Skarah is actually TBLeague’s second attempt at a Valkyrie, one of the Norse demigoddesses who choose the souls that fell in battle brave enough to enjoy an afterlife in Valhalla, although the first was based on a preexisting comic character – this one is an original creation, which allowed them to design her with a far greater Norse flavor. The set includes the figure, her costume, several weapons and the alternate hands to hold them, and a base (there is no stand attached to it, and she does not affix to the base with pegs or magnets).

The first and most important thing you’ll notice is her body. This is TBLeague’s signature, a one piece silicone-flesh body built on a durable stainless steel skeleton. If you have other TBLeague figures in your collection, you know exactly what you’re in for. If not – it’s worth buying at least one. These are marvels of 1/6 engineering. They feel much different in-hand than you might be used to with other jointed plastic bodies. Heavy and solid, but squishy all over.

They are incredibly flexible, able to assume very subtle poses realistically. The joints are strong and tight. There is some limitation to the poseability from the thickness of the silicone, but still, she has the full range of movement a normal woman would have. And even if you’re the kind of person who prefers to display your figures in museum poses, the subtlety possible with these bodies – from a slight slant in the hips to a roll in her shoulders – gives her an immediate life and dynamism on your shelf few other figures share. And if you like taking dynamic pictures with your figures, she’s a photographer’s dream (links to a few of my own follow this review). This is a new body for TBLeague – she’s much more muscular, particularly her abs and thighs, as compared to previous releases, and has a somewhat smaller bustline. All of her physique and musculature is exquisitely sculpted and looks great, and small details, like the navel, seem to improve with every release. Artists can and do use these bodies as anatomical models.

When you take Skarah out of the box for the first time, you’ll notice that there is some assembly required, but not much – a few pieces of armor need to be put on. There’s no instruction sheet, but one isn’t particularly necessary. She has rooted saran rather than molded hair, which can be posed flowing across her shoulders or down her back. The braids are pre-styled for you, and her hair looks amazing (I do have a preference for rooted hair, however – your mileage may vary if you prefer sculpted). Her face has a pretty but vacant expression and is neither TBLeague’s best or worst work. It’s a very Nordic look, as is to be expected, and the subtle painting on the eyes, cheeks and lips is up to TBLeague’s usual high standard. Perhaps not quite in Hot Toys’ or Blitzway’s league, but close enough to look good beside their figures.

Her costume is similarly gorgeous. While not practical for a fighter, it is a perfect ‘high fantasy’ encapsulation of a Norse warrior demigoddess, and every inch of it is lovingly sculpted with runes and symbols at least evocative of, if not entirely accurate to, Norse culture. But this figure isn’t being made to impress European history professors, it’s being made to look amazing on a bookshelf or detolf. And by that rubric, it is fantastic. Both sculpting and paintwork on all the armor pieces are incredible, from the ornate wings on the headdress to the faux rivets on the armor plates.

I call it a ‘headdress’ rather than a ‘helmet’ because it only covers the front and sides of her head – there is no back, or even a strap on it. It’s very similar, in shape and design, to the Scarlet Witch’s headdress from the pages of Avengers comics. It fits on well and is scaled appropriately, and you can put it on and take it off with no risk of damaging the paint on it or on her face. The headdress stays on better (and looks great) if a few locks of her hair are draped over it, but they can become tangled if you’re not careful. The hair looks fine draped behind it, too, and although this makes the headdress looser, there should be no risk of it falling off while she stands guard on your shelf.

The rest of Skarah’s costume involves furry bits that would protect a real soldier from being chafed by the armor, and furry He-Man-style shorts. These look great, but are real fur instead of sculpted (well, real faux fur) and loose fibers can get on her skin from them, particularly if you take the outfit on and off a lot. Since the silicone skin can be difficult to dust, this can be a pain. They do give her a great barbarian vibe, though, like she comes from a society only on the very cusp of civilization. She has no cape, which would have been nice, but isn’t too much of a loss. There are plenty of other Viking figures on the market to take one from, if you want one.

Her weapons are all plastic, with no part made of metal – the blades of the sword and spear have been electroplated to make them shiny. This makes them feel flimsier than expected, but they are not worryingly delicate. They are as intricately sculpted as the costume, and her shield is solid, sculpted to look like it’s been through a few battles and attached with a handle and an elastic strap. Her base isn’t as oversized as some TBLeague releases but this also makes it pretty forgettable. However, the sculpting and paintwork are nice, and standing on it gives her a little extra shelf presence.

There have been a few problems reported with this figure. Many have a sticky adhesive residue on the body (mine didn’t, however). Her hands are also a noticeably different color from the rest of her skin. And perhaps most problematic, there are clear seam marks on the outsides of the legs (which you can see in some of the pictures I’ve taken). It isn’t a deal breaker, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen mold lines on a TBLeague body, so it isn’t a typical problem for them. But all of those things are worth watching out for, and make an otherwise fantastic figure a slightly less than perfect release.

Still, I am quite happy with this figure. It is one of my favorite TBLeague releases, and it will make a great addition to anyone who collects fantasy, historical, Viking, or female figures. And while she looks great with other Norse elements on display (such as COO Model’s Viking Vanquisher ship scene platform, also available from Ekia Hobbies), she looks wonderful all by herself, even if you don’t own a single other figure of any kind. Maybe some of those history professors would enjoy having her on their desks too, after all.

Some pictures of Skarah in action:

Choosing souls for Valhalla: https://sta.sh/020qiwj62q2y
Looting of the Lindisfarne monastery: https://sta.sh/0svzmr4nwjh
On the warpath: https://sta.sh/0ve7950fmek
Fighting the world-serpent: https://sta.sh/09df4r75tib
Host of her own hall: https://sta.sh/0yo8efd5pdf
In her tent: https://sta.sh/0ho7pi2v0lc

This set come in the normal TBLeague magnetic box.
The costume is beautifully detailed in gold.
I bought it because I love the costume.
The head sculpt is nice, but it's not the best from TBLeague.