Easterling

Recommended music: Howard Shore – The Black Gate is Closed

Rising in the east this #TolkienThursday, we’re taking a look at the ToyBiz The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers Easterling!

In The Two Towers film, the depiction of these troops doesn’t stray too far from the books. Frodo, Gollum, and Sam come across an army of Easterling warriors entering the Black Gate. Despite trying to stay hidden, Samwise ends up falling down a hill of loose rocks near the troops. Fortunately, Frodo hides them both under his elvish cloak, which is disguised as a boulder. Though a pair of Easterlings notice the commotion and leave their formation to inspect the rocky area, they eventually return to their company and march into Mordor.

The Easterling “With Highly Detailed Armor” figure was available in the first wave of The Two Towers, packaged in the red half-moon, and hit stores ahead of the film’s November 2002 theatrical release. While an additional Easterling with a banner was planned for the line, the figure never reached retail.

The figure is a really solid sculpt with good detail on the armor. Unfortunately, the thin plastic on the shield has become brittle over the past 20 years, so you’ve got to be careful with these guys. The paint application is also thorough, with wear painted on the hood and subtle gold on his lance and shield. With ample articulation, my biggest criticism of this impressive army builder is probably the “bunny ears” on the helmet starting to warp. Unlike some other troops in the line, the scale is actually right on as the figure dwarfs the hobbits and stands eye to eye with soldiers from Gondor and Rohan.

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