KR|Origin Review #13: Li-Toh-Kor

After five months of prototypes since the beginning of the KR|Origin lineup, June is the first month to be marked by two characters that have never appeared in the regular series: Ki-Shudan and, the newest addition, Li-Toh-Kor^TM!

Over time, Li-Meh-Zor and Li-Gah-Tor have become two of my favourite figures I had reviewed in the regular line. They just look cool and tough, and their "power" is simple - just knocking over their enemies with their tails. Now, I'm excited to see a new tailed warrior in the form of this 11^th action figure prototype, which consists heavily of reused parts from the above-mentioned characters.

Details

Name: Li-Toh-Kor

Subtitle: tail-striking combatant

Classification: archosauromorph reptile

Sex: male

Relationships: distant cousin of Li-Meh-Zor

Home: Tahron

Era: 520 years before Masq-Lor's time (now renamed Foundation)

Affiliation: Reptonoid

Rank: sergeant.

Background

First appearance: KR|Origin #2 - Battle for Tahron: Part I – The journey begins

Brief bio: having sided with his wayward cousin Li-Meh-Zor after he had enlisted in the Reptonoid army, Li-Toh-Kor was accused of betrayal and banished from his home in the eastern floodplain. Resentful of being rejected by his people, he caused the death of his clan's chief and became a criminal, skulking in the darkest corners of Tahron's wetlands. Thanks to his cousin's help, Li-Toh-Kor took refugee in Rokang Tar, where, due to his spiked hide and hunger for doom and destruction, he quickly proved his value as Bi-Harr's master sergeant. Eventually, Li-Toh-Kor successfully assisted a Reptonoid squad in a surprise attack against King Khon-Uhr^TM during a diplomatic mission.

Articulation

Standard, plus two swivels on the tail.

Description

Head: similar to a Stegosaurus, characterised by a narrow and long V-shaped snout ending in an extensive turtle-like dark horny beak, reddish skin, a subtle cranial crest and two short ossicones covered in skin, small pointy ears and evil large light-blue eyes with vertical yellow pupils

Body: reddish scaly skin (except for the abdomen, which is smooth), claw hands and feet; his shoulders, forearms and calves are adorned with several ivory-coloured bony spikes. His back is armoured with large osteoderms, a few of which bear broad kite-shaped bony-cored plates projecting backward and arranged in two staggered rows; this highly modified scaly back armour is thick and rugged, seemingly providing some protection, and extends downwards forming a long, thick tail that ends with a thagomizer, i.e., an arrangement of two pairs of long ivory-coloured spikes extending horizontally

Wearables: a yellow armour with brown "bony" details, two yellow bracelets, two toeless yellow boots (with the dark claws protruding outward), a yellow belt and a brown furry loincloth.

Li-Toh-Kor's stylised armour.

Action feature

Like with Li-Meh-Zor, Li-Toh-Kor's main feature is his threatening tail. The back armour, to which the tail belongs, is a separate piece that clips onto his back. The tail features two articulation points - two swivels at about one-third and two-thirds of its length. I think there is no need of more articulation, since the two joints allow for plenty of poses.

Weapons and accessories

Li-Toh-Kor comes with his very elaborate slingshot - a forked wooden stick in which a pair of elastic bands connected by a leather strap is fastened to the two prongs. This weapon is used for shooting a small four-spiked bony projectile (which recalls his tail-end and can attach to the leather sling via a peg) and has an additional branch near the handle, into which a long curved downward-pointing silver blade is fixed... you know, just to make it more badass and less "Bart-Simpsony".

Additionally, the figure includes an extra head, which has a plainer (i.e., without crest, horns, ears or any other additional features) crocodilian sculpt. Mine matches Li-Toh-Kor's body, but I heard that in each package this head will come in one of three possible colours: red, dark-green and ivory, which will make it suitable for Li-Toh-Kor, Li-Gah-Tor and Li-Meh-Zor respectively.

Overall, as a big fan of the old KR tailed warriors, I'm fairly happy with Li-Toh-Kor. Many of my preferences, however, are driven not by nostalgia for the regular series, but by the figure itself, which, despite the heavy reuse, I think is one of the best looking in the overall lineup so far. His colour scheme, cool tail and funky weapon have blown my socks off and I'm glad I got him.

KR|Origin Review #12: Ki-Shudan

Let's keep the train of monthly KR|Origin items running and continue our journey to the exciting past of Tahron with Ki-Shudan^TM!

This 10^th action figure prototype in the form of an archetypal withered, old wizard/mentor takes its official place in the pantheon of the Therioms. The history of Key Raiders just got even more interesting.

Details

Name: Ki-Shudan

Subtitle: skillful trainer

Classification: human

Sex: male

Home: Tahron

Era: 520 years before Masq-Lor's time (now renamed Foundation)

Affiliation: Theriom

Rank: master of martial and magical arts; historian.

Background

First appearance: KR|Origin #2 - Battle for Tahron: Part I – The journey begins

Brief bio: the oldest and wisest of the Therioms who served King Khon-Uhr^TM during the war against the Reptonoids, Ki-Shudan oversaw the forging of the Key in the days of the battle for Tahron. As the last keeper of ancient mystical abilities, this sage warrior and wizard had formerly used his skills as a member of King Tah-Ron's army and had been responsible for teaching many Therioms the secrets of combat and magic. Ultimately, after he had recognised her courage and determination, he agreed to train Kai-Xi, helping her to grow into a valiant soldier tasked to defeat Bi-Harr and free Tahron from his menace.

Articulation

Standard.

Description

Head: elderly Asian features, wrinkled olive brown skin, hazel eyes (the left one is marked with a scar), and white bushy eyebrows and beard (a tuft of the latter is tied by a leather strip). He wears a very tall dark-green kabuto with metallic dark-blue details, including three pairs of horns protruding from the sides of the elongated dome and a neck guard composed of multiple overlapping lames. The kabuto can be removed to reveal an additional greenish open-top helmet (which works as a lining composed of cloth and several overlapping oxidised bronze plates laced together) with exposed white bun hair

Body: covered from neck to toe with a very elegant (even if a bit old) kimono. His hands show olive brown skin and are shielded by a pair of brown leather knuckle protectors

Wearables: a dark-blue robe with dark-green collar, lapels, cuffs and hem, a pair of dark-blue trousers with dark-green side bands, two dark-blue split-toe socks (showing tattered turn-down ochre lapels and fastened by pairs of brown laces that are tied at the calves) and two thonged wooden sandals. Both the robe and the trousers are decorated with white glow-in-the-dark symbols that are vaguely reminiscent of Asian characters and probably have a mystical significance. The robe, whose hem falls to the thigh, is wrapped around the upper body with the left side over the right, secured by a metallic dark-blue belt and open on the chest, exposing an ochre shirt with brown drawstrings near the neck. Under the torn long, wide sleeves it's possible to glimpse two metallic dark-blue wrist guards. The belt is chocked full of all sorts of little implements hanging from the sides and back, including a pair of silver talismans (one is round and holds a small ampoule containing a blueish liquid, while the other is triangular and surrounds an eye-shaped translucent purple gem; both are engraved with the same mysterious marks seen on the kimono), a booklet and a purse brimming with some kind of roots. The belt buckle looks like an elaborate gold&silver version of the Theriom emblem and holds a long strip of dark-green fabric that features white mystic symbols, orange tassels along the lower edge and two orange ropes hanging down in front.

Weapons and accessories

Although Ki-Shudan is a skilled hand-to-hand fighter and a powerful wizard, his figure has no action feature apart from the GITD patterns on the kimono. However, it does come with some very interesting accessories. First up is a greenish oxidised bronze sceptre that can split down the middle to reveal two straight-bladed katanas (or chokutō), each with half staff as the handle and the other half as a scabbard. Additionally, the two swords can connect at their ends to create a vicious double bladed staff.

Next up is an accessory that is a total surprise for me. It's the yellow glow-in-the-dark stone from regular Elykta's staff. This is just great on every level, it looks exactly like it does on the weapon it comes from (or, rather, it will go to) and I love the fact that, in order to give it a more realistic gemstone quality, it sprouts up from a silvery matrix together with a cluster of other crystals cast in translucent green plastic. The figure can hold it perfectly in his left hand, which is another plus. Even if the history of this stone remains unexplained, I am always happy to get obscure relics from the KR universe.

Finally, Ki-Shudan comes with an alternative scar-less head for his younger warrior days, which, alongside an obvious advancing baldness, is characterised by long black hair partly arranged in a high ponytail and in a pair of braids at the sides. It also displays a black horseshoe moustache with a double-pointed chin tuft and the mouth slightly open to show the teeth as a sign of combativeness.

Overall, Ki-Shudan certainly has some very strong points. The paint and articulation are as good as the line has to offer and the sculpting is terrific all throughout the figure. The accessories are great too, but I wish the kabuto could have been engineered just a little bit better. I think he looks good with Kai-Xi, Myneran and Elkymor, and does a great job filling in the ancient Theriom squad. Focus now falls on King Khon-Uhr in terms of the Origin era, so hopefully we won’t be waiting for him too long.

KR Review #77: Pterajet

At the end of 2016, PoliganToys sent me its last Key Raiders prototype. I kind of knew that was coming, but there were so many other characters and accessories that are part of the KR universe and that I hadn’t seen in prototype form. Then, Key Raiders: Origin started, but that's a slightly different story.

Out of the blue, PoliganToys made me aware that I was going to get one of those missing prototypes from the regular series - the Pterajet^TM aircraft with its pack-in transporter! Needless to say, I was looking forward to getting this vehicle, since it was the item that I placed in the fourth position of my creatures and vehicles wish list.

Hopefully, this piece is not meant to be the old lineup’s swan song. After all, the Pterajet can also be considered part of the KR|Origin series, since in the comics the Reptonoids are shown to use it during their ancient battles. However, it does give me a nostalgia for my blogging days during 2015 and 2016 (when I was based in a different part of the world), making me remember all the excitement and happiness with the regular KR series and what could possibly be accomplished if that line ever hit the market. The Pterajet really embodies everything that I love about Key Raiders: getting a high quality gadget, seeing an item in plastic form that I thought I’d never see, and the risk involved in making toys for a potentially large, yet niche fan community.

Details

Name: Pterajet

Subtitle: sky and ground combat machine

Classification: aircraft and land vehicle

Home: Tahron

Affiliation: Rexodon

Rank: transport.

Description

The Pterajet is a three-fuselage, four-engine multi-role aircraft designed to excel both as a supersonic pursuit jet and as an attack bomber. Thus, this vehicle is capable of carrying Bi-Harr's army to the skies at extremely high speeds as well as gliding over the battlefield to attack the mammalian enemies.

The paint is very nicely executed, showing mostly glossy black fuselage and lifting surfaces with the addition of lots of bolted trapezoidal golden elements that give the jet a “bird” theme with a sculpted feather motif. The main body features a partially clear canopy that is hinged at the back, so it can open by folding up and backward to reveal a double-seat cockpit equipped with a dash board (which bears an array of sculpted dials and switches mounted on either side of a centrally placed monitor) and two 2-point safety belts. Like with other vehicles of this line, in the comics the Pterajet is proportionally bigger and can carry a large number of characters, while this toy version, despite being huge and having an impressive wingspan (68 cm, almost 27''!!), only fits two figures.

The airplane is equipped with an additional smaller fuselage (whose cockpit fictionally also serves as an independently launchable flight pod) halfway down each wing, making it look like a flying version of a trimaran. While the side fuselages are equipped with sculpted front guns, four nozzles are visible at the ends of all three tail assemblies, indicating the presence of four turbojet engines: two buried within the main body and one in each of the side fuselages.

Action feature

The front of the Pterajet exhibits a pretty long, triple-jointed side-to-side scan-action "neck" that ends with a bird head-shaped nose. The neck-component situated nearer to the main body is topped with a rotating sighting device, while the part placed away from the hull incorporates two "eyes" (which work as a combined navigation/attack radar that simultaneously conducts fully automated terrain-following for low-level flight operations and scans for targets) and an opening "beak" (which exposes a disc launcher that in the comics is capable of hurling bladed discs in both single and rapid shooting modes). The component in the middle displays an ornament similar to a crest on the top and two pivoting pieces (which are reminiscent of the folded wings of a bird) on the sides. Two spring-loaded guns (also pivoting) are mounted to the inner sides of the folded-wing structures and, thanks to the double-pivoted mechanism, can be positioned either near or far off the craft's head, while the top part of the neck piece conceals a pop-up missile launcher revealed by an opening panel. A similar hideaway feature makes it possible to reveal two pairs of cannons from the inner parts of the craft's wings.

The outer parts of the plane's wings are characterised by a variable geometry, allowing for minimal drag, great effectiveness and stealth flight at both high and low speeds during supersonic pursuits and low-level strikes respectively. The angle of each wing in relation to the nearest fuselage can be altered thanks to a hinged joint. Moreover, by pulling the tip of each wing, this springs open in a clamshell fashion and shows an array of three missiles mounted to the inside (the gimmick only works when the wings are completely spread out).

Finally, two pairs of swinging legs (each seemingly having three points of articulation) can fold out with a ratchet feature for multiple purposes, such as working as a short-field landing gear, grabbing a figure or releasing a bomb. While the front legs display structures that resemble talons (two on the front and one on the back), the hind legs are more similar to hydrofoils.

Weapons and accessories

The Pterajet comes with a small set of add-ons and one big accessory. First are a few plug-in components for the various weapons mounted to the craft's head and neck: a bladed disc for the front launcher, a three-headed missile for the top cannon (neither can be fired) and two missiles for the side guns.

Furthermore, when the legs are folded out, a bomb can be released. The bomb, which connects to the plane's belly, is designed to separate into two parts that attach to either side of an additional blasting effect, so as to simulate the action of blowing up on impact.

Last but not least, a black&silver crawler-transporter allows the Pterajet to perch and roll into battle on land. The jet (with the legs folded up) can be mounted to this hi-tech tracked carrier in two different positions: horizontally, for attack mode, or aiming high, as if the aircraft is ready to take-off from the base and fly.

Overall, I think this set is great. To me, it is worth it for the aircraft alone, because the Pterajet is so amazing. The carrier is pretty good too, but is not without its (mainly paint) issues. In general I love the vehicles in the KR line, so I really hope I can get at least the Rotakord^TM before all is said and done for the regular series. However, I will gladly take the Ceratank^TM, Pyrosaur^TM, Baryanoid-Cart^TM, or anything else they throw at me.

KR|Origin Review #11: Elykta (Origin Edition)

Elykta^TM is closing out May in the KR|Origin line as the second monthly prototype. Yes, I'm pretty excited. I had been waiting for long to get an evil version of this character, who is a favourite of mine.

Ultimately, this ninth action figure prototype of the Origin lineup looks quite similar to the regular edition of Elykta, but she does have a number of things going for her. For example, she allows us to display an unhelmeted versions of the character, she has some newly moulded components, she includes a new set of accessories (kind of), and the shadow-demon that she comes with is made in an arguably better way than the one that came with Demo-Rha.

Details

Name: Elykta (Origin Edition)

Subtitle: reptilian sorceress

Classification: archosauromorph reptile

Sex: female

Home: Tahron

Era: 520 years before Masq-Lor's time (now renamed Foundation)

Affiliation: Reptonoid

Rank: captain; enchantress.

Background

First appearance: KR|Origin #2 - Battle for Tahron: Part I – The journey begins

Brief bio: originally an impulsive young member of a reptilian nomadic clan, Elykta was banished by her family to a monastery, where elder wizard-priests attempted to teach her responsibility. She fell under the tutelage of the powerful sorcerer Sphenorat^TM, from whom Elykta learnt to master many forms of witchcraft, including dark magic and clairvoyance, and acquired the shadow-cape. In addition to her magical skills, her comprehension of military strategy and tactics earned her a post on Bi-Harr's army, where she rose through the ranks quickly and became the first female Reptonoid to assume the position of captain. Soon after, Elykta began to question Bi-Harr's brutal methods of conquest and eventually rebelled against her leader.

Articulation

Standard, excluding hinged abdomen.

Description

Head: Elykta's face slightly resembles the visage of Dale Russel's Dinosauroid, with greenish skin and pink eyes, even though she looks fairly more pleasant; she wears a helmet which is shaped like a complete head of Parasaurolophus (or a similar "duck-billed" hadrosaurid) - it's difficult to figure out whether this helmet is a real head or is artificial, since some details, such as the eyes and part of the muzzle and of the crest, look like made of metal, while other details, especially the nape/cheek protector, look like made of real yellowish scaly skin. Apart from the different material of the metallic features (silver instead of copper), the helmet shows several dissimilarities from the headdress seen on regular Elykta, such as more noticeable metallic fangs, two orange amber gemstones on the cheek protectors connected by a curved linear copper inlaid piece on the nape protector, the inclusion of the three-spiked upper motif of the armour and, above all, the possibility to be removed. To achieve the latter, it is necessary to separate its back portion, which plugs into the crest, from the front one, which snugs around the face. Once stripped of the helmet, Elykta's head displays a bald look, two very subtle cranial crests, a darker wash above (and two almost unnoticeable curved linear dark marks below) the eyes and a V-shaped copper decoration (similar to a widow’s peak) with a blueish glowing gemstone worn on the centre of the forehead

Body: arms and legs show greenish scaly skin, as well as 3-claw hands and feet; unlike her regular counterpart, this version of Elykta is barefoot and has large sickle-shaped claws on the second toes

Wearables: an orange armour with scaly yellow details (the upper part features a decorative lace-up detail on the front and a series of golden discs laced together along the neckline), two orange copper bracelets (reused from Kai-Xi's enhanced form, and decorated with arabesque patterns and yellow sapphire gemstones), two plain orange copper armbands around the biceps, two orange copper calf protectors (with coiled snake-shaped knee guards), a belt made of several orange copper discs laced together (the central one of which is shaped like the Reptonoid symbol, i.e., a reptile eye, and displays a non-forked reptile tongue extending downward), a long triangular yellow fabric loincloth ornamented with copper rivets and a black cape with a jagged design.

Elykta's stylised armour; the greyed out pattern represents the part that in this version is attached to the helmet and doesn't belong to the armour. 

Action feature

In the comics Elykta can transform into a shadow-demon thanks to her shadow-cape, which would eventually be used by Demo-Rha in the regular series. This feature is brought to reality by equipping the figure with the shadow-demon and a clear stand to display it. The demon is very nicely sculpted and looks even cooler than the regular version included with Demo-Rha. Besides, it's finally large enough to appear proportionate to the figure.

Weapons and accessories

Apart from the above-mentioned demon that represents Elykta's converted form, the figure comes with a wooden staff topped with a fork-like ramification, which, unlike the regular weapon, doesn't hold any stone. I wonder what the story behind that rock is.

Additionally, since Elykta is highly skillful in the practice of sorcery, the figure includes an alternative head that is an exact replica of the standard unhelmeted piece, except for the fact that the eyes are pupil-less and painted in a glowing purple colour, making her look as she's casting a spell.

Finally, we get a repaint of Zor-Kan's normal form with a small translucent yellow perch. In this version of Elykta's faithful bird of prey, the wings are completely blue (in different shades) and not red tipped, and the ruff is scarlet instead of light-orange.

Comic

Together with the action figure we get the second comic issue Battle for Tahron: Part I – The journey begins. After a long prologue that recounts Bi-Harr’s origins, the Theriom’s Royal Council of Thinkers is shown to discuss possible strategies to limit the reptilian leader’s dangerous mental abilities. These powers are recognised to be the reason behind the Reptonoids’ quickly growing dominance across Tahron. In the end, the Therioms decide to create two multiversal walls, beyond which Bi-Harr's powers must be trapped. In the meantime, the reptilian forces led by Bi-Harr capture King Khon-Uhr^TM while he’s on a diplomatic mission and subsequently the Council sends a group of valiant warriors to Rokang Tar, the Reptonoid home base, in order to rescue him. Bi-Harr and his minions are in the middle of interrogating the king when Denortos, looking for an alliance with the Reptonoids, breaks into the fortress and literally lands on them, giving Khon-Uhr a chance to escape and reunite with his men. The Theriom warriors explain to the king their plan to steal Bi-Harr’s mental faculties using newly built prodigious weapons and he chooses to join them, even if this means going back from where he just fled. On the way, they are ambushed by two lackeys of Bi-Harr’s. Using the power of their magic helmets, the Therioms easily overpower the reptilian enemies and continue their journey towards hope.

Overall, Elykta is a decent figure. If you made me choose amongst the Origin series figures, she would be at the low end, but the whole line is so far beyond my expectations that she’s nowhere close to being an unwelcome addition. Plus, PoliganToys outlined early on that the Origin Edition variants would be made from reused parts and that makes it inappropriate to have expected her to look much different from the regular figure.
About the comic, as an intermediate issue between the introduction and the conclusion, this one is quite good, although not too exciting.

KR|Origin Review #10: Elkymor

The KR|Origin line keeps expanding by adding another new dual-action figure prototype (the eighth of the series) in the mix - Elkymor^TM!

A few words of explanation are necessary at this point. Both Elkymor’s and Myneran's origins come from the earliest days of Key Raiders. There were some drawings that accompanied the original idea, including a couple of sketches for what would later be Masq-Lor. Those Masq-Lor's preliminary designs featured many familiar themes, such as his signature helmet, the barbarian look of his first appearance and the more formal outfit of his Apprentice Minister variant, but they also featured a full-body suit of armour.

I'm very happy that PoliganToys’ upper management decided that Myneran and Elkymor had to be separate marketable parts of the KR universe, instead of being prototypical variants of Masq-Lor. Being distinct characters and having their own back story, these figures are ten times cooler!

Details

Name: Elkymor

Subtitle: deer-horned warrior

Classification: human

Sex: male

Home: Tahron

Era: 520 years before Masq-Lor's time (now renamed Foundation)

Affiliation: Theriom

Rank: service warrior.

Background

First appearance: KR|Origin #1 - An arduous venture

Brief bio: already a skillful hunter and fisher at a very young age, Elkymor learnt a different ability from each member of his tribe, and became a master of many combat techniques and weapons. When the word about his talent spread from the southern territories to the rest of Tahron, he was chosen by King Khon-Uhr^TM to help vanquish the reptilian army. Although his training among the Theriom ranks was relatively short, he quickly became one of the greatest of Khon-Uhr’s service warriors, battling the Reptonoids in any environment at any time and protecting the mammalian people from Bi-Harr's cruelty. Shortly after the king's and Kai-Xi's deaths, he joined his close friend Myneran in attempting to establish diplomatic relations with the reptilian enemies.

Articulation

Both figures have the standard articulation.

Description

In the comics, Elkymor wears a magic helmet that in certain situations gives him incredible abilities and changes his look. Despite the two figures represent the same character, they render the two alternative forms and appear very different. Although it's not clear whether these figures will be released individually or in a 2-pack, I'm going to describe them separately.

Normal form

Head: Eskimo features, light brown skin, longish black hair, brown eyes

Body: the arms are exposed and show light brown skin, while the legs are covered with brown furry trousers that display dark stitches at the sides

Wearables: a harness made of dark-blue leather and whitish bony elements (with the right shoulder-brace enhanced into a shoulder-protector), two metallic dark-blue bracelets, two brown leather armbands around the biceps, two dark-blue leather boots trimmed with white fur and two knee-length U-shaped front and back white fabric flaps joined by two series of silver discs laced together. The harness, which is retooled from regular Masq-Lor, carries a small bony inuksuk at the centre of the chest piece, an attached dark-grey fur covering on the back (seemingly connected to the front upper straps via two alternating light and dark brown ringed raccoon tails fastened with two long sharp teeth) and a large metallic dark-blue belt that fastens on the front with a skull-shaped buckle. The belt, which is actually attached to the cape, has some interesting details, with a flask filled with seal oil, a hook to retrieve game from the water and a pouch hanging from the sides.

Enhanced form

Head: similarly to Kai-Xi and Myneran, Elkymor wears one of the silver magic helmets, which in certain circumstances produces a copper half mask (or visor) and gives him incredible physical and mental powers, changing his appearance significantly. The figure comes with an helmeted head, characterised by the copper visor activated, fierce eyes and light brown skin around the mouth. The helmet also features two long yellowish antlers at the sides

Body: covered from neck to toe with a dark-blue&white armour, whose most components are reused from Myneran's suit

Wearables: a metallic dark-blue cuirass with pearlescent white details, two metallic dark-blue gauntlets, two metallic dark-blue boots with knee guards, two criss-crossed studded metallic dark-blue belts and two medieval-style pearlescent white armoured tassets. Besides these basic components, he wears various dark-blue&white pieces of armour to protect the rest of his body, such as shoulder guards, rerebraces and thigh guards. There is an impressive amount of intricate decorative features all around the various components of this protective covering; I especially like the small gem-ornamented Theriom emblems on the wrist and knee guards, and the little gaps here and there that reveal silver chain mail details beneath the armour. The cuirass displays a few inuit-inspired decorative patterns and a golden Theriom emblem on the breastplate. Elkymor also carries a translucent red cape, which fastens at the cuirass by two white leather straps next to the collar and sports a cool stencil-like dark version of the Theriom symbol on its surface.

Elkymor's stylised helmet with frontal crests.

Elkymor's stylised cuirass; the circle at the centre of the chest piece represents the Theriom symbol.

Weapons and accessories

Like with his pal Myneran, neither of Elkymor's forms has any action features. So, I directly jump to the accessory section. Elkymor includes three items: a unaq (i.e., a hunting/fishing tool), a halberd and an alternative head. The unaq is meant for the figure's normal form and is probably my favourite among the three accessories. It's a spear/harpoon with a long spiralling wooden shaft and a pointed bony tip; the tip is attached to a long rope (a string in reality), whose other end can be held by Elkymor's left hand. This weapon looks particularly nice when it's stowed in a loop on the back of the loincloth.

The enhanced form is equipped with a silver halberd, which is one of the four components of the Key (the one whose sawtooth blade is curved inward) and a shinier version of the halberd that belongs to Deptilion in the regular series.

Finally, there is an alternative head that displays a daring expression and wears the inactive helmet, i.e., with neither the copper visor activated nor antlers. This head works as the necessary bridge between the unhelmeted and the helmeted-with-visor heads.

Overall, Elkymor kicked off May with a bang. I’m a little disappointed with the total lack of action features, but that doesn’t interfere with my appreciation for this dual-figure. He is just too well done. The sculpt of both forms, even if with so much reuse, is spot-on and the paint applied over that is fantastic. I look forward to the future of the line - I want King Khon-Uhr! If he's going to be as good as Elkymor, that’s a win for all the potential collectors of this line.

KR|Origin Review #9: Reptonoid Troopers

It's time to bolster the ranks of Bi-Harr's military force and punch up the reptile stable with this army-builder 2-pack - the Reptonoid Troopers^TM!

Yep, this second multi-pack prototype of the KR|Origin series has been unleashed by PoliganToys to stock my shelves.

Details

Name: Reptonoid Troopers

Subtitle: gliding troopers

Classification: lepidosauromorph reptiles

Sex: male and female

Home: Tahron

Era: 520 years before Masq-Lor's time (now renamed Foundation)

Affiliation: Reptonoid

Rank: corporals.

Background

First appearance: KR|Origin #2 - Battle for Tahron: Part I – The journey begins

Brief bio: once belonging to a tribe of spear throwing warriors, these lizard-like assassins were selected and enslaved to mindlessly serve Bi-Harr as foot soldiers in his dreadful reptilian army. With their gliding abilities and deadly thrashing tails, these corporals enforced their evil master's will and stormed the mammalians' homelands with overpowering ferocity. Eventually, they willingly became devoted members of the Reptonoid faction and fought loyally in the armies of Bi-Harr against the heroic Therioms.

Articulation

Standard, except that the tails are ball jointed and there is a hinged tongue in the open-mouthed head. The female figure lacks the hinged abdomen.

Description

Heads: both figures' heads have a similar appearance to a common iguana, characterised by scaly greenish skin and purple eyes. While the male character has his mouth closed, the female one displays her mouth wide open, showing sharp teeth on the inner sides of the jawbones and a fairly long forked tongue that is actually articulated (it can move left and right on a little disk set at the back of the mouth), which is a very nice touch. Each of the two troopers wears a red helmet with purple details and has an extra gular fold piece that fits right on top of the body, around the neck (it is glued on). The heads are swappable and look great (and in no way disproportionate) on both figures

Bodies: both figures show greenish skin with few V-shaped dark-brown markings on each left biceps and right side of the abdomen, but the body structures are very different. The male trooper shows a scaly texture (except for the smooth abdomen, which is also painted in a more yellowish colour) and large ridges that run down the sides of the limbs. The female trooper has a more slender frame and displays a wrinkled skin, rather than scaly, with an orange paint on the abdomen. Each trooper has a row of extended brown spines supporting a large sail along their back, which is a completely separate piece that snaps into a socket on the back. Finally, each figure has claw hands and feet, and a long, thin greenish tail, which is also a separate piece emerging from under the loincloth and is painted in a different colour on the underside (yellowish for the male character, orange for the female one)

Wearables: each trooper wears a purple shoulder/chest covering with a diagonal scale armour strap (consisting of several overlapping red leather plates laced together), purple bracelets, purple calf protectors (the right one of each figure has a sheath with a small silver dagger, which is not removable), a purple belt (displaying a triangular buckle and a number of small leather pouches all the way around), and a red fabric loincloth resembling a forked tongue. Each armour, whose size and shape are adapted to the type of torso (the female version is not removable), displays the Reptonoid symbol, i.e., a reptile red eye, on the left side, while the strap carries a small leather pouch on the lower part and gives the illusion of fastening on the base of the spine sail. Additionally, both are equipped with scaly ochre spaulders and wicker thigh pads, which show V-shaped dark-brown markings on the right and left respectively.
It is worth noting that while most of these figures' sculpt was reused from the Spektrosaur Troopers, several parts are newly tooled, i.e., the forearms, the shins, the male's armour and female's torso, the belts and the gular folds.

Reptonoid Trooper's stylised helmet.

Action feature

In the comics, the Reptonoid Troopers, while not capable of powered flight, have the ability to move by gliding thanks to two membranous structures that extend between their arms and the sides of their bodies. These skin flaps, which are fictionally sustained by elongated ribs, are actually made of a very flexible plastic and are of a greenish colouration with dark-brown stripes and patterns. Each figure has two "wings" that connect to six sockets on the back (on the shoulder armour, on the bracelets and on the belt) via an equal number of pegs. When opened by raising the arms, the skin flaps create a sort of wingsuit that, similarly to a gliding lizard, allows the trooper to glide long distances. Despite the soft material (in fact, it's probably the softest and most pliable plastic in the line ever), the flaps hamper the arms and waist movement quite considerably, but luckily they are removable.

Furthermore, the troopers' whip-like tails, which can be used to deliver painful strikes, are made of bendable plastic and are detachable (a little flap on the loincloth was also created to cover the exposed hollow). Unlike their regular series' counterparts, this pair doesn't come with handles to transform their tails into whips.

Reptonoid Trooper's stylised armour; the circle at the side of the chest piece represents the Reptonoid symbol.

Weapons and accessories

Each Reptonoid Trooper comes with a few weapons, one of which is an exact replica of the Spektrosaur Trooper's spear-thrower. This piece consists of a reddish wooden shaft and a white bony spear. The shaft resembles a snake coiled around a stick, whose head at the end of its bent up neck supports and propels the butt of a curvy, forked tongue-like GITD spear (which is a separate piece not designed to be "fired").

Additionally, this 2-pack comes with two red leather quivers (each containing several non-removable spears) that can connect to the back of the shoulder armours when the wings are detached.

Finally, two silver combat daggers, whose blades can be inserted in two loops on the front of the armour's strap, are included with each figure.

Overall, I don't care that much about the fact that the Reptonoid Troopers are essentially the Spektrosaur Troopers in construction, I really like these two reptilian characters and I'm happy to see them again with a different coloured skin and a few new parts/accessories. But I’m also hoping that we’ll get more variants of previous figures, to reflect the variety seen in the comics - soldiers similar to Li-Meh-Zor, Blomok and the Rexodon Troopers in their reptilian mode all appear among the Reptonoid ranks. Further 2-packs could go a long way in building a large enough army for all of Bi-Harr's troops to command. Finally, while I would like less hindrance to the articulation in the arms and torso when the "wings" are attached, I’m not crying about it.

KR|Origin Review #8: Myneran

The KR|Origin line is picking up steam and I'm starting to develop a deep interest in its figures. I'm praising most of the design choices and Myneran^TM is no exception.

This seventh dual-action figure prototype of the Origin series is special for a few reasons. Firstly, like Galamars and Tah-Ron, the character is a completely new concept, which is always exciting. Secondly, Kai-Xi is not any longer alone in the roster of the warriors endowed with powerful helmets and halberds. Finally, his bio is one of the most detailed we've gotten so far, letting us learn a bit more of the history behind Tahron and what led up to Masq-Lor's and Fai-Rha's time.

Details

Name: Myneran

Subtitle: bull-horned warrior

Classification: human

Sex: male

Home: Tahron

Era: 520 years before Masq-Lor's time (now renamed Foundation)

Affiliation: Theriom

Rank: service warrior.

Background

First appearance: KR|Origin #1 - An arduous venture

Brief bio: the son of a brave gladiator and a powerful sorceress, Myneran was gifted with exceptional combating skills and cursed with uncontrollable paranormal powers. Orphaned as a child, he was taken by the sage master Ki-Shudan^TM to the stronghold of the nascent Theriom alliance and eventually endued with the ability to contain his powers using a mystical headband. In gratitude, he swore to help free Tahron from the reptilian forces and defend the mammalian people alongside the great King Khon-Uhr^TM. Given the prodigious artefacts forged by Galamars, Myneran was tasked, together with other valiant warriors, to trap Bi-Harr's mental powers beyond the multiversal walls. After the death of Kai-Xi, to whom he had initially been hostile due to her obscure origin, he took up the onerous duty of establishing diplomatic relations with the Reptonoids.

Articulation

Both figures have the standard articulation.

Description

In the comics, Myneran wears a magic helmet that in certain situations gives him incredible abilities and changes his look. Despite the two figures represent the same character, they render the two alternative forms and appear very different. Although it's not clear whether these figures will be released individually or in a 2-pack, I'm going to describe them separately.

Normal form

Head: Indian features, dark brown skin, black hair, brown eyes. He wears a metallic purple headband bearing an oval glossy black gemstone in its centre

Body: the arms are exposed and show dark brown skin, while the legs are covered with black trousers

Wearables: a purple vest with black edges and armholes, a black leather strap wrapped around the left wrist and part of the forearm, a metallic purple wrist guard fastened around the right forearm using two black leather straps, a metallic purple armband around the right biceps, two purple leather boots (with turndown lapels that have black leather straps wrapped around) and a purple belt. The vest, which resembles a kurta, falls just above the knees, features a stand-up mandarin collar and is decorated using a style that is similar to traditional chikan embroidery. The armband and the large belt have some metal studs and an interesting intertwined flowing lines motif that ties in nicely with the ornamental design on the vest. The belt also bears two small pouches of black leather hanging from the sides. Finally, he wears a long embroidered red silk scarf loosely around his neck; this stole is fastened off centre, at the left side of his chest, by a big gold brooch that recalls the Ashoka Chakra.

Enhanced form

Head: similarly to Kai-Xi, Myneran wears one of the silver magic helmets, which in certain circumstances produces a silver half mask (or visor) and gives him incredible physical and mental powers, changing his appearance significantly. The figure comes with an helmeted head, characterised by the silver visor activated, fierce eyes and dark brown skin around the mouth. The helmet also features two long whitish horns at the sides, which, according to Myneran's subtitle, should be reminiscent of those of a bull, but instead have a more complex three-branched structure

Body: covered from neck to toe with a purple&black armour, whose style reminds me of the Knights of the Zodiac very much

Wearables: a metallic purple cuirass with glossy black details, two metallic purple gauntlets, two metallic purple boots with knee guards, two criss-crossed studded metallic purple belts and two medieval-style glossy black armoured tassets. Besides these basic components, he wears various purple&black pieces of armour to protect the rest of his body, such as shoulder guards, rerebraces and thigh guards. There is an impressive amount of intricate decorative features all around the various components of this protective covering; I especially like the small gem-ornamented Theriom emblems on the wrist and knee guards, and the little gaps here and there that reveal silver chain mail details beneath the armour. The cuirass displays a few chikan-inspired decorative patterns, an oval glossy black gemstone (similar to the one seen on the headband of the normal form) on the collar and a golden Theriom emblem on the breastplate. Myneran also carries a translucent red cape, which fastens at the cuirass by two black leather straps next to the collar and sports a cool stencil-like dark version of the Theriom symbol on its surface.

Myneran's stylised helmet with top crest.

Myneran's stylised cuirass; the circle at the centre of the chest piece represents the Theriom symbol.

Action feature

Neither of Myneran's form has any action features, although in the comics it is mentioned that he's capable of transmitting thoughts to other people and of knowing their thoughts. Since these telepathic and mind-reading abilities are ungovernable, he normally wears a headband with a magical gemstone that restrains such paranormal powers. It's a pity that the smoky appearance of the gemstone shown in the comics couldn't be reproduced in the action figure.

Weapons and accessories

Myneran comes with two weapons, one for each of his forms. The normal form is equipped with a very simply designed sword, which has a silver blade and a black hilt. This sword can be stored in a beautifully carved ebony case that was fictionally donated to Myneran by his father.

The enhanced form is endowed with a silver halberd, which is one of the four components of the Key (the one whose blade has four tips) and a shinier version of the halberd that belongs to Tir-Hing in the regular series.

Moreover, there is an alternative head that displays a daring expression and wears the inactive helmet, i.e., with neither the silver visor activated nor horns. This head works as the necessary bridge between the unhelmeted and the helmeted-with-visor heads.

Overall, I’m really glad that one of the figures I had been curious about got its prototype. Myneran is absolutely gorgeous in both his forms. It is also great that the bio added him in such a detailed way into the continuity of the KR universe. I’m a big fan of most of the aspects of this figure, but my enthusiasm for it is brought down a little by the absence of an action feature in the enhanced form... it ruins the figure for me a bit. My expectations are high for the next prototypes though.