How does one start a review of a saber like this? I mean, this is the freakin’ Legacy Grand Master! Not only is it arguably one of the elegant designs in general that Saber Forge offers, it is also a triumph of craftsmanship, and artistry (as close inspection of photos of the etching show quite nicely). I have wanted this saber since the moment I saw the first iteration of it. But, when the Legacy version became available, want evolved to coveting, bordering on obsession!
I had been playing Star Wars: The Old Republic for quite some time before this, and had always been impressed with Grand Master Shan’s staff. When it became available as an in-game purchase, I spent every game coin I had to get one! In fact I had the staff version for one character, and the individual sabers for another. Somehow, wielding them made those characters feel more powerful, even if I knew that was not the case. So, now you understand my mindset when it comes to this design, and how much I wanted one for myself. It took some time to accumulate the resources to get one, but once it became possible, the process was begun with all haste! Now, to the saber itself!
I am not planning on going into too many technical details, since so much of that has been covered in other reviews. Instead, I will be hitting on the features of the saber, and my take on them. First, I will say they are slimmer, and not quite as long as I expected. I knew the length of them from reading other reviews (about 11 ¼ without pommels, another 1 ¼ with pommel), but one tends to form an impression based pictures, and other information. I am pleased to report that my “impression” was off on both of the aforementioned attributes, and individually, they feel great in my medium sized hands. When in staff form, the low profile coupler only adds ½ an inch to the total length.
Now, let’s take a look at those emitters. There is just SO much detail there! The surface area in between the spines is polished a bit more than the standard finish, and so are the thin rods that join the emitter to the main body of the hilt. Aesthetically, this section works so well! It gives the saber such a regal appearance. The rods are sturdier than appearance might dictate, but a good bash with a blade during heavy dueling would probably bend one pretty effectively, so keep that in mind. The thin-neck portion of the hilt has a more granular silver finish, much like the Phoenix, or the Ka’Tano. Overall appearance in that respect does not really call attention to the difference in finish, because of the etching on the main body. On a non-legacy model, it might be a little more obvious.
On the main body of the saber(s), at the top are three spines that anchor the rods coming from the emitter, and they definitely compliment the accompanying spines on the emitter. In between the spines, are decorative elongated features that look like they could actually serve a function if this were the real thing. Blade attenuation, or length adjustment, depending on what part of saber lore you are familiar with, or believe in. In any case, they complement an already visually stunning area of the saber. There are corresponding features at the bottom of the hilt, just above where the pommel, or coupler threads in.
We finally arrive at what is arguably the most beautiful feature of this saber, and that is the legacy etching. As you can see from the pictures, it is (to coin a Jordan Moll phrase) gorgeous! I have not whipped out a laser pointer to see how well the patterns line up from one saber to the other, but to the eye, they line up well enough to visually satisfy any onlooker. The raised portion of the patterns enjoy the same more polished finish as the upper section of the emitter, which makes them pop even more against the darker finish of the lower parts. It is this effect I think that minimizes the impact of the grainy silver finish of the thin-neck portion of the emitter. The feel of the etching when in the hand is of a textured surface, but nothing biting or sharp. If one were to choose to duel with this saber, gloves to protect the hands from an abrasive surface would not be necessary. Only gloves to protect the hands from contact with the opponent’s blade would be needed. I am very impressed with the effect produced by this etching process, and would HIGHLY recommend it if you are even considering a Grand Master, or GM staff. The pommels share the grainy silver finish on the thin portion, combined with the more polished finish on the bottom-most rung of the circular design, thus maintaining the theme already present on the saber. They definitely compliment the appearance of the sabers in individual configuration.
The weight, and feel of the individual sabers is quite satisfying. They feel very balanced with a 32” blade. You could probably get away with a 37” blade, but it feels a little blade heavy to me. Everyone has their own preference on that point, and I think they are all valid, so by all means, get whichever blade you typically find comfortable. For the staff configuration, I got the 26” blades. That configuration gives you a total length of about 71 inches.
You might be a bit curious about the alignment of the sabers when in Staff mode. The first time I threaded them together, there was about a ½ inch of thread short of perfect alignment. I immediately planned on getting a set of clocking rings to remedy that. However, now that I have put it together, and dismantled it a few times now, I have found that the threads have worn ever so slightly, allowing the alignment to come very close to perfect. So, I will hold off on the clocking rings to see if a little additional wear might put it right where I want it.
These sabers sport the Energy Vibration feature, which I will talk a little about. As I am sure most are aware by now, this feature is essentially a small rumble motor in the saber that provides a small vibration when the saber is “ignited”. While by no means essential for someone to enjoy their saber, I feel like it adds that little extra touch of realism. One imagines that power-up something with that much contained energy would have a tactile feel of some kind, and this feature easily provides that. It does cost a little extra, so as always, one must evaluate the “bang for the buck” aspect. However, for me, it has become a standard feature that I can easily justify. For those worried about the vibrations effect on the accelerometers of the sound card, potentially causing phantom swing sounds, relax. I have noticed no such issues on a couple of sabers with SaberCore 2, and according to Phil himself, the SaberCore 3 boards were calibrated with Energy Vibration in mind, so it is definitely not an issue on these sabers.
Oh, now I have done it! I went and mentioned that these sabers are equipped with SaberCore 3. I realize that, as of this writing, SaberCore 3 has not been released, or introduced publicly yet. There has been some information shared about the features, but there is no mention of it yet on the main site. To that, I can only say that sometimes, fortune, and providence come together, even for someone like me, who typically do not enjoy that kind of conjunction in normal life. I don’t win lotteries (not even small amounts), and I don’t typically stumble into fortunate situations. However, in this instance, the timing, and Phil’s generosity combined to make this happen. I am sure I could spend another thousand words going over SaberCore 3 itself, but I will just hit the highlights here, and save the in-depth discussion for a discreet review of the new soundboard to come later. I did verify with Phil that he had no issue with me posting this review, with the SaberCore 3 content before his public unveiling.
SaberCore 3 does change the outward appearance of a saber so equipped. That is because there is no longer a kill key. Instead, you will notice an open micro-usb port where the old style recharge port used to be. According to Phil, the deep sleep mode that is the saber’s default state would hold a charge for 6 months, so the kill circuit is not as important in this arrangement as it was with SC2. This mini-USB port now serves as both recharge port, and computer access to the features of the board. There is a downloadable application that you basically unzip to your hard drive, and double-click the executable. From the sounds of the voltage requirements, you could use an independently powered USB port to actually charge the saber, but it will be slow going. It is recommended that you use something like a tablet charger to do the heavy lifting. The advantage to the slow charge method of having it plugged into the PC, is that you can monitor the progress of the charge in the interface application. There is a bar that displays current charge level, and when it shows 4.18v-4.2v, it is done.
In this application, you can set all the major features of the board, and vary them within each sound font. If you want fast blade shimmer for font 1, but slow for font 2, this is where you do it. Apparently, you can also change out one, or all three fonts with fonts available at SaberFonts.com, but you have to change the names of the files to match those that SC3 recognizes. No doubt, when more folks (especially those more technically oriented) begin posting their own accounts of SC3, there will be some useful information we can add to the FAQ for quick reference.
The board itself produces discernably better sound quality, and much better swing, and clash detection. But, one of the best features is the innovative method of providing Flash-on-Clash, and Flash-on-Blaster Block. Besides providing a feature that has been absent from the present Champion level sound option, it is achieved using a method that unique to this soundboard. Instead of using one of the LED dies in an array (whether that be two, or 4 LEDs) to flash a contrasting color, this board uses a voltage regulator to momentarily overdrive the entire LED array to create the flash effect. This means that you don’t have to give up any brightness, to achieve the flash effect. I am sure there are those that would argue that flashing a contrasting color is more effective. I have seen both methods now, and I would submit that the flash on this is just as effective, if not more so. Of course, that is my subjective opinion based on observation, but I think most will agree that this will become the more preferable way to do a flash effect.
Obviously, having three distinct fonts for a Champion level board is new as well. The three that come with the board (Rangers Blade (light side), Dark Side Relic (dark side), and Cyber Assassin are all currently available on SaberFonts.com, so you can sample them there to get a feel for what is to come before the public unveiling. I find all three to be very satisfying, each in their own right. You are pretty much covered regardless of saber style, or blade color. You can cycle between them by depressing the main button, and listening to the audio prompt to know which font will be in place when the button is pushed to ignite. It takes a little practice to get the one you want, but you adjust pretty quickly. In addition, there are now not one, not two, but three auxiliary sounds provided. There is blaster block (which also causes the blade to flash), saber lock-up, and force power. Each of these is engaged by different combinations of main button presses while the saber is on.
I am sure there are things about SaberCore 3 I have overlooked, and if you have questions on anything, just ask, and I will answer. As for the saber itself, it is the crown jewel of my collection of which currently contains 13 others. Now, one of those (a Crystal Reveal Prodigal Son) is currently out for modifications to make it more screen accurate, so when it returns, it might re-take that coveted spot. But, at present, the Legacy Grand Master is the most beautiful saber it has ever been my pleasure to behold, and I cannot thank Phil, and his team enough for all that went into designing and creating it!
Saber Specifications:
* LED Color(s): Light Blue
* Sound Option: SaberCore 3
* Hilt Length (Individual): 11 ¼ inches. 12 ½ inches with pommels threaded in
* Staff Length: 23 inches (including the coupler, with no blades)
Category Ratings:
* Craftsmanship: 10/10
* Styling: 10/10
* Comfort: 10/10
* Sound: 10/10 (SC3 is outstanding)
* Overall: 11/10 (yeah, it is that good!)