With the Vitruvian HACKS Kickstarter, I officially learned something new… I learned that Medusa actually had sisters. I guess I hadn’t been paying attention during my Greek mythology classes at school.
Stheno is the eldest Gorgon sister, sinister, vindictive, and hateful for what the Gods have cursed her sister with. She stands tall and proud with an amazingly elaborate mane of snake themed hair. Like Medusa, she can also turn men to stone, but her bite also transforms normal humans into Gorgon soldiers. She’s a very intriguing character who I was fascinated to learn more about.
As for the figure itself, Boss Fight gave themselves quite the challenge when they designed Stheno, building out an incredible head sculpt with intricate woven snakes for hair, giving Stheno a quite imposing presence above her two sisters. The result is a figure who I will admit is a little top heavy, plus with her bare feet/rocker ankles, I’m sorry to say the footpegs don’t work quite as well as I’m sure Boss Fight intended.
The figure itself looks magestic and regal with the ornate chest plate armor and snake skin skirt, with trims of gold and a fantastic decoed snake pattern on the back of the skirt. The texture almost looks as if she skinned a large snake and is wearing its hide for protection, which is an intriguing concept.
Her snake themed forearm guards are really nicely done, and the complex pattern of the shin armor looks regal and authoritative as well. Combine this with her head dress and you have an elder Gorgon sister who looks like she’s the maternal member of the clan.
Accessories
Stheno doesn’t come with a lot of accessories. She has a really nicely designed snake themed staff which looks very cool and definitely accentuates the regal nature of her character. Along with that she has a nicely built dagger that is small, but lethal looking. She has the normal battle stand and replaceable hands to round it off.
Stheno looks really nice. Her sculpting is excellent, the overall design is busy, but still incredibly appealing. The deco work is spectacular, and while her accessories are few, they make sense. The sheer weight of her head, a slight lack of functionality due to her overall design aesthetic, and the issues with her foot holes drop down her score somewhat, but as a compliment to her sisters, she still feels like a necessary part of any HACKS collection going forward.
Check out the video review below!
Stheno
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
3.6
Summary
An impressive and powerful looking character with some amazing design aesthetics and impressive sculpting. The size of her head and hair can limit her poseability somewhat, and the issues with her feet fitting in the footpegs are things that Boss Fight needs to (and likely will) address. All in all, a gorgeous looking figure that would be exceedingly tough to translate into plastic, and Boss Fight does an excellent job doing so.
Where the Spartan Warriors are described as being more intense and aggressive soldiers, the Athenians are described as being more strategic, with an expertise more in organized naval combat rather than the “in the dirt” battle that the Spartans apparently excel at. The look of the Athenian corroborates that story, dressed in white layered armor, looking quite a bit more ornate than their Spartan comrades.
The base figure is the same as many others we’ve seen, with the plain male body and a bald male head. Spectacular sculpting and excellent articulation highlight the base figure as they do with every human figure we get in the line. I find myself really liking the look and texture of the armor, and it’s the same look that we got with the Undead Warrior from the Eternal Struggle 2 Pack just a short while ago. Mostly white with some red and gray trim, the Athenian looks significantly different than the Spartan and complements the growing human army nicely.
It’s pretty impressive how figures with the exact same base body and only some minor changes to secondary accessories on top of it can really grow new life, and I find that I’m really impressed with the Athenians, simply due to their brighter colors and more decorative armor. Sometimes the small things help.
The addition of the new bald head sculpt is a very nice change as well.
Accessories
The Athenian is decked out pretty well. He has two separate helmets, one pretty vanilla and the other much more ceremonial, both helmets having come with the NJCC exclusive Ultimate Spartan. He has a shield with a great deco, a sheath with sword, and the familiar spear. All of these weapons can be held easily on the figure, thanks to the loop on the back of the vest. I really dig the face on the shield, which appears to represent the Barbarian, a theme that the Greeks often used to represent menace and danger.
Ultimately, I think I prefer the Spartans with their “down and dirty” combat togs, but the Athenians certainly look cool as well. Their brighter and cleaner overall appearance contrasts nicely with the polished bronze look of their brothers in arms in their battle against the Gorgons. The base figure is fantastic, as they all are, and the accessories add some nice flair.
For the video review, look below.
Athenian Warrior
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
3.6
Summary
An excellent compliment to the Spartan Warrior, I love that Boss Fight is pulling from various parts of Greek Mythology here. With some new helmets, a great new bald head sculpt, and really cool expanded paint deco, we have a whole new addition to the Vitruvian HACKS roster of characters. The Athenian Warrior seems a bit more ceremonial than the Spartan, and ultimately I think I might prefer the Spartan somewhat, but this soldier definitely packs his own impressive punch!
It felt like a very long wait before we got our first Vitruvian HACKS action figures, but now, over the course of the past month or two, things have been tricking out pretty regularly, and it’s a fantastic feeling every time I get a new HACKS figure in the mail. Even though the core figures themselves are largely the same, each new figure brings some great new things to the table, and the Undead Warrior is certainly no different.
The Undead Warrior is described as being a “servant of Hades”, who is of course, the God of the Dead from Greek Mythology, who is often depicted as having purple colors either throughout his robe, or emanating from some mystical energy around him. Looking at his story on the back of the package you see that he’s not necessarily good or evil, he merely exists to serve Hades whims. The very nature of the concept behind “Eternal Struggle” seems to at least partially indicate that he’s fighting against the Gorgons at this point, but this could change at any moment. The Undead Warrior is powered by strange energies that we do not understand, and as such is a potentially unstoppable and fearsome soldier. Let’s all hope he continues to fight the good fight.
The figure itself is essentially a translucent purple Athenian Warrior (a figure that is just now in the process of shipping to Kickstarter backers) with the chest armor and leather skirt tooling seen with that upcoming figure. They have some added sculpted detail in the shoulder straps and the chest itself, with some great looking layered sculpting on the skirt, too. I love the look, and it does help differentiate the figure a bit from the Spartans we’ve seen released to date.
Along with the updated chest armor, the shin guards are also from those two previously mentioned figures, having some more ornate decoration than the standard smooth metallic that we’ve seen from the Spartans thus far.
Obviously where this figure truly stands apart is his color scheme. The translucent purple is an amazing look, especially in the right light, and I find myself really captivated by just how brilliant the color scheme is, and how, even with the armor on, the figure remains barely opaque and almost spector-like, especially when displayed among his fully visible peers. I took the figure outside to take some quick pictures for Instagram and was completely blown away by just how photegenic the figure was, especially as the sunlight hit it. A truly spectacular combination of colors.
Accessories
Unlike the Ultimate Spartan, this Undead Warrior doesn’t come with a ton of gear, but it feels just right. He has two swords (one of which can slip into a loop on the back of his armor), a helmet, a really nicely decoed shield, and the same spear we’ve seen with a few figures already. Each weapon is produced in the same clear purple color as the base figure, and even all in one hue, the end result is pretty spectacular. He also comes with the two extra hands and a battle stand, just like everyone else.
The armor pieces and shield are a more translucent gray than purple, but they compliment the Hades color scheme well and look truly incredible on the Undead Warrior. They look pretty amazing on other translucent blanks as well. A fantastic combination of see through parts that combine to form a really unique and amazing looking figure.
At first I wasn’t quite sure what to make of the Undead Warrior besides him just being a translucent figure. Once I read his story and got the figure in the right light, however, his true worth really showed through, and at this point he remains one of my favorite HACKS figures that I own to date. Currently available as a Travelling Convention exclusive, keep your eyes open for when Boss Fight Studio is attending a show. When they do, they will have these two packs for sale at the convention as well as on BossFightShop.com!
The next time they’re attending a show is May 14th in Concord, NH, so if you’re in the area, definitely stop by, or if you’re not local, keep watching BossFightShop.com so you can snag one of these for yourself once they’re available.
On May 14th be sure to join Boss Fight Studio (and me, too!) at the Capital City Toy and Collectors Show in Concord, NH. Details in the flyer below.
Undead Warrior (Eternal Struggle)
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
4.6
Summary
The servant of Hades and an awesome looking translucent purple warrior come together to form another great entry into the ever growing Vitruvian HACKS toyline. Great sculpting, immaculate articulation, and a collection of fun accessories are always present with all of these figures, and this is certainly no exception.
Any day when I can add to my slowly growing Gorgon ranks is a good day, even if the base figure is pretty much identical to a number of others that I already have.
In reality, that doesn’t bug me too much, after all, they are called the “Gorgon Horde” so even as more and more Gorgons are released, all they do is look cooler and cooler stacked up on my display shelf, an ever increasing onslaught of snake tailed warrior women ready to decimate the Spartan and Greek armies.
When you’re talking about figures that are basically repaints of already released figures, the real key to that figure’s success is how effective the new deco is, not to mention the story that develops the character. Using the Ringneck snake as a template, Boss Fight Studio developed this Ringneck Gorgon’s paint scheme around a deep blue and orange aesthetic, and it’s one that looks truly gorgeous here. The orange under belly is bright and vibrant, and the blue flesh is rich and extremely nicely hued. Toy colors are a lost art, and part of the reason why toys based on real world licenses are losing some of their pizazz is that the designers are restricted from thinking a bit more outside the box. Vitruvian HACKS, from start to finish, has been all about outside the box, and this figure is no exception.
Along with the defining deco, this figure is given a pretty great backstory, too, described on her box as being a quick-minded and ruthless tactician, not just an aggressive killer like some of the others.
She has the calm snake head of the Coral Gorgon, and as with all of her Gorgon sisters, the Ringneck blends effortlessly with her snake tail, allowing for countless terrific poses. The articulation as a whole is spectacular, with dramatic movement at every point, and nearly perfect balance.
Accessories
Like most of the rest of the Horde, she has the smooth chest armor and bracers as well as the snake skull helmet, stone sword, stone shield, and stone spear. Nothing really new or different from an accessory perspective to be found here. Of course she also comes with the battle stand and extra hands.
I love being able to add to my Gorgon army, and the different complimentary paint schemes are fantastic ways to not just build a massive snake woman fleet, but to offer a little variety while it happens. At first I thought the main draw of this two pack would be the Ringneck, but as time has gone on, my love for the Undead Warrior has outshone this figure, but I still really enjoy the color scheme and story behind this figure, too.
Currently available as a Travelling Convention exclusive, keep your eyes open for when Boss Fight Studio is attending a show. When they do, they will have these two packs for sale at the convention as well as on BossFightShop.com!
The next time they’re attending a show is May 14th in Concord, NH, so if you’re in the area, definitely stop by, or if you’re not local, keep watching BossFightShop.com so you can snag one of these for yourself once they’re available.
On May 14th be sure to join Boss Fight Studio (and me, too!) at the Capital City Toy and Collectors Show in Concord, NH. Details in the flyer below.
Ringneck Gorgon (Eternal Struggle)
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
4
Summary
The cunning tactician and ruthless plotter of the Gorgon Horde, the Ringneck Gorgon is a fantastic new deco to supplement your growing Gorgon army. The same fantastic articulation you’ve come to expect with a striking new paint scheme, the Ringneck is a great new figure from the Vitruvian HACKS line.
As I mentioned in my review of Pathfinder, the FSS figure shipped just last time around, 1990 was a bit of an enigma to me in my younger years, but one character I completely latched onto was Bullhorn. It was in 1990 when my own little personal G.I. Joe universe first got rolling, and where Hit & Run became such a central part of my mythology. At the same time, Bullhorn was introduced, a rookie Joe communications specialist, who quickly took center stage alongside Hit & Run and became a very important member of the G.I. Joe roster.
When it comes to new characters I can’t quite explain why certain ones appeal to me, but Bullhorn had some unique traits that I just loved. The face camouflage, the nice patterned shinguard things, and a somewhat bulky mold, that was still quite well articulated.
Not to mention in 1990 Bullhorn came with quite possibly the greatest accessory that the line had seen so far. The backpack with the take apart sniper rifle was absolutely ingenious back then, even if Bullhorn himself couldn’t really hold it.
Looking at the Figure Subscription Service update to Bullhorn, the Club did a pretty good job approximating the vintage look. The figure is essentially a Pursuit of COBRA Shock Trooper from the neck down, with Pursuit of COBRA Dusty’s head sculpt (with black hair). Both components of the figure have been in use for what seems like forever, though with the right paint applications, the figure manages to still look relatively unique.
Variations of grays and browns make up Bullhorn’s overall deco, with camouflage on the knee pads to resemble the vintage shin guards, and the colors match pretty well. It’s tough for me to give a real in person opinion, because my vintage Bullhorn is viciously discolored, but from a quick look, the modern version certainly looks like Bullhorn.
I’ve seen quite a few customs in the past using the grenade strap webgear from the COBRA Trooper from G.I. Joe: Retaliation, which is a little strange, since it doesn’t very closely resemble the vintage look for Bullhorn. From a functional perspective, it makes sense, because you could see a negotiator carrying around tear gas grenades. Of course, Bullhorn doesn’t come with a grenade launcher at all, but a little suspension of disbelief could allow you to assume he throws them by hand.
Accessories
The FSS Bullhorn is pretty well stacked with great accessories. Along with the COBRA Trooper grenade strap gear that I already mentioned, he’s also got the removable headband, the pistol for his holster, plus Low Light’s sniper rifle and sniper rifle case. He also comes with a second sniper rifle, gas mask, and his megaphone.
His Low Light sniper rifle is included to resemble the classic version, and as a bonus, he can actually hold this one, though like the Pursuit of COBRA version, the scope doesn’t stay on all that well, which can be a challenge.
Although all of the parts that make up Bullhorn have been seen many, many times in the recent past, the combination of those parts and the updated paint scheme does still resonate as the 1990 hostage specialist. I have a real affinity for the Bullhorn character, and while this modern update doesn’t look nearly as cool or unique as the vintage version, I appreciate the update and I think it fits the 1990 aesthetic quite well.
Another very nice installment into the FSS.
Video Review
FSS 4.0 Bullhorn
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
3.9
Summary
One of my favorite characters and a spectacular entry into the 1990 roster, Bullhorn is a character who is ripe for a great update. The G.I. Joe Collectors Club does a really good job taking the character to the next level, though in the end the rampant use of existing parts leaves a little to be desired. That being said, considering the FSS formula, something we should be accustomed to by now, the combination of these reused parts is effective and enjoyable, and he comes with some great accessories that we could always use more of.
It was a simpler time. G.I. Joe had just barely made it’s splash back at mass retail, and the biggest debate at the time was o-ring vs. no-ring (though it wasn’t much of a debate, to be honest) and how many paint wipes Hasbro was lathering on their tail end TRU releases. The property as a whole still felt very fresh, Devils’ Due was getting in the groove, and Fun Publications was introducing their first entries into the 3 3/4″ convention realm. Things were amazingly uncomplicated.
In 2002, Hasbro experimented with an online exclusive and shipped out a white-box package of o-ring B.A.T. army builders. Rather than dipping into the more familiar 1986 well Hasbro went with repaints to the 1991 version, including a classic themed deco and the fantastic Inferno B.A.T., a transparent red repaint that immediately became a fan favorite.
Obviously tooling limitations leave the Club a bit ill equipped to do a true vintage inspired homage, so as they have done in the past, they blend a few different inspirations together, and bring us the FSS Inferno B.A.T. which is conceptually pretty awesome, but unfortunately in execution it drops the ball somewhat.
Leveraging the nearly perfect 25th Anniversary B.A.T. as a template, the Club shifts gears a bit and gives him Retaliation Storm Shadow’s lower legs. I can only view this as some kind of homage to the new sculpt B.A.T., as both iterations of that figure have streamlined metallic legs rather than the more typical pantlegs of the earlier versions. I actually think it’s a great choice and I love the look of it, though the more we get these rocker ankles that can’t fit on existing battle stands, the more tired I get of them being used. It’s a shame because the figure looks great with these different lower legs, but the battle stand thing is a real pain in the rear end.
Like the original Inferno B.A.T., the Collectors Club goes with transparent plastic throughout most of the figure, to pretty great effect. It’s not quite as stark and clean looking as the vintage figure, but the basic effect remains spectacular. Over the top of the transparent plastic they drop some black trim and sprinkle some gold, both as a manner of homage to the older version. By and large, these additions are great, until you get to the chest.
For whatever reason the transparent plastic didn’t carry through to the front half of the torso and so the Club just elected to go all black, and the look is not a good one. I’m not sure if there were some kind of production or factory issues, but whatever it was, the way the black jumps away from the red makes the figure look slapped together and incomplete. I love the inspiration for the transparent red, unfortunately they were not able to pull off the execution as I’d imagine everyone wanted them to.
Accessories
The FSS B.A.T. comes with a number of the same accessories that the 25th Anniversary version did, with two hands, a laser gun, flamethrower, and the familiar opening claw. However, this version of the B.A.T. also comes with the terrific long bladed sword that was initially released with the new sculpt B.A.T. in the early 2000’s. This is also meant as an homage to an older version of the figure, and I love the addition. It makes for a really great new weapon that further enhances this figure’s release.
Like most of the attachments, the backpack that holds them comes with the figure as well, and the Club has added some interesting deco to the back, making it strongly resemble to look of the gears in his chest. A neat touch.
I wanted the Inferno B.A.T. to be awesome. It isn’t a figure that many fans have been clamoring for, but the way the Club was approaching it seemed interesting. Unfortunately for whatever reason the transparent plastic didn’t “take” or wasn’t applied to the front half of the torso and the end result is a figure that could have looked amazing, but unfortunately ended up tipping the other way towards disappointing. They took a chance at trying to do something pretty cool and outside the box, but it was a chance that hurt this particular figure in the end.
Beyond that disappointment, much of the figure is really interesting from a design perspective, with the Storm Shadow lower legs and the new sword attachment leading the charge.
Video Review
FSS 4.0 Inferno B.A.T.
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
3.1
Summary
I loved the original release of the Inferno B.A.T. and would have loved a nicely executed update, but unfortunately this version misses the mark. It’s very close to excellent, but some execution areas in the deco arena bring it down, and the final result is a figure that doesn’t match up to the vintage version from twelve years ago. Not the worst FSS 4.0 figure so far, but certainly not close to the best.
