While not one of the more populous races in Mythoss or in the Mythic Legions line, the Trolls have shown some surprising diversity even amongst the limited varieties we have seen thus far. From the savagery and resilience of the Stone Trolls, to the cunning of the wily Forest Trolls, to the massive Ice Trolls who make their homes in the frozen Northern region of the Realm. Each of these monstrous creatures is unique in their characteristics and personality traits, yet the most unique of all the Trolls we have seen in the Mythic Legions line to date would have to be the mighty Arena Troll known as Brontus. In this “Figure in Focus” article, we will take a closer look at this veteran of the Mercurian Coliseum, who also happens to be Cornboy’s all-time favorite Mythic Legions figure!
Mythic Legions: Coliseum
Brontus the Arena Troll was the third Troll figure released in the Mythic Legions line, as part of the “Coliseum” wave back in July 2017. This was an unusual wave in that it came on the heels of the massive Advent of Decay Kickstarter campaign, yet it included none of the new parts found in that release. For one reason or another, this wave ended up being a bit of a sleeper amongst the community of Legions fans at that time, which was much smaller than it is today. As such, figures in the Coliseum wave have become some of the most sought after, and hardest to find, figures in the line! We will explore the unique circumstances around the Coliseum wave in a future article.
Brontus featured the lone new parts needed for this wave in the head and weapon that this figure came with. He was a popular figure, but many fans had somewhat recently gotten the first Stone and Forest Troll figures in hand shortly before this wave was revealed. Mindful of how much room these massive monsters take up in a display, we expect that some of the fans at this time decided to skip this latest Troll. It was a decision many would come to regret when the Coliseum wave began shipping and people realized what a great figure it was, and what a unique individual story this character had as the lone “heroic” Troll in the line!
A Veteran of the Coliseum
The first two Trolls in the Mythic Legions line (Stone and Forest) were mere beasts, as opposed to named characters. Many fans assumed that the cyclopean troll was the same, or at the very least they expected that he was an evil character. As we love to do by subverting expectations and surprising people, we actually gave this new Troll a backstory – and it was one that made him a clear hero who is aligned with Attlus and his House of the Noble Bear faction. According to his bio:
Although Trolls are often enslaved and thrown into savage combat by dark forces such as The Legion of Arethyr, there have been exceptions. One such exception is the legendary heroic Troll named Brontus. A mainstay of the barbarous Mercurian Coliseum, Brontus proved a formidable ally in the revolt led by Attlus and Calavius. Although he was elevated to the rank of general by Attlus, Brontus still carries a war club adorned with the skull of an ally he was forced to kill in the coliseum to remind himself of what it takes to survive in the savagely cruel and exceedingly brutal world he lives in. Born with an intelligence and eloquence that are extremely rare among Trolls, Brontus has sworn himself to the House of the Noble Bear and has vowed to defend the weak and downtrodden people of Mythoss.
So this information reveals that Brontus was a combatant in the brutal contests of the Mercurian Coliseum. This was where he would’ve met Attlus, eventually helping him escape the arena through a revolt that helped end the gladiatorial combat of that blood-soaked institution.
This text also reveals that Brontus is a general in Attlus’ new army. This makes sense since the mighty Arena Troll would’ve been an ally of Attlus at a very early time, before the formation of the House of the Noble Bear. Wanting to ensure those he surrounded himself with were individuals he could trust, friends and allies like Brontus and Calavius became key members of Attlus’ new faction.
One striking element of this figure, which is mentioned in his bio as well, is the weapon he wields. A club topped with the skull of another Troll, the shape of this skull is clearly reminiscent of a Stone Troll, but it is noticeably larger than the Stone Troll we saw released earlier in the line. The text of the bio also refers to this Troll as an “ally” to Brontus. From these facts we can gather that not all Stone Trolls are evil, and that there are even larger Trolls in Mythoss than the massive beasts we’ve already met!
Brontus the All Star
Starting with the “All Stars 3” wave, which was offered in 2020, we began adding new editions of our Troll figures to these reissue-focused waves. The first of these All Stars Trolls that was offered was the Stone Troll, and we surprised fans by including a secondary head with that figure. This allowed fans who had missed out on the Troll during its initial release to add this figure to their collection, while Legionnaires who did have the first version could also enjoy this second release since it offered something brand new!
In 2021, we continued the reissues of the Trolls with the Forest Troll 2, so fans were anxiously expecting Brontus, who was the next Troll released in the line, to get the reissue treatment in the next All Stars wave. The studio, however, had other plans.
As we began assembling the lineup that would make up our 5th wave of Mythic Legions All Stars, we realized that the wave was getting a bit too large. The addition of some brand new items alongside the fan-voted All Stars winners was making this wave too expensive, and the addition of a Troll to the lineup was in jeopardy. We did not want to disappoint fans who had been eagerly awaiting another chance at the Arena Troll, so we decided to offer Brontus as part of a “mini-wave” that we dubbed “Mythic Legions: All Stars Trolls”. Joining Brontus in this wave was a new version of the Ice Troll, and appropriately, the secondary head that came with this All Stars Ice Troll was the one-eyed head that was originally found on Brontus! So, in this wave, fans could not only finally get their hands on Brontus the Arena Troll, but also a Northern version of this cyclopean monster! The secondary head available with Brontus is the one initially seen on the Stone Troll (shown below). Perhaps this was the “ally” who Brontus eventually fought in the arena, or at least an earlier version of that Troll before his head grew large enough to supply the gigantic skull that Brontus now carries with him as a weapon!
(Note: the preorder for “Mythic Legions: All Stars Trolls” ends on Sunday, 6/26, at 11pm EST. Figures are available for preorder now at www.StoreHorsemen.com)
A Hero of Mythoss
When the detailed history of the Realm of Mythoss is told, and the events known as the “Rise of the Dark Four” are finally collected, we will discover the important role that Brontus played in this tale. From his days fighting alongside Attlus in the Coliseum, to the fall of that arena – a rebellion that quite possibly would have failed were it not for the might of Brontus! From the early days of the House of the Noble Bear and the leadership that Brontus helped to provide, to the final battle to save Mythoss from the Legions of Dark and their newly risen masters – the noble Brontus would play a role in all of these pivotal events, establishing himself as one of the Realm’s greatest heroes.
Cornboy’s Favorite!
Whenever CB is interviewed and asked about his favorite Legions figure, he chooses Brontus! It is no secret that Cornboy is a huge Fantastic Four fan, and his favorite comic character is none other than the “ever-lovin’ blue-eyed Thing.” CB is also a fan of cyclopean characters, so when Brontus was being designed, Eric made it a point to touch on some of these character traits – using an orange, rocky look for the figure, with that big old blue eye right in the middle of his head! While no one would mistake Brontus for Ben Grimm, the subtle nods to that classic comics character are evident once you know what to look for, and they have made the Arena Troll a favorite amongst Mythic fans and Cornboy alike!
Published on 06.22.22