KR|"Echoes of Future" Review #18: Feline Combatants

Toy prototype details

Name: Feline Combatants^TM

Subtitle: cat-like defenders of the forest

Line: KR|Echoes of Future

Item type: multi-pack (army builder 5-pack) - Nº 4 in the line.

Character details

Name: see descriptions below

Classification: carnivoran mammal

Sex: male or female

Home: Idakarr (Tahron's former name)

Era: 570 years before Foundation

Affiliation: Kimarhan (a tribe of forest warriors who eventually form the Grand Resistance to oppose the rising reptilian authority)

Rank: forest fighter.

Background

First appearance: KR|Echoes of Future #1 - The secret origin of chaos

Character summary: a group of strong Kimarhan fighters living in the Northern Forest, protecting it from evil. The Feline Combatants possessed a unique blend of cat-like traits, including exceptional reflexes, strength and agility. Their ability to extend and retract their sharp claws provided them with a formidable offensive and defensive advantage. Also, their superior night vision allowed them to navigate in low-light conditions, while their acute hearing enabled them to detect even the faintest sounds. These formidable warriors rode massive deinotheria, elephant-like creatures equipped with distinctive downward-curving tusks and outfitted with armoured saddles, protective helmets and foreleg guards. Their home was a sprawling settlement nestled among the treetops; this high-perched arboreal community was connected by a network of ladders, bridges and even a stone staircase leading to an enigmatic ancient sculpture at the centre of a sacred fire pit, perhaps a relic of a forgotten civilisation.

Articulation
Standard (new scheme), with the addition of a ball jointed tail.

Description
All figures of this multi-pack have the following characteristics in common:

Head: they possess large, rounded ears with a subtle point. Their eyes are relatively large, and their canine teeth are notably long and pointed

Body: their lithe and muscular bodies are covered in fur, with particular emphasis on the forearms, shins, back of hands and insteps. They have five clawed fingers on their hands and four clawed toes on their feet, which are typically bare unless otherwise specified

Wearables: their outfits are predominantly dark-green (including green-tinted leather), and a laterally stretched, 14-rayed silver Vergina Sun emblem (from which the Theriom symbol derives) is often featured on their attires.

Weapons and accessories

Each figure comes with a fire lance, a primitive rocket-propelled weapon combining the features of a polearm and a firearm. Each spear consists of three sections: a long olivewood shaft, a hollow bamboo tube filled with a charge of gunpowder, and a pointed tip affixed to the end. A strip of hemp fibre cloth soaked in a flammable substance is tied between the tube and the point, serving as a fuse. When lit, the burning cloth would ignite the gunpowder, propelling the spearhead forward with explosive force. Additionally, the male figures come with alternative heads and accessories to create different characters.

Kiam (male character)

Head: similar to a sabre-toothed tiger, characterised by yellow-brown fur striped with black, a strip of bony protuberances covered in skin running centrally from the middle of the forehead to the back of the head, and a pair of massive curved upper canine teeth (or fangs)
Body: a yellow-brown coat marked with ocelot-like black-and-tawny bands. His chest has some scars on its left side
Wearables: a removable harness featuring a shoulder vine-strap that connects to the right side of a leather waist belt, a studded oxidised bronze bracelet on the left wrist, two ornate laminar armour shin guards, and a narrow birch bark belt with stitched ends, holding a grass skirt and a tattered hemp loincloth adorned with semi-circular white patterns. The shoulder strap includes an olivewood spaulder and, at the centre on the front, a sheath for a sculpted wooden-handled knife as well as an additional leather strap that attaches to the opposite side of the waist belt and holds three smaller knives. Two loops on the sides of the waist belt are designed to stow a pair of gauntlets (more on this later)

Powers and abilities: he is an exceptional fighter and a brilliant tactician, known for his deadly precision in throwing projectiles, particularly knives. His combat prowess is further enhanced by his unique physiology—a past wound infection has caused his skin and muscle tissue to fortify, granting him nigh-invulnerability and rapid recovery from injuries

Weapons: lance with an iron point featuring multiple additional curved side blades pointing upward. He also wields a pair of massive gauntlets shaped like tiger's claws, forged from an extremely durable alloy. These gauntlets possess a gold-and-black striped surface and serve multiple purposes, acting as shields capable of deflecting even the sharpest weapons and as tools for slashing and climbing. In the toy, the gauntlets are designed to replace his hands, covering the entire arms up to his elbows, while when not in use, they rest on his belt, doubling as sheaths for two additional removable daggers (the paint highlights on these are really great and blur the lines on whether the blades are metal or stone)

Alternative portrait (Ki-Marr): similar to a lion, characterised by light-buff fur (almost giving the impression of hairlessness), bushy eyebrows and a flowing tawny mane. This portrait corresponds to the character Ki-Marr, the elder leader of the Kimarhan tribe. Distinctive rust-coloured war paint markings streak diagonally across his face, while a scarred left eye (which, in the comics, he often covers with a patch) and a broken right fang protruding from his upper jaw enhance his rugged, battle-worn appearance

Alternative outfit: a harness consisting of two leather straps equipped with rows of long, wavy horny spikes, lined with "real" moss and adorned with an assortment of three animal skulls hanging from the front. The straps extend over his shoulders and converge in the front and back at a wide scale armour (the scales are made of seed shells) tasset belt, which is secured by a large Kimarhan emblem-shaped buckle and features a convenient loop for carrying his spiritual whip. Arm, wrist, knee and shin olivewood guards heavily armoured with short, curved bony spikes further enhance his intimidating image

Alternative weapons: a shamanic bone whip (with three rope ends terminating in colourful feathers) and a ceremonial paw-shaped wooden sceptre with a flame attachment (allowing the creation of a blazing version of this artefact, which symbolises Ki-Marr's status as a leader and his connection to the spiritual world).

Akat (male character)

Head: similar to a cheetah, characterised by pale-fawn fur covered with solid black spots, and a pair of tear-like black facial streaks running from the corners of the eyes down the sides of the nose. His rounded head appears nearly bald on top, contrasting with a rugged strip of long tawny hair that extends down his neck and upper spine. He dons an elaborate, removable oxidised bronze "flip-up" helmet adorned with spikes; when closed, the helmet transforms into an animalistic visage, featuring a half mask with a striking bird-of-prey design and glowing orange eye slits (it evokes a blend of the Masters of the Universe Battle Cat's mask and the arena helmet from Thor: Ragnarok)

Body: apart from the above-mentioned "mane" between the shoulders, a pale-fawn coat marked with clouded leopard-like irregular dusky-grey blotches bordered by looped black stripes

Wearables: some birch bark strips wrapped around the forearms, two mossy calf protectors secured with vine straps below the knees and above the ankles, a knotted rope belt, and a pair of short, torn hemp trousers. The lower body is further protected by two lamellar armour thigh guards made from small rectangular plates of leather laced into horizontal rows, and a laminar (the lames are made of oxides bronze) loincloth

Powers and abilities: his mental instability—or his exceptional skill at pretending to be so—adds an unpredictable edge to his abilities. For example, he can control the fears of his opponents, turning their own anxieties against them in battle. Also, through his mystical mask, he has the ability to communicate with his deceased ancestors and conjure up their spirits by reanimating the long-buried skeletons of mysterious creatures. These beings manifest as large cat-like golems with energy-green claws and spines, and they possess the power to summon energy tentacled horrors from within their forms as well as to grow in size and shapeshift at will

Weapons: lance with a triangular bone point

Alternative portrait (Yuraq): similar to a leopard or a snow leopard, characterised by an angular shape, pale-fawn fur covered with small, densely packed black-and-brown rosettes, two pairs of broken-up stripes running from the corner of the eyes over the cheeks and from the corner of the mouth to the neck, a pair of tusks protruding up, and a removable orange copper kabuto adorned with a pair of large curving horns and a full mask

Alternative outfit: a hemp tunic topped with a lamellar armour cuirass adorned with jade accents (its layered spaulders are a combination of grass, leather, tortoiseshell and bony spikes), two laminar arm pads, two oxidised bronze bracers equipped with knuckledusters, and a leather belt featuring two lamellar tassets with jade accents

Alternative weapons: an orange copper sword that fits into a sheath attached to his cuirass and an orange copper shield featuring the face of a ram-horned, jade-eyed creature intricately sculpted on the disc to resemble his kabuto mask.

Vasak (male character)

Head: similar to a lynx, characterised by fulvous fur marked with dark-brown streaks and spots, black-tufted ears, and solid yellow glow-in-the-dark eyes

Body: a fulvous coat marked with large, jaguar-like black-and-brown rosettes with central spots. His tail is relatively short, while his arms are completely wrapped in hemp straps, though loosely, with plenty of gaps in between

Wearables: two leather armbands (each featuring a single bony spike), two leather gloves, two leather boots with grass fringes around the middle of the shafts and tattered turndown tops, a hemp sash round the waist, and a long torn skin loincloth

Powers and abilities: he is a smooth-talking fighter with a supernatural edge. An energy-manipulating entity resides within him, granting him a range of extraordinary abilities. This spirit enables him to absorb, transform and redirect various forms of energy—he can, for example, bend light for enhanced stealth, convert the kinetic energy of shocks into concussive blasts, generate intense radiation from his eyes, manipulate gravity to perform powerful leaps, and unleash a devastating sonic roar

Weapons: lance with a diamond-shaped flint point

Alternative portrait (Plowan): similar to a cougar, characterised by plain fulvous fur and a long, silver-grey beard arranged into three separate braids. Atop his head, he wears a removable headgear made from the upper part of a cream-furred, one-horned ormurid-like animal's head with the lower jaw removed
Alternative outfit: a harness featuring two leather shoulder armours that wrap around the arm sockets, partially covering the chest and back. These are adorned with large pyramidal oxidised bronze spikes and connected at the front and back by chain straps (the chest strap has a buckle in the form of a Kimarhan emblem-shaped medallion). Lined with a sculpted cream-coloured fur that resembles a mane and is darkly marked with both large blotchy spots and wide stripes, the harness is further enhanced by two imposing, skull-shaped spiked pauldrons. Additionally, he dons two mossy bracers outfitted with forward-pointing claws, and a leather belt featuring a large buckle adorned with four bony protruding spikes (the belt is complemented by a pair of laminar tassets and various bony and metal implements hanging from it)

Alternative weapons: a fearsome pair of clubs crafted from the halves of a massive animal’s jawbone (possibly the same creature used for the headgear), with their rugged surfaces and exposed teeth adding to their menacing presence.

Alaja (female character)

Head: similar to a black panther (i.e., a melanistic leopard), characterised by black fur, solid white eyes and a cascade of long black hair tied into a topknot, flowing high ponytail. Additionally, she wears a fearsome, full-face olivewood removable mask, carved to resemble a predatory cat with elongated fangs

Body: a black flocked coat. The colour looks great, while the flocking seems evenly applied and does simulate velvety fur nicely

Wearables: a one-shoulder mini dress, two narrow tubular oxidised bronze bracelets, two narrow tubular oxidised bronze anklets ornamented with layers of plant fibres, and a leather belt equipped with a little skull buckle and a small horny scabbard on the side for a sculpted dagger with a short curved blade. The dress seems to be made of two pieces that are stitched together: the top piece—perhaps originally part of a bikini-like outfit—is made from pale cream-coloured fur that is brownly marked with blotches and stripes, while the bottom one, ending in a tattered skirt, is made from hemp

Powers and abilities: due to her blindness, her remaining senses are heightened to extraordinary levels, allowing her to navigate the world with exceptional awareness. Additionally, she possesses a unique telepathic ability to control birds; these feathered allies serve as her eyes, providing her with a bird's-eye view of her surroundings and enabling her to gather information from afar. Furthermore, she has a limited ability to influence the local weather, manipulating elements like wind, rain and temperature within a specific area

Weapons and accessories: lance whose copper head is separated into a split point. Additionally, she comes with a crow wing-inspired black cape featuring an emerald-jewelled Kimarhan emblem at the collar, two tortoiseshell bracers equipped with short, curved bony spikes, and a sculpted paw-shaped wooden baton in a birch bark holster that can be attached to her lower leg (in the comics, this baton has multiple functions, such as delivering electric shocks, extending into a grappling hook, and separating into a paw-shuriken and a throwing knife)

Qora (female character)

Head: similar to a white tiger, characterised by white fur striped with black, differently coloured eyes (one a vibrant blue and the other a warm amber), and a fringe of hair cut straight across the forehead (like bangs)
Body: a white coat marked with black stripes

Wearables: a sleeveless halterneck leotard, two studded leather armbands, two silver "gloves" ornamented with thin black stripes and grass-lined cuffs, two leather calf protectors, and a belt made of several oxidised bronze discs laced together. The leotard is primarily made of hemp and is adorned with semi-circular white patterns; a leather strap secures it around the neck, while a V-shaped leather brief section covers the upper thighs

Powers and abilities: her enhanced intelligence grants her exceptional proficiency in herbal medicine, trapping and pyrotechnics. Born with congenital hand deformities, she relies on cybernetic hand enhancements, which feature retractable and extendable steel claws embedded in the fingers, as well as deployable spikes from the knuckles

Weapons and accessories: lance with a lanceolate obsidian point. Additionally, she comes with a broad, usekh-inspired collar, composed of rows of claws, stones and shells, and complemented by a necklace featuring a Kimarhan emblem-shaped medallion. Finally, the set includes a birch bark waist satchel containing a number of rudimentary tools, a pair of red-lensed goggles, and an amappo hunting trap (i.e., a crossbow set at the top of a tree stump, featuring a tripwire release mechanism and a bolt coated with a lethal poison; the crossbow piece is reused from the Enmity Expansion Kit for Tahron)

Final thoughts

Overall: this massive KR|EoF set delivers on both fan service and quality. The Feline Combatants 5pk is a fantastic nod to the saga's mythos (the three siblings in the Foundation series get their powers from cat-like spirits), and the set's overall design and execution are impressive. While some minor nitpicks exist, the new tooling and design are top-notch. This set is a must-have for hardcore fans, but casual collectors may find it excessive

Rating: ☺☺☺☺☺ / 5