Welcome back to another review! This time we’re taking a look at the face of the Fate franchise in one of her many alternate forms. First appearing in Fate/Grand Order, the Lancer class variation has a more mature and shapely appearance. Mounted on Dun Stallion, she wields the holy spear Rhongomyniad in battle.
Manufactured by Good Smile Company, Artoria is a 1/8 scale ABS and PVC figure. She stands a rather grand 500mm (19.5 inches) tall. Her ¥22,963 RRP (tax excluded) is not far from her current aftermarket prices, which range between ¥24,000 and ¥30,000.
As will no doubt be obvious, this figure is a very impressive display piece. Unfortunately, she’s also somewhat difficult to display. A standard Detolf shelf is just shy of containing the full extent of Rhongomyniad.
The figure can also be a bit tricky to assemble, especially the stirrups and reins. In fact, I’ve never been able to get the reins to stay properly attached – I’ve resigned myself to having them hover roughly in the right spot. The stirrups, meanwhile, require a bit of force to stretch them into place. This being a pricy figure, it can be pretty nerve-wracking.
Still, once the figure is fully assembled and on display, it’s immediately impressive. The sculpting is crisp and detailed, and the figure’s posing is dynamic and appealing. Artoria’s stoic determination shines through.
Unsurprisingly, Artoria’s paintwork is quite well done too. The metal armour shines and the gold details gleam. Well rendered shading helps to give form and definition, particularly on the flowing cloth. It’s a very handsome figure, overall.
If I have complaints, I could say that the cape does look a little plasticky, but that’s probably difficult to avoid. The colours are also quite saturated, which makes her skin look perhaps a bit pale and flat. Still, these are minor issues.
I also feel that Dun Stallion is maybe a little off model, but that may just be me. The tassles on the saddle cover are particularly blobby, which is a shame.
Rhongomyniad, meanwhile, is sort of hit and miss. The effect is quite convincing overall, and it’s obviously the highlight of the figure’s presentation. However, the thick yellow spiral wrapped around the lance is a bit murky and blobby. Frequently it looks more like old, yellowed plastic than the vivid glowing light that it’s meant to represent. Of course, it would be hard to really nail that effect without LEDs – which would’ve been cool, but maybe impractical in practice.
So, would I recommend this rendition of Artoria? It’s a difficult question to answer. She’s certainly pricey enough to demand extra consideration.
This is an undeniably high quality figure, and while it does have some flaws, it’s clearly going to stand out in a collection. However, it might stand out too much, by virtue of being so damn tall. Being unable to fit inside a common shelf like Ikea’s Detolf, she may be tricky to find a place for in some collections. Her large base and overall size can make it hard to put figures around her, too – she’s a bit of a shelf hog.
Still, it’s very much the figure to have for die-hard fans of Lancer Artoria. It’s unlikely that we’ll see her again in quite as impressive a fashion, at least not for some time. Of course, fans who prefer the Lion King’s armoured look might be a bit turned off by her third ascension design here – but hey, I like it.
Final Score
Summary
Despite a few quibbles, this is the definitive figure for Lancer Artoria fans. However, her impressive size is both a blessing and a curse, as it makes the figure difficult to display effectively. The price is also on the more prohibitive side, especially for less dedicated collectors.
