Action Figure Review: T.U.5.C.C. Engineer from Cosmic Legions by Four Horsemen Studios

 

   Today I'm taking a look at the third T.U.5.C.C. legions builder in the Hvalkatar: Book One series of Cosmic Legions figures: The T.U.5.C.C. Engineer. The Engineers fill multiple roles, serving as the personal caretakers and bodyguards for Highwarden Slogg and seeing to the general upkeep of Hvalkatar. The armor of the T.U.5.C.C. Engineer is very similar in design to that of the Science Officer and Sentry, but is shaped just a bit differently as this particular Engineer is female. Like the other T.U.5.C.C. troops, the Engineer is available at a slightly lower price due to her being an army builder and having fewer paint applications, probably to allow for easier customization. I liked the designs of the other two figures and decided to scoop up the Engineer after having those two in hand, mostly because I like the color scheme. Ready to check out the T.U.5.C.C. Engineer? Then join me after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 6 3/8ths inches

Articulation: Double swivel hinge ankles, swivel/hinge knees, swivel thighs, H-hinged hips, swivel waist, balljointed midtorso, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbows, swivel forearms, swivel/hinge wrists, and a balljointed head..

Accessories: 2 pistols, electrostaff, 2 wrist blasters, 2 short pegs, 2 long pegs, 2 swappable portraits, and dome for helmeted head.

Non-Scalper Price: $45 dollars

The Positives:

* The Engineer's suit varies from the Science Officer and Sentry outfit in color and because it's designed to be feminine, so it's a bit smaller. Otherwise, most of the major details are quite similar. There is less armor on the arms and legs, though, perhaps reflecting the need for more dexterity when busy engineering stuff on Hvalkatar. Perhaps she can also more easily access smaller areas when repairs are required. The large red orb in the center of her chest is interesting. Perhaps it's a work light of sorts or maybe a scanner of some kind. 

* I really like the helmeted head here, especially those red sensors on the side. The T.U.5.C.C. personnel are supposed to be made up of multiple different alien species, but this helmet does seem like it would mostly fit the species of the alternate head included here. The top of the helmet has a clear plastic dome that is removable, though I'm not sure it's really intended to be. 

* This unnamed Engineer is part of an as yet unnamed alien race. It's a cool portrait with a single golden eye in the middle of the head, an elongated cranium, and some interesting orifices on the sides of her face. 

* The back of the Engineer is less elaborate than the other T.U.5.C.C. figures we've seen in this series, but there's still some neat stuff like a belt with plenty of pouches and a jetpack like device on the back.

* The Engineer has the same boots as Zeerian Spyre, just in black with a bit of silver detail. They're similar to the other T.U.5.C.C boots, just a bit smaller. 

* I'm still impressed with the cool stuff on the bottom of the boots. There's lots of detail on the soles, perhaps thrusters for travelling in zero-G and magnetic attachment points for walking around.

* If you're familiar with Mythic Legions, you should recognize that the Cosmic Legions figures are constructed the same as that line so that the parts are interchangeable. They're quite sturdy and I've found most of them to have really good quality control. The Engineer is quite fun to pose and moves nicely due to her slimmer arms and legs. She has plenty of accessories to interact with, too, so you should have no trouble finding some cool ways to display her.

* The Engineer comes with two sets of hands: A pair of pistol grips for her blasters and a pair of standard grips for holding her electrostaff. 

* The Engineer also comes with the dual blasters we've seen before with a few other figures, so they're clearly a common brand across the galaxy. These pistols have a nice feel to them. They're sci-fi, but still possess a real world aesthetic that makes them clearly recognizable as guns. They do look like they could conceivably have multiple barrels for different functions, or perhaps just extra uses for the gun such as a sight, scanner, or flashlight. 

* The Engineer comes with an Electrostaff, the same as the Sphexxian Block Commander, although hers doesn't have any paint applications. It's just the slightly metallic greenish color that it's molded in, the same as the rest of her weapons. This definitely seems like a suitable weapon that a bodyguard might carry for when they are protecting Highwarden Slogg and need to keep the riffraff back. 

* She's also packing two of the wrist blasters that we've seen with multiple other figures. They fit easily into the sockets on her gauntlets and give her a bit of additional firepower when needed. 

* The little holes on the figures and the weapons are universal and fit both the holographic transmissions and these clear pegs. The Engineer comes with the same four as most everyone else: Two short pegs and two long pegs.

* The pegs can be used to store her pistols on the back of her belt so they're close at hand but tucked away when she's busy working on Hvalkatar's systems or tending too Highwarden Slogg.

* You can also use them to attach the guns together. Or pop another figure's holographic transmission as if it's coming out of one of the guns. Or mount the pistols onto her wrists. Use the included wrist blasters as additional guns or scopes. The modularity is fun and kind of reminds me of G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 or Centurions, both lines with similar gimmicks. 

The Negatives:

*I do have a few complaints with the T.U.5.C.C. Engineer and the first is with her alternate portrait. The cranium is extended, which looks cool, but it barely fits due to the "collar" on the back of her spacesuit. The head needed to be a bit shorter or the collar needed to go back a bit further. You sort of have to have the unhelmeted head looking down at a weird angle for it to work. 

* The hands are really tough to get out of the wrists. I had to use heat and it still felt a bit risky. Be careful!

* As I said when reviewing the other T.U.5.C.C. figures, it would really be nice to have some painted details on the figure, such as on the pouches on the belt and such. It really would have been a nice improvement and helped the figure look a bit more fascinating. 

   The T.U.5.C.C. Engineer might be my least favorite figure from the Hvalkatar: Book One series. She's not a bad figure, but she really comes off as quite a bit duller than her compatriots, especially with the lack of armor on her arms and legs. She's not a terrible figure but for the price the paintwork is really lacking and just comes off as a bit simplistic, plus there are quite a few little faults. The accessories are nice, though, and with the extra portrait included she does come with a fair amount of stuff. If she were a good bit cheaper than other figures of similar size in the line I'd definitely score her higher, but the lack of paint is just utterly bizarre in a figure in this scale and running at this price. She's a Good and a 1/2 figure, still, and with the helmeted head she makes a nice companion piece to Highwarden Slogg. He looks great with the T.U.5.C.C. forces surrounding him!





For more reviews of the T.U.5.C.C. troops I've also reviewed the T.U.5.C.C. Science Officer and the T.U.5.C.C. Sentry.

For more Cosmic Legions reviews check out the following
Highwarden Slogg
Olekk Thygar (Hvalkatar)
Sphexxian Block Commander
T.U.5.C.C. Science Officer
T.U.5.C.C. Sentry
Vorgga
Zeerian Spyre