Review of the Cave
Sixth Scale Diorama/Environment

Introduction

If you're a creative, artistic person, doing your own dioramas is quite easy. If you're blessed with three thumbs and no talent, it's a bit more of a chore.

I'm a member of the latter group. But that doesn't mean I don't love cool environments to display my figures, and there are plenty of companies out there willing to help. One of the new kids on the block is IHNS Toys, and I believe their new release "The Cave" is their first foray into this world.

The Cave environment includes a gaggle of accessories too, and there are actually two versions. The standard version, which retails for around $160, and the deluxe version that includes a couple more extras for $170 or so. I'm reviewing the deluxe version, and I'll point out the differences as we go.

Packaging - **
The large box has some graphics you can use to ensure you've assembled things correctly, but is otherwise fairly plain. Inside are solid foam trays with die cut areas for the accessories. Unfortunately, the package failed to do what it was supposed to do, and one of my walls came out with damage. I'll show the specific breakage in a later photograph.

Sculpting - **1/2
The diorama itself comes in five separate pieces. The floor of the cave is sculpted onto a smooth, black base. There's enough room on this base for the two wall sections to rest. This black wood base also has a company logo and diorama nameplate on the front edge.

The two wall sections simply stand on this black base, fitting against each other and the sculpted floor. A fourth piece of wall, a small corner section, attaches at the top and holds the two wall pieces together. The final fifth piece is an exposed I-beam that attaches to one wall at the top.

The fit on the wall pieces is not particularly tight or seamless. The corner has a very obvious gap, although it's not a major issue because it's not straight. It looks very much like a natural crack or crevasse in the wall, snaking its way from top to bottom.

There's some nice detail on the floor, including some additional sculpted odds and ends. The rock formations are realistic, but not super detailed.

I have two major nits with the overall sculpt and design. First, like almost every diorama that claims to be 'sixth scale', this one is undersized. While it does stand 14 1/2 inches tall, a chunk of that is the black wood base and sculpted rock floor. The actual interior in which you'll display a figure is about 13 1/4 inches tall, and as you can see in the photo with Wolverine (and yes, I know a Indy figure or perhaps a Lara Croft or even a Nathan Drake would be a better fit character-wise, but he was all I had handy), the wall rises only slightly above the top of his head.

Some of the accessories are undersized as well, like the ax or the sledge hammer. Others are just about perfect - the screwdriver is a good example. The crate is small too, although you can argue that crates come in all sizes. In general, it feels cramped, but that smaller size is probably perfect for those using a Detolf or similarly sized display case.

I included some photos with figures in the 7" range as well, and I have to say the overall impression is they work better for me visually. Check out the Moleman in the last photo, a perfect figure for this theme.

My second big issue is the broken edge on the one I received. While I realize this is probably a one off situation, I'm concerned that it may be a larger issue due to the shape and hollow design. I've included the photo below to show where mine is damaged, and it was like this in the box.

Paint - **1/2
There's not a lot of complexity or detailing with an environment like this, and the colors and air brushing create a realistic look.

Some of the best detail work is on the accessories, like the pulley system that you can hang from the single exposed beam. Most of the other accessories are just one or two colors, but they did add some paint detail to some of the sculpted debris on the floor.

The lack of detail on the rock walls themselves is a bit of an issue though, and the broad colors and dark streaks can look a little cheap even to the nekkid eye.  This is a diorama that fairs better with a step or two back from the display case.

But my biggest issue is somewhat related to the breakage and packaging problems. There are lots of places on the higher points of the rocks where the paint is rubbed off, lightening the edges. I don't know if it's because the harder foam trays were too tight and rubbed the paint off, or if the application itself wasn't high enough quality to handle the basic friction with the trays, but either way it hurts some of the realism of the set.

Articulation - **
I've included this category mostly as an FYI. Some things you might think would be articulated are not.

The chain and pulley assembly does have some movement, although not a lot. The sculpted crate has an opening lid. But that's about it. Neither of the cutting pliers open, and there's no movement in any other area.

Accessories - ***1/2
There are quite a few extras here, and the quality of the paint and sculpt (ignoring some scale issues) is quite good.

There's a bevy of tools, including a battery powered drill, two different sized all around tools (pliers, cutters, hammer in one), a standard head screwdriver, a crow bar, a sledge hammer, an ax, three metal poles of differing sizes, a hanging work light (it does light - more on that in a minute), a pulley/hook/chain assembly, an extra length of looped chain, and a hunk of what looks like broken sewer or water pipe.

Some of these tools can be stored in the small sculpted wood crate, and there's two additional 'blue print' style sheets. There's also the exposed beam, which comes as a separate piece in the box and attaches to one wall. Because it's visually critical to have it attached, I'm not counting it as an accessory here.

That's lots of extras, and it boosts the value and overall appeal of the set. Some are nicely scaled, like the drill or screwdriver, but as I mentioned earlier, some are on the small side, including the crowbar, ax, and sledge hammer. It's not terrible though, and you can always pretend the handles are short on purpose. Working in tight spaces, or something like that.

All the chains are real metal, and the poles are as well. The sculpting and paint work is generally above average, and it's nice to get a compliment of extras to add to various displays, including a Texas Chainsaw Massacre dio.

The light is actually two pieces, with the hood detachable from the handle. It's held in place with magnets. I'm not sure why - there's no where to put a battery or a switch - but perhaps it was originally part of the plan.

There are two additional extras that weren't in the marketing materials, and I'm not quite sure what or why they were included. One falls into the 'why' category - there's a length of very thin, very long nylon string.  The other falls into the 'what' category - I have no idea what the small silver cylinder is supposed to be. It has what looks like a needle on one end, like perhaps a canister of compressed air or gas...any ideas from the peanut gallery?

EDIT: Yep, figured out what the silver cylinder is, thanks to a reader. Now there's a section for the Light Up Feature!

Light Up Feature - 1/2
Welcome to the weirdest and worst designed light feature I've every seen.

Yes, the work light does light up. Of course, none of the documentation (what little there is) says that, and there's no instructions, so you're left to figure it out yourself. Add in a very weirdly designed feature, and you will be left scratching your head on this one.

Remember that little silver cylinder? Yep, that's a battery. I've never seen one quite like this, and I'm quite sure I can't pick up a replacement at the local Target. Remember how the light is held together with a magnet? Pull it apart, and this batter plugs into a small hole in the center, illuminating the light. The handle then slips down over the length of the battery. Or that is how it is intended to work.

My battery doesn't align properly between the handle, light, and magnets. This misaligned fit means the handle is spread apart, almost to breaking. The battery doesn't create a very bright - or consistent - light, and to turn it off or on you have to remove and replace the battery each time.

Is there any question as to why this is the worst design ever? I gave them a half star because at least it does light up, weak as it may be.

Outfit - ***
The deluxe release contains three additional extras that make up a costume. There's a pair of pants, a shirt, and a belt. I think of someone like Nathan Drake when I see them. While they aren't exactly exciting, it's always nice to have extra clothes in the footlocker, and the shirt will give you a step forward with customizing some characters. The quality is good, and depending on the body you choose, the tailoring is as well.

Fun Factor - ***
It's a diorama - there's only so much 'fun' you can have. But it will allow you to create interesting displays, especially with certain characters.

Value - *1/2
The environment will cost you around $160 or so, depending on which version you pick up and where you buy it. That's a pretty hefty chunk of change, even for a sixth scale diorama. Most are still in that $100 - $120 range, and while there's some nice extras here, I'm not seeing a great justification for the additional $40 or so.

Things to Watch Out For -
Obviously you want to be careful with the hollow wall pieces, but there's nothing complex or hard to work with here.

Overall - **1/2
IHNS is doing quite a few dioramas in various styles and themes, and even a few in an intentional 1/12 scale. The quality is reasonably good, and I like a lot of the extras, but the scale is a bit small (and yes, I realize they are trying to fit inside a Detolf), and the price point is tough to justify. I suspect most people will figure they can create two rock walls out of styrofoam and paint themselves, and have an even harder time justifying $160.

Some of their planned sets are much more complex however, and it's worth checking out their future plans to see if there's something that speaks to you.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- or you can Search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other sixth scale dioramas include the Beetlejuice Tombstone, the Pantheon, Boonetown, the Firefight, and two of the other Triarama Dioramas here.

Other sixth scale dioramas include:

- Sideshow's Lab Environment, the Shrine of Dagon and Temple of Anubis, Recon at Waypoint (for Joes, mostly), and Reactor Station Alpha.

- other more license specific environments include Hot Toys T-700, the Ark that came with Sideshow's Toht, the Fertility Idol environment that came with Belloq, the Jabba Throne, and the Han Solo in Carbonite.

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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