Greetings Everyone,
There are over 80 pages of reviews so I am sure nearly everything that can be said has been. However I will add my thoughts.
I purchased a Guardian and a Prophesy V3 for myself and an Apprentice LE V4 for my son. All of them have light up switches.
The Guardian has a Blue blade and Obsidian sound. It is stock otherwise. This is a long hilt and very nicely crafted. I like that it is made from multiple layers of aluminum. I did not notice on the website that the screws at the top are hallow and allow light through. Cool addition.
I selected the longer blade for this hilt and it looks good with the bigger hilt. Due to the size I cannot spin it around with big fancy actions.
The Prophesy has already become my favorite. It has a green blade of moderate length and Obsidian sound. The hilt has a classic look to it. It is a good length and it sits well either one or two handed. It can be wielded in many forms including a modified fencing grip (non pistol grip styles). I chose to change to the Archon pommel. This was a good choice as it extended the length but more over it balanced the weight better. I borrowed the stock pommel from the Apprentice to do a comparison.
This hilt also has potential for modifications. If you are new check the modifications threads. I plan to do some leather wraps and some painting. I have not decided if I will weather it or not. I like my swords clean and lightsabers should be too.
Overall, this will be the saber of choice.
The Apprentice LE has Obsidian sound and has the violet blade and is short for a child. The openings on the emitter are an awesome feature. My wife found the shape of the hilt to be a bit... well... interesting. Looking past that this saber is a good hilt either left stock or as a base for its own modifications. With the shorter blade I find the overall saber to be a bit heavy in the hilt but that should be good for my boy to keep him from whipping the blade around.
The stock pommel may need to be replaced or modified. The opened end is good at letting out sound but I worry that the diaphragm of the speaker may get damaged. The bottom should be a grill like the other two or have a lip inside that has a screen mounted to it.
The swords I have used in Western historical combat have been longsword and great sword. The Prophesy and the Guardian with the longer blade work in these two concepts. The longsword was the sword of war in the 14th and 15th century. These swords were used two handed, one handed and even a style called half sword. Lightsabers do not allow for half sword work as it requires that you grasp the blade. There are many forms and styles for using longsword. The Prophesy hilt will work well as a longsword. The great sword was a larger sword requiring two hands. Fighting with one can be quite elegant and powerful. The Guardian with the longer blade really presents itself as a great sword. Both of these do not have a crossguard. The crossguard adds techniques that lightsaber cannot use unless the guard is made from saber resistant metal or mini saber blades. I do not know Eastern sword techniques so I cannot speak to those styles.
I am happy with these sabers. If my wife ever once one or if I feel the desire for another I would buy from Ultrasabers again.
I hope this review has been helpful to anyone interested in any of these gilts.
Christopher
