Sauron transformed the Kings of Men, the wearers of his powerful magical rings, into the mysterious Ringwraiths. The rings granted their bearers immortality, but it came with a price. They slowly became enslaved to follow Sauron's every command. Nothing remains of their physical bodies. Now all that is left of these former monarchs are their twisted spirits.

The Ringwraith itself stands about 7" tall, but it is not merely a copy of the individually-packaged Nazgūl; it has more articulation, its costume is constructed differently, and it only features one long sword. Instead of the pvc cloaks which enswirl the other Nazgūl, this figure's robes are made from real black cloth (the hood and a few bits close to the body are still pvc), to give him a wider range of motion. His sword is also more weathered than his compatriot's, with nicks and dings all along the blade.

The articulation in this figure varies mainly in the legs--following the model set by McFarlane Toys' Headless Horseman in 1999, the legs feature ratchet-type joints covered in rubber to create invisible joints. In order to allow the Ringwraith to sit astride his steed, there is also a swivel joint just above mid-thigh. His feet are also rubber, and are flexible enough to fit into the stirrups hanging from his saddle. There are standard joints at the waist, shoulders, elbows, hips, and wrists. Push the tiny button on his upper back, and he raises his right arm for a sword-slahing action.

The horse is almost 7 1/2" tall, and is excellently detailed. The saddle, straps, champfrein and bridle all have the look of real leather, and the beast's legs and chest are mud-splattered, as are the lower fringes of the rider's dark cloak.

The stallion has two action features--press the large button on his flank, and the front legs "gallop," which looks wicked cool when you've got it rearing up on its back legs. If you pull back on the reigns, the horse bares its teeth and its eyes glow a horrific bright red.

The horse's legs are articulated at the hip, knee (only on the front legs), and ankle, though the front legs won't stay in position if you move them yourself (due to the galloping action). There is also a ratchet joint in the middle of his neck (again covered by pvc), so you can make his head pull to the side if you so wish, as if the Ringwraith were trying to get him to turn sharply. His tail is also molded from pvc, and sculpted to look as if the wind were whipping through the hair as he ran.

With unequaled attention to detail on both the horse and its dark rider, this is a set well worth owning.



Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 19.99