Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who "Ruins of Skaro" Collector Figure Set

Release Date: April 2024

RRP: £39.99

Although the B&M stores exclusive range has been doing a lot of the legwork for the Doctor Who figure range for some time now, in the last couple of years Character Options have also been making a big impression with their online exclusive releases as well. Released in more limited fashion with a (very slightly) higher price tag, these releases are an opportunity to get new figures with significantly new parts and tooling - something the B&M range for the most part lack. Character already kicked off the year with a bang by releasing the Fugitive Doctor and her TARDIS in this manner, but for their second online exclusive they're heading back to the classic era with the Ruins of Skaro Collector Figure set. This three-figure set based on Destiny of the Daleks reissues a much sought-after figure in the form of the bomb/suicide Dalek, complimenting it with two brand new ones of one of the greatest threats to the Dalek Empire - the Movellans.

The Ruins of Skaro comes in the new revised packaging seen with the some of the late 2023 B&M releases - a box featuring a white background, blue bordering featuring a TARDIS graphic and the new 60th anniversary rendition of the classic Doctor Who diamond logo. The front of the box also denotes what's included inside, the era these characters hail from ("The Fourth Doctor") and that it is a Character online exclusive. On the back of the box is a great shot of the three figures by Paul Gibbs, as well as the usual lengthy bio about both the plot of Destiny of the Daleks and some production facts about the Dalek props used in the story. Inside the figures are neatly stored on a moulded plastic tray, with the Movellans also tied down for extra security.

A website exclusive release also means Character can go that little bit further too, bringing back something that's been missing from the B&M releases for some time now - the cardboard diorama insert/backing tray. These were a nice little feature of the early History of the Daleks releases and similar packs that accompanied them, so it's nice to see they haven't been forgotten about entirely. For this release it's a rather fitting recreation of the Movellan spaceship interior - complete with a rack of guns, a large screen depicting Davros and some smaller ones including a technical readout of the Daleks. 

The "Suicide Dalek" is one of the most iconic visuals from Destiny of the Daleks, but despite this Character Options had only made it available previously in pretty limited fashion - released way back in 2009 as part of the Fourth Doctor Adventure set (featuring the Doctor, a Mummy, a Voc Robot and the aforementioned Dalek). As has been the case with all the History of the Daleks sets, the figure has had a complete overhaul for this new release - starting with the same screen-accurate shade of grey that the History of the Daleks #12 models had. Along with it are also a new eye stalk. dome lamps and fender, again all of which were on the History figures and contribute toward a far more screen-accurate look. While this figure has the same battle damaged paintwork the fender, strangely it lacks the same detailing on the hemispheres. It doesn't really affect the overall look of the figure (and was probably omitted as part of the paint app budget), but it is surprising that Character didn't want to keep that consistency between all the Destiny Daleks. Other differences between this and the 2009 release include a painted midsection oval, slightly different bomb placement and far neater yellow paint apps on the bombs themselves. The 2009 release was great, but the little differences really mount up here and the 2024 edition is a significant improvement over its predecessor. 

Articulation is the standard array for a Dalek figure so there isn't a whole lot to say about it. Altogether the toy features a 360-degree rotating dome, pivoting eyestalk and ball jointed appendages. The base has three wheels installed to glide across smooth surfaces in proper Dalek fashion. It's pretty much everything you could want out of a classic Dalek figure, because it's pretty much everything the props themselves were capable of.

But while a Dalek is always going to be a sure seller when it comes to online exclusives its the new figures that are the main draw, particularly in cases like these when said figures are an all-new mould. While both Movellans included in the set sport the same base (female) body, they feature two different head sculpts based on different warriors that appeared in the story. They each also have different skin tones to further differentiate them. While it would have been nice for one of them to be a male Movellan (particularly the Commander), given the tight budgets these releases work to it isn't surprising to see them sharing the same mould. The important thing though is that these figures look great - to their credit Character have thrown a lot into the sculpt and tooling of these releases, their uniforms having that same textured fabric look they do onscreen. While the majority of the Movellans' outfit is bright white, the legs are pearlescent white while there's also plenty of silver from both the hair and trimming to break it all up. There's also some bright green on the tubes attached to the shoulders, as well as the dark grey of external power pack located on the belt. The splashes of yellow on the soles of the boots are also a nice touch, giving them that sandy look the on-screen Movellans would have had walking across Skaro (aka Winspit Quarry). Both Movellans come with their standard sidearms - transparent pink cone-shaped guns with grey hand covers. When not in use, these can clip onto the belt for storage.

When it comes to points of articulation the Movellans are among the better releases in the Doctor Who range, which is to be as expected from new moulds. Altogether each one includes;

- Neck, bicep, wrist and thigh swivels

- Swivel hinge shoulders, elbows and hips

- Single hinge knees

The inclusion of swivel hinge shoulders alone is enough to put the mould above a lot of previous releases, especially as it isn't quite as standard in the line as you might think. That said despite sounding impressive there are some quite significant limitations to the articulation as well. The shoulders can only raise about 45 degrees, the elbow cuts only allow for a very small bend and the lack of both waist and ankle joints limit just how dynamic your posing can get. One positive though is that the hair is soft enough bend out of the way when turning the head to the side. It's quite apparent that poseability isn't a major priority for Doctor Who figures and that isn't necessarily a bad thing, but when the elbow joints feel as superfluous as they do here you do have to wonder if there was a better way. They are limited, but are able to meet the bar previously set by the line quite comfortably.

While it's still a little strange that online exclusives are seemingly the only way we can get significantly new Doctor Who figures these days (surely this won't be the case for the new series?), the Ruins of Skaro Collector Figure Set is another great release that definitely deserves its place. As previously mentioned the Bomb Dalek is a brilliant overhaul of a sought after figure, while the Movellans are the perfect compliment to it. A popular race that had a big impact on Dalek stories going forward despite only ever appearing once, it's exactly the kind of thing you want to see Character Options producing. Some lovely sculpts that do have some articulation flaws, but nothing particularly unexpected for the line. While there has been a slow price creep on these releases, it has been somewhat exaggerated by fans and at £13.33 a figure there is very little to complain about.