KR|Dimness Review #14: Moh-Qi

Toy prototype details

Name: Moh-Qi^TM

Subtitle: forest warrior

Line: KR|Dimness

Item type: action figure - Nº 10 in the line.

Character details

Name: Moh-Qi

Real name: Mohqiros^TM

Classification: human

Sex: male

Relationships: older brother of Koptros^TM

Home: Tahron

Era: 5 years before Foundation

Affiliation: Forseha (indirectly)

Rank: lone fighter.

Background

First appearance: KR|Dimness #1 - Into dimness: Part I – Awakening

Brief bio: born on the mountains of southern Tahron, Mohqiros and his younger brother Koptros were descendants of the legendary Cereutian knight Galamars^TM, who masterminded the construction of the multiversal walls. Unlike his brother, Moh-Qi (that was his nickname) never sought to prove that he was worthy of his valiant ancestor's legacy and, instead of enlisting in the Theriom army, spent several years training in the jungles near the Ucamur^TM region to become an ormurid tamer. Eventually, he became an expert with the blowgun and domesticated many ormurids as a member of the Forseha tribe. During a time of turmoil due to territorial disputes in the area, Moh-Qi confronted a number of hostile jungle clans until Dakun promoted an ideology of peaceful respect and cooperation; feeling in conflict with such ideals, he left the tribe to become a reclusive lone fighter in the Saseham^TM shrubland. Later, after he had initially refused Solamya's offer of an alliance, Moh-Qi single-handedly fought the volcanic monster Tolaaf to help his former fellows end the ruthless war declared by Wordron and his Dark Legion upon the brave tribesmen. Despite not being a Forseha member anymore, he returned to his old tribe whenever his fighting skills were needed.

Articulation

Standard.

Description

Head: Native American features, dark brown skin with a reddish tinge, long black hair partly arranged in a ponytail and amber eyes. He sports an orange finger-woven headband with black tribal designs on it, as well as a dangle hair ornament (composed of a beaded deerskin strip and a long feather) worn on the right side of the head

Body: the exposed parts of his body (i.e., arms and chest) show dark brown skin with a reddish tinge, while the legs are covered with tight orange deerskin trousers

Wearables: a sleeveless black leather jacket, a copper-studded black leather fingerless glove on the left forearm, a black leather strap wrapped around the wrist and part of the forearm plus an orange deerskin armband on the right arm, and a pair of black leather chaps. The jacket, whose hem falls to the waist, is completely open and exposes a necklace (from which a pendant similar to a stone arrowhead hangs down in front) and an orange shoulder belt made of deerskin, which incorporates several loops for a number of darts, a sheathed knife and a satchel (I'm very impressed by the smart way all these components have been combined in a single removable piece). Each sculpted dart seems to be made of hardwood and fletched with animal fur, while the knife is removable and looks like it’s made of bone. The chaps are buckled on over the trousers with their copper-studded black leather integrated belt; each legging is worn over a black boot (or rather a combination of a furry sock and a cross-strap leather sandal), giving the appearance of a thigh-high boot, and is fringed along the outside edge.

Action feature

In the comics, before engaging in combat Moh-Qi is shown to consume a small amount of the addictive, highly potent enchanted mushroom he carries in his satchel, which, in addition to his mystical connection with the jungle environment, grants him enhanced strength and agility, as well as acute senses and reflexes. Even though this detail will probably generate complaints from various drug prevention organisations, the figure comes with an alternate battle head that displays Zartan-like black face warpaint markings around a pair of solid white glow-in-the-dark eyes.

Weapons and accessories

In addition to the alternate head, Moh-Qi includes a blowgun consisting of a long copper tube, through which the above-mentioned darts are fictionally propelled by force of his breath.

Additionally, as a reference to Moh-Qi's comic book appearance, the figure comes with a mushroom's domed cap as an accessory. It resembles a weird mash-up of different mushrooms, with the shape of a wood hedgehog, the texture of a maitake, plus the colour of a black trumpet (which is a little darker than I’d like). It’s a cute item, even if it doesn’t really have a use, but it can be stowed in the satchel thanks to the bag's moving flap.

Finally, this figure and character has a long and controversial history. When Moh-Qi first appeared in the rough draft of the first KR|Dimness comic issue, he looked more like a concept version of Koptros. It turns out that there were two different pitches for a Native American-inspired character back in 2015: one became the basis for the actual Koptros figure, while the other one never went anywhere (until now). This figure is a tribute to them both, having its main look based on the discarded concept art as well as some add-ons that can make it reminiscent of Koptros' earlier version. So, Koptros' harness with hyper-technological backpack is present and re-coloured in black with orange details. A matching rod-shaped antenna for radio communications plus a corded gun-shaped 3D scanner are also included. The two black&orange accessories can plug into two sockets on the top and the side of the backpack, and (with some effort) can be stored inside the latter. In one more nod to Moh-Qi's complex origin, PoliganToys even slipped in the idea of making him Koptros' older brother, which explains the strong resemblance between the two.

Koptros' stylised harness repurposed for Moh-Qi.

Final thoughts

Character value: ♦♦♦♦ I think PoliganToys is sewing up a lot of previously unexplored historical footnotes of Key Raiders. For me, Moh-Qi represents the most intriguing way of creating a new character - not only a discarded concept art has been given a new name, but it has also been given a neat backstory that helps the character integrate right into Tahron history as Koptros' older brother

Articulation: ♥♥♥♥ My figure doesn’t have any issues with loose joints and posing him in numerous ways is easy to do

Sculpt and paint: ♣♣♣ No, he is not just a repaint of Koptros with a new head and outfit. He has an abundance of new parts (including a pair of funky trousers) and his hair has gone from box-braided to straight with some embellishments here and there. Unfortunately, the alternate head has some black scuff-marks on the face and chin... I had hoped these would rub off, but then I realised this is the black plastic showing through (yes, this head is moulded in black)

Accessories: ♠♠♠♠ I have to say that I really like the Koptros gear repaints, they make for some interesting display options and the black makes them look really badass. I had a hard time deciding between having the figure wear the jacket/satchel and carry the blowgun or running around in high-tech armour with a cool "gun". At the end I've decided that Moh-Qi looks great with his original outfit and I can't wait to swap the black Koptros armour with the one that came with the original figure

Playability: ♪♪♪ Potentially, he'd be very much a nod to die-hard KR fans, representing just how dedicated PoliganToys is to the line. I don't think Moh-Qi is a must-have figure, except for completists, but he's fun and the colours do give him a great savage look

Overall: ☺☺☺ Overall, I’m happy with this figure despite his strange origins and his being based on a rejected artwork. Personally, I think the idea of Moh-Qi is really fun and I am glad to have this mysterious character on my shelf. He’s a welcome addition to my collection.

KR|Dimness Review #13: Dark Legion Plant Creatures

Toy prototype details

Name: Dark Legion Plant Creatures^TM

Subtitle: deadly vegetal monsters

Line: KR|Dimness

Item type: multi-pack (3-pack) - Nº 4 in the line.

Character details

Name: Dark Legion Plant Creature

Classification: plant

Sex: male, female or hermaphrodite

Home: Tahron

Era: 5 years before Foundation

Affiliation: Dark Legion

Rank: footman, steed or queen.

Background

First appearance: KR|Dimness #1 - Into dimness: Part I – Awakening

Brief bio: when the ancient Reptonoid^TM warrior Rabidriss^TM was killed during a fierce battle against King Khon-Uhr^TM and his Theriom^TM armies, the deadly pits produced by his parasitic plant sank in the swamps of Ucamur and remained confined for many centuries. The seeds were eventually discovered by Wordron, whose wicked intentions led him to use them in an attempt to revive the mystical golem Clavisaur. The seeds transformed into voracious crawling critters and their hunger for life force was viciously tested on the Forseha people. Once Clavisaur reawakened, he transformed the parasites into a demonic army of soldiers and steeds, and enhanced them with new powers that allowed them to fight using toxic vines and to manipulate plant life according to Wordron's cruel will. The reclusive warrior Moh-Qi^TM, who initially refused Solamya's offer of an alliance, helped the heroes stop the evil monsters from becoming an even bigger threat for the entire tribe. Together, they used a powerful antidote to end the Plant Creatures' ruthless war upon the brave tribesmen, but couldn't prevent them from becoming a menace to all people of Tahron through their proliferation and spread.

The set includes three figures: a Plant-Man, a Plant-Beast and a Mother-Plant, which I'm going to describe separately.

Plant-Man

Articulation

Standard, with the addition of a ball jointed extra neck piece, two fully articulated arms with hinged pincers, and one fully articulated leg.

Description

Head: roughened brown appearance, two stacked pairs of devilish deep set red eyes. The top and lower jaws (between which a subtle dark-green, seemingly muscular membrane stretches) end in serrated edges fringed by tooth-like white protrusions, which make the mouth resemble the snap trap leaf of a carnivorous plant and look like displaying an evil grin. A cabbage-like black washed magenta structure on the top of its head recalls an unopened flower bud or seed pod. The decidedly creepy design of its head is completed by an extension piece that represents its forward-bent, branch-like knotty wooden neck

Body: its knotty brown wooden body comprises a trunk-like torso, four branch-like arms with spiny shoulders and forearms (the bottom arms have clawed, snap trap leaf-like hands, while the topmost arms carry woody pincers) and three root-like radially arranged legs+feet with spiny knees and calves

Wearables: a torso covering made of veined dark-green leaves and trimmed with dark-brown woody vines; a Dark Legion symbol (i.e., a diamond-shaped gemstone, which, when looking deeply into it, shows a subtle discolouration resembling a demonic face) is placed at the centre. A number of spiny and ivy-leaved dark-green vines wrap around the forearms, lower legs and waist; these vines are also loosely connected to the upper arms, thighs and hips respectively, preserving the full range of motion. The design includes leaf-shaped details such as a tall collar, two shoulder pads and a loincloth, which are dark-green on the underside and dark-brown on the upper side.

Dark Legion Plant-Man's stylised covering; the circle at the centre of the chest piece represents the Dark Legion symbol.

Action feature

The Dark legion Plant-Man has slightly longer arms compared to the standard figure, which allow for a menacing enemy-crunching action pose.

Weapons and accessories

The figure comes with two vine-based accessories, both with slender ivy-leaved dark-green tendrils that twine round larger spiny dark-brown woody stems. One is a tangled cluster of such vines that attaches snugly to the Plant-Man's claw-fingered right hand and looks like the monster is growing it straight out of its body. The other piece is a single vine that ends with a small carnivorous plant-like mouth ready to attack the Forseha people. This piece is bendy and can wrap around any one of the Plant-Man's arms or around other figures to ensnare them; when the monster is not using it, there are two little bumps on its back that can act like a weapon clip. While these pieces may have been even better with a lighter brown paint application, to match the Plant-Man's body colour, I’m not going to complain because they work so well with the figure and are easy to attach and pose.

Plant-Beast

Articulation

The Dark Legion Plant-Beast's articulation includes a ball jointed upper neck, a hinged lower neck, a swivel-hinged tail and eight swivel-hinged legs (each featuring two additional swivel-hinged joints at about one-third and two-thirds of its length).

Description

The roughened brown top and lower jaws (between which a dark-green, seemingly muscular membrane stretches) of this horrifying creature's head end in serrated edges (fringed by tooth-like white protrusions with trickles of resin-like drool) and have two pairs of devilish deep set red eyes each. Its crustacean-like knotty brown wooden body has four branch-like, spiny front legs (the frontmost of which don't touch the ground and carry a pair of mantis-like woody pincers), four root-like, spiny hind legs and a root-like tail.

Action feature

The Plant-Beast has two powerful raptorial legs on the front, each terminating in a large woody claw-blade curved downward and a cleft appendage curved upward. Aside from catching and holding a foe securely, these arms can alternatively lift the prey using their terminal appendages as hooks.

Accessories

The figure comes with a removable bridle, consisting of an arrangement of spiny and ivy-leaved dark-green tendrils that twine round larger dark-brown woody stems (which develop into a pair of reins), as well as a saddle, which has a button closure on the bottom and is characterised by a dark-green leafy texture with dark-brown woody details (incorporating a pair of stirrups).

Mother-Plant

Articulation

The Dark Legion Mother-Plant's neck is a ball joint with a swivel-hinge at the base of the neck-peg, which gives it a full range of motion, wile her unique hip system accommodates five swivel-hinged legs in fantastic fashion; her shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees and ankles share the same swivel-hinge joint, allowing for excellent motion and play.

Description

The Mother-Plant is basically a larger-scale (roughly 38 cm tall, around 15''), less articulated version of the Plant-Man. Her roughened brown head is a hybrid of the Plant-Man's and Plant-Beast's heads, and carries a complex and bizarrely shaped bloomed flower on the top. The flower resembles that of Rafflesia arnoldii and has a few leafy green fronds surrounding its base, four fleshy maroon petals covered with whitish warts and poisonous spines, as well as a bowl-like central structure from which a number of lime filaments emerge. Additionally, a fifth, enlarged and highly modified petal on the front functions as a specialised lip and is divided into three lobes: the side lobes are erect and form a spur-like tubular projection that seemingly extends from the base of the bowl-shaped central structure, while the middle lobe has wavy lime ridges on the upper surface and a pair of slender whitish appendages that resemble fangs pointing upward.

Her knotty brown wooden body comprises a trunk-like torso, four branch-like arms with spiny shoulders and forearms (the bottom arms have large claw hands, while the topmost arms carry woody pincers) and five root-like radially arranged legs+feet with spiny knees and calves. Even if her leg articulation works pretty well and allows her to get into a standing pose, the Mother-Plant is meant to be displayed in a crouched/sitting pose with her knees bent.

There are leafy/woody/viny embellishments here and there, which recall the Plant-Man's design, such as a torso covering as well as a number of stalks that wrap around the limbs and the lower trunk.

Action feature

In the comics, the small animated vine creatures produced by the Plant-Men are eventually coated by a sticky, viscous resin exuded by the Mother-Plant's flower, transforming them into new, fully developed Plant-Men. At some point, Wordron has the intuition to use this process on his enemies, converting the Mother-Plant into a torture chamber of sorts. After the victim has been bound to the monster's trunk-like torso by her woody claws, and slimed over with the awful ooze of resin from the flower, the gruesome goop quickly solidifies and transforms the captive into a mindless zombie, who bursts from the translucent hardened material and shows total loyalty to Wordron. In the toy, the articulated arms can trap an action figure securely and, after filling the flower with a slime-like fluid (it's necessary to remove a cap hidden in the central bowl structure) and tilting the Mother-Plant's head forward, the slimy resin is dumped from the flower's lip onto the figure's head, slowly coating it completely.

Accessories

The figure comes with a 180 cc (approximately 6 fl. oz.) plastic container made to resemble a cauldron that contains a honey-orange oozy material. I'm not sure we can call this substance Slime, since that was a toy product manufactured by Mattel and introduced in the winter of 1976, but the main components of the material released by PoliganToys are the same polysaccharide guar gum and sodium tetraborate. Though not originally manufactured for the Key Raiders line, I'm happy that it found it's way into the series alongside the Mother-Plant prototype.

Additionally, the figure includes a base, onto which an unfortunate figure can be posed. This stand is fully sculpted and painted in beautiful grey stone detail.

Final thoughts

Character value: ♦♦♦♦ PoliganToys continues to find exciting ways to breathe life into the KR|Dimness series. It's been almost six months, and prototypes are still pouring into my mailbox. This multi-pack, comprised of an action figure, a creature and a large scale figure, is the best possible addition to the Dark Legion's ranks, although it is probably going to be so pricey that it'll be very unlikely to use it as an army builder

Articulation: ♥♥♥ Most of the usual KR articulation for anthropomorphic and animal-like creatures is here, even though it can be a bit restricted by different add-ons

Sculpt and paint: ♣♣♣♣ The design of these creatures matches up with their comic book representations nicely, and incorporates an insanely large number of newly tooled pieces. There's a hit of red tints with the eyes and flower pieces, but the rest of these monsters is painted in various shades of brown and green. I can totally live with that, as they're plants after all

Accessories: ♠♠♠♠ All the accessories (including the slimy resin material) are great, but my favourite piece is the snake-like chunk of vine (complete with open mouth) for the Plant-Man; it's a weapon of sorts, since it could bite an opponent, but it's also the monster's offspring... how creepy is that!

Playability: ♪♪♪♪♪ These items truly pop on the shelf and are a ton of fun. The articulation and accessories allowed me to have a really good time posing and... sliming them :)

Overall: ☺☺☺☺ These guys are characterised by a few issues here and there, such as lack of army-building potential and some odd decisions in the articulation and paint application departments, but nothing major or compelling. I love their head sculpts, and their overall design does a great job of using many new parts to create a unique look. This set would definitely be a solid release for the KR|Dimness line.

KR|Dimness Review #12: The Deity (Dimness Edition)

Toy prototype details

Name: The Deity^TM (Dimness Edition)

Subtitle: mystic arbiter

Line: KR|Dimness

Item type: action figure - Nº 9 in the line.

Character details

Name: The Deity

Real name: Kai-Xi (originally Wēn Kǎi xī)

Classification: spirit (formerly human)

Sex: female

Home: China

Era: 5 years before Foundation

Affiliation: neutral (formerly belonging to the Theriom faction)

Rank: divinity.

Background

First appearance: KR|Dimness #2 - Masq-Lor's quest

Brief bio: once a member of the Therioms who played a significant role in trapping Bi-Harr's mental powers beyond the multiversal walls, Kai-Xi raised to a powerful divine form after her own demise and chose to be tasked with maintaining neutrality throughout Tahron. Although she could no longer take part to the war, the constant struggle over the Key often called her to preserve the balance between good and evil forces.

Articulation

Standard down to the waist, excluding hinged abdomen; since she has a new dress/robe piece, her articulation has been changed a bit with a hinged thigh/crotch piece.

Description

Head: Asian features, cream white skin, black hair with an interesting new blueish tinge (arranged in a single-bun hairstyle and decorated with a golden ribbon as well as two gold hairpins on the front), hazel eyes

Body: covered from neck to toe except for her hands, which show cream white skin

Wearables: an elegant and complex garment formed of a set of coloured clothes, which create a layered effect. The items include: a long, nicely decorated red dress (with double-bird gold motifs, a high-neck bodice, long loose sleeves under which we can glimpse two dark-green bracelets, and a pleated skirt), a dark-green wrap top and a thigh-length dark-green wrap skirt (both embellished with light-green arabesque patterns as well as white lapels and hem), a short-sleeved light-green robe (with embroidered orange bands of floral designs on the front, cuffs and hem) fastened with a single copper button at the chest. The wrap top and skirt are secured by a wide dark-green sash wrapped around the waist and accompanied by two long narrow orange knotted belts whose ends fall down the sides: one above the longer pleated skirt and one above the shorter wrap skirt. The bottom of the dress is nicely sculpted and doesn't come flush to the ground, giving her the illusion of floating.

Action feature

Like with her Foundation and Enmity versions, The Deity doesn't have any particular action feature, apart from the fact that she comes with a clear stand. This has a ball joint on the end, which expands her floating poses in a great way.

Weapons and accessories

Aside from the stand, The Deity comes with the very same staff that accompanied her Foundation and Enmity versions - a light-green wooden stick topped with a fire pattern that resembles the Chinese character 凤 (phoenix).

The figure also includes a flowing shawl-like scarf made of pliable translucent orange plastic, which can be worn over the shoulders.

Variant

In addition to the standard version, the Dimness edition of The Deity will also be released in a "misty" variant, since such a form is briefly shown in the second comic issue Masq-Lor's quest.

I’m not getting into the specifics of this figure, since it's just the standard version with a few differences that I'm going to list below:

- The whole figure has been cast in a nice translucent blue plastic

- The only accessories are her staff, which is a translucent blue recast of the non-burning version that came with the normal form of Kai-Xi, and a clear stand

- A number of pretty rare and pricey deluxe variations of this figure will come in a fancy packaging that will transform into a cardboard playset (likely resembling the Forseha terramare settlement) and will feature light&sound effects.

Final thoughts

Character value: ♦♦ Kai-Xi's fourth reiteration is not crucial to the line by any means, but this would make her an excellent candidate for a potential "convention figure"

Articulation: ♥♥ A change in the lower body to open up her range of movement would have made this new Deity much more interesting

Sculpt and paint: ♣♣♣♣♣ This is where KR|Dimness Deity, like her older versions, shines - sculpt and paint are definitely top notch

Accessories: ♠♠ Some fun new accessories apart from the usual stand, staff and shawl would have been very welcome

Playability: ♪♪♪ Well, this is not a dynamic figure at all, but I’m going to have to find a spot for all of the Deities on my shelves. They are all too cool to pack away

Overall: ☺☺☺ I personally love the idea of having a Kai-Xi for each KR era. However, to be totally honest, you surely don’t need another re-tooled Deity, unless you’re a completist or if you just really want one.

KR|Dimness Review #11: Hax

Toy prototype details

Name: Hax

Subtitle: armour-plated warrior

Line: KR|Dimness

Item type: action figure - Nº 8 in the line.

Character details

Name: Hax

Real name: Haxenar^TM

Classification: pholidotan mammal (but he looks mostly human)

Sex: male

Home: Tahron

Era: 5 years before Foundation

Affiliation: Forseha

Rank: right-hand man.

Background

First appearance: KR|Dimness #2 - Masq-Lor's quest

Brief bio: a bold warrior who lived in the Forseha terramare settlement near the Ucamur^TM region, Haxenar was respected for his fearlessness and agile method of fighting despite his enormous size. Taking the nickname Hax, he was held in high esteem by many fellow tribesmen, including Dekerus^TM and Dhermot^TM, with whom he became close friends. Experienced in the use of plates of bone for defence against attack and in the excavation of defensive moats, Hax stood as Dakun's personal protector and later as a guardian to the youngest members of his tribe. While covering that role, he was offered a place as a combat teacher for Masq-Lor, as the kid wished to become a valiant warrior in the model of Dakun, and he proudly accepted.

Articulation

Standard, except that the wrists are ball jointed.

Description

Head: Nordic features, cream white skin, thick auburn hair and facial hair (including long, bushy moustache and beard ornamented with metal rings), and brown eyes. His mouth is slightly open, exposing the teeth in the lower jaw and suggesting that he is ready to fight. He sports a golden-yellow headband equipped with projecting bars covering the nose and ears, and embellished with engraved runes, small green gemstones and pieces of bones; the headband also bears an off-white bony plate covered in overlapping scale-like horny scutes, which protects the back of the head

Body: he exhibits a brand new bulky hairless sculpt, whose exposed body parts show cream white skin. His limbs wear metallic dark-green shoulder, elbow and knee guards that are ornamented with large golden-yellow eyelets (where additional pieces plug into, as will be explained later) and lined with brown fur

Wearables: a metallic dark-green armour with golden-yellow details, two metallic dark-green wrist guards with knuckle protectors, two metallic dark-green boots with metatarsal protectors, a studded metallic dark-green belt (with a hemispherical buckle that looks like a rolled up pangolin) and brown furry shorts accompanied by four golden-yellow pieces of plate armour for protecting the upper thighs, groin and backside (the piece on the front looks like an extension of the armour's central strip, while the one on the back kind of resembles a tail). Each knuckle and metatarsal protector is equipped with a number of golden-yellow spike-studs (four and five, respectively), while all the golden-yellow parts on the armour and loincloth have a texture similar to that of an armadillo's outer shell.

Hax's stylised armour.

Action feature

In the comics, when Hax is called to defend his fellows and be ready for combat, he folds over and turns into a bony globular form, to roll into battle and drive back attackers. Similarly to Kinod, the figure did not retain this bending down feature, but, instead, its back, arms and legs are protected by off-white bony plates, which can pop/clip out and connect to an included extra piece. The rolled up form is then completed simply by placing the detached figure's head (together with the crest on its back) on top, to seal the remaining hole. The "transformation" is pretty easy to perform and looks quite impressive when fully done.

Additionally, Hax is shown to possess a number of large metallic retractable claws in his extremities. So, the figure comes with alternate clenched hands (including the knuckle protectors) and metatarsal protector pieces that carry the golden-yellow studs extended into Wolverine-style claws.

Finally, the package also contains an alternate headband-less head, which, besides a pair of squinted eyes, displays some non-human details such as pointed ears, a round black nose similar to a dog's, and a long anteater-like tongue projecting from his mouth. This head is a reference to an amusing scene in the comics, where during a campfire meal Hax steals some food from his mates using his extended sticky tongue.

Weapons and accessories

Apart from the various shell armour add-ons, alternate hands, foot pieces and head, Hax comes with a war club constructed out of greenish wood, which bears large golden-yellow studs on the thick, heavy end. Its shaft is multi-faceted (i.e., it has flat surfaces arrayed around the central axis) and tapers towards a slender handle with a pommel.

Comic

Together with the action figure we get the second comic issue Masq-Lor's quest. After seeing Pike and his family working closely-knit to repair their village following the recent Dark Legion's attack, Masq-Lor has a conversation with Dakun and Solamya. He tells them that he wishes he had a family like Pike's and expresses concerns about growing up without knowing his origins. Dakun answers that his origins are unknown to them too and that the whole tribe is his family, as they are proud of adopting him. Frustrated, Masq-Lor tells Pike and Xehrea^TM that he will ask Viluptra^TM, the goddess of the forests, where he comes from. Soon after Masq-Lor has left, Solamya notices his absence and Pike accidentally leaks the truth to her, prompting the tribe members to set out to search him. At his citadel, Wordron learns about Masq-Lor's journey into the jungle from some Plant-Men who were spying on him. The evil lord plans to use the kid to seek vengeance on the Forseha tribe for his latest defeat. When Masq-Lor finally finds Viluptra, the goddess confesses that she cannot help him discover his origins and only The Deity, Kai-Xi, could be revealing. Before the goddess can summon The Deity, Barkos and his minions attack the pair and capture Masq-Lor. Wordron chains Masq-Lor at his burg and explains that he intends to use him as a bait, while the golem Clavisaur suggests to use the kid as a sacrifice to himself. After Viluptra has alerted the Forseha tribesmen of the situation, the brave warriors smash through the wall of Wordron's citadel and, while engaging in combat with the Dark Legion soldiers, free Masq-Lor. Immediately, Clavisaur turns against Wordron, who in turn destroys the golem and reveals his demonic nature. Meanwhile, Kai-Xi appears to Masq-Lor and begins to tell a story of how he was abducted as a child and how one day he will become a hero admired for his courage, outstanding achievements and noble qualities. The Deity encourages Masq-Lor to wear the prodigious helmet absent-mindedly abandoned by Barkos, triggering the transformation into his future self. In possession of his full energy, Masq-Lor easily fends Wordron off, then causes a platform on the outside of the building, on which the demon stands, to collapse, temporally burying him in the rubble. After the fight, Kai-Xi returns to Masq-Lor and announces that his memory of the revelation will be erased once he removes the helmet and says that one day he will learn the truth by himself.

Overall, this is a very intense story, full of tension! One of the most interesting points in this issue is the rivalry between Wordron and Clavisaur. The two need each other's power, and both their plans for exploiting Masq-Lor are really evil.

Final thoughts

Character value: ♦♦♦ Hax certainly doesn’t seem to have the potential hype of prior KR|Dimness figures. However, he's still a solid entry and a welcome item to take off the checklist

Articulation: ♥♥♥ Obviously, the articulation is hindered a bit when all of the exterior armour shell parts are attached

Sculpt and paint: ♣♣♣♣ Besides offering a 100% new sculpt on this guy, I'm not sure PoliganToys could have done any better in his execution. The bony plates themselves have some great detailed deco

Accessories: ♠♠♠ I think that, personally, I may just not be a big fan of the extra head. I don't dislike it in any ways, but I certainly don't count it among the accessories that I was chomping at the bit to see with this figure

Playability: ♪♪♪♪ We really get quite a few display options, as we can display this dude in his ball form, in his human form with the shell armour or in human form without the shell armour

Overall: ☺☺☺ I can't deny that Hax is a solid figure, the detail and sculpt on him are simply incredible. I'm going to say that this guy would be highly recommended. The detail alone make him worth it.

KR|Dimness Review #10: Tolaaf

Toy prototype details

Name: Tolaaf^TM

Subtitle: volcanic monster

Line: KR|Dimness

Item type: action figure - Nº 7 in the line.

Character details

Name: Tolaaf

Classification: lavatic creature

Sex: seemingly male

Home: Tahron

Era: 5 years before Foundation

Affiliation: Dark Legion (indirectly)

Rank: commandant of the Lava Sentinels who guard Mount Atubion.

Background

First appearance: KR|Dimness #1 - Into dimness: Part I – Awakening

Brief bio: wordless and stumping creatures of living hot molten rock, the Lava Sentinels were the monstrous protectors of Mount Atubion. Originally given life by the Multiversal Balancers, to guard the volcano and the magical spark that powered it, the Lava Sentinels eventually rebelled and only obeyed their commandant Tolaaf. When Wordron used his army of demonic parasites to bring Clavisaur back to life and retrieve the prodigious helmet that was once in his possession, he placed his trust in the Lava Sentinels, to prevent the Forseha tribe from harvesting a powerful remedy that originated from the volcano's soil. Tolaaf's ability to explode into burning rock fragments and rebuild himself made him a deadly enemy of all those who opposed his fiery horde, but thanks to their fearlessness and team spirit the Forseha people fought him courageously and drove the evil Lava Sentinels back to their lair.

Articulation

Standard, except that the forearms and calves are ball jointed.

Description

Head: made of a cracked dark-grey rocky material, carved with prominent brow ridges, deep-set devilish eyes, an open mouth (which exposes a number of sharp, crooked light-greyish teeth), and a structure on the chin and lower cheeks that looks like a beard. The cracks, as well as the eyes and mouth cavities, glow a bright orange colour as a result of the lava that moves beneath the hardened surface of his body. He also wears a sort of stony helmet covered in angular, spiky rock fragments (which reminds me a bit of Amaso from Steel Jeeg); the helmet can be removed, revealing a bright orange outpouring of lava oozing from his seemingly empty cranium

Body: made of a dark-grey rocky material criss-crossed by cracks that glow a bright orange colour. Although several body pieces are reused from the ragged Ter-Ah-Sur build, the sculptors at PoliganToys were able to manipulate that original buck to make this figure look like a big rocky beast. In fact, the torso/neck portion, the lower arms and legs as well as the hips/crotch part are all new massive, wonderfully sculpted overlay rock pieces that are attached to the figure. These pieces, which are all removable, add a great amount of size to the figure (he indeed looks like one of the largest in the series yet) and show a lot of craggy volcanic details such as cracks, crevices, blisters and glowing lava outflowings. I especially like the lower legs that resemble columnar basalt structures. The stony piece comprising his shoulders, chest and back has a nice crater-like collar portion that comes up around the back of the head, while the limb parts display spiky elbow and knee areas, as well as large hands equipped with spiked knuckles and huge feet sporting stony claws

Wearables: the torso/neck overlay includes a harness that is made of a ropey golden-yellow material and displays a volcano-shaped symbol at the centre of the chest piece. The forearms and the shins show pairs of large open lune-shaped golden-yellow bangles; similar ornamental lunes are also visible near the flanks on the stony torso piece. The waist/hips area is studded with golden-yellow nuggets, the central one of which is much larger and chiseled with some kind of demonic face design. Additionally, the guys at PoliganToys took artistic license with the chest emblem, the "clothing" on the crotch piece as well as most of the helmet, and changed those from light-grey to a more sky-blueish, larimar colour to add contrast. Despite I would have been fine if those details had been kept comic-book accurate, I do like the change.

Tolaaf's stylised harness; the triangular design at the centre of the chest piece represents a volcano-shaped symbol.

Action feature

In the comics, in order to knock down any enemies that stand in his way, Tolaaf has the ability to generate powerful volcanic eruptions from the inside of his body, ejecting his head and emitting a blast of toxic gasses and lethal burning material from his beheaded neck. The head is connected to a long incandescent chain, so he can use it as the striking end of a ball-and-chain flail before it blows like a volcanic bomb. The figure includes two stiff red-hot faux chains for two different display options: one that has a coiled end to be positioned around his left forearm and a thin ring-shaped end inserted between his head and neck (the beard and collar help conceal this piece), and a version of it in action, which has one end to be placed in both hands and the other end plugged into the ball joint socket of the head. An additional eruption effect, seemingly made of smoke, ash and lapilli, can be attached to the neck in place of the head when the latter is detached.

Moreover, when his head explodes, a new one is produced by his crater-like neck. So, a volcanic dome-shaped, mid-formation head with a blistered texture and a general glowing lava appearance is also included.

Weapons and accessories

Apart from the two chains, eruption effect and alternate head, Tolaaf comes with a spectacular flaming whip, which has a nice wavy shape and a metallic dark-blue handle. Judging by the similarity between this handle and the two chains' handgrips, I believe the whip is actually a third, much hotter version of the incandescent chain.

In addition, the guys at PoliganToys tossed a few alternative pieces in the package, so that Tolaaf can match his evil lavatic minion's styling. The set includes a head, a spiked collar, two pairs of lower arm/leg pieces and several weapons. First of all, it's necessary to remove the head, the torso/neck and the large limb rocky pieces, since Tolaaf's warriors have a slenderer look. When stripped of the torso covering, the cracked dark-grey rocky trunk shows a small triangular bright orange gemstone embedded in the centre of the chest. The alternate head sports a mane of long golden Pele's hair emerging from the crater-like cranium, a wrinkled texture, empty eye sockets that emit a faint orange glow, and a gaping mouth that allows for plugging in the eruption (more like spitting in this case) effect. Similarly to the collar, the plug-in gauntlets (one of which is hand-less) and clawed boots are made of the same ropey golden-yellow material seen on Tolaaf's harness, and display spikes all around the cuffs and the tops respectively. Finally, there is a boulderstone covered in spiky rock fragments, which is meant to be connected by the swinging-looking faux chain to the hand-less left arm, as well as a double-tang (i.e., with each blade held in the handle by two projections, leaving a cutout at the base of the blade) axe, a sword and a shield for the right hand. All the above-mentioned weapons are made of a dark-grey rocky material criss-crossed by cracks that glow a bright orange colour, and show some sky-blueish details, i.e., the spikes, the handle, the hilt and a ring design, respectively.

Final thoughts

Character value: ♦♦♦♦ As a chunk of living lava, this is a character who totally belongs to the barbarian filled era of the KR|Dimness series. I just love how epic and brutal he looks!

Articulation: ♥♥♥ Tolaaf has the same great, sturdy articulation that most other KR figures have and, except a little around the shoulders, the various overlays don’t impede movement too much

Sculpt and paint: ♣♣♣♣ The overlays used to augment the standard body sculpt manage to make him look big and broad, rather than fat, thankfully. The subtle variety in the shades of dark-grey on his body helps bring out a lot of detail and makes him look like actual stone

Accessories: ♠♠♠♠ Most of the accessories are cast and painted to mimic Tolaaf's texture and colour scheme, and feature some great sculpting. The flaming whip looks really, really vicious and definitely makes him appear like a torment for the Forseha people

Playability: ♪♪♪♪ There is a lot of love about this figure, as it is something quite different from what has come before in this line (perhaps with the exception of Clavisaur)

Overall: ☺☺☺☺ Tolaaf is definitely a highlight of 2019 so far and has jumped up on my list as my favourite KR|Dimness prototype. While we've got more than half of the year still to go, I can't help but feel like he will be a tough guy to beat.

KR Review #79: Ceratank

As one of the first Key Raiders vehicles shown in the comics, the Ceratank^TM was pretty high on my wish list for inclusion in the KR|Foundation series.

When PoliganToys announced that I would get a fully-sculpted, figure-scaled prototype of this vehicle, my reaction was ecstatic. With the expansion of the line following the inclusion of the Rotakord in the previous quarter, it actually seemed possible that I might get it, despite PoliganToys regularly claiming I would not.

Finally, rolling over the terrain in search of the enemy, moving closer to its prey with its jaws opening and closing to devour all in its path, this vehicle, hungry and on the hunt, is finally in my hands!

Details

Name: Ceratank

Subtitle: rumbling vehicle of destruction

Classification: land vehicle

Home: Tahron

Affiliation: Rexodon

Rank: transport.

Description

The Ceratank is a powerful, fearsome-looking command tank with a bony armour on the hull front, which strongly resembles a Centrosaurus skull. The blocky, angular hull is painted in a metallic dark-blue colour, while the large beaked ivory-white ceratopsian head bears an elaborate backwards curved horn over the snout, a pair of large hornlets that hook forwards over the jagged frill and a pair of small upwards directed horns over the eyes.

The front of the hull is flanked by wheeled outriggers, while the rear section is mounted on tank treads, each with a series of black metallic wheels and a seemingly articulated band of cleated black metal plates passing around. The vehicle can be rolled forward or backward thanks to the addition of a wheel hidden under each tread. The continuous tracks and front wheels are partly concealed and protected by a pair of metallic dark-blue armoured side-skirts, which are embellished with a number of curved ivory-white bony structures resembling ribs, and a pair of front mud-guards, each shaped and coloured like a five-clawed bony foot.

The driver's highly detailed cockpit is placed behind the armour-head and is covered by a domed canopy. This hood, which is cast in clear plastic and reinforced with metallic dark-blue beams, is hinged at the front and can only open by folding up and forward after detaching the bony head (in the comics, it is the head that is hinged and can be lowered to reveal a set of steps for boarding or disembarking the vehicle), so you can sit a figure in the driver's seat; my complaint, apart from the fact that the cockpit can only hold one figure (while in the comics it's a two-seater with a large heads up display), is that the top of the bony frill is right in front of the pilot’s face, which I find kind of weird. Thankfully, the clear canopy can be swapped out for a metallic dark-blue armoured version, to better match its comic book battle-mode depiction.

Finally, the back part has large air intakes and exhaust pipes (or perhaps rocket boosters) on top of the engine compartment, and carries a long, curved ivory-white bony tail composed of eight large vertebrae and equipped with two points of articulation, i.e. a hinge and a swivel, near its base. Theoretically, by popping the tail off at the swivel joint, a Ceratank could be connected to a second identical vehicle stripped of its head and, by repeating this process several times, it would be possible to build a caterpillar-esque monster tank made of a large number of units.

It's interesting to note that the skull (around the eye sockets), front paws and tail end display various metallic dark-blue techno-embellishments, such as panels, tubes, wires and pistons, while the eyes themselves are in fact fiery red headlights.

Action feature

The Ceratank's engine cover on the rear section can be opened thanks to three folding-up hatches (two on the sides and one on the back, with the latter becoming a headrest), revealing a single-seat rear cockpit ornamented with highly detailed wall panelling and armed with a removable swinging/swivelling two-handled double-gun on the front. Although this toy is large enough to accommodate two figures comfortably, one on the front and one on the back, it isn't an exact replica of what I've seen in the comics - it's still a ton smaller than its fictional counterpart, which can transport many people into battle.

Additionally, the tail, which bears a missile-launcher on its end, can swivel and fold up for shooting forward. In this position, the cannon plugs into a spot right behind the front cockpit, while the tail, owing to its curved shape, becomes a handle that can be used to carry the Ceratank around.

Furthermore, an additional bony neck piece (with length, shape and colour similar to those of the tail) can be inserted between the hull and the head. This piece's function is to recreate the neck-extending attack feature seen in the comics and, thanks to a ratcheted joint in the middle, allows the head to be directed upwards. In this configuration, the monstrous vehicle's jaws can swing open agape, showing a number of menacing serrated teeth, and snap shut to hold one unlucky figure. Alternatively, the mouth can be used as a handy place to store the driver's weapons.

Weapons and accessories

Aside from a missile that can be fired from the tail-launcher thanks to a spring-loaded mechanism, the Ceratank has two large guns mounted to the top of the wheeled outriggers, which are exposed by lifting the two paws on the front (each paw is articulated with a hinge at its base). Each gun is painted in a silver colour, has a reptile's head design on the tip and can move up and down for better aim.

Moreover, the outriggers are actually "launchable" pods that detach from the sides of the hull. These pods look like small metallic black and dark-blue driverless bikes, each with a larger tire in the back than in the front and surmounted by the pivoting gun.

All things considered, the Ceratank is long overdue to be made into a prototype and is a welcome addition to my collection. Its size, meticulous detail, and the fact that you can comfortably fit two figures on this thing with no problem, make it essential for any KR enthusiast who has the space for it. This masterpiece of a vehicle is without a doubt an extremely impressive toy!

KR|Dimness Review #9: Forseha Defenders

Toy prototype details

Name: Forseha Defenders^TM

Subtitle: combative tribespeople

Line: KR|Dimness

Item type: multi-pack (3-pack) - Nº 3 in the line.

Character details

Name: Forseha Defender

Classification: mammal (various species)

Sex: male or female

Home: Tahron

Era: 5 years before Foundation

Affiliation: Forseha

Rank: tribal warrior.

Background

First appearance: KR|Dimness #1 - Into dimness: Part I – Awakening

Brief bio: for many centuries, the reclusive Forseha people rejected the technology that had quickly spread across Tahron, and continued to live in a primitive terramare settlement near the Ucamur^TM region. In their veins, most of the tribe members held the blood of the great ancient champion Myneran^TM, who, alongside other valiant paladins, had been entrusted with keeping the legendary Key safe from the ruthless reptilian armies. Because of this valuable lineage, the Forseha tribe was targeted by the evil Wordron, who wished to access the bloodline’s link to the powers of their ancestor for reviving the mysterious golem Clavisaur. Blessed with strength, deep knowledge of the forest environment and the ability to use the resources of nature to their advantage, these warriors were tough adversaries for Wordron. After courageously defending their clan from an army of demonic parasites, many of the tribesmen suffered mystical wounds that put them into an unconscious state. Eventually, the few unaffected heroes freed their companions from the curse and together joined forces to defeat the Dark Legion.

Articulation

Standard, excluding hinged abdomen for the female figure and calf swivel for both human figures (due to the fact that they wear neither boots nor shin guards).

Description

The set includes three figures: a human male, a human female and a non-human male.

Heads: the two human figures' heads have Indigenous Brazilian features, both showing brown skin, fairly long brown hair and hazel eyes; I really like their facial expressions, which instantly communicate brawn. The non-human figure has a similar appearance to a hippopotamus, identifiable by the large mauve taupe head with a long muzzle, eyes, ears and nostrils placed high on the roof of his skull and broad horny lips

Bodies: the two human figures show brown skin, while the non-human figure exhibits a hairless mauve taupe body. The male's body displays a few L-shaped black war-paint markings here and there, while his chest and back are mildly hairy. All the three characters are barefoot; in particular, the hippo-like figure has four-toed webbed feet

Wearables: the human male figure wears a short light-brown raffia fibre tunic with L-shaped white decorative patterns, a dark-brown leather strip tied around the right forearm, a dark-brown knotted rope belt and a long torn off-white skin loincloth. The female figure wears a one-shoulder leotard with a cut-out on the right flank, a dark-brown leather armband on the left arm, a pair of narrow tubular bronze bracelets on the right arm, two narrow tubular bronze anklets ornamented with layers of light-brown plant fibres (or perhaps fur...), a belt made of several bronze discs laced together and a short pale-straw grass skirt. The leotard 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 is made from light-brown raffia fibre. The non-human figure wears a thigh-length shaggy tunic (made from the same blotchy/striped fur described above), two dark-brown leather gloves and two dark-brown leather calf protectors with tattered light-brown turndown tops. The tunic is secured around the waist by a dark-brown leather belt equipped with a little skull buckle and a small scabbard for a dagger on the side. All the three garments are embellished with necklaces that are variously adorned with claws, stones and shells, and I like that the two males can exchange their tunics to add more variety to the set (they both also look cool shirtless).

Weapons and accessories

Although the Forseha Defenders are extremely skilled warriors, their figures have no action feature, but they do come with a nice set of weapons that are very fitting (and savage) for the three characters. The human male wields a spear that definitely has a primitive look to it, with a pointed dark-grey chert head tied with brown rope to a long shaft. The shaft itself is composed of two parts, which are also held together by rope: an upper whitish bony segment and a longer lower wooden part. This piece is also very detailed, with the knapped, almond-shaped head having scratches and nicks in it.
The female character brandishes a very cool tomahawk, which has a nice sharp sculpt and features a whitish bony handle fitted with a head of bladed dark-grey stone. I love how it looks weathered - you can see the dents and chips in the blade, as it looks like its owner has had many uses for it.

The non-human figure has a double bearded axe and a dagger. The axe shows two polished dark-grey stone blades mounted asymmetrically (i.e., one of the two blades is upside down) to a wooden handle. Again, this piece shows excellent attention to detail by the folks at PoliganToys, with good woodgrain and dinted stone features. The dagger also has that primitive look seen in the other weapons, with rope holding two bones crossed to form a hilt and the polished dark-grey stone blade all together.

Additionally, the three figures come with three alternate heads that show slightly different details compared to their standard ones: the human male sports darker brown hair and beard as well as a band of light-brown raffia fibre tied around the head, the human female has shorter, darker brown hair and a bony band worn on the front, while the non-human chap shows the mouth wide open, revealing large yellowish canine and incisor tusks.

Final thoughts

Character value: ♦♦♦ In my opinion the Defenders are a vital part of the KR mythos, just like the Theriom Troopers/Knights/Soldiers. I hope they'll be mass-available, because they would make an excellent customisation base

Articulation: ♥♥♥♥ The standard KR articulation is only hindered slightly at the neck by the longish hair of the human figures

Sculpt and paint: ♣♣♣♣ Sculpt of course is killer; there are a surprising number of new parts on the two human characters, since they're barefoot and not wearing much around their forearms and lower legs. Paint is crisp and clean

Accessories: ♠♠♠♠♠ All the weapons are cast in a solid and sturdy plastic and feature fine sculpts and excellent paintwork. They all have a nice dark paint wash to give an appropriate level of crudeness to the pieces. The additional heads are an impressive extra

Playability: ♪♪♪♪ I had a great time posing these savage warriors fighting any beasts and monsters from my collection

Overall: ☺☺☺☺ The Forseha Defenders multi-pack is an amazing set and all the figures are very well detailed. The alternate heads are excellent and are going to replace the standard heads on my figures from here on out.