The best figure of every species, according to Halichoeres

[Halichoeres]

Nice collection. Congrats!

2018 was a great year.
I didn't think so until I checked my purchase history and found - I bought 50 figures in a year?!
As many as yours.

The most outstanding are definitely PNSO minis. They filled the missing obscure species and made the ecosystem complete.
Like your photos suggested, the scene is coming to life.

I agree, PNSO's releases were the most exciting. 2019 is looking pretty promising as well, even if a little heavy on standard dinosaurs.

Looking forward to reading more of your excellent reviews this year. I'd be especially curious to hear your thoughts on the Vitae and BotM toys.

Thanks! I have to confess it's a little hard to work up the motivation to review dinosaurs and especially theropods, because there's so little left to say about them. But it's definitely odd how few BotM figures have been reviewed; I figured guest reviewers would be champing at the bit to rave about them.

[suspsy]

Thanks! I have to confess it's a little hard to work up the motivation to review dinosaurs and especially theropods, because there's so little left to say about them. But it's definitely odd how few BotM figures have been reviewed; I figured guest reviewers would be champing at the bit to rave about them.

Yeah, there's definitely no shortage of raptor reviews on the blog, although most of them are either Deinonychus or Velociraptor. You do have a number of genera in your collection that have never been reviewed before, or even rendered in toy form before, so it would certainly be nice to see you do Adasaurus or Atrociraptor or Linheraptor. Your call, naturally.

I am surprised and a little disappointed by the lack of BotM reviews thus far. I've requested that Adam create a page for Creative Beast Studio, so perhaps that will help encourage submissions. I'll admit that I wasn't in a big hurry to get any of the raptors, but now that the Saurornitholestes is on its way from Minizoo, I'm really excited for it. I'll definitely snap up at least one of the ceratopsians too (I've asked David to include Spiclypeus in the assortment).

[Gothmog the Baryonyx]

Great overview, it's nice to see them altogether. I didn't know the Mapusaurus was actually from 2018, but I'm glad it is because there is a definite improvement as the jaw looks good closed (on mine at least) and it looks better that way. It is the only time I don't mind the jaw.
I also think the 2019 Camarasaurus and 2012 Brachiosaurus are some of the most beautiful sauropod figures.

[Halichoeres]

Thanks! I have to confess it's a little hard to work up the motivation to review dinosaurs and especially theropods, because there's so little left to say about them. But it's definitely odd how few BotM figures have been reviewed; I figured guest reviewers would be champing at the bit to rave about them.

Yeah, there's definitely no shortage of raptor reviews on the blog, although most of them are either Deinonychus or Velociraptor. You do have a number of genera in your collection that have never been reviewed before, or even rendered in toy form before, so it would certainly be nice to see you do Adasaurus or Atrociraptor or Linheraptor. Your call, naturally.

I am surprised and a little disappointed by the lack of BotM reviews thus far. I've requested that Adam create a page for Creative Beast Studio, so perhaps that will help encourage submissions. I'll admit that I wasn't in a big hurry to get any of the raptors, but now that the Saurornitholestes is on its way from Minizoo, I'm really excited for it. I'll definitely snap up at least one of the ceratopsians too (I've asked David to include Spiclypeus in the assortment).

I'll see what I can do! I also think that BotM reviews might also garner a greater-than-usual amount of backlash from people who disagree with any particular assessment.

Great overview, it's nice to see them altogether. I didn't know the Mapusaurus was actually from 2018, but I'm glad it is because there is a definite improvement as the jaw looks good closed (on mine at least) and it looks better that way. It is the only time I don't mind the jaw.
I also think the 2019 Camarasaurus and 2012 Brachiosaurus are some of the most beautiful sauropod figures.

I agree, I don't love jaw articulations, but it does at least allow me to have a few theropods with closed mouths. One reason I love the Battat Cryolophosaurus is its permanently closed mouth.

[Mackeral]

Nice overview of figures, you photographed them very well.

[suspsy]

I'll see what I can do! I also think that BotM reviews might also garner a greater-than-usual amount of backlash from people who disagree with any particular assessment.

You think so? The few that have been posted on the blog so far haven't generated any negativity, aside from Adam grumbling about how confusing all the labels are.

Anyway, I should have the Sauronitholestes by the end of the month, so count on a review in February. 

[Halichoeres]

Nice overview of figures, you photographed them very well.

Thank you very much!

I'll see what I can do! I also think that BotM reviews might also garner a greater-than-usual amount of backlash from people who disagree with any particular assessment.

You think so? The few that have been posted on the blog so far haven't generated any negativity, aside from Adam grumbling about how confusing all the labels are.

I'm probably just being paranoid. I'll have a mix of good and bad things to say, and the line has definitely cultivated a fandom.

[suspsy]

I'm probably just being paranoid. I'll have a mix of good and bad things to say, and the line has definitely cultivated a fandom.

I'm very curious to hear what the bad things are.

[Faelrin]

Same here, but then again I do remember some of my figures having issues in the past. Could that what you are getting at?

[Halichoeres]

Same here, but then again I do remember some of my figures having issues in the past. Could that what you are getting at?

Yeah, there are some minor QC issues, some even more minor anatomy issues, the color schemes are sometimes implausible, and in general I don't like joints in my figures in the first place. Some of those criticisms are more pertinent to a review than others, obviously.

I haven't updated with anything from the Paleozoic since November, because there hasn't been anything. Finally got one, but it isn't much:


Diramix Helicoprion (Dinosauri Marini)
Scale: roughly 1:30-1:55 depending on the specimen
Released: 2018
A homely, rubbery rendition of everyone's favorite Permian stem-ratfish. Anatomically, it really isn't that unreasonable: the tooth whorl is in the right orientation, it has all the right fins and none of the wrong ones, and even the proportions are only mildly exaggerated. I have another copy if anybody wants one.

I don't have anything aquatic from the Permian at this scale, so it'll have to settle for Carboniferous prey:

[Faelrin]

Those were pretty much all the things I was thinking of. The QC issues, the minor accuracy issues (Zhenyuanlong was the worst offender if I recall correctly, mostly due to the legs, edit: of those with a lot of known material going for it, since most of them don't, such as Acheroraptor and Pyroraptor), and the color schemes as well (I'm probably a bit generous on that while it is very unlikely that any of these would have had the exact same coloration's as modern birds, I think some made for some interesting figures, such as the blue footed boobie, bearded vulture, and roadrunner color schemes used on the Acheroraptor, Velociraptor, and fan's choice Saurornitholestes, even if they would have been rather implausible). I think the most plausible color schemes would probably go to the (regular) Dromaeosaurus, and (regular) Pyroraptor, of the bunch. Give or take the Microraptor if we include the smaller critters, since we at least have some evidence for its coloration.

[Halichoeres]

Some Cretaceous stem-birds:


PNSO Liaoceratops
Scale: 1:9
Sculptor: Zhao Chuang
Released: 2018
Barremian of Eurasia
This is one of the standouts from the new miniature series. The level of detail is on par with Kaiyodo. The arms are probably oriented incorrectly, but in all other respects this is a beautiful little figurine.


With the very anachronistic Buitreraptor for scale.


PNSO Nemicolopterus
Scale: 1:1
Sculptor: Zhao Chuang
Released: 2018
Aptian of Eurasia
This is a really gorgeous little pterosaur (probably a juvenile tapejarid, possibly of the coeval Sinopterus). This--and the Triassic reptiles--are exactly the sort of thing I want out of the miniature series. I've said this before, but I hope they keep going and give us a complete Jehol biota in miniature.


Roughly to scale with Protolindenia by Rebor; they wouldn't have met, but a LOT of dragonflies are known from Liaoning and some of them might have looked like this.


Safari Ltd Citipati osmolskae
Scale: About 1:12-1:15 depending on the specimen referenced
Sculptor: Doug Watson
Released: 2018
Campanian of Eurasia
A good-sized model of a fairly large oviraptorosaur. This genus hasn't been made in PVC under its own name before; it's always been called Oviraptor. This is a really pretty version, with an unusual color scheme. It definitely works, with the color blocks corresponding to likely feather tracts. Replaces my Kanna resin version.


Mongolia during the Campanian.


EoFauna Giganotosaurus
Scale: 1:30-1:35
Released: 2019
Upper Cretaceous South America
I'm on the bandwagon. It's a beautiful sculpt, and it stands astonishingly well. Let's hope the next one is a more interesting species, though. Replaces my Safari version.


With some other big South American theropods. More figures of big South American theropods have come out in the last year or so than of all Paleozoic animals combined.


Schleich Animantarx
Scale: Depends, but on average about 1:15
Released: 2019
Middle Cretaceous North America
This is a barely adequate nodosaurid. The toes aren't great, and the texturing is a little overwrought, but the front end doesn't look horrible. And okay, the tail isn't actually known of this animal, but this horrible stumpy mess makes it look like an ankylosaur crossed with the skink Tiliqua rugosa. The head is about 1:10, the torso is more like 1:15, but because of that tail, by total length this is about 1:20.

I stumbled on this pterosaur on eBay and posted one of the auction photos on the identification thread, where nobody seemed to specifically recognize it (though it looked familiar to some):

[EDIT 7 May: This is from Chinese manufacturer Xidi, sold internationally as Happy Kin Toys, among other names. It's sold in a box set with 11 other figures for roughly $40. The DK influence makes sense in that context; Xidi frequently uses their designs.]
It turns out to be marked Criorhynchus, which has the same type species (C. simus) as Ornithocheirus, and hence the same type specimen. That means Criorhynchus is an objective junior synonym and would require some pretty unusual circumstance to ever be a valid name again. Based on the known elements of Ornithocheirus simus, this is about 1:10-1:15. The head and the wings are roughly to scale with each other but the torso is much too long. The wing membranes and actinofibrils also join the body at incorrect angles, but in most views that's not very obvious. I have no idea who made it or when, but if it looks familiar, it might be because it borrows liberally from this illustration from a Dorling-Kindersley book:


I haven't been able to find out who painted this but if anybody has the book it appears in, perhaps you could let me know? Anyway, the CollectA Ornithocheirus looks like a pterosaur doing its best Dracula impression (or maybe Batman), and I think this is superior, so I'm replacing the CollectA with this mystery figure.


The pterosaur is pretty big!

[Sim]

Did you fix the broken wing on your Rebor Protolindenia, or did you replace the broken figure with a new one?

[PhilSauria]

Love that Pterosaur - completely new to me. Really like standing Pterosaurs so if I ever see this one....

[Libraraptor]

I just  did a review of the Animantarx, and I can understand both your points, the overwrought texturing and the sloppy tail. As for the texturing to me it´s fine, but I think I am going to mention the tail which looks sloppily sculpted, but only from certain angles.

[Shonisaurus]

The one I like the most is that strange pterosaur. To be a chinasaur is a pretty drinkable figure, I would like to get it on eBay.

[PhilSauria]

What is that little Ceratopsian in the photo you've captioned "Mongolia during the Campanian"? Doesn't look familiar to me.

[RobinGoodfellow]

What is that little Ceratopsian in the photo you've captioned "Mongolia during the Campanian"? Doesn't look familiar to me.

Kaiyodo UHA Club Protoceratops
( https://flic.kr/p/Pr9dxo )

[Ravonium]

In spite of it being one of the only 5 new PNSO minis I own, I agree that the Liaoceratops is certainly one of the standouts of the line.

I also agree with your assessment of the Schleich Animantarx (even in the promo images, it looks like an average Schleich figure, and it actually looks worse here (it looks like it managed to escape a hydraulic press just as it started )).

On the other hand, the Safari Ltd Citipati, despite parts of the paintjob being goofy, is a good figure, and one where I think the aforomentioned goofiness makes it look better (I think the vaguely chicken-like head is a good example of how a figure can be somewhat goofy without looking improbable).

[Bokisaurus]

Lovely updates, and yes, I now that you pointed it out, this is definitely shaping up to be the year of large South American carnivores!
I agree, hopefully PNSO will keep on cranking up those unique and obscure mini figures, they are truly awesome figures.