I’m always happy to see 200X influences in the MOTU Classics line. The majority of those seem to be alternate heads and accessories, but every now and then we get an entirely new character. Dactys has always been on my short list of figures I’d like to have, but I honestly never thought he’d show up ever since the big vintage push started. I’m definitely glad to be proven wrong.
Not only was I wrong, I’ll even take it further and say Dactys’ figure actually benefited from being pushed this far back in the lineup. Like every MOTU figure before him, he uses a certain amount of shared parts. Some of them are pretty common, like the torso or the bumpy forearms and legs. But others, like the wings and armored biceps are a bit rarer in the line, so you’ve already got these touches of distinctiveness accenting the figure.
But it’s all of Dactys’ unique parts, and how they’re used, that really makes this figure amazing. We’ll start with the most obvious, his head sculpt. I’ve always found this design interesting for a bat-like creature. The large ears, small red eyes, and upturned nose are definitely bat traits, but then you have the strange lipless and jagged mouth, mandible like tusks, and spiky goatee that gives him a very alien feel. This combination of realism and fantasy really reminds me of a D&D or Robert E. Howard style of universe.
Aside from the head, Dactys has brand new hands and feet. That may not sound like a lot, but it’s how they’re incorporated into the figure that makes him so exceptional on the shelf. Both sets have been sculpted larger than the average MOTU figure. The hands have four long serrated fingers, while the feet have massive talons that are widely spread.
The larger than average head, hands, and feet are connected to the main body with extended sculpting. Dactys’ head gets a longer neck. His hands have an additional segment of armor, creating an extended wrist. His feet are probably the most impressive because they’ve been attached to the ankle with another armor piece that slopes backwards, giving the figure chicken-like legs below the knee joint. All of these slight sculpting extensions push Dactys to nearly eight inches tall. Combine this height with the bulk of his armor and massive wings, this figure towers over your average Eternian. Continue to page 2…
Dactys is new to me since I only watched a couple episodes of the 200X cartoon. But I agree that the 4H has done a great job with this guy. His bio brought me up to speed nicely since I’d thought he was a bad guy before that. And he does display well next to Batros, another character that I don’t remember much about but who still made for an excellent addition to MOTUC.
Its funny how I thought he and his race would switch sides but they all stayed and fought the good fight. Since the series debut of this Lord Dactys and his race of battish people I thought any of them would make a sweet figure and this proved it well. I know missed out on the DoS but think could find him down the line at a show or who knows maybe that Lots place.
All we need now is Captain Randor. I really like how Lord Dactys came out. I imagine him making lightning strike slashes with his sword. Kind of like the Crissaegrim from Symphony of the Night.
what future weapons packs? this was it, remember?
Actually, that sword closely matches the sword he had in the cartoon. So, I’d say it was spot on.
Love this figure! I gotta find the 200x episodes on DVD somewhere! Seems like he could make a great army builder if they get us another head later. DR – i I think Noisy of saying IF we get a future weapons pack not when. Nothing has been announced, but if this line continues another 2-3 years, I am sure we would see at least one more pack made. They are pretty easy on Mattel part and sell well.
Another random I know nothing about. I like his gargoyle-eque design, but a “Samurai Man-Bat”/”Bat-Annihilus” doesn’t fit into the collection I wanted, so I didn’t buy him. Will I regret that later on? I don’t know. He does look cool, but in the close-ups of his face, I can’t tell where his mouth is. It even took me a minute to figure out his nostrils.
so…cool for some, little miniature flags for others?
Great review and pics, as ever! Love all the “HOLY $#%+!”s.
So looking forward to this guy arriving. It helps that I really like bats in general to begin with, and Dactys is such a nice guy with a great sense of humour in the cartoon, it’s almost impossible not to like him. (Unless you’ve never watched those episodes and know nothing about him, apparently.) Plus, he’s voiced by the same guy who did Rhinox. Bonus points.
Great review. Glad to see all the love Dactys got. I hope that means when they get to Ceratus, he’ll have a few new pieces to make it look bigger.
His design turned out PERFECT. 2 bat warriors in the same year awesome. Cool pics & review as usual.
His design turned out PERFECT. 2 bat warriors months apart awesome. Cool pics & review.
Homerun for me. if mantanna didn’t overshadow him a bit this month he’d get all the love. I agree that his balance is a bit tipsy but I can certainly manage to get him upright. While i didn’t care for the washed out look of the 200x cartoon, I really dig the design of the characters and hope for more of this style. I purchased the filmation sub with no regrets and would do the same for 200x sight unseen (provided that they live up to this and chief carnivus, which is seriously under-rated in my opinion.)
Just opened him, and am very pleasantly surprised. I really wanted a Dactys since I saw him in the cartoon, but was going to pass on the figure (until I missed out on the Horde Troopers and figured I’d give him a shot).
I love the way all of his new pieces work together to make him large and imposing. However, his feet have got to be able to rock to to stand. This is pretty easy to do if you have a hot water and an x-acto knife, but remove the feet by pulling down on the heel.