Tepato Maxoi | Greek Battle Beasts

Production Company: El Greco

Years of Production: Early 1990s

Countries/Regions Available: Greece

Size/Scale: Approximately 2.5" tall

Figure Trade Markings: (C) TAKARA '86 (C) HASBRO '86

Approximate # of Figures: Hundreds

Details: Originally thought by many Battle Beasts collectors to be prototypes of the original American Battle Beasts and Japanese Beast Formers toy lines, Tepato Maxoi are now recognized as 'Greek Battle Beasts'. Unlike their counterparts available in Japan, America and the rest of the world, all the Greek Battle Beasts came unpainted and instead were available in the rather fetching colors: Black, Brown, Silver, Metallic Blue, Blue, Green and Pink.

Image Courtesy B.D. Foxmoore

All 28 figures from Series 1 of the original Battle Beasts line were available and each one has the original Takara copyright markings.

Tepato Maxoi were sold in window boxes containing two figures or individual figures blind packaged in bags. Packaged figures came with the arms disconnected from the body and now Greek Battle Beasts are often found with mis-matched arms.

Note the original Battle Beasts artwork from the US release but this time with the Greek Exogini logo:

Interestingly, Tepato Maxoi boxes have been found with M.U.S.C.L.E. style Exogini inside. To make things even stranger the pamphlet they came with was in Dutch and bore no relation to Battle Beasts/Tepato Maxoi.

Greek Beasts came in two types of rubber, the more common being softer than standard Battle Beasts the less common being slightly harder. The softer figures ocaissionaly have slightly bent legs, here's an example of each with there American counterparts. Soft plastic Fox:

Hard plastic Sheep:

And similar to the original Battle Beasts line, Tepato Maxoi were packaged with weapons and chest badges. However, the badges were not heat sensitive like the ones for Battle Beasts but were only normal stickers. A selection of all three came with each pack.

The weapons also differed in Greece:

They are a light gold and appear 'glittery.' Here's a comparison with a standard silver weapon (left):

I hope this has left you feeling a bit more informed about Greek Battle Beasts. Enjoy a lovely shot of a pink Roamin' Buffalo with a standard gold weapon below! See also Tepato Maxoi at Toypedia.

~ Matthew Fitz