KR|Emergence Review #16: Pyrosaur Siege Warfare Kit (SDCC 2021 Exclusive)

PoliganToys' Comic-Con@Home 2021 exclusive release will be the Pyrosaur^TM Siege Warfare Kit!

These concept art-inspired, Emergence comic book accurate accessories for one of the most iconic Key Raiders vehicles will get you hella excited! The Pyrosaur Siege Warfare Kit is a wicked three-piece set that includes great spring-action military machines, such as a bombard that propels battering ram-missiles and a catapult that hurls large stones, as well as a "mobile launcher" base.

Both the cannon and the catapult are painted in metallic light-blue with silver-grey details, and exhibit tons of tech-mech details (e.g., panels, tubes, wires and pistons) as well as bronze components such as the barrel and the arm-plus-bucket, respectively.

Either accessory launches its projectile by pressing on a spring-loaded lever, and can perch atop the Pyrosaur's main body or at the port on the front of the head/cockpit when the war machine is set in a vertical position (replacing the flying pod/turret), or can even stand alone thanks to the included 4-wheel wooden base.

The set includes two silver battering rams (each with its end in the form of a robotic lizard's skull equipped with bronze tusks, chin spike and sagittal crest) and two dark grey boulders.

This KR exclusive will be available for $50 on PoliganToys' direct-to-consumer platform, on Thursday, July 22. Will you make the attempt to grab it? Let me know in the comments section!

KR Review #84: Ultimate Curse Set (SDCC 2017 Exclusive)

I'm reposting this news blog post from 20 July 2017 as a review.

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PoliganToys will be in attendance at this year's San Diego Comic-Con!

Their SDCC exclusive release is the Key Raiders Ultimate Curse 2-pack, which contains the vehicle form of LoGoN and its "mysterious" white-suited driver.

CoBoN's evil counterpart is one of the more interesting machines shown during the several episodes of the KR saga. We already got LoGoN's robot configuration last year, but if its vehicle form hadn't been produced, there would have been an empty space on the shelf.

This very first release (not a prototype!) from PoliganToys is mostly a reuse of CoBoN's vehicle mode with a few differences:

- The bodywork is painted in a glossy black colour

- The front mounted scanner bar is recreated with a black lenticular sticker displaying green and purple patterns

- The voice display on the dashboard is painted in colours closer to the blue part of the spectrum, rather than to the red one

- Neither the central multi-spectral detector/holographic projector nor the clawed continuous tracks pieces are included

- The two Gatling guns are replaced by a spring-loaded rocket launcher and a plasma cannon (in black&silver).

The package includes a full-body version of LoGoN's white-suited driver, which is my personal favourite Demo-Rha's variant. The head and the torso are reused from the static bust that came with the original LoGoN, while the rest of the body is made of white&ochre repainted pieces from Combat Sei-Lha, specifically:

- The arms (with gloved gripping, non-removable hands)

- The legs (with glued leg guards)

- The belt and the crotch piece.

The articulation is the female standard and no weapon is included.

This KR exclusive will be available for $100 at the convention.

They will also have plenty of prototypes on display at their booth all weekend long! I wish I could be there...

Happy 2018!!!

Check out these news about the Key Raiders universe!

2017 Prototypes

This check-list includes all prototypes produced under the Key Raiders line in 2017. Items are categorised by their type (and, in most cases, affiliation) and listed in order of review.

Action figures (single, dual, large scale and in multi-packs):

Theriom	Reptonoid
Kai-Xi	Bi-Harr (Origin Edition)
Galamars	Denortos (Origin Edition)
Tah-Ron°
Theriom Knights	Lor-Drek (Origin Edition)
Myneran	Reptonoid Troopers
Elkymor	Elykta (Origin Edition)
Ki-Shudan	Li-Toh-Kor
Zhongat^	Loghar (Origin Edition)
Khon-Uhr	Rabidriss
Sembryon	Chladox
Al-Mih-Tek	Sphenorat (Origin Edition)
Gollyop	Nar-Apsya
Dark Flash	Shaurus

°Neutral.

^Packed with Kilorapt.

Vehicles (belonging to the regular series):

Pterajet

Ultimate Curse set: LoGoN vehicle form & driver (SDCC 2017 Exclusive)

Accessories:

Origin Weapons Pack

Key Raiders: Enmity

The upcoming reviews will be about new prototypes that belong to a brand new Key Raiders wave. Like Origin, this is a prequel series, which will be titled Key Raiders: Enmity (stylised as KR|Enmity) and concern a universe characterised by a military vibe, recounting events happening 20 years before the adventures of the regular series (now renamed KR|Foundation):

→		Timeline (intervals in years)			→
	500		20
Origin		Enmity		Foundation

Review structure

Due to my increasing daytime-job workload, there will be some changes to the review structure:

- A review won't have an introduction anymore

- The brief bio will be actually... brief

- The concluding section will be renamed Final thoughts and will be in the form of a 1-5 scale rating list, taking into account character value (how important it is for the line), articulation (how poor or ample it is), sculpt and paint (how good they look), accessories (their amount and quality), playability (the fun factor) and an overall judgement.

KR SDCC 2017 Exclusive: Ultimate Curse set (LoGoN vehicle form & driver)

PoliganToys will be in attendance at this year's San Diego Comic-Con!

Their SDCC exclusive release is the Key Raiders Ultimate Curse 2-pack, which contains the vehicle form of LoGoN and its "mysterious" white-suited driver.

CoBoN's evil counterpart is one of the more interesting machines shown during the several episodes of the KR saga. We already got LoGoN's robot configuration last year, but if its vehicle form hadn't been produced, there would have been an empty space on the shelf.

This very first release (not a prototype!) from PoliganToys is mostly a reuse of CoBoN's vehicle mode with a few differences:

- The bodywork is painted in a glossy black colour

- The front mounted scanner bar is recreated with a black lenticular sticker displaying green and purple patterns

- The voice display on the dashboard is painted in colours closer to the blue part of the spectrum, rather than to the red one

- Neither the central multi-spectral detector/holographic projector nor the clawed continuous tracks pieces are included

- The two Gatling guns are replaced by a spring-loaded rocket launcher and a plasma cannon (in black&silver).

The package includes a full-body version of LoGoN's white-suited driver, which is my personal favourite Demo-Rha's variant. The head and the torso are reused from the static bust that came with the original LoGoN, while the rest of the body is made of white&ochre repainted pieces from Combat Sei-Lha, specifically:

- The arms (with gloved gripping, non-removable hands)

- The legs (with glued leg guards)

- The belt and the crotch piece.

The articulation is the female standard and no weapon is included.

This KR exclusive will be available for $100 at the convention.

They will also have plenty of prototypes on display at their booth all weekend long! I wish I could be there...

Key Raiders: 2017 Wish List – Part II

I know many of you have been waiting for Part II of my 2017 Wish List article. Well, I'm excited to reveal this next wave about creatures and vehicles. I hope you enjoy these ideas!

10 - Kilorapt^TM GOT IT!

Type: creature

Affiliation: Rexodon

First appearance: issue #3 - "Clash of the leaders"

Facts: Bi-Harr's trusted companion has a great design that would help further expand the KR creatures lineup. The Rexodon leader is ready to ride this savage armoured maniraptoran into battle!

09 - Baryanoid-Cart^TM GOT IT!

Type: creature/land vehicle

Affiliation: Spektrosaur

First appearance: issue #7 - "The siege of Erlokat"

Facts: in the spectacular KR seventh comic issue, Lor-Drek attacks the Independent Warriors' stronghold with this all-terrain reptile-drawn chariot, which would undoubtedly be a great addition to the line.

08 - Pyrosaur^TM GOT IT!

Type: land vehicle

Affiliation: Spektrosaur

First appearance: issue #7 - "The siege of Erlokat"

Facts: another reptilian vehicle from the seventh KR comic issue, the Pyrosaur is reminiscent of a mechanical tyrannosaurus, can be manoeuvred in several positions and has a mechanical arm ending with a badass flamethrower.

07 - LoGoN^TM vehicle form (with driver) GOT IT!

Type: land vehicle and action figure

Affiliation: Destructomorph

First appearance: issue #13 - "The ultimate curse"

Facts: Xonedar in his motorbike form? Sure, we need him too (and he’s here with his own position in the list), but CoBoN's evil counterpart is one of the more interesting machines shown during the several episodes of the KR saga. We already got LoGoN's robot configuration, but if its vehicle form isn’t produced, there will be an empty space on the shelf. This prototype would merely be a black repaint of CoBoN's vehicle mode, which exists as of last year, and would also include a full-body version of its white-suited driver, who is my personal favourite Demo-Rha's variant.

06 - Ceratank^TM GOT IT!

Type: land vehicle

Affiliation: Rexodon

First appearance: issue #4 - "A fateful secret"

Facts: the incredible tank-like transport that carries the Rexodons into battle cannot be missing. Heavily armoured and armed, it's even got a powerful missile-launcher mounted on its swinging tail.

05 - Queen Holopodian^TM GOT IT!

Type: creature

Affiliation: Theriom

First appearance: issue #11 - "Herrion's ordeal"

Facts: the queen-holopodian, Kinod's biological mother, would make for a visually stunning addition to the line. I know this would be a pet project for the designers at PoliganToys, which they would certainly deliver beyond expectations.

04 - Pterajet^TM GOT IT!

Type: aircraft

Affiliation: Rexodon

First appearance: issue #6 - "Reptiles reunited"

Facts: when Bi-Harr feels the need to fly high, he takes off with the Pterajet. How awesome would it be to see this imposing aerial transport vehicle landing in the KR lineup?! It'd be even better if it came with its own dedicated landing base.

03 - Xonedar^TM motorbike form GOT IT!

Type: vehicle/action figure

Affiliation: Theriom

First appearance: issue #6 - "Reptiles reunited"

Facts: OK, where is Xonedar's motorbike form?! We're still waiting… we’ve had several configurations of this character for some time, including the Xonatron and CoBoN robot mode's head. But we have yet to see that bike form, which made a memorable appearance in the sixth KR comics issue, enough to justify its being produced in the line. It has a cool look and it'd be great if the wheels could be detached and plugged into regular Xonedar's limbs.

02 - Exabeast^TM GOT IT!

Type: creature

Affiliation: independent

First appearance: issue #9 - "The Cereutian menace: Part II – Salvation"

Facts: there are many concept characters that did not make it to prototype form during the various comic issues of the Key Raiders series. Among the most fascinating might be the Exabeast, the giant monster formed by Denortos and his fellows during the epic final battle of the Cereutian invasion. I think I would really enjoy owning this large scale figure. I'm sure the folks at PoliganToys would do a wonderful job of creating a design that maximises play-factor while remaining true to the aesthetic of the line as a whole.

01 - Rotakord^TM GOT IT!

Type: aircraft

Affiliation: Destructomorph

First appearance: issue #2 - "Hunt for the energy stone"

Facts: Deptilion takes to the skies with this menacing vehicle that is characterised by a front gaping mouth with spinning blades around the inner circumference. Typically used as an air vehicle, the Rotakord also functions as a tunnel boring machine and is equipped with a variety of weapons, though the spinning blades are its most devastating feature. How cool would it be to have it in toy form?

As a final (unlikely) wish... how about a playset? Perhaps an all-inclusive one that incorporates elements of Theriom City, Dekropolis, Rokang Tar and Artelon, and with the two multiversal walls right at the centre of it? I know, I'm dreaming, but I still hope PoliganToys will see this and think about producing it; I believe that if it were affordable, it would sell very well. GOT IT!

Key Raiders: 2017 Wish List – Part I

Over the past year and a half, I’ve done a lot of (enjoyable) work writing reviews pertinent to the Key Raiders toy line, describing in detail the prototypes produced by PoliganToys to potential fans.

At the end of last year, even before I could wonder which prototypes I would want or need in 2017, I was informed that PoliganToys had already embarked on a new adventure called Key Raiders: Origin. But before this new series develops further, let’s take a moment to discuss character selection.

It is my conviction that the regular series will and should continue. I don't think that the character selection we are left with is too obscure to keep the series going.

So, in this article I’ve put together a list to present, from the mildly wanted to the strongly demanded, the action figures that in my opinion should complement the regular series and why they should be included. My decisions were mostly based on an effort to finish incomplete team rosters.

15 - Private Uhlu^TM

Affiliation: Theriom

First appearance: issue #1 - "The hidden halberd"

Facts: this Theriom Trooper would be an amazing figure and likely would not cost much to produce - only the bear-like head would be newly tooled, while the bulky body could be re-used from Grabtrak (who, by the way, has got fewer appearances than Uhlu).

Accessories: any one of the capture weapons that came with the Theriom Troopers; including a taser stick would be fun.

14 - Leutra^TM GOT IT!

Affiliation: Theriom

First appearance: issue #12 - "Dawn of a new past"

Facts: featured in one of the best episodes in the series, this heroic female figure could easily be considered the perfect representative of the Kimarhans^TM, and that’s something that could be used to further ground this tribe in the KR canon.

Accessories: backbone sling.

13 - Holopodian^TM Mutants GOT IT!

Affiliation: Destructomorph

First appearance: issue #11 - "Herrion's ordeal"

Facts: yes, I know, thanks to a few additional pieces Kinod can also be displayed as one of his soldiers. But a pair of holopodian mutants as separate figures would be a great choice for an army builder multi-pack.

Accessories: selection of plug-in weapons.

12 - Belemnian^TM Warriors GOT IT!

Affiliation: Destructomorph

First appearance: issue #12 - "Dawn of a new past"

Facts: potential army builders are my mania. Included in those concept designs are Todahr's fighting men. The guys at PoliganToys could take some liberties with this particular characters, and I'm sure I'd like what they would come up with.

Accessories: crystal spear, pearl-shooting gun.

11 - Ramalik^TM GOT IT!

Affiliation: Theriom

First appearance: issue #7 - "The siege of Erlokat"

Facts: this dude has become one of my most wanted characters. He has an orangutan look, his colour scheme is vibrant and he can take down an enemy in hand to hand combat almost as rapidly as Masq-Lor. In addition, by making use of Grabtrak's body, he wouldn’t be too expensive to produce.

Accessories: back-mounted trebuchet.

10 - Flashback Nemhisto GOT IT!

Affiliation: Destructomorph

First appearance: issue #1 - "The hidden halberd"

Facts: the "alive" version of Demo-Rha's father would be a great addition to the KR characters lineup, especially since he’d infuse the line with some elements set in a time earlier than the main story.

Accessories: silver-blade/greenish-hilt sabre (the same that crosses Nemhisto's head from side to side in the regular figure).

09 - Gax-Uhr^TM GOT IT!

Affiliation: Theriom

First appearance: issue #1 - "The hidden halberd"

Facts: the missing member of the Amhalgaard family, father of Mor-Rak as well as brother of Tir-Hing and Deptilion! He's also Auxiliary Minister of the Republic of Tahron... it’s odd that we don’t have this figure. The rumour was that he was going to be part of the lineup at the end of last year, but was bumped when the KR|Origin series was started, in order to make room for other prototypes. In any case, he is still a much needed character.

Accessories: whip/lasso.

08 - Combat Training Robot GOT IT!

Affiliation: Theriom

First appearance: issue #6 - "Reptiles reunited"

Facts: this was a concept character developed by PoliganToys but never made in prototype form. It didn’t appear too often in the KR comics, but when it did, it made a strong impression on me. Regarding its transforming action feature, the designers at PoliganToys could create a snap-on body parts option.

Accessories: selection of plug-in weapons.

07 - Murmirian^TM Warriors GOT IT!

Affiliation: Destructomorph

First appearance: issue #12 - "Dawn of a new past"

Facts: talking about army building potential! The Murmirians are another militia from the same episode featuring the Belemnians. Zektax's foot soldiers would further expand the monsters lineup in the line and also provide us with figures whose design is really badass.

Accessories: clip-on wings/double blade.

06 - Seutron^TM & Deutron^TM GOT IT!

Affiliation: Destructomorph

First appearance: issue #13 - "The ultimate curse"

Facts: another wonderful potential addition to the line would be a 2-pack including Pleutron's fellow sergeants. Frankly, these big guys, together with Pleutron and the Xonatron, look like they could lead their own toy line. What I love about the modular action feature is that it actually allows us to explore countless display combinations. These two would be a great way to extend that concept from "countless" to "limitless".

Accessories: blade-shooting shield, drill-shooting gun.

05 - Mal-Ah-Krill^TM Warriors GOT IT!

Affiliation: Destructomorph

First appearance: issue #10 - "Evanescing act"

Facts: another winning concept-design, Mal-Ah-Kros' minions have been on my personal most-wanted list for some time already. As I said, there really weren’t enough army building prototypes produced in the KR line and these ones would not only give the Destructomorphs a new soldiery amongst their ranks, but also further expand the Cereutian community.

Accessories: pincer sticks.

04 - Old Lady Demo-Rha GOT IT!

Affiliation: Destructomorph

First appearance: issue #13 - "The ultimate curse"

Facts: the Destructomorphs are always in need of interesting affiliates and this original character from the last KR comic issue is the perfect candidate. In that episode, Demo-Rha is shown to have devious shape-shifting abilities and to take the form of an old lady, who sways some nearby villagers to occupy Theriom City, in order to trap the governing body. This character would be an amazing addition to Demo-Rha's multiple forms.

Accessories: walking staff.

03 - Combat Sei-Lha (black repaint) GOT IT!

Affiliation: Theriom

First appearance: issue #13 - "The ultimate curse"

Facts: some may like Combat Sei-Lha as she appeared in the "Herrion's ordeal" and "Dawn of a new past" episodes. Some might want to see her as she's shown in the last KR comic issue, sporting a total black armoured suit. I prefer this look, because it is so much cooler in my opinion.

Accessories: selection of plug-in guns.

02 - Deptilion's Legacy Demons (from Alterok & Geel-Ber) GOT IT! and GOT IT!

Affiliation: Destructomorph

First appearances: issue #11 - "Herrion's ordeal" and issue #12 - "Dawn of a new past"

Facts: the third and second last KR comic issues are legendary and this highly demanded 2-pack from those episodes seems an obvious choice for production. It would satisfy those KR fans who, like me, love the sword and sorcery atmosphere so beautifully represented in the final chapters of the saga.

Accessories: including specific accessories, like the broken horn of Alterok's demon, would only make this potential 2-pack that much more exciting.

01 - Cereutian Menace Creatures GOT IT!

Affiliation: Spektrosaur

First appearance: issue #8 - "The Cereutian menace: Part I – Downfall"

Facts: over the past several months of KR, not one variant of Denortos was produced... kinda odd. We have the regular version, which is great, but we don’t have either the beast form or his Cereutian fellows. Included would be a set of interchangeable parts and accessories (e.g., wings) to make the various versions of Denortos' buddies that have appeared in the comics.

Accessories: petrifaction-beam gun in silver, alternative tail piece(s) for the beast form.

Stay tuned for the upcoming sequel of this article about vehicles and creatures!

Key Raiders 2016 Prototypes

This post features a check-list that includes all prototypes produced under the Key Raiders line in 2016. Items are categorised by their type and affiliation, and listed in order of review:

Type	Affiliation
	Theriom	Destructomorph	Rexodon	Spektrosaur
Action figure	Apprentice Minister Masq-Lor	Combat Deptilion	Li-Meh-Zor	Lor-Drek
	Possessed Sei-Lha	Steel-Monster Deptilion	Loghar	Blomok
	Bellius	Ultra Deptilion	Li-Gah-Tor	Aktahnor
	Fai-Rha	Tmohrr*	Alatryx	Nar-Aja
	Fire-Fists Masq-Lor	Mal-Ah-Kros	Nibeon	Volcrotran
	Ultra Masq-Lor	LoGoN*	Traark	Denortos
	The Xonatron*	Kinod	Staurok	Strictriss
	Koptros	Todahr	Kon-Rauan	Sphenorat
	Reptile Masq-Lor	Zektax	Loghar-poss.ed Herrion	Kelotur
	Apprentice Advisor Fai-Rha	Destructomorph Rider	Torp-Tor	Noctylius
	Combat Sei-Lha	Pleutron*	Steel-Monster Loghar	Cah-Mal
	Herrion
Multi-pack	Combat Masq-Lor & Ki-Wun°	Alterok & Zor-Kan°	The Tyrannoraptor	Spektrosaur Troopers
	CoBoN*/^	Geel-Ber & Arkiopod^		Spectral Sphenorat* & Serporcraft^
	Tornado Masq-Lor & Merados°
	CoBoN 2.0
	Magda-Lyn & Aviotak^

*Large scale figure.
°Creature.
^Vehicle.