## Savage Crucible: Shield of D’Zaera Review — More Like Blades of D'Zaera?

Okay. Confession time.

When I first got **Shield of D’Zaera**, I was *this* close to complaining about how Savage Crucible seems to be a total sausage fest. Where are my ladies? Where are my thick female warriors, dangerous women, sexy wenches with blades and bad intentions?

Then it hit me.

These are **lizard people**.

There is absolutely nothing saying a lizardwoman needs breasts, hips, or any human-coded markers of femininity. So yeah—**head-canon engaged**. On *my* shelf, the Shields of D’Zaera are female. Full stop. I’m the boss. Either that, or I’m just desperate for women in this line… probably both. 😂

Image: box back with intricate swirling creature artwork, dark tones, and large metallic-style text “SAVAGE CRUCIBLE” across the top.

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This realization sent me into a fit of laughter thinking about that TeamFourStar DBZ parody scene:

> Dodoria: “But I *am* a woman!”

> Vegeta: “What?!”

> Dodoria: “Considered the most beautiful and fertile on my home planet!”

Still kills me.

Anyway—problem solved. Harvinger Studios is officially off the hook… *for now*.

### Shields… Without Shields?

Let’s address the mild irony right out of the gate.

They’re called **Shield of D’Zaera**.

They do **not** come with a shield.

At some point I genuinely wondered if they should be called **Blade of D’Zaera** instead. But I’ll chalk that up to too much coffee and move on. 😅

Image: box cover-Rectangular black box featuring ornate, symmetrical white and gold artwork with fantasy mechanical motifs, and bold text.

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### Scale, Color, and Shelf Presence

Shield of D’Zaera stands just under **7 inches tall**, solidly in true **1/12 scale**. It fits perfectly with the rest of Savage Crucible and plays well with other modern fantasy lines.

Image: A staged fantasy battle scene with action figures in front of a wall map.

In the center is a human knight figure in shiny silver armor with a blue cape. The knight holds a gold-headed hammer raised in the left hand and a sword and shield in the right, posed as if fighting. The helmet has a visor and a white plume.

On the left and right are two lizard-headed humanoid figures (white skin with yellow and purple markings) facing the knight. Each has an open-mouthed, snarling expression and is holding a curved sword; they wear dark cloth skirt-like wraps and bits of armor/gear.

Behind them is a parchment-style map on the wall; the title at the top right reads “Lemuria.” A compass-rose graphic is on the lower right of the map. The set also includes a green chair on the left and a carved brown object on the far right edge.

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Visually, this figure has real shelf authority. The **pearl-white skin** contrasts beautifully with the **bronze armor**, while the **bold purple and yellow markings** give it a ceremonial, alien feel that’s striking without being overdesigned. It looks intentional—like a uniform, not just a colorway.

Image: A close-up of a reptilian humanoid action figure standing upright, seen from slightly above.

It has a lizard-like head with a long snout and a scaly, pebbled texture over the whole body. The skin is mostly off-white with yellow patches, plus bluish-purple pattern markings on both upper arms and thighs. It’s wearing dark navy/black briefs. Both arms are lifted out to the sides in a wide, slightly bent pose, with open clawed hands. The lighting is strong (flash), making the scales and muscle contours stand out; the background is out of focus with a faint map-like image and a vertical yellow strip.

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The silhouette is strong, especially with the skirt armor and wired soft-goods cloak framing the body. Even standing neutral, it reads as disciplined and dangerous.

Image: A close-up of the lizard-headed humanoid action figure posed upright but leaning far forward, like it’s mid-lunge or about to dive.

Its head is lowered and angled down, mouth slightly open with small teeth visible. Both arms reach out in front of its body, and one leg is extended behind as if it’s kicking off. The figure has an off-white, scaly body with yellow patches and bluish-purple markings on the limbs, and it’s wearing dark briefs.

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### Body, Articulation, and Familiar Territory

If you’ve been collecting Savage Crucible since the beginning, this body will feel familiar. It’s the same lizard buck Harvinger Studios has been using since day one—but with an important upgrade.

These have the **updated feet**, so they stand far better than the first-batch Lemurians. Huge improvement.

Image: The lizard-headed action figure posed upright in midair, seen from behind, as if it’s leaping forward.

It’s centered toward the right side of the frame, with its torso bent slightly forward. One arm is raised overhead and bent at the elbow, and the other arm reaches forward with an open clawed hand. Both legs are bent as if in a jump, and its long tail curves downward and back. The figure’s body is off-white and yellow with blue-purple patterned markings across the back and arms, and it’s wearing black shorts/briefs.

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That said, there *are* new parts here:

* New **chest armor**

* New **skirt piece**

* A **wired fabric cloak**

* A brand-new **scimitar-style sword and sheath**

Image: A lizard-headed humanoid action figure posed upright as if lunging forward, with its head turned toward the camera and mouth open.

The figure has a white, scaly face with a flared frill around the neck, decorated in yellow and pale purple oval markings. One red eye is visible. It’s wearing a loose black cloth cape or cloak that drapes over its shoulders and back, taking up much of the upper right of the image. Its arms and legs are off-white with yellow areas and bluish-purple markings; one hand is clenched in a fist as if charging.

Behind it on the wall is the parchment-style “Lemuria” map, and below is the green rocky/cave-like plastic structure with an arched opening. Lighting is bright flash with hard shadows.

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And yes, I love the **real chain** on the sheath. It allows the sword to hang naturally from the belt instead of floating awkwardly. Little details like that add a lot of realism.

Image: A close-up of small toy accessories on a worn, off-white tabletop.

On the right is a long, ornate dagger or short sword in its sheath, mostly dark metallic gray with gold/brass details. It has decorative scrollwork near the top, a round raised “button” detail, and two short gold chains attached (one near the top, one around the middle), each ending in a tiny peg-like connector.

On the left is a separate small piece shaped like a rounded ornament or hilt part, colored dark with red enamel-like panels and gold trim.

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Articulation is solid and reliable:

* Double ball-jointed neck

* Ball-jointed torso and abdomen

* Butterfly joints at the shoulders

* Double-jointed elbows and knees

* Good hip range and stable ankles

Image: A lizard-headed humanoid action figure posed upright in midair, like it’s flipping or being thrown.

The figure is on the right side of the frame with its torso twisted. One arm is raised overhead with the hand open and clawed; the other arm is bent with a clenched fist near its body. Its legs are spread, one bent at the knee and the other extended, suggesting a dynamic spin. It has off-white scaly skin with yellow patches and bluish-purple markings, plus a frilled collar around its head with orange and purple accents. It’s wearing black briefs.

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It’s not reinventing the wheel, but it doesn’t need to. The joints are firm, the movement feels confident, and the figure holds poses without fuss.

### Heads, Expressions, and Interpretation

Shield of D’Zaera comes with **three head sculpts**, and this is where interpretation really shines.

Two of the heads are frilled lizard designs—one with the frill folded, one fully flared—while the third is a more toothy, dinosaur-like head. All three feature **articulated jaws**, which adds a surprising amount of expression.

Image: A tight, front-facing close-up of the lizard-headed action figure, posed upright with both arms raised overhead.

Its mouth is wide open, showing a purple interior, and its eyes are red. Around its head is a large flared frill/collar, white with orange radiating streaks and pale purple oval markings. The figure’s torso is off-white and heavily textured with small scales. It’s wearing shiny black briefs.

The thighs and lower legs are yellow with blue-purple patterned markings, and the tail is visible behind the right leg. The flash lighting creates bright highlights on the scaly texture, with a dark, blurry background that includes a hint of the map on the left and a vertical yellow strip on the right.

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Nicole Chaney—who’s worked on everything from Mythic Legions to Savage Crucible, and who deserves major credit for always patiently answering my emails—described them like this:

> “The 3 heads are open to interpretation and preference. I view them as 2 characters. There is the toothy dinosaur-like head that came in the character pack and also as an alt head for the Imperial Sentry. Then the other 2 heads are the frilled lizard. One with frill out and one with frill folded. I view these two as the same character with different expressions.”

Image: An overhead photo of a fantasy map with two reptilian action figures along the bottom.

Centered is a beige, old-parchment-style map bordered in reddish brown. A scroll label on the left side of the map reads Leonuria. In the upper-right corner of the map is a decorative compass rose. The map is lying on a light surface with faint blue grid lines, and you can see a red border along the left edge and a yellow border along the right edge of the surrounding board or frame.

Along the bottom edge of the photo are two lizard-like humanoid figures with pale, scaly skin and yellow-and-purple markings, dressed in ragged black cloth. The left figure is perched on a green rock-like base and wears a brown, circular-studded chest armor piece; it leans forward with its right arm extended. The right figure is stretched horizontally as if lunging or being held up, with one arm reaching outward; in its other hand it holds a curved sword angled down toward the lower-right. The background beyond them is a plain light gray surface.

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That explanation really clicked for me. Whether you see this as one character with shifting moods or two distinct individuals, the heads support both readings—and that flexibility is great for display and storytelling.

Also, real talk: without Nicole’s access support—sharing lore, clarifying accessories, answering questions—I doubt Harvinger Studios would’ve gotten *this much* of my hard-earned money. So credit where credit is due.

Image: A close-up of a lizard-like humanoid action figure standing upright in front of a fantasy map.

The figure is on the right side, facing left in profile with its head tilted slightly upward. It has pale, scaly skin, a bright red eye, and yellow-and-lavender geometric markings on its arms and around the neck frill. It wears a brown armored shoulder/chest piece with straps and a ragged black cloth garment hanging like a skirt or cloak. A red belt sits at the waist with small chains dangling.

It’s holding a long, dark staff or spear vertically with one hand near the top; the staff has ornate, carved-looking metal details near its ends. The other arm hangs forward with clawed fingers extended. One leg is lifted back as if in a dramatic pose.

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### Accessories, Bonus Weapons, and Collector Candy

Out of the box, Shield of D’Zaera includes:

* A primary scimitar-style sword with chained sheath

Image: A small toy scimitar-like sword lying on a smooth, light purple surface.

The handle is on the left and looks like dark metal with a slightly greenish, aged patina, with a rounded pommel and a short grip. There’s a small guard where the handle meets the blade. The blade extends to the right, dark gray/black, slightly curved upward, with shallow etched lines or scratches near the middle. Soft shadows curve across the surface around it, and there are a few tiny specks of dirt visible nearby.

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* Multiple swappable hands, including expressive gesture hands

Image: Two pairs of small toy hands lying on a smooth, light purple surface.

Each pair has a pale, scaly-looking hand on the left with long clawed fingers and a small peg at the wrist (for attaching to a figure). To the right of each pale hand is a yellow-green scaly hand with purple markings and a similar wrist peg; these right-side hands look more like gripping hands, with the fingers curled.

The two pairs are arranged in two rows (one pair above the other), and each piece casts a long dark shadow to the right. There are a few tiny specks/dirt marks on the surface around them.

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* A potion bottle

* A wired soft-goods cloak

Image: A crumpled piece of black fabric lying on a light gray surface.

The fabric looks like a small garment piece (possibly from an action figure), with frayed edges and lots of tiny white lint specks stuck to it. It’s bunched into a loose mound near the center-right of the image. The surface around it has a few smudges and small marks, and there’s a cool bluish light falling across the top area.

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On top of that, every Savage Crucible figure includes **one blind-bag bonus weapon**, and no two figures are guaranteed the same one. In this case, the bonus weapon is a translucent, energy-like blade that feels more grown than forged.

This isn’t just extra plastic—it’s a smart system. It encourages trading, variation, and individuality. Two Shields of D’Zaera may look identical in armor, but their weapons can tell completely different stories.

You also get a **random collector card**, which adds a fun trading-card element to the line and reinforces the idea that Savage Crucible is as much about world-building as it is about figures.

One minor gripe remains: the mushroom pegs used for skirt-mounted accessories. Once seated, they’re secure, but getting them in place can be fiddly. Not a dealbreaker—just patience required.

Image: Two small action-figure armor/accessory pieces lying on a light gray surface.

Left: a silver-and-dark metal-looking torso armor piece shaped like a ribbed breastplate, with circular embossed details and straps/loops on the sides.

Right: a red-brown leather-like piece with a large round metal stud and several black strap ends fanning out to the right, each with a small round rivet; it looks like a belt/waist or harness section. The surface around them has smudges and small marks, with a bluish light along the left edge.

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### Army Building… With Caveats

This figure *wants* to be an army builder, but it doesn’t fully commit.

Image: A staged fantasy action-figure scene in front of a parchment-style map.

Background: A beige map labeled “Leonuria” is pinned or propped up against a white grid board. A compass rose is printed on the lower-right of the map. The right edge of the setup has a blue vertical frame piece.

Foreground, left: A lizard-like humanoid figure stands on the floor in front of a green stone ruin wall. It has pale scaly skin with yellow and lavender markings and a wide frill around its head. It wears brown/bronze armor on the chest and a red belt with round metal detail, plus ragged black cloth pants. Its right arm is raised high, holding a long spear or staff angled up toward the top-left.

Foreground, center: A blue-gray monstrous figure sits embedded in a glossy gray “rock/muck” base. It has multiple thick, tentacle-like appendages rising around it. Several silver chains drape across the tentacles and over the front of the base, as if restraining the creature.

Foreground, right: Another similar lizard humanoid stands partially in frame, wearing ragged black cloth. It holds a long spear upright, angled slightly toward the top-right. Behind it is a brown structure that looks like part of a ruin or tower.

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At around **$50**, it’s a tough sell for buying multiples—especially since armor and weapon variation is limited. If you buy several, they’ll look pretty much identical from the neck down.

One workaround: **use the cloak creatively**. Try it as a skirt on some figures instead of a cape. It changes the silhouette enough to help break up repetition.

Image: A posed scene with a snake-haired monster figure between two lizard warriors, set in front of the “Leonuria” map.

Center: A Medusa-like creature stands facing forward. Its skin is gray-green and scaly with an armored, ridged torso and spiky shoulder protrusions. Instead of hair, multiple snakes rise and curl upward from its head; several snake heads are visible with open red mouths. A long tail curls out from behind and loops forward near its legs. The monster’s mouth is open as if snarling.

Left: A lizard humanoid warrior stands in a relaxed stance near a green ruin wall. It has pale scaly skin with yellow and lavender markings and a head frill. It wears bronze chest armor, a red belt with circular metal detail and dangling chains, and ragged black cloth pants. Its arms are folded across its chest; a long spear lies down by its left side (partly visible at the bottom-left).

Right: Another similar lizard warrior is partly in frame, showing its head, torso, and legs. It also wears bronze armor and a red belt, with a black cloth cape or garment draped over the shoulder.

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### Final Thoughts

Even though I’ve arguably had my fill of this particular lizard body, I’ll say it outright:

This figure is still **hand-candy**.

Image: A posed battle scene with three reptilian action figures in front of the “Leonuria” map.

Left: A pale lizard warrior with yellow-and-lavender markings and a head frill raises a curved sword overhead in its right hand. It wears bronze chest armor, a red belt with metal detail and a dangling chain, and ragged black cloth pants. Behind it is a green ruin wall.

Center: A different reptile warrior, more crocodile-like, stands braced with one knee bent. It has a blue-scaled head and back, a pale cream chest, and red-and-blue striped arms and legs. It wears gold armor on the waist and legs and a bright blue cloth tabard. It holds a long spear diagonally across its body and a round shield (green and yellow) up near its right side.

Right: Another pale frilled lizard warrior in ragged black cloth is crouched slightly, holding a small curved sword out toward the center figure as if challenging it.

Background: The parchment map labeled Leonuria is centered on a white grid board with a yellow strip along the bottom, and a brown stone/tower prop sits at the far right edge. A crescent-shaped ring light reflection shows near the bottom center.

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It’s solid, well-balanced, and feels properly badass in hand. The articulation is great, the joints are firm, and the sculpted scales are **richly textured**—a real tactile treat for this blind collector.

Same body. Familiar parts. A few gripes.

And yet… I still enjoy handling and posing it every time.

Which tells me everything I need to know.

Image: A battle scene with two lizard warriors attacking a human archer in front of the “Leonuria” map.

Center foreground (back to camera): A human figure in a dark green cloak holds a bow up in the left hand. A quiver with green-fletched arrows is strapped to the back. The figure’s right arm is raised, gripping a sword held overhead to block.

Left: A frilled lizard warrior with pale scaly skin and yellow-and-lavender markings lunges forward, raising a curved sword toward the archer. It wears bronze chest armor, a red belt with metal disk, dangling chain, and ragged black cloth pants. A green ruin wall is behind it.

Right: Another similar lizard warrior is partly in frame, also raising a curved sword up toward the archer, meeting the archer’s blade near the top-right.

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