Rounding
out the MechWarrior line is Legionnaire – a big blue, hulking beast
with a rotary autocannon for a head – that fits right in with the
other figures in the series.
It’s
a slight inaccuracy to say it has a rotary autocannonn for a head.To be completely accurate it’s above his head but since his
head (or the pilot compartment) is in the middle of his chest, it does
look as if he lacks a typical head.
What
is typical about Legionnaire is the high standards that the MechWarrior
line has brought to the table and a lot of this has to do with the real
die-cast metal.It gives
the figures loads of credibility in the way that plastic just can’t
when it comes to big robots.The
articulation does take a hit owed to the bigger and blockier
construction, but authenticity is the beneficiary and when it’s on
your shelf in a frenetic MechWarrior diorama any complaints about not
being able contort him into acrobatic knots seem minor.Legionnaire has about 15 points of articulation, used to varying
degrees of effectiveness, but like I said, don’t expect Cirque de
Soliel.
The
balance and attention to detail is good, like the spinning cannon and
metal plating, but it doesn’t have the small touches that I’ve
whined about with the other MechWarrior figures.Basically, the lack of battle damage knocks the score down
slightly.It does have some
mud splashes on its legs but it’s not enough to make me believe this
Mech has seen any action.If
you have some imagination, the right tools and paint, and a steady hand
you can create your own battle damage of this yourself so hardcore fans will be able to
correct Joyride’s omission.
Like
most of the MechWarrior figures, Legionnaire has mixed
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playability.He’s not the heaviest figure but he is heavy enough to cause
damage if you were to clunked on the head.The centerpiece – the autocannon – is
susceptible to breaking under moderately rough play.Some smaller parts can also be snapped off such as the twin
antennas.The most play
you’ll get from the MechWarrior figures is with themselves, but the
C&C vehicles (also from Joyride) can also make for some more
exciting dioramas and play possibilities – especially stomping those
little rubber guys that come with the vehicles.Which brings me to my last point.The tiny pilot figure packed with Legionnaire is a nice touch –
I really do like it – but it’ll be gone before you know it unless
you put him in the cockpit.
As
this is the last MechWarrior figure review (at least in the order I
chose) I can’t help but think of the possibilities for future lines.Joyride has scored big with these figures – let’s hope they
can one-up themselves with the next series (possibly with battle
damage).