Throughout the HACKS line we are getting all sorts of different characters from the visceral and realistic to the metaphysical and elemental. Offered as a Kickstarter only exclusive, the Celestial Warriors 2-Pack shows Perseus and Medusa facing off against each other as seen in the constellations in the night sky.
This version of Perseus is the only representation of the character we see in the line, which feels a bit strange considering how crucial he is to the Medusa mythology. That being said, this particular version is certainly a really nice expression of the famous Greek Mythology character and ties it in nicely into a format we’re familiar with, for those of us who study the stars.
The figure build is fairly straight-forward, the basic Spartan figure with smooth armor and shin guards, only with what looks to be the Leonidas head sculpt, full beard and all. The semi transparent material for the figure makes it feel a little softer, but still retains impressive articulation. The colors are a fantastic shifting shade of grays and blacks, semi-translucent and looking a lot like the night sky. Scattered among the differing shades of color are tons of small luminescent stars, which stand out impressively among the somewhat gray figure backdrop, bringing the constellation itself to life. The constellation of Perseus is a famous and well known one, a collection of stars in the Northern sky, and the idea of bringing the very stars themselves to life as a powerful character in the HACKS mythology is incredibly cool.
Accessories
Perseus doesn’t come with much in the way of weaponry, just a sword, spear, armor, and helmet, but his shield is a definite highlight, showing the actual Perseus constellation in connected dots along the rounded surface of it. I must admit I love how the star pattern of the accessories mesh perfectly with the deco on the figure itself in a way that they all come together to form a cohesive pattern, and Perseus looks like an extension of the sky weather he’s standing there alone, or with his armor.
I had a little bit of a hard time wrapping my head around the Celestial figures as part of the Kickstarter, and honestly I still do a little. From a purely aesthetic perspective, they’re brilliant and look gorgeous, though I’m still not entirely certain where they fit in my little corner of the HACKS world.
Now it should be noted that the back of the package references Mirfak, Perseus’ brightest star and the location of an “intergalactic peacekeeping force” brought together 2500 years after the Gorgon War. There’s mention of an interstellar war and what seems to be some serious hints to how this whole Vitruvian HACKS story will develop in the years to come. Very, very fascinating, and a truly intriguing way to tie these deco’s into the main line, even if it still feels a little metaphysical.
Celestial Perseus
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
3.9
Summary
It’s nice to see Medusa’s mythical foil in the HACKS line, even if it’s in a somewhat ambiguous celestial state. Perseus is essentially a repainted Leonidas, but in the semi clear plastic with painted on stars it’s tough to tell. He’s got the great build we’re used to, and the paint and plastic work is absolutely fascinating. I’m not sure how much use this figure will get in my world, but it’s still pretty gorgeous to look at.
As I mentioned in the Celestial Perseus review, I’ve had a hard time rationalizing how these figures fit into the HACKS line, though I totally love how they wrote the existence of these constellations into some potential future intergalactic piece of the HACKS toyline universe.
While the Perseus constellation references the severed head of Medusa clutched in his hand, Boss Fight Studio elected to tie Medusa to the “Hydra” constellation, an interesting way to have this celestial combat remain on more equal footing.
Medusa is essentially the same figure as she was in her carded form, only with the standard Gorgon breastplate and gauntlets rather than her shoulder armor, top, and hip armor. I think it’s a cool choice and feels a bit more solid and cohesive than it might have if they’d tried to use those smaller pieces.
Like Perseus, the real highlight of this figure is the various layers of transparent grays that makes the figure almost look like she is built from outer space itself, a fascinating and gorgeous combination of colors and deco that is really pretty remarkable. Even with the somewhat softer plastic that comes with the transparency, the figure retains her solid build and a fully functional tail, and she looks pretty spectacular with the complex pattern of glowing stars spread throughout her paint deco.
Accessories
Medusa only comes with her sword and the shield, patterned with the Hydra constellation, colored in the same great way that the rest of the figure is as well as the breastplate armor and gauntlets that she’s equipped with.
Like Perseus, I’m not sure exactly where Medusa fits in the storyline, but I do love how the package description ties these constellations to some galactic battle that takes place after the Gorgon War. It obviously leads one to believe that there is much more to this HACKS world than Greek Mythology and that some of these characters may carry forward into future adventures. Pretty awesome stuff to consider, and I’m looking forward to seeing where things go from here.
Celestial Medusa
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
4.2
Summary
An intriguing concept and executed extremely well, this Celestial version of Medusa manages to retain all of the fun sculpt and articulation of the standard release, but build in this great astrophysical twist. Somehow Boss Fight Studio is tying these constellations into their ongoing mythology, which is great, though I’m still not sure precisely how this character will get used in the story line going forward.
Considering the showcase of the Vitruvian HACKS Kickstarter was Medusa in her vicious snake-like Gorgon form, I wasn’t quite sure where a pre-curse version of Medusa would fit in. Offered an exclusive to BossFightShop.com (as well as included with the All In Kickstarter) this pre-curse Medusa showed the young Gorgon as a green skinned woman before being transformed into her hideous snake form. Considering how awesome the snake Medusa looked, I wasn’t sure what to do with this version, but one thing is clear, I need to find some kind of way to work her into this universe.
Like her younger sister Eurayle, this pre-curse version of Medusa is an exceedingly solidly built figure. In fact, Pre-Curse Medusa essentially is a repainted version of young Eurayle, and if I’m not mistaken, even shares her head, only with the snake Medusa’s more fearsome hairpiece.
Articulation and sculpting is spectacular, using the female buck with the two piece uniform that Eurayle wore, looking really great and allowing for flawless range of motion. The way the joints feel when they move is terrific, and I find myself trying to find a way to introduce this more human version of the sinister Gorgon.
Medusa’s green skin is executed very well, a softer, somewhat warm shade of that green which makes the figure look vibrant and differentiates her nicely from Eurayle. I do find it curious that all three Gorgon sisters have different skin tones, and I’m not sure if those were design choices or dictated by the mythology itself. That’s something I may have to look into. I do like the idea that even before the curse Medusa had green skin, though even with that strange hue on her flesh, she certainly looks more human and more beautiful than her post-curse version. From snake head to toe, this version of Medusa is terrific, another excellent rendition of this figure, one of the best of the HACKS line.
Accessories
Medusa isn’t loaded down with accessories, but she comes with some neat ones. Like the post-curse version, she has the snake skeleton whip and dagger, as well as the very cool snake-themed gauntlets which help break up her skin a bit. Her clothes are darker color rather than the light colors of her sister, and the silver trim is bright and nice.
Pre-Curse Medusa is another pleasant surprise in a long line of them from the Vitruvian HACKS line, which is quickly reaching elite status with the number of exciting figures available in their debut offering with the massive 50 figure Kickstarter they’re in the midst of shipping out. Many figures are simply terrific, and PreCurse Medusa is definitely one of them.
Precurse Medusa
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
4.5
Summary
I love the Gorgons so much, the mere idea of finding a way to use Precurse Medusa seemed like a losing proposition… then I got her in hand. She is just as much fun as her younger sister Eurayle, plus has the fantastic green paint scheme with darker secondaries. She’s fantastic. I love the different head sculpt, though I do wish she maybe came with some more intriguing accessories. As it is, this is a heck of a figure.
Every once in a while you come across a figure that you really like and the love of that particular figure and character manages to spill over into other figures in the line, and that’s precisely what’s happened here. I was immediately captivated by Eurayle, and because I found her so great, I now find myself really enjoying the Disciple of Eurayle figures, too, her own personal highly trained strike force of completely devoted foot soldiers. Rather than aligning herself purely with the Gorgon Horde, she is amassing herself a human army of hypnotized slaves for unknown nefarious purposes.
The figure itself is the normal male figure with a great bald head sculpt. Impressive articulation as we’re used to, but what really sets the Disciple apart is the pale green skin tone. It’s an awesome look and makes it really feel as if he’s infused with some kind of sinister energy (or Gorgon venom as the case may be). He looks strong, powerful, and completely within Eurayle’s control.
Twin snake tattoos adorn his arms, adding to the intrigue with the deco choices, contrasting nicely with the lighter, more “zombie” like skin color. It’s a great combination of interesting colors that makes him stand out among his human peers, yet also separate from the more typical Gorgon arsenal.
Wearing the same layered armor as the Myrmidon Warrior (and Talos) he looks fearful and well protected, and you can immediately picture Eurayle sending a squad of these death dealers into battle towards her own secret goal.
Accessories
As mentioned, the Disciple of Eurayle comes with the great body armor of the Myrmidon Warrior (as well as Talos) including the more decorative leg armor as well. He has a great helmet with awesome darker green deco, nicely balancing the lighter, paler green of his skin. A familiar short sword and sheath, with the typical human shield gives him an initial burst of offense, all done up in gold color. The snake tampo on his shield is the first indication enemy forces might have that something’s up.
I do have to mention that the longer of the two solid bladed weapons was a little warped out of the package. Not sure why (the one that came with Eurayle was fine) or if its a persistent problem or not.
As a finishing touch, he also comes equipped with the same four knives that Eurayle comes with, too, immediately connecting the Disciples with their trusted and valued master. It’s a really nice compliment of interesting weaponry, for sure.
The Disciple of Eurayle was another one of those figures that looked interesting during the Kickstarter, but I wasn’t entire sure how they would work into my universe. After falling in love with Eurayle, my interest in her corner of the HACKS universe intensified greatly, and the Disciples have been caught in that wake. A really cool addition to this world, and the figures are executed to perfection as well.
For the video review, look below.
Disciple of Eurayle
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
4.1
Summary
A figure I wasn’t sure I needed and darn well wasn’t sure I wanted, but my infatuation with Eurayle has spilled over and now I find myself thoroughly enjoying her disciples. A terrific paint scheme does a great job of separating this figure from the pack, and the awesome deco of his armor only solidifies how cool he is. I like his backstory, love his ties to my favorite HACKS character, and the overall figure is about as solid a build as you can get. A win all around.
The time has finally come. A time that I often felt would never get here…
If folks have been paying attention, I’ve been singing the praises of the Stonefist character for a while, and for good reason. First and foremost, I’ve been fortunate enough to call the folks involved with Boss Fight Studio friends of mine for a very long time. I’ve known many of them for over a decade, and I couldn’t be prouder of their success.
During some conversations for the Vitruvian HACKS Kickstarter, I had made an offhand suggestion about a “Gorgon Hunter” character who had been partially turned to stone, but somehow had survived and swore to bring the Gorgons to justice. From that little nugget of an idea, the Boss Fight folks ran with it and Stonefist was born! I am extremely excited to see the character fleshed out in plastic form, and I will endeavor to approach this review as impartial as I can, but I kind of consider Stonefist my baby, so that might be tough to do. 🙂
The concept behind Stonefist is that during his transformation into stone he carved out his own eyes to stop himself from looking at Medusa. As a result of this, he was imbued with enhanced senses, and retained full functionality of his stone arm, making him perfectly equipped to track down every last Gorgon and eliminate them.
The base figure is a familiar formula, bald headed male figure with the same incredible sculpting and articulation we’ve seen elsewhere in the line. When the base figure is as fantastic as this one is, it’s tough to complain about its reuse. Obviously the most distinctive part of the figure is his left arm, decoed to look like an arm in mid stone transformation, and the texture is applied so nicely it looks very authentic.
Stonefist certainly appears to be Athenian, wearing the battle armor very similar to the Athenian Warrior in both texture and color, though his true history has been lost to the sands of time. I love the brightly colored armor and its connection to Athens, although at this point, it’s tough to know whether it’s his armor or if he appropriated it during a particular hunt.
On his head there is some great deco work, representing the scars he incurred when he blinded himself during Medusa’s attack on him, and it’s another really neat touch to make the character unique.
Accessories
Stonefist is loaded with some really awesome, interesting weaponry. First, he has the standard battle helmet, only with some great face deco along the side flaps. His shield is Athenian as well (another connection to that branch of the human army), only the eyes are scratched out as an homage to his own fate. He has a sheath with two swords, a spear, and the same extra hands and battle stand that we’ve seen in times past.
Stonefist is awesome. Obviously I’m a little biased, but I can’t get over how great the execution of this character is. I love that he’s playing a strong role in the Gorgon war, and his bio card even seems to indicate his fate lies beyond the Greek Mythology timeline, which makes me giddy with anticipation of things to come. His deco work is great, the unique accessories really carry the figure, and the fact that a character that I had some small part in creating is now a reality fills me with a sense of joy. Being a small part of the toy world for three decades has given me some great opportunities over the years, and I consider this a highlight in all this work that I’ve done. I can’t thank the Boss Fight folks enough for taking my little idea and really fleshing it out into someone incredible.
Stonefist
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
4.5
Summary
It’s a monumental day in the Bell household, so hopefully folks can forgive my raging excitement and bias towards this figure. Stonefist is a lot of fun, and I think he makes for a very cool addition to the HACKS mythology, and I’m beyond excited to see him here in front of me in plastic form. The paint work is great and the Boss Fight folks did a stellar job fleshing out his character. Great stuff here.
Even after three waves (plus exclusives) of frequent releases of Gorgon figures, you would think new Gorgons wouldn’t be quite so exciting, but I find myself enjoying every new release. The Colubrida especially is an awesome entry into the Gorgon horde with a really cool, interesting new color scheme. Based off a snake entitled the Colubrid (or Milk Snake) the primary color on this one is orange with various striations of slightly different twinges of orange and white stripes. It’s a striking look that has a great combination of colors.
But for the Colubrida Guard, it’s about much more than just cool colors, its their backstory, too. According to the bio cards, the Colubrida are cannibalistic, immune to other Gorgon venom and the commanding generals of the entire Gorgon horde. Rare in number and strategic geniuses, these orange serpents are feared across the entirety of the Gorgon and Human armies. Very cool.
As more and more retail toys are based off of movie and television properties, the opportunities to get creative with color pallet gets reduced, but what I love about Boss Fight Studio is that they are really turning up the creativity factor with their color selections. The orange, white and black all balance themselves off perfectly creating a character that is really intriguing. Armor and gauntlets are a glossy almost metallic black shining against the more matte finish of the figure itself.
Of course the structure of this figure is just as perfect as every other Gorgon we’ve received to date, and as I get more and more of these I only feel myself loving the format more. An absolute marvel in engineering and a cool character to boot.
Accessories
The Colubrida Guard comes with much the same as other Gorgon figures. Her snake skull helmet is a brighter white and looks very much like the bone structure it’s supposed to mimic. She has the stone sheath and stone shield as well as a pair of stone swords. Extra hands and the foot peg finish off her assortment of gear.
The Colubrida Guard is an impressive new entry into the Gorgon Horde, a commander of the snake army and a terrific deco on the figure to boot. Really great.
Colubrida Guard
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
4.3
Summary
One of the commanding generals of the Gorgon Horde, the Colubrida Guard looks menacing and packs a punch. The figure looks really nice with a colorful paint deco in a really nice and vibrant shade of orange and white, contrasted well by the glossy dark color of her armor. I love the story written into her bio, and every time I get a new gorgon, my life has a little more meaning. Great stuff.
