Tuesday 26 May 2015

Review: Game of Thrones Legacy series 2

The first set of GoT figures from Funko weren't perfect. They were almost there, but the face sculpts were slightly off on most of them. But there was potential, lots of potential, and the hope was that things would improve with the second set. And things have...but aren't quite there yet.





I bought Jaimie first, for the simple reason that he was cheapest. Being aware that, a bit like NECA's figures, the joints tend to require careful treatment at first, I gently tested each one to ensure it was free and then...snap!

So I bought a replacement, along with the rest of the set. Experiencing the Fear of Jaimie, I left him until last, and slowly began testing the joints on all the other figures. Quite a few were stuck, but with a little gentle pressure, they all came free. And so we were left with Jaimie. Once again I set about carefull--snap!

Damn.

Cue me spending the rest of the afternoon repairing him. I did a pretty good job, if I do say so myself, and it's near-impossible to tell anything's been done to him.


Funko need to take a careful look at their 6" figures. They look great, but breaking limbs is very common indeed. The problem is the paint. Paint covering the joint is easy enough to remove with a knife (though annoying this has to be done), but the cause of Mr Lanister's problems was paint getting right into the ball socket and locking up the joint.

For the moment I would recommend the following be done to all of the Legacy figures when you buy them.

1. Get the figures to room temperature before opening. I know it's tempting to open them up as soon as you get them, but keep them in a warm room for a good few hours first. Plastic is much more brittle when it's cold.

2. Very carefully check all the joints are free on every figure. If there's any resistance at all then leave it. With a sharp knife, cut free any paint that's covering the joints.

3. Stick all the stuck joints (hell, it may even be worth doing it to all of them, stuck or not), in a cup of hot water for a few minutes, then try moving them again.

With that over, let's get onto the figures.


There's a nice selection of characters in this wave, and a few 'groups' are completed once placed with the first series figures. Half of them are also female, which is incredibly unusual for a line of figures. You can now pose Arya with the Hound, maybe with Brienne too. Or perhaps you want Brienne with Jaimie. You can put the Khal with the mother of dragons, Tyrion with his brother, all the Stark boys. The only complaint I have in the character choice is having a second Deny already. Both looks are very different, but I think leaving her until a later wave would have been a better decision.


All the face sculpts are almost spot-on. Brienne is probably the worst, but still recognisable, and Jaimie has a slightly disturbing grin. It's quite scary standing Robb next to Jon as it definitely shows up the flaws in the series 1 figure. Funko have made a great improvement with the beards in this new series compared to the last.

Articulation is extensive and, stuck joints aside, the posability is very good. Armour can get in the way a tad, but I'm happy enough with it. Personally, I'd have liked fabric capes, but I know they're a bit of a risk and can easily look terrible.


All the swords slide nicely in and out of their sheaths, though the figures' arms can get in the way a little. Care is definitely recommended as the swords are undoubtedly brittle.


Overall, I do like this line of figures and the sculpts are very good indeed. It's a shame that there's currently a big question mark about a third series. There was no sign of them at New York Toyfair recently which is cause for concern. If sales aren't as high as expected then I suspect the reason are the snappy limbs which will definitely put people off. The other major problem, at least in the UK, is getting hold of the 'normal' Tyrion which was a store exclusive in the US. Quite why the version everyone wanted was an exclusive and the armoured one no one was particularly bothered about made it into the main line, I don't know.


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