Review of Rhino - Warframe statue

Introduction

About a year ago, I checked out the first Warframe statue released by Symbiote Studios - Excalibur. Done as a limited edition of 1111, it sold fast and hard at $80, jumping in value on the after market in the following months.  They followed that release up with tonight's statue - Rhino. Because of the unanticipated demand on Excalibur, they've upped the edition size to 5000 with this second character.  He's been shipping for awhile, as I fell behind a bit on the pile of stuff staring at me, but you can still find him at several online retailers.

Symbiote was at SDCC this year, and showed off the third statue planned for the series - Mag. This is a photo of Mag from the con, and she's available for pre-order at the Warframe store where you can also find Rhino. The retail price on these is $80, same as Excalibur.

Packaging - ***
The exterior of the box is attractive, showing off the character in the same pose as the actual statue. There are a couple minor issues, however. While the interior foam trays will keep the statue safe, they are the soft, breakable foam that ends up all over the place with normal handling. And while this is a limited edition with the edition number and size printed on the base of the statue itself, there's nothing I can find on the exterior of the box to indicate either.  There's also no Certificate of Authenticity.

There's also no instructions, but the basic assembly is quite straight forward. He comes in four parts - the hammer, gun, body and base.

Sculpting - ***1/2
As I said, there are four parts.  There is a minor trick that will aid in assembly - place the hammer on the metal post on the base first, then (while holding the hammer safely with one hand) place the body of Rhino on the base, lining up the hand and hammer hilt correctly. Slap the gun on his back and viola - you're done.

Like Excalibur, the sculpt matches the source material quite well, and gives the armor plating an almost organic look. There's plenty of small details, although some of them can be a little soft. The pose is perfect for the character, straddling the carcass of a crushed enemy. The Rhino is a heavily armored Warframe, and it shows through with this design and sculpt.

This size fits in nicely with the earlier Excalibur, coming in at about 8 1/2 inches tall including the base.

Paint - **1/2
While the sculpt is on par with Excalibur, I thought that the paint quality suffered slightly. Perhaps it's the larger edition size, perhaps it's just this particular one, but the edges and highlights are a bit sloppy, with some of the smaller details gloppy and thick.

Colors are consistent, and the tone and finish are even.  In hand, the issues are still clearly there, but considering the price point, the quality isn't too far off expectations.

Value - **1/2
A good comparison is either the DC Bombshells or DC Batman Black and White statues.  The Bombshells are slightly larger in scale, but come in at $100 or so.  The Black and White series is slightly smaller, and run around $70. At $80, these are pretty much in line with the current market price, and with the slightly lower paint quality this time, fall into that average rating.

Things to Watch Out For -
As I mentioned earlier, I'd place the hammer on the base first, then attach the body. This makes it easier to line up the handle of the hammer with the inside of his clutching hand. Of course, you'll want to take care with the metal posts and the softer polystone - don't force anything. You shouldn't have to, since the fit is smooth, but it's worth taking care nonetheless.

Overall - ***
While this second release isn't quite as nice as the first, fans of the game should be quite happy. It captures the look and feel of the character, and it does so in a classy, high end way that doesn't cost high end bucks.

What they'll do with the license after Mag is still unknown, but with the success they've had so far I'd be surprised if she was the end.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - **1/2
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***

Where to Buy 
Your best bet is to hit up the Warframe store where they have him for $80, or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Symbiote Studios' first release under the Warframe license was Excalibur, which has proven to be very popular with fans. Other Symbiote reviews include these little guys, as well as the Dr. Tran bobble heads, the Super Meat Boy vinyl figures, the large Monkey Island statue, the zombie head cookie jar, and the excellent Sam and Max large statue.

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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