Toy Action Figure Review: NECA Gears of War 3 Series 3 7-inch tall COG Soldier Action Figure ~ Robert Downey

First post of the new year and it's not even 1/6 scale ;p
HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!

"I shall remain vigilant and unyielding in my pursuit of the enemies of the Coalition. I will defend and maintain the order of life as it was proclaimed by the Allfathers of the Coalition in the Octus Canon. I will forsake the life I had before so I may perform my duty as long as I am needed. Steadfast. I shall hold my place in the machine and acknowledge my place in the Coalition. I am a Gear. "
— Oath of the Coalition, sworn by all recruits

These were touted as: "The long awaited sequel to the 12+ million selling Gears of War franchise releases and now a brand new line of figures to commemorate the monumental occasion. Sculpted all new from the ground up, these are the most articulated and detailed Gears of War action figures to date. Featuring over 30 points of articulation, character specific weapons, and all new costumes and armors reflective of their in-game look."

NECA Gears of War 3 Series 3 7-inch tall COG Soldier Action Figure came in a clamshell blister pack. I had bought this figure at the same time as the NECA Resident Evil "Operation Raccoon City" Vector 7-inch action figure (see my earlier post HERE). I don't usually buy non-1/6 scale figures but these two caught my attention because of the nice details they came with.

The Gear was an infantry soldier of the Coalition of Ordered Governments. The term comes from the rotating machine which signifies the unity of the COG and the place of the Gear. Gears are highly trained and resilient soldiers, having been in a continuous state of war ever since the Pendulum Wars. [source: gearsofwar.wiki]

As of the Locust War, the Gears are the primary military opposition to the Locust Horde. Gears are organized into squads of four to six soldiers, as opposed to the swarm tactics employed by the Locust. Gears are usually marked by the Crimson Omen emblem.

Gears are equipped with a range of protective armor, most notably the heavy bullet-resistant cuirass and the compatible apparatus-equipped helmet that provides protection from inhaled chemicals, blunt trauma, shrapnel, and low-velocity or poorly aimed bullets. However, the helmets offer no protection from a high-velocity Longshot Sniper Rifle round.

Gears are equipped with standard COG armor and weapons, i.e. Lancer Assault Rifle, Gnasher Shotgun and Snub Pistol. This is standard unless a Gear is a designated marksman, in which case he is equip with the Longshot, and has a specially adapted helmet, or is part of specific unit with different equipment requirements.

After the Sinking of Jacinto, the Stranded Insurgency, and during the Lambent Pandemic, Gear supplies were at an all time low. Most Gears scavenged what armor and weapons they could. With the absence of Mk 2 Lancer Assault Rifle parts, they started using the Pendulum Wars era Lancers again, and also started using more of the Locust originating Hammerburst.

I really liked the whole armor kit and getup. It makes these guys look as tough as nails and all ready for some action! Never got into the video games or storyline but I know a sci-fi futuristic soldier when I see one and these guys look rock solid and eager for some rock-and-roll of the battle kind :)

Scroll down to see more pictures of this NECA Gears of War 3 Series 3 7-inch tall COG Soldier Action Figure

Even at the height of 7 inches, NECA managed to squeeze in quite a bit of details into this action figure and I just love all the details, from the helmet to the body armor and numerous pouches.

So what if the arms are exposed? It kind of reminds me a little of BANE from Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises". Even the colors and mask bear some resemblance.

This figure would certainly look nice in 1/6 scale if some company can do it

My only beef is the lack of articulation at the arms which doesn't allow the hands to hold the weapon properly. I guess it has more to do with the armor which restricts the arm movement as it does not allow the arms to cross more to the front of the body.

The Mark 1 Lancer Assault Rifle, dubbed the Retro Lancer during the Lambent Pandemic, was the predecessor to the Mk 2 Lancer Assault Rifle. The original Lancer assault rifle was utilized as the standard-issue assault rifle by Coalition of Ordered Governments forces, introduced in the later years of the Pendulum Wars. Known for its reliability, the rifle was an extremely powerful weapon, able to stop a truck, as Baird says, or even bring down a UIR Khimera attack Helicopter, but it had a furious recoil.