Mokrul – the PRELUDE
Mokrul, a nasty looking goblin archer, sculpted by Stavros Zouliatis is one of a string of new releases from Mirico. It is a 1/10 Bust based on the concept by Rico Chia and comprises 16 Polyurethane Resin parts plus a length of thread for the bow string. The kit arrived in its now recognisable packaging, packaging of the very highest quality, the presentation is second to none. We have a strong, compact black box, adorned with the Mirico logo, lid held closed with a length of black elastic. Inside we have concept cards, an authenticity certificate with wax seal and stickers, the kit comprises of one main piece (head and torso) along with a series of smaller pieces, sealed in a ziplock bag and all nestled between layers of shaped foam.
SCULPT AND CAST
Mokrul is depicted as a wiry and scrawny goblin, muscle and sinew throughout the anatomy. The head is a snarling, evil, visage with mouth held in a rictus grin, baring pointed teeth, the lips pulled back. This is a goblin in many senses straight out of the Mines of Moria, long nosed, oversized ears and a malevolent persona. The eyes are beady and hooded, the chin pointed, all of the slender and pointed elements of the anatomy help to create the impression of evil and cunning.
Mokrul is wearing the upper half of some animal skull, sculpted to the head as one piece. The detailing is good with a nice texture. The nature of the goblin is further hinted at with the fetish, tooth necklace and the pieces of bone that act as a type of piercing, body ornamentation. In my opinion the anatomy of the torso and arms looks a little rushed, or maybe too cartoony, yet somehow fits the bust as a whole. The torso ends at the waist where there is evidence of his garb, with fur trim and leather belt complete with skull motif.
We then have the smaller pieces including the rather crude and brutal looking bow and arrows. The bow is a good length and nicely detailed however, the design of the arrows is a little basic, the vanes could have been better presented. Next we have the array of feathers for the headdress and these are very nice indeed. Not only is there great detail and texture to these but each piece is also sculpted and cast in such a way that they are not merely straight and level but bent, curved and flowing, just as they would be in real life.
The only other piece is the other hand which needs attaching in such a way it holds the vane of the nocked arrow, the bow and sculpted hand attaching st the wrist. Sometimes attaching two handed weapons can be awkward but the dry fitting shows no such problems here. The cast is of a good quality although there will be some preparation involved. There are no major defects such as air bubble holes, casting slippages etc. The cast crisply captures the details and textures making this a fun project to paint up.
DESIGN AND ORIGINALITY
Although Orcs and Goblins are clearly not original concepts, being on of the main archetypal fantasy characters, there is enough to this bust to suggest something a little out of the ordinary. The design is well considered and the introduction of the bow (hinting at physical activity) makes the piece much more dynamic than if it was just a typical head and shoulders bust. The bust displays a pleasing silhouette and all of the details are necessary for the design, there is no frills or redundancy in the sculpt.
DESIRABILITY
Mirico have followed up their debut release, Fade, with a series of quick releases that have all helped to develop a growing reputation for quality. The packaging and presentation is of the very highest standard, for a new company this is quite exceptional. Mirico have already developed quite a following and their fan base continues to grow. This will clearly appeal to fans of Orcs and Goblins and in particular lovers of the LotR franchise, this should be a relatively quick and fun project to paint with the chance of painting textures and other surface details such as warpaint and the like.
AFFORDABILITY
At 1/10scale, $48 is pushing the limit to what I would consider a fair price, but when we consider that this is a new company, the quality of the sculpt and Cast, the sheer beauty of the presentation, then it become much easier to understand the price point. Highly recommended.
Dates, Figures and Stuff
Cost $48
Material Polyurethane Resin
No of Pieces 16 plus bow string
Release Date Available Now
Where Can I Get It? HERE
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