Asmus - Gandalf the White - Crown Line

Chopper Face said:

The new stand pole is pure trash. I think the one for my HD Aragorn and Ash (before I sold it) both split from the force of the crotch grabber. Does this one with gandalf actually fit securely in th estand port? So far, every one has been loose.

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Sure, it actually fit just great. But the metal part was a bit too short IMO, so as I tried to adjust it a bit, it split. The plastic is very thin and cheap- which is so odd because the rest of the stand is so heavy and solid.

I guess I could superglue it, but I'm lazy, and will almost certainly get more glue on my fingers than the part... so I just emailed sideshow and they will mail me a new part.

Galacticat said:

Sure, it actually fit just great. But the metal part was a bit too short IMO, so as I tried to adjust it a bit, it split. The plastic is very thin and cheap- which is so odd because the rest of the stand is so heavy and solid.

I guess I could superglue it, but I'm lazy, and will almost certainly get more glue on my fingers than the part... so I just emailed sideshow and they will mail me a new part.

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mine almost came apart when I was adjusting it. It seems like the force of the metal pushing on the plastic stand column just right could be the issue.

On that note: GTW is a fantastic looking figure!
I didn’t do any futzing, just some water on his outer robe.

Set up my GTW today. Asmus brought their A game to this one. However, it still needed some customizing. First thing I did was to hit his skirt with some diluted white acrylic paint to lighten it up. Then I padded his torso to fill out the tunic. I'd rate this the second best Asmus LOTR figure, right after Gimli.

^ Great photos!

Got mine from BBTS, along with Eomer.

No time to set it up, it'll require a good shelf reshuffle to accomodate and I have an oral medicine test to study for. BUT I took a cursory glance and I'm very impressed. Asmus really pulled out all the stops on this. Obviously the rooting is the big thing, but these are easily the best eye decals I've seen next to Hot Toys. Even InArt's production Joker doesn't have that level of detail on the iris.

Shadowfax is nice but I'm not too bothered with it, never was. I think it's kinda insane they made it out of polystone and not plastic, but so be it. Still absolutely well done and may have a place one day. I got to live out my Barbie Horse Adventures for a moment when unboxing it lmao.

It's a shame this wasn't THE turning point for Asmus. I fear they put all their resources and budget into nailing this that other stuff suffered. Boromir is so average and Gollum just doesn't feel like a win the way this does either.

But alas, in any case, this is a great release and I think one of the few figures that you'll be able to transplant to an Inart collection pretty well.

Stephen Gentile said:

Set up my GTW today. Asmus brought their A game to this one. However, it still needed some customizing. First thing I did was to hit his skirt with some diluted white acrylic paint to lighten it up. Then I padded his torso to fill out the tunic. I'd rate this the second best Asmus LOTR figure, right after Gimli.View attachment 624118View attachment 624119View attachment 624122

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Really? You place Gimli ahead of GtW? Not disputing, just found that interesting.

GhostBeard said:

Really? You place Gimli ahead of GtW? Not disputing, just found that interesting.

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Just my opinion, but for the complexity of the outfit and accessories, new body, intricate rooted beard, and price, I'd say it was a 10/10. And I didn't need to change the color of any part of his clothing.

Stephen Gentile said:

Just my opinion, but for the complexity of the outfit and accessories, new body, intricate rooted beard, and price, I'd say it was a 10/10. And I didn't need to change the color of any part of his clothing.

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2 people I know of have said something negative about this release. They are literally letting their hatred of Asmus sway their opinion. This is a 10 release. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Stephen Gentile said:

Just my opinion, but for the complexity of the outfit and accessories, new body, intricate rooted beard, and price, I'd say it was a 10/10. And I didn't need to change the color of any part of his clothing.

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What exactly did you do with the acrylic paint? Dip the skirt in it? Very curious to what you did, as it looks great.

AssassinHood said:

What exactly did you do with the acrylic paint? Dip the skirt in it? Very curious to what you did, as it looks great.

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First dunk the skirt in water, and ring it out to make it damp, then thin the white paint and brush it on the front side, making sure it covers uniformly. Place it on a paper towel to absorb the excess water and let it dry thoroughly.

Stephen Gentile said:

First dunk the skirt in water, and ring it out to make it damp, then thin the white paint and brush it on the front side, making sure it covers uniformly. Place it on a paper towel to absorb the excess water and let it dry thoroughly.

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Does it dry stiff? Or is it still flexible?

Bucky Underbelly said:

Does it dry stiff? Or is it still flexible?

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Flexible as long as the paint is watered down. You're just looking to stain it enough to lighten the tan skirt, not make it pure white.

I think 10/10 is extreme. I love this figure but it lacks in the look and feel a little too much for a perfect score.

There’s nothing super wrong with it it’s just a bunch of little things. The clothes fit a bit baggy and the body doesn’t feel very premium. The skin tone is a bit too dark and some of the fabric choices don’t feel authentic. His vest and outer sleeves look and feel very synthetic which seams out of place. I’m fine with synthetic materials if they can convincingly look like something they would use in that universe but I don’t find that to be the case here.

These are all minor nit picks but I can still envision a better version of this character so I’d still call it an 8-9/10.

Whether someone comes along and improves it meaningfully enough to justify a new purchase is a different question.

Bucky Underbelly said:

Does it dry stiff? Or is it still flexible?

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If you use Angelus acrylic leather paint, you don’t have to worry about it drying stiff. Since it’s made for leather, it’s meant to stay flexible even after it dries. You’d probably still want to water it down for this application though since you’re not going for pure white. I’ve used it many times on other fabrics before (even though it’s made for leather) and it works very well in my experience.

Gipetto0812 said:

If you use Angelus acrylic leather paint, you don’t have to worry about it drying stiff. Since it’s made for leather, it’s meant to stay flexible even after it dries. You’d probably still want to water it down for this application though since you’re not going for pure white. I’ve used it many times on other fabrics before (even though it’s made for leather) and it works very well in my experience.

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Would fabric dye work for this as well?

EDIT: and would you recommend white or flat white Angelus paint?

There really is not such a thing as white dye...but you could try using Rit Color Remover?!

Daz or BLEEEEAAACHHHH !

Gipetto0812 said:

If you use Angelus acrylic leather paint, you don’t have to worry about it drying stiff. Since it’s made for leather, it’s meant to stay flexible even after it dries. You’d probably still want to water it down for this application though since you’re not going for pure white. I’ve used it many times on other fabrics before (even though it’s made for leather) and it works very well in my experience.

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There is an additive for Angelus paints called 2Soft which makes it even more flexible for cloth/canvas surfaces. Have an additional step adding heat after application (I use a hair blow drier) for it to set up correctly. Bonus is that it will be dry quicker.

Xman1990 said:

Daz or BLEEEEAAACHHHH !

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If it’s synthetic bleach won’t even really work

Just got a mail from Sideshow that my Gandalf is delayed. Big rip.