For PE sticking with eccentric figures, they produce what they want to produce.

On why it isn't more popular it is a variety of factors. Some people don't want it like you said since it is a "more fantasy figure", others simply don't like "Beast Wars" based characters, and still others can't get over the feeling that the mold looks like a Zoid to them.

For me personally it is simply a low priority. I'm not necessarily against Beasts, but they aren't my first choice. I have way too much on my plate as it is for 3P considering the prices.

 

Thanks alot for your opinion. I generally dislike figurines, fantasy models, etc. and avoided Xerxes/Leonidas for the same reason. I think it only got a pass due to the optimus connection and the fact that it transforms. I just find it interesting as all the reasons you listed seem like the sort of thing most would say and would have led PE to make something more western friendly. Maybe they still consider the US an afterthought or maybe I underestimate figure collector's willing to branch out and buy something like Leonidas.

 

I personally believe the size of Leo/Xerxes was a turn off to many. If it was smaller I think more would have taken a chance. MP size without G1/MP styling eliminated many collectors.

 

Warden is a phenomenal figure in itself and definitely worth a place in your collection (especially if you have any fondness of the IDW MTMTE Fortress Maximus character). If you get him I would recommend the add-on kit as well. Adds height and gives him a great cannon. His alt mode (tank thing) is probably the worst vehicle mode I have ever seen but the head mode and robot mode are works of art.

I'm glad you liked Xerxes. In regards to his loose thigh ball joints, you have several ways to tighten them. You can apply Future floor polish to the ball joint to add an extra layer to the ball. If you cant get a hold of Future, clear nail polish is also perfect for the job. Lastly you could also try the superglue method. The most risky out of the three options but works great.

Just drip a bit of superglue between the ball and socket and work that sucker in all directions. Make sure you keep working the joint and do not stop (stopping before the glue dries will result in a fused joint!). You will start to feel the joint get tighter and tighter as you work it as the glue dries. After a few minutes it should be perfectly tight but still fully functional.

Aside from the nail polish method, both the superglue and Future method can be done without taking the ball and socket apart. The difference is once you apply Future to the joint and work it a little it will still feel loose for some time. Future takes a lot longer to dry. So what I do is drip a bit of future into the joint, work it a bit to coat the joint and then leave it overnight to dry. In the morning it will be nice and tight. Benefit of using Future over superglue is no risk of fused joints as it is essentially just clear Acrylic rather than glue.

Hope that helps.

 

Perfect Effect PE-DX-07 Xerxes review and Leonidas comparison is up and live on KumaStyle.com:

Toy Review: Perfect Effect PE-DX07 Xerxes - Kuma Style

Click the pic to head over:



Here are a few pics from it:

 

Those look fantastic. Did you notice any differences between them QC wise? I'd consider getting Leonidas at the same price in the future (not the 220 Tfsource is asking) but have seen some mixed reviews in the original's quality.

That's extremely helpful. Upon further inspection it actually looks like the swivel joint inside the crotch area that's connected the ball joint in the thigh. The leg is so heavy that it pulls the whole swivel down. Is there a fix for that? Could apply nail polish in a similar fashion for additional friction?

 

Nail polish is generally too thick to coat a joint without pulling it apart. Use Future. I did a similar fix to my Unique Toys Hagen figure. The knees are pin joints and the hips are very hard to access.

Future is great as a single drop will run down the crevices (in between two pieces) via capillary action and coat any joint you need. In this instance the swivel joint for Xerxes.  

Like I said previously. It will need to set overnight but once set you should have a much tighter swivel joint. And if it still isn't tight enough just repeat the process again.

 

he's def slightly bigger than i'd like but such an awesome figure that it didn't matter to me, hopefully they still do the BWNeo Mammoth OP, nemesis ver. is all I want

 

So it took me a while but I finally got around to creating wings for Xerxes!

Still needs to have some more paint applied to add highlights but they are essentially done.





This was inspired by the awesome custom Daimchoc showed us a couple of pages back. I used the Gundam MG Deathscythe Hell for the wings and the Scythe (modified to thicken the handle and painted the bright green laser blade red). And then some lego bionicles for the backpack system as I couldn't source the building block stuff the original custom used (for a decent price).

 

That is super-cool, Razor24. Very nice work.

 

Nice work!  

 

Thanks guys. I'm happy with how it turned out. Helps distinguish Xerxes from Leonidas more so that he's not just a repaint with new weapons.  

 

Just got mine and to be honest, I'm a little underwhelmed. Bot mode is nice, alt mode is really limited I find. Plus the shoulders are a little loose. Not super thrilled with it unfortunately...

 

mine fell off a shelf and the lion head broke of the arm FML

 

Ouch that sucks man