A comparison of HT BD Mk.3 review against HT very own first batch first version of IM Mk.3 (which has spawned 2 other figures MK2 and Gunmetal using very similar mould with slight variation).

Almost all parts (exterior) of the MK3 have changed except for maybe the head sculpts/face plate/hands sculpts/feet/abdomen/pelvic/thighs.

HT BD Mk3 Improvements, "the bad" and the "so-so"(changes apart form the obvious Arm/Shoulder/Hip/Chest/Air-break gimmicks):

1. Added a ball articulation at the neck base, added breakage to the neck (soft rubber & hard plastic parts), moving light LED/batteries/switch to hard-plastic neck (Pic_7, bottom, Pic_6, left). Same ball neck size between the old and new Mk.3 but the New heads ball-socket is about 4mm higher/deeper (Pic 7, Pic_8 and Pic_6, left). Heads seems to be the same sculpts released as before with Mk.3 and Mk.2. (Pic_7, top). Using BD Mk.3 heads on the older body, may not be all that suitable, will result in shorter than usual neck.

2. Shoulder from a minimal horizontal forward & backward movement to a ball socket on BD Mk.3. Shoulder was also moved (lowered) to accommodate the micromunations pod, this cause the shoulder armor to be block by the clavicle armor (Pic_1, red circle), when you bring the arms in close to the body. My copy's right clavicle armor popped-off (Pic_1, green box, HT's bad QC) to show you the bad alignments causing shoulder armor to be pushed to the side at the left shoulder but not on the right (missing armor). The closes the arms to the body without affecting the shoulder armor is to lower the ball joint so the armors parallels as in Pic_6, right. I will mod BD Mk.3 to increase the height of shoulder armor a little, over the clavicle armor.

3. The heel armor of BD Mk.3 does not move to accommodate the foot being pushed back as the old Mk.3 (Pic_4). It'll instead split open the leg as shown. I will mod this too.

4. The arms can bend further from about 80 degrees to a-bit more than 90 degrees. Hard elbow joint not rubber covered in BD Mk.3. Wire from the batteries for the LED at the hand is exposed (Pic_3, green square). Switch moved from the upper arm to the forearm (Pic_3, red circles). Slimmer right elbow joint to accommodate the thick gimmick of the right forearm.

5. Maybe not so obvious, an additional flap that can open on the BD Mk.3 (Pic_5).

6. This is minor, the movable part of the chest armor was not retained (Pic_1, blue square). Understandable with the replaceable/switchable armor and the "improved" ball socket shoulder.

7. Edit: Actually (upper thigh twist) of the legs on BD Mk.3 (Pic_2, left) and legs of the old body have the same approx. 70 degrees to turn outwards (Pic_2, right). However the joint was was quite tight on the BD mk.3. and be careful when you have the countermeasures at the hip deployed out as it may damage it when turning it.

8. Other points:
a) Seems same rubber/flexible material is retained for the abdomen and pelvic, but with better painting/finishing. Let's see it'll stand test of time or not.
b) Seems same pelvic and limited mid-abdomen articulation.
c) Insertion of air-breks and chest-plate are quite hard.

Ratings:
Gimmicks/Accesories: 5/5
Articulation: 3/5
Value: 4/5
Sculpt/Painting: 4.5/5 (Head sculpt fiasco/not-so random decals of bd effect)
Overall: 8.25/10

Pic_1


Pic_2


Pic_3


Pic_4


Pic_5


Pic_6


Pic_7


Pic_8

Much-much improvement and changes to the abdomen to both exterior rubber and interior. The improvements are:
1. Almost TT-like range... can twist, turn, compress-extend sides (very minimal) & abdomen-front and back,.....seems to have at least a mid-torso TT joint range. Range of the abdomen is like Mk.4.
2. Exterior rubber coverings at the abdomen compose of 2 layers (was 1 with Mk.3 ver.1). Top layer borders the pelvic line, bottom internal layer extendes from the T of the pelvic to about mid-way up the abdomen. 2nd layer is exposed in Pic_9.

The abdomen is new, contary to what I review earlier...

Pic_10 posing for the abs range...

Pic_9


Pic_10


With this discovery, I change my articulation marks to 4.5/5

Overall points will therefore be.... 9/10.

more......
new missile assembly for the left-arm of BD Mk.3. Full missles/1 mid-point support (instead of 2 at sides). Right arm still uses the one on MK.3 ver.1/Mk.2.

1. pop the 2 hard screw cover out, unscrew.

2. pop the arms out of the ball sockets.

3. peel the reddish rubber (Pic:Right, middle) from the shoulder hole. They are attached by glue to the front and back piece at the edge. (Actually you just need to peel it from either, front/back torso piece, as the shoulder sockets it attached to the back, it maybe better to just peel the front).

4. Grip the front and back piece and carefully pull them apart.

5. They might have glue the abdomen rubber piece to the front piece as well (at least my copy.


.....just the screws and the rubber pieces covering the shoulder hole keeping the pieces together.

p.s. Mk,3 ver. 1 has 4 screws.... 2 are hidden by under the shoulder flaps at top (glue attached, that you'll have to pry out).




I'll be doing 2 mods (at least)
1. Widen the side articulation of the Torso/Abs (a surprise and discovery: The waist/abs has very similar articulation to a TT body. 2 articulation points, Top (Torso/Ab) is a ball joint, Bottom (Ab/Pelvic) is the (I think) spring loaded (identical to normal TT Ab/Pelvic joint). Abs articulation limited by bad design and rubber outer covering.

2. Raise the shoulder guards/armour a little to allow the arm to be close to the body (more range) without the shoulder armour getting in the way.

Increase the height of the shoulder armour attachment by about 5mm. The shoulder armour no longer gets in the way in almost all positions.

Pry the glued shoulder armour off, insert something in between to raise up the height.

or do what I did,

angle up the armour by 5mm near the shoulder socket end, and super-glue and epoxy resin bind/fill the armour at that raised position.

Before: Problem, Red circle, armour in the way when you bring the arms close.


After (Left: Arms closest to the body, shoulder ball socket at the highest position... Right: Ball socket at the lowest position)


Abs side bending mod.

In progress, Increase from about 5 degrees range to 10 ... hope to get it to 15 or 20 (or allow perceivable/significant body bending)