In our ongoing look into the Mega Bloks Assassin’s Creed Collector Line, I’ll be reviewing set number 94306. Unlike the previously featured sets, the Borgia Guard pack isn’t so much about the construction portion as it is about the accompanying figures; as such, this means it’s part of Mega Bloks’ immensely popular army builder sets that began in their Call of Duty series.
Coming in at 122 pieces it’s a quick build, albeit an important one. Accompanying our five micro figures is a significant structure to Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood: a tunnel system entrance. Adorned with SPQR (symbolizing Senātus Populusque Rōmānus, government of the Roman Republic), these passageways were utilized by Roman Assassins throughout the 15th and 16th centuries to quickly navigate the city of Rome and its associated areas.
The build yields itself to the simplistic tunnel entrance design. Standing at about two microfigures in height, it’s a little bit short of being the same size ratio of the in-game models, but the stylized appearance is suitable for blocks. The center of the arch even features the bars that gate the tunnel shut. These can rotate each on a single pivot point to “open” the entrance. Unfortunately, the structure is a “half build”, so from the front it looks great; from the side, not so much. For the price, I think it would have been entirely reasonable to be a complete piece. It also lacks the aforementioned SPQR engraving which, if it means I don’t have to deal with stickers, I’m not going to complain. It does feature the nice marbled plastic, making the bricks resemble stone, something that I always appreciate.
But tunnel entrance is not the main attraction; rather, it’s all about the micro scale army builders. Here the buyer gets to outfit their display with an additional four Borgia guards as well as a bonus, nameless Assassin to stalk them. As I mentioned in the previous reviews of the Cannon Strike and Da Vinci’s Flying Machine, the figures are chock full of detail for their scale. Just like with Ezio and Arno, these figures lack paint apps on the eyes, but rather have holes in the mold in their place. While it may take some getting used to, in the scale it’s welcome, as it means the figures will always have centered pupils. The bodies are loaded with articulation, including the updated swivel elbows that Mega Blocks had introduced in their Call of Duty line. Each figure has a back peg so, if the builder has clear pegs (not included), they can create some cool in-motion poses.
Our Assassin is rather bland compared to Arno or either Ezio available. Garbed in a plain cream-colored robe adorned with a cherry red sash, this Assassin won’t be drawing much attention, though perhaps that’s a good thing. The aforementioned sash, like those of our other Assassin figures, is made of a stretchy rubber with two loops to store weapons; fashionable and functional! He’s equipped with a single hidden blade and sword molded in what I now consider “Assassin Silver”, as all Assassin figures have been outfitted with weapons of this color.
The Borgia Guards all feature the same body, each with a chest piece that slides over the torso. This features four silver diamonds and other details. The variations in the figures come down to their heads, something that no two guards share. Two feature hair pieces, one in black and one in brown, while two others have beret-like hats. The builder is provided with an assortment of weaponry to equip their army including two halberds and two swords. These are molded in a darker, gunmetal plastic while the halberds are in silver. My personal favorite is the black-haired guard, who has a striking resemblance to Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.
This is a great expansion pack to the Fortress Attack set which I’ll be looking at later on. After all, one guard isn’t nearly enough to chase your Assassin’s about. On its own, this set is fair, but when combined with others in the line, a builder really can round out their display. The accompanying tunnel entrance is a thoughtful addition that is certainly welcome. If you’re looking to round out your Borgia Ranks or get into the series, Toys R Us has been running a persistent buy one get one 40% off sale on all Mega Bloks!
Once you get going, it’s hard not to stop coming up with various combat sequences! The addition of various baddies is something that’s often hard to get in larger scales, so this is an excellent way to bolster an offense against the Brotherhood!
UPDATE: If you want to snag yourself this set, you can pick it up over at Amazon, and you can always jump onto eBay and look for a sweet deal on the Mega Bloks Borgia Guard set for Assassin’s Creed.
Happy collecting, building, and holidays from myself to you and your family! I look forward to bringing you more reviews in the coming year!
