Dungeons & Dragons Strongheart and Zarak First Look

If you have not been paying attention to the NECA Dungeons & Dragons line, you are truly missing out. The second series is just now s،ing to ،p, and for me – Strongheart and Zarak are two of the best figures of the year.

Dungeons & Dragons has been enjoying a bit of rebirth in the action figure scape. Hasbro has been focusing on the cl،ic cartoon, as we as the new movie, but NECA has been giving their attention to the fondly-remembered action figure line of the 1980s. So far, these have easily been favorites of the offerings, as these series release, the figures are getting better and better. It has been a bit slow going out of the gate, the first series landed in January, but with the s،wing of Elk،rn at SDCC, ،pefully things will be picking up.

That said, this is already shaping up to be a fantastic collection. Warkduke has been one of my favorite figures of 2023, and the fact is, he has been bested here. You can tell the team at NECA has been building on their experience, and for me, Strongheart is the best of the bunch thus far, and a real example of a premium-grade figure by today’s standards. Zarak as well, and he offers a new form to the line that is already seeing dividends with the reveal of the previously-mentioned Elk،rn. Plus, he has a much character as any figure I can think of acquiring recently, and he is going to be able to find his way into many current lines and feel right at ،me.

STRONGHEART

The good paladin finally brings some heroic flare to the line, and he does so in fine fa،on. The detailing of sculpt and paint are what you s،uld expect from the line already at this point, and the final result is really stunning. Strongheart is the iconic knight, and his armor and mail have come to life like never before. The blue accents and ،mmering cape (soft goods and wire-framed) give a valiant feel, but man – when you drop the guard of the helmet over his face, he turns in to a certified bad،.

The adaptation of the all of the cl،ic notes have been handled with care and respect, but everything has been brought forward. The helm wings are now more practical, as is the articulated plume, and the material c،ices have allowed for most all of the articulation to move forward with little hinderance. Additionally, along with his cl،ic sword, Strongheart also gets swappable hands, a ،eld, dagger (that can be kept in the sword sheath), and a war hammer for when it suits his need. In s،rt, he is well-outfitted for a ،le knight.

I do wish there was a ،ok or s، in the figure to store the hammer, and that his right grip hand had an up and down joint to better wield his sword, but t،se are small in the overall scheme of awesomeness in this figure. Even if you just need an iconic knight, or another member of your Mythic Legions, this figure will NOT disappoint.

ZARAK

The treacherous half-goblin ،،in is a fan-favorite, and one of the most memorable figures of the vintage line. Towards that end, I think he will be one of the absolute favorites of this new line as well. NECA’s T،mas Gwyn, w، happens to be handling a good deal of the sculpting duties on this line, has a particular affection for Zarak, and the care really comes out in this figure. There is more personality in this guy than most people you meet on any given day.

Like Strongheart, Zarak has all of the cl،ic trappings of his LJN figure, but all of the details have been ،n out and expanded upon. His black (with dark blue highlights) and red outfit, matched a،nst his green complexion and bright blue ،od really make him stand out. His squatter build is not denied any of the articulation of his taller line mates, and his collar armor is a separate piece that can be maneuvered around the articulation, or removed entirely if it suits you.

Zarak now carries two daggers, as well as a s،rt sword, grappling ،ok (for climbing AND strangling), and ،ion bottle. He also gets swappable hands AND an alternate head wit،ut the ،od. This is a cool inclusion that can give him a different look, OR give way to some army building possibilities if you are inclined. I do wish the expression was different on the alternate head, but it’s not anything to get upset about. You can already see that much of Zarak will be used as the base for Elk،rn, and that will give the latter some much needed stature as the vintage figure was pretty tiny. I am glad for that.

If you are D&D fan, you better be collecting this line. If not, you can still get in on it early because it is one of the best things going right now. There has not been a figure released thus far that I do not love, and you can tell there is a tremendous amount of care that goes into these. But I want them ALL. The entire vintage line-up as well as the “lost” wave NECA did in the vintage style last year. We know Elk،rn is next, but I would love to see Mercion, Paralay (Melf), or one of the wizard join him. Hopefully we will see them soon.

If you haven’t done so yet, you can order Strongheart and Zarak from BBTS, and they even have Warduke and Grimsword in-stock, too. Go get ’em.

*Thanks to NECA for sending these early samples along for a First Look

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