There’s been a massive shift in just the past few years, and had I not been the father of daughters, I don’t know if I would’ve noticed. As our girls (5 & 8) started developing their interests, we quickly discovered a long-standing wall when it came to play categories, and we ran into it just as the debate about gender-based play was really starting to heat-up. Action figures and toy cars “for girls” was a shocking thing for some people, and we thought that was ridiculous. Kids should be able to play with whatever they’d like, and that’s just the way it’s always been here at our house. Then things started to change rapidly, and in just two years we’ve seen a category shakeup that’s brought forth IAmElemental action figures, DC Super Hero Girls, Star Wars Forces of Destiny and most recently, MYSTICONS — a fresh, transmedia property that features a hit series on Nickelodeon, books, trading cards, and yes – toys!
Early on, it was noted that Playmates Toys was involved with the production of Mysticons, and that amped-up my personal excitement for the toy line. After all, this is from the same team that’s been behind the massive successes of TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, Voltron and Ben 10. Likened to “Manhattan meets Middle Earth,” there’s a lot to love here, and when the crew over at Playmates sent over an assortment of figures for review, The Rock Daughters™ were immediately into it.
We have Em, Piper, Zarya and Arkayana with her Griffin, Izzie.
Enter the World of Mysticons: “In a land of fairies, dwarves, and griffins, in a time when the future is Now, a darkness is descending on the kingdom of Gemina.
Four girls are chosen to be legendary warriors by the mysterious Dragon Disk. Known as the Mysticons®, their quest is to find all four parts of a magical book called the Codex—each piece of which will grant one of the girls special powers to help her in the battle against evil.
Together they will encounter skeleton warriors, the undead Baron Dreadbane, and—darkest of all—the evil Queen Necrafa. But they’ll also have some help along the way, including their loyal griffins.”
Arkayna Goodfey is a smart, determined, and idealistic princess. She has some basic magic skills and loves riding her griffin, Izzie. Arkayna was chosen to be the Dragon Mage of the Mysticons and comes with her powerful Dragon Staff, dragon arm bracer, and a baby dragon. Izzie is one of the Royal Griffins descended from the original Mysticons’ steeds, a thousand years ago. She’s also Arkayna’s griffin of choice, whether they’re flying into battle or just skimming the skies above Drake City.
Zarya Moonwolf is a street orphan who has survived by her wits and nimble fingers. She’s fiercely protective of other street kids, especially Piper. As Mysticon Ranger, Zayra comes with her magical bow and arrow, wolf bracer, and her pet foz, Choko.
Piper Willowbrook is an optimistic, bubbly, young elf who is in constant motion. A parkour master, Piper pings off walls with ninjabatic skills—but she also loves music, glitter, and anything cute. As Mysticon Striker, she comes with energy hoop, a phoenix arm bracer, and a little plushie.
Emerald “Em” Goldenbraid is a wise and courageous dwarf with a big heart. She’s also the Royal Griffin wrangler and loves flying on her favorite steed, Topaz. As Mysticon Ranger, Em bears a powerful Star Sword and Shield. She also comes with her unicorn arm bracer and a baby griffin.
As with the other lines that Playmates puts out, the Mysticons are incredibly detailed and articulated for the price. In fact, these should be right around the $10 mark if you find them at regular price, and that makes them a great value as well. Colorful and fun, they capture the look and feel of the show, and kids (boys and girls alike!) will find them to be a welcome addition to their action figure collections – and they’re sized in that 6″ range, which means they’re in the perfect scale to have many adventures with other toy lines that your kids already have,
MYSTICONS are available now at major retailers everywhere via Playmates Toys. They’re featured here on The Rock Father™ Magazine alongside the ReadySetz Urban Playset (reviewed here), and considered one of my picks for the Best of 2017.
