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Description: part Rambo, part steamboat, part magician, all badass!

The figure is approximately 5" tall that captures Coleman Stryker in is his devastating armor!  The piece is mostly blue with white and bronze highlights.  Striker is wearing stylized platemail armor with a multitude of well-sculpted panel lines, pistons on the back, and vents.  He's also got a removable skirt like a samurai's kimono. 

Strike comes with a pistol and holster, MASSIVE sword, banner, and stand.
Lord Commander Coleman Stryker
Toy Line: Warmachine
Manufacturer: Southern Island
Meat and Potatoes; 4.7
Perks;5.0
Homer Factor; 5.0
Video game toys are like video game movies.   Sometimes you get stuff that rocks, like 'Mortal Kombat'!  Other times it's 'eh', like 'Tomb Raider'.  And then you get dreck like 'Super Mario Brothers'.  Aaaagggggghhhhhhhh!  Toys end up the same way.  Sometimes you get amazing stuff like the 'Onimusha' figures from McFarlane. (Link)  Other times you get 'eh' stuff, which is probably the most painful.  At least if it's junk you can laugh and you've got cannon fodder for customizing. 

However if it's mediocre you just agonize for what COULD HAVE BEEN.  Better sculpting, better articulation, maybe more accessories... oh the humanity! (Ok, so it's no the end of the world!  But hey, I'm a toy geek dang it!)   Southern Island has entered the very competitive collector toy market with this piece based on the game 'Warmachine'.  So how does it go for a first try?  Well, not bad for a first try, but considering the OTHER product out, you won't get many second chances...

Meat and potatoes on this piece are a combination of awe-inspiring and 'Ok, WTF are you thinking when you did this?'  The good news is the sculpting is gorgeous.  The piece is covered with amazing details ranging from buckles to rivets.  Case in point are the giant pistons on Stryker's backpack.  They could easily be made of blue plastic, but instead it's CLEAR plastic there, giving the figure an extra detail to absorb.  The over-all look is a nice combination of low-tech and medieval.

Bad news is the articulation is pretty weird.  The elbows are molded so that they don't close all the way and the legs are surrounded by a massive skirt that limits any leg movement.  This severely limits the posing options on the figure.  Oh, and one more problem is the figure is kinda small.  It's about 5" tall, which considering the retail price-point is pretty painful. 

The perks are very nice.  Coleman is armed with a massive sword called Quicksilver.  The weapon looks like a Claymore on steroids and fits into the figure's hands very well.  He's also armed with a neat energy pistol that fits into a hip holster.  Sweet!  The figure is also packed with a battle-flag with Stryker's coat-of-arms on it.

Homer factor?  I've never had a lot of luck with game figures.  Yeah the Halo figures look cool but they don't grab me.  The 'Diablo' line from very long ago was well done but it was filled with villains.  I hoped the line would continue to include the Paladin or the Barbarian.  No dice.  This time the line started with a key hero and I took the bait.

The last word on this?  It's a well-done piece BUT it could use a lot of improvements.   It's a beautiful figure and comes with a LOT of stuff.  Very good move on their part.  However something as basic and good articulation on the elbows shouldn't be missed on a figure.  Throw in the fact this figure is a bit on the small side and pricey and it's easy to wince.  If you're looking for something to display only, this figure is a good buy since it is a very beautiful piece to behold.  However if you're looking for more posing options, and one more opponent for your bad guys, you may want to pass on this one. . Hopefully the next figures of Southern Island will be a bit better.