Final Faction: Alpha Team Blades Weapons Pack exclusive review

Brash and self-confident Scope already had a dedicated accessory pack of his own, so it only seems fair that his sister, Shift, would get one, too. This is sort of a "Series 2.5," though this time all the sets - Assault, Rampage, Blades, Cyborg, Dragonfly, and Razor - are for the Alpha Team, with no new additions for the Kharn. Sorry, space-baddies; you'll have to wait to get cool things until later.

Stinger
Dual-edged staff that comes equipped with tasers.

This is easily as described: a long staff with forked blades on each end. The "Stinger" name presumably comes from the electro-shocks it can deliver, but those tips really look more like claws than stingers. The full staff is taller than Shift is, which will be great for improving her reach in battle, but the fact the figure has no wrists means she won't ever be able to hold it in both hands at once. Also, since this is the longest piece in the set, it's easy to notice how soft the plastic is compared to earlier accessory packs.

Mikey
A radical set of bladed nunchaku. Can only be wielded by a master practitioner.

Oh, a "radical" set called "Mikey"? I wonder if she brought these back when she was in New York? Normally nunchucks wouldn't count as a bladed weapon, but these have arrow-point tips, similar to Riptide's harpoons, and then studded bumps at the end where they join together. Impressively, this little weapon - which, we'll remind you, comes in a set that only costs $1.25 - has a chain holding the two pieces together. It's minimal, just a single free-moving plastic link between the links that cap off each end, but it means the nunchucks can be swung around, not just held. How about that!

Double Dragon
Dual-edged, armor-piercing blade.

This is a long weapon with delicate, hollow blades. They look enough like wings that if this came with some sort of Ninja Batman figure, you wouldn't even question it. I guess that's where the "Dragon" part of the name comes in? The way the handle sticks off the body suggests she's meant to wield this like a tonfa, though the shape of that handle (specifically the pommel at the end) suggests a balljoint that's supposed to plug into something else? Maybe we'll see in the future.

Shuriken
Deadly throwing star that never misses.

The three blades on the shuriken are stylized like the ones on the Double Dragon: pointy, slightly hooked underneath, and with a large hollow running through the middle. One thing that's stayed consistent since the Covert Ops pack is that these accessories are large enough they could almost be used by a 6" figure. Like, you could give this to Storm Shadow, and it wouldn't look wrong. In fact, it would look unusually large for him. This is like if Blade's glaive had three prongs instead of two.

Blade Pack
Perfect for that hero with more blades than they can carry, this pack is a necessity for Shift.

It's a good thing Shift's hair sweeps to the side, or this little backpack would never be able to fit on the figure. This is, ultimately, just an undetailed frame meant to store all the weapons: the Shuriken plugs into the center, the Double Dragon above that, and then there are pairs of clips on the sides for Mikey and the Stinger. Both sides have two clips, so either they were considering making the Stinger able to split in two, or it's just so you can choose which side you want them to be on. In a great move, there's a hole in the Double Dragon that allows you to plug in Shift's existing swords, so she really can carry all her gear at once.

Just as with Scope's Long Range pack, this set is a nice bonus, but not something you really need to make the existing toy feel complete. Even in the cartoon when Shift picks up some new weapons, her swords remain her signature choice.

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