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Well, this is it. The end. The last MOTUC figure released by Mattel - and to be honest, I'm not sure how much I want to dabble in the Super7 figures. it's the monthly expense, stacking up with everything else. We'll see, though! But let's have a look at the last regular figure.
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No bio for the Horde Wraith. They work for Hordak, and were seen in the 200X cartoon. They've been requested for a long time, and adding them at the end is pure fanservice, as opposed to last year's He-Ro, which bugged a lot of people.
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Well, there you go. One final army builder, and it's a hooded, cloaked wraith! So, how does this figure stack up?
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PACKAGING: ****
Well, this is the last time we will see this packaging. Fare thee well, green blister pack, and may flights of angels see thee to thy rest, or something like that.
SCULPT: ****
There is precisely one source fo rthese guys - a single episode of the 200X cartoon. And thus, I can say with authority that the figure is sculpted fine. it looks like it did in the cartoon, with just enough detail to keep it in line with other MOTUC figures. This one might as well have been a runner-up for the 200X mini-sub last year.
Its cloak is ragged, because all wraiths take terrible care of their clothing. What's funny is that, aside from the ratty hemlines, the wraith is pretty well-dressed with a complex Horde-patterned outfit.
If anything, I would say that the "face' sould maybe have been recessed further into the hood to keep out reflections off the plastic, but this really doesn't matter much. It's a good figure that matches its source material.
PAINT: ****
Black, gray, and red. Horde colors! Okay, yes, they're pretty basic - with blue hands (hey, could he be the Unnamed One's older bro?), but they are exactly what they should be. They match the cartoon, and they are clean, crisp, and not rooster-eyed It's a good paint scheme for the figure.
Even on its own, those colors make sense. This is a wraith, after all. Really, it's a good paint job. Not much more to say, here.
ARTICULATION: ***
The Horde Wraith has essential MOTUC articulation, with the obvious exception of the legs - being a cloak, he ain't got no feets.
Even despite that, this is fine. The figure's hands are posed in spellcasting-mode, and yis arms are limber enough to do exactly that. You've got a surprising number of subtle poses with just the arms alone, which is quite fine.
ACCESSORIES: **1/2
Well, the Horde Wraith has one fantastic accessory, and one WTF ARGH. The staff is really nice, comprable with other figure staves. of ourse, becaus his hands are posed to cast spells, fititng it in is awkward - but you can slip his fingers through the grip and make it look almost natural! And then you realize that the staff plastic is so soft thatit just may droop under its own weight. But it's okay, otherwise.
On the surface, his flight stand is fine. However... notice that you aren't seeing a picture of it? Both plugs fit into the stand's socket, but only one fits into the Wraith. You also can't disassemble it once put together (though Ia ssume a blowdryer might make it possible), so I screwed mine up. FAIL. You're almost blind, too - I'd suggest trying it on the Wraith first, and seeing if it works then.
VALUE: **1/2
Same price as everything else MOTUC. Honestly, the price has always bugged me.
THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR:
Everything is durably except for that stupid stand. Do not assemble it the wrong way!
WHERE TO BUY:
Matty will apparently still sell some stock for a while, but... eh, just scout around and see what you find.
OVERALL: ***
Well, he's not perfect - the Horde Wraith has a fragile stand, and a problematic time holding his staff, but overall is a pretty good figure with nice shelf presence, even if you aren't a He-Man fan.
But you know, it's a good figure. Those aren't really flaws, per se - Mattel ended this line on a high note, with a fan-demanded obscure dude, and I kind of like the wraith in general. They may have phoned in a lot this year, but not this guy!
So, the line overall. It's had its high and l0ws over the year, to be sure, but let's be honest. These toys have existed in mail-order form since 2008. Tey have maintained essentially th same level of quality - plenty of hiccups, but plenty of fixes for said hiccups (and plenty of new hiccups, lol), but for the most part theya re solid, sturdy toys that should have seen mass-market release to get them into the hands of children. The character selection is unparalleled, covering old favorites as well as totally obscure D-listers. The Horsemen did amazing sculpting work, too. Scott Neitlich was surely divisive, but there's no doubting he really put himself out there for this line... and, uh, made enemies, too. The fandom has been both dedicated and toxic, and it's kind of sad to se this line end... except that it hasn't, sort of. We're going to see how Super7 handles everything it's inherited from Mattel, and I wish them the best!