The arrival of the Horde Wraith is a little bittersweet as it is a figure I’ve long wanted, but it also marks the end of the Masters of the Universe Classics line from Mattel. Now Super7 is continuing with some ultimate versions of main characters and maybe more, but I think I’m going to call it a collection right here with the Horde Wraith. Let’s take a look!
The Horde Wraith was a background character in the King Grayskull episode of the 2002 Masters of the Universe series. The design was neat and recalled Shadow Weaver from She-Ra, and since figures from that show were off the MOTUC table for so long, I became more and more interested in these wraith-mages.
The Horde Wraith comes with a crossbow-inspired staff and a flight stand. I think a blast effect would have been cool with this figure since they did a lot of energy blasting from their hands in the show. The flight stand is basically a clear stick with a base that inserts under the figure. The wraith balances well on the stand, though I wonder how if it could have attached with a ball joint for a little more poseability.
The staff is cast in very soft plastic, so it bends like a noodle. The whole figure in general feels pretty soft except for the main skirt piece. The wraith has very long sleeves, which would prevent normal gripping, so there is a unique handle shape designed so he can hold the staff in his right finger tips. It’s a little awkward, but works.
The sculpt matches the source material well with its crazy shoulder pads and tattered robes. I like the texture detail on the shoulder pads and it makes me wish that was applied to the smooth main robes. They have a very “plastic” feel due to how smooth they are.
The hood is a little weird too as the part that covers the forehead seems to be a separate piece and there is a very obvious seem at the front.
The articulation is a little different than usual since the lower body is one big skirt piece. The Horde Wraith has the following articulation:
- Ball/socket head
- Swivel/hinge shoulders and elbows
- Swivel biceps, waist, and wrists
- Hinged mid-torso
The upper body moves well, though it would have been nice to have a ball joint in the waist so the robe could be posed a bit more like it’s flowing as the wraith is moving. It looks great floating there looming menacingly.
The paint is nothing special but does the job. My only critique is that I wish the grey robes had more of a matte finish.
Overall, I think this is a decent, if not horribly exciting figure. It’s not the flashiest, but it looks great looming over troops in a Horde display. I kind of wish I had two.
