Some of the most popular figures we have released to date in the Mythic Legions line are the Templars. With a design that was clearly influenced by the Templar Knights, many fans have loved seeing warriors they recognize from a historical setting make their way into the Realm of Mythoss (see here for an article on real world influences in Mythic Legions). In fact, these figures have become a favorite of many Legions fans, and we have seen many collections that include small armies of these Templar figures! In this “Figure in Focus” article, we will look at the Templars that have been released for this line, including some of the running changes that have been made to the figures along the way.
The First Templar
The very first Templar figure we released, Sir Godfrey, was offered all the way back in the “1.5” wave. This wave is an unusual one in the history of Mythic Legions. Not only is it one of the smallest waves we’ve ever offered at just 4 regular figures plus the first two trolls, it was also put up for pre-order at a point where fans had not yet even gotten their hands on the first Mythic Legions wave from Kickstarter!
This was obviously very early in the line, and the fanbase supporting Mythic Legions was much smaller than it is today. While we were incredibly happy with the number of orders we received at the time, those order numbers pale in comparison to what our new waves have sold as the line has caught on with more and more collectors. For this reason, Sir Godfrey. and the rest of that 1.5 wave, became some of the most sought-after figures in the line for new collectors (2 of the 4 figures, plus both Trolls, from that wave have now been reissued as All Stars). Many of those new fans wanted a Templar Knight for their display, but no one was selling Sir Godfrey. Thankfully, those collections would not be Templarless for long, for there was an army waiting to join the line!
The bio for Sir Godfrey established these knights are protectors of the Temple of Eathyron. It also references a dark moment in their history when that Temple was raided by their enemies and the sect was banished, operating in secret until their place was recently restored by the emergence of Sir Gideon Heavensbrand to the leadership role of the Order.
The Templar Knights are an ancient sect that was once known as the Order of Eathyron's Temple. Once beloved by all in Mythoss, The Templars swore to protect Eathyron's temple, which was believed to be Eathyron's final resting place and home to the Heavensbrand. But after the temple was taken by Necronominus many millennia ago and discovered to be empty, the disgraced Templars were banished from the Order of Eathyron. They have operated clandestinely ever since, but now under Sir Godfrey's leadership and Sir Gideon's guidance, the Templars have returned to the Order of Eathyron.
The Templar Army
As we were planning out the third wave of Mythic Legions figures, a series which would come to be called Covenant of Shadow, we knew we had to address the calls for a rerelease of the Templar figure. Not wanting to simply reissue Sir Godfrey, we came up with the idea of creating a new Legion Builder figure – the Templar Knight Legion Builder.
This figure was actually dubbed a “Deluxe Legion Builder” at the time, since he came with a bit more than what a standard Legion Builder would include. This release featured two different neck armor pieces, a sword, halberd, Templar shield, and even a white banner emblazoned with the red cross emblem of these Templar Knights.
The Templar Knight Legion Builder became one of our best-selling figures to date at that time, and he allowed new fans to finally grab one of these elusive knights while existing fans were able to build up their armies with this new release.
Templar All-Stars
By the time that the All Stars 2 voting came around, the Mythic Legions fan base had continued to grow and the calls for “More Templars!” were heard once again. To keep the mobs of Templar-crazy toy fans happy, we decided to add the Templar Knight Legion Builder to that second All Stars wave, even though he was not among those characters voted into the wave by fans. Once again, new fans to the line were able to grab their first Templars, and longtime Legionnaires added some more Templars to their armies. Little did any of us know that when this new round of Templars would hit our warehouse, they would bring some surprises with them.
When the All Stars version of the Templar Knight Legion Builder finally shipped, our fans immediately noticed some differences between this new version and the Covenant of Shadow release. Specifically, the All Stars version came with extra paint applications. In fact, he had so many extra paint applications that his armor looked closer to the Sir Godfrey release than it did to the original Templar Legion Builder! This was a mistake from the factory – but it actually turned out to be a mistake that made for a cooler figure than before and benefited the Legions community!
Legion Builders, by design, are meant to have minimal paint applications on them. This is how we are able to offer them at a lower price point than the standard edition figures. The original Templar Builder had armor that was a single silver color, but the All Star version had many of the details of that armor painted with gold accents, making this All Star Templar an amazing value! Fans basically got the paint applications of a standard release figure at a Deluxe Legion Builder price!
Today, when you look for a Templar Knight Legion Builder, if it includes gold paint detail on the armor, you can identify that it came out as part of this All Stars 2 run...perhaps. Read one for more details on more variations on the Templar's paint deco!
Female Templars
Our Advent of Decay wave introduced a number of new parts into the Mythic Legions line, including female characters. Of course we had to use those parts to create a female Templar Knight for the Delphina of Eathyross character. This figure came with 2 heads - one helmeted head, and in a first for a Legions Templar, an unhelmeted head! This would allow fans to not only add numerous female Templars to their forces, but they could also use the unhelmeted head to portray a named character for these warriors!
The Templars Return
In late 2020, a third release of the Templar Knight Legion Builder hit fans’ collections. This release was part of a run of figures that our factories ran to compensate for a shortage that select retailers had experienced on a previous order. The Templar Knight was one of these reissued figures, and fans eagerly wondered if this run would be like the original Legion Builder or if they would come with the same extra paint applications that the All Stars did. Interestingly, the answer was neither of these.
This latest release of the Templar Builder would indeed have more paint applications than the original, but those paint details would be different than the All Stars release. Mythic Legions fan, Julian Potier, sent us these photos below comparing the All Stars paints to the newest Templar. In these photos, the All Stars version is on the left while the new Templar is on the right.
Getting Dark
When the studio unveiled their "Deluxe Legion Builders 1" wave in May 2021, a familiar, and yet very new, character was included - the Dark Templar!
According to Eric Treadaway, this figure is "a play on the knight hospitaller look, refashioned for Mythic Legions." Part of that "refashioned" approach was that, unlike the previous Templars who were part of the heroic Order of Eathyron factions, these dark versions fight with the mercaneries of the Sons of the Red Star. Their "race" is listed as "various", since the idea is that different kinds of races could be hidden by that dark helm and armor. It becomes a uniform for these mercenaries, but they could be humans, skeletons, orcs, or any the races of Mythoss which we have yet to formally see introduced into the line. That "you never know what is hidden under the helmet" aspect of this character, along with the ability to use this new figure as a base for customs, made him a favorite of collectors and customizers alike!
The Changeling
When the plans for LegionsCon 2021 were announced, it included a surprise - the first ever LegionsCon show figure, Sir Girard! This member of the Sons of the Red Star was listed as a "Changeling", meaning his appearance could change, and anyone in Mythoss could be this character in disguise!
The style chosen for Sir Girard had a very Templar-esque look to it. In fact, the "black tunic with a red cross" was traditionally worn by Templar Commanders, which worked well given this character's bio:
Enjoying a position of power in the Sons of the Red Star, Sir Girard has the distinct privilege of being the Commander of the Dark Templars. A changeling whose appearance shifts with his current situation, he is seemingly part of Veteris’ secret plot to overthrow Skapular the Cryptbreaker and can sometimes be seen wearing a visage that is strikingly similar to Skapular's own. Where does this warrior’s loyalty really lie and who will his Dark Templars fight for in the end? Only Sir Girard knows that answer.
Reinforcements Arrive
In early 2022, a wave of reissued Legion Builders dubbed "Legion Builder Reinforcements" arrived. These figures were meant to be straight reissues of previously offered figures, allowing Legionairres to once again army build or fill their fodder bins with new parts for customizing! The original Templar Knight Legion Builder was included in this mix of reissues, and like that first release, it once again was a true Legion Builder with an absence of the extra paint applications that the previous few reissues of this figure had included.
A New Breed of Templar
In late 2022, it was announced that the wave that would debut at G-con that year would pit the Congregation of Necronominus against the pious knights of the Order of Eathyron. Fans of the Templars were eager to see if these knights would make an appearace - and they sure did! A new subgroup within the Templars, the Emissaries, were introduced along with our most complex Templar figures to date!
The Sir Elijah figure from this wave features a brand new knight build along with our first ever Templar soft good parts. Here is his bio:
Raised on a farm on the open plains of Eathyross, Sir Elijah grew up around horses and he became an equestrian whose skills were second to none. It is therefore no surprise that this young man was eventually recruited into the ranks of the Templar Emissaries. A sub-sect of the Templars of Eathyron, the Emissaries travel the Realm carrying important messages and items at the behest of their faction’s leadership. In addition to his skills as a rider, Sir Elijah is also fluent in a variety of tongues and more than capable of defending himself and the important messages he carries.
Following up on the Necronominus wave, the All Stars 6 releases continued the battle of Necronominus versus Eathyron, and more Templar Emissaries were included in this wave in Sir Eliah and his steed, Deacon! Their bios, which are presented below, expand even further on the Emissaries and the Order of Eathyron.
A long-serving member of the Templar Emissaries, Sir Enoch now leads these loyal messengers as their Commander. A veteran of too many battles to count, Sir Enoch has never lost his faith or his purpose, and he gladly serves as a mentor to the younger members of the Emissaries. Sir Enoch’s greatest honor was being charged with delivering the message of Sir Gideon’s ascension to the leadership of the Order, riding to all corners of Eathyross and heralding a new dawn for this heroic faction.
And Deacon's...
The greatest horses of Eathyross are those of the Templar Emissaries. Before beginning their service to the Order, these steeds undergo an ancient ceremony at the Temple of Eathyron. During this ceremony they receive the blessing of the Golden Eagle, helping to protect them in the missions they will undergo in his name. The mighty steed of Sir Enoch, Deacon is the swiftest and bravest of all the Emissaries’ horses and is as much a symbol of hope to his Order as the pious knight who rides upon his back.
Relic Guard Reinforcements
The surprise debut of the Mythic Legions: Reinforcements 2 wave in October 2023 not only gave Legionnaries some new figures to build out their ranks, but also a new addition to the Templars in the form of the Relic Guards.
With a white tunic emblazoned with a black cross, the Relic Guards take their design influence from other historical warriors - the teutonic knights. Once again, these characters are meant to be a nod to a historical look, but their bio puts them squarely within the Realm of Mythoss.
An ancient sect within the Order of Eathyron, the Templars have been restored to their glory by Sir Gideon Heavensbrand. Within the chambers of the sacred Temple of Eathyron are the Relic Guards. Recognized by the black crosses emblazoned upon their white tunics, this elite unit is comprised of 12 of the Templars’ most capable and loyal members. The Relic Guards protect a secret known only to them. It is a secret that these knights take with them as they pass from this life to a final meeting with the Crowned Eagle whose memory they faithfully serve.
A Gallery of Knights
As we said at the start of this article – the Templar Knights have become some of our fans’ favorite figures in the Mythic Legions line. We put a call out to those fans to send us their Templar pics! Below is a gallery of some of those submissions.
First published on 01.26.21
Published on 10.24.23