“If the Master is here on Gallifrey, then this represents the final challenge. It explains why I was brought here.”
The second batch of Doctor Who 5.5-inch collectors sets for B&M stores in the UK arrived in November 2023 and included a pair of History of the Daleks releases as well as the sole 3-pack of 2023. This single three-pack had long been rumoured as being taken from the 1976 story, The Deadly Assassin, which had many speculating on the contents including a re-release of the decaying Master. Instead, Character surprised us by delivering a set containing three robed Time Lords from the story.
The packaging for this new three-pack has the same dimensions as the older sets but has now moved to the newer theme and colour schemes, established for the 2023 anniversary year with the late Summer B&M releases. This translates as a white box overlaid with a secondary blue colour and carrying various call-outs confirming the contents of the set, the story from which it is taken, and that this falls in the era of Tom Baker’s 4th Doctor. The new format of colour coding Doctor’s remains a bit undefined within the limited sets we’ve had so far. The Deadly Assassin set seems to be using the same blue accent colour that was described as the general colour scheme for non-era specific sets and as has been used on the Five Doctors set from a couple of months back, and again on the new series Daleks this time around. I assume the colour coding will become clearer as more sets are released. The box continues with the long-established inclusion of the gold ‘limited edition’ sticker in the bottom corner.
Around the back of the box is the very extensive background text detailing a very in-depth breakdown of The Deadly Assassin storyline. This is a relatively recent update to the 3-packs from 2021 as earlier sets have been lacking in this level of detail while the Dalek and TARDIS releases have always carried it. On this release, the text doesn’t feature the usual Character Options ‘behind the scenes’ info around the props, costume or the making of the serial.
It seems this release also marks the transition of the 3-pack format to include a backing card and blister packaging to hold the figures rather than a traditional window box. This does leave the edges of where the window should be prone to feathering and damage. It also means there is no longer a clean way of opening the box and then resealing the contents afterward. This change does, however, bring back a coloured backing card for the sets, with a blue vortex cardboard insert as opposed to the drab grey that has been used since the diorama backdrops were withdrawn.
*original 2008 Time Lord figure on the far right
The Deadly Assassin set, based on the 1976 story, actually doesn’t include the Deadly Assassin and instead takes the Time Lord figure released back in 2008 and from this base body creates three new figures based on the Deadly Assassin. These robed characters include Chancellor Goth, Cardinal Borusa, and the Fourth Doctor himself.
We start with Borusa who is actually just a full repaint of the original Time Lord figure, even though that wasn’t specifically designed as Borusa but instead the Time Lord seen in the flashback scenes from David Tennant’s Season 3 final story arc. As this was never sculpted to look like Borusa, the likeness to actor Angus MacKay is lacking and ironically the paintwork of the original figure with the grey hair is more accurate than this new version where the hair has been painted in brown.
The costume is however impressive with the robes of the original Timelord figure recast in deep red plastic and painted with golden line work and a silver trim down the front of the gown. The shoulder and headpiece remain a translucent plastic, now deep red, and include further red trims around the edge and through the middle alongside the painted Timelord Seal which is executed in a black base colour, dry brushed over with gold. Borusa’s costume is finished off with the hands painted in black to simulate gloves with a circular silver disk.
Chancellor Goth does get a new head sculpt, one that does have a resemblance to actor Bernard Horsfall, albeit quite basic in execution as is the way of the long-running Doctor Who figures. The head for Goth appears larger than his peers in the set, not too much to look out-of-scale, but certainly larger. Goth’s body is again the same robed Time Lord figure, now cast in a light brown, almost orange, plastic. The robes for Goth lack the detailing of Borusa but are weathered ever so subtly with a lighter brown colour. We also get a diamond silver & black pattern down the front trim - a slightly simplified but reasonably accurate replication of the onscreen costume.
Goth’s shoulder and headpiece is translucent orange with orange, gold and red trims. The Time Lord seals are painted in the same way with a black base and gold details, and Goth’s finish on these seals appears much crisper than Borusa’s. Like Borusa, Goth’s hands are also painted to represent gloves. This time they are a glossy brown finish and include the silver disk on the rear of each hand.
The final figure is the Fourth Doctor in his Timelord robes from The Deadly Assassin. As with Borusa and Goth, the whole base figure is the same 2008 Time Lord with the Doctor. The base colour plastic is pretty much the same as used on Goth although the Doctor’s inner robes are the same brown as the outer robes and these also lack any ornate pattern or details, although they do carry forward the lighter brown weathering.
The shoulder piece is once again translucent plastic, with the Doctor receiving orange trim only and black and gold painted Timelord seals. The Doctor’s hands are flesh-coloured. The head sculpt is a new Tom Baker sculpt which does have a minimal likeness while also appearing slightly too slim and dour for the Doctor. The hair is crammed in under the skull cap which also throws the likeness slightly although Character have done their best at depicting the hair pushing its way out at the front and sides.
As all three figures share the same body, they also share the same articulation. On paper, this is 16 points in total, but the reality of a robed figure does mean much of the lower leg articulation is locked in by the skirted part of the robes. The arms too are held back at the shoulders leaving movement really only available at the pinned elbow joints and in the wrists. The heads can rotate slightly within the headpiece, and the only other movement of note is the waist which will rotate but adds nothing other than repositioning the inner skirt slightly.
The B&M Doctor Who Collectors sets have been built on repaints and repacks over the years, with only the more recent sets starting to see additional cast parts like new heads. To that end, this Deadly Assassin set and its re-use of the Timelord robed body is not a surprise and fits very much with the keeping of these sets ensuring a low retail price of £21.99 is held - less than £8 per figure. The set will, in my opinion, suffer slightly from lacking any variety, and including a decaying Master in lieu of one of the Time Lords may have been a better option. I do very much like the Time Lord figures, each of them is different enough in paint and head sculpt so as not to look regimented and I wouldn't be averse to seeing other variants in the future (very much like Dapol).
Providing production numbers are not significantly reduced on this 3-pack after the 2022 sets hung around for far longer than B&M may have hoped, then this set is unlikely to attract the scalping problem seen with the Dalek & TARDIS sets. However, the inconsistent distribution and lack of an online offering will still see some collectors frustrated while tracking this down. I do assure you, for fans of the Classic era, it will be worth it.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...
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