One of my favorite toy innovations over the last few years is the creation of effects parts. With some clever sculpting, translucent plastic and usually detailed paint apps, these static accessories can transform a normal pose into a dynamic action scene. While effects parts are usually character specific, I’ve always felt there was a market for general designs that could be added to nearly any figure. Apparently Bandai had a similar notion.
Bandai’s first foray into this accessory line is the Impact Effect. Before we get into the actual piece, I wanted to take a second to look at the box. This might be the plainest packaging I’ve ever seen for something that’s meant to be sold in stores. They definitely knew this isn’t a toy that you’re going to keep in box, so why waste resources on the packaging.
The Impact Effect is a crater-shaped sculpt that comes in two colors: gray and beige. I know the sculpt reuse is a great way to recoup costs, but I’m actually really glad they gave us a couple of options here. Now our figures aren’t relegated to only battle in a concrete or dirt environment. If only I could get one in Grayskull Green though…
The sculpt itself is simple yet effective. The center of each piece is textured shattered stone with the edges curled up like a shallow bowl. While the edges still do have that shattered look, the wider pieces and upward motion make the rocks look like their being blown out from the force of the hit.
To make for even great exploding effects or just more shattered rubble, each Impact Effects can be separated into seven separate pieces. The center bit can pop in or out, while the three pieces of the ring lock in place with each other. Then there is a small piece of rubble that connects to each of the three ring pieces. Continue to page 2…
cool. this looks like it would go great with a character like Terra or Geo-Force or Avalanche, for more “mainstream” lines.
and a coupe coats of paint could make it work with Grayskull. Seeing that it separates into a ring makes me think it might be worth buying and repainting for my custom Blink.
(If I’m ever able to get her out of storage….!)
Yeah, this would go great with any of those rock characters. I was thinking about repainting one into Grayskull colors, just haven’t made up my mind yet.
Man, Blink is one of those characters that just doesn’t get a lot of toy love. Maybe her appearance in the new X Men movie will change that.
With only a month to go and no word on the DoFP toy front other than Hardees fun meals (and then only Magneto and Beat figurines!), I’m not getting my hopes up. Hasbro DID tease her in the 2pk line, having her as part of the interior art.
It’s just waiting game until we find out what Hasbro is doing with ML in the future.
Nifty. Great review and killer shots, but I think I’ll pass on these things.
And I don’t often complain about your reviews, but you SO missed a chance to use Lugnut!
Lol, I forgot all about Lugnut! Hmmm, I think I packed him away somewhere. I’ll have to see if I can find him.
How much did thesexsell for again?
Amazon has both sets for $17.99 each.
much ass grassy ass senor!
We all know where your mind is…
Is this subliminal DR messaging? lol
These sell, sorry bout that
Haha. The most unfortunate autocorrect ever! 🙂
And yet, I didn’t blink when I saw it was a comment from DR.:)
yeah, that was the damned phone, not a freudian slip. sorry to disappoint gents, but rocky holes aren’t my thing… or are they?
😉
That Ram-Man picture is awesome.
Thanks!
I picked up a couple of each color from Amazon and can’t wait to display my MMPR figures with them. I’m definitely thinking of painting one set with at least a wash or some detail in the cracks.
I’m also really hoping these will be compatible with the upcoming flame effects. I don’t know why they wouldn’t be but stranger things have happened.
Regarding these not coming with any of the stand arms, I believe Tamashii just reissued the Stage Act 4 display stands. So while it does add to the cost of using these the Act 4 stands shouldn’t be as expensive to get as they were a few months ago.
They should work great with the Rangers. I loved posing the Kamen Riders on them, even if it was a bit frustrating trying to find the right balance.
I didn’t know they rereleased the Stage Act 4. That makes things a little easier, so I guess Bandai was thinking ahead. I recently purchased one of their trident stands for my flying Monsterarts, so that might make its way into this display also.
The brown one just reminds me of a dry river bed.
Yeah, it definitely has that feel to it. It also reminds me of those quarries that they use for battle scenes in the Rider/Sentai shows.
i have to say, i love seeing a company treating packaging intelligently. if the pieces are designed to removed from package and used, minimal deco, efficient packing is the way to go.
i will also say, with two or three of these things, one could, if so inclined, make a version of iceman’s ice slides for superheroes or heroines who terrashape. that’d be cool as balls. or you could use it as a spell effect for a wizard or something… i mean, you couldn’t make a bigby’s crushing hand, but something along the lines or a wall of stone or like an earthbolt, totally possible… and incorporating parts from the upcoming flame effect, you could even generate like a deadly lahar or something… i wonder if the fantasy community know these exist?
Effects parts for fantasy gaming is a pretty great idea. I wonder why no one has done that yet…
Especially given the proliferation of miniatures gaming…
That beige set needs a dead Yamcha ASAP!!
That would definitely work well, unfortunately I don’t have any DB toys.
AHH I NEED. This is awesome! And heck, I could use some stands, so it wouldn’t hurt to get some of those too.
Love that last Kamen Rider shot! Are the stands really strong enough to hold them and the rocks all up like that?
It can hold them, but it takes some work. The whole thing is held up with two stand arms on a regular Tamashii base. I had to tighten up some of the stand arms to keep them from drooping. Other than that, it just took a lot of patience. I wanted to put a couple more figures on there, but it took about twenty minutes to get just that picture in place so I opted to stop before I knocked it over again.
Vault – can we get a Marvel Legends Iron Man punching the ground shot with the crater impact effect pretty please!?
Sure thing! I’m out of town at the moment though. I’ll try to get that up this Sunday or Monday.
With news of Miles fighting Ultimate Green Goblin in upcoming books my thinks of the Gray being used in a nice Battke scene in the city. Slamming against a wall or into a street. Yeah I gotta get him made now. (Did get lucky and found a Toxin today and at $14.99. wish was Carnage but oh well)
Great review on what looks like one fun product. The Showa Rider pic is awesome, think know.whose side you’re on in the upcoming Heisei vs Showa Rider war film.
Because of this review I just picked up a grey impact effect and an Act 4 stand set from Amazon.
I can’t decode Bluefin’s pricing strategy. Here they have the Effect parts, a very esoteric item, and they’re pricing it just about at Japanese retail. Great value for the money.
Then they’re importing the Yamato 2199 kits, slapping a ‘Star Blazers 2199’ sticker on the box and charging well over Japanese MSRP. It’s like they don’t understand that the kits already have a number of barriers to success (no advertising, model building has fallen off the radar for America, etc.).
Altho I’ll note there seems to be a LOT of Japanese retailers willing to cut deals and even have reasonable shipping. Bluefin better pay attention. 🙂