.

The packaging for wave 2 is the same as for the other LOTR 2-packs. Although you can see exactly what you are getting through the window, the cards are larger and more unwieldy than the dinky little Marvel 2-pack boxes.

The back of the packaging shows each of the new sets in wave 2, plus the exclusive Elves. I always like the style of the artwork and text, it seems very faithful to other products in the Lord of the Rings line whilst still managing to bring its own quirky Minimates charm to it.

Pippin is one of the 4 hobbits who join the Fellowship. Like Merry, the detailing and expression on the face appears to be more cartoony than trying to convey a sense of the actor (Billy Boyd). This is shown by the somewhat silly expression on his face which for me really spoils the look of the figure. It’s supposed to show Pippin’s cheerfulness in the face of adversity but I really think a more neutral expression would have worked better.

The outfit is, much like the other hobbits, quite nicely detailed, with the scarf being drawn on rather than being a separate piece. The paint apps are, as usual, spot on. Pippin also has his Elven cloak, which is pretty similar to the others.

Like the other hobbits Pippin has a small sword and sheath. The sheath plugs into a hole in his belt piece.

Overall, Pippin is perhaps one hobbit too many this early in the line. It’s hard to get excited about this figure.

MMC Score – 4 out of 10

The Uruk-Hai Crossbowman joins the Uruk-Hai Bezerker and the Uruk-Hai Swordsman as army-builder troops on the side of evil.

The Uruk-Hai has a very cool helmet, which lacks the helm of the Swordsman but adds a ring of steel around the eyeholes to protect the neck area from arrows or other pointed objects. The eyes can be seen glaring through the eyeholes and the mouth can also been seen, showing off a snarl. The helmet is removable to reveal a Uruk-Hai with the same head as that of the Swordsman.

This isn’t the only thing reused – apart from the helmet, the rest of the costume on the figure is identical to that of the Swordsman. In this case, the reuse of parts is acceptable for several reasons. First, because the helmets and weapons are different, and they are the first things you notice, and second, because the quality is still very high on the detailing and paint job.

For accessories, it’s no real surprise that the Uruk-Hai Crossbowman is equipped with a crossbow. However unlike the swords, this is a smaller and more fiddly weapon. It can be held in the hand of the Uruk-Hai but it does tend to pop out of its grip very easily. It also looks like it’s out of scale and should be bigger. Despite all this, he does look fine using it and goes great with the Uruk-Hai Swordsman.

Overall, this is yet another high-quality Uruk-Hai. Some small flaws mean this is ever so slightly the worst figure of the 3 in the line so far, but it’s still a great addition to your forces of evil. 

Review and pictures by Danny Mills

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