481 Universe Glyos-Compatible Figures
Item No.: n/a Manufacturer:NiStuff Includes:Helmet, some included random bonus items like spare heads or helmets Action Feature:n/a Retail:$12.00 Availability: July 2013 Other: One of Two Debut Outlanders
For those not in the know, there's this guy Nicholas Merz that has, for years, customized and cast various figures under the handle "Ni" or "Ni Stuff." He's expanded his offerings into the 481 Universe, which includes numerous characters - although he hasn't had many go to production just yet, beyond his Anamolies PVC figures and some Glyos-compatible heads. Until now! The Outlander Silas is one of two releases this month of an entirely newly-tooled figure that, at first glance, seems like a hybrid of the Callgrim and Pheyden characters. When I saw the initial drawings, it took me a minute to realize that it wasn't a mashup of those two. The style of the figure and the original drawings very closely matches that of Onell Design's product, but when you see the fully-molded figure there's no mistaking it for anything other than an original creation that closely matches the style.
Much like the other Glyos figures, the Outlander seems designed with flexibility in mind. The default configuration is optimized to make the most out of the figure's helmet. The helmet doesn't cling on to the figure's generously sized collar but rather clamps on directly to the head. This means if you put the humanoid Outlander head on another figure, like a Glyan, the helmet will stay snuggly in place. It's surprisingly impressive once you place it there and feel the fit - removable helmets were one of those things that didn't tend to go well all the time in the 1980s.
The upper torso was designed to be flipped, allowing for a significantly different configuration - just flip the torso, swap the arms, and presto - it's a different figure. (Similar things were done in the Custom Corps Glyos releases.) The grey from the shoulders actually perfectly matches the flipped torso, which also looks like he has a large gut if you flip it 180 degrees around. It seems nearly all of the pieces were engineered with reuse in mind, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if each new release of this mold was configured slightly differently to make it look like there are multiple molds at work when he's really just exploiting the customizable nature of a Glyos figure. There's a lot going on here.
With a higher piece count than other Glyos figures, this seems to be more for a customizer - there are no panel lines, and there are 15 individual pieces to Pheyden's 13 (at $8) or Callgrim's 25 (at $10). And as always, they pop apart and use the Glyos system to stay together. It's a thing of beauty and worth the $12.00 for one, although I don't know how many more I'll be buying if the price remains north of $10. Probably at least a couple, but like Pheydens and Glyans, I don't see myself collecting them all.
Ni Stuff included bonuses with most of the orders - I received a purple Outlander head, which has white eyes and a grey back to his head. Others have received black heads, while others still received clear, electric pink helmets. The future seems bright for these guys after the initial two figures sold out quickly, I would say that anyone curious about Glyos should snag one if the chance comes up. If it had a weapon I'd be much more excited about it, but just like the Armorvor it's a figure loaded with possibilities.
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