Sideshow/WETA: Mace of Sauron REVIEW

Special thanks to the folks at Sideshow/WETA for continuing to produce AWESOME Lord of the Rings Collectibles for which we can now present the most thorough review of the weapon of the Dark Lord himself, the Mase of Sauron!

“The embodiment of all evil in Middle-earth, the Dark Lord, Sauron strides into battle in his hideous black armour, a towering pillar of malice in man-form, wielding his wicked mace. Wrought by fell means and infused with spells of devastation, the Dark Lord is impervious to all harm while the power of the One Ring is his. When Sauron confronted the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, he decimated the ranks of both races with his great mace, destroying those within its reach and intimidating all those who dared to stand against him."

Product Details:
• Like the miniature helms, the mace is cast in heavy metal.
• The mace is sculpted in 1/6 scale, matching the scale of previous weapon set products.
• The volcanic rock base is slightly translucent, creating a fiery glow (this product does NOT include any light-up feature)
• The mace is permanently attached to the rock base. It is non-removable.
• Each base bottom features product information, a print of the artist's signature, and hand-numbered edition information.

This piece is a LIMITED EDITION of 3500 Pieces WORLDWIDE!!

Artist(s): Sculpted by Dave Tremont of WETA Workshop
Product Type: Polystone Figure
Product Size: 11.5" L x 7.5" W x 4.5" H
Product Weight: 10.0 lbs

 

 

Packaging..........

External: The shipping box is a typical Sideshow/WETA box that encases the styrofoam packing within quite well with a firm snug fit. The box is quite large, but nothing HUGE like the Treebeard Bust or Morgul Lord statue boxes. It measures about 15" L x 10" W x 7.5" H. The EXTERNAL packaging has super cool artwork and a great write-up about the Mace and about Sauron. The Mace of Sauron is packaged in on FOTR Box since that is the main movie from the Trilogy where we see the Mace.

Internal: Opening the box reveals what has become the standard Sideshow/WETA clamshell Styrofoam packaging used to protect all of their LOTR products. Since the Mace has some delicate metal pieces, it has been further wrapped in soft padding to ensure that the mettal peices has some room to breath and flex as the box is moved or shipped. The Mace is once again wrapped with the paper covering that is standard with Sideshow/WETA LOTR products.

Unpacking: This is where the folks at Sideshow/WETA have made gains on their packaging procedures. This piece has some delicate and easily broken parts. The packing methods have thoroughly taken this into account and they went to excruciating detail in making the product both SAFE for shipping AND safe for storage. The spires of the Mace are very fragile, so one must take extreme care in unpacking that portion of the Mace...especially in removing the platic tie-wrap that holds the Mace in place!

Molding/Sculpt..........

The Overall Sculpt: The scupt, done by Dave Tremont, is superb. He captures the essence of the EVILNESS of the Mace with both the extreme level of detail on the handle and blades, but takes care to ensure that the BASE literally comes alive with fine details on the rock. The details on the handle and blades reflect Sideshow/WETA's extreme attention to detail when it comes to making their replicas look authentic...even at 1/6th scale. When looking at the above imagery, one gets the impression that Sauron could step down, grab the Mace, and inflict serious damage within seconds!

The Details: The details of the sculpt are what make this peice so amazing to look at. As I mentioned above, the details on the handle, like the rope-like etching on the grip, really make this piece scream "BUY ME"! The worn look to the blades of the MACE capture not only its wethaered USE, but also its care by the Dark One himself in ensuring he has the finest weapon on the battlefield (except for the One Ring , of course). Now, probably the best FEATURE of this Weapon is the translucent Rock base. Upon inspection right out of the box, the undersides of the rock look a bit pink and red and appear to be PAINTED that way. Well...in reality, the entire stone base has a pinkish hue all the way through and it is slightly translucent. Check out the above image...we put a small flashlight behind the base and took this shot...VERY COOL...and a SUPERB added touch!

Display Base: The display base is traditional Sideshow/WETA in that is has the map of Middle-earth emblazoned on the base. The base is hand numbered and signed by Dave Tremont. It even has a place where you can HANG THIS piece on the Wall...but be careful if you ever do this...one slight bump and you would have the CLUB of Sauron!

Paint Application..........

The Paint Scheme: The application of the paint and the weathered effect on the metal Mace are truly what make this piece stand out among replicas. The color wash on the rocks look amazing...they really look like real molten lava that has begun to cool on the top. The translucent effect puts this peice over the top. The fine etched details on the handle, pommel, and the blades are simply amazing...at this scale, one would expect some more uniform in color and pattern. The folks at Sideshow/WETA have gone to extreme measures to capture the likeness of this weapon. The detail on the handle is especially amazing, but the detail on each of the blades leave nothing to be desired.

OVERALL..........

The Mace of Sauron is probably the best Weapon replicas from Sideshow/WETA to date. It far surpasses the Weapons sets in previous releases and at the 1/6th sclae...it truly is something that every Lord of the Ring enthusiast should have in their collection. If you have this on order, consider yourself lucky. If you did not order one and have the chance to get one, grap it up before it goes the way of the original Balrog or the Orthanc environment. This piece is sure to be a hot collectible once folks really determine the high quality and extreme detail and superb representation of this Weapon Replica! If you have any doubts about buying from Sideshow/WETA, let this review put them to rest. Get on over to the Sideshow/WETA site and check out their many offerings in the realm of Middle-earth and other lines as well!