Shield Battlers and Battle Chargers
Can we even call them Battle Beasts without the savage armaments which allow them to rend, stab, crush, and blast their way in to battle? With a myriad of unique weapons at their disposal, there's no shortage of offensive possibilities when the drums of war echo through the canyons of Planet Beast! But as the old axiom goes, "the best offense is a good defense!" Or something like that...
In this section, we'll be taking an in-depth look at the twelve Laser Beasts that specialize in defense and high-speed ground assault—the Shield Battlers and Battle Chargers!
Shield Battlers
Shield Battlers are Laser Beasts that aren't just armed with lasers; they're also fortified with unique shields to protect them in battle (fig. 1). Each of their golden bulwarks depicts its wielder in an elegant coat-of-arms-like style. There are twelve Shield Battlers in total, all of which belong to the middle twelve tier of Laser Beasts. In keeping with the standard weapon-numbering convention, each shield is stamped with a specific number, binding it to its corresponding figure (fig. 2). Moreover, two tiny pieces of plastic on the backside of the shield act as a clip, allowing the shield to be fastened to the figure's arm.
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
The Shield Battlers' commercial release was a tangled affair, split across regions and packaging styles that blurred the line between Takara and Hasbro's intentions. Although it can seem confusing, just remember that a Shield Battler is simply a middle-twelve Laser Beasts that wields a shield; nothing more, nothing less. With this new definition in mind, we're able to better understand the two primary ways that Shield Battlers were offered to consumers: through Takara's Shield Battler-6 (シールドバトラー６) and Hasbro's Battle Beasts: Battle Chargers. Before we take a closer look at these two offerings, it is imperative that we understand their shared gimmick—the Battle Charger!
Battle Chargers
Battle Chargers are middle-twelve Laser Beasts that are outfitted with the following three armaments: a laser, a shield, and a vehicle (fig. 3). It would be fair to say that all Battle Chargers include a Shield Battler, but a Shield Battler itself is not a Battle Charger. Perhaps the most integral component to the Battle Charger is the vehicle, which most people colloquially refer to as a "sled." These little three-wheeled sleds can be outfitted with a shield and a laser, and piloted by a a Laser Beast. Furthermore, the sleds can be attached to the figure's back via a tiny peg that fits snugly into the aperture hole of the figure's light-emitting orb (fig 4).
Fig. 3
Sleds came in three distinct colors: gray, maroon, and purple (fig. 5). The color of the sled coincides with the distribution region of the Battle Charger, with purple sleds being exclusive to Europe. We'll discuss the color convention of the sleds, and how they're paired to each Shield Battler, momentarily, but for now, let's take a closer look at the two aforementioned products that included Shieldbattlers and sleds.
"Each new warrior rides a special, kid-powered battle charger with removable shield and combat weapon!"
-Hasbro
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Shield Battler-6
This set (fig. 6), which features six Shield Battlers, was released exclusively in Japan in 1988. Known as the "Shield Battler 6", the six Laser Beasts in this set came with their own unique shields and lasers (fig. 7).
Grencats
Fight Horn
Strong Hurricane
Killer Hound
Battle Fennec
Mantfrenzy
Fig. 7
Additionally, one gray and one red sled were included. Although this set was exclusive to Japan, each of these beasts was also available individually in Europe under the Battle Beasts: Battle Chargers moniker. This set also included six figure cards. All included cards and inserts can be viewed by clicking here.
Fig. 6
**Please note that the purple sleds in fig. 8 are the European exclusive color, and were not included in the Shield Battler 6 set.
Battle Beasts: Battle Chargers
Perhaps the rarest of all the Battle Beasts carded figures are the Battle Beasts: Battle Chargers (fig. 8). These highly sought-after pieces featured a single complete Battle Charger. Exclusive to only a few European countries, these elusive figure packs are the source of the six European-exclusive shields! These shields are among the rarest, and therefore most expensive, mainline pieces, primarily due to their limited geographic distribution. Moreover, due to the delicate nature of their stickers, if you're lucky enough to find the one you're missing, chances are the sticker may be peeling or damaged!
Fig. 8
All twelve middle-tier Laser Beasts were available in these figure packs. However, the six Shield Battlers that were not included in the aforementioned Shield Battler-6 set (#89,#92,#95,#97, #98, #100) were only available in these European figure packs. As previously mentioned, their shields were not available outside of Europe. The following set of images represents the six European-exclusive shields:
Brown Lion
Hustle Bear
Dragon Shorn
Sea Panic
Puzzle Color
Scope Cougar
If the goal of the collector is to complete a full set of Battle Chargers, I would suggest paying close attention to the table on the right (fig. 9) and the Battle Chargers gallery below. Note how the three sled colors are evenly distributed among the twelve shield battlers. These color pairings reflect how each Battle Charger appeared in its original packaging.
However, It is important to keep in mind that it would not be incorrect to display Battle Fennec, Strong Hurricane, or Killer Hound with gray or maroon sleds, as these were possible color configurations offered by the Shield Battler-6 set.
