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Introduction
There's only three sixth scale lines I'm a continuing completist on right now, and two are from threezero. There's the terrific Walking Dead series, and there's the subject of tonight's review - Game of Thrones. Of course the third is the fantastic Star Trek series from EXO-6.
One of the reasons I'm able to remain a completist with Game of Thrones is the slower release schedule. I can count on two, maybe three figures in a big year, which doesn't destroy my budget. They've been producing several Season 7 versions recently, and the latest is Sandor Clegane, aka the Hound.
We got an earlier version of the Hound, complete with his funky armor of the early seasons. This version fits in nicely with his later travels, protecting Arya in his attempt to return her home. The figure just started shipping, and will run you around $200 depending on the retailer.
Packaging - ***1/2
The thin boxes are very nice, efficient and less wasteful than the
usual sixth scale packaging. The interior plastic trays hold
everything safe and sound, and it's all collector friendly, with no
need to damage any part of the packaging in the process of removing
the figure and accessories. The hound emblem is embossed on the slip
cover, similar to the house symbols on other releases.
Sculpting - ***
This is a new sculpt rather than a re-use of the original. The
rooted hair is definitely different, and the ultimate comb-over
covers his scarred face and head. The beard is heavier, and even the
nose and eyes are slightly different.
The portrait itself is a solid representation of the character, including the scarred flesh. In fact, the work on the scarring is the highlight, ironic since it's largely covered by the hair. Speaking of the hair, an interesting feature is the sculpted hair under the rooted hair. It fills in along some of the hairline, and it ensures you won't see smooth skin under some of the finer strands. It also allows them to blend in the sculpted beard a bit better at the right side burn.
The sculpted beard itself could use a little more detail, as could the skin texture. Away from the scars, the skin is a bit too smooth, and lacks some of the realism of the best portraits out there right now. Whether this rendition is better or worse than the original is a toss up - I like the eyes and expression on the original better, but the hair and overall likeness is better executed here.
He's a big boy of course, coming in at about 12 3/4" tall.
Paint - ***
I think the underlying sculpt is better than we can easily see, due
to a less than perfect paint job.
Now, I'm not saying it's bad. At this price point, we're actually getting a nice looking portrait. But compared to the best sixth scale figures out there right now, it comes up a little short.
The skin tone is a bit flat, as are the eyes. The eyebrows - actually, eyebrow - is quite thick looking, with no subtle detail in the paint. The beard is a little better, but it's still a thicker application, and the painted hair is a darker color than the rooted hair. That's not surprising, and really not far off from reality, where most men's facial hair is a slightly different shade than their head. But it can be a little distracting since it tends to highlight the difference between the sculpted and rooted areas.
The scarred area is the best paint work, with a pink and flesh tone variation that looks very realistic. Of course, it's mostly covered up by the hair, but if you move it to the side you'll see the extensive damage to the side of his head.
Articulation - ***1/2
The threezero body works well, and there's not much about this
outfit that restricts the movement.
The ball jointed neck can tilt and lean quite a bit, and the rooted hair doesn't restrict it the way sculpted hair could. This allows you to add some personality to any pose.
The shoulders, elbows, and wrists can take and maintain all sorts of one and two handed weapon poses, and the hips, knees, and ankles can manage shallow to deep stances. The boots are two piece, so well done that I didn't realize it at first, and they don't restrict the ankles as much as solid boots would.
The torso can twist and crunch too, which means you can break up straight lines in the upper body that cause unnatural looks.
Swapping hands is a bit harder than usual - it's a tight fit. But once they are in place, they definitely stay, which was important. The hands are a harder material, hence the tighter fit, and getting the weapons in the tight grips requires a bit of work. The hands will stay in place while inserting the weapons thanks to the tight fit on the wrist peg. They include a couple more wrist pegs too, just in case.
Accessories - ***
He doesn't have a ton of extras, but there's come critical goodies.
He's all about weapons. But there are four to go with the relaxed set he comes wearing - a pair of fists, and a pair of tight grips. As I mentioned, the fit tightly on the wrist pegs, and there's a couple more wrist pegs just in case.
Let's get back to those weapons. There's his huge sword, and its scabbard, as well as the large knife and its sheath. The belt includes two spots to insert the sheaths, and they work extremely well.
The final extra is a dragonglass axe, perfect for killing White Walkers. It looks great, and is going to be my choice for the display.
Outfit - ***
The outfit is multilayered, and includes the large, fur trimmed
cloak.
The outer robes and inner robes look great, with a faux chain mail shirt that's made from simple netting material. The tailoring on all the layers and pieces is excellent, and the fit is perfect for the underlying body. He has pants of course, as well as two piece boots that look great and allow for plenty of ankle movement.
I really like the shoulder cape as well, which was designed for people to have a hood without a long coat or cloak. It looks great over the thicker material, and you can use the hood if you felt the need.
The belt is another highlight. Rather than use the more accurate but less sturdy pleather material that most companies employ, threezero uses a sculpted rubber. This is much, much more sturdy, especially long term, and allows them to create the sort of stiff holders for swords and knives that we see here. It still looks very realistic too, and is an excellent example of the idea that using the most accurate material isn't as important as using something that appears accurate, yet will last long term.
They've added some dirt here and there, but it's not as messy as some of the outfits they've done.
I docked them on the cloak, however. It's a lighter color than most of the rest, with a very nice fur collar. But the material is thicker than usual, and it doesn't hang particularly well. There's no wiring in the edges. You can tie it around his neck tightly, or leave it a bit wider. You'll see it both ways in my photos. I was planning on using this cloak originally, but once I had him in hand, I decided I liked the look without it better.
Fun Factor - ***
You should have plenty of fun posing this guy alone, and with other
characters, especially Arya. The hair is fairly easy to get right
and keep it that way, but you can work with it to get just the look
you want.
Value - ***
At $200, he's well below the current average price for a sixth scale
figure. Well below. The quality of the accessories, costume, and
sculpt are all well above this price point. I do think the paint
work is not as good as it could be, even at this price point, but
it's a very minor nit considering the overall quality.
Things to Watch Out For -
Not much. You'll need to adjust the belt downward a bit to allow for
enough room for the sword and knife hilts inside the sheaths, but
it's not difficult.
Overall - ***
The score wavered between *** and ***1/2 for me. I really do love
the figure, especially once he's on the shelf with the rest of the
line. But the paint work and look of the cape were the two big
factors that kept him from reaching that extra half star for me.
If you missed out on the first one, this one is a great replacement. You don't get the hound helmet, but you do get a great looking Clegane, and he makes an impression on the shelf.
Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - ***
Outfit - ***
Fun Factor - ***
Value - ***
Overall - ***
Where to Buy
Online options include these site sponsors:
- Entertainment Earth has him for $200. Use my link and get an additional 10% off, plus free shipping!
- or you can search ebay for a deal.
Related Links -
Of course, you should check out the first threezero Hound, and Sansa Stark was the last release.
You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.
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This product was purchased for the review by the reviewer. Photos and
text by Michael Crawford.