The Fortnite figure release schedule is so bizarre, but kind of fun. You don’t really know what’s coming until one day it shows up on Amazon and then a few days later, you have it in hand. It’s as close as I get nowadays to the “aisle discovery” toys of my youth (toys you never heard of until you walk down that magical action figure aisle at TRU), so I kind of enjoy it. Today we’re going to take a look at the most left field character in this current wave, Fishstick!
The Fishstick packaging is consistent with previous releases and features some appealingly bright graphics and a huge window that shows off all the good stuff you get with the figure.
Fishstick comes with a backpack that kind of looks like crockery with a basket holder, two guns, two extra face plates, a walking stick, and a fishing pole.
Even though Fortnite is a shooter, the guns are probably the most incongruous looking accessories in the set. They have such a normal, dull, earth aesthetic that clashes with the whimsical fantasy design of the figure. He looks like he should be wielding a slingshot if anything as a projectile weapon. I’m sure it’s game accurate, but looks off to me.
The pack looks like he’s carrying his sack lunch or perhaps goods to market or bait for his fishing trip and I love it. It sticks on there well, has some simple, but effective paint hits, but does tend to overbalance him a bit.
I think the walking stick is taking the place of the usual pick axe that comes with these figures. I suppose I could look it up, but I don’t really care what it’s intended for, I’m using it as a walking stick and I think it looks pretty neat as such with a couple of containers hanging from it and a boot for randomness. I get the feeling this guy is out scavenging for stuff on his way to the fishing hole.
The fishing pole has some nice detail to it, including a really thin plastic string that adds some nice detail to it. The orange lure at the tip does pop off on mine and the hook can kind of hang down. It would cool if there was a bit more string to it.
Fishstick has some nicely comic face swaps which adds a lot of fun and variety to this guy. I do wish they varied the eyes a little more between face plates for even more expressiveness.
Fishstick’s design reminds me of random NPC background villagers in a game like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The jumpsuit culottes combo has some panels and rough stitching that makes me think this guy isn’t too well-off. The ear-flap hat gives the impression that’s he’s also not too on the ball. The sculpting does a good job capturing the costume details and his bow-legged stance, but I wish his neck jutted forward a bit more and he was a little less broad-shouldered, so I could really get him in that nerdy slouch he has on the box.
The articulation is the usual Fortnite Legendary series set-up with:
- Swivel/hinge neck, shoulders, wrists, hips, and ankles
- Swivel waist, biceps and thighs
- Hinged toes, grip hands, and butterfly pecs
- Double hinged knees and elbows
- Ball and socket mid-torso
The articulation moves okay, other than the nerdy slouch, I was able to get him to move how I wanted. One point of frustration is his grip hinges were a little loose and I had a hard time getting him to hold the guns. His tiny feet and bow-legs and heavy pack did make balance sometimes challenging.
Paint is pretty solid, nothing too flashy, but it gets the job done. I think the separation could be better on the eyeballs and some of the accessories, but I do like the transition from orange to yellow on his arms and legs.
Overall this goofy guy was a lot of fun and that’s what it’s all about, right?
