Goonhammer Reviews: Joytoy x Warhammer 40K Abaddon the Despoiler

Coming home from the grocery one evening, I found a package on my doorstep from Shenzen, China. Now, I haven't gotten a lot of packages direct from China for various reasons (1), but I knew I had an order outstanding from Cool Toys Club. There was only one thing it could be:

Credit: Kevin Stillman

Abaddon the Despoiler, Warmaster of Chaos! One of my most hotly anticipated Joytoy figures, radiating power and menace, and by far the coolest and most expensive of the surprisingly-limited Black Legion line. The line so far consists of a 5 man squad of Legionaries, a 5 man Havoc Squad, the Dark Vengeance Chosen, a Terminator Squad, the 2012 Terminator Chaos Lord, the 2018 Black Legion Chaos Lord from Blackstone Fortress, and a Helbrute. The only ones that I believe are still easily available are the Chosen; the line has been going for some time and the Black Legion has been surprisingly thin. One cannot complete a Black Legion Combat Patrol in Joytoy scale, which is disappointing.

Anyway, you still have 20+ unique Black Legion figures and Helbrute, and now you can have an Abaddon the Despoiler to lead them against a First Founding Space Marine Chapter. So how is the figure? Is it worth the wait? Let's find out!

Packaging

At this point there isn't really a whole lot to say about Joytoy packaging. We get a nice sturdy box with pictures of the action figure and the contents. These pictures can be helpful in figuring out what some of the accessories are supposed to do, as we'll get to below. Snug within the box is a black vacuum-formed tray with Abaddon inside, plus his accessories. The packaging keeps Abaddon snug and protected while journeying through the warp to the doorstep, but is not so voluminous as to prevent the figure from going from shipping box to lightbox in less than 10 minutes.

Sculpt

Credit: Kevin Stillman

Look at this big boy, Goonhammer Owners, Patrons, and Readers. This is Abaddon the Despoiler! A faithful recreation of the plastic model, from tzompantli (2) to Power Boots. Each skull, spike, bullet, and chain link feel unique, and able to recreate the dark majesty of the miniature's sculpt. The shoulders sit below Abaddon's head, the wires and tubes and chains all hang naturally, and even his topknot doesn't get in the way. There's even some spikes that can keep Abaddon's fur pelt on the model.

He's also sized like a Primarch. He is about equal in size to Roboute Guilliman, which sells him as the subline's leader figure. I don't have any of the Black Legion Terminators so I cannot compare him in size to them, but it would not surprise me if he's a smidge taller than they are. After all, Abaddon is bigger than the Joytoy Cataphractii Justaerian Terminators and-similarly sized sculpts. He is, however, appropriately smaller than Angron.

Credit: Kevin Stillman

Paint

For the most part, the model is molded in black and gold plastic. The black does not have any highlights (unlike the earlier Death Company Intercessors), but that's fine. On a toy the model is big enough that we don't necessarily need the paint job to create reflections. The Gold also does not have any obvious washes, but the paint has a texture that helps sell the antiquity of the baroque gold trim. The Eye of Horus sculpts throughout the model have more going on, with a red outer eye and yellow inner eye surrounding the pupil.

Credit: Kevin Stillman

Where Joytoy spent the money on the paint operations was on all the other detail. The hoses are all two-toned between black and silver, and pop well against the black plastic of the armor. The metallics look like they have some light drybrushing, which helps sell the depth and adds visual interest. The skulls on the tzompantli and belt are gorgeous, featuring color faders and tones.

The cloth and loincloth actually do have various highlights and shades on them, which help sell the differing materials.

Credit: Kevin Stillman

And lastly, the face? It's perfectly rendered to show Abaddon's determination and cruelty, with detailed eyes and shadows. Even in the relative light-deprived portions of my office, my eyes are drawn to the Despoilers' face.

Credit: Kevin Stillman

Poseability

Like most Joytoy figures, Abaddon is an extremely poseable action figure, capable of taking most poses and looking fierce either leading his Black Legion or squaring off against another hero. Each finger on the Talon of Horus is jointed, and has an internal joint so like his Gene-Father, Abaddon can use the Talon to give everyone the finger. He can also turn his head from side to side, but it's harder to move up and down because the topknot gets in the way. None of his dangling bits (tubes, bullet feeds, chains) really get in the way of posing him, so one has a variety of options. I personally think the design recommends him being posed/faced like his miniature, but it does have the option of a neutral pose or even emphasizing the sword arm.

One minor knock is that I'm not certain how far the Talon of Horus can swivel around the wrist. I don't think it's more than 90 degrees, which makes re-creating the precise orientation of the miniature's right arm difficult.

Accessories

Credit: Kevin Stillman

Abaddon only comes with five accessories: The first is the optional fur cape, that fits over his left shoulder on some spikes sticking out of the armor. It stayed on OK, but not enough for me to keep it on the figure. two alternate hands beyond his kung fu grip hand, the rebreather from one of the model's headsculpts, and Drach'nyen, the End of Empires/Echo of the First Murder/the embodiment of his Great Grandfather's murder. The sword is glorious, the blade having a metallic blue fade with the sword's metal in the mouths and eyes of the haunted faces on the blade. The shaft is suitably spikey, which can make it...tricky to get into his hand without poking yourself.

Standalone Ability

Abaddon comes with a clear plastic stand included, but I did not feel the need to use it to pose him. He's a very well-balanced model, with a solid construction and fine center of gravity. He stands easily.

Credit: Kevin Stillman

The Final Verdict

Winner winner chicken dinner. Abaddon the Despoiler is an excellent addition to any Joytoy collection, or even the perfect starting point if you're a fan of Chaos. As a faction leader he can be displayed on his own or at the focal point of a larger collection. As an antagonist you can bash him against another figure (a Guilliman, Calgar, or even Titus) and have fun with him on your desk.

Credit: Kevin Stillman

(1) Which, hopefully, will be affirmed ultra vires soon enough. (2) His trophy rack of skulls

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