Skip to main content

Mega Construx MOTU Castle Grayskull



So, I finally picked up the Mega Construx Castle Grayskull. Amazon had it listed for $189 so I jumped on it. One bit of sad news, I like keeping box art but Amazon has a hassle-free shipping service where they just ship the box as is. I love Amazon but I am not a fan of this service as they put shipping labels all over the front of the box, ruining it. Luckily, the inside of the box delivered something even better...


How cool is that? So everything worked out in the end. The packaging by Mega Construx is actually very cool. All of the pieces to the Castle came in these great cardboard boxes...



Again, very cool. The vintage cross sell on the covers was a very nice touch. The manual included all of the cover art inserted throughout so if you wanted to toss the box, you didn't have to feel bad about it.


Speaking of the manual, this guy was a beast. Look at that thickness! Mega Construx wasn't joking with this thing, it took me two days to complete with only small breaks in between.


Next, let's look at the figures. The set came with exclusives of the Goddess and the Sorceress, as well as mini comic versions of He-Man, Man at Arms, Skeletor, and Beastman.


The Most Powerful Man in the Universe finally comes with all of his weapons in the same shade of grey. Also, you will notice the Power Sword is the Mini Comic version.


He-Man variations so far. You will notice a lot of these figures have more details than previous releases. He-Man has two-tone coloring on his boots as well as different color fur at the top of them.


The Goddess or Teela, depending on your head cannon. I like to think of the Goddess and an entity that came before most of what happened on Eternia, like the Eternal source of goodness for the planet.


Teela variations.


The Sorceress and Zoar. I wish Zoar was huge like the vintage figure. I always liked the original idea that he was a separate character from the Sorceress that characters could ride on... 

Book (Page 5)
(He-Man and Battle Cat by Kid Stuff. Image from He-man.org)


Man at Arms


Man at Arms variations. What is cool about this is that the un mustached MAA figures become Eternia guards. Instant army builder.


Beastman or Red Beast. Again, check out the details around the fur at his legs and the musculature on his thighs.


Beastman variations. Again, with the intro of the Red Beast character, it is like a new figure.


Skeletor. I did not expect it, but this is my favorite figure from this set.


Skeletor variations. Check out all of the muscle shading on the new Skeletor. And the dark purple really stands out.


Man at Arms showing off the two Weapon Racks.

And now, here is Castle Grayskull...



Unlocking the Castle...



Yeah, he has the Power.


The Castle easily snaps open on the side.


Also on the side is the secret exit like the Classics Castle.



The left interior and...


the right interior.

Here is a section by section of the left...




The computer display.


It swivels open to allow characters to view out the windows.


Man at Arms showing the scale.



Cool gold skulls at the top of the elevator shaft, just like the Classics castle.


And a level by level of the right...



Training area.


Use the Power, He-Man.


The dungeon, with tentacle arms, a nice touch! Also, another green skull above the cell door.



Up one level, we find the space suit, another computer device, the trap door and the throne.


The throne slides left to right and opens the trap door above the dungeon.


How cool are those flags?!


Bottoms up!


Sorceress on the throne.


We already know what will happen here...


Crime never pays.


The area that leads to the side exit.


Top level with the flag, crystal orb, and gun station.



Calling upon the Elders power.


The two sides to the flag.



Manning the guns.




Ready for battle.


Skeletor strikes!


Or is it a diversion...


The Goddess knowing the other secret exit out back.


And Man at Arms is never far away!


So, to me, this was a really great buy. Unlike most similarly priced Lego sets, I feel like I got more than my money's worth. And with more MOTU stuff coming out next year, it feels good to be ahead of the game!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

30th Anniversary Tribute to the New Adventures of He-Man

This year marks the 30th Anniversary to the New Adventures of He-Man. I never cared for the show as a child. It was just too different: different themes, different characterizations, different characters, different voices, different settings, etc. It was just too much change to accept. I did like the action figures. I still remember when my brother and I found He-man and Skeletor at a Kay Bees. We loved them and even bought a Flipshot because we thought it was Man at Arms. As the years went on, it really bugged me that I didn't care for the show. I mean, what is not to like? You've got He-man... fighting Skeletor... in space... with a lightsaber. I was a big Silverhawks fan so this screamed awesome to me. The DVD sets were released in the early 2000s so I decided to give it another try. Unfortunately, I still didn't care for it. With this being the 30th Anniversary of the line, I made the firm decision to actually sit down, watch the show, and withhold my biases. The...

GoBots Leader 1, Fitor, Cy-Kill, Transformers Generations Optimus Prime, and Power Warrior Courageous

It was a busy mail day as I add on to my GoBots collection. Today I was able to add Leader 1, Cy-Kill, and Fitor. Pretty neat to get three heavy hitters in one day. They are all in pretty good condition too. Cy-Kill's wheels are a little loose but beyond that they seem great! Leader 1 He came with a hologram sticker of Turbo from the Animated Series   Jet mode comparison with one of the Aerialbots. Taking charge in the Command Center Fitor This picture doesn't do his vehicle mode justice. He's a cool ship. Cy-Kill Cy-Kill is a ridiculously expensive figure but I was lucky to find him at a reasonable price. I hope others are able to do the same because he's pretty cool. A much more harmonious relationship than Megatron and Starscream. The big three. Just need Coptur to complete the top level of the Renegades. Comparison with G2 Decepticons. Forever foes. -------...

Wayne Manor/X-Mansion

Batman and the X-Men were the two biggest and best superhero cartoons of the 90's. They were also the two biggest action figure brands of the 90's. While the X-Men did have some cool playsets, they never really had a Mansion playset. Batman, on the other hand, did. Starting with Batman Returns, this playset would be reused many times and with many different color schemes. Unfortunately, it wasn't until my days as an adult collector that I would realize how perfect it would be for an X Mansion. 5 years ago I was lucky enough to find one on Ebay in pretty good condition for under $30. A great deal, if you ask me!  As a teacher, I used to hold a Comic Book Club after school and I used this as a display in my room. Later on, I switched grades to Kindergarten. I didn't really think it fair to keep toys in my room that children that age couldn't play with, so I brought it home and sold off most of my X-Men. Recently, I decided to get back into the X-Men game...

Toy Biz DC Superheroes Flash v2, Hawkman, Two Face

I started getting back into the DC Superheroes line early last year. Even though the Kenner Super Powers line is superior in a lot of ways, this line has a nostalgic value for me. Recently, I was able to add three more figures to my collection: Hawkman, Two Face, and the second version of the Flash! Version 2 is a HUGE upgrade over Version 1. V2 Flash doesn't rely on a wind up action feature so it actually has arm articulation. Now Flash can actually do some better posing... let alone throw a punch! V2 Flash also comes with a Quicksilver/Silver Surfer-esqe platform. It even moves forward on its own if you pull it backwards.  Toy Biz vs Kenner. The Kenner figure is obviously the better choice. Just one look at his weapon and his head sculpt and that is obvious. However, there is a dumb charm to the Toy Biz figure and I'm happy to have him. I really like this Two Face figure. He has a winding feature for flipping his...

Funko Primal Age Batcave

With these toys hitting clearance prices, I decided to pick up the Batcave. You can tell from the above pictures, that the packaging is clearly evoking MOTU. Even with the cross sell on the back. Very nice artwork. However, what is on the inside is far cooler. First, let me say that all of the details on this playset are amazing. And, despite what you may have heard, this is some pretty good plastic and has some weight to it. Now, I am not a fan of the Primal Age series but I plan on using this as a stand in for Castle Plun Darr. I really like that standing area behind the Bat's head.  The Cave opens up just like Castle Grayskull and as some really nice features. The spine/ladder is really well made with nice details and it has some weight to it. I love the depth of the dungeon. I could honestly fit two more figures in there. I have to say, though, that while the overall set is very sturdy, the cage doors and the front door ...