Review of Firefight - Triarama 1/6th Diorama

Introduction

One of the best things about the high end sixth scale figures currently available is how sweet they look displayed on a shelf. These aren't collectibles that are meant to be kept boxed up in a dusty attic - you need to open these babies to truly appreciate their magnificence.

But many collectors, myself included, like to spice up the display for them a bit, giving them someplace to stand that adds to their overall appeal whenever possible. Sadly, that's not as easy as it sounds, and while you can try your hand at your own custom dioramas, buying them is always the easier albeit more expensive route.

Most of the manufactured dioramas in this scale are as expensive as the figures themselves, something that turns away many collectors. But Triad Toys comes to the rescue with their series of Triarama dioramas, designed to be more cost effective but every bit as attractive.

The latest release is the 'Firefight', produced in a very limited edition of just 200 pieces. Yes, you read that right - now compare that to a DC Direct 'limited' edition of 7000, and you might see why I roll my eyes whenever the term gets used so loosely.

Packaging - **1/2
One of the places Triad saves money is with the packaging. Since these are online only for the most part, there's no need for fancy packaging to catch your eye. Instead, they come in simple white boxes with small labels.

I'm fine with that, but they did use that annoying low density foam that flakes off and ends up all over the place. That stuff bugs the crap out of me.

There's no Certificate of Authenticity, nor is there any printing of the edition number or size on either the box or the base, so you'll have to remember that this is only a production run of 200 pieces.

Sculpting - ***1/2
The base is fairly large, about 10" square. It's designed with a huge - and I mean huge - pile of spent cartridges rimming the outside, with several crushed and damaged human skulls. There's a smattering of rock and dirt as well, and enough room for a figure to stand easily amongst the detritus and debris.

There's some great detail work here, especially on the casings. The skulls are excellent as well, and the various types of damage exhibited by each skull gives them some individuality.

It's important to mention that there are no posts or holders for the figure - it just stands on this base. So if you're uncomfortable with your figures just hanging out and prefer to lock them into the gripping stands, these displays won't work as well for you.

Paint - ***
The paint isn't quite as good as the sculpting, but it's solid B work.

The brass is very dirty and sloppy, but that works in this case, giving it a realistic look especially over the whole. The ground beneath is clearly muddy, and the dirt would end up all over everything.

The skulls look decent as well, but the edges where they meet the ground and rocks aren't clearly defined. What that means is that the gray of the rocks often rides up the skulls, hurting some of the realism.

Value - **1/2
This is a solid polystone base, not a hollow plastic version. Considering that Sideshow charges two to three times as much for a resin diorama (to be fair, some of those are larger), I'd say that this is a pretty solid value. Add in the tremendously small edition size, and you have quite a bargain.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing!

Overall - ***1/2
This base can work with a number of different licenses, and I've shown it with three very different figures. It's large enough to work with the huge T-600 from Terminator, which I think is the best fit. But even licenses like Sideshow's G.I. Joe or Hot Toys Expendables will work.

I love the price point, even with some of the paint issues. It's great to get sixth scale dioramas as this price, and makes it possible to up your display of the high end figures - and the low end ones too - without breaking the bank.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - **
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***
Value - ***1/2
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Your best bet is to pick this guy up direct from Triad Toys, where it runs $50.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Related reviews include:

- I looked at two of the other Triarama Dioramas here.

And other sixth scale dioramas include:

- Sideshow's Recon at Waypoint (for Joes, mostly).

- Sideshow's Reactor Station Alpha.

- other more license specific environments include Hot Toys T-700, the Ark that came with Sideshow's Toht, the Fertility Idol environment that came with Belloq, the Jabba Throne, and the Han Solo in Carbonite.

- and if you want to get a bit more old school, don't forget the Freddy Kruger furnace Sideshow did years ago.

- and in the 8" scale, there's the nifty Phantom's Throne.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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