Review and photos by Faelrin, edited by Suspsy
Back in the early 2000s’, paleontologists unveiled fossil specimens of a small, crow-sized dromaeosaurid named Microraptor, which would perhaps change the game for dromaeosaurids from then on, providing some definitive evidence that they had feathers.
The subject of this review will be the Beasts of the Mesozoic Forest Environment Accessory Pack with Microraptor. Microraptor is now well understood, with dozens of well-preserved fossil specimens showing it to have had four wings and iridescent black plumage (due to the preserved melanosomes), as well a unique tail feather arrangement. It lived in what is now the Jiufotang Formation from Liaoning, China, and lived during what was the Aptian stage of the Early Creataceous period. The same formation also includes numerous other feathered theropods (including early birds), such as Confuciusornis, pterosaurs like Guidraco, other dinosaurs like Psittacosaurus, and various mammals and fish.
This Microraptor has been reconstructed pretty faithfully, sporting the famous four wings (with primary feathers attached to the second digit on the hands), and is covered in various iridescent blue, black, and purple paints. It also sports the unique tail feather arrangement, which consists of two long feathers at the very tip. The snout is covered in lips as well. The figure has several points of articulation at the jaw, neck, limbs, and tail, which is made of a bendable rubber material. The figure measures about 7 inches/17.8 cm long by 3 inches/7.6 cm tall, and is in 1/6 scale.
The Forest Environment Accessory Pack includes an Araucaria tree, a dead cycad log, an intricately detailed large base, a small base, and, much like the other sets, numerous posing rods, clips, and pegs, as well as an egg nest (in pale green), with a black hatchling that corresponds to the Black Nestlings. It is packaged together in a box featuring artwork by Jonathan Kuo on the front, and the insert features an environment shot of a forest. Like the tree in the Mountains Environment Accessory Pack, it is not in scale with anything else from the Beasts of the Mesozoic Raptor Series, and is 10.5 inches/26.6 cm tall. Both the tree and the log feature some finely sculpted details, and have been painted with a bit of a hint of green, as if they were covered in moss. The log also features a peg that the Microraptor can stand on, but mine unfortunately broke shortly after attempting to use it when I first received it. The log is also 4 inches/10.16 cm long.
The large base is sculpted to resemble a prehistoric forest floor, with moss, fallen leaves, and cycad cones scattered about on it. Aside from the base from the Wetlands set, it may be the most detailed of the bases from these Environment Accessory Packs. It is about 6 inches/15.2 cm long by 4 inches/10 cm wide. It is worth mentioning that the ferns from the Wetlands Pack correspond well with this set too.
This Forest Environment Accessory Pack can be purchased from the Creative Beast Studio website, and other retailers such as Big Bad Toy Store, Everything Dinosaur, and MiniZoo. Also worth mentioning is that one of the stretch goals for the ceratopsian Beasts of the Mesozoic Kickstarter campaign (which launches September 17th, this year) will be Psittacosaurus as well (and in 1/6 scale).
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I would be happier if my tree was more stable and less badly fitting to the base. But I love the idea of these environment bases.