Forestry
‘Mech could be classed as the annoying kid brother of the MechWarrior
line.By far, it’s the
smallest figure of the series and the most poseable and articulated,
which makes sense.Instead
of just knocking down trees like Jupiter or Mad Cat II, Forestry ‘Mech
(FM) actually cuts the trees down.He’s not equipped for combat – at least against other
‘Mechs, which explains the lack of scorch marks.
FM
comes with a claw hand, a chainsaw hand (à
la Ash from Evil Dead fame), and a flamethrower hand.The good news is that they’re completely interchangeable
(although, the flamethrower attachment looks better plugged into the
left arm).This allows for
lots of poseability.The
bad news is that after swapping them out a dozen times or so, they come
out quite easily – just a slight tug will pull them out.This can present problems during any kind of play as it makes
them easier to lose.On
display this doesn’t pose a problem.
Articulation
is super.There are about
11 points of articulation, a couple more if you have the claw hand
installed.This makes FM
quite a bit more poseable than the other MechWarrior figures.But it does make for more exciting dioramas.
FM’s
technical aspects are great.The sculpt, detail and color are completely in step with the
rest of the line.I’ve
seen a couple of paint variants but the yellow pylon paint job makes FM
extremely visible on display.
FM’s
playability isn’t quite as good as the display properties.His size makes him compatible
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with the MechWarrior figures as
well as an assortment of other 6” figures.Anyone that has seen Aliens will notice the similarities between
FM and the loader featured so prominently in the closing scenes of the
movie.This alone makes it
fairly compatible with Alien figures (and possibly McFarlane’s
upcoming Aliens vs. Predator Movie Maniac figures).The claw hand can very nicely grip classic GI Joes and hold a
variety of spear-like implements.It’s not a perfect playable figure.The exhaust assembly on its back can have pieces broken off,
the arms can go missing, and the hips are susceptible to breaking under
rough play.I know, I make
it sound like FM will fall to pieces if played with but this is not the
case.If come care is exercised, FM has good playability.
(And the small pilot -- it'll be lost before you know it.)
It
might be the smallest ‘mech but Forestry ‘Mech is a good action
figure and a great addition to the MechWarrior series.Good articulation, poseability, and some decent play value make
it a worthy addition.