The Four Horsemen Studios are currently shipping Kickstarter rewards figures from their massively successful Mythick Legions Kickstarter campaign. I wasn’t able to go all in, but bought a nice representative group of characters from this expansive figure line, and I have been opening one new character a day to ensure I appreciate each new figure. Today we’ll take a look at the Heroic Fighter Thord Ironjaw!
Out of all the different races and styles of figures produced for the Mythic Legions line, I was most interested in and curious about the Dwarves. Dwarves are a staple of fantasy storytelling and one of the few fantasy characters not really covered in Masters of the Universe.
Out of the several Dwarf characters offered, I picked up Thord Ironjaw because he had the most classic “Dungeons and Dragons” feel to him.
Packaging
The packaging is pretty collector-friendly as you can pull the bubble off the card and put the figure back on the card if you desire. I’m not going to do that because I don’t normally save card art, but the packaging does beautifully depict a battle scene.
It looks like the forces of evil laying siege to a castle and has wonderful dramatic lighting. There is an insert at the front of the bubble that has the character name and bio on the right side. It’s a little small, so I missed it on my first Mythic Legions figure, the Power-Con exclusive Unkann.
Here’s Thord’s bio:
When Attlus the conqueror was banished from the Army of Leodysseus it was Thord Ironjaw who first came to his aid. With a predisposed disdain for the ancient orders and the kingdoms that bore them, Attlus’ banishment only added fuel to a fire burning deep in Thord’s soul. Together they realized that the only way to change the corrupt state of the world was to assemble a great army of their own. With Attlus’ help Thord convinced his fellow Dwarves from the Grayvein mountains to unite and create a spark that will set fire to the rebellion.
I like this bio and the bios in general for these characters. It sets up the factions and gives a little bit of personality to the character. He sounds like he’s a bit of a cantankerous guy, as Dwarves often are in these types of stories, and a bit of a rebel. If you don’t want to keep the little file cards, The Mythic Legions website has this bio online as well.
Sculpt
As much as I like the story presented in the bio, it’s really not necessary because the sculpt and design of this guy tells all the story you really need to know. Thord looks like a classic D&D Dwarven brawler, and his deep-set eyes and stern expression show that he’s a tough old combat veteran.
The elaborate decoration of golds and blues on the armor lets you know he’s of a noble bearing. The design of the armor has the sort of squared-off shapes you see in the Dwarvish designs in the Lord of the Rings films, which seems appropriate.
Thord is short and squared off, but has thickness there that conveys strength. The character looks shorter than other Mythic Legions figures, but no less powerful. It’s pretty much a perfect Dwarf warrior figure and his beard is mighty.
The horns are separate pieces and can be moved around and plugged in different ways for different looks. This is a fun idea that allows for great deal of customization.
Accessories
Thord comes with quite a bit of stuff, including an axe, a shield, a sword, two removeable shoulder pauldrons, an extra piece that converts the axe to a double bladed weapon, and a strap that can hold a weapon. The shoulder armor pieces plug into holes in the back solidly and move on a hinge so they don’t hinder arm movement too much.
The sword has a sharp sculpt and is cast in stiff material that holds it’s shape. The axe fits well with the Dwarven armor style and is also made of stiff material. The sculpt on the axe is not quite as sharp as the sword and I think that might have to do with the plastic being a different material. I do like the customization feature and the axe fits well in a two-handed grip. The strap is made of a very soft plastic and can be placed on the figure in a number of ways. I think it works best across the shoulder, but it kind of works as a belt too.
Articulation
Thord has the following articulation
- Ball-and-socket neck and waist
- Swivel thighs, neck, boots, and gloves
- Swivel/hinged shoulders, elbows, hips, ankles, knees, and wrists
For a fully armored character, Thord has a nice range of movement. His beard and armor can sometimes get in each other’s way, but I was extremely pleased at how poseable and solid this figure turned out.
The ankle design allows for solid footing and the armor skirts are all soft plastic attached in a way that allows for great leg movement. I also like how the shoulder armor is part of sculpt and sinks into the body to allow the arms to raise fully. The arm gets almost a 90-degree bend at the elbow. The figure can’t quite get into a two-handed sword-holding pose due to the thickness of the armor and beard, but he wields his axe well.
Paint
The paint is quite nice with some shiny metallics. A couple paint apps from the proto didn’t make it into production, like the highlight dry brush on the beard or the treatment on the horns that give them a more realistic feel.
Overall, I’m very glad I picked this guy up and a little regretful I didn’t grab a couple more dwarves to go with him. These guys are all sold out now from the 4H direct, but there are some available at BBTS. I know the 4H have more figures planned to go with these figures, and we’ll share the news here when more pre-orders are announced.
