Fans of Masters of the Universe are living in remarkable times right now. There seem to be new and incredible MOTU toys being announced every month. Mattel is delivering the vast majority of the new MOTU toys. However, Mattel has licensed MOTU out to some other toymakers to create some fantastic MOTU toys, too. One of those companies is Mondo. Mondo is known for delivering some phenomenal work. However, the drawback is that Mondo is a small company and, therefore, charges a high premium for its toys.
One of the latest MOTU offerings from Mondo that is about to be released is a 1/6-scale Battle Cat action figure. This figure was teased at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, and it definitely got MOTU fans drooling.
Of course, with toy collecting, nothing is as simple as it may initially seem. There are several factors that complicate whether fans are going to purchase this new Mondo Battle Cat. Before we get to those factors, let’s take a look at what Mondo is offering with this new 1/6-scale Battle Cat.
Price
Mondo’s 1/6-scale Battle Cat ain’t going to be cheap, guys. Seriously. This beast will cost an eye-watering $500. I would end up paying $25.60 in sales tax, for a total of $525.60. Shipping is free anywhere in the United States.
Look, I love the Mondo Battle Cat. I am also a massive MOTU fan. But, good lord. Having to shell out $525.60 for this figure makes my brain hurt. There is no doubt that many fans are going to tap out of buying this figure the second they see the price tag.
Size
The Mondo Battle Cat is a 1/6-scale figure. This beast comes in at a stunning 18 inches (ca. 46 cm) in length. That is insane. That is roughly the size of a small house cat. This is unbelievable. I never thought we would ever see a Battle Cat action figure of this ridiculous size. This Mondo Battle Cat is going to dominate your toy shelf. No doubt about it. This is definitely a centerpiece attraction.
Features and accessories
The Mondo 1/6-scale Battle Cat is fully articulated. Seriously, the level of articulation is beyond what I would ever imagine getting in a Battle Cat figure. The pose-ability of this Battle Cat will be off the carts.
The sculpt of this figure is phenomenal. This Battle Cat is loaded with intricate detail that brings this character to life in a vivid fashion. The paint looks spectacular. The attention to detail is top-notch. Setting aside the shocking price tag, the 1/6-scale Battle Cat is gorgeous. No doubt about it.
The accessories include four different Battle Cat heads. These four heads include a normal Cringer head, an unmasked angry Battle Cat head, a Battle Cat head with a small helmet, and a Battle Cat head with a large full helmet that looks like the traditional Battle Cat helmet.
The Mondo Battle Cat also comes with armored gauntlets for the front legs and an armored saddle. The final accessory is an adorable baby Cringer figure.
Look, I am never going to justify the $500 price tag. It just is not going to happen. But, I will admit that Mondo has loaded up this 1/6-scale Battle Cat with plenty of impressive accessories in an effort to justify the high price tag. Getting four different heads with beautiful sculpts is a ton right there. Add to those accessories the armored saddle that actually has articulation and a baby Cringer? That is an impressive selection of accessories for this figure.
Timing and Availability
The Mondo Battle Cat will be on sale from 10/25/2022 to 11/1/2022. This figure will be limited to two per customer. I wish that Mondo would not limit the sale of this figure to just one week. Most people get paid biweekly. It would make more sense to run the sale for the 1/6 scale Battle Cat for a two-week period to give more people a chance to purchase this figure if they think it is worth the money.
Verdict: Purchase or Pass?
Look, I love this Mondo Battle Cat. It is a phenomenal piece of art that also works as a functional toy. I fell in love with this Battle Cat the second I saw the fully painted Battle Cat at San Diego Comic-Con 2022.
The sale for this figure began on October 25, 2022. One of the biggest problems is that this sale period of October 25, 2022, through November 1, 2022, takes place right in the middle of the crowdfunding campaign for the Masters of the Universe Origins Eternia Playset. The Eternia campaign started on October 12, 2022, and will run until November 9, 2022.
Mondo should have seriously considered pushing back their sale window by a month. Mondo is squarely aiming at the adult MOTU collector with their 1/6 scale Battle Cat. The fact is that most collectors will not be able to afford to purchase an Eternia Playset and the Mondo Battle Cat at the same time. That would be spending a little more than $1,000 on two toys in the same month. That is crazy.
Mondo sticking with their October 25, 2022, start date forces most MOTU fans to decide to get either the Mondo Battle Cat or the Eternia Playset. I love this Mondo Battle Cat, but I can only rationalize purchasing either the Eternia Playset or the Mondo Battle Cat. I simply cannot in good conscious purchase both. Now, that is just me. If you think buying both toys is worth the money and can afford it, then go right ahead. Everyone has to make that decision for themselves.
Since I decided I would only buy one of these two toys, I did a comparison of what I would get for my money with both toys. There is no doubt that the Mondo Battle Cat is incredible and comes with excellent accessories. However, the Eternia Playset blows away the Mondo Battle Cat in terms of both size and features. You can check out my full rundown of all the features, accessories, and figures that come with the Eternia Playset. It is a mind-boggling amount.
The Eternia Playset is going to cost me $638 including taxes and shipping. The Mondo Battle Cat would cost me $525.60 including taxes and free shipping. That is a difference of $112.40. To me, I am getting a far larger toy in the Eternia Playset that will come with tons of accessories and features, as well as two limit edition action figures. When comparing the two offerings, Eternia seems to be delivering far more for the money.
The Eternia Playset will complement and finish off my MOTU Origins, Classics, and Masterverse collection. After all, even though this Eternia is part of Origins, Mattel was sure to show the blueprint of the Eternia Playset scaled to a Masterverse figure. This was a brilliant way for Mattel to let collectors know that this playset is scaled to Origins, Classics, and Masterverse so it will appeal to as wide a range of MOTU fans as possible. On the other hand, the Mondo Battle Cat really would just stand by himself in my collection.
Having said that, if you have no desire to own an Eternia Playset or if you do not have the room to display the Eternia Playset then the Mondo Battle Cat would make more sense for you. Of course, that is if you think the Mondo Battle Cat is worth the $500 plus shipping price tag.
And that is the rub right there. Even if Mondo was not offering this Battle Cat during the Eternia Playset campaign, I doubt that I would purchase it. I have only been able to rationalize purchasing the Eternia Playset because it is far cheaper than spending $3,000-$4,000 for a complete and mint vintage Eternia Playset. While I do think the Eternia Playset should be offered around the $350-$400 price point, instead, I at least see where it is still my best deal to get an Eternia.
The Mondo Battle Cat? I just can’t see spending any more than $300 for what Mondo is offering.
Again, toy collecting is a personal journey, so if you decide the Mondo Battle Cat is worth the money then that is fine. Enjoy what is certainly an outstanding-looking toy.
In the end, toymakers really need to start reconsidering the escalating prices for their toys, as well as the timing of the releases for their toys. Toymakers would be smart to treat collector toys a bit more like movie studios treat blockbuster movies. Movie studios tend to avoid releasing their big blockbuster movie the same week as a blockbuster from a competing studio. Mondo would have benefited from that approach with the Battle Cat figure.
Lastly, the escalating prices are going to eventually become a serious problem for the industry. We have already seen collectors push back on Hasbro’s pricing for the Engine of Vengeance crowdfunding campaign. Toy collecting is a luxury, and collectors only have so much discretionary income. We are rapidly approaching the limit of what prices collectors are going to tolerate for their toys.