and scouting roles in the various locations complete with blasters and melee weapons for dealing with any resistance. Hasbro took one of these Scout Troopers and brought it into their Black Series Gaming Greats subline in Autumn 2020, the 8th figure in the Gaming Greats series. Gaming Greats as a line still uses the Phase 3 packaging design, albeit with some tweaks. The Gaming Greats logo has been added in a hexagon cut out next to the window, and each figure has an assigned accent colour used throughout the box. The Scout Trooper is assigned an ice blue colour, taking inspiration from the electro baton the Trooper uses. This blue is used on the figure name, which is simply "Scout Trooper" with no definition of role or appearance - although the Jedi Fallen Order logo sits to the side to confirm the source visually, The blue is also used on the backing card, and within the artwork to create a very visual and sinister Scout Trooper shot. The side spine to the right is also ice blue, headed at the top with another hexagon Gaming Greats symbol. On the back of the box we have a repeat of the artwork and then the standard background text, presented in four different languages. The text may be short, but it does add some context to the Troopers role and choice of weaponry that is included. "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order features Scout Troopers, often tasked with reconnaissance or long-ranged engagements, but also capable fighters when a target gets near" The box opens at the top or bottom flap and the figure slides out in an inner tray. Watch out for the tiny hold-out blaster which sits just beneath the larger baton. While it is taped in, it is small enough to go missing as you unpack your Trooper. 4.0 The figure base is the same as released back in 2014 with the Speeder Bike and again in 2019 in the Archive series. The helmet is well proportioned, cast in white plastic and then painted with black visor, mouthpiece and lined symbol on the forehead. The armour similarly is cast in white with the under suit in black with textured fabric effect. There are some elements cast in black that are then painted black and coverage is not quite achieved - these include the elbow pads and knee pads and these also present as a slightly different shade to the other armour. The two grey pouches from the original figure have been removed and a strapped vest has been added using a flexible black plastic. To one side of this is a control box with painted buttons and displays. Brown wiring comes up from this and over the shoulder strap and then down as an individual piece on the right arm with a circlet round the right wrist. On the back of the strapped vest is a cannister container of sorts which has been painted white on each end. This is white paint over black and the finish is a bit rough. The new figure has no weathering applied to the amour, and there are some minor paint differences around the figure including the backpack. 4.0 Our Trooper is armed with an Electro Riot Baton, a new piece for the Black Series. It is cast in black plastic with detail down the length but no paint apps or décor added. The end is wrapped in a translucent blue electro effect. This is loose on the weapon, but is shaped to fit well and cant be removed easily thanks to the wider shape at the very end of the baton. The baton will fit in either hand securely and two handed poses are also achievable. Our Trooper also gets the EC-17 hold out blaster, again re-used from the original release. This is a tiny weapon cast in black plastic with a good shape and a few clear details around the hilt and main body of the gun. It is so small it has to be wielded in the Troopers hands with only two of his fingers around the weapons grip. The blaster can also be stowed in the figures holster, cast as part of the right boot. The fit here is not overly secure and with such a small piece there is a big risk of the blaster going missing. 4.0 As the Scout Trooper is based on the 2014 body, he comes with the same articulation as the original figure. In this case, this works in our favour as the original Scout Trooper was significantly articulated to allow him to ride the Speeder Bike and the figure has a total of 20 points of articulation. Head : ball joint neck with pivot Body : torso ball joint Arms : ball joint shoulder, bicep swivel, double jointed elbows, wrist pivot Legs : ball joint hips, thigh swivel, double jointed knees, boot swivel, ankle rockers The torso joint is not much use and doesn't move too well, particularly with the vest piece in situ around it. There is also some slight restriction in the right arm with that wired piece and ringlet stopping some of the upward and outward motion or snapping and breaking as you move the arm a bit too far. This wiring could easily have been left off and most of us would have been none the wiser. Weapon posing is a lot of fun with the baton with some good recreation of poses from the game as our Scout Trooper looks to face down a Jedi. Kneeling poses are just out of reach thanks to the pouches around the hips and that is a shame considering these Troopers are often snipers. All our Scout Trooper joints are tight and secure, with good movement and no issues with the figure standing or being posed. 4.0 There is very little to complain about with the Jedi Fallen Order Scout Trooper. We have a good figure, updated to the newer look from the game and packed with two weapons, including the new electro riot baton with FX piece attached and in place. The wiring down the right arm presents my only concern, both in terms of its restriction of articulation but also in how long it will last before snapping. It is something Hasbro could have left off with limited impact on the overall look of the figure. I suspect we will see this Scout Trooper again in the near future, with a tweaked Commander release with the orange Pauldron, and that is fine with me. I score the Scout Trooper from the Gaming Greats line a total of 4.0 For more News, Reviews and a Checklist of Releases - visit our Black Series Database 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... action figures, reviews, review, articulation, star wars, black series, hasbro, gaming greats, jedi fallen order, scout troopers, electrostaff

The McFarlane Mortal Kombat reveals just keep coming this week. The next announced figure for the MK line in 2021 is this very impressive Noob Saibot figure from Mortal Kombat 11. Noob Saibot was a mysterious character inclusion in MK2 and the character history fleshed out in future games where he is revealed as the original Sub-Zero who died and was brought back to life. The name was created by combining the surnames of the MK creators Ed Boon and John Tobias and reversing them. Noob will be a Summer 2021 release and includes a wicked looking curved sword. Checkout our blog page for more action figure news, reviews and store reports 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... action figure, news, toys, reviews, action, figure, blog, checklist, collectors,

The 3rd wave of general release GI Joe Classified 6 inch figures from Hasbro will bring us new figures of Zartan and the Cobra Infantry Trooper as was announced back at Hasbro Pulsecon. It has now been confirmed the wave will also include repacks of Scarlett #05 and Roadblock #01. It is however interesting to see that while both figures retain their original numbering, these figures have some significant paint variances on the original Wave 1 releases. The Wave 3 Scarlett (right) ha adjusted outfit colouring from grey to beige and in the promo image the face and hair look to be much improved. Wave 3 Roadblock (above, right) has the gold removed from his knee pad and boots and the weaponry has got a darker look. Again the face decor looks to be improved, but that may simply be the promo shot. The Wave 3 assortment is due around March 2021 according to Entertainment Earth. The case will be 6 figures in total and thankfully this breaks down to 2 x Zartan, 2 x Cobra Trooper and one each of Scarlett and Roadblock. Checkout our blog page for more action figure news, reviews and store reports 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... action figure, news, toys, reviews, action, figure, blog, checklist, collectors,

McFarlane have revealed another Mortal Kombat release for 2021 with Kabal joining the roster in the Summer of 2021. The masked Kabal is based on his Mortal Kombat 11 appearance, and will include his twin axe blades. Checkout our blog page for more action figure news, reviews and store reports 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... action figure, news, toys, reviews, action, figure, blog, checklist, collectors,

The Star Wars Black Series Gaming Greats sub-line is a range of figures from the Star Wars video game universe, and is exclusive to Gamestop in the US - while sold via the Fan Channel elsewhere in the World. The line launched in 2020 and therefore missed the first releases from the Star Wars video game Jedi : Fallen Order with these releases of Cal Kestis, Second Sister and the first Purge Trooper sitting in the main line. In Autumn of 2020 the Gaming Greats line revisited the Purge Trooper, with a new variant with Electrostaff released. The Gaming Greats packaging remains in the older Phase 3 format in terms of box shape, dimensions and the base black colouring and grey gloss Black Series logo. The Gaming Greats hexagon logo is now cut into the right of the window and repeated on the side spine where the Phase 3 numbering used to sit. To differentiate this Purge Trooper from its predecessor with the standard blasters, this release has been labelled as the Electrostaff Purge Trooper and the box also carries - as is only the case for video game releases - the game logo on the bottom right. The Gaming figures each have an accent colour, picked with some association to the figure - in the case of the Purge Trooper the Hasbro team have used a Purple to match the energy of the Electrostaff. This Purple is used as the side spine and within the Titus artwork as an accent colour. It is also used as a card back for the figure, and unfortunately this particular use of the colour does render the figure a little lost with black armour against a dark purple backdrop. The artwork is repeated on the back and adjacent to this is a very brief piece of background text for the Purge Troopers. Unlike the background history as seen on Purge Trooper release 1, this short sentence is pretty unenlightening about the Troopers only their role on the battlefield. "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order features Purge Troopers, a new class of soldiers who assist the Inquisitors in hunting down any remaining Jedi" The figure opens as usual via top or base flap and slides out in a plastic tray that itself sits in the inner cardboard tray. 3.5 Our Purge Troopers, as seen in the game, are wearing Clone Trooper armour with an Airborne Trooper helmet and this is all well recreated in the figure format with each armour piece and the helmet cast in glossy black plastic. Underneath this in what would be the body suit we have some less shiny black plastic cast pieces which offer little in terms of contrast to the outer armour. Over this black plastic are some limited decor applications. The helmet has a painted burgundy visor and some gun metal details around the mouth section. A red imperial decal is applied to each shoulder armour section and white arrow markings added to the right forearm and right upper leg. There is then a touch of gun metal on the belt buckle, and some final red highlights round the back on the four circles of the back armour panel. The Trooper is also fitted with a seperate Pauldron that is cast in a black dull soft plastic and applied around the neck and under the arm to hold it in place. The Kama skirt is a soft goods piece that is held in place by the belt. The figure is the exact same sculpt as the 2019 Purge Trooper and the body is of course a direct re-use in itself from the original 2014 Clone Trooper body. The only real paint differences between the two are the red on the Pauldron, helmet and kama skirt of the original trooper are not translated to the new version. This is game accurate as the Melee Purge Troopers do not carry any red markings either due to rank or specialism variances. It is of course worth noting that the new Clone Trooper body was available at the time this figure was made, but not used. And while the looks of the figure are still good, there is some aspects of the stance that are a bit bow legged and awkward thanks to the leg design. 3.5 The figure is designated on the box as the Electrostaff Purge Trooper and the weapon accessory for the figure is the long Electrostaff melee weapon we see used by several Purge Troopers through the game. It is cast in a grey plastic with ridged detail down the central grip and detailing around either end where the power emits. I initially felt this was too big in terms of scale, but having played back some footage it is the right size in terms of being a good 2.5 inches or more taller than the figure. Included in the set, and packed in the box around the weapon, are two soft plastic translucent purple electro effects. These are not attached to the staff and will fall off immediately on being unpacked. They will go on to provide no end of frustration as they simply are not engineered well enough to hold their position on the staff. They either needed to be glued in place, or cast in a harder plastic with a shape that will hold them tight in place. The only solution I could find for the electro effects (other than glue) was to use the natural holes in the piece to stick through the staff. That will hold them in place, but they end up looking like they are sparking off on in one direction rather than sparking around the staff end. I suspect these are simply re-used from a Marvel Legends figure rather then engineered for this set and that cost cutting has led to a piece that does not work anywhere near as well as it should. The other issue with the accessory, or rather the figure, is the hands which have been left as the weapon holding hands from the Clone Trooper body. While the will grip the staff well enough you will always have a raised finger on the right hand which would usually sit in the trigger. The whole piece ends up being frustrating and it really is a case of good looking accessory without enough practical thought about how it can be held, posed and displayed. 2.5 As mentioned earlier, a new Clone Trooper body is now available in the line and offers up much improved articulation around the shoulders and legs in particular over the orignal 2014 body. Sadly, our Purge Trooper still gets the 2014 version so while the articulation count of 18 points looks good you will need to be aware of some restrictions. Head : ball joint pivot neck Body : torso ball joint Arms : ball joint shoulder, bicep swivel, double joint elbows, wrist pivot Legs : ball joint hips, thigh swivel, double joint knees, ankle rockers The arms are the first concern on this Clone Trooper body as the shoulder armour stops them being raised out to the side. In Clone / Purge Trooper with a blaster this does not create too many issues - but with a melee weapon all options of holding the staff over shoulder height are restricted The legs have a similar issue at the hips in terms of being moved up and out in wider action stances. There is no way your trooper can kneel or sit, and standing also poses some issues with the need to turn the thigh swivel out to widen the feet to balance the figure and the weapon in particular. I also felt that the Purge Trooper left leg is a touch longer than the right (this may be an assembly issue) and that leaves a lot of poses requiring the knees to be bent and the ankle rocker adjusted to get a flat footed pose. This is not helped by very severe ratchets in the ankle rocker that do not seem to want to stop on a flat footed pose and seem to click one notch too far either way. 3.0 The Purge Trooper design is one that translates well to figure form and can use existing parts, while also bringing the Clone Trooper Airborne helmet into the line for potential future use with Clone Wars era figures. This second iteration is predominantly the same figure as released in 2019 with some minor colour changes and a differing weapon. The weapon is the biggest frustration with the set with the electro effect pieces refusing to behave and remain attached to the weapon. Once you do get it setup and posed, the figure looks the business alongside the earlier release although not using the new articulated body feels like another missed opportunity. From memory we still have two more Purge Trooper variants to go, with Vibro Axe and Batons still relatively likely in this format in the next year or two? I scored the original Purge Trooper a 4.0 last year. This one drops down to a 3.0 in total, impeded heavil by the execution of the weaponry. For more News, Reviews and a Checklist of Releases - visit our Black Series Database 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... action figures, reviews, review, articulation, star wars, black series, hasbro, gaming greats, jedi fallen order, purge troopers, electrostaff

The Star Wars Black Series Gaming Greats sub-line is a range of figures from the Star Wars video game universe, and is exclusive to Gamestop in the US - while sold via the Fan Channel elsewhere in the World. In 2020 the line moved to Knights of the Old Republic and a six inch figure release of Darth Nihilus. The Gaming Greats line is still utilising the Phase 3 box design and dimensions, albeit with a cut in hexagonal towards the top of the window which uses a foil design logo for Gaming Greats. Video Game releases - going back beyond Gaming Greats to the original Battlefront figures - also get a logo at the bottom right of each box - something that has not been done with any other releases in the Black Series. The logo used is for Knights of the Old Republic II which is the game in which Nihilus appeared - unfortunately the black logo on black background does render the "II" a little lost. Each release is given an accent colour, with the Nihilus box using a deep red - making it look very similar to most Phase 3 releases. The red is used on the character name and also as an accent colour on the Gregory Titus artwork on the front - and as repeated on the back. The red is also used for the side spine with another hexagonal gaming greats logo at the top of this panel with the character name printed again underneath. Round to the back we have the repeated image, another Knights of the Old Republic logo - now with the 2 symbol clear against the red background - and a short piece of background text that perhaps does not go far enough into teasing the history of Nihilus to encourage new fans to go and seek out more info. "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II features Darth Nihilus, a Sith Lord so lost to the dark side that he became an endlessly hungry void" The figure is accessed as usual via the top or bottom flap and slides out in the red cardboard tray and nestled in a clear plastic tray. 3.0 I have not played KOTOR2 and therefore I have spent some time looking over screenshots and video walkthroughs of the game to try and give an opinion on the sculpt for Nihilus. The figure is specifically modelled after the 2004 game apparently, and not any of the other appearances of Nihilus in Legends format. The mask, which has caused some contention, looks OK to me. It is well proportioned and painted well enough with the central line and the black around the eyes with the red slashes upward. The top of the hood also looks OK with the two peaks and the draping down around the mask. The issues though for me start here as you can see in the game that the hood flows much further down draping over the shoulders and chest where as the figure stops someway short. The head is a new piece, but it connects to the body of Darth Maul who was first released in 2013 when the Black Series launched. The chest piece use is identical as are the legs. The skirt piece has been adjusted to look ragged and Nihilus gets new arms. The differences do not go far enough sadly and the look of Nihilus is too short, stocky and lacking the layers of robes he uses in the game - particularly a skirt piece down to the ground. His cape is realised in soft goods and tucked into space between the hood and torso. It hangs ok, but it is too flat and cut short so it fails to envelop him and flow around him in the way we see on Darth Vader. It also has a tendency to bunch up as the head turns. While I am not against figure re-use where it makes sense, the use of Maul is not a good choice for Nihilus, especially when the original Kylo Ren figure appears to offer a much better opportunity as seen on several custom figures already since Nihilus was released. 2.0 Nihilus is presented with a single lightsaber, and this is a new cast piece to represent the saber he uses in the game. it features a more organic curved design with what is meant to be a spiral pattern down the midsection. It is cast in black plastic and meant to be painted silver - leaving the emitter black. What I got was a half painted saber, with the entire back section left in black. This is a factory error and not consistent with all releases - but it is a shame that the quality control on a figure that is costing fans nearly £5 more than normal and that reuses parts has issues like this. Like all Black Series sabers, the blade disconnects at the hilt by means of a plug. The saber blade is a red plastic, but not as translucent as other Sith figures leaving it looking quite flat and almost painted rather than a coloured clear plastic. The saber fits into either hand, but as these are Maul's hands (re-used) they were designed for the thicker shaft of his saber and the Nihilus saber can sit a little loose. 2.0 As Nihilus uses the body of Maul, it comes with the same 16 points of articulation as first seen in 2013 and also the exact same issues. On the plus side the arms move well enough being new pieces for the set. They allow for two handed saber poses and have a full range of motion - limited only by the grip on the hands as mentioned above when you are trying to get the saber into position. Head : ball joint neck Body : ball joint waist Arms : ball joint shoulders, single joint elbows, wrist pivot Legs : ball joint hips, thigh swivel, double knee joints, ankle rockers The head rotates on its joint, but is held on a single axis by the hood shape. Turning the head also can cause the soft goods cape to ride up at the side. The waist too moves ok at the cut of the belt allowing some flex forward and backward for the torso. The legs are the biggest issue, bringing with them a bunch of issues that we first saw on Maul but were perhaps not so much of an issue thanks to his very different posture and stance. The width of the thighs prevent the legs hitting a neutral position, so every pose has a starting point of legs someway apart - this was OK for Maul, but Nihilus carries himself in a more upright pose and that can't be achieved. Couple this with the fact the left leg on the figure seems to be longer than the left, then all posing in the legs is skewed from the get-go. The knees give a lot of movement, but all of it restricted by the rubery skirt which thanks to its redesign for Nihilus sits a lot lower than Maul's did. And then we have the most awkward ankle rockers that never seem to want to line up with the floor and with everything else, just lead to a deep level of frustration when you want to pose Nihilus. From the waist up he looks fine, from the waist down he looks awkward, and there is not enough robes or skirts to hide that. 2.0 Many years ago I was a huge follower and reader of the Expanded Universe (as it was then) and characters like Revan and Nihilus were really exciting for me in terms of how they fit into the history of the Sith and the Star Wars Universe as a whole. While the release of Revan some years ago ticked a lot of boxes, this release of Nihilus feels lazy and unsatisfying in most areas. We have a figure that has used an existing body that is not a good match to either the look, height or stature of Darth Nihilus in the game on which the figure is based, nor on many of the other illustrations of Nihilus from Star Wars Legends. While I am not adverse to reuse, the issue here is that a much better body was already available and ignored (Kylo Ren - see below) leaving many fans to take matters into their own hands. Other flaws include mis-sizing in the legs, a lightsaber that was only part painted on the figure I purchased and that then doesn't fit in the hands properly, and a soft goods cape that is too short and lacks any shape. The box design is probably the strongest aspect of this release, and that too is now out of line with the more striking Galaxy Collection releases. This choice is of course to allow consistency in the Gaming Greats line for at least the duration of 2020. Having been initially excited for such an iconic Expanded Universe / Legends character, I find myself very flat having received and unpacked him and considering his circa £25 price point across the UK specialist stores the value for money against a brand new figure like Cad Bane or The Armorer is called into question. I score the Gaming Greats Darth Nihilus a disappointing 2.0 For more News, Reviews and a Checklist of Releases - visit our Black Series Database Darth Nihilus Figure Hack with Kylo Ren body For those who want to experiment with a different body for Darth Nihilus, then look no further than any of the Force Awakens Kylo Ren figures. The head for Ren pops off, as does Nihilus (complete with hood) and the neck pegs are identical. Before you attach the Nihilus head I would lift off the shoulder sculpted wrap from the Kylo Ren body and then tuck the soft goods hood down on the back and put the shoulder piece back in place to hold it down - this removes the hood from play. Others have also suggested to rotate the belt so you do not see the silver buckle. Once assembled your revised Darth Nihilus you will now have a figure that in my opinion looks much closer to the way I'd expect Nihilus to look - both in outfit, but also in stature as he stands taller and straighter and more imposing. The Kylo Ren hands also hold Nihilus' saber perfectly well and the articulation is comparable to the arms and is superior in the legs to the Gaming Greats figure. The only thing to watch for is the Force Awakens Kylo figures do have quite loose ankles. 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... action figures, reviews, review, articulation, star wars, black series, hasbro, gaming greats, knights of the old republic, darth nihilus

McFarlane have revealed two new Mortal Kombat 7 inch figures for 2021. Both Liu Kang and Shao Kahn had been revealed over the Summer, and these new figures are variants of the characters. Shao Kahn is presented in his Platinum Khan variant outfit. While Liu Kang will be the Fighting Abbot variant. Both figures are set for Spring 2021, but it has not been confirmed if these are exclusives or not and if so where they will be sold. Checkout our blog page for more action figure news, reviews and store reports 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... action figure, news, toys, reviews, action, figure, blog, checklist, collectors,

McFarlane have been fairly quiet on their Fortnite line for a while now, but this week they have shared a new promo image of Plastic Patroller, who was first shown way back in February during Toy Fair. Plastic Patroller will be a Spring 2021 release and the accompanying post indicates pre-orders for him will open soon. Checkout our blog page for more action figure news, reviews and store reports 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... action figure, news, toys, reviews, action, figure, blog, checklist, collectors,

Medicom will be expanding their MAFEX 1/12 Batman The Dark Knight Returns series in 2021 with the release of the Armored Batman. The figure features Batman in an armored suit with three head options, soft goods cape, pistol and other accessories. Armoured Batman from The Dark Knight Returns can be preordered now, but you will have to wait until October 2021 for the figure to be released. Medicom Toy continues their journey into "The Dark Knight Returns" with a new MAFEX action figure release - Armored Batman! Bruce Wayne's typical Batsuit has been replaced with armor parts, while the mask and cape remain to keep his iconic silhouette. Optional head parts are included so you can display him in his mask or with his face visible, and his cape is made of fabric to make posing easy! A poseable figure stand is also included. Be sure to add him to your collection! (Hobbylink Japan)

NECA have shared the following image for #TurtleTuesday which seems to verify a set of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle figures in their disguises, compete with creepy human masks. The set had also appeared on pricing tickets at Target so looks to be another exclusive. We await more info.

McFarlane have released promotional photos for their next DC Multiverse BAF wave. The four figure wave will be taken from the Death Metal series and will include figures of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Robin King. The BAF will be the Darkfather. The ETA is Spring 2021.

Following on from the launch of the Star Wars Black Series Galaxy Collection, a 2nd wave arrived in Autumn 2020 containing 8 figures in total. While 6 of them were essentially repacks of figures seen in exclusives or anniversary packaging - the wave brought us a new Phase 1 Clone Trooper on the new articulated body and a new Incinerator Stormtrooper, as seen in Season 1 of The Mandalorian. Our Incinerator Trooper is the 3rd figure in the Galaxy Collection Mandalorian series, following on from The Beskar Mandalorian and Imperial Stormtrooper. The box uses the base black tones we are used to for the Black Series and deploys an accent colour - in this case a burnt umber - to represent the source material of The Mandalorian. This deep brown tone is used as a border to the base of the figure window where it carries the text "Star Wars : The Mandalorian". The slanted side of the box carries the grey scale artwork of the Incinerator Trooper complete with flamer unit slung over his shoulder. There is no colour, so the red markings are seen as darker grey on the image. Colour is applied as a hue radiating upwards from the base of the image. The coloured border extends round to the back of the box where it confirms the figures numbering in the Galaxy Collection as #03 in The Mandalorian. Above this is a cropped repeat of the side art and next to his a very brief piece of background text. "Incinerator Trooper armor was exceptionally heat-resistant and bore red markings in order to indicate their speciality" The figure, tray and cardboard backing slides out from either the top or bottom flap. The tray includes the figure window which is separate to the box, likely to help recycling. 4.0 The Incinerator Trooper utilises the new Stormtrooper base sculpt that launched in the last wave and was the #02 figure in The Mandalorian set. Presented in the box it looks a little awkward, but once out and posed it looks pretty great. The armour is now all cast in gloss white with the black body as independent parts which does away with the issue of painting black over white, or the trickier white over black. The red markings are painted over the top and in a fashion that they look scratched and worn. Our trooper is wearing a Pauldron which is cast in a rubbery black plastic, with a painted red shoulder panel. The same material is used as a strap and frame for the Flamethrower tank which sits on the back of the figure. And here is the real disappointment with the figure, the flame tank is upside down vs what we see on the show. The tank valves and hoses should sit on the top of the unit, but the entire piece has been assembled on the strap upside down. You can see in the images that this results in the tanks sitting too low on the figure. Unfortunately, its not a case of taking off the straps (which do release via plugs at the top of the back section) and turning it round. The piece is shaped to go on in this format and therefore the error is deep rooted in the design - most likely with Hasbro working off concept art or individual images of the flame unit and they guessed the orientation. 3.5 The Flamethrower weapon itself is cast in grey plastic with plenty of detail from the ignition prongs at the front to the perforated barrel and vents on the main body. It would benefit from some additional paint apps to bring out this detail, but sadly its been left as plain grey. The weapon is permanently attached to the body by way of a flexible hose that connects to the tank. This feels robust but there will be deterioration around the connection points over time and through posing the gun. The tanks are also cast in grey and have a single decal of an Imperial insignia in red in the centre of the tank. The figure also includes a flame FX piece that is cast in a translucent yellow that is then painted out to an orange finish at the end. This has a hole at the end that fits under the prongs of the flame unit and slide over the barrel. Once engaged the flame stays in place via the connection. The flame looks fine from the side, but is quite flat in terms of the shaping if you look from above. 3.0 The main reason Hasbro developed a new Imperial Stormtrooper body is to improve articulation. And this new body has a number of impressive enhancements over the predecessor. It comes in with a total of 19 points of articulation across the new body. Head : neck base ball joint, neck top ball joint Body : torso ball joint Upper Arms : hinged pauldron, butterfly shoulders, ball joint shoulders Lower Arms : single rotating elbow, wrist pivot Legs : ball joint hips, single rotating knees, ankle rockers While the elbows are downgraded to a single joint, they are designed so that they still bend well past 90 degrees while being easier on the eye than than the double joints. The arms are fully mobile thanks to the addition of the shoulder butterfly joints as well as a joint in the shoulder pauldron which allows it to move independently but in tandem with the arm as its raised and posed. The Pauldron does pose a bit obstructive on the right shoulder, but nothing major. The new legs allow for kneeling poses as well as supporting wider action stances, and these wider positions are needed when the flame piece is employed as it adds a lot of weight to the front of the figure. Neutral poses wont stay upright with the flame in situ, and the legs need to be widened and feet planted to offset the flame piece. The Incinerator Trooper is really easy to pose and display and all joints were tight, secure and with many of them featuring a ratchet design for extra security. 4.5 The Incinerator Trooper is one of those figures that looks a bit flat in the packaging, and it needs to be opened and posed to really appreciate the updated articulation and overall look of the figure with its battlefield red paint apps. While there is nothing wrong with the packaging and the artwork, the way the figure is packed in the tray does not do it justice. The issue with the figure is one of accuracy and the installation of the Flamethrower backpack tanks the wrong way round. This does throw the profile of the figure as you should see the tanks, valves and hoses project above the shoulders. While I can appreciate the error was probably due to production stills or designs, it is a shame that Hasbro didn't catch it and correct it before release and there is no way of reversing the pack easily without some level of customisation and adjustment of parts. The Mandalorian line is shaping up nicely as a sub-line, and it is good to see the Imperial Remnant being expanded with figures like the Incinerator Trooper. I score the Star Wars Black Series Incinerator Trooper a total of 3.5 For more News, Reviews and a Checklist of Releases - visit our Black Series Database 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... action figures, reviews, review, articulation, star wars, black series, hasbro, galaxy collection, the mandalorian, disney+, stormtrooper, incinerator trooper, empire, imperials, remnant