Skylanders Trap Team Wave 5 Introductions: Enigma, Fling Kong, and Flip Wreck

Skylanders Trap Team Introduction #58 Enigma

Skylanders Trap Team Introduction #59 Fling Kong

Skylanders Trap Team Introduction #60 Flip Wreck

Skylanders Trap Team: Blackout Upgrade Paths and Attack Damage Numbers

Blackout’s base upgrades are actually very solid, provided you research them in a chapter, against real enemies as opposed to at the Training Grounds.  Wing Whip offers up 56-84 and the Jump Attack deals 52-78.  Shadow Orbs seem disappointing with only 16-24 3x, BUT when you fire the orbs against real enemies and not the dummies, you are rewarded with a 44-66 initial hit, which makes for a 92-138 cumulative dealing of damage…and that is much more in line with expectations!

Base Upgrades

Blackout’s Base Upgrades get started with his tertiary attack, Black Hole.  It lasts roughly 16 seconds and you can have 2 active at once…The Black Holes hold enemies in and deal 20-30 on an initial hit…You can also teleport in and do a blade attack that deals the same 20-30 damage.  If you shoot Shadow Orbs at a Black Hole you get 22-33 with Darkness Overload.  I’m not a huge fan of this and I never really saw an advantage over just using Shadow Orbs alone for their higher damage toll.  I could be missing something as the numbers fire off quickly and are hard to catch, especially at 4 AM when I do most of this stuff.  Shadow Blade at first seemed just like our jump attack, but after trial-and-error you can get the Shadow Blade rolling where it does 20-30 damage on contact and allots you roughly 12 seconds of rolling time.  Take It Back finishes things off and bumps the damage Blackholes do from 20-30 to 30-45.

Wing Warrior Upgrade Path

Wing Warrior exclusively addressees Blackout’s primary attack, Wing Whip.  A Spinning Finish lets you execute a ground pound of 60-90 with a good radius after a 3 hit combo and if you extend that you can get a blade dash that does the same 60-90.  I like the ground pound, but found the 4^th hit combo hard to execute and control…it will be a move I only use when it is done incidentally.  The Wing Whip and function of the ground pound is just too effective and efficient to really bother with “going for” the 4^th hit combo.  You can also tailor your landing spot mid air with the 3 hit combo…a very nice bonus!  Warp Speed is the last upgrade on the path, but I feel should have been second, especially since the middle upgrade addresses this move despite you not having it.  Anyway, Warp Speed does nothing at the Academy, but in a combat situation it needs about a 3-4 seconds charge of the primary attack button before it reels off a lighting quick teleport that does 78-117 4 times!  Whip it Up increases the damage on Wing Whip, Shadow Blade, and Warp Speed.  Warp Speed jumps from 78-117 to 102-153, Shadow Blade moves from 20-30 to 26-39, and wing Whip gets a nice boost from 56-84 to 73-109!

Prince of Darkness Upgrade Path

Prince of Darkness addresses Blackout’s secondary attack, Shadow Orbs.  This is a great path in my opinion.  Dark Energy Clouds upgrades Shadow Orbs from 44-66 on impact to 66-99.  Similarly, the 16-24 damage from 3 Swirls is now 24-36, but for 8 counts!  That is almost 3x the duration!  That is an even bigger accolade when you consider that Under the Cover of Darkness turns out to cut damage from enemies roughly in half!  That is like the old SSA +40 Armor essentially. If you were getting decked in Nightmare Mode by a troll who dealt 150 damage, he will now register 75 when you are within the Dark Energy Cloud!  Most people won’t even talk about this upgrade, or consider it a waste…I consider It absolute gold!  Cloud Gravity takes about 5 seconds to charge, runs about 10 seconds, and does 40-60 damage around 16x, or for the 10 seecond cycle.  You can move about while doing this too…However, the big thing about Cloud Gravity is the spectacle.  This is just a really cool attack to witness.  It is totally unique and will definitely be something players remember.

Soul Gem

Supernova Blackhole is usually easy to execute, although sometimes you can fire off two blackholes in succession, from the same spot, only to see them wind up not overlapping.  However, once they do they create a powerful suction, colorwash the screen, and then proceed to erupt for a staggering 4450-675 damage!

Attack Damage Numbers (Click to Enlarge)

Conclusion

Overall, Blackout has two solid upgrade paths.  If you are a fan of the Primary Attack Wing Whip, take Wing Warrior.  If you like the Shadow Orbs, go with Prince of Darkness.  If you feel one of those is fine as is and the other is weak, proceed accordingly.  If you use the primary attack almost exclusively you will benefit the most from Wing Warrior.  If you are on the fence, I would have to give the edge to Prince of Darkness.  While most people will rave about Cloud Gravity, I would argue it is the least important upgrade on the path.  Dark Energy Clouds is just purely effective AND that plays in to utilizing Under the Cover or Darkness to seriously nerf your opponents.  Taking 250 damage can kill you quick in Nightmare Mode, making that 125 can double your life span and be the difference between loosing a Skylander and getting a weak one off the Portal to swap for another Champion; You can not under estimate what this upgrade can do.  Toss in the bonus of Cloud Gravity and you have a memorable spectacle to associate with the path as well.  The good news is, regardless of your preference you get a fantastic Soul Gem!  I will likely reset this Blackout to return to Prince of Darkness.  Wing Warrior is very solid, but Under the Cover of Darkness is calling my name!

Skylanders Trap Team Unboxing Love Potion Pop Fizz

What: Love Potion Pop Fizz
Where Did You Get It: GameStop
What Did It Cost: $9.99 plus tax
What Was Stock Like: 2 at the store
What is Included: Love Potion Pop Fizz, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet

Unboxing Love Potion Pop Fizz

Love Potion Pop Fizz
Magic Element, Alt-Deco for Valentine's Day

Slogan: "The Motion of the Potion!"

Card Stats
Power: 100/250
Armor: 90/250
Agility: 60/250
Luck: 200/250
Totals: 450/1000

Eon's Elite Stealth Elf: Unboxing, Introduction, and Upgrades

What: Eon's Elite Stealth Elf
Where Did You Get It: GameStop
What Did It Cost: $24.99
What Is Included: Elite Stealth Elf, Case, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet
What Was Stock Like: 4-6 ish (Totally Unexpected)

Unboxing Elite Stealth Elf

Slogan: "Silent But Deadly!"

Card Stats
Power: 300/500
Armor: 300/500
Agility: 500/500
Luck: 100/500

Game Stats
Health: 810
Armor: 36
Speed: 70
Critical Hit: 150
Elemental Power: 25
Total: 1,091

Introduction #37: Elite Stealth Elf

Elite Stealth Elf Upgrades

Pook Blade Saint Upgrade Path

Attack Damage Numbers

(Click to Enlarge)

Eon's Elite Terrafin Unboxing, Intro, and Upgrades

What: Eon's Elite Terrafin
Where Did You Get It: GameStop
What Did It Cost: $24.99
What Is Included: Elite Terrafin, Case, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet
What Was Stock Like: 4-8 ish (Totally Unexpected)

Unboxing Elite Terrafin

Slogan: "It's Feeding Time!"

Card Stats
Power: 400/500
Armor: 500/500
Agility: 100/500
Luck: 100/500
Total: 1,100/2,000

Game Stats
Health: 930
Armor: 54
Speed: 50
Critical Hit: 90
Elemental Power: 25
Total: 1,149

Introduction #36: Elite Terrafin

Elite Terrafin Upgrades

Brawler Upgrade Path 

Sandhog Upgrade Path

Attack Damage Numbers
(Click to Enlarge)

Winterfest Lob-Star: Unboxing and Review

What: Winterfest Lob-Star
Where Did You Get It: Special Delivery
What Did It Cost: $14.99
What is Included: Winterfest Lob-Star, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet

Unboxing and Review of Winterfest Lob-Star

Slogan: "Star Bright, Star Fight!"

Card Stats

Power 110/250 (+10 vs Lob-Star)
Armor 90/250 (+10 vs Lob-Star)
Agility 240/250 (+40 vs Lob-Star)
Luck 180/250 (+40 vs Lob-Star)
Totals 620/1000 (+100 vs Lob-Star)

In-Game Stats
Health 270 (+30 vs Lob-Star)
Armor 42 (+12 vs Lob-Star)
Speed 70 (+10 vs Lob-Star)
Critical Hit 60 (+20 vs Lob-Star)
Totals +72 over Lob-Star

Pictures
-Coming Soon

Upgrades
-Coming Soon

SkylanderClub Link: http://www.skylanderclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=229

Skylander Research: Numbers Never Lie Statistical Discrepancies Between Standard, Legendary, and Nitros in Trap Team

You can find and join in more Skylander discussions like this one on the Skylander Club Forum:
http://www.skylanderclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=98

Well, despite needing to be asleep and having lots to do, I could not resist seeing if my beloved Legendaries were back to their statistically superior stats.

As you should know by now, I tend to take the Skylanders Series a little more serious than most.  I am also a big numbers guy.  One of my disappointments in SWAP Force was the way that "special" in-game variants were kind of wiped clean of their stat boost.  Legendaries in SSA and Giants had nice pads vs their standard counterparts.

Despite being insanely busy and needing to be asleep, I couldn't resist the temptation any longer...I just had to know if the boost was back since Toys for Bob handled Trap Team.

The results are mixed.  In my latest late night research I had 3 Case Studies and 6 Skylanders.  Here are the results:

Character-Health-Armor-Speed-Critical Hit-Elemental Power-Total

Blades                280 30 60 10 25  405 (+22)
Legenday Blades 240 18 70 30 25  383 (-22)


Jawbreaker                340 12 50 70 25  497 (=2)
Legendary Jawbreaker 300 30 60 80 25  495 (-2)


Krypt King                300 24 60 40 25  449 (-32)
Nitro Krypt King 300 36 60 60 25  481 (+32)

As you can see, both Legendary Blades and Legendary Jawbreakers have SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER HEALTH than their standard counterparts...this is mind boggling to me.  Sure you can argue they have an edge elsewhere ,but aren't Legendaries to be superior in all categories, you know, hence why they are Legendary?

Blades and Jawbreaker both boast +40 Health OVER their Legendary counterparts.

Blades has +10 Speed and +10 Critical Hit, but also touts -12 Armor.  Of the three stats, Armor is the most significant imo.  Overall he is -22 Stat Points BELOW standard Blades.

L-Jawbreaker suffers the -40 Health, but at least touts a stat boost in the other categories: +18 Armor, +10 Speed, and +10 Elemental Power.  This gives him +2 Stat Points ABOVE standard Jawbreaker.

The biggest winner in the mix is Nitro Krypt King.  His health is the same as standard Krypt King and then he gains +12 Armor and +20 Critical Hit to give him a cumulative +32 Advantage over standard Krypt King.  Oddly enough, the Speed Stat is even at 60...one would think of all the stats to boost for a "Nitro" character it would be speed...

Nonetheless, there you have it.  I recorded intros for all 6 Characters tonight...actually bundled them together for each set.  I will get them up ASAP, but the numbers don't lie and I find them very interesting.

To me each attribute should be equal to or greater than the standard character's stats.  Having a big drop in Health is completely unwarranted.  It is also sad to see L-Blades at such a disadvantage.

What are your thoughts on the statistical discrepancies?  I am very interested in monitoring Nitro Head Rush, L-Bushwhack, and L-Deja Vu.  I have the Dark Skylanders...I really hope they have a bigger boost.

You can join in the discussion on the Skylander Club Forum:
http://www.skylanderclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=98

Skylanders Trap Team Unboxing Tread Head

What: Tread Head, Tech Element, Newlander
Where Did You Get It: Toys'R'Us
What Did It Cost: $10.99 plus tax (BOGO 40%)
What Was Stock Like: Very Limited, Technically a Wave 2 (10/7/2014)
What is Included: Tread Head, Stat Card, Sticker Sheet with Special Code

Unboxing Tread Head

Trap Team Introductions #2: Tread Head

Bio

As an orphan from the Dizzying Dunes, Tread Head had always dreamed of racing. And after a summer of scavenging for parts, he finally managed to build a bike that would allow him to enter the local racing circuit. The other competitors laughed at the crudeness of his work, but Tread Head had built it for performance, not for style. So when the race began, he jumped out to a commanding lead. But as he entered a canyon, he suddenly found himself at a roadblock – of Goblin troops!  Knowing the other racers were in danger, he pulled off the road and kicked up so much dust that the
Goblins had no choice but to flee, allowing the other racers to pass safely. Tread Head may have lost the race that day, but he earned the respect of Master Eon, who would see to it that Tread Head would tread on evil wherever he goes!

Slogan

"Tread and Shred!"

Card Stats

Power/Strength: 50/250

Defense/Armor: 50/250

Speed/Agility: 170/250

Luck: 90/250

Totals: 360/1,000

Skylanders Trap Team Unboxing Fist Bump

What: Fist Bump, Earth Element, Newlander
Where Did You Get It: Toys'R'Us
What Did It Cost: $10.99 plus tax (BOGO 40%)
What Was Stock Like: Very Limited, Technically a Wave 2 for 10/7/2014
What Is Included: Fist Bump, Stat Card, Sticker Sheet with Special Code

Unboxing Fist Bump

Trap Team Introduction #1: Fist Bump

Fist Bump Bio

Fist Bump had long been the sleeping protector of the Bubbling Bamboo Forest, but awoke from a long hibernation when a horde of nasty purple Greebles arrived with gigantic rock-smashing machines. Intent on building a new base, their machines wreaked havoc – chewing up the land and spitting out billowing clouds of smoke into the enchanted air.
Seeing this, Fist Bump was furious. Using his enormous stone fists, he hammered the ground with all his strength, creating a massive earthquake that sent huge shockwaves towards the Greeble camp. This reduced the machines to mere scrap and sent the Greebles running off in a panic. The act of bravery caught the attention of Terrafin, who brought Fist Bump to meet Master Eon. Now as a Skylander, Fist Bump makes evil quake wherever he goes!

Slogan

"Knock, Knock...Too Late!"

Card Stats

Power/Strength: 80/250

Defense/Armor: 180/250

Speed/Agility: 50/250

Luck: 50/250

Totals: 360/1,000

Skylanders Trap Team Unboxing Funny Bone

What: Funny Bone, Undead Element, Newlander
What Does He Cost: $9.99

Unboxing Funny Bone

More Info and Pictures Coming Soon

Skylanders Trap Team Unboxing Chopper

What: Chopper, Tech Element, Newlander
What Does He Cost: $9.99
What is Included: Chopper, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet with Special Code

Unboxing Chopper

More Info and Pictures Coming Soon!

Skylanders SWAP Force Upgrade Path Showcase

As I type this (3 AM CST), I have 4 videos uploading, 1 rendering, and 1 still to edit/render.

I have mulled over how to stage the upgrades for this game for quite some time.  I ultimately set up a poll and sought your feedback in terms of what you would prefer.  I took all that info and compiled it with my own experiences from a few test runs and have ultimately decided on a set format.

*Let me again stress that this format will be in full force with pretty much everyone, minus Freeze Blade, Trap Shadow, Boom Jet, and Free Ranger.*

The format I have decided on is pretty simple...

I will make a video for the base upgrades and then for each upgrade path.  This format will go for both SWAP Force Skylanders and core Skylanders.

In the past I would take a box stock Chop Chop and go all the way from Upgrade #1 to the Soul Gem or WowPow when applicable.  I still like that format, but the addition of the Swappers and their 4 potential paths really pitched a curveball.

With my old format, the only debate was "should I record the base upgrades again when showcasing the other upgrade path?"  This was a simple debate and the fact I could crank out those 4 upgrades pretty quick resolved that issue.

After a lot of thought and the aforementioned experiments, I truly believe the multi-video format works best for several reasons.  It is the most efficient, easiest to search for, and archives the best.

Let's say you want to know about Freeze Blade's Ice Sculptor Path...If I were to do a "box stock to fully upgraded video" you would have to either spend 30 mins getting a complete education on Freeze Blade's other upgrades, or scrub thru the video.  If I make a video dedicated solely to "Ice Sculptor" you simply find it via a search, the posts here, or the playlist etc and spend fractions of the time only seeing what you want to see.  Say that you took Blizzard Blade and Ice Skater, but wonder if the other paths would have been better...You can simply watch those vids and reference my archived data here to make that determination.

For those of you that are relying on these videos to pick your paths for the first time...You have the most expansive set of data and videos for reference on the web.  I have been playing Skylanders since Day 1 and if anyone has taken the time to archive all of this info and make it available publicly in easy to follow formats I have somehow missed it.  You can literally breeze thru just the spreadsheets and make a good call...the videos will back that up with concrete samples.

If you recall, one of the things I was most pleased with SWAP Force was the Training Grounds with the Enchanted Dummies...Most people overlook this or just use it to get quick cash.  I definitely cash out from time-to-time, but the real reason I was stoked for this added feature was because of the chance it would give me to not only showcase the new upgrades, but also document their enhanced damage numbers!

In SSA and Giants I would simply showcase them at the Ruins or on Flynn's Ship and then go into a Heroic Challenge to give you a feel for fully upgraded gameplay.  The simple fact was, with so many upgrades "enhancing" another one I would have had to spent a ton of time going in and out of Heroics.  Granted, if I wasn't recording this I totally would have done that and archived it...Factor in making videos to upload to YouTube and would just be way too tedious.

The addition of the enchanted dummies, right by the Power Pod at that, is huge for hardcore players like myself.  It gives me the perfect chance to showcase 98% of all upgrades and in a very efficient manner.  I've said it before and I'll say it again...

A HUGE THANKS to whoever it was at Vicarious Visions that came up with this feature.  I really hope it becomes a staple in every future release as well as on the 3DS versions of the game.

That said, to get back to what you probably care about, here is what you will see on the coming posts:

Video #1: Freeze Blade Base Upgrades
Video #2: Freeze Blade: Blizzard Blade Path
Video #3: Freeze Blade: Ice Sculptor Path
Video #4: Freeze Blade: Trail Freezer Path
Video #5: Freeze Blade: Ice Skater Path

Granted, I will almost always record a Top Path and then a Bottom Path, but I can order them in the playlist and on these posts in the split manner for even easier viewing and research.

I actually like this method so well I think I am going to utilize it with the Newlanders and probably S2 and S3 Skylanders.  Basically you would see this format:

Video #1: Punk Shock Base Upgrades
Video #2: Punk Shock Conductor Constructor Path
Video #3: Electrocutey Path

The only time you will see me overlap the base upgrades will be for special characters (Legendary, Enchanted, Nitro, Jade, etc).  I only do this to simply showcase the special character's looks and full upgrades.

That said, hopefully that makes sense...the video rendering just finished so I am off to upload it and start editing/rendering the last one tonight.  Again, some characters (Freeze Blade, Trap Shadow, Free Ranger, and Boom Jet) will not entirely follow this format, but that is siimply due to me recording the Air guys way earlier and then experimenting with Trap Shadow and Freeze Blade.

Hopefully you will like this new format and find it easy to view and utilize for path research!

I will try to make a quick channel update on this tomorrow, but for now...here is the text version!

Skylanders SWAP Force Unboxing Series 3 Twin Blade Chop Chop

What?  Twin Blade Chop Chop, Undead Element, Series 3 Skylander
Where Did You Get It? Toys'R'Us
What Did It Cost? $10.99 plus tax (BOGO40%)
What Was Stock Like? Well Stocked!
What is Included?  Twin Blade Chop Chop, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet

Unboxing S3 Twin Blade Chop Chop

Twin Blade Chop Chop
Undead Element, Series 3 Skylander

Slogan: "Slice and Dice!"

Card Stats
Power: 95/200
Armor: 130/200
Agility: 70/200
Luck: 25/200
Totals: 320/800

Skylanders SWAP Force Unboxing Series 3 Lava Barf Eruptor

What?  Lava Barf Eruptor, Fire Element, Series 3 Skylander
Where Did You Get It? Special Delivery
What Did It Cost? $9.99 plus tax
What Was Stock Like? Well Stocked!
What is Included?  Lava Barf Eruptor, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet

Lava Barf Eruptor
Fire Element, Series 3 Skylander

Slogan: " Born to Burn!"

Card Stats
Power: 110/200
Armor: 95/200
Agility: 35/200
Luck: 70/200
Totals: 310/800

Back: S1 Eruptor, LightCore Eruptor, Volcanic Eruptor, S2 Eruptor

Front: S3 Lava Barf Eruptor

Back: S1 Eruptor, LC Eruptor, S2 Eruptor

Front: Volcanic Eruptor, S3 Lava Barf Eruptor

Skylanders SWAP Force Unboxing Rip Tide

What: Rip Tide, Water Element, SWAP Force Newlander
Where Did You Get It? Toys'R'Us
What Did It Cost? $10.99 plus tax (BOGO40%)
What Was Stock Like? Surprisingly Well Stocked!
What is Included: Rip Tide, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet

Unboxing Rip Tide

Rip Tide
Water Element, SF Newlander

Slogan: "Go Fish!"

Card Stats
Power: 120/200
Armor: 70/200
Agility: 75/200
Luck: 55/200
Totals: 320/800

Skylanders SWAP Force Unboxing Scorp

What: Scorp, Earth Element, SWAP Force Newlander
Where Did You Get It? Toys'R'Us
What Did It Cost? $10.99 plus tax (BOGO40%)
What Was Stock Like? Surprisingly Well Stocked!
What is Included: Scorp, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet

Unboxing Scorp

Scorp
Earth Element, SF Newlander

Slogan: "King of the Sting!"

Card Stats
Power: 105/200
Armor: 95/200
Agility: 75/200
Luck: 45/200
Totals: 320/800

Skylanders SWAP Force Unboxing Zoo Lou

What: Zoo Lou, Life Element, SWAP Force Newlander
Where Did You Get It? Speical Delivery
What Did It Cost? $9.99 plus tax
What Was Stock Like? Well Stocked!
What is Included: Zoo Lou, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet

Unboxing Zoo Lou

Zoo Lou
Life Element, SF Newlander

Slogan: "Nature Calls!"

Card Stats
Power: 65/200
Armor: 95/200
Agility: 30/200
Luck: 120/200
Totals: 310/800

Skylanders SWAP Force Unboxing Slobber Tooth

What: Slobber Tooth, Earth Element, SWAP Force Newlander
Where Did You Get It? Special Delivery
What Did It Cost? $9.99 plus tax
What Was Stock Like? Well Stocked!
What is Included: Slobber Tooth, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet

Unboxing Slobber Tooth

Slobber Tooth
Earth Element, SF Newlander

Slogan: "Clobber and Slobber!"

Card Stats
Power: 140/200
Armor: 120/200
Agility: 25/200
Luck: 25/200
Totals: 310/800

Skylanders Giants: Unboxing Hex

Skylanders Giants: Unboxing Hex

What?  Hex, Undead Element Series 2 Repose

Where Did You Get It?  Toys'R'Us

What Did It Cost?  $9.99 plus tax

What is Included?  Hex, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet with Web Code

What Was Stock Like?  Hex seems to either be fully stocked, or stashed away.  That said, if you spend time digging, or simply check multiple stores you should be able to bring her home.

Quick Character Info

Slogan: "Fear the Darkl!"

Stats:

Power/Strength: 80/150
Defense/Armor: 90/150
Speed/Agility: 45/150
Luck: 65/150
Totals: 280/600

Conclusion

Hex is back and this repose is a nice tribute to her Rain of Skulls.  For the diehard Hex fan you will be glad to know she is also getting a LightCore pose, which as of typing this, has yet to be released.

As mentioned, she can be tough to track down at the moment, but a little time skimming the racks or checking other stores will usually have you going home happy.

Skylanders Giants: Unboxing Bash

Skylanders Giants: Unboxing Bash

What?  Bash, Earth Element, Series 2 Repose

Where Did You Get It?  Toys'R'Us

What Did It Cost?  $4.99 (BOGO 50% Sale),
-Regular Retail: $9.99

What is Included?  Bash, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet with Web Code

What Was Stock Like?  Bash is a little harder to come by, but if you skim the racks or check multiple stores you should be able to find him locally...same applies online.

Quick Character Info

Slogan: "Rock and Roll!"

Stats:

Power/Strength: 90/150
Defense/Armor: 100/150
Speed/Agility: 40/150
Luck: 45/150
Totals: 275/600

Conclusion

Bash is back and looks every bit the beast we all came to know and love in SSA.  This repose fitting features the Triceratops Honorguard, Bash's Soul Gem from SSA.  I think it is a nice repose and the Soul Gem being highlighted was a great choice for this Earth Element brute.

I have had some trouble locating Bash, but usually if you dig around the racks, or just check multiple stores you can find him.