PlaymoFriends
General => Collector's Corner => Topic started by: StJohn on October 07, 2020, 20:39:49
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A few boxes of this theme have entered my home. I normally focus on figures (for reasons of space :-[) – from DS, magazines, etc. – but couldn't resist getting some actual sets this time, mainly, but not exclusively, because of the figures, also because I found them on sale. The big castles came early but have left again, unopened in the case of 70220: it is just too big to contemplate opening and actually setting it up. :lol: (but I will hold on to the DS wall extensions for that castle, which I consider very pretty. More later). The smaller sets, too, will have to go in part: the "buildings" and vehicles almost certainly, which are basically repeats of older sets, although they come in attractive new colours. All in all I like this new "knightish" world: the Da Vinci/Renaissance touch adds a bit of new flavour. But they could have tuned down the manicheism just a notch. The dualism – fire:water, arsonists:firemen – is just too strong to my taste, for what that is worth. I guess the target audience sees play in such stark terms, but I am old enough to remember when the knight world of Playmobil used to comprise 3 factions, and with that lots of subtleties in their various configurations.
So what follows are not reviews in the proper sense (hence my choice of sub-forum), and each post will take its time: I am much in awe of the speed with which some of you manage to produce contents here! :)9 My pace is unfortunately slower.
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First up is 70538:
(https://media.playmobil.com/i/playmobil/70538_product_detail)
consisting of the following parts:
(https://media.playmobil.com/i/playmobil/70538_product_box_back)
My heart went out to Faylinn, the female archer, and in particular her wonderful dress: finally a long garment with sewn-on plates for the perfect Eastern warrior! The dress does not disappoint, but the body unfortunately has one of them nasty pins. I complained about them before in this forum (https://www.playmofriends.com/forum/index.php?topic=16816.msg302860#msg302860/), and still utterly detest them. But in this instance it will have to stay, for lack of a suitable alternative. The head is a bit ... extreme, but acceptable. It is made of blue plastic, with the face printed on.
(https://i.imgur.com/oPnCkvL.jpg)
The mobile archers' shield (first appearing in 3889 of 1997, then, many years later, differently printed in 6041) is quite nice as well.
The other figure, the engineer Norman (also appearing in 70224) is likewise equipped with a terrible pin! Pin in place in 70224, too. Just look at the poor fellow: his right arm is basically ... incapacitated. For that reason he, and his catapult, have to go. :hmm:
(https://i.imgur.com/rrxtWj7.jpg)
I conclude this post with another picture of poor Norman, this time without his breastplate, and with a matching body without the pin. I have no idea where that body comes from, but can see that it is very nice. :love:
(https://i.imgur.com/oiMEdEf.jpg)
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I have no idea where that body comes from,
:doh: I should have known: from the 9836 army building pack (https://www.playmofriends.com/forum/index.php?topic=17030.0/).
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Faylinn is wearing a face-mask. How appropriate!
I had to look up 'manicheism' as I am not hot on ancient Persian religions, but its a very apt word for the Novelmore world.
I agree with you about those pins and the restrictions they place on arm movement, just like those police gun holsters (those are easy to remove, at least). Interesting that geobra produced 2 torsos, identical apart from the hip pin.
I'm looking forward to hearing more from you about the Novelmore sets, StJohn. I have bought Firehorses and a Kahboom figure from DS, but this is not a theme from which I will be buying whole sets... until it turns up in secondhand eBay lots in a couple of years time, maybe.
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I too appreciate this deep dive into a theme. :thanks:
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Faylinn is wearing a face-mask. How appropriate!
:lol: How true :(
I have bought Firehorses and a Kahboom figure from DS
I also only have the Kahboom figure, not the small set with the fireworks in which he comes. That seems nice, though. Kahboom is fun and suitably loud; I think the legs and body work fine as well, if not better without the metal thing around his waist:
(https://i.imgur.com/m2RYDus.jpg)
Did somebody mention that Khaboom has a regular face at the back of his Exorcist-style spinning head?
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Up next is 70539:
(https://media.playmobil.com/i/playmobil/70539_product_detail)
consisting of the following parts:
(https://media.playmobil.com/i/playmobil/70539_product_box_back)
I need to level with you that, of my new sets, I like this one least – one pregnant reason for this to be flagged up later in this post. Don't get me wrong, I'm still happy with it, but it is not as good as the others, mainly because the figures aren't very appealing.
I got it because of an old love for the Barbarian Ruin (https://playmodb.org/cgi-bin/showinv.pl?setnum=4435) 4435 of 2005, and this set is a reissue of that glorious building, albeit in different colours, illustrated here for the big chunks, with 4435 in the top, and 70539 in the bottom row:
(https://i.imgur.com/KwYh8fg.jpg)
The inner architecture is identical, with the floorboards in a different, dark-red colour. The building is constructed in System X, with the yellow and red connectors. The stonework facade is dark grey (anthrazit in German), and that colour matches the Burnham Raiders castle 70221, as do the dark-red floorboards. This dark grey is the same colour as that of the walls of earlier Playmobil castles of the "dark" side, such as 3269 Dragon Rock Castle or 4866 Falcon Knight's Castle. The fact that the 70539 stone facade is colour matched to lots of interesting castle walls is the main reason why I wanted to get hold of this set.
The 70539 woodwork facade, by contrast, is in a new shade of brown that does not match any existing System-X walls, as far as I know. (The wooden facade of its predecessor 4435 was of the same colour as the wooden walls of the Viking Longhouse 3151, etc.)
If the building is the same, its furnishings are not. I miss the greenery that appears on the walls of 4435, and also the big bull-faced banner that hangs over the door of the woodwork facade in that set. In 70539 we also get a banner (with the Burnham Raiders "heraldry"), but now attached to the stonework facade, affixed at the top with a two-part flagpole (here illustrated with a different banner):
(https://i.imgur.com/IfWsn3C.jpg)
The flagpole can be slotted into a cleft at the top of the stone facade. This indentation was of course already in place in 4435, but back then nothing was connected to it. Seeing this now makes me wonder whether the top of the stone facade of 4435 was actually left unfinished: it looks as if it was meant to be crowned with some feature that has been cancelled before the artwork was created, but only after the design of the facade and the production of its mould had gone ahead [see Appendix]. What was meant to appear at the top is anyone's guess, but I seriously doubt that this flagpole was originally intended – it feels ... improvised.
Just like 4435, 70539 comes with four figures. But whilst 4435 gave us a cozy household of barbarians, 70539 brings us two mini-factions of combatants, two against two, and armed to the teeth. Three of them are not particularly noteworthy. On the side of the assailants we have Francis, who is almost identical (except for the neckpiece and belt) to the fat guy in the army building pack 9836 (https://www.playmofriends.com/forum/index.php?topic=17030.0), and Shiko, with an Asian head but otherwise quite similar to the dark-haired one of the same pack. On the side of the defendants we get Lucifex, known from the castle 70221 and a recent magazine. Luckily the fourth figure, Flinton, is something special:
(https://i.imgur.com/mzDIdQV.png)
I don't like his neckpiece much (previously seen on Grimmel (https://playmodb.org/cgi-bin/showpart.pl?partnum=30%2000%203654) in 70039), nor his chicken legs, but do get very excited about his legionnaire's arms. Just imagine a whole lot of them, and matching legs :roman: ... Please note that with my figure the body was printed WAY out of centre – the source of my frustration I mentioned at the start.
From the accessories I only highlight the big barrel in black, here shown with its twin from 3627, etc. The older barrel was printed but this one comes with a sticker.
(https://i.imgur.com/k15FpP6.jpg)
That's as much as I wanted to share about this set. Lots of it will have to go, but not the stone facade, or a pair of arms.
Appendix: There is another unexplained oddity about the 4435/70539 stone facade – the doorframe. As you can see below, there are four holes for hinge clips, two on either side. The bottom ones are framed by protrusions above and below, which clearly suggests that the clips were meant to support the hinges of a double door, which then wasn't produced (and no Playmobil door fits this frame). I asked a friendly barbarian to demonstrate what they then did with the doorframe for set 4435: the bottom holes were left empty, and halberts are fitted into the clips of the top holes, resting on the top knob of the bottom holes.
(https://i.imgur.com/mXQWDul.jpg)
Clearly, this is an improvisation (but a much better one than in 70539, where all four holes are simply left empty). So we conclude that the stone facade was originally meant to look quite different than what we see in the sets: with double doors, and a mysterious crowning piece at the top. I have no idea why this wasn't executed as planned.
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Those are interesting points about the ruin. It does seem like more was intended. I really like the Burnham troops and will have to look into getting the big black barrel from parts some time. I don't think I need this set. I did get the full set for Kaboom. The fireworks are a nice bit, and explosives can come in handy.
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Clearly, this is an improvisation (but a much better one than in 70539, where all four holes are simply left empty).
Isn't it meant to have a similar solution to the holes - with the 2 gold staffs? It's annoying to leave holes in the facade, surely they could just make a little piece to clip in and cover it up?
It looks like a fun set, but I already have 3274 and 3839, so I think I have enough ruins :lol:
I like the barrel in black, and to be honest I don't like the flame design so I'm happy it's a stick rather than a print (I hate putting stickers on, but on the other hand I'm often not a fan of the graphics they use....)
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I hate putting stickers on
Putting PM stickers on is a very stressful situation, like Bond trying to defuse the bomb at the end of Goldfinger or something.
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Isn't it meant to have a similar solution to the holes - with the 2 gold staffs?
You're absolutely right, Oliver – it is just me who's leaving all four holes empty! :-[ Thank you for paying attention. :wave:
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You're absolutely right, Oliver – it is just me who's leaving all four holes empty! :-[ Thank you for paying attention. :wave:
:) No problem!
I'm surprised there isn't a door to be honest - I just think from a play point of view it would be good (especially if they made a battering ram)
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I love the lady, but the covid mask is a bit weird. It seems like it's part of her underdress.
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Re: Pins
It is quite simple to remove the pins and sand the spot so you don't see there was a pin before.
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Putting PM stickers on is a very stressful situation, like Bond trying to defuse the bomb at the end of Goldfinger or something.
:lol: honestly, they're the worst. For a while they seemed to print them on thicker paper, and they often had a little notch to line it up which made it easier, but I think some newer sets have returned to the more 'free style' method that relies on my limited skills.
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:lol: honestly, they're the worst. For a while they seemed to print them on thicker paper, and they often had a little notch to line it up which made it easier, but I think some newer sets have returned to the more 'free style' method that relies on my limited skills.
Completely agree :(
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It is time to talk about 70390:
(https://media.playmobil.com/i/playmobil/70390_product_detail)
consisting of the following parts:
(https://media.playmobil.com/i/playmobil/70390_product_box_back)
I like this set a lot! If I ever were to stage a Rhinegold in Playmobil, this tower would be centre piece for Nibelheim, the underground realm where the enslaved Nibelung dwarves toil [Wagner's take on the price of industrialisation]: it is just wonderfully gritty, with a play function that works well – the bucket can be lowered into the basement that holds lava, and you get a bag of small chunks of the hot stuff for taking out and dispensing:
(https://i.imgur.com/QSrLrv6.jpg)
Let me give an overview of the tower on its base. The big barrel of 70539 fits this set much better than the bastion, and Sulphur, the blacksmith from 70221, clearly should join the action of this set (click to enlarge):
(https://i.imgur.com/qcoeFdT.jpg)
I am just not sure why the orange lava colour should spill over onto the baseplate. The very same base, or so it seems, features in many other sets (look here (https://www.playmofriends.com/forum/index.php?topic=16180.0/) for one example), so I thought of swapping bases, so that the grass can just be grass and not hot lava. Unfortunately, that is not possible, for the base of 70390 differs in one small detail from all the other, seemingly identical bases, meaning that the tower can only fit the baseplate with the orange "grass". So be it, then.
(https://i.imgur.com/dV7xgOd.jpg)
(Can you spot the difference?)
I dreamt about combining the tower with Steck, and it can be attached but doesn't fit easily because of its irregular size, so will not pursue this:
(https://i.imgur.com/pMAEEcS.jpg)
Absolutely brilliant are of course the two Burnham Raiders that come with the set, Magmathon and Wylie:
(https://i.imgur.com/D1lI0Fd.jpg)
So many great features! The printing, the black hood, the black head, the black cape ... Magmathon is surely the best netherworld denizen that Playmobil has ever created! But what is his skin colour – black (face, hands), or red (legs)? Let me give another picture (Sulphur just doesn't want to leave):
(https://i.imgur.com/7FuBtST.jpg)
I can assure you that Magmathon and Wylie will look better without their silly loincloths, but haven't yet dared to take them apart to remove the offending garments ... just don't want to damage Magmathon's unique head. Perhaps I shall use scissors, for once.
There is some useless stuff (for me) with the set as well, such as a small dragon and a shooting toy:
(https://media.playmobil.com/i/playmobil/70390_product_extra3)
(https://media.playmobil.com/i/playmobil/70390_product_extra2)
And then there are the two Novelmore assailants (for battle shall be!) Ramsey and Bertram, bringing some artillery of their own:
(https://media.playmobil.com/i/playmobil/70390_product_extra5)
Did you notice the difference between the front and back of the box (first two images above)? At the front, both assailants are "Caucasian" but at the back one (Bertram) is dark skinned, as he is in reality:
(https://i.imgur.com/tXOd7Wf.jpg)
Clearly something changed in the design process but wasn't fully implemented in the art work. Too bad Bertram is wearing a white undershirt (just imagine that body with brown skin underneath the shirt!), and suffers from a side pin. He and his colleague therefore have to go.
All in all a great set, I'm happy with it.
Best wishes :wave: StJohn
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Of course the two baseplates are slightly different :lol: :lol: Sometimes they just baffle me!
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Great review again, StJohn!
I thought that baseplate was another re-run with a new paint job, but for some reason geobra changed the mold!
If you don't want the dragon, I can give it a good home! ;D
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Wow, those klickys are gorgeous! :love: I agree with you on the loincloths belt thingies. I don't really favor that sculpt. (If you don't want the masked gey, I'd be happy to keep him.. I love the torso, especially.)
It's REALLY odd that the front and back of the box don't match contents. Correction, not just odd, it's wrong and serious. IMO.
I LOVE the one from the mine thing... I don't plan to get the set though, I believe there are already TWO of those baseplates here... (but I tried to get the relevant mine parts)
How does that change affect the steck compatibility in the new one? As far as I remember, you can do crenellaions on those old ones, with a 1x1 tower just standing inside...
Thank you for the detailed details ;D (my wallet disagrees, it's afraid that your excellent reviews may change my mind....)
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Thanks for the detailed look at these sets! I hadn't given a second thought to 70390 but it's actually not half as bad as I thought.
I'm not much into fantasy designs, but Ramsay looks perfect for a DnD-like setting.
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I have this one and it's s grest set. You don't mention there us a kava block the drops into the hole in the base, a nice piece. I really like Magmathon and also Ramsey with his great torso and the tan hood hat piece.