MOTU Masterverse Review: New Eternia Man-at-Arms

“Heroic Master of Weapons!

The last thing Duncan remembered was He-Man shouting “By the Power of Grayskull!”. Reality cracked, and all went dark. Suddenly, Man-at-Arms found himself in a New Eternia, one broken and in need of repair.” – Box art bio

The New Eternia version of Man-at-Arms holding it's mace weapon down and to the left of the photo. The mace has the ball and chain accessory attached.

Moustache or No Moustache? Why Not Both?

Coming surprisingly late in the New Eternia line considering he’s such a key character, He-Man’s constant right hand man and mentor was released towards the end of 2023/early 2024. Part of the Masterverse Wave 11, there had already been standard and deluxe releases of Man-at-Arms in the Revelation subline.

Both of those figures featured moustached faces (strictly speaking, the deluxe version was bearded!). However as any long term MOTU fan knows, the original vintage Man-at-Arms figure was clean shaven while the Filmation cartoon gave him a nice red moustache. Ever since then, Man-at-Arms’s facial hair status changed depending on the take on the character.

So where do you sit on the moustache or no moustache question? This New Eternia figure solves the dilemma by giving you a choice between a moustached head and a clean shaven one. Problem solved! Not only that, but you also get a choice of head wear too, but we’ll come to that below.

Boxart

As part of Wave 11, New Eternia Man-at-Arms was one of the first figures to come in the new look boxes. The overall design is a bit less boxy with a greater emphasis on the art. This does mean the window for the figure is smaller than before but I am really liking having the art on the front.

A photo of the side of Man-at-Arms' box. The art from the front continues round to this side. The rest of Man-at-Arms' arm is visible, raised in the air and brandishing his mace weapon. In the background can be seen two classic Masters of the Universe vehicles. On the ground in the Battle Ram firing a missile while in the air is the Wind Raider. — The front and sides of Man-at-Arms’ box showing off the new box design and art.

The art on the back of Man-at-Arms' box. This is mostly taken up with a photo of the action figure itself on a painted, scenic background. To the right are some smaller photos showing various features of the figure while underneath is the character bio and cross sells for other figures in the line. — The back of the box now features a large photo of the figure itself.

One side of the box continues the scene from the front while the other has portraits showing the different looks possible with the figure. The back of the box has a photo of the figure itself on a painted background along with the cross sells and biography.

This is the first one of the new box designs I’ve got and on first impressions, I’m liking it more than the older design. The art is always fantastic so it’s great that it’s showcased on the front. The photo of the figure on the back is either of a promotional version with a fancier paint job or has been edited to look more detailed. I’m not so sure about this approach, I’d quite like the photo to accurately reflect the figure in the box but this is just a small niggle really.

Don’t Throw Away the Box Yet!

The “new” box designs aren’t so new now, but it is worth mentioning that all of the accessories are no longer housed in the plastic blister as in the old design. Instead, they are in a paper bag which can be found in a side compartment inside the box. So when you unbox your figures, don’t throw the box away until you’ve checked this insert!

A close up photo showing the side compartment to the inside of the box. This contains a small paper bag that has the action figure's accessories. In this photo you can see the mace weapon attachment poking out of the bag. — The new box design features a side compartment with the accessories in a small paper bag. Remember to check this before chucking the box!

Figure Overview

A photo of the full Man-at-Arms figure with all of the removable armour accessories taken off. This shows more clearly that this figure uses the standard Masterverse build with a few differences - the short kilt and style of boots are both new. The figure is moulded in the traditional Man-at-Arms green. — Under all of the armour, Man-at-Arms is a fairly standard Masterverse figure. It does stand slightly shorter than He-Man though.

The New Eternia Man-at-Arms action figure standing alongside the Viking He-Man figure. Viking He-Man, on the left, stands a little taller than Man-at-Arms, on the right. Viking He-Man is kitted out as a barbarian or Viking warrior, complete with a horned helmet. — Under all of the armour, Man-at-Arms is a fairly standard Masterverse figure. It does stand slightly shorter than He-Man though.

Underneath the armour and accessories, Man-at-Arms is a pretty standard Masterverse figure. It does stand slightly shorter than Viking He-Man from the same New Eternia subline though. I’m putting this down to the slightly thinner and shorter legs used here. These look to me to be the same mould used for the Barbarian Skeletor figure I reviewed a while back, with different boots/lower legs of course.

A close up photo of the left leg of Man-at-Arms alongside the right leg of Barbarian Skeletor. Apart from the lower leg armour, the mould for the legs of both figures seems to be same. — On the left, comparing Man-at-Arms’ upper leg with Barbarian Skeletor’s. Certainly seem to be the same mould. On the right, is Viking He-Man’s upper a bit bigger?

A photo comparing the upper arms of Viking He-Man and Man-at-Arms. The two figures are posed back to back to try to gt their arms closer together. On the left, He-Man's upper arm seems to be a bit bigger than Man-at-Arms'. — On the left, comparing Man-at-Arms’ upper leg with Barbarian Skeletor’s. Certainly seem to be the same mould. On the right, is Viking He-Man’s upper a bit bigger?

This does confirm to me that there seem to be “He-Man legs” and sightly smaller legs for the other figures. If you can excuse this slight obsession of mine, but are Man-at-Arms’ upper arms smaller than He-Man’s too?

Articulation

No surprises in the articulation of this figure:

Ball joint at the neck allowing you to move the head all the way around and back and forwards. The movement is a bit hindered by the armour and helmet.
Shoulder joints are good and despite the large armour on the left arm, there’s still a good range of motion.
Bicep joints.
Double joints at the elbows.
Wrist joints. These are the usual except that the right gripping hand has a vertical joint instead. So Man-at-Arms can hold aloft his signature mace weapon if you want!
Mid-torso joint and it’s worth noting that the torso armour seems designed so as not to restrict this which is nice.
Standard waist joint.
Hip joints which allow you to move the legs forwards, backwards and out to the side.
The hip joints also have a drop down function which allows for a great range of motion as well as making the figure a little taller. I’m not a huge fan of the weird gap these leave in the hip area but then again, they’re pretty much covered up by the short kilt.
Mid-thigh cuts allowing you to move the legs all the way around.
Double joints at the knees.
Boot cut on both legs. These are very tight on my figure!
And finally the ankle joints. A bit tight and tough to move but at least that means the figure stands well.

The New Eternia Man-at-Arms figure posed with both arms stretched out horizontally with the shoulders. Even though the left arm has quite bulky armour on it, this pose and others is still possible. — Despite the armour, the arm articulation isn’t hindered that much at all. The drop down hip does leave an ugly gap but it’s mostly covered by the kilt.

A close up look at the drop down hip on the right side of the Man-at-Arms figure. The top of the green coloured leg has been pulled down showing a gap between it and the lower torso. The gap is illuminated by the camera flash but it is normally covered up by the short leather effect kilt the figure is wearing. — Despite the armour, the arm articulation isn’t hindered that much at all. The drop down hip does leave an ugly gap but it’s mostly covered by the kilt.

The Man-at-Arms figure holding up the orange mace weapon in its right hand. The right hand has a up and down joint at the wrist which makes holding the weapon up like this look less awkward. — The wrist joint on the right arm allows Man-at-Arms to hold aloft his orange mace and say…! Meanwhile, the usual excellent Masterverse articulation is present and correct.

The Man-at-Arms figure standing upright without its armour accessories. This shows the articulation of the figure a bit more clearly. Here, it is standing as though it is flexing it's arms. — The wrist joint on the right arm allows Man-at-Arms to hold aloft his orange mace and say…! Meanwhile, the usual excellent Masterverse articulation is present and correct.

Design/Paint Application

Overall, this is a fairly classic looking Man-at-Arms. The armour is nicely detailed without going over the top. The green of Man-at-Arms body is a darker shade than usual I think but this means the orange armour really pops alongside it. The paint application is once again mostly restricted to picking out details, like bits of tech on the armour. There is a darker wash applied to the armour as well, which also helps bring out the details.

A close up photo of the front of Man-at-Arms' torso armour. It's a bright orange in colour and has various techy details moulded into it. Some of these are picked out in a metallic orange paint. There's a brown fur trim around each shoulder area. — The front of the torso armour showing the various techy details and fur trim. The standard furry loin cloth is replaced by a leather kilt type affair. Quite distinctive!

A closer look at the belt and kilt. The belts is a shiny grey plastic with a central embossed area painted red. The kilt is moulded to look like it's made from leather and in sections. It's pretty short, only going down to the mid-thigh at it's longest. — The front of the torso armour showing the various techy details and fur trim. The standard furry loin cloth is replaced by a leather kilt type affair. Quite distinctive!

There are a few elements that stand out though. The fur trim around the shoulders of the torso armour must be a nod to early designs of the character – I highly recommend checking out the Battle Ram Blog for details about Man-at-Arms’ development.

The segmented kilt is new for this figure and helps separate it from the other versions in the Masterverse line. This has a slight Roman vibe about it maybe? The boots are different from the more usual leather, straps and topped with fur look too.

A photo of Man-at-Arms' boots. The right boot (on the left of this photo) is moulded to look like it's made from sturdy leather with a folded down top section. The left boot has the same style foot but the shin is covered by an orange armour piece. — The front and back of Man-at-Arms’ boots. The armour piece on the lower left leg really can’t be removed – in fact it forms the figure’s lower left leg itself.

The back of Man-at-Arms' boots. This shows that the orange armour piece on the left shin really can't be removed as it actually forms the figure's lower left leg. — The front and back of Man-at-Arms’ boots. The armour piece on the lower left leg really can’t be removed – in fact it forms the figure’s lower left leg itself.

Talking of boots, Man-at-Arms’ left boot is actually the leg armour and can’t be removed. I was expecting this to be a separate armour piece that fitted over the boot as with other figures (check out Vykron for example), but that’s not the case. I must admit to being a little disappointed with this approach. That’s one less part that can be swapped and customised. On the other hand, it’s also one less piece to lose!

Accessories

There’s quite a lot to cover here, which is pleasing for a standard, non-deluxe figure:

Armour

Man-at-Arms always came with a large number of removable armour accessories and that continues here. The one difference however is that – as noted above – the left leg armour is part of the sculpt and can’t be removed. A bit of a puzzling choice but I guess it provides a bit of a different look for the figure.

The torso armour can be removed and is in two pieces: the main armour itself plus a removable attachment on the back which has a clip to store the mace weapon. This is a really nice little touch.

A close up photo of the back of the figure's torso armour. It's a bright orange in colour with brown fur trim around the shoulder areas. In the central area is a small bird design picked out in a metallic orange paint. Under that is a raised area with a few techy looking details and a clip to house the mace weapon. — The attachment on the back of the armour can be taken off if desired. However there’s not a lot of point doing that as it has a section where the mace weapon’s handle can be neatly clipped.

In this close up photo of the back of the figure's torso armour, the central raised area has been moved so that the right hand side is higher than the left. — The attachment on the back of the armour can be taken off if desired. However there’s not a lot of point doing that as it has a section where the mace weapon’s handle can be neatly clipped.

The arm armour comes in two pieces that attach in the middle. This roughly correlates with the elbow joint and means the armour can move with the arm here. Excellent! The upper armour piece has a strap that fits over the bicep. All in all, it’s quite a neat design that allows the arm to retain much of its articulation.

The Man-at-Arms figure holding up its left arm with the top of the arm armour sliding over its wrist. — The armour for the left arm comes in two pieces which join roughly at the elbow. It moves with the arm and most of the articulation is retained.

A side view of the left of Man-at-Arms with the top of the arm armour (or pauldron I suppose) securely in place over the shoulder. The pauldron is bright orange and has a pair of crossed swords moulded in as part of its design. — The armour for the left arm comes in two pieces which join roughly at the elbow. It moves with the arm and most of the articulation is retained.

Weapons

Not sure if this really counts as weapons plural, but Man-at-Arms’ signature mace comes with a removable head (for wont of a better term). The alternative piece features the mace “head” on the end of a plastic chain. I think this is another nod to early designs for Man-at-Arms and looks great. The chain links are moulded together rather than separate links however. Despite that, the chain is flexible and you can use it in some great poses.

Man-at-Arms' signature weapon is the ornage mace, seen here in the figure's right hand. Held upright, at the top the weapon has a ball edged with embossed knobs. — Man-at-Arms’ signature mace comes with an extra ball and chain attachment.

The mace weapon with the "head" attachment removed. — Man-at-Arms’ signature mace comes with an extra ball and chain attachment.

The mace is moulded in an orange plastic that has a distinct metallic and almost marbled effect in it. It looks really good although it is a different shade of orange from the armour.

Swapping the mace “heads” is pretty tough. Boy that joint is stubborn! This made me worry about accidentally snapping the weapon but the plastic used seems to be rigid and pretty tough which helps.

Heads and Helmets!

This is probably the main attraction for this version of Man-at-Arms. As I mentioned way at the top of this article, over the decades Man-at-Arms has either been clean shaven or has sported a moustache. In a stroke of genius, Mattel’s designers have included two heads with this version: one clean shaven and one with that moustache.

One of Man-at-Arms' heads without a moustache. In this photo, the helmet is removed showing that the figure has been designed with a close fitting cap. — The clean shaven and moutsache-sporting heads. The moustache is a bit of a handlebar! Apart from the facial hair, the heads are identical.

A side view of the skull cap. It's moulded in a green plastic and has some tech details included such as a hearing device over the ear. — The clean shaven and moutsache-sporting heads. The moustache is a bit of a handlebar! Apart from the facial hair, the heads are identical.

Apart from that difference, they look identical and both are wearing a close fitting cap. This looks almost like something a diver would wear, but it does have some tech details such as over the ears for example. It also answers the question that younger me had: Man-at-Arms is definitely wearing a green body suit.

Not only do we get two heads but we also get two helmets. One looks like it follows a pretty classic design for the helmet with a rounded look and a thicker section at about ear level. The other has a thinner design which makes me think of cavalier helmets. Once again, this is another nod back to early concept designs for Man-at-Arms and I’m really pleased it was included.

The clean shaven Man-at-Arms head wearing the alternative helmet. Like the other, this helmet is a metallic blue plastic but the details are picked out in green and red. It's also thinner than the other helmet and flares out slightly at the bottom. — The two head and two helmets means you have quite a choice of different looks for this figure.

The Man-at-Arms figure holding up the alternative helmet. This gives a side view of the helmet showing the metallic blue/grey plastic it is moulded in along with the tech details. These are picked out in green and red paint. — The two head and two helmets means you have quite a choice of different looks for this figure.

The clean shaven head is also an opportunity for the army builders out there to build up a Eternian Royal Guard perhaps?

Last but Not Least – Hands

Let’s not leave out the hands. Nothing too unusual here, a pair of gripping hands and a pair of fists. The right gripping hand is jointed vertically so that it can move up and down. A small change from the usual in and out motion.

Another minor change is that the hands feature the newer, chunkier pegs. I’m very happy about this as the smaller ones seem like they could very easily snap when parts swapping.

Oh and the small bracer on the right arm also comes off very easily. It seems hot or miss whether these smaller bracers are loose or not on figures. In this case it is definitely loose.

Final Thoughts

I bought this Man-at-Arms figure back in autumn 2024 and I thought of it as a solid but unexciting figure. It doesn’t depart very far at all from the character’s established look and if you’ve already got the standard Revelation version there might not be much reason to get this one.

However, getting the figure out again and swapping the various parts about made me appreciate it all over again. There are lots of nods to early designs for the character and the swappable heads and helmets are stand out features.

So, New Eternia Man-at-Arms might not be the most out there figure from the line, but it is a really well done figure all the same. Plus it comes with really well thought out and designed accessories.

Where to Buy

Either this figure wasn’t a hit or it was over produced by Mattel! It looks like it is still in stock at lots of retailers (such as The Whole Shebang, to pick a UK-based retailer) well over a year after it was released. There are also loads of examples available at places like eBay at really good prices.

Masters of the Universe Masterverse Review: New Eternia Man-at-Arms

Published by Collected Wonders on 23rd October 2025 5th November 2025

Moustache or No Moustache? Why Not Both?

Jump to Section: