Tag Archives: Autobot

Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews, Uncategorised

Toy Review – Siege Mirage

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Mirage is one of those middle-of-the-road Autobot Car characters in terms of popularity, and this is reflected in the amount of toys based on him over the years.  Whilst not super-rare like say Grapple, not super popular like Sideswipe or Prowl either.

Mirage has cropped up in such Transformer toy sub-lines such as Kre-O, Alternators and Bot Shots, but has only had two significantly G1-themed toys released over the last 13 years.  First was the Classics version in 2006, whom had a magnificent alt-mode but an overly-lanky body.  The second was in 2015 in the Combiner Wars, but as a minor retool of the Stunticon Drag Strip didn’t look overly impressive in either mode.

So in 2019 Mirage has finally gotten another G1-based figure, albeit with a Cybertronian alt-mode.  So let’s have a look at Siege Mirage.

 

Robot Mode

‘Well I’ll be damned, I actually look like me again!’

The most G1-faithful looking Mirage figure we’ve had since, well, G1 really.  The proportions of his body are spot on and it’s been far too long since Mirage sported a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher.  No spring action firing but the rocket can at least be removed from its launcher.  His blaster is quite nice too.  With decent articulation and a great colour scheme it’s very hard to find fault with this figure.  If I had one minor quibble, it’s that he has a lot of faux parts, for instance the F1-racer waist piece doesn’t actually make up the nose of the car mode.

Fuck stealth!

Mirage, even more than the likes of Impactor, really lends himself to the Weaponizer gimmick, and with multiple ports all over his body you can really pimp him out for battle!

 

Cybertronian Racer

I’m translucent – that makes me Cybertronian.

Like many of the other Siege toys, this looks more like an Earth vehicle with a few Cybertronian elements pasted on top.  But it’s still a nice looking race car and the first offworld version of the character we have had.  I really like how part of the car’s body is translucent as an homage to the fact that the character has invisibility powers – much more attractive than the battle-damage paint most Siege figures come with.

Unlike the robot mode, you can’t really Weaponize Mirage’s vehicle mode.  There are only two spots which are on his tailfin, and these are taken up by his rocket launcher and rifle.  However the weapons look pretty cool there and make his alt-mode look distinctly more Cybertronian, differentiating the figure nicely from the very good Classics version.

 

Worth Getting?

For those that are happy with the Mirage toys they already have, there is a completely translucent version of this toy too which could be worth tracking down online as it looks pretty boss, though it means purchasing the Decepticon version of Impactor and the third Powerdasher figure with it.  But I wanted this version as the robot mode holds so much appeal for me, especially since Mirage was the first Autobot I ever got as a kid.  But whichever way you wanna go, this is a very solid toy  with a fun and intuitive transformation and is very faithful to the characters roots – he will fit nicely into anyone’s collection.

 

Got anything to say about this figure?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

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Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toys Review – Selects: Nightbird, Cromar and Zetar

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The Generations Selects line is one that divides people.  On the one hand it provides opportunities for figures to get made that might otherwise not due to a lack of popularity.  On the other, it means these figures are often only available either online, at specific stores and/or limited to a few select countries, meaning higher prices with a dollop of international postage for good measure.

The War for Cybertron Siege toyline has had a whopping nine Selects figures released this year.  Some such as Redwing have been virtually impossible for overseas collectors to get their hands on at a reasonable price.  But some have been released through multiple US online stores making things a bit easier, and today we are looking at the latest wave of them, consisting of the Powerdashers Cromar and Zetar, and the always mysterious Nightbird.

Note: As all three characters are minor retools of other Siege figures that have been out for quite some time, we will be focusing more on their aesthetics rather than their articulation, transformation and Weaponizer potential.

 

Powerdasher Cromar

Robot Mode

‘We all float down here…’

Whilst it seems his main weapon would be to hang about in Cybertronian Sewers eating Decepticon Protoforms, as a retool of Six-Gun his body is bristling with weapons.  Two long guns on the lower arms and four cannons on the shoulders and back.  Not bad since the original toy didn’t even have a gun.

‘Everybody loves a clown, so why can’t you?’

Cromar gets his distinctive face from the 1984 Mail-away figure he is based on (and the only TF I had and lost as a kid that I have yet to replace as an adult).  It’s… not flattering and makes this a figure you really don’t want to give to a coulrophobia sufferer as a gift.

Alt-Mode

If you think this looks weird, you should have seen my original toy

Pretty much Siege Six-Gun with new colours.  However it works for the character quite well, with perhaps only Cybertron Sideways being a more appropriate recolour.  I likes it!

 

 

Powerdasher Zetar

Robot Mode

I’m smiling because I can kill you with a headbutt

No fingers, no neck, but one helluva hat!  The silly thing is the drill on his head can be spun fairly easily in robot mode but not in vehicle mode. A retool of Siege Brunt, he lacks a certain appeal that Brunt possessed, but is certainly faithful to the original toy & character.  The bonus being he gets a gun this time around which (due to the no fingers thing) can be attached to his forearms.

The creepy circus motif continues

The look of his head really makes me want to get the third Powerdasher – Aragon – just to see if he has some clownish attributes too.

Alt-Mode

‘I..I just don’t know what the hell I am supposed to be’

Once again we are looking at Siege Brunt, but with a drill on the front.  The ironic thing is that the cannon on top, if you attach the blaster, sticks out further than the drill does.  But hey, with the drill that close to the ground Zetar can definitely get a job drilling holes for oversized cybermice or mowing really thin strips of lawn.  Unite Warriors Nosecone or even Combiner Wars Drillhorn make far more practical looking drill tanks.

 

Nightbird

Robot Mode

‘I’m quite frolicsome for a Ninja’

A retool of Siege Chromia, Nighbird boasts a totally new headsculpt which is very indicative of how she looked back in the G1 cartoon, though severely limits how much she can turn her head.  She comes with the same weaponry that can be either a pistol and grenades, a gun or a sniper rifle.  It would have been nice if she had come with some sai’s like the Legends version of her did to show her Ninja origins.

‘Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!’

What is very disappointing for a Selects figure is that Nightbird comes apart quite easily.  Her legs, arms and crotchplate all come off way to easily, though at least are not too hard to reattach.

Alt-Mode

‘Wonder if I can get a date with Kit from Knightrider?’

I had no idea she would be this black!  Her backpack makes up the majority of the car body and it’s as black as black can be with a dark purple canopy.  I would have liked to see the backpack/car body remain grey with the black limited to her fenders.  However at least this car mode is more generally Cybertronian, rather than the Legends version which was quite Arcee indicative.

 

Worth Getting?

Only if, like me, you are a fan of obscure G1 characters.  All these moulds have been done before and none of these characters are popular enough that any kid is going to be screaming for them this Xmas.  It’s nice to see the Powerdashers get new figures after all this time, though the lack of a dash component kinda irks me.  Nightbird isn’t bad but I find the Legends version to be far superior in both modes.  So yeah, they are all nice in their way and I’m glad to have them, but none have any wow factor that is going to keep you awake at night wishing that you owned them.

Got anything to add to this review?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

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Toy Review: Siege Omega Supreme

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Omega Supreme – the first BIG bot of the Transformers franchise.  

Sure Devastator showed a season earlier but he was made up of 6 smaller bots whereas Omega was simply massive in his own right.  I still remember the first episode I saw him in – out of nowhere this big battle base character showed up, flew to the moon as a rocket and then turned into this giant robot that was able to pick up Megatron in one hand and tell him what for! The first time he showed up in the comics he promptly killed half the Decepticons on earth in a single battle!

In other words – Omega is huge and Omega is SUPREME!

Being one of my very favourite characters I was extremely chuffed to hear we would be getting a Titan class Omega Supreme toy.  Whilst I really liked my YOTS Omega, his alt-mode had nothing to do with the G1 character.  Likewise I loved Omega in the Animated cartoon, but he never got a toy at all.  So when it was announced that Omega Supreme would be getting a huge new toy which was based, in both modes, on his G1 incarnation, I gave a little squeal of geeky delight!

So without further ado, lets look at Titan-Class War for Cybertron Siege Omega Supreme.

 

 

Robot Mode

Size: Impressive

Oh be still my beating fuel pump!  He is friggin awesome!  And unlike Metroplex and Fort Max, Omega Supreme gives a real sense of bulk.  Good thick lower legs and arms and a massive torso, just like one would hope for.  Add to this the two cannon arms, track-wings, translucent visor and faithfulcolour scheme and there is no mistaking who this big boy is supposed to be.  Something I think is an excellent addition is the fact that they have made his claw arm prehensile, as in the claws can bend in the middle in order better grab things.  In fact, whilst not as good as some other toys, this Omega has the best articulation of any toy of his namesake, with shoulders, elbows, knees and neck all moveable to put him in a variety of poses.

 

 

FIREPOWER!

Guns: Blazing!

Omega is packing a ton of firepower in robot mode.  As well as having a huge blaster on the end of each arm, he has his signature tank cannon in the back of his head which can be swivelled around.  On his upper chest he has two cannons, these can be folded upwards to reveal further missile racks underneath.  So if Omega doesn’t simply squash ya, he can blast you into oblivion.  

 

 

PARTSFORMER PRECEDENCE

Omega Supreme figures have always been partsformers.  Though some purists contend that a partsformer isn’t really a proper transformer, given Omega’s alt-mode/s it’s actually a necessity.  Both the original and the Siege versions consist of three separate machines (tank, rocket, base) and even the Energon version needed to come apart to form various trains and cranes.  So while there was no way that Siege Omega was not going to be a partsformer, the separate parts have been kept to a minimum (Tank/Torso, Arms/Rocket, Body/Base, Wings/Tracks x 2) and there is still a lot of transformation going on.  

 

The Base

The outer body and legs of Omega become the base whilst his wings, like the original toy, become the tracks.  It’s really a nice looking base and I love the fact that it comes with two little inner ramps that Micromaster figures can drive up and down.  The missile racks are displayed here so that the base can defend itself and one thing I really like is how the track is both elevated as well as being wide enough to accommodate the tank.  The feet of the robot can fold out to show little caverns for Micromasters to hide in, though personally I prefer to keep them folded up to keep that oval shape.

 

 

The Tank

The torso and head become the tank.  The tank cannon that is on the back of Omega’s head is actually not the same tank cannon here, this one is way larger.  It’s a great looking tank, though not motorized like the original.  The tank can open up to reveal a space for Micromasters, though I would have preferred they make the ramp smoother so that the little guys can actually roll out of him properly, rather than bump their way down.

 

 

The Rocket

Rocket Mode: Phallic. Cosmos: Jealous.

Wow – this is a big rocket!  Like, really big!  Made up primarily of the arms and a thin panel along the back, it’s amazing just the length this rocket reaches, making it as tall as Omega is in his robot mode!  The transformation is very clever, wrapping around circular parts and the top of the rocket opens up to show a small cockpit for Micromasterfigures.  If I had a complaint, it’s that the prehensile claw that serves as the landing struts tend to slowly slip outwards, so unless you have them flat down Omega’s rocket mode will eventually tilt as one of them gives way.

 

 

The Finished Article

All three of Omega’s modules on their own are pretty cool, but add them all together and it looks wicked!  Seriously, I don’t think there is much I can say here about how great it is that the photo’s don’t convey on their own.

Rocket Base Mode: Awesome. Fan Boys: Jizzing themselves right now.

 

Countdown

In the G1 toyline and Dreamwave comics Countdown was a Micromaster lunar rover that came with his own rocket base.  Making him a partner to Omega Supreme who himself turns into a rocket base was a good call.  Countdown looks good in both modes and if nothing else really highlights how much interactivity there is between figures his size and the Omega toy.

 

 

Worth Getting?

At around $260(AU) he isn’t cheap but isn’t any more expensive than Trypticon was two years ago.  If you are a G1 lover or a fan of huge Transformers this figure could be considered a must have.  The interactivity with Micromaster figures, the robot mode, the rocket base mode – it all works.  Whilst not the absolute perfect figure, he is a genuinely excellent toy which by far is the best Omega Supreme we’ve ever had, and perhaps ever will have.  What can I say?  This toy is truly SUPREME!

 

 

Got something to say about this figure? Pop it in the comments section below!

 

 

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Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Siege Impactor

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The Wreckers – the biggest bot badasses this side of the Dinobots.  The team the Autobots go to when they don’t give a shit about collateral damage, they just want some Cons dead!

‘The Wreckers: Class of 1986’ (Absent: Rack’n’Ruin)

The Wreckers have been around since the old Marvel comics and since have become ingrained within Transformers lore.  And before the mighty Springer became leader of the team, their leader was the hardened, the ruthless, the one and only – Impactor.

Impactor did not get an official toy for many years.  In fact it wasn’t until the Generations FOC toyline in 2013 he got his first one, a kinda weird redo of FOC Onslaught.  Then a few years later in 2016 Impactor got a Timelines toy that was infinitely cooler, yet as a redo of CW Rook still didn’t tick all the boxes that fans of the G1 Comics Impactor required.

Well here we are in 2019 and Impactor has finally gotten a figure designed specifically for him.  And damn it’s a beauty!  So let’s have a look at Siege Deluxe Class Impactor.

 

Robot Mode

‘Face the front perp, prepare for your mugshot’

Beautiful colours here, really does justice to him.  The timelines version was pretty good with an awesome head, but that huge grey peg in his chest was a definite drawback.  This Impactor looks buff, tough and has the right stuff!  His shoulder cannon looks particularly faithful and impressive.

‘Where is that green prick who stole my job?’

Articulation on this figure is very good, with multiple points all over his upper and lower body, allowing you to put him in a myriad of battle poses.  The right (or left if you prefer) hand folds in to attach his signature harpoon.  The tank barrel from his tank mode serves as a rifle.  Really, its hard to find fault here, everything from the head sculpt to the colour scheme are spot on.

‘Orange was never my colour’

 

Cybertronian Tank Mode

Finally, I have treads instead of wheels!

To be honest, he looks even cooler than he did in any comic.  Weaponry wise he sports a giant tank cannon at the front, his shoulder cannon becomes a roof mounted  laser cannon, there are twin scatter blasters on either side and his harpoon becomes a rotating laser gun on top.  Add to that four huge spikes at the front and he don’t need no stinkin Battle Masters to kick butt, he’s a one-tank arsenal!  There are however multiple ports to add Battle Master and Weaponizer guns should you wish.

Overkill? Na…

Once again the colour scheme is top notch, and as the leader of The Wreckers the battle damage suits him more than most .  This really is the Impactor you’ve been waiting for.

 

Transformation

Quite straight forward.  Not stupidly simple but no real challenge to be had.

 

Worth Getting?

Oh hells yes!  I’ve been pretty damn happy with my Timelines Impactor for the past three years, and while I was looking forward to an update I wasn’t yearning for it.  But now I have this guy my other two Impactors won’t be getting a look in any time soon.  Everything about this figure is really spot on and just screams Wreck’n’Rule!  Whether you want this guy or the upcoming one which is Decepticon aligned, either way go and grab one and continue to pray there is a Rack’n’Ruin toy in the works soon.

 

Got something to say about this figure?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

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Toy Review – Cyberverse Alpha Trion

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Season 2 of Cyberverse has just started to air in Australia and more Cyberverse toys are hitting the shelves.  One of the latest ones is a character who ironically died in a flashback back in Season 1.  So let’s have a look at that grand old sage, one of the Original 13 and Matrix-babysitter for hire: Ultra-Class Alpha Trion.

 

Robot Mode

BEEFCAKE!

Ol’ Alpha is looking pretty beefy here for an aging bot.  Really strong and stocky, looks like he should be pounding iron rather than babysitting baubles.  I really like how the wings of his alt-mode become a quasi-cape and he has the big spikes on the shoulder that the character did in the G1 cartoon in the Evergreen style Cyberverse has adopted – I believe he is the first Alpha Trion figure to be sporting them.  A decent beard on him as well.  Otherwise he is pretty simplistic looking, suffers from very limited articulation and sports no weapon whatsoever.

 

Vehicle Mode

Alpha Trion first sported a Space Cruiser alt-mode in the Timelines toyline which also carried over into his Titans Return toy.  This seems to be the go-to alt-mode for Alpha now as he sports it again here.  Like the Titans Return version, the Space Cruiser mode is severely plain, his paintjob consisting of big unadorned patches of red and purple with a small cockpit at the back.  From the top and sides it looks OK, but don’t look from the bottom as it reveals how simplistic the Transformation is (i.e – you can see its just the robot hunched up and Trion staring at you angrily).

Laser Beam Blast

Well, it makes more sense than Slipstream’s helicopter-out-the-back-thingie power I guess.  By pushing down on at the back you can make giant lasers flip out from both wings.  It’s kinda cool, but there is a paint deficiency on the outer front halves of the lasers, making them a streaky pink instead of a solid one.  Will add a little bit of play value for the younger fans.

 

Worth Getting?

I’m one of the Original 13 Primes – damn well buy me! …… please!

To be honest, at $39(AU) I would have to say no.  The fairly decent looking robot mode does not make up for the cheapy feel, lack of articulation, less than inspiring alt-mode and the simplistic transformation.  Add to that no accessories and this is a figure you can easily bypass.  Frankly I only got him as it was the first time in a long time I had actually seen a new Transformer toy on the shelves of the only department store that’s within 50km of where I live.  However if you are a fan of the Original 13, Cyberverse or want what is probably the most G1-looking Alpha Trion toy we have ever had, then he may be worth picking up if you see him at a discounted price.  Considering Alpha Trion is already dead in the cartoon, if you want a Cyberverse representation of him don’t wait for a better toy to come along as you are unlikely to see it.

Got something to say about this figure?  Add it to the comments section below!

 

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Toy Review – Siege Greenlight

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Over the past few years we have been getting Transformer toys based on increasingly obscure Generation One characters.  While it’s pretty hard to beat Scrounge (a character from the Marvel comics who turned into a wheel and died) who came with the Combiner Wars Technobots, we may have a contender.  This time it is a femmebot who was a background character with no lines in a single episode from a G1 cartoon back in 1985.  So let’s say Go to the Amazon Prime exclusive Siege Greenlight! 

 

Robot Mode 

‘It’s not easy being Greenlight’

Greenlight uses the same mold that was used by POTP Moonracer and Novastar before that.  So there are probably few dedicated collectors who are unfamiliar with this mold by now.  Besides the colour scheme, which is rather more striking than I thought it would be, the only change is a new headsculpt based on her G1 cartoon appearance – very 80’s alien from the future in its design.  And she does look pretty cool sporting a shield and flaming sword.

‘Springer – I am your warrior princess!’

 

Vehicle Mode 

Esentially identical to all her sisterbots, but once again the green really pops!  And at least coming with a Targetmaster … er, I mean Battle Master partner, attaching her shield at the back makes it look like she has a vehicular battle mode. 

 

Dazzlestrike 

Dazzlestrike is a redeco of Lionizer. The figure is unchanged except for some white eyebrows, some green on the blade and blue eyes instead of red.  These extra colours certainly make the figure stand out more than her brother.

 

Worth Getting?

Well it depends.  If you are looking for a toy you haven’t seen before you won’t find it here.  She also has a decent price tag, being an exclusive from Amazon Prime.  However these are characters you wont find anywhere else and considering you get a Deluxe and a Battle Master figure the cost isn’t outrageous.  Also if you wish to form the gestalt Orthia (review coming when 4th Femmebot released), the first female Combiner  we’ve had since Megatronia, then Greenlight is a must have to join with Elita-1 and the rest.  So why not fill out that extra gap in your G1-cast entourage and go get your Greenlight online today!

Got something to say about this toy?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

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Exclusive Card Reveal: Private Stakeout – Transformers TCG

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A few months ago, bigangrytrev.com was privileged enough to be given an exclusive reveal for the new Transformers Trading Card Game. In that instance it was Dirge and Defensive Driving from the Rise of the Combiners cards.

Well now courtesy of Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast, we have been given another exclusive reveal. And this time it is from the latest iteration of the game – War For Cybertron Seige.

For those unaware, the current Transformers Generations toyline for 2019 is indeed War for Cybertron Seige and indeed it appears many of the upcoming cards will be based on said toyline. The exclusive card reveal we get to do today is definetly based on one of those toys, a Micromaster character who hadn’t had a new figure for nearly 30 years – Private Stakeout.

Coming in at 4 Stars, Stakeout – whose roles are Infantry and Communications – doesn’t appear to be the most powerful of characters, but then as a Micromaster he isn’t expected to be.  But this little Autobot can still prove quite useful.

 

Patrol Car Mode

 

3 Attack, 5 Health, 0 Defense

The artwork from this has been taken from the Siege packaging for Stakeout, which I quite like as I’m really enjoying the more gritty artwork that has been accompanying this line. In his Patrol Car mode, Stakeout has only 5 health and absolutely zero shielding. However this sneaky little bot has got that covered. Despite appearing quite vulnerable, his skill is Stealth, which means that unless every other one of your Hero Cards has been KO’ed by your opponent, any attack on this card while it is untapped can be deflected onto another one of your characters, keeping him safe from being killed before he can even get in the fight.

 

Robot Mode

 

2 Attack, 5 Health, 1 Defence

Once again, the artwork has been taken from the great packaging art of the new toy. In robot mode Private Stakeout sacrifices one of his attack points in order to get at least a bit of defence going. But once again, it’s less his stats that are important bur rather his special ability. Stakeout has the ability to, via you sacrificing one of your white-square cards, to flip another Hero Character Card to it’s other mode. This can be invaluable depending on who you are flipping. For instance if you have another character who has a lot more health and defence in one of its modes and is near death, you can flip it to its more resilient mode in order to survive your opponents next attack on you.

 

Teams Private Stakeout may be useful on

Stakeout is most definitely a supporting character. With 4 Stars he is designed to fill out a team full of stronger/higher star ranking characters where you have already used up to 21 of your 25 star limit. Stakeout will be most useful in a team with characters where it is imperative to be able to get that extra Hero Card flip in so as to facilitate either attack or defence. This suits Stakeout in the grand scheme of the Transformers universe; Micromasters are small, not particularly powerful in of themselves and are often used to support bigger robots. For instance in the new toyline Stakeout combines with Red Heat to form the “Binerboost Salvage Blaster”, a gun used by regular sized bots.

 

So I hope you have enjoyed another Exclusive Card reveal from bigangrytrev.com. Many thanks to Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast for the chance to show this card to the world, which will be available when the Transformers TCG War For Cybertron Seige sets get released on June 28th 2019.  Also check out the reveal over on Life…With Sprogs to see another new card – Searget Skrapnel.

 

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Toy Review: Cyberverse Prowl

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Cyberverse has been trotting out a lot of characters that originated in G1. Some of these toys could be considered an improvement on their originators, others have been woefully compromised by putting in half-arsed gimmicks (such as Acid Storm’s Toxic Slice) and being overly simplified for Warrior-Class toys.

Today we look at a character that has only cropped up in a couple of flashbacks so far in the Cyberverse cartoon, but has still warranted a toy. We look at the Autobot cop bots love to hate, we look at Prowl.

Robot Mode

A nicely proportioned figure. Much more reminiscent of G1 Prowl than either the Animated or RID(01) figures before, which are the last two times Prowl got a cartoon outing. He has ok elbow and knee movement, but all but no side movement when it comes to the shoulders or hips. He lacks neck articulation too so Prowl had better hope he is facing whoever he is fighting!

The head sculpt on Prowl looks really good here, both in the face and also his helmet horns. I quite like the stars on the shoulders too. However I find his legs quite bland and they could have used a lot more detail.

The biggest disappointment is the huge panel on the back of his head, makes him look like he is carrying the back of a chair on his shoulders. This can be mitigated somewhat by his gimmick move, which we will shortly see.

Robot Battle Mode

By pushing down on the front of Prowl’s chest, you make his shuolder cannons come down to do his ‘Jetblast’ move. Why this is called a jetblast I have no idea, I think they must have just picked a term at random. Anyways, the cannons pop down, making the back of Prowl not look nearly as bad, in fact I’m not sure why anyone would display Prowl otherwise. Also for once we are seeing a gimmick that does not compromise the toy to any great extent.

Vehicle Mode

A nicely proportioned police car. Note sure if you can tell from the photos but it is worthy of note that Prowl is not sporting his usual black but rather a very dark blue, much like Barricade in The Last Knight. It kinda suits him and modernizes him to look like police cars you would actually find on patrol in the US, rather than an old fashioned Sherrifs patrol car. Like the robot mode, this vehicle would look a lot better with some more detail put in, the very front of the car looks good but the rest is severely plain, somewhat like RID(15) Strongarm.

Battle Vehicle Mode

Not on the box and not in the instructions, but you can transform Prowl so that his guns stick out of the windscreen and rest of the bonnet, much like the G1 Triggercon Crankcase. My son discovered this so full credit to the young fella! You do this by simply not folding Prowl’s shoulder cannons back up when transforming him, this in no way affects the rest of the transformation or the formation of the vehicle mode. While it doesn’t look brilliant, it will add a lot of play value for younger fans who want to send their vehicles into battle.

Transformation

Like all the Cyberverse figures, the transformation is very simplistic. Great for younger fans but will not hold much interest for your older Transfan.

So worth a buy?

If you are after a more complex, visually pleasing and articulated Prowl then I recommend waiting until the new one in the SEIGE toyline is released (though that one lacks shoulder cannons). However if you are a collector of Prowl’s like I am, or a fan of the cartoon, or even simply looking for a toy for a younger kid, then this Prowl is worth a go.

Got something to say about this toy? Pop it in the comments section below!

 

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Toys Review – WFC: Siege – Micromasters: Wave 1

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Back in the late 80’s the Transformers brand was starting to suffer.  Something new had to be tried.  So in direct reaction to the popularity of Micro Machines, the Transformers made Micromasters.  These were actually pretty cool little toys!  You could get them in packs of 4 or 6, some had bases, some could combine, and they were pretty cheap to get.  I know for myself I collected most of the Decepticon ones to try and even out the amount of each faction I had as a kid, having to track down the Autobot ones as an adult.  Micromasters got a brief revival in the Universe line in 2003, but didn’t grab the toy consumers imagination.

Here we are in 2019 and Micromasters are back!  And the first wave of the War For Cybertron: Seige line is made up of 3 pairs, each pair making up half the members of their original patrol team.  So lets have a look at some classic G1 characters, most we haven’t seen in 30 years!

 

 

BATTLE PATROL

Flak & Topshot

Robot Modes

Flak is so unchanged from his G1 incarnation that I had to look twice to make sure it was a new figure.  Topshot (formerly Big Shot) also represents his G1 heritage well.  Both have far more detail in their faces and their bodies overall.  Both have knees but no elbows or head swivel.

Vehicle Modes

Once again Flak looks very much like he did in G1, though with some cooler details on his missile ports.  Topshot has lost a bit of length from his turret (maybe that’s why he had to change his name) but this is made up for by being able to swivel the gun up and from side to side with a great degree of control than the G1 toy allowed.  Both get top marks!

Weapon Mode

Topshot becomes the back half with his turret becoming the gun peg, with Flak making up the front to become an oversized missile gun.  Looks a bit odd being held by a Deluxe Sized figure, but would suit a Voyager sized bot well.

 

AIR STRIKE PATROL

 Visper & Storm Cloud

Robot Modes

Visper (formerly Whisper) has a nice amount of detail and looks quite good.  Storm Cloud is odd as in he is the only figure out of this entire wave of Micromasters that has elbows, yet at the same time he lacks hands.  An odd trade off.  Besides this Storm Cloud does however look good otherwise.

Vehicle Modes

Both Visper and Storm Cloud are both very faithful to their G1 origins, while adding a bit of extra detail to their jet forms that one would expect after a 30 year hiatus.

Weapon Mode

Quite a decent looking sword, nicely balanced and well proportioned.  Yes Visper is still obviously completely in jet mode but Armada’s the Star Sabre set the precedent for that.  Very cool!

 

RACE CAR PATROL

Roadhandler & Swindler

Robot Modes

Swindler had shoulders that put Ultra Magnus to shame, and its hard with the lack of elbows to position his arms anywhere but down that doesn’t cause him to fall over.  Roadhandler looks quite decent.  Both suffer from having massive holes in their chests which are required for the weapon mode.

Vehicle Mode

Swindler still resembles a Delorian, which is great for us of the generation that grew up on Back to the Future movies.  Once again, Roadhandler looks decent as well.

Weapon Mode

Pretty weak.  You simply fold over the back of the car and insert the other car on top to make a weapon that sorta resembles the Double Targetmaster ones from G1.  The only slightly redeeming feature is that they are the only pair that can swap spots, so either character can become the top or bottom half.

 

Worth Getting?

Yup!  A cheap price point, an outing for G1 characters we haven’t seen in 30 years, very faithful to their origins and now with combined weapon modes.  There are a few drawbacks sure: little articulation, the legs come off really easily on all figures and whilst you can combine the different teams bots to make new weapons, only a few of them look decent and are better off with their original partner.  However these are small quibbles.  I heartily recommend picking these guys up and really hope that the other halves of their teams get released in the future.

Got something to say about these little figures?  Pop it in the comments section below!

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – POTP Inferno

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Finally we seem to be getting some of the Wave 3 figures from the Power of the Primes toyline on Australian shelves, a long wait for many of us who no longer do our shopping overseas online due to the GST.  There is only one Voyager class figure in this wave and it’s a character that had their last Generations toy come out a full 10 years ago – everyone’s favorite firetruck – Inferno.

 

 

Robot Mode

Inferno has received a new head along the lines of his G1 incarnation.  This is predominantly the reason I ended up picking him up as otherwise he would have looked like either Hot Spot or Pyra Magna/Megaempress.   He comes with Hot Spots two guns which he can either hold in his hands, or be attached to the gestalt feet and then his back to form shoulder cannons.  The box artwork shows him having a windshield on his chest like his other incarnations, however the toy itself looks like every other character that shares the mould and has chest armour instead.  He is fairly tall and lanky which is at least kinda more reminiscent of his G1 heritage than the very stocky Universe version.

 

Vehicle Mode

Like all others of the mould he transforms into a Rosenbauer Panther 6×6 Fire Truck.  He has his big long white ladder back like the G1 version which I believe is an improvement over the water cannon the Universe and Energon versions sported.  However he is so long in this mode you can’t help but think ‘This is Hot Spot cosplaying as Inferno’.  His guns from robot mode can be affixed to the base of the ladder, giving Inferno some alt-mode combat options.

 

Combiner Mode

Don’t I look cheerful

I haven’t bothered to combine him here since he doesn’t even have a name for his gestalt mode.  At first I thought has been slight retooling from the Defensor version with a visor instead of individual eyes but then I realise the yellow paint app had just gone over the nose.  So really there is no difference except for the colour scheme.  The combiner mode will add a lot of play value for younger fans, however for the GeeWun crew it’s hard to think of Inferno has a Gestalt torso (even if the Energon version was a combiner too) and he wont get much play in this capacity.

 

Worth Getting?

It’s a hard call.  In some ways this version of Inferno is superior to the Universe version that came out a decade ago.  However in some ways he is inferior too.  If you have the Universe version of Inferno as well as any other version of this particular toy mould then this Inferno figure is an easy pass.  But on the whole it is still a good toy, a decent representation of the character and the combiner gimmick will be fun for many.  For the most part though I think I’ll be playing with my Masterpiece version more.

Got something to say about this figure?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

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