Trek Toy Reviews DST's Wave Two Cylon

Figure: Cylon
Wave: BSG Series 2
Body style: Completely new Robot figure

Let me start off by saying that this figure looks very impressive and has quickly become one of my favorite figures of all time. I love the new look of the Cylon from the new BSG series despite the fact that the character takes a backseat to the “skin jobs.” Even though these new human looking Cylons get most of the screen time, the updated robot version still holds a prominent part on the series so I think it was essential for this figure to be made. The placement in Wave 2 of the series is a perfect place for it.

This figure uses the standard BSG packaging that does an excellent job of showing off all the cool accessories. This packaging in particular does a great job of displaying all the cool interchangeable hands and arms that come with the figure. The posing of the figure in the package is also pretty cool because it seems like the Cylon is about to raise his arm to attack any assorted members of the BSG cast.

This figure utilizes a completely new sculpt because frankly it would be impossible to reuse anything for this truly uniquely stylized character! First, let me say that the proportions of the robot are perfectly captured. It has a the broad upper chest while the legs, arms and torso are slimmed down just like its TV counterpart. The articulation of the figure also gives the figure the ability to be placed into many different poses. The figure includes the following points of articulation: ankle that swings, knee that swings, hip that both swivels and swings, hip/crotch the turns, torso that turns, chest that swings, shoulder that turns and swings, elbow that turns and swings, and a ball jointed wrist. The head is an interesting feat of articulation. It has a lower neck joint that swings and turns and an upper neck joint that swings and turns into a quasi ball joint connection to the head. I think this figure has a great range of motion but there are some notable things that could turn into problems or could have been improved in a perfect world. First the knee joints would have benefited from being able to swivel in addition to swing. I understand that the ankle joints probably could not have used a ball joint because of the “Achilles piston” (I have entitled it that way for description purposes). Because the piston moves into the calf portion of the metal casing I guess you could count that as a point of articulation too. Another issue is the moving of the double hip and crotch joint. One has to apply pressure to very specific areas to move the leg into some positions. I get the feeling of worry when I apply pressure too low to the leg. The joint hasn’t broken yet but I feel as if it could if I’m not careful. In my mind that is really not the best feeling in the world. Finally, the head and neck joint can be difficult to position in the exact way you want it. For me it is especially difficult to get the head to be straight up and down in a forward looking position. I can get it to work but it sometimes requires some finagling to accomplish. Some of the joints especially the hip joints are also very noticeable. On the one hand, the shoulder joint was perfectly hidden by the design of the shoulder metal shields. On the other hand though, the hip joint detracts from the overall sleekness of the lower half of the body. On the bright side, the added accessories give the figure the ability to be in different “modes” such as battle mode with the guns fully extended, centurion mode with the guns fitted inside the forearms, and melee mode with the finger extended into claws. Of course you can choose many different combinations to get your own effect as well. I would say that looking from an overall perspective, the figure’s articulation is more of a positive than a negative.

One of the coolest features of this figure is the paint scheme that they gave it. All of the metal parts are airbrushed to give it more of a gunmetal grey look. It also adds depth to certain parts of the figure that makes it look really cool when posed. The eye sensor area has a red area to simulate scanning. On all the Cylons I have (8), each has the red extend further up the right side of the eye sensor. I guess this is supposed to simulate the process of scanning that the Cylon does in the TV show. I would have preferred if the red was symmetrical as opposed to higher on one side even though that may not be perfectly screen accurate.

This figure is spot on in terms of likeness to the character on TV. I would also like to give special commendation for the way the calf portion of the robot is built. The main portion of the leg is black and surrounding it is a silver piece that has cut open holes. It just looks really sweet when viewing it from different angles and gives the figures a very sleek look. I think DST has really outdone itself with the overall presentation of this figure.

On a side note I would also highly suggest getting the SDCC “Valley of Darkness” variant. The blood splashes and airbrushing is even better on this figure than the regular release reviewed here. It not only has blood splashed across the body and face but also has bloody claw accessories. It’s just downright awesome! The other variant from “Downloaded” is cool to have but I would say is the worst of the three. In my opinion, that’s just as well because it is the most expensive of the bunch, has the least accessories (no alternate hand/arm attachments), and is the hardest to get. I would though definitely recommend buying multiples of the VoD Cylons!

In conclusion, this is an awesome representation of the Cylon. I really liked the new design established in the new series and was really anticipating this figure. Needless to say, DST did not disappoint. Yes there are a few minor things that could be better, but overall this is a just a great figure. Like I said in the introduction, this may be quickly becoming one of my favorite figures ever. The best and worst part of this figure is that you are going to want multiples of each version for troop building! Currently I have 2 regular releases, 2 Downloaded, and 4 Valley of Darkness Cylons. I’m probably going to try to pick up or trade for a few more regular releases to complete my Cylon army. I don’t mind it at all because I know that I am buying a quality figure that really looks sleek and cool!