REVIEW: Kre-O Dungeons & Dragons Kreon Warriors Drizzt

Produced by Hasbro | Released 2014

Dungeons & Dragons Kreon Warrior Sets

Regular readers will no doubt recall that we've already taken a look at some of the very cool Kre-O Dungeons & Dragons Army Builder blind-bag figures. But the line's fun doesn't end there, as the range also includes a series of ''premium'' figures, entitled the Kreon Warrior sets. Retailing at around a Dollar more than the blind-bagged figures, the Kreon Warriors line-up features five famous characters from D&D's history, along a diorama piece and a few accessories above the number found in the Army Builder sets.

Today we're taking a look at what's quite probably the most famous of the five figures, the Drow anti-hero Drizzt Do'Urden.

Packaging

Unlike the blind-bag figures, the Kreon Warrior packaging makes it clear which figure you're getting. They're more akin to single carded figures, featuring their own unique card art than the generic packaging of the blind-bag toys. However, the figure itself is obscured from view, enclosed in a card-mounted box, ready to be assembled.

Assembly

The set contains 22 pieces in total, so it's a quick build. Although the set also includes instructions, it's fairly obvious how the pieces go together and you'll have your Drizzt and accessories put together in a matter of minutes.

Drizzt

Let's take a closer look at the Drizzt figure himself.

Like all figures in the range, Drizzt is built around the core Kreon buck, embellished with a few tampo transfers and additional accessory pieces. In this case, the most obvious are his cloak and hairpiece, both of which are shown in more detail below.

The pieces aren't unique to Drizzt - the hairpiece, this time in black, makes an appearance in the Kreon Warrior Eye of Gruumsh set and the cape piece is recycled a few times in the Army Builder line-up - but, like all construction figure sets, it's the combination of pieces that make the character.

It's probably not obvious from these images but the hairpiece includes Drizzt's ears, which is a cool way to add some individuality to the character's look and, along with the cool-looking tampo transfers, the Kreon does a good job of conveying the character.

His main armament comes in the form of his two scimitars (Twinkle and Icingdeath.) Although the weapons aren't quite as curved as a true scimitar would be, the designers have done a good job creating a piece that just about meets the criteria but can also be reused in another set.

No self-respecting Elf - Dark, Wood or other - would leave home without a bow and Drizzt is no exception, as the set also includes the Mooshie Longbow, plus a tree that sports a handy practice target, so he can hone his skills between battle.

The tree also includes a small ''hook'' upon which you can hang/store the bow when not in use. It would have been nice to see somewhere to store his twin swords, too, but that's a minor point.

As with all the Kre-O figures, Drizzt sports ball-jointed hips, ball-jointed shoulders, twist wrists, twist waist and a twisting neck joint. On the whole the movement is good, although the hairpiece does limit the neck joint's range of motion. Again, it's a minor point but worth noting.

Extras & Accessories

As well as including a display base (which is larger than those seen in the Army Builder sets), Drizzt comes with his character card, instructions and the accessories/weapons we've discussed above.

Final Thoughts

The Kreon Warrior concept is one I really like. Yes, blind-bags are fun and all (although let's face it, we all use codes to find the figures we want) but there's something cool about being able to simply walk in and find the figures you want. 

The additional Dollar you'll spend on one of these figures (when compared to the Army Builders) is, in this case, money well spent. Not only do you get a few extra accessories for Drizzt himself but you also get a little diorama piece, which is both a fun play accessory and a cool little display detail.

As for Drizzt himself, he's a really very cool-looking figure with some great accessories and a lot of play potential. I like the leather-look tampo on his chest and legs, the grey ''false'' ears, neat cape and nicely-designed weapons. And yes, whilst it would have been nice to somehow incorporate an arrow quiver or a couple of sword sheaths, these are very minor points, especially as you'll probably be displaying him holding his weapons anyway. Again, minor points but worth raising.

If you're a fan of fantasy figures, D&D or construction sets general then the Kreon Warrior line is definitely worth your time. That's not to say all the figures have the same appeal (Lord Neverember and Vansi are both peg-warming in my local Toys R Us and I can certainly see why with the former) but in this case, this is definitely a fun figure you should certainly pick up for yourself.

A great figure with neat accessories and a cool diorama piece, all at a wallet-friendly price.

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