Review of Shrine of Dagon, Temple of Anubis
Sixth Scale Diorama Environments

Introduction

Collectors of sixth scale action figures - especially high end figures - love displaying them in realistic ways. Creating dioramas with background environments is a big part of a great looking collection.

The problem is simple - most of us suck when it comes to art. Even for the lucky few that don't, time is always a rare commodity. That means getting well made, cool environments and dioramas factory ready for your shelf is always good news.

Sideshow has produced a number of such environments over the years (I still love my Freddy Furnace they did years ago), but recently they released three in their 'original' series. I reviewed the first awhile back: Reactor Station Alpha. I'm covering the other two tonight, including Temple of Anubis and the Shrine of Dagon.

These are both very limited, with the Temple at just 650, and the Shrine at just 350. The Temple is sold out at Sideshow, but you can still snag the Shrine - it's almost gone though! They run $90 each. I also have some other online suggestions for picking up both.

Packaging - ***
The boxes are done up in an art style more sidewalk cafe than traditional Sideshow box, but it looks good. I'm not sure how it relates to the theme or the contents, but at least it keeps it safe and sound.

The boxes are labeled on the bottom with the edition number, but there's no Certificate of Authenticity.

Sculpting - ***1/2
Whether these are four star sculpts or not is going to depend quite a bit on what you plan on doing with them.

If you're looking to use these with 12" figures, you won't be as happy. They are simply too small for most set ups, just like Reactor Station Alpha. If I had planned on using them with 12" figures, they would get three stars here.

However, if you're looking to use these with 6 - 8" figures, then you're going to be much happier. I've included a couple shots with the 7" scale He-Man from Masters of the Universe Classics, and you can see the Shrine at the top of this review with the 6" scaled Ghostbusters.

For figures in the smaller scale, I'd give these four stars. They are very detailed, with great texturing and lots of small touches. I ended up splitting the difference with the score, and going for ***1/2, but I'll probably use these sets with my smaller action figures.

Both are extremely heavy and sturdy, made from solid polyresin. The Shrine is a solid piece, but the Temple is not. The dog is his own piece, with a soft velvet base and a strong magnet that holds him on the stone bed.

Paint - ****
Both sets have great paint jobs that give them a very realistic stone appearance. All the age, wear, and damage that you'd expect from an ancient ruin is present.

Of course, the ruined nature of both pieces allows for some natural sloppiness, but where the details should be exact, they are.

Value - **
These are not cheap by any means, each running $90 through Sideshow. That's a LOT of cash to spend on a small diorama, especially ones that are too small for their intended scale.

But there is something that offsets this high price, at least to some degree - the low edition number. When you get a limited edition that's in the hundreds, not the thousands, then you're actually talking 'limited', and a higher price point is not surprising.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing! These are very solid, but I still wouldn't drop them or set them down too hard.

Overall - ***1/2
The simple, honest fact is that these are too small for 12" action figures. You can still use them, but they aren't going to be quite as impressive in that situation.

However, they look terrific with smaller figures, especially those in the 6 - 8" scale. Match up the Shrine with your 8" Sideshow Dracula (or if you're like me, use your Flatt World Dracula), and you'll be in business. 

If you are looking for something a bit larger, I'd check out the work Triad is doing in this area.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ****
Value - **
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Sideshow still has the Shrine of Dagon available for $90, but you'll have to get on the wait list for the Temple of Anubis. Online options include these site sponsors:

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other similar dioramas include:

- Sideshow also did the Reactor Station Alpha, very much for Star Wars figures.

- Sideshow's also did Recon at Waypoint.

- other recent ones include Hot Toys T-700, the Ark that came with Sideshow's Toht, and the Fertility Idol environment that came with Belloq. 

- With Star Wars, we've seen the Jabba Throne, as well as the Han Solo in Carbonite.

- and if you want to get a bit more old school, don't forget the Freddy Kruger furnace Sideshow did years ago.

- Triad Toys has done several great environments, including Grave Danger, Mayan and Tech Savvy.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

Discussion:
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