That Figures: REVIEW: Magic: The Gathering Ajani Goldmane
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of problems with Ajani Goldmane. His paint app is uninspired, a few of his layer pieces inhibit his articulation (although thankfully they're at least solid and don't feel like they're going to pop off), he can't hold his sword accessory, his scabbard feels very tacked-on (and I'm amazed it hasn't come away yet), my figure was, apparently, packaged by somebody wearing boxing gloves and - worst of all - my figure's torso joint comes apart.
And yet, for all these problems, this is actually a pretty good-looking figure - certainly the best-looking, in my opinion, of all the figures in the Magic: The Gathering Legacy line-up. It may not be perfect but in terms of design and execution, Ajani Goldmane is in a different league to Chandra Nalaar. I'll admit, that's not really saying much but if the Legacy line-up was more like this and less like the rebuild-your-own-figure Chandra Nalaar, then I'd be more interested in seeing what else the range has to offer.
That's not to say I've been totally converted to their cause. No figure - no matter how many times it's billed as being ''not for children'' or pitched as ''for Adult Collectors'' - should break in two pieces under the most gentle of handling. It's not like I was playing ''let's see if he can survive being thrown down the stairs'' when the figure came apart and, as I've mentioned in the past, I'm always cautious when it comes to handling my figures. The cram-him-into-the-box packaging is also unacceptable, especially as there are collectors who like to keep their stuff mint in box. Considering this figure retails at over $20, I'd expect at least a modicum of quality assurance.
With all that said, though, there's no denying that Ajani Goldmane is an impressive-looking piece. Sure, when you look closer you'll see the imperfections (and lack of detail) in his paint app, the layer pieces may stop him being quite as pose-able as you'd like him to be and his sword accessory is purely for show but these are things you can come to accept, given enough time.
I'm happy with my figure, despite the issues I've had to work around or learn to live with, but that's probably because I only paid $8 for him (courtesy of Target's clearance sale.) Had I paid the $20+ asking price the figure usually retails for, then I'm sure I'd feel very different about the whole experience and until Funko sort out their quality control issues and build quality, I still can't recommend them - at least at full price.
A good, albeit flawed, figure - if you can find him on clearance.
MORE PICTURES AND FULL REVIEW HERE:
That Figures: REVIEW: Magic: The Gathering Ajani Goldmane
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of problems with Ajani Goldmane. His paint app is uninspired, a few of his layer pieces inhibit his articulation (although thankfully they're at least solid and don't feel like they're going to pop off), he can't hold his sword accessory, his scabbard feels very tacked-on (and I'm amazed it hasn't come away yet), my figure was, apparently, packaged by somebody wearing boxing gloves and - worst of all - my figure's torso joint comes apart.
And yet, for all these problems, this is actually a pretty good-looking figure - certainly the best-looking, in my opinion, of all the figures in the Magic: The Gathering Legacy line-up. It may not be perfect but in terms of design and execution, Ajani Goldmane is in a different league to Chandra Nalaar. I'll admit, that's not really saying much but if the Legacy line-up was more like this and less like the rebuild-your-own-figure Chandra Nalaar, then I'd be more interested in seeing what else the range has to offer.
That's not to say I've been totally converted to their cause. No figure - no matter how many times it's billed as being ''not for children'' or pitched as ''for Adult Collectors'' - should break in two pieces under the most gentle of handling. It's not like I was playing ''let's see if he can survive being thrown down the stairs'' when the figure came apart and, as I've mentioned in the past, I'm always cautious when it comes to handling my figures. The cram-him-into-the-box packaging is also unacceptable, especially as there are collectors who like to keep their stuff mint in box. Considering this figure retails at over $20, I'd expect at least a modicum of quality assurance.
With all that said, though, there's no denying that Ajani Goldmane is an impressive-looking piece. Sure, when you look closer you'll see the imperfections (and lack of detail) in his paint app, the layer pieces may stop him being quite as pose-able as you'd like him to be and his sword accessory is purely for show but these are things you can come to accept, given enough time.
I'm happy with my figure, despite the issues I've had to work around or learn to live with, but that's probably because I only paid $8 for him (courtesy of Target's clearance sale.) Had I paid the $20+ asking price the figure usually retails for, then I'm sure I'd feel very different about the whole experience and until Funko sort out their quality control issues and build quality, I still can't recommend them - at least at full price.
A good, albeit flawed, figure - if you can find him on clearance.
MORE PICTURES AND FULL REVIEW HERE:
That Figures: REVIEW: Magic: The Gathering Ajani Goldmane