The Four Horsemen's Mythic Legions: Prototypes

With my planned post once again pushed back, I turn to some other items I'm currently excited about!  This'll just be a quick 'n easy photo session, but it's only because these are so easy to pose!

The Four Horsemen: sculptors, toymakers, and the hands behind the work done on the sculpts for Master of the Universe Classics.  I'll follow 'em to the ends of the earth, when it comes to toys, so I jumped in on their Kickstarter for a toyline called Mythic Legions.

Basic premise is this: MYTHICAL LEGIONS!  Orcs, barbarians, knights, skeletons, vampires, dwarves, skeletons, skeletons, SKELETONSKELETONSKELETONS.  There's some mixing and matching to be had with armor and weapons (and probably some limbs, if you're ambitious).  Best part is just the premise, though.  I've always wanted a well-articulated toyline based around knights 'n monsters and good god - SKELETONS.  All that good stuff.

This is it!  The figures aren't out yet (and the preorders are already closed) but the Horsemen put up some of the articulation prototypes for sale, so I snagged a couple.  They're basically what we're going to get, baring any changes that the Horsemen make based on whatever doesn't work with these protos.  But man, there isn't much that doesn't work!

I bought a Minotaur (because I love the idea of a living-statue minotaur, thanks to the Riddler and Batman: The Animated Series) and a skeleton because I love skeletons.  Well, actually, I bought the Minotaur first and loved it SO much that I went back and bought something from what was left (they went quick) and that just so happened to be a skeleton!

The pics above were some quick stuff done with whatever background was there at the time (during a vicious fight I was having with my lighting while trying to capture the detail present on my - hopefully - next post).  After that I pushed everything to the side and did a bit more to fill out this post.

Each figure came with some weapons, a shield, a sword belt, and some shoulder armor.

The sword belt is soft plastic and the slot for a sword is large enough for multiple items, if you want.

I've only got it on the skeleton, at the moment.  It could also hang loose around the hips for a low-slung sword, if you wanted.

The shields have an easily removable clip on a tiny, tiny peg.  I'm a little worried about this part, because the peg is so small, and the clip is so tight that I'm afraid it'll scrape off paint when you take a shield on and off.  We'll see what happens with the final product.

And finally, the shoulder armor plugs in to the back, and is otherwise free to move around with the arms.  They don't get in the way at all, nor do they fall off!  I love them!  It's so rare when shoulder armor actually works out and doesn't get in the way or pop off constantly.

I'm not sure what the slot on the back is for, but I'm sure it's just for various options that may come down the road.

The minotaur is a basic human with hoof feet and a separate piece that slides over his neck to give him that minotaur-neck; then the head pops on the ball joint to keep it on.  It also has the holes on the back for the shoulder armor, and a tinier hole in the center of the back that is unused, at the moment.

The axe is a modular design that allows for one blade or two.  I prefer the single blade for my minotaur, but it's an awesome design!

He also comes with a larger sword, but I just keep him with the axe.

Technically Mythic Legions are a bit smaller than MotUC, but I feel like they still work.  The skeletons are no problem (since they'd be missing the "meat" so they're bound to be a bit smaller).  Traditionally you'd want the minotaur to be larger, but I still find that I'm not bothered.

Anything smaller than him, of course, is golden!  Link works great, as does anyone else you'd think would be fighting a minotaur.  It's a minotaur!  Works anywhere!

Articulation wise: WOW, man.  I honestly thought these would be a bit more restricted, but the skirt armor is soft and gets right out of the way, and the legs have SO much range at the hips.  The arms could be a bit better, but he holds his axe with both hands, and that's all he needs.

If I had a complaint, it's that the arms don't move inward as much as I'd like, and that the wrist joints move side to side kinda uselessly.  If they rocked up and down, THEN I'd be able to have them point a sword at someone!  The side-to-side movement just seems...pointless.  Doesn't really help with any poses.

Case in point, with the skeleton: It allows him to get a double grip on the sword, but his pose options are very limited, so he's not going to be doing any cool two-handed things.

Regardless: I don't need EXTREME motions from these armored dudes, so I don't mind so much.

Point is that they take GREAT stances with little effort!  Best parts are the ball joints at the neck and waist.  The neck ball is BIG, and allows for very expressive head motions that I wish Hasbro would consider (heck, I wish MANY toy companies would consider that larger neck ball).  The ball joint at the waist is just...ah man, a dream.  The waist ball joint is what MotUC should have had, honestly.  It gets rid of the chest joint and gives you more fluid motion in return.

The ankles are also really helpful in that they can be rotated to move up and down or side to side.  It's a little fiddly, but it works and I barely had to work to get them to stand at all (well, the minotaur was a little tough, but that's because his hooves are smaller and he's so top-heavy).

The star of the show, for me, is the skeleton.  They made a bunch, and I dang near bought them all - basically robbing me of some of the other interesting molds and characters, since I couldn't sink a ton of money into this.  What can I do, though?  I'm a skeleton fan!  These are great, and the prototype only solidified what I thought at first sight: LOVE.  Love love love.  One more horrifying toy to add to the marriage.  It's an interesting marriage.

Like I said: They work GREAT with MotUC!  You would expect the skeleton to be smaller, since it ain't got no meats for them bones.  Doesn't look out of place at all.  I'm looking forward to giving Skeletor a little squad of these boneheads.

Naturally, they make a good Stalfos for Link as well (since those things are always mysteriously giant).

These prototypes not only get me excited for the finished product, but they're great toys in their own right!  I've got a living statue Minotaur and a charred skeleton, possibly fossilized.  I'm pretty sure the protos are sold out, but when the finished figures go up for sale, I'm sure they'll last...minutes, possibly.  Yeah.  Keep your eyes peeled!

Ah...man, I hate that phrase.  Don't peel your eyes, kids.  Just...open them.

ADDENDUM
Jonesy totally reminded me of the cloak!

UUUUNGH IT WORKS SO WELL OMG