To make the already great KR line even greater, there is nothing like getting a big ass wicked vehicle that I was almost sure wouldn't be going to happen - the ArkiopodTM!
Also, included with this mecha-beast is a new figure, Geel-BerTM. He is one of those figures in the line that I wouldn’t really expect to care about. But after getting the prototype and previewing his comic, Geel-Ber’s character started to get into my good books.
So, let's get down to the details of this 11th multi-pack prototype from PoliganToys.
Geel-Ber
Details
Name: Geel-Ber
Subtitle: barbaric warlord
Classification: human
Sex: male
Home: Tahron
Affiliation: Destructomorph (temporarily)
Rank: leader of the Gunlars, a barbarian tribe; monstrous re-embodiment of Deptilion.
Background
Like with several characters I have reviewed during the last few months, Geel-Ber's only appearance takes place in a KR comic issue that hasn't been printed yet, but I had the chance to preview. Although I cannot reveal too much about the story involving this young barbarian leader, I can anticipate that Geel-Ber, due to an event related to the episode featuring Alterok, transforms into a sort of Deptilion's clone and teams up with Demo-Rha. The pair then aims at changing the history of Tahron by travelling back in time.
Articulation
Standard.
Description
Head: pale white skin, long, somewhat wavy blond hair, blue eyes, a narrow nose, a conceited, almost sadistic smirk
Body: pale white skin, exposed arms and legs
Wearables: a silver harness with black details, two silver bracelets, two silver boots, a silver belt and a Roman-style black leather loincloth decorated with silver studs. The harness looks quite worn and features a strange symbol (which personally reminds me to the "W"-shaped asterism of the constellation Cassiopeia) on the chest plate.
 |
| Geel-Ber's stylised harness. |
Action feature
In the story, for a series of events that I can't recount now, Geel-Ber magically acquires the appearance (and also the wickedness) of Deptilion. So, the figure comes with two alternative heads that are meant to be used with regular Deptilion, to render Geel-Ber's look after the mutation. Both heads display Deptilion's standard face, but one is un-helmeted and has a mane of greasy, dirty blond hair, while the other one wears a new black helmet with silver details. For comic accuracy, the former head will work best if Deptilion's harness is replaced with Geel-Ber's one, even though the wrist- and shin-guards don't match the pieces of armour worn by the barbarian.
 |
| Deptilion's stylised new helmet. |
Weapons and accessories
Apart from the two additional heads, Geel-Ber comes with a threatening halberd. This weapon has nothing to do with the halberds that form the Key. It's "just" a combined spear, battleaxe and sledgehammer, which consists of a silver axe blade and a round, flat silver hammer head, topped with a silver spike mounted on a long black shaft.
Arkiopod
Details
Name: Arkiopod
Subtitle: crawling attack vehicle
Classification: land vehicle
Home: Tahron
Affiliation: Destructomorph
Rank: transport.
Description
The Arkiopod is an incredible walking fighting vehicle protected by two curved reddish-brown, copper-like layers (resembling two beautifully sculpted valves) on the upper and lower surfaces. One action figure can sit in the cockpit on the vehicle's back and grasp the handlebar equipped with sculpted vehicle control panels and two removable guns that can also fit in the figure's grip. A number of technological dark-grey structures emerge from the black gap between the two valves, namely six insect-like legs, two tentacled arms and a pair of headlights. The six legs look like they have several articulation points, despite they are only made of one very detailed piece each. Either arm splits into three cool bending tentacles that hold shape; one of these tentacles is armed with a sharp claw and another one with a spring-action pincer that can grip a figure. The headlights are slightly similar to two beady eyes and glow in the dark.
Action feature
When the Arkiopod rolls forward or backward, its amazing mechanical legs and tentacles move for attack action. The mechanism is activated by the front-underside rolling wheel (the only part of the hull that touches the ground) as the vehicle is pushed along a smooth surface. By removing the upper shell, the exposed complex gearbox lets us watch its camshaft turning.
Weapons and accessories
The Arkiopod comes with two pivoting black missile launchers mounted at the sides of the cockpit. The cannons can rotate for aiming and fire double-headed missiles thanks to spring-loaded mechanisms... they actually shoot farther than I would have thought.
Overall, I am absolutely thrilled with this multi-pack. Even though Geel-Ber is based on the standard male buck, the guys at PoliganToys added a few new components that give him his own style and really exude that barbarian-warlord vibe. Before his transformation, he is probably one of the more insignificant villains in the line, but I’m still pretty happy to add him to my shelf. Besides, his weapon and the two additional Deptilion heads have really great features. About the Arkiopod, the first evil vehicle is a smashing success, at least from a design standpoint. The detailing in the sculpt and paints on it are very impressive and all the cogs and cams inside the gearbox are quickly becoming some of my favourite tech details of this line. Well done!
No comments:
Post a Comment