Jace Stratton SDCC Action Figure Review

Officially announced to be available for pre-order on the 4th of August was the Jace Stratton SDCC action figure from NECA. Jace appears in many of the comic books as Gears fans will know, however he has been given a special release for Gears Of War 3 in honour of his inclusion into the upcoming, final video game. The youngest Delta Squad member, who he was raised by after the the Locust slaughtered his parents.

To the dismay of some fans, NECA have decided to go with the Marcus mould for his body, similar to what we saw with the Hoffman figure. Jace does however come with as you would expect, an entirely new facial sculpt – which I’ll admit is very impressive!

The packaging is also a nice addition to this figure, along with the original clamshell packaging, Jace receives a very nice translucent bloody red Crimson Omen backdrop, reminiscent of when you’re about to do in the game. Jace comes packed with the standard COG Lancer Rifle and a Gnasher Shotgun.

As mentioned, Jace has been heavily based on the Marcus mould, which makes sense as he IS a limited addition and entirely new moulds cost money. Nonetheless, he looks very bad ass and is a worthy addition to any Gears of War collection.

Gears Of War Series 5 Toys

Gears Of War Series 5 action figure set featured 4 toys, included was the hugely anticipated, Boomer.

Victor Hoffman – Basically a reuse of the Marcus figure, added grenades to the legs and chest; an entirely new head sculpt as it is the first Hoffman we have seen in the Gears Of War action figures series. Hinge ankles and knees, v-crotch hip, ball jointed waist and shoulders, swivels at biceps and elbows, ball jointed risk – decent articulation enabling you to pull off some good poses with him. Comes solely with the Lancer accessory that can be pegged to his back.

COG Soldier – A new COG soldier released, an upgraded variation of the series 3 soldier. Similar articulation to Hoffman, does however have the addition of t-crotch hinge hips. Accessories include the Gnasher shotgun and lancer; very well made figure worth picking up a few!

Beast Rider Grenadier – Very similar to the Grenadier earlier released, basically a different head with a new helmet. Comes with the Hammerburst 2.0 weapon that is attachable to his back. A great collectors item and relatively cheap if you are looking for a good addition to your locust horde.

Boomer – Biggest (bulkiest) and possibly the heaviest of all 7 inch figures made thus far, weighting between 1-2 pounds of plastic! Comes with the Boom shotgun, the first time this weapon has been made. Very nicely sculpted and a fantastic paint job also includes soft plastic shoulder pads. Articulation includes ball jointed knees, v-crotch thighs, swivel torso, ball jointed shoulders (good range of motion), swivel biceps, hinge elbows (OK range of motion), ball jointed wrists and swivel neck. Only disappointment being he’s not tall enough, however a very well made figure.

Gears Of War Series 4 Toys

Gears Of War Series 4 toys were released July 2009, by NECA – We’ve seen some great quality figures provided by them over the years and these were no exception. Based on the sequel video game, Gears Of War 2, five new figures hit the shelves ready for fans worldwide to purchase.

Dom and Marcus – We’re lucky enough to get once again receive an upgrade to both the Dom and Marcus figures, this time with obvious changes to their apparel. Based on the “Road to Ruin” campaign, Dom and Marcus return disguised in the Theron uniform from the Road To Ruin mission. Battle it out in all-new stealth mode. They also include alternative heads, improved elbow articulation and Lancer weapons which can be attached to their backs.

Locust Grenadier – We meet two brand new Locust Grenadier action figures in the Locust Grenadier Elite which comes with an attachable Gnasher shotgun, as well as the surprisingly bulky Locust Grenadier Flamethrower which includes a Scorcher flamethrower and fairly large fuel tank backpack.

Ticker – Just to sweeten the deal a little further, a ticker, which admittedly is fairly light in weight has been added to round up the Gears Of War series 4 toys set. The ticker comes with no additional features, but in my opinion is classified more ‘toy like’ with the motorized “pull-back-and-go” action.

Gears Of War Series 3 Toys

NECA is back again with their new release of action figures, this time for the second series of the video game, Gears Of War 2. Four brand new toys were to be released, at the beginning of 2009, as well as the alternative variation for one figure.

Gears Of War Series 3 Action Figures

Included in this set is:
Marcus Fenix: Marcus was once again released in series 3, however for lucky fans 1 in every 100 released, a gold lancer variant was included – this is now quite valuable/rare and worth a fair bit of money.
COG Soldier: Coalition of Ordered Goverments (COG) soldiers, are practically the only fighters that can withstand attack from the Locust Horde. Comes with two accessories, Longshot Rifle and a Lancer Assault Rifle.
Grappler Locust Drone: Can quickly catch humans at heights with their grappling hook, they are able to attack in small hordes; preparing and onslaught from all directions. Comes with three accessories, Bolo Grenades, a Hammerburst 2.0, and a Gorgon Pistol.
Cyclops Locust Drone: Their name derives from their obscene helmet, they are able to collect and use Lancer Assault Rifles from past COG soldiers; can kill suddenly from short or long range. Comes with three accessories, Bolo Grenades, a Hammerburst 2.0, and a Gorgon Pistol.
Palace Guard: Possibly the meanest of the theron guard clan, they are the main security for the Locust Queen. Able to use many weapons, however, the Toque Bow from above are hazardous. Their armour enables them to hide convincingly as well as resist fire for longer. Comes with the Torque Bow.

As usual, the action figures display a very high quality sculpt and are practically a plastic 7-inch version of what you see in the video game.

Gears Of War Series 2 Toys

Gears Of War series 2 action figures hit shelves November 2008. NECA’s first line of quality collectibles in series 1 brought upon some interest and as a result, some new figures were introduced to the ever growing collection.

Series two introduces an update to Marcus Fenix’s character, as well as the addition of:

Dominic Santiago – We know him in the game as ‘Dom’, basically Marcus’ best mate.
Damon Baird – Pig headed, smarty-pants Baird is another member of the Delta Squad; although an annoyance at times, his tactics and knowledge of the Locust’s make him worth keeping around.
Theron Guards – Followers of the Locust Queen, if you thought Locusts were nasty, check these guys out! Ready to stand their ground and fight knowing they may lose their lives. Comes with all in-game accessories and weapons. Lucky for you, there’s two of them ready for you to collect!
Marcus Fenix – The user controlled and main character, Marcus Fenix has received an update from his previous Series 1 figure and now has added articulation.

NECA worked on improving articulation as well as capturing lifelike models of each character. With over 12 points of articulation and in game accessories, these are worth looking into for any Gears Of War fan!

Gears Of War Series 1 Toys

Gears Of War Series 1 action figures hit the shelves in the middle of 2008. These would be the first series of many to come from the Gears Of War toy franchise. Gears Of War, an extremely popular Xbox 360 game; decided to set NECA the task to produce high quality, hand crafted figurines concentrating on detail. This was much to the delight of Gears fans.

Gears Of War Series 1 contained a box set of:
Marcus Fenix – Marcus was once a war hero; until the locust horde confronted him, he now fights for survival and is leader of the Delta Squad.
Augustus Cole – Cole, or as we know him “The Cole Train” thrives on adrenaline, he’s ready for action and is willing to take short cuts to enter a fight quicker. He isn’t the smartest handler of situations, but he’s all man and ready to take down some locusts!
Locust Drone – Comes armed with a Hammerburst Assault Rifle, they are hard to kill and absolutely beastly creatures; they order the locust horde. Just one of them is tough to match, however a group of them make for all the more effort.
Locust Sniper – Ordering attacked from the darkness, Locust Snipers can ambush and defeat their enemy unseen. Armed with a Long Range Sniper Rifle, they can defeat you from afar or come in close for the kill.

Along with the box set of these figures, came additional features such as the guns used; as well as an extra head for the Locusts. These were highly detailed, however lacked a little articulation.

The weapons included were:
- Hammerburst Assault Rifle
- Boltok Pistol
- COG Snub Pistol
- Lancer Assault Rifle
- Long Range Sniper Rifle