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Series: Ultima Online Craftsmanship: 8.4 out of 10 - Very hard to knock over - Excellent detail and color - Limited poseability but good for display - With some modifications, he can be made into a ballpoint pen Playability: 7.5 out of 10 - Small hoses easy to rip off - Could be considered a flying toy - Cape presents some problems - Clawed left hand is easy to clamp onto GI Joes
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Blackthorn (Ultima Online)
Blackthorn could be described as equal parts armor-plated cyborg and jackhammer. He’s described on the card as a “power-hungry tyrannical lord” but if I ever need my water main dug up, I hope Blackthorn’s available.
He stands just shy of 8” tall – but won’t stand at all without his base. The first thing you’ll notice about Blackthorn is that he has no legs. At first, it seems like his cape acts as the means to keep him upright, and in fact it does a good job but doesn’t make him very stable. The clear base is the ideal method. Once installed, he becomes extremely stable.
The sculpt and detail are high quality – with exaggerated musculature, rivets on the armor, and small cybernetic parts. I especially like the copious hoses around his head and facial detail. The coloring helps to bring out the details, which really jump out under display lighting. The purple cape with blue highlights matches the rest of him. So, not only is he a tyrannical lord, he also has excellent fashion sense.
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And like every man of fashion, he knows that accessories can make a drab ensemble come alive. Blackthorn’s mechanical arm is great. Not only does it possess lots of articulation it can also get a good grip on 3 ½” GI Joes. It also has an innovation with one of the main hoses that leads from his “wrist” to his elbow. The hose is attached at the wrist but not at the elbow making it unlikely you’ll rip it off. Several other hoses aren’t as fortunate though and can be ripped off easily. While only displaying him won’t put at risk of losing a hose (ouch!), playing with him will. And while I’m on display, the poseability is limited. As mentioned his left arm has great |
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mobility but the rest of his articulation is limited by his armor and cape. And there is one articulation point that makes no sense: his lower half is hinged at the base of his spine. This is done for no apparent reason – the cape totally blocks effective movement and trying it anyway can loosen the cape on its moorings. (The cape is not removable.) Using a bit of imagination and the right tools this articulation point allows a dedicated customizer to make Blackthorn into a ballpoint pen – albeit a bulky one.
Playability is all right owed to Blackthorn’s compatibility with the rest of the Ultima Online series and his pincer left hand, which can grapple a variety of smaller action figures. Due to his complete lack of legs Blackthorn could be considered a flying toy – or at least a construction worker. As mentioned above, rough play can result in the small hoses being ripped off. And the cape is susceptible to being ripped off.
Blackthorn is a solid offering from McFarlane, but he’s definitely designed for display rather than play.
- Omni (March 21, 2002) |
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