Brachiosaurus (Tamiya)

Many toy or model kit lines have that one figure that is a centrepiece for the line, often far larger than the others, such as the Aurora Tyrannosaurus. If not a large predator, it will often be a sauropod, which makes sense given the enormity of many of that clade. In this review, we see Tamiya’s titan, the Brachiosaurus set!

For this set, you will need paints, paintbrushes, a file (for loose plastic), clothe pegs (to hold together while the glue sets), poly filler and plastic wield. I recommend washing this set first with detergent, as leftover material from manufacture can linger and cause paint to not set properly. Also, be careful when removing thinner pieces from sprues, as it can rip the plastic.

I’ll start with the side figures from this set before the main event. This set includes a human explorer (to give a sense of scale), a juvenile Brachiosaurus and an Archaeopteryx. The latter is an oddity as, while Archaeopteryx is from the Jurassic period, like Brachiosaurus, it’s from Germany, not America. A suitable species would be Palaeopteryx, as it shares many morphological features. The figure itself is the same as the one in the Mesozoic Creatures set, with the same measurements of 0.4” high and 1.2” wide, though likely repeated for scaling, as you will see later. The juvenile is 5.6″ long and 2.5″ high, with a nice pose of itlooking down, possibly for food, possibly looking at something small that is interesting. The morphology is ok, with some peadomorphic features, like the nasal crest not being as high and smaller toes, so doesn’t look like they shrunk an adult. Now to the main figure, and there is one thing to say about it….

THIS. MODEL. IS. HUGE!!!!! At a whopping 17″ from head to foot, and 16.3″ long, this is gonna take up a LOT of space on a shelf, as any 1:35 scale figure like this would do. The set offers options for posing, giving a choice of two front left legs, one raised, one straight, and an opened and closed jaw. This will lead to left over parts, but this can be useful to test paint schemes or effects on. Plus, they could make for scavenged food in dioramas with Allosaurus and other Morrison Formation predators.

The fun of these sets, as I always say, is in painting. The main figure is based on the model from Walking with Dinosaurs, with an attempt at blackwash to give it a two toned effect. The Archaeopteryx is, once again, based on the pigments found on the fossils, as I feel it works quite well. The juvenile and the spare leg are based on pictures seen in “The Sauropod Dinosaurs” by Mark Hallett and Mathew J. Wedel, specifically pictures showing Jurassic sauropods across the globe and images of Dinosaurier Park in Münchehagen, Germany. Also used the leg to practice blackwash painting.

I have little to complain with in terms of accuracy. This is definitely not Giraffititan, as the longer tail and higher tail elevation show it’s a Brachiosaurus for sure. As expected for a model at this price point, it is near perfect to the actual animal.

This figure is amazing, from it’s detailing and accuracy to it’s sheer size. Naturally, a figure this size has a hefty price point, usually running £40/£40 at a minimum. Even so, I do recommend it, as it would sit beautifully on a collector’s shelf, certainly giving them plenty to do. It occasionally turns up in model shops, but it’s easier to find online. If you want to get your creative juices flowing, look no further!