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Captain Toy/Michael's Review of the Week

Review of Gringotts Head Goblin - Harry Potter
Deluxe Sixth Scale Action Figure

Star Ace
Date Published: 2021-12-06
Written By: Michael Crawford
Overall Average Rating: 3.5 out of 4

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Gringotts Head Goblin Harry Potter deluxe sixth scale action figure by Star Ace

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Introduction

Star Ace has produced a very broad, very deep series of sixth scale action figures based on the Harry Potter films. Some have been outstanding, while some have been far from it. Most have landed in the middle.

One thing is certain - as a group on the shelf, they look terrific. Their latest preorders have included deluxe versions, and tonight I'm checking out the latest to ship - the Head Goblin. You could pick this guy up one of three ways: the regular release, which will run you around $165; the deluxe version I'm reviewing tonight, complete with his big desk and additional accessories, which goes for about $100 more; or as a two pack with the previously released Griphook, a set that costs around $260. And if you want the desk set only, you can pick that up for about $115, depending on the retailer.

Gringotts Head Goblin Harry Potter deluxe sixth scale action figure by Star Ace

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Packaging - ***
The packaging sports the style of the Daily Prophet, which we've seen as the license standard for awhile now. The deluxe set comes in two boxes packed in a larger brown shipper. The smaller box is the stand alone figure, while the larger box contains the desk set. There are some basic instructions, although you should be able to figure out most of the assembly yourself. It's all collector friendly of course, and keeps everything safe and sound.

Gringotts Head Goblin Harry Potter deluxe sixth scale action figure by Star Ace

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Sculpting - ****
This is very clearly the Head Goblin, with goofy ears and swirly hair. While there wasn't a ton of differentiation between the main Goblins, there was certainly enough to tell them apart. The Head Goblin was played by Warwick Davis, and had the longer hair and ears that stood out on the side further than others.

They've captured those features nicely here, and did an excellent job with the realism of the portrait. The wrinkles, skin texture, and combination of rooted and sculpted hair go a long way to creating a life-like portrait. There's some nits I could pick - I think the nose is a little big for this particular Goblin - but overall it's an excellent match.

The expression of grumpiness works too, and isn't too extreme. I particularly like how well the rooted and sculpted hair meld, with a fairly seamless appearance. The hands have gnarly looking fingers and nails, with sculpts designed to work with the other accessories. He's using the same body as Griphook, so he stands the same height, about 7" tall.

Gringotts Head Goblin Harry Potter deluxe sixth scale action figure by Star Ace

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Paint - ****
The paint work has improved slightly here from the earlier Griphook. There's less of the heavy wash, and more of a realistic skin tone.

That realism is also in the eyes and lips, with a wet, glossy look, and very clean lines. The lips also have that lighter edge around them, called the 'vermillion border', which can be very difficult to recreate in sixth scale, but it's just about perfect here.

One of the biggest problems when using rooted and sculpted hair is matching the color. It can be very difficult, considering the extremely different reflective properties of the two materials. They've done a good job here, getting the strands around the ears dyed in a color that closely matches the painted hair on the rest of the head.

Even the fingernails are done in a slightly different color with a bit of a shine, another indication of the attention to detail overall.

Gringotts Head Goblin Harry Potter deluxe sixth scale action figure by Star Ace

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Articulation - **1/2
This is the same body as the previous Griphook releases, but I'm being slightly more generous this time. Since he'll be standing behind the desk, the upper body articulation is more critical, while the lower body articulation only servers one purpose - keep him standing.

The neck has plenty of tilt and turn, critical for posing him. The shoulders are a little restricted by the suit, but with the elbows and wrists, you can get plenty of great looks behind the desk.

The rest of the body is very limited. He's got no hips or knees, and the ankles mostly turn. When I was first working with him, I could only keep him standing with the feet spread out far, as in the photo below. I worked with the ankles a bit - VERY CAREFULLY! - and was able to get enough forward and backward movement to turn the feet in properly, but you'll want to do it slowly to avoid a disaster.

Gringotts Head Goblin Harry Potter deluxe sixth scale action figure by Star Ace

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Accessories - ****
This is the deluxe version I'm reviewing, but I'll break this up into what comes with the figure and what comes with the desk to make it more clear.

The figure has two extra right hands to go with the relaxed pair he comes wearing. These grips will work with other accessories, like the pen or the stamp.

There is also the quill pen with ink well. There's a hole in the ink well for the pen, but it's a little too shallow to work great. The pen can stay, but you'll need to play with it a bit to get just the right angle.

He also has a set of a couple keys on a ring, and three stacks of coins of varying number. That's it for him - there's no clanker or goblet as originally advertised.

Gringotts Head Goblin Harry Potter deluxe sixth scale action figure by Star Ace

This deluxe set also includes the desk, which involves three distinct pieces. There's the large desk itself, with a paint job designed to look worn on the top and around the edges. There's a set of stairs to place in back for the Goblin to stand on, and there are two light balls to attach to the desk itself. The completed look is excellent, and the stairs work perfectly in back.

However, while the desk itself could be bigger. Rewatching the scene, it's the proper sculpt, but in size it matches the regular Goblin desks better than the Head Goblin. His seems a bit wider, and definitely much taller. It needs to be about 3" taller to get the height, but that's easy enough to fix. His desk was on a platform to impress his position upon you, and you can easily cut a hunk of wood, paint it black, and use it to give the desk the extra height.

The desk comes with a set of its own accessories. There's another set of keys, but this time there's quite a few more on the ring. There's the megaphone, sculpted to appear as though it's dented brass. There's several blank pieces of white paper, and the sculpted ledger book. There's a stamp as well, but no letter from Dumbledore, also originally advertised.

The nicest extra is the scales. These are a two piece design, and it includes four small weights. You'll recognize these - from your high school chemistry class, I'm sure, and not anything else - and there are small holes drilled in the scale base to store them.

While the clanker, letter, and goblet are not included as advertised, they did add in one extra that was not on the original list. Sadly, I forgot to include it in the accessory photos. I couldn't place it, so I rewatched the scene at Gringotts to see if it was obvious. It was not. But I'm not the Harry Potter aficionado some of you are, and I'm sure someone will quickly let me know what it is.

The item in question is very clearly a wax seal, with the letters Mc embossed. Mcgonagall perhaps? I don't remember a scene where a wax seal played a role, but obviously I'm forgetting something.

Gringotts Head Goblin Harry Potter deluxe sixth scale action figure by Star Ace

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Gringotts Head Goblin Harry Potter deluxe sixth scale action figure by Star Ace

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Outfit - ***1/2
The outfit consists of the glasses (which are often listed as an 'accessory' since they come separate), shirt, vest, jacket, pants, socks, and shoes.

Overall, the materials, construction, and tailoring are excellent. The goblin body is a bit of an odd set of proportions, and they do a good job getting the outfit to hang properly. The glasses are particularly well done, fitting perfectly and in exactly the right scale.

I do have a couple nits though. The tie doesn't wrap around the neck, but rather is attached to the front of the shirt. That means it can get separated or push out at an odd angle depending on how the shirt and shirt collar are futzed.

I also don't love the shoes. There's not much detail to the sculpt or paint, and they are part of the reason getting him to stay standing at first was tricky. While the majority of the figure shows a lot of attention to detail and quality, they dropped the ball when they got to the shoes.

Gringotts Head Goblin Harry Potter deluxe sixth scale action figure by Star Ace

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Fun Factor - ****
It's unusual for me to give a Fun Factor score this big with a low articulation score. But the upper body can be posed in many ways, and the figure works with the desk and accessories extremely well. Add in Harry and Hagrid, and you have a ton of display options to play around with.

Gringotts Head Goblin Harry Potter deluxe sixth scale action figure by Star Ace

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Value - **1/2
At $260 or so, the deluxe set is about what I'd expect considering the overall quality and number of extras. Getting this useful of a diorama piece is rare, and adds a tremendous amount to the figure.

Gringotts Head Goblin Harry Potter deluxe sixth scale action figure by Star Ace

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Things to Watch Out For -
The weights for the scale are really, really tiny. I'd put them in the base pretty quickly, and be careful when handling it to avoid dropping them and losing them. Otherwise, you should have no issues.

Gringotts Head Goblin Harry Potter deluxe sixth scale action figure by Star Ace

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Overall - ***1/2
I almost went four stars here - I love this set that much. There's something about it that just jumps out at you on the shelf, an overall look that sets it apart.

Still, I have a few nits in most areas, and they held me back from a top score. The desk needs a bit more size, and while the height is easy enough to fix, you really shouldn't have to.

This is one of those rare occasions where you absolutely need the desk to go along with the Head Goblin - by himself he's just not as interesting.

The next deluxe figure we'll be getting is the Professor McGonagall with her desk, and it looks just as impressive.

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

Gringotts Head Goblin Harry Potter deluxe sixth scale action figure by Star Ace

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Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- had this deluxe set for $265, but appear to be sold out. You can still get the Head Goblin by himself for $165, the desk by itself for $115, or the two pack of the Head Goblin with Griphook for $260.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Star Ace has done a slew of Harry Potter sixth scale figures, and I've reviewed almost all of them. The most recent have been the teen Draco Malfoy, Remus Lupin, and Wormtail. If you're looking for more Goblins, they did Griphook in his old time suit, and in his more modern duds.

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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Gringotts Head Goblin Harry Potter deluxe sixth scale action figure by Star Ace

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This product was purchased for the review by the reviewer. Photos and text by Michael Crawford.

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