Eldor Brings the MOTU Magic To Preternia

Preternia’s great wizard makes for another strong addition to Mattel’s Masters of the Universe Classics.

Eldor is one of the last major players from the Preternia mythos, so it makes total sense that we’d see him get the Classics treatment before the end of Mattel’s toy line.  And he makes for a nice new figure, loaded with intricate sculpted details and welcome new tooling.

Most of Eldor’s new parts are employed in his chest overlay, a soft rubber piece sculpted to look like a half-open tunic, complete with a removable hood and a belt with runes, a satchel and more cool little details.  The sculpting on this piece is great, and features a great sense of realism thanks to thew worn edges of the fabric, the sculpted folds within the cloth and the texture of the hood.

I’m very impressed with the quality of the hood itself– it’s sculpted as a separate piece which allows it to rest very naturally on Eldor’s head… but it can also be removed, revealing the top of the robe which is folded to give the appearance that the hood has been folded down to rest on the sage’s back.  This is a nice detail for the sake of continuity within the figure, and allows for multiple display options… while also showcasing the very detailed new head sculpt.

Eldor’s face is appropriately aged, with some deep wrinkles on his forehead and around his eyes, as well as a nice, natural scraggliness to his beard.  The head is (literally) topped off with a great helmet/ skull cap piece, also sporting a great texture and an eye catching copper finish giving it a legitimate metallic appearance.

As if the quality of the figure himself wasn’t enough, Eldor also includes some very nice all new accessories.  His staff is a great, highly detailed sculpt– the knotted wood wrapped around a translucent jewel makes for an iconic weapon for any spellcaster such as this guy.  And I guess Eldor wouldn’t be that great a “Guardian of the Book of Living Spells” if he didn’t include the book itself.

The Book is an excellent piece, adding to the overall MOTU lore and serving as the perfect accessory for Eldor.  The sculpt is great, with a wonderful texture in the leather-like cover, the worn and tattered edges of the pages inside and the gold trim around the corners.  I also dig the familiar red cross and “H” on the covers of the book… although the fact that the binding actually features two hinges allowing the book to open and close might be the coolest part.  Yes, this is the first articulated BOOK I can think of in toy form, and that’s pretty cool.

I’ll be honest– I’m still a fairweather Masters of the Universe fan, so at this point I’m really in this collection only to cap off my vintage toy characters in the modern style.  That being said, though, as someone who appreciates any and all well-made and thoughtfully crafted toys, Eldor is a great figure, and an addition to the MOTU Classics line I will happily hang onto.