By NatoGreavesy
Jan 19, 2023
Hey all. It’s been quite a while since I’ve done a set review, so I’ve got a real treat for you this time. I’ve been pining after this set since my parents refused to buy it for me back in 2008, and I finally got my hands on one in perfect condition.
6326 Anax:Dak is a set from the 2008 Neo Shifters III line. For those unfamiliar, Neo Shifters were a line of action-figure-esque sets Mega Bloks made back when they mainly produced original themes, occupying a similar niche and scale to things like Bionicle. Each set featured a large buildable figure, and a minifigure-scale companion. Lore-wise I don’t think they’re meant to be mechs and pilots, as both figures have their own names and personalities described in the instructions.
Looking at parts, this set featured lots of nicely printed decals, including on the minifigure, something that’s very much become a staple of modern Mega builds. It also included play features in the form of light-up head, and a launcher. Although Mega doesn’t do many light-up elements anymore, firing launchers are very much still something we see in sets to this day.
The big draw of this set for me are all of the wonderful transparent blue pieces, which add a more organic or holographic feel to the aesthetic that contrasts wonderfully with the more mechanical design of the rest of the set.
While at first glance the completed build might look a little cluttered, the placement and positioning of all the various armour pieces all play an important part in the biggest gimmick of all Neo Shifters sets, their ability to curl into a ball. Not only does the minifigure curl up to fit inside the chest of the larger one, but the larger one fold into a sphere as well. The best part of this feature is that the set is designed in such a way that no parts need to be taken off or set aside when doing it; the minifigure’s weapon can be attached to the larger one, the main weapon clips into place between the legs, the spare ammunition can be attached to the backplates, and various armour pieces fold down or clip together to create a fairly seamless sphere.
Unfortunately this particular set doesn’t perform quite as well in this task as some others in the line. Early Neo Shifters sets had single-piece backplates that fit perfectly around the rest of the build to form a sphere, whereas this one has much more complicated multi-part backplates that don’t fit or hold together quite as well. The rubbery blue parts in particular seem to constantly want to spring out. Still, it holds up fairly well, and I think it’s well worth the sacrifice for the more striking silhouette the main figure has when the backplates are open.
All in all, I’m very happy to have finally got my hands on this set, and I hope you’ve all enjoyed this little insight into one of the more interesting chapters of Mega’s history.
6326 Anax:Dak is a set from the 2008 Neo Shifters III line. For those unfamiliar, Neo Shifters were a line of action-figure-esque sets Mega Bloks made back when they mainly produced original themes, occupying a similar niche and scale to things like Bionicle. Each set featured a large buildable figure, and a minifigure-scale companion. Lore-wise I don’t think they’re meant to be mechs and pilots, as both figures have their own names and personalities described in the instructions.
Looking at parts, this set featured lots of nicely printed decals, including on the minifigure, something that’s very much become a staple of modern Mega builds. It also included play features in the form of light-up head, and a launcher. Although Mega doesn’t do many light-up elements anymore, firing launchers are very much still something we see in sets to this day.
The big draw of this set for me are all of the wonderful transparent blue pieces, which add a more organic or holographic feel to the aesthetic that contrasts wonderfully with the more mechanical design of the rest of the set.
While at first glance the completed build might look a little cluttered, the placement and positioning of all the various armour pieces all play an important part in the biggest gimmick of all Neo Shifters sets, their ability to curl into a ball. Not only does the minifigure curl up to fit inside the chest of the larger one, but the larger one fold into a sphere as well. The best part of this feature is that the set is designed in such a way that no parts need to be taken off or set aside when doing it; the minifigure’s weapon can be attached to the larger one, the main weapon clips into place between the legs, the spare ammunition can be attached to the backplates, and various armour pieces fold down or clip together to create a fairly seamless sphere.
Unfortunately this particular set doesn’t perform quite as well in this task as some others in the line. Early Neo Shifters sets had single-piece backplates that fit perfectly around the rest of the build to form a sphere, whereas this one has much more complicated multi-part backplates that don’t fit or hold together quite as well. The rubbery blue parts in particular seem to constantly want to spring out. Still, it holds up fairly well, and I think it’s well worth the sacrifice for the more striking silhouette the main figure has when the backplates are open.
All in all, I’m very happy to have finally got my hands on this set, and I hope you’ve all enjoyed this little insight into one of the more interesting chapters of Mega’s history.