The Green Dragon: Where Folklore, Legend and Fantasy Become a World of Collectible Reality!

Toybiz: ANNOUNCING the GIVEAWAY WINNER!!

We are now proud to announce the Winner of the Pelennor Fields giftset. We are so appreciateive of all the time folks spent in coming up with clever poems and slogans for The Green Dragon...some of the entries are fantastic...and beleive me when I say...it was tought o finalize the list and veen tougher yet to pick a final winner! We struggled through it though and got ourselves some very cool new stuff to help the Green Dragon!! Below are some of the GREAT entries AND the GRAND PRIZE Winning entry...

from Michael B:
"You can read your news elsewhere,
You can tap the rumor wagon!
But for fantasy news, that's guaranteed true
Come to the Green Dragon!"

Again...thanks to all who entered...and the prize will be mailed out within the next week to the winner, Michael B.!! Stay tuned for yet another cool contest at The Green Dragon. Meanwhile, better check out our Giveaway Section for some other cool stuff we are GIVING AWAY for FREE! For further information on the Pelennor Fields giftset...keep reading...the review is chock full of great imagery of the set!!

On with the Pelennor Fields Giftset Review...

Special thanks to the folks at Toybiz and Marvel Enterprises for continuing to produce AWESOME Lord of the Rings Toys and Action Figures for which we can now present an AWESOME review and GIVEAWAY of the latest and greatest in their offerings...the Pelennor Fields GIFTSET which includes 2 Exclusive figures of the Mumakil Rider and the Morannon Orc. The set also has a previously UNRELEAED Soldier of the Dead figure.

The hard working team at Toybiz/Marvel continues to bring us some of the most fantastic Lord of the Rings products. 2005, once again, is and will continue to be without exception, a great year for Lord of the Rings toys and action figures as products from the Toybiz/Marvel Lord of the Rings team (Jesse, Damon, Patricia, Jennifer, etc.) once again deliver outstanding products that many action figure enthusiasts (not just LOTR fans) have said are some of the BEST darn figures and toys ever made!!! The Pelennor Fields giftset is no exception to the rules and standards that Toybiz are setting. The set is equivalent in size to the Coronation giftset and has not one, but at least 2 (TWO) exclusive figures. The first exclusive figure is the Mumakil Rider...and the second is the Morannon Orc (a rehash somewhat of a Grishnakh figure). While the set also contains a Soldier of the Dead figure, this figure is not listed as 'exclusive' to this set, which typically means that it will be rereleased at some point in some other fashion (i.e. carded as a single figure, part of another giftset, etc.). The remaining two figures, that being Legolas ( a repack of a a mixture of previously released Legolas figures) and a Gimli figure (a rehash of the standard FOTR Twinpack Gimli that has been repacked multiple times) are without a doubt, great additions to the set. Without further ado…on with the review:

External: The packaging for this set is typical of Toybiz when it comes to building the giftset from the ground up. Each The window display each figure very well and even has great slots showcasing the accessories as has been typical of late with their figures. The size of the package is fairly large considering the size of some of the accessories...especially to contend with the massive 'wings' for the Mumakil Rider. Additionally, the box art is pretty standard depicting the scenes in which each of the characters in the set are showcased in the Retunr of the King. One slight disparity here is the imagery of the Morannon Orc...it definitely is not the same figure in the package as depicted in the 'scene' on the back of the box...but perhaps they are only trying to represent the Morannon Orcs. The write up...seen above...is pretty cool and really draws the reader into the Massive undertaking at Pelennor and the sadness of losing such beautiful and fertile land to the hoards of Mordor!

Internal: Opening the box reveals what has become the standard Toybiz mess...TONS of twisties and loads of TAPE that hold everything together. It really is amazing all of the work that goes into making these sets SECURE so that shipment to stores does not affect their DISPLAY quality! Parents...have fun with these...they are a pain, but they sure make the DISPLAY of the packaged set much more pleasing to the eye!

Unpacking: Again, those darn twisties really are annoying for those of you out their who are LOOSE collectors. Upon starting this review, we decided to take a LOAD of images to showcase the set...it probably took LONGER to get each of the figures out of their plastic prisons than it did to take all the HIGH RES images you will see below!!

The Overall Sculpt and Paint Application: The scupt is nicely done and depicts the character very well. While this is not the Mumakil rider that is seen in many of the press images (at left) and such, it is one of the riders that gets done

in by the heroes of Gondor! This character is shown in a few scenes and the sculpting work on the figure is very close to the real character. The attention to detail on the chest plates, arm bands, and shin guards is quite awesome. The billowing effect on the skirts are very cool. The 'wings' attched to the figures back are finely detailed and fairly accurate to the movie character. The spear accessory is pretty cool, but for some reason I do not remember any Mumakil Drivers carrying weapons like this. Perhaps this is the character killed by a spear from Eomer...remember that scene...in fact, I think this is the same guy indeed...and the spear is the one used by Eomer to kill this guy...correct me if I'm wrong...but still a cool added accessory nonetheless!

The paint application is pretty good for this figure. Some runs in places, but the attention to detail on the head and face are amazing. The details on the armor is very cool. The washing on the armor is pretty cool as well...almost looks whitewashed. The major lacking on the paint application is with the underclothing and the skin. This Mumakil Rider needs to be a bit darker in flesh tone (not as dark as the others seen above), but still needs to be a bit darder to match the facial tone. The smudges on the skin are pretty bad as the movie has these as almost tattoos or War-Paint...still not bad, but a bit lacking nonetheless!

The Head Sculpt: The head scupt is very cool...the open mouth leaves a bit to be desired, but still, the likeness to the character is pretty decent. The Earring is made of HARD plastic which is kind of annoying, but likely done to ensure there is no breakage.

The Details and Articulation: The details on this figure are nothing short of great!! Toybiz could have easily reused the arms from the Harad Archer, but instead they has crafted new arm guards and some very cool new shin guards for this figure. of the sculpt are what make this peice so amazing to look at. The very close attention to detail by Toybiz on the chest armor and mid-section armor is SWEET! Just check out that WEAVE pattern that they came up with...very cool! The 'RACK' or 'wing' accessory that attaches to the figures back does not impeed the ability of the figure to stand in any way...in fact, it is quite light and really adds to the character of this figure! The detail is close to movie accurate and the fine details like the small 'target' looking circles on the 'rack' are a nice added touch!

The articulation is a super nice feature on this figure. Nearly everything is poseable and relatively stiff so that the figure does not topple due to loose joints! The head has great movement as do the arms and legs. Double jointed elbows and knees and ball joints at the shoulder and hip are super features! Thanks Toybiz for going the extra mile with this figure!

The Accessories: The spear included with this figure is probably not quite movie accurate, but it is a cool addition nonetheless. It is about 8 inches long and has great details. Looks like a Harad spear if ever one did!

The Overall Sculpt and Paint Application: The scupt is a major rehash of the Grishnakh figure seen below at left

You will notice that everything is the same on the sculpts of both figures with the obvious exception of the HEAD. Also, the armor has been repainted to reflect a slightly different figure as well as the removal of the fur/skin shoulder armor of the Grishnakh figure. In general the sculpt is still worthy of being called good! The attention to detail on the armor is nice! While this actual character is tough to find on film, the head and facial sculpt are very representative of what a Morannon Orc would look like. The Helm is NON-REMOVABLE, but it looks very much like a Helm done by Sideshow/WETA in their awesome line of miniature Helms seen at right!

The paint application is decent for this figure, but could have been a bit better. The choice for Armor paint color is pretty bland, but perhaps in order to make a noticable difference from the Parent Grishnakh figure, the bland tanish color was chosen. The detail on the head is AMAZING...the eyes really POP out on this figure. For the most part, though, the paint scheme is pretty good...nothing too sloppy and pretty good capturing of detail!

The Details: The details on this figure are pretty good. Aside from the fact that this is a rehash figure, the details are quite well done. The folks at Toybiz took appropriate measures to ensure that this figure looks DIFFERENT than the Grishnakh figure and the slightly altered paint scheme and slighty altered exclusion of sculpt work (shoulder pads on Grishnakh) make this figure stand relatively alone. The Head sculpt is great and the detail on the helm is AWESOME! While a rehas, it still is very much worth having this figure in your Orc Army!!

The articulation is a super nice feature on this figure. Same articulation as the Grishnak figure of course. Lots of poseability, but definitely not up to the current Superposeable standard that Toybiz has set recently (just look at the NEW Mumakil Rider figure...definitely Superposeable). While limited in some areas, the articulation is still great and makes the figure very playable!

The Accessories: The lone accessory for this figure is a rehash, repainted sword from the Grishnakh figure. It would have been a nice touch to give this figure something new and EXCLUSIVE besides a new head, but still a cool accessory nonetheless!

The Overall Sculpt and Paint Application: The scupt is a brand new one and a very drastic change from the original depiction by Toybiz of the Army of the Dead. Toybiz first released the King of the Dead figure back in early 2004 as part of the

Return of the King

Trilogy line and the figure was drastically different with respect to concept and paint schemes. The King of the Dead figure was made to GLOW in the dark (at right) and therefore the figure itself was very WHITE and translucent looking (at left). This new Soldier of the Dead attempts to remedy some of the COLOR, or lack thereof, of Toybiz's King of the Dead figure. The Soldier of the Dead is very awesome and WITHOUT EYES, it looks great and very superbly depicts what the Dead Army should look like if immortalized in plastic. The attention to detail is sweet as the figure has holes torn in his garments and robes as if they have been worn for thousands of years. The Armor is very RETRO for Middle-earth and appropriate for one dead many years! The shield is a sweet bonus for this figure...while small, it is a cool addition. Toybiz could have made the shield a bit more WORN with age as with the rest of the figure...but still a great figure!

The paint application is AWESOME for this figure, Toybiz really made this figure look like he has been dead for ages!! The touch on the beard and lack of EYES make the figure really stand out. The RED in the armor adds to the mystic nature of the figure and show that despite being ghostly, these character still retain some COLOR...even with the green/grey tinting shown in the Paths of the Dead!

The Head Sculpt: The head scupt is very cool...the beard looks very kingly and the mail headpiece is a very cool addition makingthis figure look like warrior and royalty all at once. The lack of EYES (open sockets) and the deep set cheeks reveal that this character is indeed DEAD and has been so for a very long time. The skeletel nature of the face with the added beard are very cool to look at!

The Details: The details on this figure are very good. The addition of the scabbard and the detail on the CLOTH and Armor are nothing short of super! The articulation added where it is not really useable is a great testament to Toybiz and their attention to making sure every figure is MORE than a simple statue! The symbology on the back of the figure is a mystery...or simply something added to make the bak of the figure a bit more interesting to the eye! The holes and WORN look are great details for a character long dead and tormented by living in caves for ages!!

The articulation is a super great bonus for this figure. Double jointed KNEES is not necessary given the Flowing robes on the figure, but the addition of this articulation is great. Even if not needed, the fact that Toybiz went the extra mile to add it is yet another kudo to them for making this figure as good as possible. The ball joints and double joints are great new additions to the Toybiz LOTR line and this figure take full advantage...at least on the upper body! The poseability is great and the inclusion of knee articulation sets this figure apart!

The Accessories: The accessories for the Soldier of the Dead are right on. The Sword is made from soft plastic as has been typical of Toybiz of late with most swords, but the plastic is rigid enough to look realistic. The shield, while a bit small, has great AGED detail and looks like it has been carried for many generations! While this figure is not EXCLUSIVE to this set...we cannot wait for the single carded version...

The Overall Sculpt and Paint Application: These 2 figures are repacks naturally as Toybiz tries to packout the giftset with five (5) figures. The Gimli figure is from the Fellowship of the Ring Twin Pack which had Gimli and an

Uruk-hai Warrior (seen at left). It does not appear that the sculpt has changed or the paint scheme altered for including in this set. The Legolas figure, on the other hand, appears to be a mix of currently available figures. Tough to determine exactly which figures the Legolas comes from, but the paint scheme appears to be new...for the most part! Below, we have added link to some images of all the currently available Legolas figures...you be the judge. To say the least, though, this figure is a hash of miltiple figures...but it appears that it is MOSTLY from the Helm's Deep Legolas figure...shown far right below!

The paint application is typical for these two figures. The Gimli looks to be unchanged from previous released of this figure, but the Legolas figure, while a rehash of multiple figures, appears to have it's very own paint scheme. The colors of the cloth for the most part look new, or at least they are a DIFFERENT combination of previously released paint schemes. Judge for yourself on these paint jobs, but they are pretty good to say the least!!

The Head Sculpt: The head scupts are good...once again, the Gimli is unchanged from previous versions of this figure. The Legolas head looks like it is VERY similar to the Legolas released for the Two Tower Trilogy line in Wave 4 (with and without the Sound base). I have included a head shot from that figure for comparison at right!! While the paint application may be a bit different it sure looks like the same head sculpt. If anyone cares to add their comments to these discussions, feel free to drop us a line!

The Details: The details on these figures have been captured before. We have the above images for your perusal, but mostly they show the slight differences in the paint application on the Legolas figure. Nothing new here and typical details for the Legolas figure. Check out the FULL images of the Gimli figure for details on that figure.

The articulation is a the same for these figures as their previously released counterparts. The Gimli figure really needs to be updated with a SUPERPOSEABLE version...and the Legolas figure really need the same, but by the looks of what came out of Toyfair...we are at least getting a Superposeable Legolas figure in the Epic Trilogy line coming in August 2005! super great bonus for this figure.

The Accessories: The accessories again are typical of the previous versions of these figures. Nothing new for either figure, but it is great that Toybiz includes LOADS of accessories for these figures!

The Overall Synopsis: You will definitely want to get this set...or even multiple of it for the simple fact that the figures included in this set are great. From the AWESOME SP nature of the Mumakil Rider to the great attention to detail on the Soldier of the Dead, the folks t Toybiz have once again outdone themselves with another great giftset...and possibly the BEST giftset they have released to date for the Lord of the Rings line. We would have scored this set a perfect 5 except for the fact that Toybiz continues to repack Legolas and Gimli figures that really need to be updated with slightly better, more SP articulation. But hey, we cannot expect 5 NEW figures in a giftset...or can we???

The Giveaway Details and RULES: The contest is OVER, please return to the TOP of this page for the contest results!!!

NOTES about THIS Set: The set has been OPENED to take all the pictures, but it has been carefully REPACKED and will ship packaged as we received it with the exception of some tape removal. We are not responsible in any way for damage or lost articles...if you have questions about the contest or THIS giftset, drop us a line!