Discovered in China in 2006, the tiger-sized Xiongguanlong represents a “missing link” of sorts between diminutive tyrannosauroids like Dilong and gargantuan tyrannosaurids like T. rex.
The 2015 CollectA Xiongguanlong measures 10 cm long and is 6 cm tall including the raised tail. This makes it by far the smallest figure in the 2015 assortment. Its body is covered in a fine coat of brown plumage with a scaly grey underbelly, black stripes, and dark brown claws. Its narrow skull is black and white with tiny black eyes, white teeth, pink mouth interior, and a feathered crest of pale orange.
One of CollectA’s strengths is how well they sculpt their small figures and the Xiongguanlong is a prime example. The feathers and scales are intricate and realistic and the minuscule rows of teeth, with their rough edges, are even more impressive. The skull has the correct profile and the wrists are properly positioned.
The Xiongguanlong is posed on its base in an attack stance. Its mouth is open, its tail is raised, and its legs are set to pounce. Perhaps this individual is part of a pack that has cornered a larger Beishanlong.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t touch on one glaring anatomical flaw. Namely, the thighs on this figure are too beefy. The result is a Xionguanlong that looks like it’s been doing too much lower body work at the gym. CollectA seems to have gotten into the habit of giving certain of its theropods overly large thighs. Hopefully this will change. Although in all fairness, it’s difficult to determine just how much meat dinosaurs carried on their bones.
Overall, the Xionguanlong is a finely detailed and ferocious-looking little figure and should be a welcome addition to your tyrannosaur collection.
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[…] its contemporary Xiongguanlong, a much smaller feathered tyrannosaur, also from […]
Andrew’s right in that the big thighs wouldn’t look as over the top if the tail wasn’t so thin; that being said, this little guy definitely didn’t skip leg day.
The hips on this Xiongguanlong look like they’re too far apart, which makes it look quite absurd. This is especially apparent in the photo of it head-on, and the last photo with the young Tyrannosaurus which doesn’t have hips that are too wide.
The thighs actually would not have been that bad if they’d given it a correspondingly thicker tail base. Recent research suggests that muscles near the base of the tail attached to the upper femur, making this region somewhat beefier than generally portrayed, though I’m not sure by how much.
But I understand that the hips make them very wide, and that is not natural.
Moreover, the excessive coloring dinosaur head from my point of view spoils the figure.
In terms of construction skull and jaw they seem to be well done. But it is not my favorite figures.