He needs no introduction. He's one of the most popular characters in toys. He's Battle Cat! And he may just be the best toy of all time?!? Keep reading to see about that last statement, because it might just be true.
Name: Battle Cat
Line: Masters of the Universe Classics
Manufacturer: Mattel
Released: February 2010
Price: $30.00-$80.00
Scale: 6.00 in.
Accessories: Armor and helmet
Sponsor Listings: Ka-Razy Kings of Toys-$54.99, Past Generation Toys-$79.95
Battle Cat is perfectly proportioned and sized. I was afraid he's look a little too small, but in reality he turned out huge. I'm still not quite accustomed to how large this toy is, both from a weight and volume standpoint. He feels great in your hands and is perfect in comparison to He-Man. They look wonderful together, as I'm sure you'll see in some of the photos below. It can be pretty tough to capture animal physiques appropriately, but it's done masterfully here. His legs are the right lengths, everything bends and curves like it should, and his head and paws seem the right size as well. The only place that might be a little off in comparison to real big cat is his tail, which is a bit small and thin compared to many of the thick leopard and tiger tails I've seen. Other than that small inconsistency, he's a beautiful rendition of a cat that could pass for a National Geographic tiger figure, yet also comes across splendidly as He-Man's humongous-magical-warrior-feline companion.
His enormous size means there is even more canvas for the Four Horsemen to load him down with details. While most figures in this line have plenty of sculpted detail, Battle Cat is even better in that regard. Every single square millimeter of this cat has a subtle but detectable fur texture worked in. It would have been easy to go overboard with the fur detailing. Instead they kept it reasonable and it looks magnificent. There are longer patches of fur where they belong, such as along his neck, the back of his legs, and along his stomach. These are well done too, and add some great visual diversity to the sculpt. I'm particularly happy with the transition from short fur to long fur, because it's hardly noticeable at all. The best details of the whole figure might be on his paws, which feature pads along the bottom (which have some texture and rounded edges to look realistic) and distinctive claws on the top.
As good as everything mentioned so far is, nothing comes close to the art that is his head sculpt. This is a marvel of a sculpt, capturing a perfect cat visage in three dimensions, somehow conveying personality, offering a multitude of intricate details, allowing for a functional opening jaw, and making it so that it all fits underneath his helmet. There's only so much I can say about this, when in reality the word "wonderful" just captures it so much better. No detail is left untouched, and it all looks amazing.
The final piece of the Battle Cat sculpt puzzle is his armor. It's just as well done as everything else, fitting him naturally, paying homage to the classic version, and being covered in details. There are numerous raised areas, lots of sharp edges, and even texturing worked in along the saddle to accurately create a look of leather. The various buckles and straps have this same leathered and weathered look too, while the armor plating is smoother. There are small rivets that seem to hold everything together, some ornate plating, and various horns (which are admittedly a little dull) decorating the surface too. He-Man isn't totally organic looking riding on top of Battle Cat, but with a little fussing you can make the pair look pretty good. I think this is a perfect compromise between form and function, because both figures look fantastic on their own or good together.
Sculpt Score: 10 / 10
If there is any reason my Battle Cat isn't named my toy of the year, it's probably because of his paint. I'm not saying it's bad (it's actually pretty good), but it's not toy of the year quality, and certainly not best toy ever quality. It's really a shame that a few small problems hold back an otherwise perfect figure from the greatness it deserves, but sure enough, those few small problems are here.
First up is an odd gloss issue with my Battle Cat. Most of the base figure is semi-glossy, and mostly matte. He's not quite as dull as the average figure, but he's not "shiny" either. The problem is that there are a few spots on my figure which are blindingly shiny. It's almost as if a greasy french fry lover got a hold of my figure before he made it out of the factory, leaving french fry "juice" all over my toy, but only in very specific spots. There's one splotch along his neck, another on his back, one along his leg. It's not a humongous issue that makes me want to destroy Mattel and all they stand for, but when the armor is off, it's a glaring (ha ha, literally) mistake. I'm not sure what caused this, but near these same spots, there are also small patches of white residue, which I suspect is some sort of left over glue. I only say that because it seems to be picking up lint, though it doesn't feel distinctly sticky to me. There are also two stripes on his back/neck which are rubbed down, revealing a lot of the green underneath.
Those issues aside (which may or may not be problematic for your specific figure), this is a top-notch paint job. The green is beautiful, the orange stripes are clean and straight, while the pads and claws on his paws are perfectly crisp. His face is even better than perfect. The fur patterns along his head are complex and clean despite how small they are. They really evoke the feel of a mystical tiger to me, blending realistic patterns with absurd colors. His eyes are clean bright, while his nose is a nice shade of slightly-darker green. His mouth is particularly well done thanks to the use of multiple plastic pieces instead of trying to paint it all. The gums and tongue are all a nice red/pink while his teeth are an ideal off-white. I don't think it's intentional, but my Battle Cat's right tooth has a big smear of yellow/red running along it, which makes it look like he just enjoyed a good meal. It's a nice touch and cool detail regardless of the intent.
The last pieces of interest are once again his armor. They're cast in a shade of red/brown that is highlighted with elements of varying degrees of red and brown. For instance, the horns are a shinier bronze that has a subtle metallic glimmer added in, while the leather areas are a darker brown that's washed with a very shallow black to bring out the texture. The armor itself also has some darker airbrushing added in, a neat effect along the seams and something that makes it even more realistic. All the smaller details came out clean and straight, above average for the line as a whole.
Paint Score: 8 / 10
It would have been easy to skimp on Battle Cat's articulation without too much fuss. Since there was no precedent or accepted standard for animal figures in Masters of the Universe Classics, going the route of a few swivel and hinges wouldn't have cause any uproars. Thankfully, they didn't just settle for the easiest or cheapest option, and instead offered us a figure with a pretty substantial set of joints.
I'll start with Battle Cat's legs, since those are probably the most pivotal joints. You'll notice in the diagram above that his hips are labeled as "swivels". That's not totally true, as the joints are technically swivel/hinges. That means they are designed to move forward and backwards, as well as move outwards from his torso (imagine him doing the splits). In reality they don't move out from his torso much at all. Maybe just enough to notice, but even then it's not much help since he doesn't have rocker ankles to keep his feet flat. He also utilizes multiple swivel/hinges to give him quite a few posing possibilities. I like the leg articulation here, and though there could always be a little more range, it's still very easy to make Battle Cat look catlike, whether pouncing, standing, playing, or prancing.
His other key joints are at the tail, waist, neck, and ...neck. The tail is a simple swivel/hinge at the butt, and though it's nice to have something there, I wish it had been rubber with a bendable wire so that even more personality could be added via his tail. The waist is a nice swivel/hinge too, and really opens up the posing options too. It's definitely an ugly one when the armor isn't on, but I'm glad it's included, because it makes the articulation model for me. Finally are his two neck joints, first the big hinge that allows him to move his neck up and down, and then the swivel at the base of his head which allows him to cock it to the side. The big hinge is a little too distracting visually for me, because there is a visible gap where it slides down along his chest, plus a big gap in the sculpt. It's a necessary point, but I wish it had been implemented a little more cleanly somehow. No clear suggestions are coming to mind, but I'm sure there's some alternative that better minds than mine could come up with.
The best joint on the whole figure is also the simplest. The hinge that allows his bottom jaw to move up and down totally makes this figure. There is so much you can do with him thanks to that opening mouth. He can be angry, quizzical, happy, hungry, or jealous depending on how open his mouth is in combination with the tilt of his head. It's amazing how quickly he can turn from angry to cute thanks to that one small joint. It's an obvious inclusion, but without it, this wouldn't be the same figure.
Although many of the points mentioned above are pretty ugly and break up the sculpt considerably, his armor goes a long way towards covering that. His ugly hips are tucked away underneath the edges of the armor, while his giant torso break is masterfully covered by his armor and the armor's strap. Whether planned or a coincidence, that worked out perfectly. His leg articulation isn't so ugly to me, as subtle attempts at ruffling piece edges with fur patterns goes a long way towards blending pieces together, especially when he's taken as a whole.
Articulation Score: 9 / 10
It's Battle Cat. Talk to anyone who grew up with Masters of the Universe, and there was no one as important and lovable as Battle Cat. I missed Masters of the Universe in its heyday, but I still remember the effect Battle Cat had on my brother and his play patterns. I even asked my parents if they remembered Battle Cat from his play sessions, and he stood out in their memory too! I'm pretty sure if I dug deep enough I could find a Battle Cat somewhere in the family's piles of junk. This is one of the most important characters in all of toys, and this update takes those memories and supercharges them! This is Battle Cat squared, the version kids always wanted. Full of articulation, and looking fiercer than ever, this is a fun toy.
He's a real joy to play with thanks to his articulation. I'm not typically a "player" (laugh, laugh!). I buy toys, screw around with them for 5 minutes, pose them for photos (which is playing in its own right), then carefully place them on the shelf, where they stay for long periods of time. Battle Cat has followed an altogether different path. I screwed around with him for hours, posing him various ways, trying different subtle variations to get the right look, standing him in different places around the house to see how he looked, having He-man takes rides around, and so much more. Posing him for photos was another adventure altogether, just like everything you do with this toy; it's an adventure. He's fun in the classic sense of the word, and he's fun for modern collectors with adult sensibilities too. I haven't had a figure in years that so easily recaptured that childhood feeling of playing with a toy, hauling it around the hose, getting on your knees on the carpet, and using your imagination! This is as fun as toys get.
Fun Score: 10 / 10
I never thought I'd see the day when a Masters of the Universe figure got a good value score, but that day has arrived. Whereas most figures are $20 plus shipping, Battle Cat was $30 plus shipping. That's $10 extra, but he's worth every extra penny and more. First off, he's easily twice the size of a normal figure in the line. if you stretch him out, he's right around 12 inches long from nose to feet (like in the comic below). That's practically twice as tall, but he's also got a heft and feel that's much better than any figure so far. He feels like a $30 toy in a way that most of the figures feel like a $12 toy. You can tell he's made well and will probably survive many hours of play (which is a good thing considering how enjoyable he proves to be).
The sculpting is absolutely top-notch and he's obviously composed of completely new pieces. Arguments for normal figure pricing fall apart when those toys are practically repaints, small, and have a guaranteed audience (from the subscription). They still cost $20 despite all that, while Battle Cat requires all new tooling, is enormous, and they weren't (technically) guaranteed to sell any, yet he still only costs $30. He also comes with two big accessories (his armor pieces), and they're extremely well made. This is the first time I've purchased a toy in this line and didn't feel guilty about it. I never want to admit to my girlfriend that He-Man cost $30, but I feel no remorse admitting that Battle cat was $40.
That doesn't take into account his current "scalper prices", but I can't really say too much in that regard, because that's not what I paid. Obviously if you have to pay $100 for him, he's not as fair a deal, and I can't recommend you do so (since it's already been announced that he'll be rereleased). Mattel certainly should have produced more and made purchasing this figure easier, but I honestly didn't have too much difficulty in obtaining him, and the perceived rarity certainly doesn't hurt how valuable he feels to me. This is probably the toy event of the year (for good and bad reasons), and it's worth $40 or so to be a part of it.
Value Score: 10 / 10
10 / 10 - A splendid looking toy that updates the original and gets everything right.
8 / 10 - Annoying problems adversely affect an otherwise top-notch paint job.
9 / 10 - A good set of joints that make him poseable and fun.
10 / 10 - He's Battle Cat and he's a great time.
10 / 10 - A surprisingly large figure that's well made and nearly perfect.
95 / 100 - This is a Wonderful Toy
Battle Cat isn't perfect, but he is close. This is a wonderful toy that everyone should consider, because he'll take you back to a simpler time of toys, whether you were there for the original figure or not. He's a toy at heart, but one that's made for collectors, and he should appeal to both sides of every buyer, undoubtedly making him one of the best toys of the year.
-The Articulated One
This could be the figure given away in this month's Review Commentator Contest. Join the discussion by leaving a comment on this review for a chance to win!
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