TBLeague 1/6 Egyptian Gods line

[BladeS]

Welcome brother!!
You won't be disappointed - every one of these TBLEAGUE Egyptian figures I get is a real treasure and to be frank blow a lot of my Hot Toys out of the water - easily some of the best and probably my favourite pieces in the collection in terms of concept, execution, quality and fun factor.
The Tut figure is a beauty!! The black design is really classy and as my learned collegue @BladeS says quite sinister - I went for the white figure, but you can't go wrong with either one in my opinion!
My favourite is probably still Sobek, but Tut is a close second.
Never knew the Tut figure was an Assassins' Creed design! How cool - oddly enough I've been meaning to play the Pharaoh DLC on the origins game for a long time so this might inspire me! Any other designs from the DLC you would like to see in TBLEAGUE form?

@BladeS - I just knew you would pick up both somehow! Thanks for sharing the video - it does look good!! I am tempted to pick up Nephthys and make up my own version of Isis......

There you are! I was hoping you would show back up. I am absolutely truly out of space this time lol... But... I can put things on rotation.

I won't try to persuade you this time like Tut, but she's definitely looking amazing and might be a good companion piece to go with Tut. Especially if you get the throne. I was pretty surprised though, the white version pre-orders seem to be sold out at most places. BBTS she has been sold out for a while, and sideshow has her waitlisted. Black version doesn't seem to be as desirable, and I feel like that's to do with the head sculpt... Looks a little weak.

 

[Garlador]

Hey, you can always do what I do... Keep an eye on Monkey Depot and Toy Anxiety. Grab up the spare parts and you can swap between the black version and the green. Or even do a kitbash of them

Damn, I think I'm in the minority because I think that Nefertiti design is incredible. I love my TBL one but man... It's such a 'sex sells' kind of figure with her having G cup boobs. I know TBL makes a lot of 'sexy' figures, but some are just ridiculous. They've gotten better with their body types recently though. Aset and their Mohegan (lol) figures have mostly realistic proportions.

I think something about halfway with the above design and the TBL aesthetics would have been a perfect fusion for me. I hope they revisit Cleopatra and Nefertiti since those were originally designs with collaboration from ARH comics.

I swear every time they put another Egyptian figure I keep telling myself I'm going to try to kitbash my Nefertiti into something that isn't so ridiculous, but then I fall in love with the newer figures and she stays as is. But I really think I want to use parts from the Nephthys black version and make something this time.

I hear you on that. I like a sexy, busty lady as much as the next hot-blooded guy, but variety is nice and not every figure has to look like a sexy Halloween costume.

Since we were sharing Assassin’s Creed designs, I really liked how they did Isidora.

Regal, classy, attractive, a bit of fantasy, but also grounded.

 

[BladeS]

I hear you on that. I like a sexy, busty lady as much as the next hot-blooded guy, but variety is nice and not every figure has to look like a sexy Halloween costume.

Since we were sharing Assassin’s Creed designs, I really liked how they did Isidora.

Regal, classy, attractive, a bit of fantasy, but also grounded.

Damn, I need to look more into these designs, they all look really great. I wish TBL had taken more direction from the games than just for Tut. Although I am definitely happy with what they've put out recently, all these character art depictions make me feel so much "what could be".

Also for the love of God why can't they make their bodies have a better skin tone. I know they're a Chinese company but seriously. All of their figures are ghostly white... I would love if they got closer to the above picture. My Cleopatra figure is the only one with just a hint of darker skin (and it's almost nothing).

Edit: Is there somewhere I can see a lot of the concept art?

 

[lordnastrond]

I hear you on that. I like a sexy, busty lady as much as the next hot-blooded guy, but variety is nice and not every figure has to look like a sexy Halloween costume.

Since we were sharing Assassin’s Creed designs, I really liked how they did Isidora.

Regal, classy, attractive, a bit of fantasy, but also grounded.

That is a very, very nice character design - the exact sort of look I would love to have in the collection, and feels far more regal and godly then the at times stripperific TBLeague offerings.....
I mean look at this....

this character doesn't even have wings and yet she feels far more like Isis to me....
Just a great bit of character design.

 

[BladeS]

That is a very, very nice character design - the exact sort of look I would love to have in the collection, and feels far more regal and godly then the at times stripperific TBLeague offerings.....
I mean look at this....
View attachment 610352
this character doesn't even have wings and yet she feels far more like Isis to me....
Just a great bit of character design.

Huh, seeing the full body shot of her... I guess TBL did take some inspiration from the games afterall. Look at the black version:

I just wish they had taken more inspiration. Especially in the upper body area.

They always kind of cheap out and re-use their models and just re-color them. The flared wings at the top have been on Aset and Bastet now. A more feathery top piece would have been a lot better imo.

Still though, I like that they are using inspiration from those... Gives me hope for a new Nefertiti. Would be an instant pre-order, no question.

 

[lordnastrond]

Huh, seeing the full body shot of her... I guess TBL did take some inspiration from the games afterall. Look at the black version:
View attachment 610370
I just wish they had taken more inspiration. Especially in the upper body area.

They always kind of cheap out and re-use their models and just re-color them. The flared wings at the top have been on Aset and Bastet now. A more feathery top piece would have been a lot better imo.

Still though, I like that they are using inspiration from those... Gives me hope for a new Nefertiti. Would be an instant pre-order, no question.

I didn't even realize!
See, I said I preferred that version!
Is the plan to put the Nefertiri head on a Nephthys body? That could look quite good, then if you wished you could put the more elaborate Nephthys crown on one of your Aset figures - especially considering the Nephthys black head sculpt isn't the strongest...
Count me in for some undead Nefertiri - they could do an "undead" 2.0 of all their Pharaoh characters, except Tut who already looks a little undead... that would be so cool, interesting and completely different to what anyone else is doing!

 

[lordnastrond]

Speaking of Assassin's Creed designs - just saw this rendering of Sekhmet from the game and I think this is a pretty cool design for the Lady of Slaughter!
I love that it emphasizes her role as a solar deity - especially when (depending on her origin of choice) she is either Ra's queen Hathor in an insanely violent form, or she is the very eye of Ra itself given form as its own goddess of vengeance.....

This little statue/figurine set from Assassins Creed Origins is lovely and I would like to own one.... pity they only ever made 100 of them, they originally cost $500 and the only one for sale is now going for $11,000 on eBay!! Where do these people pull these numbers from!! Who in their right mind would spend that kind of money on this.......

 

[Sardo Numspa]

I still do love this line... I agree, I would have preferred that they went with something other than the donkey for Set, and I'm disappointed that they seem to be moving away from the 2 sculpts per figure, AND the price has really gone up on these. But they are awesome. I went with the closed mouth Sobek because I just generally prefer it, I find it more menacing. Just waiting for my black Aset to show up.
Although I'm enjoying these diorama bases, the footprint is just too big for my space, so unfortunately I can't make the most out of them.
Really, I'm only waiting for a Sekhmet, and I think I can call it a day on this line...

 

[BladeS]

I didn't even realize!
See, I said I preferred that version!
Is the plan to put the Nefertiri head on a Nephthys body? That could look quite good, then if you wished you could put the more elaborate Nephthys crown on one of your Aset figures - especially considering the Nephthys black head sculpt isn't the strongest...
Count me in for some undead Nefertiri - they could do an "undead" 2.0 of all their Pharaoh characters, except Tut who already looks a little undead... that would be so cool, interesting and completely different to what anyone else is doing!
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That's what I'm planning I think. Because I'm kind of loving the white version as is and don't think I'll break it up. But the black one I feel really lukewarm about the head sculpt. So I'm kinda thinking I could scrap the old (too) busty ARH version and combine some of the two together. A part of me was thinking about doing the same for Cleopatra and the white Nephthys but I really think it's a great figure.

Speaking of Assassin's Creed designs - just saw this rendering of Sekhmet from the game and I think this is a pretty cool design for the Lady of Slaughter!
I love that it emphasizes her role as a solar deity - especially when (depending on her origin of choice) she is either Ra's queen Hathor in an insanely violent form, or she is the very eye of Ra itself given form as its own goddess of vengeance.....

View attachment 610416
View attachment 610417
This little statue/figurine set from Assassins Creed Origins is lovely and I would like to own one.... pity they only ever made 100 of them, they originally cost $500 and the only one for sale is now going for $11,000 on eBay!! Where do these people pull these numbers from!! Who in their right mind would spend that kind of money on this.......

Damn that little statue is actually pretty awesome and once again I think it shows that TBL has been referencing their designs more than I realized. Maybe that's why this line is my favorite of theirs compared to a lot of their fantasy stripper releases.

I still do love this line... I agree, I would have preferred that they went with something other than the donkey for Set, and I'm disappointed that they seem to be moving away from the 2 sculpts per figure, AND the price has really gone up on these. But they are awesome. I went with the closed mouth Sobek because I just generally prefer it, I find it more menacing. Just waiting for my black Aset to show up.
Although I'm enjoying these diorama bases, the footprint is just too big for my space, so unfortunately I can't make the most out of them.
Really, I'm only waiting for a Sekhmet, and I think I can call it a day on this line...
View attachment 610676
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Hey another person has joined our little corner, welcome! I love your setup! I was initially surprised you didn't have Tut and then I took a closer look and was like, ohh... Well yeah, that makes a lot of sense actually.

 

[Sardo Numspa]

Hey another person has joined our little corner, welcome! I love your setup! I was initially surprised you didn't have Tut and then I took a closer look and was like, ohh... Well yeah, that makes a lot of sense actually.

Joined the little corner? Hell, I'm pretty sure I started this thread hahahaha!
In all seriousness though, I'm really happy that others have taken to this line. It's great to see how others are displaying them, it really gives me ideas. Also, as I can really only have 1 figure per character (based on my display space), I love seeing the different color variations from other people's pics, and how they go together. Just an awesome set!!!
For me, I went for the Gods, instead of any of the potentially real historic people. But if I had more space, I would have probably gotten ALL of them.
I understand that some collectors are only interested in Marvel, DC, Star Wars, etc., but I think Ancient Egypt and the mythology really captivate some people. Regardless of the flaws I've suggested here or there, I think Phicen/TBLeague have knocked it out of the park with these figures, especially considering the price point of the earlier pieces. Also, it's pretty amazing how many figures they've produced from this line. I do wish they would use different bodies for the different Gods, considering that they have lots of different shapes and sizes to choose from.

 

[BladeS]

Joined the little corner? Hell, I'm pretty sure I started this thread hahahaha!
In all seriousness though, I'm really happy that others have taken to this line. It's great to see how others are displaying them, it really gives me ideas. Also, as I can really only have 1 figure per character (based on my display space), I love seeing the different color variations from other people's pics, and how they go together. Just an awesome set!!!
For me, I went for the Gods, instead of any of the potentially real historic people. But if I had more space, I would have probably gotten ALL of them.
I understand that some collectors are only interested in Marvel, DC, Star Wars, etc., but I think Ancient Egypt and the mythology really captivate some people. Regardless of the flaws I've suggested here or there, I think Phicen/TBLeague have knocked it out of the park with these figures, especially considering the price point of the earlier pieces. Also, it's pretty amazing how many figures they've produced from this line. I do wish they would use different bodies for the different Gods, considering that they have lots of different shapes and sizes to choose from.

Holy crap I didn't even realize you were the original poster! It's been just a couple of us in here for so long now that I figured all the original people in this thread had ventured off. I'm stoked to see you are still collecting from the line, and I definitely agree it's kind of impressive how long they have kept up making figures from this line. From what I can tell these have been their most popular releases and having a lot to work from I'm sure they will keep churning them out for the foreseeable future.

Fantasy stripper figures are kind of their bread and butter but it does seem like they are at least improving their designs a lot over the years to be more complex. Although they do re-use a lot of the same parts, they also release figures really quickly compared to other companies, so it's kind of trading one thing for another.

I agree on the body situation... Phicen/TBL is like the Gold Standard of seamless bodies in the 1/6 market, they could really be pushing the boundaries with other skin tones and styles. But, since they are most often highly associated with their seamless line, they probably don't have as much incentive to do more if what they're doing is working already. Kind of a shame, I REALLY wish at a mimimum all of the releases weren't white washed (or stark black). But China doesn't have the best view of other races (not necessarily always maliciously, they're majority fair skin!).

 

[lordnastrond]

Awesome pictures and awesome collection @Sardo Numspa
Sekhmet is definately one of my top 3 most wanted and I do hope they go more brutal and savage with her design, while keeping the Egyptian aesthetic - in my opinion a couple stray a little from the Egyptian vibe in their attempts to make the character look more badass - most notably Osiris.

For me Sekhmet and Thoth are the two deities they haven't done yet that I am most looking forward to.
I would love to see them move beyond a warrior type caste for their male figures and use a slimmer body - Thoth is not a warrior, he is a scholar and a sorcerer and his appearance needs to reflect this.
In contrast Sekmet is a chance for them to do a female Egyptian character as a militant type - though in truth I would prefer if she were more savage and bestial than just a mere warrior - she ought to be intimidating and wild.

There are some outliers that I honestly don't see them doing but would be really happy to buy just from a design point - like Tawaret, Hathor in her cow headed form and Khnum

I would pick up a more Egyptian looking/undead/accurate Osiris in a heart beat.
Would love to see 2.0 treatments of a few of the deities and pharaohs seen so far - Seth is in desperate need of complete overhaul and like @BladeS said it would be interesting to see them tackle some of their older figures with all the skills they have since learned.
Odd as this may sound since she hasn't been released yet but it would be cool to see a Nephthys 2.0 that is actually accurate to the goddess, at the moment she is basically a wingless Aset/Isis 2.0 - I want to see Nephythys with her utterly ridiculous regalia of a miniature house on her head
And I know its a weird thing to be stuck on given the creative liberties taken... but for me I can't get over none of the Horus figures so far having his iconic double crown! Its literally the single most important part of his regalia and appearance that differentiates him from iconography of Ra or other falcon gods!!

 

[BladeS]

Awesome pictures and awesome collection @Sardo Numspa
Sekhmet is definately one of my top 3 most wanted and I do hope they go more brutal and savage with her design, while keeping the Egyptian aesthetic - in my opinion a couple stray a little from the Egyptian vibe in their attempts to make the character look more badass - most notably Osiris.

For me Sekhmet and Thoth are the two deities they haven't done yet that I am most looking forward to.
I would love to see them move beyond a warrior type caste for their male figures and use a slimmer body - Thoth is not a warrior, he is a scholar and a sorcerer and his appearance needs to reflect this.
In contrast Sekmet is a chance for them to do a female Egyptian character as a militant type - though in truth I would prefer if she were more savage and bestial than just a mere warrior - she ought to be intimidating and wild.
View attachment 610796View attachment 610797
There are some outliers that I honestly don't see them doing but would be really happy to buy just from a design point - like Tawaret, Hathor in her cow headed form and Khnum
View attachment 610795View attachment 610793View attachment 610794
I would pick up a more Egyptian looking/undead/accurate Osiris in a heart beat.
Would love to see 2.0 treatments of a few of the deities and pharaohs seen so far - Seth is in desperate need of complete overhaul and like @BladeS said it would be interesting to see them tackle some of their older figures with all the skills they have since learned.
Odd as this may sound since she hasn't been released yet but it would be cool to see a Nephthys 2.0 that is actually accurate to the goddess, at the moment she is basically a wingless Aset/Isis 2.0 - I want to see Nephythys with her utterly ridiculous regalia of a miniature house on her head
And I know its a weird thing to be stuck on given the creative liberties taken... but for me I can't get over none of the Horus figures so far having his iconic double crown! Its literally the single most important part of his regalia and appearance that differentiates him from iconography of Ra or other falcon gods!!

I definitely think Sekhmet will be an upcoming release for them, I just hope they make her fierce looking, since Bastet looked like a house cat. For Thoth I could see going for a design with a book and maybe more robe layers almost wizard-like, given that they're adding those draping layers to Nephthys. Although I'm 100% certain they're going to make him a beefcake even though he's supposed to be more of a scholar. Thinking they'll do something lean or thin is like thinking TBL will stop making stripper fantasy figures. Hell, they use the same body for at least 5-6 boxed releases in a row until people start to complain. I'm just glad the latest batch of female figures finally fixed the GIGANTIC bust.

Tawaret would be fun given her role in the mythology, but a sexy hippo would be way too difficult for them to pull off, and we all know sexy is their #1 priority before accuracy or complexity.

Honestly I'm pretty happy with Nephthys's design (since I bought both with no space for them!), but I completely agree they should have given her the house headpiece at a minimum. I'll keep saying it but it irritates me now that I own a handful of their figures how much they reuse... I pointed it out when I got Aset but her head piece was taken straight from Cleopatra's design which was already 2 years old at the time! ... yes yes faster releases and all that, I know.

We can complain all day here but most of their core userbase is eastern collectors who just want fair skinned sexy dolls, so it's hard to say if we'll get any major changes, but the fact that Nephthys has some layers gives me hope for the future. Tut is still my absolute favorite with his 5 different layers and undead aesthetic, even it was ripped straight from a game. (Please do Nefertiti, please do Nefertiti!)

One more complaint while I'm typing out my long post on a Saturday morning... I wish they would do more with the head sculpts, especially on the white washed human characters. Cleopatra is one of their oldest releases from this line and she has heavy makeup and the Eye of Ra design surrounding her eye. Everything recently is just a generic white woman face. Even their faux Native American releases recently had some fun face paint designs on them. I think that would at least make them more aesthetic...

Anyway, that's all my ranting, I got the body armor for my black version of Tut and he is complete now:

Assembling him from scratch was a doozy of a task and I would have preferred to just order the $130 one from BBTS had I known it was even going to be a thing. I thought I was being slick getting him for like $100 by parting him out on Toy Anxiety's 45% off sale.

 

[Garlador]

My Tut arrived, but he's ostensibly a Christmas present to myself, so into the wrapping paper and under the tree he goes...

 

[BladeS]

My Tut arrived, but he's ostensibly a Christmas present to myself, so into the wrapping paper and under the tree he goes...

Haha, you're a stronger man than me, I'd at least open it and check for any damage or missing parts or anything.

 

[BladeS]

I found a seller on Ebay today that had Nephthys for 195 in stock in the US, so I canceled my BBTS order(s) and figured I'll pay the extra $30 to get the duo sooner and then I can step away from 1/6 collecting for a good 4-5 months until Gametoys AC Cloud drops.

As I keep stating, I've kind of hit my limit on space, so I'm ready to not be waiting on anything else to drop. Should have them by the end of the week, pretty stoked. Not sure when the thrones will ship though, I used a bunch of Sideshow rewards to get them for dirt cheap.

 

[Kebron]

Anyone else hoping that once TBLeague is done with Egypt mythology, that they take a crack at another line like Greek/Roman?

 

[BladeS]

Anyone else hoping that once TBLeague is done with Egypt mythology, that they take a crack at another line like Greek/Roman?

Short answer: Absolutely, or Norse would be incredible. Fresh off the hype of the God of War games.

Long answer: They dipped their toes a couple times previously, with Hercules and Athena. But that was in their earlier days, so I would love to see them revisit with more style... flowing dresses and jewelry pieces, etc.

 

[BladeS]

Nephthys came in on Friday as expected. Got her out this weekend and set up. Definitely without a doubt one of the most frustrating Phicen/TBL figures I've had to assemble, because of her skirt/belt/armor pieces just not fitting properly and sitting on top of each other correctly.

Quick review on the figure this time, and then a bunch of pictures.
Pros:

1. The white version head sculpt is one of the prettiest sculpts that TBL has done, despite that I think it needs some Egyptian aesthetic to it and being completely white washed.
2. The staff is one of my favorite designs so far outside of King Tut's.
3. The layered clothing pieces are all wired and have such a fantastic overall aesthetic. They are my favorite part of this design, and the biggest selling point for me on picking up this figure. In combination with the throne (which I don't have yet), I think the shelf presence is immense with all the draping cloth.

Cons:

1. Assembling the figure was seriously painful and frustrating
2. The black version head sculpt isn't as impressive as the white version, but I still actually like it quite a bit.
3. The white version has a staff with a blue gemstone in it, but the rest of the figure uses red accents... Why didn't they just do all blue gemstones on the clothes like on the Bastet white version? It feels like they were lazy.
4. While I enjoy the draping clothes pieces, posing the figures can be frustrating and time consuming trying to get the dress to sit right
5. I think Aset with her big imposing wings has more shelf presence than Nephthys, but I don't have the thrones yet, and I think that's the big selling point to match that wow factor.
6. I've said it before but it continues to bare repeating, they reuse so many things... So many pieces... 90% of this figure is recolors from past figures. The only new pieces are the dress ones. You could make your own Nephthys/Aset superfigure by adding the dress pieces to Aset and it be just the same. It's actually something I'm thinking about due to my space issues.

Overall I'm happy with them, and really excited to get the thrones in.

Couple of random bonus pictures while I had space in the cabinet:

 

[Garlador]

Haha, you're a stronger man than me, I'd at least open it and check for any damage or missing parts or anything.

Well, Christmas Day, so got my present opened up. My initial impressions, soft-review, and some pics.

Okay, so this is my first TBLeague figure. I've got a couple Hot Toys and other 1/6 figures from various companies, but this is the first foray into their offerings. BBTS had this guy for under $125, and I even grabbed a "damaged" box for a few more dollars off (the box had the mildest of creases on the back, so I feel like I got a MAJOR deal on this guy). So... let's get to King Tut, shall we?

As someone used to the build, size, and weight of Hot Toys, I was surprised at just how much heft these figures and their metal skeletons have in comparison. TBLeague's famous seamless body is also very impressive. I've long heard their praises, and it's almost a shame that 99.9% of this figure's seamless body is covered up. Almost.

Because the amount of layers and the tailoring is exquisite. While I wish there were handling instructions (so I wouldn't have put a few armor pieces on prematurely, only to discover I had to remove them later for other bits), referencing the promo images was enough to get my bearings. There was some very minor creases and folds some light steam mostly handled, and admittedly some parts didn't quite fit as easily as I hoped (that left shoulder pauldron really doesn't want to stay affixed to the collar piece), but it's a small price to pay for such a handsomely displayed shelf piece. The amount of differing materials all come together so well - from the metal to the fur to the variety of textured fabrics. You can look at him for hours and find something new.

The joints are solid, even if the large staff is perhaps a bit too hefty for really dynamic poses, and the death mask head is flexible enough to offer a surprising range of motion. While he has a lot of "kingly" presence, you can get some really cool dynamic poses from him as well, if you so choose. It's nice that he comes with several staffs and accessories, you're given the choice of swapping and changing out parts to build the version you want. I've stated earlier, I like this "Assassin's Creed Origins"-inspired look, so I've gone all-in on most of his stylings.

One thing I really appreciated was the presentation. The box itself is a work of art. It feels so much less like a toy than a museum piece crafted with care. From the layers and layers of soft foam surrounding every accessory to the magnetic cover (which I used as a backdrop for several pics), TBLeague really knows how to make a great first impression.

And that's not even touching the throne. The figure alone would have been worth the asking price, but the chair they include is exquisitely detailed, finely painted, and really brings the pharaoh's look together. I have him currently seated beside my computer desk and he looks like he always belonged there, lording over the rest of my collection beneath him.

Overall, he's not perfect. No figure is. The amount of materials means some bits of him don't always stay where I want them to stay, but it's not nearly enough to diminish what's on display here.

I grew up with a strong fascination with Egyptian mythology and history as a young child that carried over into my adult years. Every time I go to the museums, I hope they have a section for Egyptian art and history. I spent many years in my youth drawing Tut's death mask, and I never thought we'd get a figure like this. I have certain "rules" for my 1/6 scale collection due to the limits of budget and space - almost exclusively the heroes that I grew up loving and admiring - and Tut wasn't on my "list". 1/6 scale collecting is an expensive hobby and I don't easily deviate, or make impulse purchases.

But BBTS's sale was too tempting and my interest too strong, so Tut's now at home and a breath of fresh air from my normal superhero and Japanese robot acquisitions. There's admittedly not much else in the Egypt line that really excited me like this one did, but this is enough to represent an important part of my formative identity. And the positive impression of TBLeague's construction makes me feel a lot better about a few of their upcoming seamless body figures to modestly calm my fear of them wearing down and breaking.

It's a good Christmas present for me, and it might be the last 1/6 purchase I make for awhile. He may not be my favorite figure on my shelf, but he's definitely one of the most positive and high-quality offerings I've seen yet.