Achillobator is a genus of dromaeosaur that lived during the late Cretaceous is what is now Mongolia. It is known from the Bayanshiree formation, which is known for its diverse assortment of therizinosaurs, including the recently described Duonychus. It is the first dromaeosaur known from this formation and was discovered in 1989, although it wouldn’t be described until 1999. Achillobator is one of the largest known dromaeosaurs, with an estimated weight of 505-770 lbs. (250–350 kg).
The toy we’re looking at today was released by Mattel shortly after their stupendous Utahraptor, but it didn’t get quite get the same amount of love that Utahraptor did. Being part of the Strike Attack line, it’s a fraction of the Utahraptor toy’s size despite the actual Achillobator being similarly sized. It’s also far less feathered. It would have made more sense for Mattel to release this as a Deinonychus, Dromaeosaurus, or one of the many other small dromaeosaur species but they like to keep us confused, apparently.
The Mattel Achillobator stands 4.25” (10.76 cm) tall to the top of the feather crest on its head, and measures 5.75” (14.61 cm) long. Measured from snout to the tip of its tail we get a length of 6.25” (15.88 cm) and when scaled down from the estimated length of the actual animal (16’ or 5 meters), we get a scale of about 1/30 for this toy.
The figure is posed standing tall with the head held high and tail curling up behind it. It’s a dynamic pose and when the legs are articulated forward it makes the dinosaur look like its crouched over a kill. The arms can rotate around, and the action feature is tied to the tail, pulling it down makes the head lunge downward and jaws open. All together it makes for a fun little toy to play around with.
There’s nothing about the toy that suggests Achillobator but as a generic dromaeosaur it’s decent by Mattel standards. I’m glad that Mattel had largely moved past pronated hands, even if the franchise itself hasn’t. While the feather crest on the head and ample tail feathers are fun additions the figure is otherwise scantily covered. A small patch of feathers can be seen on the back and there’s some on the forelimbs, but the figure is otherwise covered in bumpy, toad-like skin. It looks kind of sick and mangy but with that in mind, my chickens often look like this when undergoing their seasonal molt, so maybe that’s what’s happening here. There are also some deep gouges and cuts in the skin, indicating this critter lives a scrappy existence.
The figure is rust orange colored with a peach colored jaw and throat and black coloration running along the top of the head, down the neck, and onto the back. The tail feathers are tangerine orange. The teeth are white, the tongue is pink, and the eyes are green with unpainted, elliptical pupils. I like the combination of black and different orange tones; it gives the toy an autumnal quality. Some of the paint application on the teeth is sloppy and it would of course have been better if the claws were painted.
Although a far cry from Mattel’s Utahraptor, the Achillobator is a fun, gremlin-like character, that packs a lot of personality and versatility into its small size and simple gimmick. Unfortunately it also seems to be an elusive figure. The wave that included it has come and gone, and I only ever saw a couple of them “in the wild”, including this one that I only just recently acquired. If you come across one of these fellows, be sure to nab it!
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