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Announced at Hasbro Pulse Con 2020 were a series of "Versus " two packs in the Power Rangers Lightning Collection. These would pit two characters from the licence against each other. From Power Rangers In Space is the Versus 2-Pak of the Red Ranger vs Astronema. The Red Ranger features masked and unmasked head as well as alternative hands and two weapons. Astronema comes with her Wrath Staff and Energy FX piece. The set is up for pre-order now with a 1st Jan 2021 release date. This 6-inch Lightning Collection Versus 2-pack features action figures with premium paint and decorative details inspired by the show and over 20 points of articulation in each figure for high poseability. Plus, swappable heads to display the Red Ranger with or without his helmet, multiple character inspired accessories, a blast effect piece, and extra pairs of hands for more ways to play or display. Go Go Power Rangers! Includes: 2 figures, 6 accessories, alternate head, and extra hands. These Power Rangers Lightning Collection figures have premium painted details and design inspired by the Power Rangers In Space series This In Space 2-Pack includes multiple character-inspired accessories, and a swappable head for the Red Ranger, one of the Ranger in his helmet and one without Astronema lives to destroy the Power Rangers, but Andros and his team will fight to stop her! Look for more collectible figures in the Lightning Collection. Each sold separately. Subject to availability. 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,

Announced at Hasbro Pulse Con 2020 were a series of "Versus " two packs in the Power Rangers Lightning Collection. These would pit two characters from the licence against each other. From Power Rangers S.P.D. comes the B-Squad Blue Ranger vs the A-Squad Blue Ranger. Our B-Squad Blue Rangers comes with masked & unmasked head, two weapons, blast FX pieces and an S.P.D. Communicator. The A-Squad Blue Ranger will come with a large rifle weapon and additional hands. The set is up for pre-order now with a 1st Jan 2021 release date. This 6-inch Lightning Collection Versus 2-pack features action figures with premium paint and decorative details inspired by the show and over 20 points of articulation in each figure for high poseability. Plus, swappable heads to display the Squad B Blue Ranger with or without his helmet, multiple character-inspired accessories, and a blast effect piece, and extra pairs of hands for more ways to play or display. Go Go Power Rangers! Includes: 2 figures, 8 accessories, alternate head, and extra hands. These Power Rangers Lightning Collection figures have premium painted details and design inspired by the Power Rangers S.P.D. series This S.P.D. 2-Pack includes multiple character-inspired accessories, and a swappable head for the Blue Ranger, one of the Ranger in his helmet and one without The S.P.D. B Squad faces off against the A Squad, who betrayed Space Patrol Delta to join Emperor Gruumm Look for more collectible figures in the Lightning Collection. Each sold separately. Subject to availability. 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,

As announced at Hasbro Pulse Con in September, the Power Rangers Lightning Collection will soon be seeing the larger Monster Figures join the collection. These 8 inch Monsters will be a deluxe release format at a $29.99 / £30 price point. The Pumpkin Rapper, from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, will come with three pumpkin accessories, vine accessories and a power blast FX piece. A second pair of hands will also be included. Pre-orders are now open, with a 1st January 2021 release date. This 8-inch Lightning Collection Pumpkin Rapper monster figure features premium paint and decorative details inspired by the show, over 20 points of articulation for high poseability, includes pumpkin accessories, vine tentacle accessory, power blast effect accessory, and an extra pair of hands for more ways to play or display. Go Go Power Rangers! Includes figure, 3 accessories, alternate head, and extra hands. This Power Rangers Lightning Collection action figure has premium painted details and design inspired by the Mighty Morphin series Bigger, badder, and occasionally scarier, the Lightning Collection Monsters celebrates the best (and sometimes weirdest) monsters in Power Rangers history The Pumpkin Rapper toy includes pumpkin accessories (really), vine tentacle accessory, power blast effect accessory, and alternate hands The Pumpkin Rapper is, well, a rapping pumpkin monster… created to destroy the Power Rangers Look for more collectible figures in the Lightning Collection. Each sold separately. Subject to availability. 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,

As announced at Hasbro Pulse Con in September, the Power Rangers Lightning Collection will soon be seeing the larger Monster Figures join the collection. These 8 inch Monsters will be a deluxe release format at a $29.99 / £30 price point. King Sphinx, from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, will come with his scepter, alternative hands and a power blast FX piece. Pre-orders are now open, with a 1st January 2021 release date. This 8-inch Lightning Collection King Sphinx monster figure features premium paint and decorative details inspired by the show, over 20 points of articulation for high poseability, includes attachable wings, Sphinx Scepter accessory, power blast effect accessory, and an extra pair of hands for more ways to play or display. Go Go Power Rangers! Includes: figure, 3 accessories, alternate head, and extra hands. This Power Rangers Lightning Collection action figure has premium painted details and design inspired by the Mighty Morphin series Bigger, badder, and occasionally scarier, the Lightning Collection Monsters celebrates the best (and sometimes weirdest) monsters in Power Rangers history The King Sphinx toy includes attachable wings, Sphinx Scepter accessory, power blast effect accessory, and alternate hands Created by Finster from clay and Egyptian sand, King Sphinx uses mighty wings to throw his enemies off balance Look for more collectible figures in the Lightning Collection. Each sold separately. Subject to availability. 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,

In 2018, McFarlane's Stranger Things line moved into figures from the second season of the hit Netflix show and as an exclusive for Gamestop in the US, a 4-pack was created of the Dustin, Mike, Will and Lucas in their Halloween Ghostbusters costumes. The set would get a wider global release via the McFarlane distribution channels, and here in the UK was sold via specialist retailers including Forbidden Planet. Packaging 3.5 Up to this point, the McFarlane Stranger Things figures had used retro 1980's style blister cards for the single releases. For the 4-pack, a more traditional window box was utilised to show all four figures and elements from the card back were translated over such as the race track borders and the 80's movie poster montage to the right hand side that wraps round onto the spine. The Netflix logo sits top left, while the Stranger Things logo sits on the bottom rail alongside the set name which is given as GHOSTBUSTERS with the characters name listed underneath. The back of the box is split in two with one half in blue and one in red separated by another double tramline border. The blue side shows off the four figures in the set, while the red half acts as a checklist of other releases showing off figures from Wave 1 and 2 as well as the Exclusive Barb figure (also sold at Gamestop) and the squeezable dart. I think it is a neat touch that McFarlane use their older logo on the back a another nod to the nostalgia of the 80's. The figures are all securely strapped into an inner tray by means of thick white cable ties that do ruin the look of the set if it is being kept boxed. Considering the exclusivity of the set when it was first released a more subtle method of fastening could certainly have been executed. Each figure sits next to their proton packs, with further accessories sat next to their heads. The inner plastic tray is firmly strapped through and to the backing card. And on the base of the backing card we have taped display stands for each figure. Paint & Sculpt 2.5 I will start with the Lucas figure, as played by Caleb Reginald McLaughlin. The head sculpt is probably the best likeness in the set, although the paint apps does make Lucas look as though he has frost forming on his lips and eyebrows. Lucas is wearing the 80's Halloween Ghostbusters costume which is a soft cream base colour with no other paint apps. This base colour of the uniform - used on all four figures - is not wholly screen accurate and what we should get is a colour closer to the original GB uniforms from the 1984 movie in a very light drab olive colour. The Ghostbuster logo sits on the right arm and the nameplate on the left side of the chest. Lucas is dressed up as Winston and has the name Zeddemore on the plate. He is wearing a pair of grey trainers. Moving on to the Will Byers figure, and we have a direct re-use of the body from Lucas with the nameplate updated to Spengler. Will is very slight in the show and both shorter and slimmer than Lucas so the re-use smacks of a decision of convenience and cost saving. The head is a new sculpt and features the bowl cut that Will has in Season 2. The likeness to actor Noah Schnapp is OK, but not fantastic. Will is wearing black trainers with white stripes. Will's costume in the show was a slightly different colour, so the cream is more accurate here but still off vs the on screen costumes. Mike is the worst head sculpt in the set. It is another new one, but comes in looking deformed and not even close to actor Finn Wolfhard. Mike has a larger and broader body with an open collar and a grey shirt underneath. He is dressing up as Venkman and the nameplate reflects this The same larger body is used for Dustin, who also gets a new head sculpt vs the original Season 1 release. The likeness to Gaten Matarazzo is OK, and out of all of them he shows the most character and emotion in the face with the usual smile on Dustin's face - while the others are all very deadpan. Dustin is wearing plain cream trainers, and my review figure came with a big scratch across the chalky paintwork. Accessories Each of the figures comes with a dress up Proton Pack. These are all the same cast, but have varying decoration. While some of this decor is painted, most is applied as very poor stickers - no transfers or decals here sadly. They are cast in black plastic and have a flexible plastic strap which is then negotiated around the figures arms. You will need to move the arms to the back and bend them at the elbow to move it into position. Once in place the pack sits pretty well on Lucas with a large flexible hose that runs through to a version of the proton emitter with a trigger like a pressure washer gun. The gun piece can fit into the back of the pack by means of a loop holster. Fitting it into the hands is not easy, the hands are not overly flexible and need some teasing to get the thick pipe and trigger into the hand. Once in place the weapon is cradled by the left hand. While Lucas only comes with the pack, each of the other figures have another accessory. Will Byers comes with a very impressive 1980's video recorded. This is cast in black with a good level of detail including the buttons, microphone and the tape compartment which is framed in red. The logo TMP Is visible on the handle and on the tape piece. Now while the accessory is brilliant, using it is pretty difficult with not enough range in the articulation to have Will - or any of the others - bring it up to their shoulder and have them looking through the eyepiece. The easiest way to have Will use the piece is to carry it by the top handle. Will also has a Proton Pack and you can see the smaller variances with Will having a full white dial in the centre of his pack vs just a smaller clock face on Lucas' pack. When we get to Mike, we have a small version of Dart the Demogorgon. This probably should sit more with Dustin as Dart was his pet, but it is packed alongside Mike in the box - and either by design or coincident the left hand of Mike appears to be shaped to hold Dart. Dart is so small that the features are not overly clear. He is painted in green with a cream underbelly. Mike's pack features a green symbol in the centre and a more faded warning sticker. With Mike being a larger body, getting the pack in place is more difficult and the pack sits much tighter and snugly on the body. We end with Dustin who's pack is different to the others as it has the Ghost Trap attached. The trap is a very impressive piece, with the yellow & black chevron top and the silver sides with painted controls. The Ghost Trap is attached permanently to the backpack and the lead is coiled up at the back with the foot pedal hanging to the end. The Trap can be held by Dustin in his right hand, but when not being used it ends up being a bit redundant and has to be slung back over the back to hang loose out of the way at the back. Dustin's pack features a fourth dial design with a red/amber/green dial with the indicator in the green. It is also worth noting all four figures come with the clear display stands - printed with the red Stranger Things Logo. These are essential in terms of displaying all the figures as none of them are able to stand unaided due to the shape and size of the feet. The stands have a single peg to and this corresponds to a single hole on the right foot. The clear stands do arrive a little yellowed like the previous single releases. A black version with the same red logo would have looked slicker. Articulation 3.0 We have two body types in play here across the four figures, and both have the same 14 points of articulation. The joints used are very visible with pins and pegs at the elbows and knees, and a T-Joint hip that splits into a number of components as the hips joints are moved. Head : ball joint neck Body : waist rotating swivel Arms : ball joint shoulder, single pinned rotating elbow, wrist rotation Legs : T-joint his, single pinned rotating knee, ankle rockers The joints on this set are much more robust than the preceding single releases. Some joints, like the knees, are ratcheted to the extreme and are actually so tight to move you may be forgiven if you think they are stuck on arrival. With no waist movement other than the ability to rotate and with limited movement in the hips, you will find the displays are restricted to neutral posing with the weapons in hand or slung over the backpack. The ankle rockers are much improved on the earlier figures but still do not provide sufficient support and with the feet shaped as they are - none of the figures will stand unaided and the stands have to be used Summary The premise of this set, based on the wonderful Halloween scenes from Season 2, was very clever. The execution was sadly lacking. The McFarlane figures at this point in time (pre Fortnite & DC) suffered from very similar issues regardless of franchise. The paint is chalky, the faces very poor likenesses and the articulation both clunky and also not supportive of the figures standing by themselves. Even with the supplied stands, the ankles remain too loose to support the figures over time which leads to an inevitable lean on all of them. The actual Ghostbuster elements of the set are done well with the costumes and accessories certainly looking like 80's Halloween costumes (as they should) rather than looking too good and too much like the movie. The decision to use just two bodies is disappointing as all four characters have a different body shape and Mike in particular looks very odd. I score the McFarlane Stranger Things Ghostbusters Exclusive 4-Pack a total of 2.5 For more news, reviews and a full checklist of releases visit our McFarlane 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, mcfarlane, stranger things, ghostbusters, will, mike, dustin, lucas, netflix, halloween, exclusive, gamestop

The Sith Jet Trooper was seen briefly in the final battle on Exegol. It is simply a red armoured version of the standard First Order Jet Trooper so it made sense for Hasbro to use the Jet Trooper sculpt from Wave 23 to release the Sith version in Wave 24. The figure landed in early 2020 alongside other Rise of Skywalker figures Zorii Bliss and the Knight of Ren. Packaging 4.0 The Sith Jet Trooper is number 106 in the Phase 3 packaging and features the usual red side spine and red backing card for the figure that actually leaves the figure itself getting a bit lost. The Gregory Titus artwork is not a copy from the #99 Jet Trooper, but is a new illustration and this gives a clearer look at the lines and panelling of the helmet. The artwork is repeated on the back of the box with a short piece of background text "In its ultimate push toward galactic conquest, the First Order readies an army of elite soldiers that draw inspiration from dark and ancient legacy" Paint & Sculpt 4.0 The Sith Jet Trooper design borrows a lot of elements from previous First Order troopers, but the figure does not appear to re-use any parts from previous First Order Troopers although the body is a complete re-use of the original white armoured Jet Trooper. The helmet is a cross between a Snowtrooper and a Stormtrooper with sleek flared lines and black painted panel lining and visor. The body is covered predominantly by a large chest piece, complete with some decal work. The jet pack sits on the back of this section with a wide vent area at the top. The decals under this vent are black with a yellow symbol to one side. The figure is cast in a red plastic for most of the armour but there is a section under the main chest piece which is cast in black plastic and then painted. That can look mismatched in very strong light. It is difficult to comment on how accurate the figure and colouring is considering the Sith Jet Troopers were only seen fleetingly on screen and in the dark light of Exegol's atmosphere. Accessories 4.0 Rather than the three barrelled blaster that was included with the original Jet Trooper, the Sith version gets the same weapon as the Sith Trooper figure. This is a large barreled blaster with holes down the barrel and with a sights section set to the back end. It is cast in black with red trim and some silver detail on the sights. It fits in the right hand with a trigger finger sitting in the trigger once the blaster is in hand. The blaster can also be hip mounted by means of a peg on the side of the blaster that corresponds to a slot in the hip of the Sith Jet Trooper. Articulation 3.5 Our Sith Jet Trooper has 16 points of articulation in total. The upper body mobility is good with a lot of range on the torso joint under the armour. Arms can do most poses and can be raised fully with the shoulder armour withdrawing under the chest as the arms are raised. The elbows give enough for a rudimentary two handed weapon pose, but only at a carry position - no real firing options. Head : ball joint neck Body : torso ball joint Arms : ball joint shoulders, single joint rotating elbow, wrist pivot Legs : ball joint hops, thigh swivel, double joint knee, ankle rocker Like a lot of armoured figures the legs are a bit restricted by the thigh armour. You won't get the legs to raise into anything other than a wider action stance. As a "flying" character the figure does look awesome when placed onto an aftermarket flight stand Summary As a figure, there is nothing inherently wrong with the Sith Jet Trooper. It looks great, it articulates well enough and the accessory does what you would expect. The box is fine, although reviewing this after the switch to the new Galaxy Collection Phase 4 packaging does highlight the uniform and repetitive nature of the Phase 3 box and in particular the colours. The big issue for me is that I find it difficult to relate to the figure considering the very limited screen time. While it is an "easy" repaint for Hasbro, there are a number of other figures I would have much preferred to have seen from The Rise of Skywalker. Putting aside this screen time issue and my lack of engagement with the design and considering the figure and its component parts - then I score the Sith Jet Trooper an above average 4.0 For more news, reviews and a checklist of releases visit our Star Wars 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, The Rise of Skywalker, Sith Jet Trooper

The Gaming Greats sub-line of the Star Wars Black Series brings us repurposed figures from the main line as seen in various video game appearances. Following on the first sets from Galaxy of Heroes, Battlefront and Jedi Fallen Order is a revised Jango Fett figure from the Gamecube/PS2 classic Bounty Hunter video game from 2002. Packaging 4.0 The Gaming Great line continues, for the rest of 2020 at least, to utilise the Phase 3 box packaging style. The base colour remains black with the silver trimmed Star Wars Black Series logo a the top of the box. Instead of the standard red accent colour, each Gaming Greats release uses a colour that compliments the figure and for Jango Fett this is an ice blue colour used as an accent colour on the impressive Gregory Titus artwork, and also on the right hand side spine and the backing of the figure in the window. The window is cut in at the side with a hexagonal insert containing the Gaming Greats logo. Another logo for the original game sits bottom right on the box next to the Hasbro logo, this in itself was unusual for the Black Series except where a figure was produced from a video game and this is now standard practice for the Gaming Greats packaging. The blue side section also deviates a little from the usual Phase 3 format and inserts the Hexagonal Gaming Greats logo where the number or dot matrix square would have been. Round the back of the box we have a repeat of the Titus artwork and a short piece of background text about the figure and the game. "Star Wars: Bounty Hunter follows Jango Fett, the most fearsome bounty hunter in the galaxy, as he pursues an unhinged Dark Jedi named Komari Vosa." Paint & Sculpt 3.0 The Jango figure arrives with his helmet in situ, and the proportions on this are good and the shape well executed with no immediate issues with warping as can be the case on removable helmets in the softer plastic. The mask has a gloss black visor with ice blue trim and then a purple secondary curved stripe on either cheek. The rest of the helmet is a silver colour broken by the extending viewfinder - which is a fixed piece. Under the helmet is a sculpted Jango Fett head sculpt, treated with the face print tech to give us a very good likeness to actor Temuera Morrison. From memory (I may be wrong) the game does not see Jango remove his helmet so Hasbro did not have to include this feature, but as it was on the original figure they have seen fit to give us this updated version. The rest of the body is a bit squat, especially compared to Boba Fett who is meant to be an exact clone of Jango. The legs are quite short and the feet are tiny, and this creates significant stability issues. Each armour piece is painted silver while the under suit is a purple tone to match the game as opposed to the blue used in the movie. The jetpack is also updated vs the movie and is now the same one that comes with Boba Fett with the central missile. It is the most colourful piece on the figure with a bright blue outer casing and orange, brown and silver panels. Sadly, the plastic on the jetpack is a bit soft and that means that both the missile and the jets arrive warped - potentially due to the way the packaging holds them while in the box. The original Jango figure was a 2016 release, and came with a more distressed paint job on the armour. The Gaming Greats figure gives a cleaner look with a shade change to purple on the bodysuit. The jetpack is a full swap out with the Boba Fett version and this creates a bigger profile on the back with the central missile. The head is the biggest improvement thanks to the face print tech over the same sculpt and it makes a world of difference. Accessories 4.0 Jango is armed with his dual WESTAR-34 blaster pistols. These are the same as packed with the 2016 release, and painted in the exact same way. The details are crisp and smooth with sweeping lines down the grip. They are painted in silver with grey trim. Both hands are cast to accept the blaster, with a trigger finger on each. They hold in place well and when not in use can be slipped into the holsters on either hip. The Jetpack is removable if you wish, it holds on to the back of the figure with three plugs - a round central plug and two square pegs that line up to sockets in the back of the figure. You can see the warping more clearly in these images. As it is removable, the helmet would also be categorised as an accessory. as a softer plastic it is susceptible for warping but shows no signs of his on arrival. It is quite a tight fit over the figure head and that could create a risk of paint rub over time. Articulation 2.0 Jango Fett is an older body and has a total of 16 points of articulation. Like the original figure, these are not the best set of joints and the elbow in particular is very weak for a Black Series figure and cant even bend to 90 degrees, making the wielding of the blasters very flat when posing. Head : ball joint pivot neck Body : ball joint waist Arms : ball joint shoulder, single rotating elbows, wrist pivot Legs : ball joint hips, thigh swivel, double jointed knees, ankle rockers In contrast the shoulders work really well with the pauldron withdrawing into the chest armour as the arms are raised which is pretty slick in the engineering. The head has full motion, and while it gets this via a pivot in the neck - the pivot is not overly obvious thanks to the paint job. The legs start disappointingly. We have a restricted hip thanks to a combination of the armour clashing with the waist and the holsters. The knees, are however, much better with a double joint that bends the leg almost back on itself if you wish. The ankle rockers on first inspection are tight and very well ratcheted, but when you start to pose the figure they will frustrate you no end. They feet are designed as such that the bend on the rocker can't get to a true flat foot position because the armour panel on the foot hits the armour panel on the shin. When you couple this with the tiny feet to start with, and the fact Jango is back heavy from the Jet Pack, we have a very unstable figure that I could not get to stand under any circumstance unaided. Once dropped onto a foot peg stand, the issue is resolved. And the figure looks even better when coupled with an aftermarket flight stand with the articulation being extensive enough for some very cool flight poses. Summary This new Gaming Greats Jango does inherit the flaws of the original including the slightly squat proportions, the small feet and the articulation issues that come with that and the accompanying ankle joint. The big plus points for this do-over is the head sculpt, which now looks magnificent with the photo real tech. The new release brings its own issues with the updated jetpack, which looks great in terms of colour selection and paint application. But there are problems with the softer plastic and warping to the central missile and the thrusters. The packaging is good and I like the accented colours to bring some variety to a boxed collection. It will be interesting to see where Hasbro go with Gaming Greats after the current releases - and either option creates a mis-match in MIB collections. I score the Gaming Greats Jango Fett from Bounty Hunter a score of 3.0 For more news, reviews and a checklist of releases visit our Star Wars 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, The Clone Wars, Kamino, Clone Trooper

Tamashii Nations have announced a new SH Figuarts 6 inch figure of Gamora in their Marvel line. Gamora is based on her Avengers Infinity War appearance and comes with both extended and retracted versions of her sword, the blade gifted to her by Thanos and Star Lords blaster with bubble effect. The figure will be a March 2021 release. "Avengers: Infinity War Gamora SH Figuarts comes with a bounty of optional parts and accessories, including Star Lord's "Bubble" blaster."

In Summer 2020, Hasbro moved to the 4th Phase of packaging for the Star Wars Black Series with the launch of the Galaxy Collection. With this new packaging came the news that the Hasbro team would also be revisiting and redesigning the often used bodys for the Imperial Stormtrooper and the Republic Clone Trooper - improving the articulation and overall look of both figures vs the original bodies that were now 5 years old or more. The first Clone to use the new Trooper body was the slightly unusual choice of the Kamino Security Clone Troopers as seen in the Season 6 Conspiracy story arc, under the command of Jedi Master Shaak Ti. Packaging 4.0 I am now almost fully sold on the new Galaxy Collection Packaging. The box dimensions remain identical to the Phase 3 packaging with the side cut out and angled to house a full art panel that is done in grey scale but then uses a coloured accent glow to the bottom half of the image. This colour accent is specific to the movie or series from which the figure is taken and each movie or series has its own numbering system - when corresponding figures are lined up the side artwork combines into a bigger collage piece. The Clone Wars colour is a very vibrant yellow. The colour is used in the Trooper name, which is simply listed as Clone Trooper with the "Kamino" in brackets underneath. The artwork panel shows the Kamino Trooper holding his heavy blaser and with the Kamino cityscape in the background behind. The art panel is repeated on the back along with some background text. The text is surprisingly generic and does not cover any detail of this particular Clone section and its role on Kamino. "The Republic Clone Troopers represented the future of galactic warfare. So symbolic were they of the times, the galaxy-wide conflict that saw their debut took its name from their ranks: The Clone Wars " One of the disadvantages of the new box shape is the volume of tape strips needed to seal it, and they can be quite visible and detracting for boxed collectors. For openers like me you will need to cut your way through these either on the top or bottom flap to extract the figure. The entire box contents come out as one including the window which is now part of the inner tray and not attached to the cardboard of the box. This allows for the plastic and card to be separated for recycling purposes. Paint & Sculpt 4.0 The Kamino Trooper features an all new Phase 2 Clone Trooper body and helmet. It is well publicised that Hasbro are now doing all helmets as softer plastic pieces over a sculpted head underneath. This can mean the helmet can arrive warped and I have seen some pretty poor examples of this - mine thankfully arrived fine. You can't take off the helmet immediately to see the head underneath (which is unpainted) the helmet is spot glued in place. Be mindful any attempt to remove will need patience and some heat to soften the glue and could warp or damage the helmet. The helmet itself is OK, but arguably the previous version for the Mk2 clones was a much better proportioned piece. The new one is quite slim with narrow eye lenses and a lack of volume at the base of the helmet leaving the sides quite flat. It is very neatly painted with a gloss black visor and the grey trim around the ridge piece the forehead and the nose & mouth areas. This grey trim continues onto the white armour of the body with decals added to the shoulders to represent the badge of the Kamino Defense Force. The new body uses more segmented parts cast in their base colour and this means there is no significant painting required of black over white cast parts or vice versa. We therefore do not have a repeat of those very unsightly joints as seen on the old figure, and the gaps between armour and black undersuit are crisp and without the risk of paint bleed. Accessories 3.5 Like all Clone's to date, the Kamino Trooper is armed with the DC-15A and DC-15S blasters. Both are cast in black plastic, and this is a harder plastic than has been used in the past which gives a glossy finish and a crisper level of detail on the blaster. Both weapons are designed to fit in the right hand where a trigger finger slots into position. The barrels can be cupped and held by the left hand for two handed posing. It is also possible to have a weapon in each hand if your Clone is feeling a bit gung ho, although the left hand grip is a little less natural without a trigger finger. Both weapons could have benefited from some paint detail to some degree. I've seen these in the past done in plain black, with a gunmetal wash and also with silver detail on some of the parts and I think one or both of those options would have added to the overall look. The DC-15S, the smaller of the two, also looks a little warped with the barrel almost bent upwards from the the grip? I had assumed both blasters were direct re-uses from the older Clone figures, but on closer inspection they are not. They are either new pieces or have been slightly resized and tweaked - perhaps to engineer them better in scale to the new body. The smaller blaster features that strange bend in the middle and is a touch smaller than the older version. The larger DC-15A rifle is also a touch smaller than its predecessor and has some sculpt changes at the barrel and on the central piece as shown below. Articulation 4.5 One of the main reasons for a redesign of the Clone body was to improve the articulation. The older figures suffered from blocked elbow joints - even though they had a double joint - and some clunky movement around the legs. The new Clone Trooper has an articulation count of 18 points of articulation with the new butterfly joint added at the shoulders to aid in posing. Head : ball joint neck Body : ball joint torso Arms : butterfly shoulder, ball joint shoulder, single rotating elbow, wrist pivot Leg ; ball joint hips, thigh swivel, single rotating knee, ankle rockers The head is the first improvement on the previous release, sitting higher on the neck and open to a wider range of motion. The arms too are now no longer restricted at the elbows - so even though it is now a single joint, it is much more responsive and can bend much further. The elbow pads are no longer fixed on the joint and are executed as soft plastic that moves over the joint rather than blocking against it. The shoulders were also a previous issue where the hard cast pauldron struck the chest armour and stopped all motion. This is not fully alleviated, but the pauldrons are now soft cast plastic and can bend more against the armour as the arms move upward. The legs now have a full range of motion with the hips opened up and a knee joint that can bend fully, albeit on a single joint. The knee pad, like the elbow, is soft plastic and floats over the joint and does not impede it. The ankle rockers are secure and tight and the figure will stand pretty well in most poses where both feet can be planted - you do have to learn to use the knee rotation to help keep the feet secure which is a little odd but this ultimately works and looks better than over turning the thigh swivel that then turns the thigh armour too far out. Summary I think Hasbro have achieved what they set out to do and have given us a nice looking and well articulated Clone Trooper body that can then go and be utilised for multiple characters and troopers over the coming years. There has been some noise about the proportions being stylised and towards the animated look of The Clone Wars, but I do not see this personally and there is no immediate difference visually if you put the new Clone with any of the old ones apart from the helmet that looks a little slim. In fact the Trooper would have looked better combining the new articulated body with the old Phase 2 helmet. The new packaging, in my opinion, is much more visual than any of the older formats and the angled side art does allow for some variation in display - allowing you to display face on to show the figure and the art, or side on in the montage layout. All in all the new Kamino Clone Trooper is a very solid release and I score it 4.0 overall. For more news, reviews and a checklist of releases visit our Star Wars 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, The Clone Wars, Kamino, Clone Trooper

Lets go back to Toy Fair 2020 in February for a moment where Diamond Select confirmed they had picked up the licence to produce figures from the Lord of the Rings movie. The first three waves were confirmed - starting with Gimli and Legolas, then Aragorn and a Nazgul and finishing with Frodo and a generic Orc. Buying all three waves would allow you to build a 13 inch Sauron figure. Wave 1 has been up for pre-order for some time for Gimli and Legolas and should be out this month pending any delays. Diamond have no officially soclicted Wave 2 and pre-orders have opened for this next set with an April 2021 release date. This Wave 2 announcement has also seen the wave lineup altered with Wave 2 now being made up of Frodo Baggins and the Nazgul. Aragorn, we must assume, has been pushed back to Wave 3. The Frodo figure is now shown with his Lothlorien cape, as seen at Toy Fair, and it is not mentioned in the accompanying text. This is a little disappointing as I for one liked the look they first showed us. Frodo is confirmed to include Sting and now the Light of Earendil. I also think the promo text is poorly chosen - Frodo was certainly not the Hobbit that started it all in the context of the wider story. The Nazgul comes with a single blade. This looked like a full sword on the Toy Fair images but is now listed as a dagger. Another downgrade, and while the Ring Wraiths did wield the Morgul dagger on Weathertop - the more recognizable look is with their full swords drawn as they advance. With so many changes, I think I would like to see Diamond confirm the contents of Wave 3 now before I commit to getting Wave 1 and 2. Making changes like this often does not end well, as we saw with the original promises for Ghostbusters II and the changes then made to remove figures announced and release others from the Real Ghostbusters line instead. Add the Hobbit that started it all to your 7" Lord of the Rings collection with this highly anticipated release! Featuring movie likenesses, this approximately 4" figure includes character-appropriate accessories, as well as 16 points of articulation, and comes with a part of the 13" Sauron build-a-figure! Each figure comes packaged in a full-color window box with hangtag. Designed by Yuri Tming and Eamon O'Donoghue, sculpted by Gentle Giant Studios. Product Features 7 inch scale (17.78cm) Made of plastic 16 Points of articulation Detailed sculpting Sauron build pieces Collect the whole line to build the 13-inch villain Box Contents Frodo figure Sauron build piece Sting Light of Earendil Featuring movie likenesses this 7" Nazgul/Ringwraith includes character-appropriate accessories, as well as 16 points of articulation, and comes with a part of the 13" Sauron build-a-figure! Each figure comes packaged in a full-color window box with hangtag. Designed by Yuri Tming and Eamon O'Donoghue, sculpted by Gentle Giant Studios. Product Features 7 inch scale (17.78cm) Made of plastic 16 Points of articulation Detailed sculpting Sauron build piece Collect the whole line to build the 13-inch villain Box Contents Ringwraith figure Sauron build piece Dagger 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 first batch of Doctor Who Exclusives at B&M stores arrived in Summer 2020, and soon after it was confirmed a 2nd batch were planned for an Autumn 2020 release. After the first two History of the Daleks Set from the Summer releases, the Autumn 2020 sets would take us to Set 3 and 4 and to the remaining 1st Doctor stories of The Chase and The Dalek Master Plan. In this review we look at History of the Daleks #3, The Chase. Packaging 3.0 The Chase Set packaging remains consistent with the previous sets with a rectangular window box and deep Blue and grey colour scheme. The window is a little too small to show both Daleks, which is a shame, and this see's the Chase Guard obscured by the triangular cut in that carries the Doctor Who log and the TARDIS outline artwork. The set name sits under the window and above this in a red panel is confirmation of the episode as The Chase from 1965. The foil sticker remains, applied at the bottom left of the window - reading "Limited Edition". Both side panels carry the TARDIS artwork, with the left side a full panel and the right with a partial wrap around of the window. The back of the box carries another cut in panel of the TARDIS and then an image of our two Chase Dalek figures. Above them to the left is a circular panel that simply states "DALEKS FROM THE CLASSIC DOCTOR WHO ADVENTURE". Over to the other side of the image is another very in depth background text for both The Chase in terms of the story and also the Behind The Scenes info about the Dalek props. The text for me is far too in depth and gives away the whole plot of the story and leaves nothing for fans to perhaps get intrigued about and go and find out more by discovering Classic Doctor Who. As is also common, the text contains some grammatical issues and even spells Mechanoids incorrectly. The text does not copy what was used on the recently released Jungles of Mechanus set - the spelling of Mechanoids on that set was using the correct spelling according to the Doctor Who website. THE CHASE (1965) The First Doctor and his companions are forced to flee in the TARDIS when they learn from the Time/Space Visualiser, taken from the Space Museum, that a group of Daleks equipped with their own time machine are on their trail with orders to exterminate them. The Chase begins on the desert planet of Aridius and takes in a number of stopping-off points including New York's Empire State Building, the 19th Century sailing ship Mary Celeste and a spooky haunted house. Eventually both time machines arrive on the jungle planet Mechanus, where the Daleks try to infiltrate and kill the Doctor using a robot double. The travellers when escaping the Daleks are then taken prisoner by the Mechonoids, a group of robots sent some fifty years earlier to prepare landing sites for human colonists who never arrived. There they meet Steven Taylor, a stranded astronaut who has been the Mechonoids' captive for the past two years. The Daleks and Mechonoids engage in a fierce battle which ultimately results in their mutual destruction. The Doctor's party escape and the Doctor reluctantly agrees to help Ian and Barbara use the Daleks' time machine to return home. The background piece is particularly poorly written in parts with a segment where brackets are opened, but not closed. The story is referred to as the chase with no capitalisation, and there are some difficult segments to read thanks to the lack of formatted grammer. The Dalek Props For The Chase, Ray Cusick was assigned as designer once again, allowing him creative control of the creations for a second time. Previously radar dishes had been added to the back of the Daleks to account for their increased mobility in The Dalek Invasion of Earth, but Cusick felt that he could do better and so dew up a design for a solar panel arrangement of slats around the shoulders. Cusick also indicated that props should be reverted back to their smaller stature and gave instructions to remove the "hovercraft" bases. The situation surrounding all the available props had been assessed for the new production, and an attempt had been made to borrow back the two Barnardo's prop again, however the charity said that due to their own schedule, this would not be possible so two new Daleks were created. So the chase features a mix of original Dalek casings, movie Dalek casings (some with and without bases and ears, and brand new TV Dalek casings but built using 'movie' Dalek techniques. This set features a silver 'Drone' Dalek with the new solar slats and 'cup' shaped lights and one of the repurposed 'Movie' Daleks which were used without operators to guard the entrances of the Dalek Time Ship. The box is opened via the top flap and inside we have a plastic clear tray containing the Daleks that itself is sat in a cardboard backing piece. The backing card features an illustration of the Mechanus Jungle - but is not the same as the one used for Jungles of Mechanus. The Daleks are held in at the base and the body with a white tie wrapping the body and through to the back of the packaging. This can be untied, but it is easier to snip open with scissors from behind. Paint & Sculpt 4.0 The Chase Guard uses the original Classic Dalek design without the mid-section slats. It features the same colour scheme as the Jungles of Mechanus 'movie' Daleks with a blue-silver base shade, metallic blue hemispheres and domes and a gold midsection trim. The base is back to the slimline base and the eyes are the smaller ridged lights of the original Dead Planet Daleks. The Chase Guard should not by right have any base to be fully screen accurate but including it was the only real choice Character had to ensure the figure looked finish and the inner gubbings was no exposed. The proportions of the Classic Dalek sculpt is good and the paint is neatly applied with no obvious flaws. The gun and sucker are cast in silver with the sucker end painted in black. The eye stalk feature a full white iris. The Dalek Drone moves the design on a little to one of the new props built for The Chase with the addition of the new slats. It is painted in the traditional 60's colours with a silver body and sky blue hemispheres. The eye piece remains the same but has a retracted iris via a smaller painted white dot in the centre. The sucker remains as was, while the gun is updated to the ridged version. Again, painting on this is pretty slick with no obvious flaws on the figure I purchased. Accessories N/A There are no included accessories with the set Articulation 4.0 Both Daleks have 4 points of articulation with the rotating dome and pivot eye stalk on the head and the ball joint sucker and gun arm that are plugged into the body and can move on a full 360 degree range. The movement is fine on each appendage, although the eye stalk on my Drone Dalek has arrived misshapen and sits to one side - possibly due to how it was packed. Each Dalek also runs on three castor wheels, two fixed and one swiveled so they can be pushed along the floor. All of this is in line with what the Daleks on screen (and the original props could do). The only real enhancement that could have been considered would have been a telescoping sucker arm - which would be difficult at the scale. Summary I do like the History of the Daleks premis, and it looks like Character and B&M are going to go in story order with these. The issue with that is a bit of buyer fatigue as by the time we hit the 2nd Doctor era we will have had 5 sets of Silver/Blue Daleks and the Troughton era is going to add two more sets before we get to the grey variants in the 3rd and 4th Doctor era. This set gives us the Chase Guard for those who missed it when it was released as an FX Dalek and adds another Drone for army builders. The Daleks are well done and nicely painted with no obvious paint errors that the earlier 2020 sets and the Big Finish Dalek sets had suffered with. THe packaging continues to annoy me in that the design actually hides half of one of the figure. I am also not a fan of the very extensive background text - it leaves nothing to the imagination and that would create a desire to go and learn more about the story. These text segments are also riddled with errors including spelling and grammatical errors with this set. I score the History of the Daleks Set #3 a total of 3.5. For more news, reviews and a checklist of releases then visit our Doctor Who 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, character options, character toys, B&M stores, daleks, the chase

Medicom have released full details of No. 144 in their MAFEX line, a DC Batman figure from the Knightfall Story - Azrael Batman. This armoured articulated Batman comes with two head sculpts, 2 pairs of hands, a grappling hook and line and a helmet accessory, The cape is soft goods and wired so it can be posed. Knightfall Azrael Batman is an October 2021 release. Based on the Batman: Knightfall storyline from DC Comics, this MAFEX Azrael Batman is a fully articulated figure with several features and accessories. Batman features a poseable wired fabric cape and 2 head portraits. Product Features 6.30 inches (16cm) Made of plastic From Batman: Knightfall DC Comics storyline Poseable wired fabric cape Fully articulated Box Contents Azrael Batman figure 2 Head sculpts 2 Pairs of hands Grappling hook and line 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,