Review and photos by Faelrin, edited by Suspsy
It has been quite some time since I last reviewed something from the Beasts of the Mesozoic Raptor Series, having been caught up with Mattel’s Jurassic World figures. But with the next Beasts of the Mesozoic Kickstarter campaign only a few months away, it is time I come back and give some much needed attention to this precious line of highly articulated, highly detailed, and mostly scientifically accurate figures. For this review I will be focusing on the Wetlands Environment Accessory Pack featuring (1/6 scale) Buitreraptor.
Buitreraptor was a small dromaeosaurid that lived in what is now the Candeleros Formation in South America, during the late Cretaceous period (Cenomanian stage). It was contemporaneous with Giganotosaurus, other dinosaurs such as titanosaurs, and reptiles like turtles and snakes. It was unique among dromaeosaurids in that it featured a much longer snout, which is represented in this figure. It was also rather small for a dromaeosaurid.
The figure included in this set is pretty accurate, with correct proportions (though it was not initially so, at least in regards to the size and number of teeth in the jaws, which was corrected after feedback on the Kickstarter campaign), an extensive covering of feathers, and the correct wrist orientation, as well as primary feathers attached to the second digit on the hands. It also has lips covering the teeth and is not shrink-wrapped. The figure also features articulation at the neck, legs, arms, jaw, and has a bendable rubber tail. The Buitreraptor measures about 6 inches/15 cm long by about 3 inches/7.6 cm tall. The coloration is based upon the African jacana.
Aside from the Buitreraptor figure, the Wetlands Environment Accessory Pack includes a diorama base that depicts mud, foliage such as moss and a dead cycad, and also features water. The water part of the base has been given a glossy coat on the front part, with the backside painted, which gives it the appearance of looking at a shoreline. The base also measures about 6 inches/15 cm long by 4 inches/10 cm wide.
Also included are two fern accessories, a cluster of horsetails, and, of course, like the other Environment Accessory Packs, this one includes posing rods and clips of different sizes and shapes, foot pegs, a smaller base, a nest of grey-colored eggs, and a white-colored hatchling (which did not initially have any corresponding Nestling counterparts, but now do, with the recently available White Nestlings pack). There is also a small water splash accessory which can be used with one of the larger raptor figures. The Wetlands Environment Accessory Pack is packaged in a box with beautiful artwork by Jonathan Kuo on the front of it, and has an environmental shot on the insert of a wetland (as well as instructions).
Even if one might not be interested in the larger raptor action figures, the Environment Accessory Packs are fully worth picking up, as they make excellent little diorama scenes, and can be used with other figures (such as Safari Ltd, CollectA, Mattel Jurassic World, etc). This one along with the others (Desert, Forest, Mountain), can be purchased on the Creative Beast Studio website, and other retailers such as Big Bad Toy Store, Everything Dinosaur, and Minizoo.
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Good review. It will be interesting if more of these accessory packs are made for the ceratopsian series.