M'Baku was the build-a-figure (BAF) from the 2019 Marvel Legends Black Panther wave 2. To build Man Ape you had to purchase all 6 MCU figures from the wave.
Assembly 4/5
Assembly of M'Baku is straightforward as always with the parts collected from all 6 figures. The trickiest element is the legs which are not overly easy to slot into the thighs with the skirt impeding your view of the operation.
Paint & Sculpt 5+/5
The 2019 Black Panther wave has given us some of the best MCU face sculpts so far in the Marvel Legends line, and M'Baku is another sculpt and face print of high quality with an excellent likeness to Winston Duke. The hair piece is a separate piece and is glued in place over the sculpted head and that does leave a very slightly visible gap around the hairline.
The tribal outfit is spectacular with a variety of sculpted detail of fur, leather and other materials. Each element is well painted, with washes and dry brushing applications used to bring out the sculpted detail.
It is also great to see Hasbro have maintained a good scale with M'Baku, sculpting him half a head taller than Black Panther.
Accessories 3/5
M'Baku comes with a single accessory, his staff. This is cast in a glossy brown plastic and has no further paint application on it. This does leave it looking slightly at odds with the depth of paint apps on the rest of the figure. It fits in either hand, and can also be held in two handed poses.
Articulation 4/5
While he may be a bulkier character and a build a figure, M'Baku is still presented with a good level of articulation - 18 points in total.
Head - ball joint with pivot
Body - mid-torso ball joint
Arms - ball joint shoulders, bicep swivel, double jointed elbows, pivot wrist
Legs - ball joint hips, thigh swivel, single joint knee, ankle rocker
The legs are restricted behind the large skirt area so can't really do much. The arm are much more mobile and can be raised or turned to brandishing his staff ready to lead the Jabari into battle.
Summary
While not a traditional Build-a-figure, M'Baku is an absolute triumph and in many ways upstages all the other figures in the wave - even the impressive Klaue & Killmonger sculpts. Everything is well executed and well painted, with the only minor gripes as the hairline and the staff.
If you want a centrepoint for a Black Panther or Infinity War display then M'Baku is your man - ready to lead his forces into battle. I score him a 5 out of 5.
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