RockinHard's Top MOTUC Pictorial/Review Countdown!

[shadowfall1976]

I love Sorceress, but too bad she has a few issues against her....

Wing Drums, Too tall waist / crotch piece or too short a skirt, or both & non articulated thighs. And after seeing TOD Sorceress, the originals boots should have been a little taller and beefier, same design (not Teela's) but just beefier and taller. Then she would have been absolutely perfect to me.

Sadly, the TOD Sorceress to me is the better looking version.

[cbomb23]

Nice thread, I enjoy checking in every few days to see the newly ranked figures and pics! Obviously I would have some different rankings like many, as it's all about personal taste. Funny how some of my most anticipated figures are also ones I find the most fault with (just higher expectations) while others I have little anticipation for are surprisingly some I think are superb designs? A few that were disappointing: Clawful (pretty much just the head), Faceless One (just a much different interpretation than I was expecting), King Hssss (puny snake form), Leech (Would have liked some of the Staction incorporated), and a few that were surprising: Bow (Just a great design for a character I couldn't have cared less about), Vikor (Just an unknown unexpected great barbarian), Optikk (Just love his mix and matchability).

[eCollector]

Cy-Chop is a great figure. Agree about the scissors, I would have preferred them smaller. Disagree about the beast man parts, I think they work great.

Same here; Chop doesn't look overall bad, but those scissors are just crazy big making it look dumb. I think prior to becoming a cyborg, he was Marvel's Beast! haha

[bcrduke]

I agree with a lot of these, and I love the pics... BUT


Swift Wind and Panthor are WAYYYYY higher in my virtual list. They are well above the likes of Cy-Chop (a figure I like) or even figures like Mekaneck and Spikor.

I also don't mind, now that we have him, that Panthor isn't flocked... and I don't think bright colors, which are a hallmark of all things MOTU, automatically mean "girly" Yes, he has some pink... but pink is only "girly," really, in American culture... so, doesn't matter to me... it's just another color.

But colors aside, they are triumphs as figures, and that is why I would rank them above many many of the regular figures.

[shadowfall1976]

Same here; Chop doesn't look overall bad, but those scissors are just crazy big making it look dumb. I think prior to becoming a cyborg, he was Marvel's Beast! haha

Doctors: We have the technology to rebuild him....

....tinker, weld, bolt....

....AH!!!, all done!

Oh ****, .... Um, professor....

Xavier: Holy SH.... um, just box him up and send him to Mattel.... we are never to speak of this again.

[gbagok]

It's interesting that Sorceress and He-Ro are so close together as I thought both really suffered for not having one open spell-casting hand. Sorceress has Fonzy thumbs and He-Ro looks like he has baby hands because of those massive bracers. I also agree something is underwhelming about Sorceress's face, but I quite liked He-Ro's do. I fully agree the cape (and all the capes really) is too stiff.

[hadley]

I suppose the Sorceress could have been done better with the drum apparati on her upper back rather than on her shoulder parts. Fabric would look terrible.

I just can't swing He-Ro. I agree with everything you said, Rockin. I wish I could like him because he's so important, but NOT IN MY CANON™!

[RockinHard]

#63

Clawful

Many of the updated Classics figures have toned the cartoony, goofy look of the vintage figures down a notch or three, providing instead more realistic touches and details (such as the crab-like shoulders, neck, and backpiece of the armor). In this case, when it comes to the figure’s head sculpt and paint apps, however, that did not happen. There are surely some nice details added in to the face sculpt, but ultimately we are left with a Clawful figure that didn’t quite receive the same amount of attention in the detail and update department to the head as other figures did. Otherwise, this figure has been updated beautifully: the crab backpiece of the armor offers intricate, welcome detail that doesn’t obstruct its vintage look and feel; the shared torso gives Clawful an even more crab-like aesthetic where the shoulders meet the arms and neck; and the mace and newly-designed shield are great updates.


What's in a face?

[Lich Leech]

Personally I think Clawful is perfect as is. Yes, the eyebrows are cartoonish, but he wouldn't be Clawful without them.

[RockinHard]

As usual, it's fun to come back here and see more of your awesome photography! This time, I have a lot of catching up to do...

I had no clue who Optikk was when I first saw this figure. While I was weighing the pros and cons of going all-in with MOTUC, NA and POG characters were put lowest on my list of priorities. As I shifted my collecting habits towards MOTUC, though, Optikk was actually the figure that bridged the gap between being a vintage/POP purist to wanting every figure in the lineup. He's so unique with that crazy eyeball of his and I like all the detail in his armor. Yeah, the reuse of Trap-Jaw's lower body is unfortunate but he still looks cool to me. NA might be the only MOTU incarnation that feels out of place to many (Although I keep reading here that the new DC comics might have that beat now, heheh!) but I have to admit: The NA designs in the hands of the 4H are very impressive and I feel that the MOTUC canon is doing a great job in integrating it into the mythos. I look forward more to seeing new NA figures than a lot of the vintage characters of the final MOTU waves!

I'm very happy to see Queen Marlena in all her Filmation glory. She's an essential member of the royal family and deserved her own figure. I always keep her in her Queen attire. After watching "The Rainbow Warrior", I agree that the white astronaut attire should've been made instead of the green one. While I also would've liked her to be able to sit down, I don't have any throne for her so it doesn't bug me as much. The only minor gripe I have is that her face looks a bit too fierce for Marlena...She was always so kind and motherly to everyone.

The Sorceress is a must-have figure for me, she's one of my favorite MOTU characters. I left vintage MOTU around the time that the Snake Men came out so I didn't know there was a vintage Sorceress until many years later. So when the MOTUC version was revealed, I had to buy her. She's the only 2012 figure that I was afraid of missing out on during DOS but thankfully, I got her with no hassles. While those drums are unsightly, I don't pose her much. Like with Marlena, there's no throne for her so I don't need to have her sitting either. The Sorceress wasn't an action-based character and she looks great in her classic pose. I rank her pretty high on my list but still place the TOD version just a notch above her.

He-Ro is another new character to me and it's fun to learn more about him. The figure has a neat, mythological feel to it which is perfect for such an important character. I'm also glad that they went with a metallic gold paint deco instead of the vac metal look. I was a little indifferent towards the POG storyline in the beginning but it's slowly becoming one of my favorite factions. Hey, they got techno-dinos with guns, how can you not like it? Cool, you also have the green gem...That's my favorite color and it really shows off nicely in your pics!

Always great to read your posts!

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I like this thread. It's a good overview of what we have and good to get someone else's point of view.
I can't say I agree with the rankings but RockinHard you are doing a great job. Keep it up!

Thanks for the post! Hope to read more from you!

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So far so good Rockin'. I would rank characters such as Faker and Panthor, even Swift Wind a bit higher, but I can agree with your reasons...I always have a hard time differentiating between my head and my heart when it comes to this sort of thing...Faker was like my holy grail MOTU fig when I was little, though yes indeed, he's a cheap out by Mattel all the way. Great thread buddy. I am still working on my list that you inspired me to do. Also, I love the fact that you are totally and completely not biased about any characters as proven by your countdown and that is very cool.

Thanks, man! Really appreciate it!

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Really fun thread. I have most of my figs older than 2012 packed up right now unfortunately and it is great to see them in action. I loved playing with my action figures outside as a kid, these pics made my day. Awesome thread! Thanks.

That's awesome! Thanks! Keep posting!

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Nice thread, I enjoy checking in every few days to see the newly ranked figures and pics! Obviously I would have some different rankings like many, as it's all about personal taste. Funny how some of my most anticipated figures are also ones I find the most fault with (just higher expectations) while others I have little anticipation for are surprisingly some I think are superb designs? A few that were disappointing: Clawful (pretty much just the head), Faceless One (just a much different interpretation than I was expecting), King Hssss (puny snake form), Leech (Would have liked some of the Staction incorporated), and a few that were surprising: Bow (Just a great design for a character I couldn't have cared less about), Vikor (Just an unknown unexpected great barbarian), Optikk (Just love his mix and matchability).

That's great! Thanks for words and support! Hope to see more from you!

[Weasel]

NOOOO Clawful! I love that guy. One of my favorites in the line. Ofcourse I have a bias because he and Rattlor were my favorites in the vintage line.

[shadowfall1976]

I'd much prefer the Filmation version of him, if done right, he could look menacing, still like Filmation, but not look like a Muppet in doing so. I never liked the Vintage toy, nor do I like the Classics version of him, and since I only saw him in Filmation, that is my preferred version.

If I can get the parts, and figure out how to do the head and armor, he's my next personal custom.

[cbomb23]

Personally I think Clawful is perfect as is. Yes, the eyebrows are cartoonish, but he wouldn't be Clawful without them.

Please see the Kevin Kosse custom head for a modern more menacing which I find far more appealing, there is also a custom Filmation head I just discovered the other day that I'm surprised I haven't seen on the Org?

NOOOO Clawful! I love that guy. One of my favorites in the line. Ofcourse I have a bias because he and Rattlor were my favorites in the vintage line.

Was easily my favorite character and it was because of his appearance on the filmation toon, loved the reptilian head.

I'd much prefer the Filmation version of him, if done right, he could look menacing, still like Filmation, but not look like a Muppet in doing so. I never liked the Vintage toy, nor do I like the Classics version of him, and since I only saw him in Filmation, that is my preferred version.

If I can get the parts, and figure out how to do the head and armor, he's my next personal custom.

There is an awesome custom head by Mast Er Custom I saw on the Fwoosh in the Masters forum picture thread. I've definitely got to get that head.

[Lich Leech]

Please see the Kevin Kosse custom head for a modern more menacing which I find far more appealing, there is also a custom Filmation head I just discovered the other day that I'm surprised I haven't seen on the Org?

It's a pretty cool head. I still prefer the vintage style head. This is one figure that obviously should have had two heads to cater to both sides here.

[shadowfall1976]

It's a pretty cool head. I still prefer the vintage style head. This is one figure that obviously should have had two heads to cater to both sides here.

True, but the Filmation rights weren't acquired then, and I prefer the whole Filmation Clawful to the Vintage one, not just the head.

And yes, the head is cool, I just prefer to do my own sculpting, that way it's my all my work, not someone else's. I can use the Vintage Clawful head as a base.

[bamf1980]

If a cartoon-y face is the only flaw, I'm surprised Buzz-Off outranks him. But, maybe he's next...

[He-Dad]

I like Clawful's head just the way it is. I'd rank him a little higher personally but I can see why people would want a second head. Looking forward to seeing who's next!

[Lich Leech]

If a cartoon-y face is the only flaw, I'm surprised Buzz-Off outranks him. But, maybe he's next...

IMO one of the best figures in the entire line has the most cartoony face:

[shadowfall1976]

IMO one of the best figures in the entire line has the most cartoony face:

http://www.poeghostal.com/wp-content.../mer-man_2.jpg

And people actually say Fang Man doesn't fit MOTUC.... we have Clawful, Buzz Off & This Mer-Man head.... Then on the other side of things you have Marzo, and the 200X whiplash head....

I think Fang Man fits just fine.

[Micro-Man]

I used to have vintage Clawful and he was a fun villain. He was the king of the "Squish your head" game and that was more gruesome when the figures had those soft rubber heads too, heheh! With Clawful, I prefer his vintage look over most others, so I'm happy with this figure. A Filmation head for him would've been cool, too. While Clawful retains his simplistic vintage design, the detailed sculpting all around reminds us why the 4H are perfect for this line. As others pointed out already, there are cartoony aspects scattered all over the place in MOTU so the silly face fits in nicely, IMO.

[RockinHard]

#62

Eternian Palace Guards

I am BEYOND happy to finally have palace guards as figures, especially in MOTUC. I wanted these SO bad as a child. Like with Battle-Armor He-Man and Battle-Armor Skeletor, however, changing the chest plates is a pain; it’s just too much work and I don’t want to wear them out over time and break them. Still, it’s nice to have the option to display the different chest plates. It’s also nice to arm them with the different weapons that come with the figures, as well as having the option to remove the face guards, particularly in the case of the snake guard (although I initially hated the snake head until realizing King Hiss could turn them this way by using the Serpent’s Ring!). Regardless, I must say that more guard heads would be nice, not just the ones we have now, as it becomes a struggle to have an army when the guards are all clones or merely the same person. Meanwhile, another struggle with the guards is that the leg and arm armor pieces (particularly the arm ones) slide and/or come off the figures too easily; I frequently find myself having to slide/adjust these pieces when I pose or move them around. Nevertheless, though these MOTUC versions could have definitely been designed and handled a little better, they’re still great to finally have.


Giving new meaning to removable armor.

[Micro-Man]

Army builders are fun and the Palace Guards are awesome for this! I decided to budget and keep my army builders down to only four per type...But the six in your pics look great. I don't switch around the chestplates at all so that aspect doesn't bug me. What gets me, though, is that it's practically impossible to have all clean-plated guards. I'm always one short! I like how you used the eagle plates on a lot of them, though...I used it to differentiate the infamous Lt. Spector from the rest as an officer's insignia. I also liked the different heads and agree that the inclusion of the Serpos Ring really make the snake heads more versatile for displays. I bought an extra set of guards so I could have a couple of turned, battle damaged Snake Guards to follow SMAA. Oh yeah, you're right, those sliding arm pieces can be annoying sometimes, heheh!

[RockinHard]

#61

Frosta

Despite Frosta being criticized heavily, I believe the figure turned out pretty well. True, it would have been better had the figure been released in a “true” white instead of on the greyer side, and the reversed forearms should NOT be reversed, but those aren’t what keeps the figure from receiving a higher rank. What detracts from being a much better figure is the paint apps to the face. Even after Mattel “adjusting” the facial paint apps, they still do not do the figure justice or enhance her icy and (what should be) sensual looks. Fans have also criticized the hair color, but I happen to like the hair and its transparency, and it remains one of my favorite aspects of the figure. The bodice, cape, and staff are also admirably designed so that the figure strays from looking a little too bland. Though Frosta is my favorite Great Rebellion figure released thus far, its minor (or major) flaws can’t go unrecognized.


Either the cold gets the blame for this face, or the cosmetologist should be fired.

[Whiplash7]

I have six guards, but wouldn't do that again for another set, I don't think. The cool thing about the guards is you can easily customize heads, and you automatically have a different guard. I made a bunch of them. With different armor combinations, you can get a bunch of unique guys.
Probably one of the funnest items in the whole line, it's a shame more army builders haven't been (and likely won't get) made.
I'd LOVE to have one or two female guards to round out the set.
The last shot is great.

[shadowfall1976]

The only Palace Guard I bought,was a single loose one, and was bought to become Filmation MAA, and the rest of the Armor went to my BA Faker Custom.... Other than that, easy pass.

Frosta on the other had is my second favorite Female in the line and my collection and is #6 on my list. She gets dumped on too easily I think. I really like her, a lot, and I'm not even a POP fan per se, but I love me some blue.