Review: 75118 Captain Phasma
Posted by CapnRex101,
The spectacular chrome armour of Captain Phasma has turned the character into a merchandising sensation, one only topped by the appeal of Kylo Ren and BB-8. 75118 Captain Phasma will probably therefore prove to be one of the most popular Buildable Figures yet released and with good reason in my opinion.
This is one of the larger figures from the second wave, priced at £19.99 and containing 82 pieces. I suspect the cape accounts for much of that value as the figure is superficially similar to 75114 First Order Stormtrooper which is cheaper, although the increased size of Phasma's F-11D blaster rifle and the slightly more complicated construction methods used in 75118 also justify it to an extent.
Box and Contents
The packaging for each of the Buildable Figures is taller than it is wide in order to best show off the character on the front. Captain Phasma looks suitably imperious standing on the loading ramp of a First Order Transporter although I think the posing is slightly awkward. Phasma's height is given as 26cm on the back of the box, making her the same as Kylo Ren in that regard just as Gwendoline Christie and Adam Driver, the actors who portray the two characters, are the same height in reality.
Inside is the instruction booklet, two bags of pieces and the cape which is wrapped in plastic. Captain Phasma's helmet is also packed in its own little bag to protect it from damage, just like all the other Buildable Figure head components.
The Completed Model
Captain Phasma's shiny armour is instantly recognisable and I think the pearl silver colour used in this set represents it nicely. It would be interesting to see a chrome version but I think much of the printed detail would be lost. The designs on the chest armour are almost identical to those on 75114 First Order Stormtrooper, with some very slight variation around the belt, although that is no bad thing.
However, the most intricate printing is reserved for the helmet, which looks absolutely brilliant. The stripes running across the crown of the helmet are perfectly accurate to the movie and the textured detailing of the mouth is very impressive. Lots of battle wear is included too which only increases the authenticity of the component, particularly since three different tones are used and the patterning really gives the impression of natural damage.
The cape is equally impressive, with a red binding stitched along the edge just like we see in the film! I have not seen such a technique appear in a LEGO set before and it oozes quality, hence I suggested that the elaborate cape might be the main reason behind the price point. It is fixed in place around the neck and a Barraki eye element is used to pin the cape to the back as you can see in the image below. This does not bother me but you can remove it altogether if you wish and the cape will still hang nicely.
Phasma's rifle is very similar to that of 75114 First Order Stormtrooper which is only to be expected as both are based on the F11-D model, with the only differences being the colour and the length of the stock. The longer stock on this weapon fits snugly into the shoulder for braced firing and a missile can be launched from the barrel which works nicely.
Unfortunately there are a couple of drawbacks. The figure is articulated at the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles, but the movement of some of these joints is restricted due to the use of 6M beams with ball/cup for the upper arms and thighs. The way in which the ball is attached allows very little lateral movement and this impacts on the poseability of the figure quite significantly, especially on her arms.
Furthermore, the feet look slightly awkward due to the absence of 3L Technic liftarms such as those used on 75108 Clone Commander Cody. Their inclusion would not restrict the movement of the ankle so it would have been nice to see them appear here.
Overall
I suspect 75118 Captain Phasma will be one of the best selling Buildable Figures. The character is obviously very popular as a result of her impressive appearance and the model is equally outstanding, making use of lots of pearl silver elements, some of which have not appeared in this colour previously. There are a couple of slight improvements which could be made but the positives far outweigh the negatives, due in particular to the highly detailed helmet.
This figure offers a great deal of play value but also looks marvellous on display, especially when placed beside a couple of Stormtroopers for either a troop inspection or an action scene. I highly recommend this set and it is one of my favourites of the second wave.
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14 comments on this article
Thanks for the review! Nice set, I think (if I have the money left over from other things) I might buy it!
I'll definitely be getting this, it will go well with my 12" and 3.75" Phasmas.
I love all the fabric elements presented here. It's kinda a shame that Bionicle doesn't have more stuff like this. These types of elements are extremely useful for MOCing and honestly, the capes by themselves become selling points for us. Key word of advice for set designers, throw a cape on it, we'll buy it. Capes make everything better!
Which caped or robed figure would you say is the best of this set? If I can only get one, I think I'd probably pick Ray as she's got the most new elements and colors that we don't really see in Constraction. But I'm wondering of the three who has the best textile element.
Yeah, her elbows using the restricted joint is a very odd choice considering that most of the figures use the more open method. What is interesting is that this technique is relatively new to CCBS sets- I don't recall any Hero Factory or Ultrabuild sets using this technique and only a couple of new Bionicle sets have used it.
Sadly, I do suspect that sales of merchandise related to Phasma will be impacted by her (lack of a) role in the movie.
@Matt89190 - Yes, I will be reviewing them all. 75139 Battle on Takodana is next but 75140 Resistance Troop Transporter will be covered soon.
@3rdeye88 - It depends on what you are looking for. The fabric elements in this set and 75113 Rey are quite specialised and therefore not as useful as those in 75117 Kylo Ren. However, I think Captain Phasma is just about my favourite of the three taking the quality of the entire figure into consideration. All three are excellent though.
She is certainly one of the more enigmatic characters of TFA. I wish they had utilized her a little more in the movie considering how interesting of a concept she is (a female storm trooper captain, that has a strong physical presence). I'm certainly leaning towards getting this set, and keeping my fingers crossed Gwendoline Christie will be reprising her role in the next Star Wars chapter.
Phasma and Rey are still the only two I'm going to get. Speaking of which, when are you guys reviewing Rey and Finn?
@Jener8: she has been confirmed for Episode VIII. Also expect at least one deleted scene with her on the blu-ray release.
I am holding out for the Boba Fett figure.
Got mine today along with Ren and a trooper - All three together look excellent
She looks great, as others have said it is sad that her role was so small in the movie.
A minor side note: It would be nice if you would also post the price on some non UK denominations, I think her price in the IU is $24.99 if I'm not mistaken.
Terrible series...
"The spectacular chrome armour of Captain Phasma has turned the character into a merchandising sensation, one only topped by the appeal of Kylo Ren and BB-8."
Pity she's only in the movie for about thirty seconds worth of scenes.
I can't help but feel that Phasma is a pathetic attempt at recreating the success of Boba Fett with Fans, right down to the part where she's barely in the film (although lets face it, they'll find a way to put her in ep8, just for the merchandise)
Unfortunately, she seems to have been a fairly successful attempt at recreating the success of Boba Fett. Well, we'll see how long that lasts