“I would die for these colors”
Lieutenant Titus was part of the second and final general release wave of McFarlane’s Warhammer 40k series for 2024. The wave would feature Titus and an Imperial Commissar with both figures available as painted or unpainted artist-proof releases. The wave was shipped in the final quarter of 2024 with Titus already sold out and prices accelerating on the secondary market to way beyond the circa £30 RRP.
Unlike most WH40k figures from McFarlane, Titus is based on a video game appearance following suit with the Dark Tide figures from 2022. He is taken from his role in the 2024 Space Marine II video game with the new format packaging also carrying the videogame logo. This new window box, established at the start of 2024, features a white base design with the deep grey and grim gothic backdrop seen on the first releases now moved to the right-hand side spine where the character name is confirmed. An appropriate colour application to the left side spine according to the Chapter or allegiance of the Character, for Titus this side panel is Ultramarines blue and carries the Ultramarines chapter symbol. The rear of the box is turned over purely to an illustration of Titus with no background history or detailing.
Lieutenant Titus utilises some of the Space Marine Intercessory parts that were first released in 2020 when the WH40k line launched. The Marine body is engineered by McFarlane to be modular so as the line expands new shoulder, chest, belt and leg parts are introduced over the basic body and Titus offers some impressive enhancements to the loyalist Marines that have gone before. The body is essentially all cast in blue plastic with a new Imperial winged eagle logo across the chest painted in a metallic gold finish. Both shoulder armour panels appear to be tailored for Titus with the right-hand side featuring a sculpted skull emblem and scroll work that states ‘Ultra’ with Purity Seals added to the side and the bottom of the armoured piece. Moving down the arm we find the wrapped chain that Titus sports in the game around his right wrist as an individual piece cast in grey plastic but left unpainted beyond its base colour. The left shoulder is less detailed but is studded around the side and painted in gold, with an Ultramarines logo in the centre with battle damage scoring down the centre and into the plastic itself.
The belt features further Chapter relics and details including another golden skull icon, a reliquary scroll and for the first time on a Marine, soft goods skirt pieces. Sadly, these fabric pieces are of extremely low quality and come out of the box fraying. They hang unnaturally flat and considering the WH40k Marines are limited in articulation these would have been best served as sculpted parts. The armour concludes with more Ultramarines designs on the lower leg armour, and a further purity seal. The backpack is the same basic design as before but rather than a painted Chapter symbol, the Ultramarines ‘U’ and an inset skull is sculpted onto the backpack and painted in gold.
Titus is the first WK40k release from McFarlane to come with an alternative head. The unmasked head is modelled after the game and while these are improving year-on-year, the likeness and paintwork is still way behind other companies like NECA and Hasbro. The unmasked head features painted details rather than photo printing and while details like the hair, eyes, facial hair, and the service studs are picked out neat enough - there is a cartoon look to the figure which is probably to be expected from a company that focuses heavily on figures from comics and animation.
You can swap this out with a helmet head which slots on a small ball joint protruding from the neck ring. The helmet appears to be the same as included with the original Intercessory releases with a skull emblem on the forehead. It is cast in blue with a white painted crest and a central red stripe. For me, the helmeted look provides a more satisfactory finish and it's how I will be displaying my Titus.
Weaponry includes a bolter which is also carried forward from the 2020 Ultramarines Intercessor. This is cast in grey with no further decor. It is designed to fit in Titus’ right hand where a trigger finger is extended from the grip. As has been an issue continually with the line, the hands are very tight and the plastic not soft enough to make weapons grip easy to obtain - you may need some gentle heat to tease the weapon into place. The same is true of the second weapon, the Thunder Hammer, which is also difficult to put into either of the gripping hands. The Hammer features more detail and decor than the bolter with the hammer head emblazoned with a gold painted sculpted Imperial Eagle.
The bulky Marines feature 18 points of articulation, much of which is restricted in some way by the armour. McFarlane has engineered some enhancements to extend articulation, notably the shoulder pauldrons which sit on their own joints and move up and out when the shoulder joint is raised. The arms therefore are relatively wide ranging but lack any ratcheting, and straight out of the box my Titus's right arm is loose and difficult to pose anywhere outside of a neutral position at his side. The legs can extend out to wider stances, and to walking/running poses in which case you may find the included circular base a benefit to support the figure by way of a single peg that slots into either foot.
Lieutenant Titus represents another step forward for the McFarlane WH40k line and as should be expected as their RRP has jumped considerably since the rebranding of 2024. Titus features much more painted and sculptural detail - something that the WH40k miniatures are renowned for and to date have only been included on the Gold Label Exclusives. Titus features sculpted battle damage, Purity Seals and armour personalisation all of which are crisp in casting and in painting. The paintwork also now feels more dishevelled and worn as the battles of the 40th Millenium should be, and that weathering and battle damage adds much more character. Titus is accurate to his visuals in the game and while the head sculpt is not perhaps to everyone's taste, there is thankfully an alternative head option included. If you are purchasing Titus also be mindful of potential weak arm joints, and hands that are tough to open for weapon grip without some gentle application of heat.
The release of Titus came just ahead of the Amazon Secret Level anthology series in which he features and that has boosted the figure's desirability. And while the Ultramarines now make up a majority in the McFarlane Marine ranks, I personally would not mind some additions to Titus’s squad of a similar quality.
Keep Track of all the Warhammer 40k figures from McFarlane at our comprehensive
If you are reading this via a 3rd party website that is importing our newsfeed, please come and visit us directly and give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Check out our direct news feed for more action figure news, reviews, and store reports
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...