SEARCH      FEATURES    NEWSLETTER    EMAIL     HOME
Captain Toy/Michael's Review of the Week

Review of the Elven Warrior - Lord of the Rings
Sixth Scale Action Figure

Asmus
Date Published: 2021-08-09
Written By: Michael Crawford
Overall Average Rating: 3.5 out of 4

Please share with your friends!

Elven Warrior Lord of the Rings sixth scale action figure by Asmus

Dividing Bar

Dividing Bar

Introduction

If you're like me, you like to fill out the ranks of your sixth scale displays with background characters and troops. Not every license lends itself to 'third guy from the left' releases (although every company that has licensed Star Wars has made a butt load off of the millions of Trooper action figures), and when it's an unnamed, unknown character, it's all about the outfit.

Asmus has added one of these characters to its Lord of the Rings/Hobbit line up. They are producing two Elven fighters - the Elven Warrior (reviewed tonight) and the Elven Archer (coming soon).

These will run you in the $180 - $200 range, depending on the retailer. Both versions have just started shipping in the last few weeks.

Elven Warrior Lord of the Rings sixth scale action figure by Asmus

Dividing Bar

Packaging - ***
The box is attractive, and it's clear on the front which is which. Inside, the plastic trays hold things safely, but it is a little less collector friendly than usual. You'll have to deal with a couple pieces of tape that could potentially damage some cardboard if you're not careful.

There's also the cigar band wrap on the front of the trays, and the edition size and number are placed here. This figure, like the rest of the recent Asmus figures in the line, is an edition of 1500.

Elven Warrior Lord of the Rings sixth scale action figure by Asmus

Dividing Bar

Sculpting - ***1/2
This is some elven dude - it's not a particular actor, making this category far easier. All they had to do was make him realistic, life-like, and at least a little elvish.

The did all three. The skin texture, pouty elf lips, and life-like eyes go a long way to creating a very realistic portrait. Of course, it will be covered up most of the time by the helm, but that's no reason for them to skimp on the quality.

The hood of chain mail is not really meant to be pulled down, and the helm fits over it. Because of this, they skipped any hair or ears underneath, creating a better fit for both the hood and the helm.

The sculpting on the armor is also quite sharp and clean, creating a metal-like appearance out of plastic. The hands are a proper scale, sculpted to work with the accessories.

He fits in nicely, scale-wise with the rest of the line, especially Elrond and the other elves.

Elven Warrior Lord of the Rings sixth scale action figure by Asmus

Dividing Bar

Paint - ***1/2
The paint work on the face mirrors the sculpt, with a soft skin tone, and perfect lips and eyes. The eyebrows are a little fake, but again, you won't be seeing a lot of the face underneath the helmet.

The gold/bronze color of the armor is a tricky one to do. Getting a consistent coverage and finish with any metallic paint is difficult, but they did an extremely nice job here. Small details are highlighted with clean operations, and this level of quality extends to the various accessories.

There's a few blips here and there, and the occasional thick area of paint, particularly around the rivets. But overall it's high quality work, and well within expectations at this price point.

Elven Warrior Lord of the Rings sixth scale action figure by Asmus

Dividing Bar

Articulation - ***
The underlying body has all the usual articulation, but the particular outfit has its own foibles.

The neck works quite well, even with the helmet in place. You can add some personality to poses with a little tilt and lean in this joint.

The fake chain mail on the body doesn't restrict the arms too much, and you should be able to get some realistic poses with the sword and spear. The elbows are a little too loose to hold the shield very high, however.

The hands swap easily, but this is where a particular nit comes up. The wrists posts are the usual small, short variety, but the armor on the forearms makes it difficult for these short posts to reach up inside the sculpted gloved hands and make a tight connection. You can get a reasonable one, but don't be surprised when you have to put the hands back on over and over when creating poses.

The torso is where most of the restriction comes in with the armor, and you're not going to get much crunch. You can get a little twist though, and that can help break up some of the straight lines in the upper body.

The hips, knees and ankles all work well under the cloth. The boots are a two piece design, which allows for good movement in the ankles, but the ankles are a little loose.

Elven Warrior Lord of the Rings sixth scale action figure by Asmus

Dividing Bar

Accessories - ***
The figure has an assortment of weapons, and die cast metal is used throughout.

The shield is just plastic, but it's still quite heavy. The loose elbows on mine had trouble keeping it at the height I wanted but the sculpt and paint work on it are great. It's also quite large, appropriately protecting a good chunk of his body.

The helmet is separate obviously, and the sculpting and paint match the work on the armor and shield, creating a consistent uniform. It fits well on the head, but it's a tight fit, so you'll want to adjust it regularly to keep it down over the full nose and obscure the edge of the chain mail hood.

He has two main weapons, a spear and a sword. Both have metal blades, and excellent, deadly sculpts. The sword fits neatly into a scabbard. This scabbard has a very long belt that is designed to wrap around his waist twice before looping through the buckle.

Of course, he has several hands, including a set of fists and a set of gripping hands. He comes wearing a set of relaxed palms. And as with most sixth scale figures, he comes with a basic black display stand with a crotch support.

Elven Warrior Lord of the Rings sixth scale action figure by Asmus

Dividing Bar

Dividing Bar

Elven Warrior Lord of the Rings sixth scale action figure by Asmus

Dividing Bar

Outfit - ***1/2
The outfit is a combination of cloth and plastic, creating realistic looking armor and chain mail coverings. There's several layers, but the tailoring creates a clean, in scale appearance.

I've already mentioned the sculpting and paint work on the helmet and armor, but it's worth noting again that the fit is excellent.

The material they use for the chain mail isn't new, but why switch from something that works? Some companies have used a more rubber-like chain mail, but that's better for exterior layers, where the thickness isn't as critical.

The highlight is the purple cloth making up the waist sash and cape. This is new, a crepe-like material that is strong but very light. They've added wiring in the cape (which has a decorative hood) to allow you to create a natural hang off the shoulders, or add some dynamic movement.

The two piece boot sculpt looks great, and they allow the ankles to have a very wide range of movement. They also help support the ankles, which are a bit weak. Slip up the top of the boot on the calf, get the ankle/foot where you want it, and then bring the upper down tightly on the foot.

Elven Warrior Lord of the Rings sixth scale action figure by Asmus

Dividing Bar

Fun Factor - ***
While the weaker ankles and elbows can be a bit frustrating, you should find plenty of poses for this guy on your shelf. And being able to add him with Elrond is a big plus as well.

Elven Warrior Lord of the Rings sixth scale action figure by Asmus

Dividing Bar

Value - ***
This guy is a solid value at $190, the average price I've seen. Getting sixth scale figures under $200 is getting rarer and rarer, especially ones that are high quality and fully licensed for big properties.

Elven Warrior Lord of the Rings sixth scale action figure by Asmus

Dividing Bar

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. Do pay particular attention to the placement of the helmet, as it tends to ride back on the head. Shift it forward to cover the entire nose.

Overall - ***1/2
Now you can recreate the Battle of the Last Alliance on your shelf! Or at least, you can add another elf to your display. I plan on putting each of the new warriors next to Elrond, acting as his back up singers. Or something like that.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ***
Accessories - ***
Outfit - ***1/2
Fun Factor - ***
Value - ***
Overall - ***1/2

Elven Warrior Lord of the Rings sixth scale action figure by Asmus

Dividing Bar

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- has him in stock for $190.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
The most recent releases from Asmus in this series include Galadriel, Gandalf, and Aragorn.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

Enjoyed this review? Be sure to head back to the main page to find thousands more just like it!

Dividing Bar

Dividing Bar

Please share with your friends!

Elven Warrior Lord of the Rings sixth scale action figure by Asmus

Back to Main Page
This product was purchased for the review by the reviewer. Photos and text by Michael Crawford.

This page copyright 2000 - 2021, Michael Crawford. All rights reserved.