Series: Spawn 18 (Interlink)

Craftsmanship: 8.9 out of 10

- Easy to stand

- Excellent paint job

- Dual chainsaw hand

- Lots of articulation

- Tubes are surprisingly tough

- Neat faceplate

- Reminds me of football player with no neck

Playability: 7.6 out of 10

- Some protuberances are easily snapped off

- Best suited for dioramas about forestry

- Burned-up skull face makes him less endearing

- Left arm doesn’t come off easily

Number of seconds it took for my wife to say, "Gross," looking at RA5:1.25

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RA5 (Interlink Spawn)

by McFarlane Toys

I have a grudge against RA5, resulting from my experience of assembling Interlink Spawn. Not only did a truly mangle him – snapping off an arm and breaking off one of TS2’s securing pegs in RA5’s back – I also nearly choked to death on his mask.

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The reason for the near choking is partly my fault – okay, it’s entirely my fault, but the story is too involved to get into for this review.

The coolest part of RA5 is his left hand, which is made of two chainsaws. The teeth on the saws are actually quite jagged and sharp. Not "Oops-there-goes-my-finger" sharp but they are very pointed. The overall detail is very

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good. As expected, RA5 fits right into the Interlink series with its demonic robot charm. Actually, RA5 reminds me more of an over-padded football player without a neck, than a straight robot. And like the rest of the Interlink figures, he’s fairly articulated. (And differs in that his tubes aren’t easily snapped.) To aid in keeping him standing are wing-like pieces located at his ankles. There are a few pieces that are more prone to breaking, but the left arm is extremely hard to wrench from its socket. I know this because I bruised the bone in my thumb pulling the arm out during Interlink Spawn assembly – then I realized the arm wasn’t supposed to be able to come out. Several pieces of RA5 come off for the assembly of Interlink Spawn, and if precautions are not taken they can become lost rather easily. (This includes his right arm with the chainsaw hand.) RA5 comes

with a mask that fits easily over his disgusting but very detailed head. If you’re so inclined (or your kids get nightmares from looking at RA5), the mask can be permanently secured by way of some kind of adhesive. This also ensures you won’t choke on the mask yourself – unless you try to eat the figure.

The most obvious use for RA5 is in school diorama projects depicting the forest industry, but since he fits in with the other Interlink figures he can be used in action battles. However, under rough play – hitting walls, being buried in the garden, etc. – pieces will dislodge and break off.

He’s not the toughest of the Interlink figures, but he does look pretty good on display. His distinctly gold coloring makes him stand out. The paint itself has been applied with a steady hand and lacks any oversplash.

On a personal note, when it says "choking hazard" on the card it really means choking hazard! "Small parts. Not for children under 3 years," should be followed by, "Don’t be dumb enough to think that because you’re over 3 you won’t choke! Keep small parts out of your mouth!"

- Omni