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Review of Lord Dactus - Masters of the Universe Classics figure

Mattel
Date Published:
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Overall Average Rating: 3.5 out of 4

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Lord Dactus Masters of the Universe Classics action figure by Mattel

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Introduction

October was a big month for the Masters of the Universe series at Matty Collector. Along with Mantenna, Nepthu, and the Horde Troopers, they released the very cool Lord Dactus.  He might look scary, but he's one of the good guys, and is a Bat Hero for Eternia.

If you're a fan of the 80's cartoon and don't recognize this guy, that's not surprising. I believe he was only on the 2002 cartoon, but I'm certainly no expert. I'm one of the rare breed of MOTUC collector that has no real nostalgia for the license. I just like the toys.

This guy was $27 at Matty Collector in October, but is all sold out now. I might complain about the high prices every month, but if Mattel can continue to sell out their figures, the price must be good with the collectors.

Click on the image below for a Life Size version
Lord Dactus Masters of the Universe Classics action figure by Mattel

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Packaging - ***
Same package, different figure. I like the design, but that's no surprise since I always have. I will say that the MOTUC logo tends to block the face, but it's a minor quibble. There's also a few more twisties than I'd like to see, especially in a collectors line, but that's probably not going to be a deal breaker for anyone.

Lord Dactus Masters of the Universe Classics action figure by Mattel

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Sculpting - ***1/2
This guy is bigger than the usual figure in this series, coming in at about 7 1/4" tall. Even though the basic body is the same, the new feet and ankles add some size.

The ankles are done in a reverse style, similar to animals and birds. It's an interesting look.

This guy is supposed to be a bat, but I have to say that he looks more dragon-ish to me. Maybe it's the small rubbery tail. Maybe it's the shape of the wings. But that's not a bad thing - the design looks great.

The sculpted hands and feet have a deadly appearance, and the face, while bat-like, has a certain wisdom and dignity to it. He looks like a leader, intelligent and thoughtful.

Lord Dactus Masters of the Universe Classics action figure by Mattel

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Paint - ***
The paint is clean and sharp across most of the figure. The problem is there's just not a lot of it.

His tusks and eyes look good, but most of the rest of the pieces are cast in their appropriate color. There's a little wash on the wings, but for the most part this figure really needed a few more paint ops to make him stand out.

Lord Dactus Masters of the Universe Classics action figure by Mattel

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Articulation - ***1/2
Generally I'm a big fan of the style and design of the MOTUC articulation. It works well, is very sturdy, and holds fairly realistic, flowing poses.

That's certainly the case for Dactus, at least from the waist up. The ball jointed neck works great, and the ball shoulders, pin elbows, and cut wrists allow for great arm poses.

The cut waist and ab-crunch work well, even with the armor in place, as do the hips and knees. The ankles, not so much. The hoof-like feet, with the reversed ankles, operate as cut joints, with very little tilt or lean. There's also a cut shin, but the armor restricts it. That makes deep stances pretty much out of the question. The lack of much movement in the ankles might not seem like a big deal, but with the heavy wings in place, he really needs those ankles to have a greater range of movement to keep him standing.

This guy has a couple extra ball joints at the wings where they attach to the back of the armor. They fold in and out, and turn easily.

Lord Dactus Masters of the Universe Classics action figure by Mattel

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Accessories - ***
Technically, he has only one - his deadly sword. It fits nicely in his right clawed hand, and looks great.

However, the wings and torso armor is removable, making them accessories in my book. The wings can only attach to the figure if you have the armor on - the wings pop into two holes in the back of the armor, not the back. This works pretty good, but bummed me out a bit, since I like the bare chested look on this guy better than the armored look. I would have liked to have the wings without the armor, but that's a minor nit.

Lord Dactus Masters of the Universe Classics action figure by Mattel

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Fun Factor - ****
The MOTUC figures are always great action figures, perhaps some of the best available right now. The articulation, size, sculpt and accessories mean tons of fun for any child/fan. 

This guy has all that PLUS he looks like the love child of Batman and Smaug. With all that new sculpting, he's quite a bit more visually entertaining than the standard MOTUC figure.

Value - **
These figures keep selling out, even at the $27 price point, so the market is telling Mattel it's not too high. Why would they listen to me?

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Lord Dactus Masters of the Universe Classics action figure by Mattel

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Overall - ***1/2
When I saw this guy in the package, I thought for sure I'd hit my favorite MOTUC figure of the year. While he's supposed to be a bat, he reminds me more of a dragon, and his size and newly sculpted pieces look great.

But the lack of paint ops and the restricted ankles were issues that pulled him back slightly. He's still pretty damn cool, but not quite as nice as I'd expected.

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

Where to Buy 
This guy was available at Matty Collector as one of the October releases, where he was initially $27. Online options include these site sponsors:

- has him for $50.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
It's been a little while since I covered a MOTUC release - most recent was Icer. Before that I had OctaviaSnake Face, JitsuRam Man,  Mosquitor, Castle GrayskullmanRattlor, Mekaneck, Sir Laser-Lot, and before that we had the cool Griffin, Slushhead, the excellent Draego, Kobra Khan, Sorceress, Demo-man, Fearless Photog, Snout Spou, Wind Raider, the large Megator, the giant Tytus. Leech, Icarius, Clawful, the Faceless One, Catra, Sy-Klone, King Hssss, Vikor, Buzz Off, Grizzlor, Roboto, Gygor, Chief Carnivus, Whiplash, Orko, Count Marzo, She-Ra, Optikk, Evil-Lyn, Moss Man, Trap Jaw, Adora, Scare glow, Teela, Man-at-arms, Hordak, Zodac, Faker, Mer-man, Stratos, Webstor, Tri-klops, and starting out with He-man, Skeletor and Beastman together in one review.

- I also covered Battle Cat and Panthor, the big kitties.

- check out the cool MOTUC Display stands.

- I've also looked at more weapons recently.the cool custom swords and shields you can get from SpyMonkey Creations.

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

Discussion:
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Lord Dactus Masters of the Universe Classics action figure by Mattel

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

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