Toy prototype details
Name: TuankTM
Subtitle: siege weapons specialist
Line: KR|Echoes of Future
Item type: action figure - Nº 27 in the line.
Character details
Name: Tuank
Classification: artiodactyl mammal
Sex: male
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: tribal warrior.
Background
First appearance: KR|Echoes of Future #1 - The secret origin of chaos
Character summary: an indomitable fighter of the Kimarhan tribe, known for relentless strength and battlefield endurance. With an arsenal of projectile weapons strapped to his arms and legs, and a heavy catapult mounted on his back, he turned his entire body into a walking siege engine, launching crushing shots that shattered enemy lines.
Articulation
Standard (new scheme), with the addition of a ball jointed tail.
Description
Head: similar to a wild boar, covered in coarse greyish-brown hair and characterised by a large, elongated snout, a pair of long, broad ears, and a pair of forward-facing amber eyes with round black pupils giving him an intimidating stare. From his mouth protrude two pairs of large, ivory canines: two shorter upper tusks and two longer, sharper lower ones, all curving upward with a rough, weathered texture (although they are noticeably asymmetrical, with one upper canine angling more outward than the others). He also carries an additional large, black (with slight brown undertones) mane piece running down his back, which fits right on top of the body and gives him a pronounced humpbacked look
Body: thick greyish-brown coat consisting of long, coarse bristles. He features hands wearing dirty-yellow (#cdc50a) leather hand wraps with visible worn out fingernails, bare feet bearing cloven hoof-like toes, and a fairly long, slender tufted tail
Wearables: an armour primarily made of off-white leather with golden-yellow metal details (except for the triangular chest ornaments, which appear to be crafted from bone), two large hexagonal off-white leather wrist guards that stretch along the forearm (each has two long parallel sides and four shorter angled sides pointing toward the hand and elbow, and is fitted with golden-yellow rivets and spikes), two creamy-white furry calf protectors (each secured by two dirty-yellow leather straps, one at the ankle and one at the top, connected by a vertical golden-yellow bar that ends with an instep guard on one side and a small bone-spiked knee guard on the other), an off-white leather belt (ornamented with golden-yellow studs and fastened with a small diamond-shaped golden-yellow buckle), and a tapering loincloth made of two layers: an upper layer of golden-yellow scale armour and a lower layer of torn dirty-yellow leather. In addition, he wears two removable golden-yellow spaulders, each featuring three large, curved bony spikes; these spaulders are not attached to the armour itself, but each is secured to the upper arm with an off-white leather armband. He also wears two thigh guards matching the spaulders, as well as an extra harness made of two crisscrossing shoulder belts (one of off-white leather and the other of interlaced, ornamented square golden-yellow plates, each fitted with a bony spike) that meet at a stylised ram head-shaped silver central emblem (more on this later) and connect to a dirty-yellow leather waist belt. Some leather elements, such as the armour collar, the spaulder armbands and the harness shoulder strap, are ornamented with meander motifs.
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| Tuank's stylised armour. |
Action feature
In the comics, Tuank is depicted as a formidable combatant who attacks his opponents with an arsenal of mechanical projectile weapons mounted on his limbs and back. In the toy, his harness can be equipped with a back-mounted onager or trebuchet. This wooden machine (which is reused from Ramalik and is fictionally operated via a system of lever and ropes) features a sling made of intersecting dirty-yellow leather strips to cradle an included projectile, as well as a pull-and-release spring mechanism that launches it with a catapulting action. The projectile itself is a spiked ball composed of a dark-grey iron core fitted with copper spikes that have a brownish-orange hue. Additionally, he is equipped with a pair of wrist-mounted wooden weapons. On the right wrist guard is a crossbow (though it lacks the typical T-shaped structure with a long shaft and wide crosspiece, instead having a boxy design) that can shoot two large, pointed ivory projectiles made from swine hooves, which are separate, detachable pieces. Mounted on the left wrist guard is a second trebuchet (smaller than the one on his back and designed to rotate sideways rather than vertically) that is capable of hurling a black obsidian disc with a sharp edge (another separate piece that sits in the sling before being launched). Finally, two small collapsible crossbows are mounted on the sides of the thigh guards close to the knees; these come in two interchangeable forms: retracted, where they look like compact bundles of wooden components, and expanded, where they can pivot vertically like bows and arrows, and are ready to shoot removable flaming bolts.
In the comics, Tuank is depicted as a formidable combatant who attacks his opponents with an arsenal of mechanical projectile weapons mounted on his limbs and back. In the toy, his harness can be equipped with a back-mounted onager or trebuchet. This wooden machine (which is reused from Ramalik and is fictionally operated via a system of lever and ropes) features a sling made of intersecting dirty-yellow leather strips to cradle an included projectile, as well as a pull-and-release spring mechanism that launches it with a catapulting action. The projectile itself is a spiked ball composed of a dark-grey iron core fitted with copper spikes that have a brownish-orange hue. Additionally, he is equipped with a pair of wrist-mounted wooden weapons. On the right wrist guard is a crossbow (though it lacks the typical T-shaped structure with a long shaft and wide crosspiece, instead having a boxy design) that can shoot two large, pointed ivory projectiles made from swine hooves, which are separate, detachable pieces. Mounted on the left wrist guard is a second trebuchet (smaller than the one on his back and designed to rotate sideways rather than vertically) that is capable of hurling a black obsidian disc with a sharp edge (another separate piece that sits in the sling before being launched). Finally, two small collapsible crossbows are mounted on the sides of the thigh guards close to the knees; these come in two interchangeable forms: retracted, where they look like compact bundles of wooden components, and expanded, where they can pivot vertically like bows and arrows, and are ready to shoot removable flaming bolts.
Weapons and accessories
In addition to the several projectiles and interchangeable weapon parts, Tuank comes with his signature hand-powered slingshot for shooting stones. This is reused from the Enmity Expansion Kit for Tahron, now with upgraded paintwork (the original was an unpainted golden piece) and it can be secured in a loop on his harness. A detailed description of this piece is long overdue, so let's fix that: it’s a forked wooden stick with a silver chain (actually two chains connected by a yellow leather pad or pouch) passing over a pair of wheels mounted on the two prongs. A curved, elastic iron bowstave (with spiked limbs!) is fixed perpendicularly to the handle and attached to both ends of the chain. Essentially, it functions like a mini crossbow pointing downward, with a chain instead of a string or straps, and the shooting direction at a 90-degree angle thanks to a pulley-based compound mechanism. While I'm doubtful about the practicality of a chain on an elastic propulsion weapon, it definitely looks cool. The slingshot also includes a stone bullet (possibly flint) that attaches to the sling via a small peg, and similar stones are sculpted along the waist strap of the additional harness.
In addition, the figure includes a golden-yellow helmet crowned with a silver headband (decorated with the same meander motifs seen on his armour and embellished with a pearlescent white gem at the front) and equipped with a pair of fairly large, off-white ram horns. I’ve heard rumours that the original figure concept included an action feature where pushing a lever would cause the breastplate to pop open and a battering ram to extend from his chest. I’m pleased they didn’t go that route... how would you even explain something like that? Is he supposed to be a cyborg or something, with an empty chest cavity that can house an extending battering ram? Still, I’m glad they included the harness emblem and the helmet as subtle references to that early idea.
Finally, the package comes with a set of alternate parts that allow us to transform Tuank into a completely different character, specifically a canine looking warrior named AtawTM, a member of the Theriom feral warrior division led by Uhlu in an alternate version of the Foundation reality. To do so, you’ll need to remove Tuank's head, body armour (including the bracers), hands, feet and tail (it's up to you whether you want to remove the mane piece as well). The set includes a wolf-like head, pairs of hands and feet equipped with dark claws, and a long, bushy tail, all with fur matching the body; there's also a shoulder belt made of large, rhomboidal yellow plates (it’s difficult to tell whether they’re meant to be made of metal or leather) linked together and accented with pearlescent white details, as well as a weapon that is a golden-yellow repaint of the surujin from the Emergence Expansion Kit for Tahron.
Final thoughts
Overall: Tuank stands out as a great addition, with a cool design that perfectly captures the wild charm of the KR|EoF line. PoliganToys delivers an excellent sculpt, paired with clean paintwork and solid articulation that allows for smooth, satisfying posing. To be completely honest, I had little expectation or excitement for this figure, but having it in hand has been a pleasant surprise, mostly thanks to its unique look and variety of new parts and accessories. This heavily armed, siege-style living war machine fits right in with the Kimarhan tribe while still feeling distinct and eye-catching. Altogether, he is a highly enjoyable figure to own
Rating: ☺☺☺☺☺ / 5
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