Review – Glyos System Rig

Line: Glyos * Manufacturer: Onell Design * Year: 2010

The latest Glyos System (Onell Design vinyl toy is here at SDCC and I got one last night. Since I’m awake early I thought I’d snap some shots and toss up a review for you guys. I know it’s a bit cruel to show the toy now — online release won’t happen until next month — but I thought you’d like to get a closer look at the toy before it goes up for sale.

Back in June we got a sneak peek (mentioned here) and then a few weeks later I got to play with the master when I visited Matt (mentioned here), so this Glyos System Rig isn’t completely new to me. But since the master can change drastically once it hits production I was excited to see just how the toy felt in vinyl . . . and how well the joints worked. Well, it’s every bit as good as the Armodoc and the joints are completely compatible with that first Glyos vinyl toy.

Hefty

I wish I had an Armodoc here at the hotel, because even though the Rig is slightly shorter than the Armodoc it certainly doesn’t feel any smaller. The toy is thick and stocky, and while playing with the Rig I’m impressed with how bulky it feels in my hands. Even though it uses fewer parts and only three points of articulation — shoulders and waist — it doesn’t feel any less useful or fun than the Armodoc. These pics don’t do the toy’s size justice, but I think as soon as you get to play with one you’ll agree with me that it’s a hefty work of art.

Sculpt

The Glyos System Rig definitely has that Glyos-feel. With asymmetrical arms, detail lines that cover every piece, and multiple configurations it continues Matt Doughty’s unique design style forward and expands on the Glyos line. At the table at SDCC Matt has an Armodoc/Rig construction and the parts from the two toys fit together beautifully. The toy is smooth with rounded edges, and most anyone who is already a Glyos fan is going to love how this looks.

Paint

The Glyos Rig actually doesn’t have much in the way of paint. Black detail lines and green viewscreens/details are it. The gray is the toy’s plastic. There was a weathered Rig at the table, but I’m not sure if that was Matt playing with a custom or if he’s planning a run of weathered Rigs. That paint isn’t elaborate, but it fits with the Glyos line and I’m sure that before next year’s SDCC we’ll see the Rig in a few other colors . . . and if last year’s Armodoc release is any indication then fans will be hunting everywhere for one of these basic gray versions of the toy.

Closing Thoughts

If you’re not already a fan of Onell Design then it’s not likely this review — or this toy — is going to bring you into the line, but if you’ve got Gobons, Pheydens, and others in your toy collection then you likely started drooling the instant you saw the full-reveal pics online. The Rig is a fun mecha toy, and can even function as a tank with the right positioning of the parts.

Is the Rig the greatest vinyl toy ever made? No, but that’s only because the Rig’s real value expands the instant you get your hands on a couple of them and an Armodoc or two. Glyos, for me, is becoming more like LEGO toys; the more pieces you have the more fun the “toy” becomes. Yeah, if you use the Glyos action figures and (now) vehicles as construction tools then the entire collection becomes a single toy.

And this is what’s going to continue to attract new fans to the series. So every new release in the line brings us more parts and makes our toy even bigger. That makes this another fun part in my Glyos collection. Yay!

Philip Reed is going to head out to the convention and prepare for a long day. As soon as he gets the chance later today he’ll post pics from the show floor.