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Without doing any research, I assume these are warriors who have dedicated themselves to Ethel Merman.
In the time of Troy, the Myrmidons were brave and skilled warriors commanded by Achilles. However the Myrmidon tradition would
continue long after the death of their leader. Made up of people from around the ancient world, they were very much a mercenary army. Their fighting skills were said to rival that of Sparta in one on one combat. Loyal to their leaders and known to never waver in the face of the impossible, the Myrmidon warriors were the perfect ally to assist the Spartans in their battle against the Gorgon Horde. Their fearlessness and skill could win the day.
In the mythology, the Myrmidons were either A) a race of people evolved from a colony ants by Zeus because one of his bastard children was tired of living on an island alone, or B) descendants of Myrmidon, a different son of Zeus who was conceived when the god seduced a woman in the form of an ant. Talk about being easy to please! Either way, their name comes from the Greek word for an ant, μύρμηξ (myrmex).
And yet this figure is just a plain human! Why does he have a man's head, instead of the head of an ant? Or even a helmet that somehow resembles an ant? As with the Mythic Legions Otho figure, the Vitruvian HACKS Myrmidon adds some diversity to this fantasy world - he's a black guy! The Ancient Greeks traded with Northern Africa, so it's not outside the realm of possibility that a black mercenary would show up
for battle at some point.
The Myrmidon armor is a new piece - well, newish. It's new to the main line of figures, but we've already reviewed it on an exclusive. Which exclusive? Talos. So was the magical living statue designed after these guys, or did these guys design their armor after the magical living statue? Up to you! It comprises a scale mail shirt with solid plates over the shoulders, and a strappy leather skirt, plus sandals and ornate greaves. The colors are really nice: the bulk of the armor is matte black, with golden trim and grey for its under-skirt and the crest on the helmet. Looking good, Myrm!
Using the usual body, the Myrmidon has a balljointed head and neck; swivel/hinge shoulders, elbows and wrists; a balljointed torso (limited realistically by the chest armor); balljointed hips; double-hinge knees; and swivel/hinge ankles. It would be nice if the ankles were "rocker" style, so the feet could remain flat on the ground even when the legs aren't perfectly vertical, but that was apparently not meant to be. It's still an impressive amount of articulation for a 4" toy, especially as we see Marvel Universe and Star Wars figures dropping back to the quality of the '80s.
His weaponry is what you'd expect.
In addition to all the removable armor, he's got two swords, a scabbard, and a large shield. Since only one sword can fit in the sheath, there's a loop on the back of the armor to hold the other one. The shield is black with a gold ring on the front, and a large painting of a scorpion done in white. Why is it a scorpion and not an ant? Missed opportunity!
We've established by now that a Vitruvian HACKS figure is just going to be good, period, so how uch you like each one is going to be up to the paint and the accessories. The Myrmidon Warrior has a really striking colorscheme, so we're putting this one in the win column.
-- 10/07/16
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