Slamurai, you guys. Just when you thought that Masters of the Universe could not get any more on-the-nose with names like Stinkor, Fisto, Clawful, Classics lines up and gives us a dude named SLAMURAI. Hot damn, but do I love this property with all of my being.
I was sad that I was not able to attend Power-Con 2019 this past August, especially with all of the cool announcements about He-Man projects and toys for other properties that I love. That said, I was pretty pumped, and VERY relieved that I would have a chance at the show exclusives because I am an unapologetic completist when it comes to the MOTU Classics line. Mattel and the PC crew served up some pretty interesting, and VERY fun Classics releases for the show, and while the Horde Zombie He-Man we covered earlier in the week is pretty essential, this new three pack is a very fun, if not pretty obscure, historical reference to the property. Those little nods and releases are what make MOTUC so much fun, so I am quite pleased that while the convention was able to lead with a heavy-hitter like He-Man, Power-Con has also afforded us the opportunity to get our mitts on Slamurai and the Snake Troopers.
So, for the uninitiated, these Snake Troopers are based off of concept art by revered MOTU artist Errol McCarthy for unreleased vintage line figures that were planned to be released, but the line was canceled before they could be realized. Slamurai is a bit more obscure, in my opinion, but another McCarthy creation within art work that syncs up this set with past Power-Con exclusives. He has been fleshed out a great deal more via the provided bio, but also with enhanced art work by the great Axel Giménez, and the obvious connection for him to be an heroic foil to Ninjor has been brought full circle. This set makes for a wonderfully crazy release that compliments the Plasmar/Terroar/Lord Gr’asp and realizes the cool theme that Power-Con has been building via their exclusives.
In the 1980s, the Snake Troopers were planned to be cost-effective releases that would combine parts that already existed in the MOTU library. So, these figures follow that footprint accurately, but with as the concept art was in black and white, these final figures offer some variety from a deco standpoint. Essentially, these are Horde Trooper bodies, with Rattlor heads, Hordak boots, and King Hssss legs. If that sounds like a bat-$#!% crazy amalgamation, you are correct, but like so many things Masters, it all actually works really well. Granted, I really cannot get my head wrapped around a Horde/Snakemen concept as they are long-standing enemies, but I am having a lot of fun with these figures.
I have to admit that the Horde armor in black looks REALLY slick and much more imposing than the standard grey. I get the use of the grey in the vintage era was to drive home the fact that the Troopers were robots, but this black, red, and copper combo can’t be beat. The repurposed Rattlor head is pretty well unrecognizable with these guys, and I appreciate the different shades of green and the unique scale patterning used on these. It is crazy that we now have some generic Snake Troopers for both the Snake Men and the Horde in this line, and these guys give Hordak the inside track and now, at least on my shelf, the biggest army in the universe. Each Trooper also gets a coppery-gold version of the Blast Attack’s vintage battle axe, which, again, is based on the art. These guys are something that I probably would have been okay with never getting in MOTUC, but now that I have them, I am very glad they are here.
Slamurai, on the other hand, is much like the Horde Mummy Wrap-Trap in that, as soon as I was made aware of his existence, I wanted a figure of him. So obviously, this was the big draw of the set for me. Ninjor was always such a draw for me in MOTU, and he was one of the last vintage figures I remember getting, so getting a heroic version of him in a slick new color palette is what MOTU is all about. I am a fan of the Classic version of Ninjor, though I find his figure to be a just a tad “busy,” and this guy obviously plays off of the strengths and weaknesses of that figure (with a few differences), but does feature the set’s only new components.
So, Slamurai is essentially Classics Ninjor in build and accessories with two major exceptions: smooth shins and feet have been swapped out for Ninjor’s more “demonic” feet, same for the forearms, and he has the “missing” cloth overlay gi and belt pieces as well. Classics has never been one to enlist soft goods for the most part, but this version does have it, and I have a feeling that many people are going to display their figure in that set-up as a tribute to the vintage piece that Ninjor never got. I for one, will likely display the plastic top, just like I do with Ninjor, and also leave off the additional plastic belt piece as I think the figure feels more “classic” without it. No matter the choice, I think this guy looks great with the white, metallic blue and grey paint scheme, and he really is the perfect offset to Ninjor. It is hard to get a figure that does not share the predominant color palette with another figure in this expansive collection, but Slamurai accomplishes this quite well.
Speaking of, Slamurai also comes with repainted versions of the Ninjor sword, bow, nunchakus, quiver, and belt piece (originally really meant for Jitsu), as well as a repainted 200X Sy-Klone head. The weaponry all works well (if you hated the attached arrow before, it is not any better here), but, while appreciate what was being done with the repainted Sy-Klone head, I probably won’t ever be using it. I get it, 200X Sy-Klone was given a Samurai motif (for some reason) in the cartoon, so this was a logical carryover for the figure, but it is not really my cuppa tea. I like the classic “ninja” head, and I think it works best for this figure overall. Like I said, though, it is good to have choices. The nice thing about MOTU is that, if you are not down with the official canon, these figures lend themselves to having a long runway to write your own. So, if you think Slamurai better serves your collection by being an ice ninja, or a ghost ninja, or hair dressing ninja, you can have it your way, baby.
What a fun set. I love the Horde Zombie He-Man figure, too, but this set is what I am all about in terms of MOTUC releases. The Snake Troopers are absolutely crazy concepts made real for the first time (like many who have come before them), and Slamurai is literally a guy out of a myth realized in perfect Masters form. Like I said earlier this week, I REALLY hope we continue to get Classics releases somehow, some way, but I am cherishing each and every one between now and the releases of what we KNOW are coming. If you have not locked down this set yet, you can do so at BBTS, or watch for the upcoming sale at the Power-Con website.
