OneSixthFigures
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.
OneSixthFigures

An online community to discuss and share news about sixth-scale figures, with an emphasis on either custom or commercial articulated figures.


You are not connected. Please login or register

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated)

Go to page : 1, 2  Next

Go down  Message [Page 1 of 2]

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
Update: for the base that comes with this set, see post 30 below.

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) Sgow0410

Introduction

This new release by TBLeague (formerly Phicen) arrived Stateside over the last couple of weeks. At first I thought I would pick up just the head sculpt, but later decided that I like the whole set. This is fairly unusual for me: I like fantasy and historical figures well enough, but not necessarily the combination of the two. I did not pick up, for example, TBLeague's Athena or Majestic Crusader and others, although I did buy some of the parted out pieces for kitbashing and customs. The only boxed TBLeague sets I own besides this one, are the first Arhian and the first Hercules.

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) Sgow1410

The present set appears to be part of TBLeague's "Spartan" series, which included the Sparta Warrior and Captain Sparta, and possibly other products. I do not know whether any or all of these are based on any particular comic book series or artwork or just the result of TBLeague's imagination (let me know in the comments). Although I liked the Sparta Warrior (or at least the head sculpt), I missed out on that one, but this one I noticed in a timely fashion. So here it is. Before the actual review, just in case someone is laboring under misapprehension, there is no such thing as a Spartan Goddess of War in real history and mythology: there was the goddess Athena, whom all Greeks worshiped as goddess of wisdom and military skill and strategy, and there was the goddess Artemis, a chaste huntress and patroness of wildlife (and also divine representation of the moon), who served as patron goddess of Sparta together with her twin brother Apollon. But this is not really either of the above. As so often in these TBLeague releases, there is some evident confusion between Greek and Roman art and style; the shield, for example, is of an unmistakenly Roman type, as is the helmet's crest. Some features, of course, are pure fantasy, neither Greek nor Roman.

Packaging -- 4/4 stars

The Spartan Goddess of War comes in a large sturdy box typical for TBLeague's boxed sets. In this instance, it is black, with stylized weathered silverish labeling and an image of the figure's helmet. You open the box by removing the front and sides, which are held in place with magnets. Inside you find three nestled black foam trays. The top one holds the figure, the head (which does not come attached), arm and leg armor and armored belt, and the extra hands; the middle tray holds the shield and helmet; the bottom tray holds the elaborate base, the mantle, spear, and sword. Apart from the cool "lid" and the very collector-friendly use of foam trays (which I greatly appreciate and much prefer over the plastic trays we encounter so frequently), there is nothing particularly special about the packaging. But it is sturdy and dependable, which is its purpose.

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) Sgow0210

Sculpting -- 4/4 stars

The quality and appearance of the sculpted items is excellent. This includes the face sculpt, which is attractive and fairly neutral while still slightly tense -- a better alternative than something overly emotive or entirely bland. Many of TBLeague's earlier releases featured rather odd-looking sculpts, and it is nice to see a more attractive and realistic one here. The hands and sandaled feet are very finely sculpted. She stands about 29 cm (11.4 in) tall, without the helmet.

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) Sgow1810

The sculpted detail on the plastic armor is both sharp and worn-looking (some of this is attempted on the shield, too), even if in the somewhat sanitized and simplistic manner we have seen Greek art conveyed in 60s swords-and-sandals movies. The detail on the weapons is very crisp (and un-worn). The disparity between them and the armor is a bit disconcerting. In TBLeague tradition (but unlike most other companies out there), the base is an elaborately sculpted and fairly large piece, complete with damaged weaponry, armor, and skulls and bones.

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) Sgow1510

Paint -- 3.5/4 stars

The body has a very basic TBLeague "new" suntan paint application, which matches the head sculpt, hands, and feet very well (perhaps more so in hand than in the photos).

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) Sgow1710

Elsewhere the paint is also very well done throughout, but there are exceptions: note, for example, one end of the sword's hand-grip and the thin sides of the sculpted sandal thongs. As with the sculpting, there seems to be a disparity between different pieces: the paint work on the armor is intended to convey a weathered look, while other elements, like the weapons, are clean and crisp; the shield, which features some sculpted damage, is given a very pristine paint job. One of the most intricate paint jobs is on the ornate base, where dirt and weathering have been applied to the surface and the littered broken pieces of armor, weaponry, and skeletal remains.

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) Sgow0510

Articulation -- 4/4 stars

Given the revealing outfit and localized armor, the figure's articulation is largely unimpeded, allowing pretty much the full range of motion of the TBLeague stainless steel super-flexible silicone bodies. This includes the ankles, knees, elbows, abdomen, and neck; only the wrists are a little bit restricted, but much of that can be overcome by forcing the vambraces a little bit farther up the arms. Overall, the body is able to replicate pretty all average human poses, and I have not attempted any photos to illustrate the full limits of flexibility.

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) Sgow0710

Accessories -- 3.5/4 stars

This category is difficult to rate for several reasons -- being unfamiliar with the source material (if any), I cannot tell how much is present or missing from the provided selection; also, how does one differentiate between outfit and accessory. I will consider the molded pieces (representing metal armor and weaponry) as accessories. These include the finely sculpted helmet, neck/chest armor, vambraces (for the lower arms), an armored belt with leather pteruges (strips), greaves for the lower legs, a Roman-style shield, a Greek-style sword, and a rather fantastical spear with ornate spearhead and spear-butt. The fantasy or other source of inspiration perhaps excuses the mismatching of styles and details. While the weapons are overly pristine for my taste, I found he mirror surface of the cast-metal sword pretty cool (see sculpt photo above). One disappointment is the crest on the helmet. This is intended to represent the ostrich (or similar) crests familiar from Roman parade helmets, but it is made of a rather cheap-looking (and -feeling) material.

Except for the neck/chest armor which comes in place in the box, all armor accessories have to be placed on the figure by the owner. In the case of the belt you would have to thread the provided thread through holes in the end parts of the belt, which is almost surprisingly easy, as the ends of the thread have been stiffened. The vambraces slide up the lower arms after you remove the hands. The greaves have little leatherlike straps with tiny hooks, which are easy to hook in place on the back of the lower legs.

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) Sgow0610

The figure comes with three sets of hands: pointing hands, sword-grip hands, and hands in an odd gesture (with the thumb and first two fingers extended, the rest folded in), which come on the figure in the box. The hands swap easily enough, but you can help matters by heating them up with a hair-dryer. The absence of closed fist and relaxed hands is somewhat surprising.

Finally, there is the elaborate base (it is not a stand, as there is nothing specifically holding the figure up). It is a cool, if not overly practical piece, and I have already commented on the fine sculpt and paint execution on it and the various details strewn all over it.

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) Sgow0310

Outfit -- 3/4 stars

In this category I include the soft goods items that come with the figure. This includes three items. The chest wrap (not to call it a brassiere) and short skirt are made of a rough red material that is badly thorn and frayed on the edges. That is clearly intentional, though it does not necessarily look very natural (a water treatment might help) and might be considered unlikely for a goddess -- even one of war. The third piece is the cape. If the first two pieces looked overly rag-like, the cape appears to be overly pristine -- it is too perfect (except perhaps for coming out of the box somewhat neatly creased) by comparison, and features a nice brooch, some leather thongs, and a fine threaded detail running along its edges. Once again, the disparity between different pieces in the same category seems a little disturbing to me. I do appreciate the fact that the outfit does not restrict the figure's articulation.

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) Sgow1610

Fun Factor -- 4/4 stars

If you have been collecting TBLeague's earlier "Sparta" releases and their Athena, this would be a natural and welcome addition to your collection. You can also display the Spartan Goddess of War well enough with other rather fantastically-recreated Ancient Greeks, like the figures from the 300 films produced by Hot Toys and Star Ace. With excellent articulation and a great (if historically and artistically unconvincing) look, the figure is bound to give the collector plenty of options when it comes to play and display.

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) Sgow0810

Value -- 3/4 stars

As usual for this category, it depends on how much you pay for your figure. The basic price in the United States tends to be $155-156, although at least one retailer has listed it for $235 (discounted to $210). If you get a brand new boxed set for $155, you are getting a pretty decent deal -- while it is certainly pricey, it is actually very decent compared to the increasingly exorbitant prices demanded by other companies' products. You get a fine head, an excellent body, a non-restrictive outfit, and a cool (if fantastical) armor, shield and weapons, not to mention the elaborate (if not very practical) base. And that's not bad these days. Something worth mentioning, since it comes up frequently in discussions: the finished product looks just like the prototype featured in the promotional materials -- no surprise or disappointment here.

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) Sgow0910

Things to Watch Out for

Nothing much. As I always say, heating the hands (and sometimes feet) before removing or installing might be helpful, especially if you encounter difficulties. Nothing is particularly flimsy or overly delicate in this set, but it's a good idea to be careful with the little leather straps on the cape; the ones on the greaves are simpler to use. The figure stands fine on its own, but if you live in an earthquake-prone area or are posing it in a more challenging position, you might want to employ a stand; but even if she tumbles, she seems resilient enough (which is only appropriate for a War Goddess).

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) Sgow1010

Overall -- 3.5 stars

Unlike most of the action figures I have reviewed, this one is not based on a specific film, game, or work of art (that I am aware of, at any rate). That means that I am not holding it to any specific source material, and consequently it is easier to give it higher marks in several categories. That said, this is a pretty good product, featuring a good look, excellent articulation, a number of accessories, and a generally high quality of execution. Moreover, if you do not end up using the figure as designed, you might still find it useful for kitbashing and customization.

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) Sgow1110

Score recap (out of 4 stars)

Packaging -- 4 stars
Sculpting -- 4 stars
Paint -- 3.5 stars
Articulation -- 4 stars
Accessories -- 3.5 stars
Fun Factor -- 4 stars
Value -- 3 stars
Overall -- 3.5 stars

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) Sgow1210

Where to buy:

Big Bad Toy Store $155

Black Ops Toys $210 (reduced from $235; more discounts might apply)

Cotswold Collectibles $156

Monkey Depot $155

Timewalker Toys $156

Or look on eBay

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) Sgow1310

#phicen #tbleague #sparta #goddess #female #fantasy


_________________
I'll be back!
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com

Stryker2011

Stryker2011
Founding Father
Another very thorough review. Thanks.

Mine is on its way from Timewalker.


_________________
Mark

He who dies with the most toys wins!

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) C8485110

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
Stryker2011 wrote:Another very thorough review. Thanks. Mine is on its way from Timewalker.

Thank you very much (and welcome), Mark! Hope you enjoy it. And Timewalker are good people, from whom I have been buying for a long time. Since in these reviews I am not worried about keeping it confined to sponsors, I am happy to be able to include them in the where to buy links. Mine came from Big Bad Toy Store.


_________________
I'll be back!
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
Here's another photo. It didn't quite work out composition-wise, but still an illustration of what the figure can do.

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) Sgow0110


_________________
I'll be back!
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com

Fox915

Fox915
Thank you for this great review Gubernator, I thoroughly enjoyed reading and looking through the photos (really love the backgrounds you use, specially the walls and marble tiles). I really like the head sculpt on this one, the facial features look a bit more mature and the expression is a bit more stern. This set is very tempting (specially after seeing your review Razz).

DeltaForceChung

DeltaForceChung
Super review.

I received mine last week, but I have yet to open mine.

Rogerbee

Rogerbee
Founding Father
Pretty darn decent,

The only bugbear I have with their bodies is the high armpits. On the vast majority of women, their armpits just aren't as high as they are on these bodies. It's the one giveaway in all pics that it's a TBL body. I've seen it before with CG bodies in 3D art. TBL need to start really looking at the female form a lot more closely if they're to produce more natural looking bodies. I suggest they attend a few life model classes, or hire one when they're sculpting bodies.

CHEERS!

BAD WOLF-787

BAD WOLF-787
She looks great, great review and excellent photos!


_________________
TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) 2v2J6CKfFxAChVkHosted on Fotki

rollotomasi

rollotomasi
Excellent review!
Question on the "fine threaded detail" on the cape... is it a sort of ribbon that's glued to the cape? I can't see any stitches...

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
Fox915 wrote:Thank you for this great review Gubernator, I thoroughly enjoyed reading and looking through the photos (really love the backgrounds you use, specially the walls and marble tiles). I really like the head sculpt on this one, the facial features look a bit more mature and the expression is a bit more stern. This set is very tempting (specially after seeing your review Razz).

Thank you and welcome. I was drawn in by the head sculpt, and then by some of the armor, and then I just couldn't resist buying it -- the whole boxed set.

DeltaForceChung wrote:Super review. I received mine last week, but I have yet to open mine.

Thank you! And I'm not surprised. Now you don't have to open it Smile Or the opposite. Either way, part of the point was that it is really as good as what you see in the promotional images, which is not all that unusual for TBLeague products.

Rogerbee wrote:Pretty darn decent, The only bugbear I have with their bodies is the high armpits. On the vast majority of women, their armpits just aren't as high as they are on these bodies. It's the one giveaway in all pics that it's a TBL body. I've seen it before with CG bodies in 3D art. TBL need to start really looking at the female form a lot more closely if they're to produce more natural looking bodies. I suggest they attend a few life model classes, or hire one when they're sculpting bodies.

Now that you mention it, I think I have noticed that too, without fully realizing it. Something that helps (at least a little), is that the position of the shoulders can be adjusted up or down on all these bodies, but your point is still valid.

BAD WOLF-787 wrote:She looks great, great review and excellent photos!

Thank you! I think if you get her, she'll be in good company. Or your other girls will be in good company. Either way. Smile

rollotomasi wrote:Excellent review! Question on the "fine threaded detail" on the cape... is it a sort of ribbon that's glued to the cape? I can't see any stitches...

Thank you. You are correct. The detail on the cape is indeed a glued on (or pressed on?) ribbon of some sort. It feels a little rubbery to me, but it is thin and placed very well (although in a couple of spots you can see a bit of the adhesive lining showing on the side), and has an embossed (?) texture to help it look more like cloth. When I said "fine threaded detail," I was trying to indicate what it was intending to convey, rather than what it actually was -- should have been more specific. Here is a close up, although I am not sure how well it would illustrate all this.

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) Sgow1910


_________________
I'll be back!
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com

Stryker2011

Stryker2011
Founding Father
One of my only nit-picks about some of TBL's figures is the re-use of the same head sculpt (perhaps with slightly different paint, and new hair colors). This looks to be the same HS as Sheena & Mercy Dante. Just like Majestic Crusader & Athena are the same. (I know, I know, it's more cost-effective for them.)


_________________
Mark

He who dies with the most toys wins!

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) C8485110

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
Stryker2011 wrote:One of my only nit-picks about some of TBL's figures is the re-use of the same head sculpt (perhaps with slightly different paint, and new hair colors). This looks to be the same HS as Sheena & Mercy Dante. Just like Majestic Crusader & Athena are the same. (I know, I know, it's more cost-effective for them.)

Interesting. I didn't realize that Athena and Majestic Crusader had in fact the same head sculpt, but I can see it now. It was ill-suited for either, but anyway. I don't own Sheena or Mercy Dante (although I've seen and liked both, but was late to the party), so this head sculpt (if the same) is still new to me. I do agree that reusing the same head sculpt is a cheap trick, but as long as it is a good one (and I think this one definitely is good) it does not seem too bad. But if I were a completist that gets every single TBLeague boxed set, I would be very upset.


_________________
I'll be back!
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com

Rogerbee

Rogerbee
Founding Father
BBI were the same. There were at least 3 Cy Girls that all used the same basic head.

CHEERS!

rollotomasi

rollotomasi
Thanks for the pic! Could pass off for a comics Dr. Strange cape sans collar...
even the medallion could pass off as a comics Eye of Agamotto with minor mods...

blackpool

blackpool
very cool review, thanks a lot! I really appreciate how you don't "just" unbox a figure for a couple of museum posed shots but explore the figure, use accessories, swap parts, undress... It's always much more informative than most review I see, it shows the potential of a figure, plus it seems like you had some good fun, the pics are really cool, just as the poses, very "storytelling"!

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
Rogerbee wrote:BBI were the same. There were at least 3 Cy Girls that all used the same basic head.

Agreed. Soldier Story and other military figure companies also release different products with the same head sculpt sometimes.

rollotomasi wrote:Thanks for the pic! Could pass off for a comics Dr. Strange cape sans collar...
even the medallion could pass off as a comics Eye of Agamotto with minor mods...

You are very welcome!

blackpool wrote:very cool review, thanks a lot! I really appreciate how you don't "just" unbox a figure for a couple of museum posed shots but explore the figure, use accessories, swap parts, undress... It's always much more informative than most review I see, it shows the potential of a figure, plus it seems like you had some good fun, the pics are really cool, just as the poses, very "storytelling"!

Thank you and welcome! Well, I have been trained by observing and writing guest reviews for Michael Crawford (though that seems to have come to an end), so the structure and thoroughness of the reviews is based on that. Since usually reviews (and not just mine) do not generate too much in the way of discussion here, I was getting a bit tired of taking, processing, and posting a ton of photos and writing detailed commentary, but lately you guys have made it worthwhile here and even in the long M35 thread where I did get carried away with the photos based on different films, etc. In this particular instance I didn't have to undress the figure, I just remembered to take a few photos before putting on the armor and cape. As for the story-telling, well it happens naturally (though there wasn't quite enough to do a separate photo story yet).

Speaking of which, this is something you might appreciate. When we were all discussing the Star Ace Themistokles on OSW, most of us seemed to agree that it would have been nice to have a less emotive portrait (it came with a single shouting head sculpt). Well, I realized that the male head sculpt I used here (a de-necked GALAC-TAC Desert Raider Green Wolf) is probably based on the same actor (Sullivan Stapleton). So there we go. And since Sullivan seems to get laid in every movie or even series episode (judging by 300: Rise of an Empire and Strike Back), the trajectory of the "story" suggested itself. Wink


_________________
I'll be back!
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com

Stryker2011

Stryker2011
Founding Father
GubernatorFan wrote:But if I were a completist that gets every single TBLeague boxed set, I would be very upset.

I'm pretty close to one of those. I've passed on a few boxed sets over the years (including the sci-fi girl; couldn't justify that $30 price-hike for rehashed armor and clothing bits, a new HS, and a couple of cool new weapons). (Hopefully, once it gets broken down, I can find the HS and weapons loose.)


_________________
Mark

He who dies with the most toys wins!

TBLeague / Phicen Spartan Goddess of War (updated) C8485110

blackpool

blackpool
Even more impressive now that you mention that "de" necked headsculpt! Could we have some WIP pictures next time you chop off a figure's neck? I have a lot of headsculpts that would look better without the neck...

I often appreciate Michael Crawford's reviews, more for the commentaries than the pictures which stay very neutral, but his observations and judgment often helped me picking a figure or not. That said I much more appreciate your pictures because they show the real potential of posing of the figure (I remember asking to Michael if he had made his Daredevil review on a protoype version as I nearly cancelled my order after seeing his review, in the end the figure was beyond my expectations and not having any of the flaws he described)
Anyway thanks again for those cool review pictures, they are very inspiring!

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
blackpool wrote:Even more impressive now that you mention that "de" necked headsculpt! Could we have some WIP pictures next time you chop off a figure's neck? I have a lot of headsculpts that would look better without the neck...

Ok, I will put together a mini presentation; it is remarkably easy, although it took me a long time (and some encouragement from forum members to start de-necking).

blackpool wrote:I often appreciate Michael Crawford's reviews, more for the commentaries than the pictures which stay very neutral, but his observations and judgment often helped me picking a figure or not. That said I much more appreciate your pictures because they show the real potential of posing of the figure. Anyway thanks again for those cool review pictures, they are very inspiring!

I do too; he is at "fault" for getting me into this hobby and helping me realize what to look for in a product (potentially). I love his analysis and his clear photos. Nowhere near the level of his experience and knowledge yet, but he is a worthy model. If I ever go beyond him in the photos, perhaps it is juvenile exuberance. Wink And thanks again for the kind words about my reviews and photos.


_________________
I'll be back!
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com

Rogerbee

Rogerbee
Founding Father
Michael pretty much got me into it too. He reviewed the Cy Girls I wanted and there was a guest review of Lucifer, from which I took my avatar, and the rest is history.

CHEERS!

Sponsored content


Back to top  Message [Page 1 of 2]

Go to page : 1, 2  Next

Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum