Yes, like Masters of the Universe, the bad guys are my favorites when it comes to Mythic Legions. However, the elves and fairie folk of the new Advent of Decay series have me seriously considering going back to the light.
Whodda thunk it, right? Skeletons, orcs, goblins, demonic warrior are my jam, but I also have a soft spot for the ethereal nature of proper elves, and those who live amongst them. So, while we still have TONS and TONS and TONS of Mythic Legions features to bring you (seriously, TONS),and have some elves lined up for future installments, I wanted to start with the figure that finally pushed me over the edge to get more of the forest creatures. Faunus speaks to me on so many levels that he stands out, even amongst the ranks of amazing goblins other denizens, as one of my favorite Mythic Legions figures. Serisouly, if you want to know the embodiment of the power of nature on Mythoss, look no further than this guy.
Like all Mythic figures, Faunus is built around a standard base body, but the new head and the use of the hooves really puts this guy over the edge as an entity in and of himself. I am glad the tunic overlay body was used here as it brings him more into a natural form with the folds and form, but his ornate armor is colored to highlight all of the autumnal colors of forest. Since he does use that base body, most of his form is that of a human character, but the hooves and animal like face draw the influences of the classic faun, and the tree forms are pure Ent, so this design makes for an especially interesting figure.
Like I said, I like that a less armored body was used here (I REALLY hope the next Mythic Legions run can include base bodies without armor and have robes, tunics, and pants and leather boots), and while I am normally an ardent detractor of soft goods, the included lower tunic portion does a nice job of actually hiding some of the leg armor, so I can cheat even more of a nature form. Under normal circumstances it would be heresy to hide such intricate sculpt work, but for Faunus, it works.
Now, Faunus does have all of the standard Legions articulation that comes with the armored body, so expect things like ball shoulders, hinge and swivel elbows, ball hips, front-facing rocker ankles and the rest. However, it seems to me that Faunus has improved range of movement over some of the other figures I have recently gotten. I know, that sounds silly since the scheme is the same, and maybe it is just this particular figure, but everything seems to flow more smoothly when it comes to posing, and I notice the hips and shoulders in particular feel much better on this figure than most of my other armored characters.
While I see Faunus as both a servant and commander of nature, capable of strong magic and not needing actual weaponry, he still has plenty of it. I have said this before, but I am more of a fan of the basic weapons in Mythic Legions, so I am pleased to get the basic long sword for him. The shield used here is also great because the runes in the band along the outside are perfect for a nature character, and these feel like incantations of protection to help defend the nature world. Also towards that end is my favorite, and probably the appropriate weapon for Faunus: his staff. Now, this is a standard long staff, but the end has been set with a branch piece that holds a green orb. This is perfect for the motif of this figure and woe betide any orc, goblin, or skeleton who decides to invade a forest protected by Faunus – you will likely become a permanent resident of the rich dirt that helps things grow.
As you can tell, I really like this figure. The best part is that, as of publishing time, he is still available on the Store Horsemen site, so go get him. NOW! I truly LOVE Mythic Legions, and I am already pumped to see what is next. As I said, some adventure garb (that is, less armored) bases for elves, dwarves, and rangers would be super keen for the next go around, but whatever may come, I know the Horsemen will not disappoint. But I am getting ahead of myself because we still have a TON (remember, I said TON above) of feature for the Advent of Decay still coming, so stay tuned.
