Next up in our New Year’s Festivities is a First Look at the up-coming Masters of the Universe Classics Battle Armor He-Man courtesy of Matty and Toy Guru! In fact, we are kicking of a new series of First Looks with this so stay tuned to the Fwoosh all week long – Woo! Come check out some thought and some pictures, this might just be the best MOTUC Bonus Figure yet!
It wasn’t until I was a little more grown up that I learned to appreciate Battle Armor He-Man. In the 80s I had my original He-Man and that is really all I needed, I c’mon – he is freakin’ He-Man, he don’t need no stinkin’ armor! However, as I have gotten a little wiser and have stopped to think about that fact that, no matter how strong you are, swords and axes hurt when they hit bare skin. Thus, putting on the Battle Armor is probably one of the smartest things Adam ever did. He is good, but he is bound to get nicked every once and awhile, better safe than sorry.
Anyway, Battle Armor He-Man here is going up for sale on Matty Collector in less than two weeks on the 15th. The bonus figure for the month, if you want this one you are going to have be there at 12:00 pm Eastern as he is NOT included in your subscriptions. Oh, and I am here to tell you that you won’t want to miss out, I never thought I would say this but I think I like this version better than my original He-Man.
Yeah, I said it and really, there is a lot to love here. I mean, his basic build and construction is the same as the original but he benefits from a better paint job (I was not able to get a Re-Issue He-Man) on the face (no “raccoon” eyes) and his furry shorts are nice and pliable. The one noticeable difference is that this figure has the smooth, non-muscley abdominal piece used on Hordak to simulate the armor going all the way to his belt. His torso is also painted silver as you can see.
Now, for the Battle Armor itself, it was created to simulate that action feature of the original figure in a line that has a mandate of no action features. In order to accomplish this the Four Horsemen created an armor shell that can accommodate three different breastplates, each with different degrees of battle damage. The plates snap in snugly from the inside of the armor so you have to take the shell off of He-Man in order to change them. If you are familiar with the old figure at all you will notice that the plates match very closely to the spinning barrel in the vintage figure, but you just knew they would be faithful to that.
The shell is very nicely detailed with a lot of different surfaces and crevices. This is actually a welcomed departure from the smooth original as it adds a lot of detail and looks more natural as there would have to be moving plates in order for He-Man to be able to twist and turn. The paint is also very nice with just the right amount of shine to it, not too much but enough to look metallic; it also features a subtle paint wash. I was expecting the shell to be somewhat rubbery, much like Randor’s and Duncan’s but it is not the case – the shell is hard plastic, more akin to the armors of the vintage figures (think Mekanek). Not to fear though, I have no worries about breaking the armor, it is nice and strong. Oh, and of course, you can share the armor amongst all of He-Man’s Eternian friends (and foes).
I have to say that I am quite pleased with this figure and I am usually the type that prefers to get a unique character. However, this is probably the most essential He-Man variant out there and man, he looks so right riding on Battle Cat.
If you are on the fence about this figure, I say go for it, he really is the best He-Man we have gotten in my opinion. If you are just now getting into the Masters line and don’t have a He-Man figure yet, you are in luck – this one will make a representation of the main Master on your shelf. I had always planned on getting this figure even though I was not sure what I was going to do with him. Well, this one will with Battle Cat – it’s like peanut butter and chocolate, they go great together. The one quibble I think most will find is that he only comes armed with his battle axe – no sword or shield. Remember, you have to be on Matty Collector on the 15th in order to get him!
*Thanks for reading and thanks so much to Toy Guru for sending this sample along, we always really appreciate it. Remember, stay tuned for some more First Looks coming soon!
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