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Vitruvian HACKS – the reviews begin

It turns out the moderate lull in G.I. Joe news presents a great opportunity to focus on an obscure new toy line that I’m sure nobody reading this page has ever heard about…

I was fortunate enough to be able to get my hands on the second shipment of HACKS figures from my Kickstarter pledge… now seven days, nearly 800 images and 4 gigabytes worth of digital files later, the reviews can now begin!

My intention is to devote a day to each wave, then to the exclusives, then the accessory packs, blanks and skeletons.  I’m still working on these, so time will tell how successful I am at meeting that schedule, but I’m giving it the old college try.

Today, over on the Vitruvian HACKS review page, I’ve posted the full line up of Wave 2 carded figures, including Stheno, Underworld Warrior, Athenian Warrior, and the Green Mamba.

I’ve been friends with the folks in Boss Fight for many years, but I am trying very hard to look at these things through an unfiltered eye.  Hopefully I have some success.  Check out the reviews below and I look forward to rolling through this fun week of HACKS greatness!

Wave 2

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Boss Fight Studio Vitruvian HACKS Green Mamba Gorgon

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Pre-Order from BossFightShop!

The latest in a long line of Gorgons, the Green Mamba uses the same parts formula as the Black Racer, but in my opinion, executes it 100% better.  During the initial Kickstarter campaign, I fell in love with the Black Racer and considered it the top of the Gorgon heap, but for whatever reason, getting it in hand, I lamented somewhat the lack of interesting deco.  The Green Mamba takes what I love about the Black Racer, (most notably the awesome rage-induced fang-filled scream face) and convert it into a fantastic green and yellow deco reminiscent of an actual Green Mamba itself.

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I find the texture of the surface of the tail works a lot better with the brighter colors and more elaborate patterns on the skin, and the more I look at these gorgons the more ecstatic I get about these figures.

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At this point, the Green Mamba is like the fourth or fifth Gorgon that I’ve opened and I never get tired of them.  The various poses allowed due to the flexibility of the tail, the structure of the female tooling, the various accessories, it all adds up to build a veritable legion (or horde if you will) of figures that are exciting to display, pose, and play, even after you’ve amassed a small group of them.

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The paint work on the Green Mamba is spectacular as well.  The bright green surface is offset nicely by the yellow underbelly, and the patterns along the back is really great.  There are some minor layered paint differences throughout the body of the snake that look excellent. The gold armor (and helmet) is vibrant and exceptionally shiny, making the Green Mamba really stand out against the more subdued armor of the Black Racer.

Accessories

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Like the other Gorgons, the Green Mamba is outfitted with stone deco weaponry, but instead of a sword, she comes equipped with the bad ass two battle axes (along with the standard shield).  As if the bright colors and awesome deco weren’t enough, the two axes put this figure even further ahead.

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Yes, it’s another Gorgon, and no there aren’t any dynamic new structural elements that make this figure great.  However, I absolutely love the build of these gorgons, and the colors here really rock.  Add that to the fact that she comes with nearly perfect accessories, and you have a gorgon that rests at the peak.  She is my favorite gorgon horde member to date, and I suspect I’ll be getting a few more down the line.

Green Mamba
  • Character
  • Sculpt
  • Articulation
  • Paint Deco
  • Accessories
4.7

Summary

The familiar Gorgon structure with a fantastic new patterned snake motif, the Green Mamba has quickly become my favorite member of the Gorgon Horde. That screaming head looks fantastic in green, I love the deco pattern on the tail, and her accessory compliment is a nice shift from the more standard deployment of sword and sheath. The highlight of Wave 2.