Review – Revoltech Soltic H8 “Round Facer”
When I was in Hong Kong I managed to grab this guy for about $12 US, which is a decent deal considering he goes for between $16 and $28 on Amazon.com*. And even though it’s from an anime series, I grabbed this particular Revoltech toy because it’s the exact same mecha design as the Battletech Griffin (see Sarna.net), one of the “unseen Mechs” that come straight out of the days when I was a hardcore Battletech fan. How could I pass on an articulated Griffin action figure?
I’ve written about Battletech here at www.battlegrip.com before (mentioned here), but it was my essay in Hobby Games: The 100 Best** that really showed off what a Battletech geek I am. But that’s a discussion for another time and place. Right now we need to take a close look at this awesome Revoltech action figure.
Revoltech’s Revolver Joint
Revoltech’s claim to fame their infamous “Revolver Joint;” a wacky ball joint-like piece that’s got a hell of a range of movement and allows you to pose action figures in some great poses; my Starscream review shows another Revoltech figure if you want to see more shots of the joint in action. The joint clicks nicely and locks in place, holding the figure in position; I’ve never seen one of these joints move on their own. What’s odd, though, is that this figure is a mix of “revolver joints” and t-hips. That’s a weird design choice and I assume it’s a decision that isn’t made with the newer releases in the series.
Sculpting
Tight! That’s the word I would use to describe the sculpting job on this Revoltech action figure. Tight, sharp, crisp . . . this is a well-machined design that is packed with enough small details to make it a gorgeous mecha design. The sculpt is as good as anything I’ve seen on a mecha toy, and this toy looks great on the shelf. My only complaint is with the shoulder-mounted rocket launcher — it doesn’t stay in position well — and that’s less a complaint with the sculpt and more a complaint with the engineering of the connector.
Paint
Not much in the way of paint. The basic color, green, is molded plastic, while the yellow, red, silver, and black detailing is painted cleanly without any sloppy lines. It’s not a complicated or involved paint scheme, but it’s neat and professionally-applied without any mess. We’ve seen more exciting paint jobs on many other toys — Ashley Wood’s Bramble (review here) and the Glyos System Rusty Gobon (review here) — but what we get with this Revoltech Soltic H8 “Round Facer†is functional and attractive.
Closing Thoughts
If you don’t own any Revoltech action figures this isn’t the one to start with. It’s decent, fairly durable, but if it wasn’t for the Battletech connection I would have skipped this in favor of a more exciting design. I’m not sure if I can recommend that anyone rush out and buy one of these, but now that I have it the toy’s going to look great on the display shelf in our dining room.
I’ve got a few other Revoltech toys, and will buy more if I find awesome designs, but I’m going to be a little pickier the next time I get the chance to buy one of the toys in this series.
*Affiliate link: Orders using this link earn battlegrip.com cash, which is applied to buying toys.
**Affiliate link: Orders using this link earn battlegrip.com cash, which is applied to buying toys.
Philip Reed knows he should like this toy more than he does, but as it is he’s not able to say any more about it except that it’s cool, fun, but there are better mecha designs on the market.