BATTLESTAR GALACTICA MINIMATES

Diamond Select Toys and Art Asylum

I've said it before, I'll say it again: I LOVE THE "Re-Imagined" BATTLESTAR GALACTICA SERIES on the Sci Fi network. I watched the Mini-Series and thought it was OK, but as soon as I saw the episode "33" I knew I was hooked. I've been along for the ride ever since.

Then you add to that my love of Mini-Mates and you have a match made in heaven.

When Art Asylum showed their first prototypes of the BSG Minimates at Toy Fair two years ago I KNEW they would be mine. At the time they were showing both classic and "modern" BSG Minimates. The Classic stuff was put on the back-burner. There was an assortment of Classic Cylons released around Christmas of 2006, and just last month DST announced they they will at last be bringing the other Classic Minimates to the market in the form of a heroes and villains set of boxed sets. (I'll be buying two of the heroes sets so I can kit bash Apollo and Starbuck in both their viper and dress uniforms. I might even combine Boomer and Adama and make a Col. Tigh).

With the announcement of the Classic boxed sets that leaves the tally of items show in 2006 that we are still missing as the vehicles. At Toy Fair 2006 Art Asylum also showed both classic and modern Vipers and Cylon Raiders that were in scale wit the MiniMates. My fingers are crossed that we might still see them next month at DST's showroom.

I never really bought in to the whole block figure craze, but I picked up the first batch of Marvel Mini-Mates when they were released and I been hooked ever since. They're a bit like Pringles where "you can't have just one." The thing that I like about Mini-Mates, that I think set them apart from other figures of this kind, is that fact that they are not shy about sculpting new parts for the base figure. It gives you so much more variety when looking at them on a shelf. A lot of other block figures only make their changes with paint and there's a bit too much uniformity for my tastes. But looking at the BSG Cylon you almost can't quite believe that there is a Mini-Mate base body at the center of it. In many of the Mini-Mate lines they are now able to use the 2" Mini-Mate base body for larger characters.

Another great thing about Mini-Mates is that even at this scale they aren't afraid to include all of the necessary accessories for the characters. I the case of BSG that includes flight helmets, guns and notepads, and in this new wave bottles of booze, cards and family photos!

One really interesting thing that Mini-Mates is able to do is to capture a likeness of an actor with just a simple caricature. They all use the same cylinder head and molded hair that gives them such a great uniformity and uniqueness all at the same time.

As we all sit here and wait for April to roll around so we can see the fourth and final season of BSG to air let's take a closer look at the second wave of Battlestar Galactica Mini Mates.

Wave II card back

Cannon Centurion Cylon and Lt. Boomer

Boomer comes with her sidearm and a flight helmet.

Commander Adama and Colonel Tigh

Adama comes with a book and his picture of him and his kids with a Mark I Viper. Tigh... comes with booze. As he should. He has both a bottle and a flask. Tigh also comes with a spare hand that has a hand of octagonal cards like they use on the show.

SEASON 1 Spoiler Click Here

President Baltar and Caprica Six

Baltar comes with a book on "How to be a Spinless Coward in 6 Simple Steps." Caprica Six comes with a chuck of concrete. The same one she used on Caprica to become the first Cylon to kill another Cylon.

Here's a look at the other announced upcoming assortments

Wave III

CAG Starbuck & Commander Lee Adama, Caprica Sharon Valerii & Number Three, Helo & Chief Tyrol and Helo & Variant Deck Chief Tyrol!

Wave IV

This assortment features President Roslin & Tom Zarek, Cally Tyrol & Felix Gaeta, Doc Cottle & Miniseries Gaius Baltar and the limited Laboratory Baltar

Diamond Previews has an exclusive two-pack featuring the human-hunting Mortar Pack Cylon Centurion and one of the best pilots the Galactica has ever seen Kat! 

Check out these other features on DST/Art Asylum's Battlestar Galactica Mini-mates:

Battelstar Galactica Minimates Wave I

Toy Fair exclusive casual Starbuck, Cylon 5-pack, Cylon Elf, Classic Cylon Assortment