So, last time I mentioned that I usually like to save the Build-A-Figure for the end of the wave, but I’m breaking tradition here, mainly so that I can look at Rocket and Groot together and complete the core Guardians team. And maybe just because I honestly couldn’t wait any longer to open the rest of the figures and assemble Groot. So, without any further dilly-dally let’s take a look at this duo of “thugs” er, I mean, unlikely heroes.

There’s the packaging and despite Rocket’s demure size, Hasbro did their best to beef up the content of the box. In addition to Rocket you get the head and torso of BAF Groot, Rocket’s rifle, and a huge BFG weapon that can be passed off to Star-Lord. So, yeah Rocket is tiny, but as long as you’re buying the whole wave of figures (and why wouldn’t you?) I don’t think you’ll feel cheated based on what’s in the box. It’s funny to think that Rocket Raccoon made a lot of fans nervous when this movie was revealed. Would the casual masses accept him? He seemed to be one of the big unknown quantities of the Marvel Movie Universe. I think it’s safe to say that all the worry was for naught because he seems to be playing incredibly well to the crowds. It’s also crazy to think that this is the fourth time we’re getting a Rocket figure. He was originally released as part of the Marvel Universe Guardians boxed set, that figure will be re-released single carded in Marvel Infinite, and he was a Build-A-Figure a couple waves back in Marvel Legends. That’s a lot of space raccoons!

And there’s the little fella out of the box and ready for action. Rocket sports quite a superb sculpt and now that we’ve got to see plenty of him in the trailers, I think I can comfortably say Hasbro nailed his big screen likeness. The portrait, the proportions, and even his adorable orange space onesie all appears to be spot on. All of his fur is sculpted in too! The paintwork is fairly good. There are some rough spots on the face, but because it’s supposed to be patterns in his fur, it really shouldn’t look perfectly sharp anyway. Ultimately, it doesn’t feel as if Hasbro skimped just because he’s a little guy, and I appreciate that a lot.

I’m tempted to take issue with Rocket’s articulation. It is limited and apart from the tail he has absolutely no points of articulation below the waist. I’d argue that if Hasbro is capable of making super-articulated 3 ¾” figures than Rocket should have at least had some basic leg articulation. On the other hand, I don’t know that it would have made a huge difference with the figure, other than getting him to stand more comfortably on Groot’s shoulder. At least what is here is quite good. Rocket’s head is ball jointed, as are his shoulders and elbows. He has another ball joint in the waist and his tail is on a swivel. The tail swivel does concern me. I don’t know what’s holding it in there, but I have a nagging feeling that it might twist off if I play around with it too much. Then again it could just be that the joint is naturally loose and I’ve got nothing to worry about. I guess time will tell. The tail does make for a nice support to keep Rocket standing up.

Rocket comes with two accessories. First off, you get his rifle, which is beautifully sculpted and as tall as he is. It’s also designed so that there is a hook around the stock so you can loop it around his shoulder. Is this a custom raccoon rifle? I don’t know, but that idea is awesome, so I hope it gets addressed in the movie. I thought getting the little critter to hold it would be difficult, but I’ve had a lot of success with him wielding it in different poses.

The other accessory is a gigantic personal cannon that can be handed off to Star-Lord. I can’t remember whether we saw this in the trailers, which is odd because I’ve watched them a thousand times. Either way, I really dig this weapon. It’s a complex piece and beautifully sculpted. The base goes up against Star-Lord’s torso and he can hold the gun by two handles. It does make him rather front heavy, so it’s nice to have some stands from a few waves ago.

And that brings us to the BAF figure Groot. Unlike previous waves of Marvel Legends, you do need to buy all six figures in order to build Groot, and I think it’s well worth sucking down that superfluous Iron Man figure to complete something as awesome as this guy. Not only is he super tall but the sculpt is absolutely killer and again Hasbro totally nailed his look in what we’ve seen from the trailers. If I had one complaint about Groot it would be that he could have used a few more paint apps or possibly a tastefully done paint wash to bring out some of that great detail. As it is he relies mostly on his brown plastic for color with the occasional green spray. I’m really just quibbling here, I think he’s fantastic.

Ah, but Groot isn’t just there to stand tall and look imposing. He actually sports some very nice articulation. The arms are ball jointed at the shoulders, the elbows are double-hinged, the wrists are ball jointed, and there are swivels in the biceps. His legs are ball jointed at the hips, again at the knees, and his ankles have both hinges and lateral rockers. Groot has a generous ball joint in the torso and again in the neck.

And that rounds out this team of Guardians of the Galaxy. While not all of these figures dropped my jaw as much as Star-Lord did, they’re a great tribute to a movie that I am absolutely dying to see. I currently don’t have many of my Marvel Legends on display, but I’m definitely going to be making room for these five figures in a prominent place. And I’m not done yet. I’ve still got two more figures in the wave. When I come back to it next week we’ll check out Iron Man in his space armor.