Beast Saga Action Figures
Item No.: BS-07 Manufacturer:Takara-Tomy Includes:Sword, shield, 2 dice, trading card Action Feature:Dice launch out of stomach Retail:525 yen (or about $7) Availability: September 2012 Other: Also known as Billsword
I'm a sucker for aquatic creatures, so the Swordbill figure was right up my alley. The fact that he wears crazypants, "I'm Griff's henchman buddy in 2015" glasses is a nice bonus. The goggles are huge and goofy, I suppose their inclusion was to give this creature the kind of stereoscopic vision that we humans enjoy. You know, by not having eyes on the sides of our head. For all I know they're really x-ray spex, but only Polly knows for sure and she's dead.
The weapons of these figures ended up being shared with numerous figures down the line, including Aldyle and one of the versions of Garrison G. It's a great aquatic-themed bladed weapon with fins and scales sculpted on it, although I think the shield really does match Swordbill better than any other figure. The pattern reminds me of his glasses. Both weapons fit on the figure just fine.
Swordbill's sculpt exceeds the budget for this toy, as there are numerous scultped straps on his arms and armor on his legs which sadly go unpainted. This one looks great, but more paint would make it look even better. He has no problems moving his arms or legs, and the painted green lights (or rockets) on the sides of his head should deafen him pretty quickly in the heat of battle. A splash of green on each shoulder helps to bring the figure to life, and also give him a different feel from his translucent, blind-boxed cousin.
There's a lot to like here, and I'm going to assume most of you already bought this one because it's awesome. Maybe you skipped it, but that's OK - nobody has to know. Just grab one on eBay or at an importer for your desk. He looks cool, and the giant fin on his head is just awesome. I wish the sculptors integrated his tail into the design somehow, but hey, at least he has robotic legs so that's a start.
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