SpartanNerd Unboxing and Review...VINTAGE ALERT! 200x Two Bad

SpartanNerd, you wanted a MOTUC Two-Bad.   Well.  Too bad!

So I will settle for the next best thing.  200x Two-Bad.

IMHO, the vintage 1980's Two-Bad was not very good.  I remember making him punch the opposite face all the time.  And that's about it.  He couldn't stand very well, because he was top heavy.  He couldn't hold weapons because his hands were permanent fists.  And his shield didn't fit on his arms correctly.  I did enjoy the power of punching with the spiny loaded arms and waist feature combined, however.  This was the strongest action feature in the original figures.

200x Two-Bad doesn't have any of those problems, and the action feature is also pretty cool.  So he is an advance in every way!

Here is Two-Bad in his original packaging.  Notice the price tag.
The dude at the Barnyard Fleamarket shaved a little off.

This back is different from Beast Man and He-Man.  We get a nice large pic of the figure.  It still has the annoying foreign languages all over the package.  They should have made a different card for the foreign languages, and gave people something else to collect, rather than this all-inclusive strategy.  I like the white outline around the figure.

I took this pic when I removed him from the packaging.  Impressive!

Two Bad has no problem standing.  The weapon is cool,
sporting a hinge between the two pieces.

No big button behind this figure.  His arms are spring loaded themselves.

Notice that the Baddra side of Two-Bad is the exact same color as Spikor!  In this pic you can see that Two-Bad is noticeably shorter than the MOTUC figures.  :(  Also, both heads seem a tad smaller than He-Man and Beast Man's heads.

Here is a shot of all of my baddies together.  The best thing about Two Bad is he helps fill my ranks a bit!

So, what is my rating of Two-Bad?  I like that he is an improvement on the 1980's figure in every way.  His arms are way better.  The Horsemen sculpted him, and he is very detailed.  He has excellent weapons.  He stands nicely.  The only point was taken off because of his slightly off scale build, which was probably done to save money on a fig that was fully tooled.

I rate 200x Two-Bad 4/5.  Do you agree?  Let me know!

SpartanNerd Review...G.I. Joe figures from Dollar General...Snake Eyes and Cobra Commander

Here at the edge of the world, we don't have too many stores.  At one time, there were more, and then the apocalypse happened, and almost everything moved out.  And then Dollar General Market came in and filled the void.

I visit this store almost everyday, and saw these on the pegs right around Thanksgiving.  But I refrained from purchasing them.  I don't collect G.I. Joes, and the SpartanSmurf's have a history of owning them but not playing with them.  I admit that I was tempted, though.  I have never owned as awesome a Cobra Commander as they had on the shelf.  Furthermore, the figures seem to be painted in 1980's generation 1 cartoon colors, and they were on sale for only $6.00.  (The cheapskate in me screams..."What a deal!  G.I. Joes are running almost as much as $15.00 at department stores!")

So after Christmas, these were still hanging on the shelf...And the SpartanSmurfs had some money they were itching to spend...so where did I kind of point them???

Only one taker.  SpartanSmurf #2.  He is fond of Snake Eyes (and Ninjas in general), and thought Cobra Commander was cool also.  They also had a Duke, who looked nothing like Duke.  So neither one of us was interested.  (See...He takes after his old man!)

Here are some pics and a review, followed by some comments and a rating!  (I promise I took a pic of the box.  But somehow that is nowhere to be found?  The box is a window, prominently featuring the G.I. Joe branding, and on the back showcases six total figures from the line, but all painted in different colors than seen at the Dollar General Market.  You'll just have to take my word for it I suppose. The only figures we saw were the ones mentioned here.)

Snake Eyes.  CLASSIC!

Cobra Commander.  CLASSIC!  This staff is also a sword.

Cobra Commander and his accessories.

Snake eyes and his accessories.

He's holding a pistol.

A battle pose, by SparnanSmurf #2!

Thoughts on these figures.

"'Ow Be-zar!"  (Spoken in that dreadnok voice).  The marketing strategy here is.....I guess maybe some kid will come through with his weekly allowance, or maybe will come through with his mom and ask for this, and it is certainly reasonable as an impulse buy.  On the other hand, it seems it should appeal to people like me, more nostalgic types who have that 1980's childhood aesthetic sense about them, who would see them and recognize them on account of their paint job.

These figures are excellent.  Cobra Commander especially.  (I am more fond of the all black suited Snake Eyes rather than the early versions.)  Cobra Commander's eyes could be shoddily done, but they are not.  The work is clearly good.  And you get a stand!  (I am not sure, but don't most Joes come with a stand nowadays?)

The only difference in these and what I might find at say, Target, are the accessories.  They seem a little scant.  But hey.  It's a $6.00 G.I. Joe!  So I guess the corners had to be cut somewhere!

My rating?  I am going to say 4.5/5, taking off a point only because there aren't many accessories.  Other figures at Dollar General seem to have the same trend though, for instance the Marvel characters they have on the pegs have no accessories.  So I guess these guys are better than them!  But still, it isn't a full on G.I. Joe experience without the backpacks, extra guns, knives, swords, etc.   And I also wish the back of the box had a bio of the characters, (like in the old days!)  Anyone disagree with my 4.5, let me know!

Masters of the Universe Classics Unboxing and Review....Sky High with Jet Sled

OK.  So I had some worry about this package arriving.  I ordered it on Cyber Monday, and it showed up on Dec. 23....(This was supposed to be a holiday special item).  As I worried, the tracking information indicated only that it was in Georgia.  I was going to call and complain, when lo and behold, the information updated to Greenville SC, and it was magically at my post office before the end of the day.

As I moved from my car to the house with box in hand, I thought..."Odd.  Seems a little light."  Indeed, compared to the box that came with the Griffin and Teela, it was a little lighter.  But it was something else that added to my worry....(was it really there?)

But on with the show.

The item was in the box...It was boxed in another mailer box, as expected.  I was halfway expecting one of the brown boxes that people have been getting.  Boxes that are supposedly more environmentally friendly or something.  But this is the exact same kind that all of my other figures have shipped in!

The first thing I noticed when I opened the mailer was WOW I CAN SEE THE DETAILS ON THAT SKY JET SLED ALREADY!

To clarify something, in case I slip.  I always called this vehicle "The Sky Sled."  And over the years I have named a few USB flash drives "Sky Sled."  Sometimes including a picture of the vehicle from the cartoon as the icon!  I realize that the terms may be interchangeable.  To me it is the Sky Sled.  To you it might be Jet Sled.  Tomato.  To-mah-toe.






When you get the box out, you see it is in a battle cat style window box, where you can also see the pilot, "Sky High."

And you flip the box over for these not so boring details.

You see, Sky High isn't a vintage figure.  So he has no back story except what they included here.

Sky High was one of the  model kit pilots from the rarely seen model kit box art.  Wow that's obscure!  He really belongs alongside the Fighting Foe Men, who I am a fan of, but do not own.  I think the bio-story here is separated from the FFM because the FFM were meant to pay homage to the Four Horsemen's staff, and Sky High here not so much.

(I run into another nerd problem.  Does Sky High fly the Sky Sled?  That sounds stupid.  His real listed name here is "Darid."  Darid flying a Sky Sled sounds better.)

I suppose I will go ahead and review him.

This is a cool new figure, that seems to largely reuse parts.  I don't own Trap Jaw, but it seems his lower body is just Trap Jaw's stuff.  That is new armor, and a new helmet, but I think those gloves may be Sir Lazer Lot's.  Since the SLL at my house was stolen....








He comes with a weapon that represents the Wind Raider.  It fits in his hand in the middle, making a "fan sword" like Hotaru used in Mortal Kombat Deception.  Or you can clip it to his back to make a jetpack.  I personally think the paint job is excellent.  I don't see any slop. I like his color scheme as well.

Sky High here feels generic.  Kind of like Vikor, Blonde Teela, Draego Man, or the Griffin.  He could be any pilot, really, and that is what is cool about him.  You see, you could just forget there is someone named "Darid," whose nickname is "Sky High."  This could simply be someone's flight suit!  Just do a head swap!  Or maybe He-Man was feeling safety conscious, so he wore a helmet on his romp towards Snake Mountain in the Jet Sled.

Tired of seeing Teela as a Blonde?  (The head swap doesn't really work here.  Her peg is too small.)

How nerdy is the SpartanNerd?  Sky High's mask reminds me of Maximillian from "The Black Hole."  I think it is the facelessness of him.  And those eyes.  He also resembles Boba Fett somewhat.

This guy is heading for Hell.  (At the end of the Black Hole!)

Now for the good stuff!  THE SKY JET SLED!

It is amazing!  Should I get a Wind Raider!?  I am super impressed with the SKY SLED!  Those sculpted details that I first saw when opening the box are all over it!  There isn't one lazy decal anywhere!  Just sculpted, painted, fine details.

I love the Sky Sled so much because it was a Good Buys/ Bad Guys vehicle.  Though you never seemed to see the baddies driving one connected to the Battle Ram.  Somehow, I also seem to think that the bad guy version looked just a tad more evil, like maybe had a more definite dragon head rather than the cat/bird looking thing the good guys had.*  Hey.  Maybe I'm wrong, but I did remember Maximillian!


Pictures are worth 1000 words.  So here goes!

Classic!

I have virtually never seen a vintage Sky Sled who still had the stickers intact.  That will never be a problem with this model!

Both sides are the same.  Here I would like to say, clearly this was designed for a future Battle Ram to dock with.

The underside of the Jet Sled also has a ton of detail, and...What's with that hole?  It is a hole for the Wind Raider flight stand.  (Not included here.  So maybe I SHOULD get a Wind Raider too?)  You can also see where the horsemen have added some additional guns!

What does Sky High look like on this vehicle?  Pretty cool.  But why fly a Sky Sled if you have a jet pack?

The black handles are nice.  But in a way they don't feel as rustic as the vintage method of the figures hanging on.

You can see that my vintage Battle Ram and Jet Sled have really done some serious ramming over the years.

I am including some comparison pictures.  The Jet Sled here along with pilot is as large as the vintage version COMBINED WITH THE BATTLE RAM!  That just shows that the real scale differences in the MOTUC figures and the vintage figures.

"It's comparison time!"

The Jet Sled feels just as hollow as the original, and I am sure it is.  The original has a pretty definite seam running up the line of symmetry...The same thing seems to be the case here, so I wouldn't REALLY send it in the air, as I am certain it would break in half.  This explains the "lightness" of the packaging I am sure, as it is hollow plastic.  That said, the seam isn't pronounced, and really just adds to the vintage feel of the thing!


I rate Sky High 5/5 as far as a flight suit is concerned.  3/5 as a Masters character.  I mean, I am deducting points here simply for the fact that he wasn't ever originally there, and is non-essential to people who are really only interested in updated versions of the vintage figures.  His model pilot origins are pretty obscure, so my question here is, why not have included a different figure here?  Someone more deserving.  You could have put Dekker here, (or who taught him?).  You could have included Trap Jaw or Tri-Clops (technology type bad guys).  Or even another Man-At-Arms.  Why put someone new here and "waste" a SKU, (as Mr. Nitelich points out is necessary to do a figure.)  Or even this.  How about white space-suit Marlena that people seem to want, or an articulated Battle Suit for Castle Grayskull, which was on sale at THE EXACT SAME TIME.  (See...The SpartanNerd knows how this should have been done!)

How do you sell Jet Sleds?

But the Jet Sled gets 5/5...A solid, Solid, SOLID 100%.  It feels vintage.  Plays vintage.  But is totally updated in scale and quality.

Now, I can't wait until they release a Battle Ram to go with it!

*James Eatock uses the term "War Sled" when referring to the one Skeletor is riding on the "He-man and She-Ra Christmas Special" commentary, which is on You Tube.  I have never heard this term, but like it as a contrast in that it sounds more evil.  (I will never argue with Busta Toons, and you shouldn't either!)  Oddly, Skeletor is flying a version that has extra room on the seat, as if he intended to carry two earth children when it was designed!

Masters of the Universe Classics Unboxing and Review....The Griffin!

Remember my review of Megator?

Well I think I have an even more impressive figure to review, now!  The GRIFFIN!

The Griffin is AMAZING!  Who would have thought we could get this?  And it seems very calculated as well, being an amalgamation of Battle Cat and Swift Wind.

In the Mike Young cartoon, griffins were the bad guy's main mode of escape.  They would start to lose, and the griffins would swoop in and grab the villains and take them to safety.

This creature absolutely fits in my nerd closet with the Magic cards and other stuff like that.  I'd bet I have several dozen Griffin Magic cards...

When I first saw the Griffin, I thought, "Do I really want that?"  Then I got Vikor, and thought, "The Griffin would be a great ride for Vikor."  It didn't take too long for me to figure out, Vikor isn't riding any steed, with that loincloth.  But it was worth a try.

I got the Griffin as a part of the Cyber Monday sale, as mentioned on the Groovy Dork List.  And am I glad I did!  This figure is the most impressive figure I may own!

He came in this big box.  It is so big, I decided to use it as a background!

Here he is in his ugliness!  Awesome ugliness at that!

When you take him out of the box, you see that you have to assemble the wings to his body.

Here he is, ready to fly!

Don't call him four-eyes!

He has a double tail...the kind of thing that was favored on the MYP show.

I don't own a Beast-Man, so Spikor will have to do.  Ugly riding Ugly!

I dreamed of putting Vikor on the Griffin.  Alas, his loincloth was too much.
Even with the saddle off.  This was the best I could do.  It kind of looks like
Vikor is going to slay him in this picture...

You can see that he has a cool mane.  His backside is just the Battle-Cat buck, with chicken feet.

What do Griffin's eat?  Temple of Darkness Zoar!  (not included of course)

Here is an overhead shot.  This figure is HUGE!

I give the Griffin a 5/5!  He is solid.  Huge.  Fits in most contexts.  Ugly in a beautiful way.  He is one of the best figures I own as far as sculpt, displayability, playability, and on and on!

SpartanNerd Review...Commander Unboxing...Evasive Maneuvers

Evasive Manuevers….Commander Deck Unboxing and Review.

Commander, or EDH (whichever you prefer,) is a format for Magic: The Gathering that people seem starved for…Usually they are trying to sneak in a round in between Standard tournament matches, etc.  I have been sort of puzzled by that…thinking it is fun…but is it that fun?

My experiences with Commander come from playing at home with my boys…no surprise really.  The games would tend to be longer, but otherwise, besides the “commander factor” the same and just as fun, just more restricted fun.  (You may only have one copy of each card in your 100 card deck, besides basic land)

BUT that was before this deck!  I think the reason I have had “meh” feelings about the whole thing is that my decks didn’t really “do anything.”  They were more of a collection of cards that I like…that were generally unplayable in standard for some reason.

So my first cohesive deck is one that I buy ready made, it it works great!

Evasive Maneuvers comes in this blister packaging,  You can see the oversized foil Derevi, Empyrial Tactician clearly.  Notice the price...I used a $10 coupon, so this cheapskate didn't pay full price!  (I hear that Oloro's deck is fetching around $100 on the internet!)

Here's the back.  I didn't read it.  But it is supposed to sell you on buying the deck.  Derevi is impressive enough for me, and I have been playing his colors in Standard for awhile.  (White, Green, and Blue, also known as Bant)

When you open the box, you see this.

and here are the contents, underneath the foils.

This deck comes with not only Derevi, but also two other Commanders,
Rubinia Soulsinger, and Roon of the Hidden Realms (A Rhino!).  The deck comes with a regular
card of these also, as they complete the 100 cards.

But clearly Derevi is the star!

Here is a picture of the deck list.

Here is some blurb about how to play the deck.

and a nice poster.

I wish I could have made it to a "serious" tournament before this review...unfortunately Christmas Singing obligations kept me away from the one at the Tangled Web today.  There are two more planned for the future that I know of, and I may be able to attend those and play this deck.

So my first match was against my oldest son, who is currently playing a self built Excava, Blood Witch Commander deck.  (See Excava here.)  It is an aggressive Rakdos strategy, and he uses a lot of burn spells and haste, as well as favors goblins.

I beat him soundly!  And on all fronts.  Here are the cards I used to do so....There are certainly more cards to see, however.

The Mistmeadow Witch got a lot of attention from some veteran players last night
as I showed off  the deck to the people at the Standard tournament at the TW.
Apparently, Kithkins were a big deal in former Magic sets.  This cards activated ability was the way I ousted Excava the first time.  He was never able to get her out again before I finished him off.  (I mean he could have..he chose not to)

This card is kind of a more powerful Tidebinder Mage.  It flys...so....He had no flyers.  

This is apparently a reprinted card from the ancient past of Magic.
I used this to cast Blue Sun's Zenith, (not shown here).  But that instant put cards in my hand when I was starting to feel a lack of fun because I had no hand anymore.

I was delighted to get to play a "level-up" card.  This deck has two!  I had never played one before,
but have played against people that do at Modern tournaments.

This was one of my last plays.  It didn't get to do much....

I put this card onto Dungeon Geists...I never had to use it, though.

I DID use this card...Sort of a Wrath of God.  And because I had the two tokens afterward,
they were part of me winning the game!

I mention this because one of the key things was that MANA WASNT A PROBLEM!
I used this spell to get Evolving wilds back out...(It was the only land card in my graveyard)

Rubinia made an appearance, giving me control of Krenko, Mob Boss.  My son really didn't appreciate this, so he just burned her.  A key point to remember for the future...She's not to hard to kill off.  AND, if she's tapped, she isn't doing much else, is she?

Thoughts on the match...Excava is no lightweight...But I just had more access to stuff.  I had out Darksteel Ingot, Basalt Monolith, and Selesnya Signet, in addition to 12 basic lands and Faerie Conclave and Bant Panorama.  By the end of the game...with the mana-fixing artifacts coming out early giving me the power to do just about anything I wanted.

This caused another problem, though.  My hand was empty for the mid-game.  And I was powerless to do anything but block and activate abilities, of which all I had was the Mistmeadow Witch and Derevi.  Derevi's ability was great...He got sent to the command zone twice, and I was able to get him out cheap!  But my source of card draw came from SpartanSmurf #1 playing Sign In Blood, which got the Blue Sun Zenith into my hand, which I played at the end of his turn in response to him trying to remove Mistmeadow Witch...( I wasn't able to counter him)

The game ender came after all this.  I got out Kirtar's Wrath, and nuked everything.  He had more stuff out than me, so it was not biggie...This gave me the upper-hand with the two spirits, then I was able to also get Derevi out of the command zone.  At the END OF HIS TURN (So he was ready to attack next turn!  Then I played Aethermage's Touch, which got out the Skyward Eye Prophets, and I got to play Curse of Predation.  SpartanSmurf #1 didn't have much life left, so when I swung all-out, it was curtains for him!

Commander damage didn't even figure into all of this...It was all regular damage!

Thoughts on what you get....You get the three commanders...all Bant, so that's cool.  I especially like the Rhino...Rhino's are becoming one of my favorite animals.  (Maybe it is their big nose!)  Some of the cards in here are apparently lusted after by long-time players.  "Sol Ring," for example.  You also get a pretty nice box...But it won't fit your cards if you sleeve them...it is a snug fit as it is.

I am keeping the deck list for reference.  The Wizards are wasting paper by including the blue propaganda that comes with almost every Magic: The Gathering product.


My Rating...I give Evasive Maneuvers a 5 out of 5!  I can't wait to get more of these decks....I have been hint dropping the SpartanWife for Oloro, Ageless Ascetic's Esper Commander deck.  Basically, I see him as kind of like me...Sitting in that chair, He-Man's sword leaned up by the side, drinking a Diet Dew, totally ripped (now I'm dreaming)