Velociraptor vs Protoceratops “Mongolian Fight” (Favorite Co. Ltd.)

Review and photographs by Loon, edited by Suspsy.

Discovered in 1971, the “Fighting Dinosaurs” fossil is particularly special, as it preserved two dinosaurs apparently in a literal fight to the death. Because of this, the combatants, Protoceratops and Velociraptor, have joined the most legendary dinosaur rivalries. You’d be hard-pressed to find a piece of paleoart that doesn’t depict the two going at each other. This lasting image has made the jump to toys and statures several times, such as this “Mongolian Fight” Desktop Model by Favorite.

At 10 inches (25 cm) tall, this is a piece with a presence. There’s a real sense of action, what with the shocked expression of the Protoceratops as it turns to look at the impending attack. The Velociraptor seems to be jumping down, ready to take a chunk out of its victim.

Before I go further, I’d like to look at the base. The quality is quite impressive; the realism of the rock and the mahogany finish of the wood give this the look of a much more expensive set. Also, the gold plaque makes this look like a display in an old museum.

The Velociraptor itself is a pretty small figure, at about 6½ inches (17 cm) from snout to tail tip (both figures are roughly 1:10 scale). While removable from the base, it cannot be removed from its metal rod. It’s very clearly an early-2000s style feathered dinosaur, so there are some inaccuracies. Notably, the wing feathers end at the wrist, the tail fan is missing, and the head is also mostly unfeathered.

The paint is quite conservative, being mostly brown on the body. Still, the white on the bottom looks pretty good with it, though. I also like the Sinosauropteryx-like bands along the tail.

The Protoceratops is appropriately big in comparison to the Velociraptor, at about 7½ inches (19 cm) long. This larger size means this figure gets the nicest detail of the pair. The individually sculpted scales look amazing and the body has a nice sense of motion with tons of wrinkles and folds.

The paint is nice as well. The orange and yellow, while fairly typical, are accented by a dark brown that gives this figure a unique volcanic appearance. The only places the paint falls flat are the lower limbs, which look unfinished compared to the rest of the body. While the figure is completely painted, the yellow is bland. The flat grey claws also could have used a wash to make them look less plain. Also, unfortunately, the paint from the feet bleeds into the rocky base.

While there are some minor inaccuracies, like the seemingly ever-present clawed 4^th and 5^th front digits, I can’t help but feel that the figure seems off in some very specific and important ways. The legs are pretty thin for a Protoceratops, with the back legs being the worst offenders, making the back toes look too large. The tail is also maybe a little too long, though it is accurately deep.

Also, the head’s too small in comparison to the body. This is made even worse by the long neck which is longer than the head. Strange features include episquamosals on both sides of the frill, as well as a quite prominent nasal horn.

Despite all their inaccuracies and individual issues, these dinosaurs do work as a pair. For a model that only originally cost $70, the quality is amazing and so is the detail. This is one of the best depictions of this famous rivalry ever made. If you can still find this set, I’d recommend it.