Red Swing Joint Set New Piece Debut! Glyos Action Figures Item No.: n/a Manufacturer: Onell Design Includes: 6 switch pins plus six pieces to make the hinges/swivels Action Feature: n/a Retail: $4.00 Availability: April 19, 2013 Other: Also in Black and Grey
PREVIOUS	RSS	NEXT

While not a figure, the Red Swing Joint Set is another way to expand the functionality of your figures from Onell Design. While creator Matt Doughty is already using these parts to make all-new creations, most of us will be using them to add knee and elbow articulation to new and existing figures. For $4 (or $3 if you took advantage of the black ones) you get enough parts to upgrade half of one figure - so if you want to give a Glyan knees and elbows, be sure to order two sets. The good news is that the resulting figure is quite impressive, but unfortunately Swing Joints effectively double the cost of the figure.

If you're the kind of guy who likes to customize a figure, get yourself some Swing Joints to go with your next Glyan - it's really neat to see how the whole thing fits together once you get all the right pieces in place. Also, they make great arms for Outer Space Men and fairly decent limbs for a Buildman figure. I have one figure I pretty much use as a repository for all new parts, so it's carrying both Axis and Swing joints as well as a Sucklord head (see below). They're neat and fun, although right now I don't know if I'd outfit every new Glyan I buy with the parts. Now if they just made all Gyans include Swing Joints be default, I'd say it's the greatest thing you could ever buy for Glyos (this year) and demand you buy tons... as it is, for $14-$16 for a fully-swinged-out Glyan, it's still pretty dang cool. Plus you have all these pieces left over.

Each packet of parts has some "short" and "long" L-parts, which actually make a big difference when you build the figure. When your Swing Joints arrive, each "elbow" is made of one longer piece and one shorter piece - you'll need to swap the hinge pieces of you want to get shorter arms and longer legs, which, let me assure you, you do. If you just install the Swing Joints as is, you'll have a Glyan with arms that are a smidgen too long and legs that are a hair on the stumpy side.

If you've seen the preview photos, you'll notice that the range of movement is hugely improved. Previously, the figure had rotating wrists and each piece could spin a little, which (if you worked at it) could mean you could get both hands on the gun. With the upgrades, your Glyan has movement very close to the range of the 1980s G.I. Joe figures except a) no o-rings means no enhanced hip and waist movement, and b) an added thigh swivel allows the figure a joint that the Joes lacked.

While the enhanced Glyan looks like nothing special, let me assure you the range of movement is significantly improved to the point where I feel sorry for you if you bought Glyos and skipped the new joint packs. Previous Glyans were, in the grand scheme of things, slightly more mobile than a LEGO minifigure, while this almost gives Snake Eyes a run for his money. With few vehicles or playsets the net value of this movement is debatable, but you're going to feel like some sort of a toymaker genius when you take the parts and install them on a new figure. The "kit".shtmlect lets creator Matt Doughty give his customers a chance to feel a little bit of the creative pride he must feel in a product that (as always) is quite well-designed.

Additional Images

Click here to see more Onell Design figures in Figure of the Day.

Click here to see more Glyos Compatible figures in Figure of the Day.

Featured Toy Video