Blaster

"When the music is rockin, I'm rollin."

Finds all Earth music interesting, but it's rock'n'roll -- good, hard and loud -- that really sparks his circuits. In the forefront of any situation he's involved in. As AM/FM stereo cassette player, he can perform as deck plus receive radio signals of all frequencies with power outputs as low as 1/1,000,000 watt. Acts as Autobot communications center... can transmit up to 4,000 miles. Carries electro-scrambler gun that disrupts electrical devices.

STRENGTH

8

INTELLIGENCE

8

SPEED

2

ENDURANCE

8

RANK

7

COURAGE

9

FIREPOWER

7

SKILL

9

OVERALL

58

Click the image above to see the alt mode, or view more photos here
First Appearances

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 17, June 1986 / Issue 80, July 1991
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 91, March 7th 1987 / Issue 254, January 27th, 1990
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 30 (Season 2 #14), September 25th 1985 / Episode 95 (Season 3 #30), February 25th 1987
First Toy Appearance - 1985

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

AKA 'Broad Blast'
Manufacturer - Takara
Toyline - Device Label

Additions/Mods:
- Added an Autobot symbol to the chest (covering the smaller tampographed one)

Review

Blaster was the trendy hipster who made his debut in Season 2, and quickly established himself as a fan-favourite. His persona in the comics was immediately at odds with this, as he was a serious character who much mourned (and blamed himself for) the death of his partner, Scrounge. I actually like both aspects of the character, and always wanted the toy, because he was a garish boombox who also had mini-cassettes - not as many as Soundwave, but still, another great figure with lots of play value. Obviously the days of cassettes are long-gone, and there are 3 versions of Blaster to consider in this modern era: The first is a retool of Universe Soundwave, which is an odd spindly looking robot which becomes a plane; The second is a retool of 'Fall Of Cybertron' Soundwave (notice a pattern here?) but I decided to pick up 'Device Label' Blaster. Was it a good choice?


Appearance (Robot Mode) 7/10
The first thing to say about this figure is that the headsculpt is brilliant. It seems to homage both the cartoon and comic appearances in a nice blend which also incorporates some fabulous light-piping. The chest is perfect, and can even fit a G1 sized mini-cassette in situ. The arms are pretty nice, but you can't help but notice some very bulky-looking 'wings' hanging off the backs of them. Ditto the back, which is similarly encumbered with kibble, the reason for which becomes clear when the alt mode is revealed. The lower legs are quite strange looking, a bit cumbersome if you will, and there are some very obvious USB ports on both. He came sans weapon so I gave him a spare from my BTS Nemesis Prime trailer. I think it resembles the original rather well, despite the lack of a stock. This is a voyager figure, so displays very well with 'Music Label' Soundwave, being a fair bit taller (as with the original toys)

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 7/10
It's funny that what appeared modern just a few years ago is already feeling dated now. This is a very good approximation of a laptop however, resplendent with its 'Toshiba' logo. Actually this figure has a great bonus, in that it is a working USB hub - I have never tested it but have no reason to doubt it works. The 'lid' can open and close, with a satisfying ratchety click as it moves between the 2 states. Somwhat unusually for a modern figure, several large stickers are applied to make up the computer screen. If I ever feel particularly resourceful, I might remove these and paint my own custom 'Teletraan II' mural onto the screen - but then any website redesigns would be out of the question.


Transformation 7/10
The transformation is fairly simple but not without its issues. The chest cavity is opened and the head rotates and hides in there, this means that no cassettes can be stowed in alt mode. The forearms become thinner and elongate and loosely clip into the upper arms - I find this works better if the fists are rotates 180º first. The shoulders then move down the torso. I find it tricky to rejoin the panels that become the laptop screen, but maybe I'm just dim. In one final humiliation Blaster than has to do the horizontal splits before his legs clip into place, forming the rest of the faux keyboard.

Poseability 8/10
The head is on a swivel, but he has no waist rotation, shame. He has ball-jointed shoulders which can also pitch up and down thanks to his transformation. He also has double jounts in his elbows, and his wrists are on balljoints too. He has 2 joints in his hips, as well as 2 in his knees. No articulation to speak of in the ankle region though but those bulky lower legs pay dividends when it comes to posing, giving Blaster very good balance. The kibble on the arms and back can also be adjusted depending on your preferences. This guy would be worth a 9 if he had a ball-jointed neck and any movement in his waist.


Quality 7/10
Everything about this figure feels reasonably solid, the plastic is good quality, anthough unusually for a figure of this size there are no ratchet joints which does worry me slightly that he will suffer from 'Infernoitis' in later life. I don't particularly like the way that the screen joins together, the 'pins' used are very thin and could break if you let a careless oik near them.

Overall - 36/50
I'm pretty happy with Blaster. He displays well with Soundwave and his mini-cassettes which is really one of my main criteria. I'm happy that also my Blaster and Soundwave are both distinct and different moulds, and not just retools of the other. I would recommend this figure, and he looks great in an office with your various devices plugged into him.

Blitzwing

"Destroy first, think later."

Ability as Triple Changer to rapidly transform makes him one of the most dangerous Decepticons. Cruel sense of humor, loud-mouthed, belligerent, and brash. Flies at mach 2.7, range 1500 miles, has heat-seeking concussion missiles as plane. As tank, has track-mounted cannon that fires explosive shells 3.5 miles. As robot has electron-scimitar and gyro-blaster rifle. Often gets stuck in mid-transformation.

STRENGTH

8

INTELLIGENCE

5

SPEED

9

ENDURANCE

8

RANK

6

COURAGE

7

FIREPOWER

7

SKILL

7

OVERALL

57

Click the image above to see the alt mode, or view more photos here
First Appearances

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 29, June 1987 / Issue 43, August 1988
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 88, November 22nd 1986 / Issue 283, August 18th 1990
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 30 (Season 2 #14), September 25th 1985 / Episode 70 (Season 3 #5), September 19th 1986
First Toy Appearance - 1985

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

Manufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - Generations

Additions/Mods:
- Added a Decepticon symbol to the cockpit, covering the tampographed one
- Added a Decepticon symbol to the gun barrel
- Added a replacement head and missiles from the SXS Upgrade kit

Review

When I was a wee strip of a lad I remember eagerly picking up my Transformers issues from my local corner shop and I still remember seeing issue 123 and thinking what a cool cover it was. The tagline was 'Trouble...Times Three!' and it featured the three Decpticon Triple Changers. Although I never tracked down Octane, Astrotrain and Blitzwing were 2 of my favourite figures. 'Blitzwing' could very well be in the top 5 of the best names ever, so hats off to Budiansky for that one. As the name suggests, this is a military character; while the other Triple Changers sported at least one civilian alternate mode, both of Blitzwings modes were instruments of death. 'Blitz' because the tank he could transform into would not have looked out of place on the battlefields of WWII, and 'Wing' because he also transformed into an awesome Jet (albeit one with a tank turret hanging off the bottom of it). In 2006, I was obviously chuffed when a new version of Astrotrain appeared. I assumed that Blitzwing would be along directly. Only he wasn't. Then we got Tankor, who was the new version of Octane. This renewed my hope that Blitzwing would be next. But then months turned into years and still no announcement! Just when I had given up hope and I got ready to send FansProject an email begging for their intervention, Hasbro finally came through with an updated version of the character! But was he worth the wait?


Appearance (Robot Mode) 8/10
There are a few issues with this robot mode which prevent it scaling even greater heights, but in the main, Hasbro have done a great job. Blitzwing is a suitably imposing figure, and is instantly recognizable as the character of old. His chest cockpit looks great, as do the moulded tracks on his legs. He still retains the iconic tailplanes, which jut out from his broad shoulders. Unfortunately the Headsculpt is quite poor. I replaced the head with the SXS upgrade kit which also incorporates some additional weaponry and a shoulder fix. Unfortunately the colour purple the kit is cast in is incorrect. This does not affect the headsculpt though, which is improved and features decent light-piping. The detail on the face could afford to be a little sharper, though. When you put this chap next to Astrotrain and Octane you realise how large he is. He is a generous Voyager figure, while the other two are average deluxes. While this isn't a flaw in the figure as such, it is galling that he doesn't really fit in so well with his team mates. Perhaps this is an example of Hasbro learning that decent-looking triple changers at deluxe size are very hard to pull off. Blitzwing also comes with a curiously small rifle and his iconic sword is also present, hooray!

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 8/10
I would say of the two modes that the jet mode is more successful, so I will start with that. I actually think that the jet looks fantastic. It is large and imposing and has space to store both weapons in a way which actually enhances the look. The purple and beige colour scheme work so well in this mode, with excellent accents on the wings picked up in red. This plane looks brutal and functional, which suits the character perfectly. The tank mode is quite good, the barrel can be moved up and down and rotated, and also fires a missile when the barrel is 'pumped' (for want of a better word). The main problem with the tank modes is that articulation though, because rotating the barrel reveals a big gap of nothing towards the rear of the vehicle. While this is annoying, it is certainly no disaster, and Hasbro have really excelled in producing 2 alternate modes which have very little incongruous kibble on them. Certainly a step up from the likes of Octane and Astrotrain!


Transformation 8/10
This is where things go slightly awry for Blitzwing, for a start it is a real challenge to push the head in to the correct position to allow the nosecone to be put in place. The default head is rubbery and sits on a powerful spring which you have to push down whilst simultaneously trying to slot the nosecone into a tab. The entire nosecone is made of rubber also, so this is tricky indeed. the 2 rubber surfaces catch on each other and make it hard to get the clearance required. This is why I feel the replacement head has really improved things as this whole affair is much easier. The shoulders also have a habit of moving out of position which means that when transforming the arms, you have to readjust the shoulders continuously. These gripes aside, thing are much better elsewhere. The hands are covered by panels secreted in the inside of the forearms. The arms form the top of the fuselage in aeroplane mode, and the turret in tank mode. The legs form the bottom, with the leg transformations reversed to fulfill both modes.

Poseability 7/10
Blitzwing has decent articulation, having head swivel, lateral and side-to side movement in the shoulder and the same in the hips. However, his shoulders have a mind of their own, and frustratingly pop out of position. He also has bicep and thigh swivel, elbow and knee joints as well as wrist swivel and poseable feet, being that they are comprised of the lower tailplanes. The only meaningful articulation Blitzwing lacks is a waist joint, as well as more movement in his head. There are no balance issues thanks to the articulated feet, so hats off to Hasbro again, it seems. His thighs are a little odd, though, being proportionally too stumpy when compared to his super-long lower legs.


Quality 6/10
The stock head of my figure had already lost paint, due to the incredibly awkward act of getting the nosecone into the right place. I now use a slither of paper in-between the 2 surfaces to minimise friction and paint loss during transformation. Even when in place, the nosecone feels like it is being stretched out of position, with a nasty gap where the tab engages. Again, I would recommend the head upgrade to alleviate this issue. Elsewhere, the quality of plastic feels decent, not necessarily up to the standard of 5 year old figures but good nonetheless. The weak tabs holding the shoulders in position are another cause for concern.

Overall - 37/50
I wish that Hasbro had ditched the face-swapping feature as I feel it forced them to compromise in ways that have ultimately made the figure worse. That is not to say that this is a bad figure by any means - it is certainly a massive improvement on Hasbro's other attempts at Triple Changers in recent years. I am so happy to finally have this figure, and I feel that overall Hasbro have done a great job of representing the original character.

Bonecrusher

"Hit it till it stands no taller than dust."

Rubble-strewn wasteland is his idea of beautiful landscape. His wild ways create fear and terror. As vehicle, at 30mph. Exerts 800,000psi... has short-range concussion bomb launcher. As robot, carries laser pistol. As left arm module, combines with fellow Constructicons to form giant robot "Devastator".

STRENGTH

9

INTELLIGENCE

3

SPEED

2

ENDURANCE

8

RANK

4

COURAGE

8

FIREPOWER

6

SKILL

6

OVERALL

46

Click the image above to see the alt mode, or view more photos here
First Appearances

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 10, November 1985 / Issue 41, June 1988
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 61, May 17th 1986 / Issue 81, October 4th 1986
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 16 (Season 1 #16), December 15th 1984 / Episode 96 (Season 4 #1), November 9th 1987 First Toy Appearance - 1985

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

AKA 'Bulldozer'
Manufacturer - Maketoys
Toyline - Type 61

Additions/Mods:
- Added a Decepticon symbol to the chest

Review

Bonecrusher is the posessor of one of the more outlandish Decepticon names there have been. He sounds more like one of the evil giants in the 'Big Friendly Giant' than he does a malevolent automaton but no matter. This pea-green pugilist is one sixth of Devastator, and this mere fact alone already makes him great. This character has recently been homaged by both TFC and Maketoys - I went for the Maketoys version. Did I make the right choice?


Appearance (Robot Mode) 6/10
This is very much a figure of 2 halves, as I think the lower legs have been designed very well and look impressive enough. However, the upper half has some big problems. Firstly, the lower arms are just hollow, and you could be forgiven for thinking that this is a modern Hasbro toy, were it not for the fact that it is too large and well-designed. There is hideous gapping in and around the neck area as well, and the head seems to float just above the shoulders. Also, the back is extremely hollow, with the combiner joint just kind of sitting there, protuding out of the back. I can't help but think that this kibble could have been integrated alot smarter to make the rear of this figure more cohesive. The colour scheme is perfect though and the paint apps that are present are all of an excellent standard. The headsculpt itself is good, although there is no light-piping unfortunately.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 8/10
The Bulldozer mode is great, with minimal robot/combiner kibble on display. The little yellow/black and white/red chevrons reall complement the dramatic green finish as well. The scoop cam move up and down, which is nice. Despite the fact that I would never use the feature, I am disappointed that there are not little wheels embedded into the tracks, because this vehicle cannot roll at all. All in all though, Maketoys have done a great job on the alt mode.


Transformation 7/10
The transformation sequence is fairly involved. The legs are formed by snapping the treads and rotating the bottom part to reveal the feet and heels. The head can be a little hard to seperate from the cabin part, as both swing out in the same direction to form the robot, with the head stuck awkwardly inside. The shoulder balljoints are pretty tight, and can make swinging the shoulders out the correct way tricky. Also, I have found that in order to move the scoop halves to the desired position, you have to swivel the waist just so to allow for clearance. Finally the combiner kibble is pushed flush to the gaping hole where the back should be, but there is nothing to hold it in any kind of position, which is pretty bad.

Poseability 6/10
Bonecrusher's head is on a balljoint, which allows for a good range of movement (although I would have actually preferred a more substantial neck in this case), and there is waist swivel. The shoulders and hips are ball-jointed. There is bicep and thigh swivel (although this is impeded by the way the treads affix to the thighs). There are double-jointed elbows and ball-jointed knees. Additionally the wrists and 'toes' are ball-jointed as well, allowing for a variety of poses. The reason I don't really rate the poseability of this figure is because of the big gaps in it. Articulation is actually above average but really there are only a few angles where Bonecrusher looks good. You will probably never see a shot of this robot from above, because then the gaps in the neck area and back are there for all to see, which is a real shame.


Quality 8/10
Any flaws with the quality of this toy are all in the design, rather than the materials used. All of the plastic feels excellent and very strong, which means I will now trust Maketoys with any further releases as they are right up there with FansProject in terms of quality. I wouldn't recommend unleashing a kid onto this toy though because they are likely to cut themselves on the sharp edges or just snap bits off. This (and all the other 3rd party toys for that matter) has not been rigorously tested to ensure clumsy little oafs can't break bits off and eat them.

Overall - 35/50
I appreciate that Bonecrusher is merely a small piece in the overall puzzle which is the glorious Devastator, but I do feel some unnecessary concessions were made to make the best combiner possible. There is so much which is really great about this figure, and compared to Hasbro's recent combiners it is laughably superior. But the gaping voids around the neck and back are really not good enough, which is why Bonecrusher is probably my least favourite of the Constructicons.

Broadside

"I like the sea far away and my feet on the ground."

Doesn't like transforming into carrier or jet -- gets seasick on water, has fear of heights. Effective, valiant warrior, but other Autobots wish he wouldn't gripe so much. Expands to 1200 ft length as carrier, capable of landing jets and carrying other Autobots. 15,000 mile range, 40 knots maximum speed. Projects 80,000 volt electric field around himself in jet mode. Has high-energy plasma-pulse gun and shattering vibro-ax in robot mode.

STRENGTH

8

INTELLIGENCE

8

SPEED

9

ENDURANCE

8

RANK

6

COURAGE

9

FIREPOWER

7

SKILL

7

OVERALL

62

Click the image above to see the alt mode, or view more photos here
First Appearances

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 41, June 1988
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 82, October 11th 1986 / Issue 279, July 21st 1990
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 76 (Season 3 #11), October 6th 1986 / Episode 93 (Season 3 #28), November 19th 1986
First Toy Appearance - 1986

Click here to see Figure Details

Figure Details

AKA 'Assaulter'
Manufacturer - Fansproject
Toyline - Warbot

Additions/Mods:
- Added an Autobot symbol to the chest
- Added an Autobot symbol to the nosecone
- Added Autobot symbols to the tailfins

Cyclonus

"Compassion is the Autobots' downfall."

Cyclonus is a huge and emotionless air warrior. He has vast resources of power and can draw strength in direct proportion to his need. Cyclonus is equipped with nuclear-powered turbine engines which enable him to reach speeds greater than Mach 2. In robot mode, he carries an oxidating laser that fuses an enemy robot's internal mechanisms. Cyclonus has no weaknesses and no interests other than conquest.

STRENGTH

8

INTELLIGENCE

8

SPEED

9

ENDURANCE

8

RANK

9

COURAGE

9

FIREPOWER

7

SKILL

7

OVERALL

65

Click the image above to see the alt mode, or view more photos here
First Appearances

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - The Transformers: Headmasters Issue 2, September 1987 / Issue 67, June 1990
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 78, September 13th 1986 / Issue 205, February 18th 1989
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - The Transformers: The Movie, August 8th 1986 / Episode 98 (Season 4 #3), November 11th 1987
First Toy Appearance - 1986

Click here to see Figure Details

Figure Details

Manufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - Transformers 2010

Additions/Mods:
- Added decepticon symbols to the wings
- Removed the rubsign and added a decepticon symbol to the chest
- Replaced the standard gun with 'Typhoon gun' by Sunlink, available on Shapeways

Dion

"Efficiency makes you strong. Speed makes you lethal."

There was a time when Dion cared little for the echoes of war beginning to spread across his home world. Occasionally he'd opine on the feats of the new robots with flight capabilities, who he secretly envied, but otherwise turned a deaf audio receptor to the discussion about the start of what some were calling the second Cybertronian war. All that changed the day the war finally found him. The flying robots landed at the front door of the storage depot, led by the one called Megatron. Amicable at first, the encounter quickly turned for the worse when Megatron unleashed his full fury on the dockworkers and fled with that cycle's shipment of Energon.

When Dion awoke, he now was fully aware of what Megatron and the Decepticons were capable of, and having lost all that he had known, Dion decided to join the Elite Guard and now works to stop the Decepticons any way he can!

STRENGTH

7

INTELLIGENCE

7

SPEED

9

ENDURANCE

8

RANK

6

COURAGE

9

FIREPOWER

9

SKILL

8

OVERALL

63

Click the image above to see the alt mode, or view more photos here
First Appearances

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) -
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) -
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 59 (Season 2 #43), December 25th 1985
First Toy Appearance - 2005

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

Manufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - TFCC

Additions/Mods:
- Added an Autobot symbol to the roof

Review

Dion started life as an improbably-named Transformer (similar to if Optimus Prime were called 'Kevin') who showed up in the cartoon as Orion Pax's sidekick and was promptly (supposedly) dispatched during the same episode. But his death was not seen on screen, which has allowed Fun Pub to provide a new figure of him. Let's see if it was worth the bother.


Appearance (Robot Mode) 8/10
Since his rebuild, Dion is a bit more badass than the sap who Megatron blasted a hole in, and accordingly, his figure is pretty cool. The colour scheme is reminiscent of the original, although the yellow is a bit too orange for my liking. The headsculpt is very nice, with a moveable visor, and the guns are decent looking, when not displayed with the silly 'blob' missiles attached. All in all, Dion looks very striking in this mode.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 7/10
The car mode is slightly more chunky than the standard cars in the 'classicsverse' range, which is understandable as this mould has been repurposed from an earlier toyline. There is a big gap on the rear spoiler which is supposed to be taken up by a small helicopter minicon that this guy comes with. I just pretend that the small helicopter chap doesn't exist. This aside, the car is pretty cool and has some great Autobot decals by the front wheel arches. The twin exhaust (comprised of the guns) works very well.


Transformation 7/10
This figure is reasonably shell-formerish, which means a lot of making sure all the body panels are aligned just so to make the car mode not look like a M.O.T. failure. But, there are some neat touches. For example, the groin splits (ouch) and the head ends up somewhere between the legs. Dion was clearly a hedonist who warranted more that one episode of screentime.

Poseability 6/10
This guy ain't half bad. His feet have some articulation, allowing you to redistribute the weight subtly, which lends itself to some neat poses. However, there is no waist swivel, and the car kibble on the back of the shoulders collides even in a neutral pose. Also, his arms are splayed out somewhat, as if Dion was quite the power-lifter in his spare time. He has head swivel, and only the one axis of movement in his shoulder. He is blessed with bicep swivel and double-jointed elbows though. He has better movement in his hips, but is crucially lacking thigh swivel which has been replaced with the pretty useless 'shin' swivel.


Quality 6/10
I fear what a mischievous child could do to this toy. There are lots of thin panels which could easily snap or bend if the transformation was done out of sequence. Keep your ham-fisted friends away from him. I also feel like excessive force is required to split his groin, and as I mentioned the shoulder kibble is constantly colliding.

Overall - 34/50
For someone who showed up briefly and then supposedly died, Dion has been awarded a disproportionately nice figure. He even works well as a 'generic' Autobot despite his slightly incongruous alt mode. I bought this from Fun Pub directly for a steal, and would recommend him should you see him going cheap. Now it's up to Hasbro to hurry up with the forthcoming Orion Pax!

Dreadwind

"Fear is a friend whose presence is felt long after he's left."

As ominous as a storm cloud and as chilling as a winter breeze. Grim and gloomy -- always acts as if his best friend just became permanently inoperative. Binary-bonded to the Nebulan, Hi-Test, a thrill-seeking, over-achieving perfectionist, constantly striving to keep Dreadwind's morose mind on his evil work. Equipped with two thermal melters and two air-to-air missiles. Combines with Darkwing to form Dreadwing.

STRENGTH

6

INTELLIGENCE

8

SPEED

7

ENDURANCE

8

RANK

6

COURAGE

7

FIREPOWER

7

SKILL

8

OVERALL

57

Click the image above to see the alt mode, or view more photos here
First Appearances

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 42, July 1988 / Issue 80, July 1991
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 215, April 22nd 1989 / Issue 240, October 21st 1989
First/Last Cartoon Appearance -
First Toy Appearance - 1988

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

Manufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - Botcon

Additions/Mods:
- Added a large Decepticon symbols to the rear wings
- Added a Decepticon symbol to the chest, covering the rubsign

Review

I held off buying Darkwing for the longest time, because I always hated the fact that if I bought Darkwing that I would never have a Dreadwind to go with him. These 2 need each other, like Lennon and McCartney, or Laurel and Hardy. So why hadn't there been a figure of Dreadwind? Well, there had, but it was hard to come by. Dreadwind was part of a very successful Botcon boxset which was very quickly snapped up, and as a result, it is a pretty rare figure, and commands a hefty price tag. Luckily, one of these came up. But was it worth the dent in my wallet?

Appearance (Robot Mode) 9/10
I never thought I would own this figure, but one came up on eBay for a very reasonable price, and I thought 'it's now or never', so here he is. I am very pleased with him. Like his mould-mate Jetfire, he comes with a plethora of accessories. I find that the most authentic mode for Dreadwind is to keep his wings down in 'bot mode, and to leave all the armour off. The paint apps have been lavishly applied to this guy, and Fun Pub did a great job of his head sculpt. Slightly nicer looking than Jetfire, if only because of the sumptuously vulgar paint.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 9/10
This mode is a real beaut. I really like the paint apps on the front wings, and I ensured that I only stuck reprolabels on any unpainted areas (the last thing I want to do on a rare figure is to peel the paint off by accident) Again, this mode is more authentic to the original if you leave the accessories off, but you always have the option to boost Dreadwind up if you need to. I absolutely love the colour scheme.

Transformation 9/10
Dreadwind is a lot of fun to transform, because he feels so sturdy and well-designed. Everything tabs and squares away nicely for the jet mode. Even the backpack has a nice 'automorph' feature, where you can slide a plastic cover down to unfurl the hidden weapons, which spring into place.

Poseability 7/10
Articulation is pretty good in this figure, with almost every joint ratcheting into place, which means he is unable to fall out of poses any time soon. Unfortunately, the design of his feet mean that he can have some balance issues, and he doesn't stand particularly well on slippery surfaces. This problem is magnified when the backpack is attached. Also, I overlooked the fact that he has no bicep swivel, which is a big minus for me.

Quality 8/10
Holding this figure, you really get the sense that it has been made of quality materials. Nothing feels flimsy, and there is nothing in the transformation sequence which puts anything under stress. Given the price and scarcity of this figure, I am very careful with him anyway. I would recommend you protecting him somehow, if, like me, you don't have the Botcon box set that this guy was part of. I keep mine in my Henkei 'Dark Skyfire' box. Poor Dark Skyfire.

Overall - 42/50
I score Dreadwind slightly higher than Jetfire, only because I marginally prefer the colour scheme of the 'bot mode, and also, there is no evident yellowing that I have seen on this guy. I guess that's because he's a greyer white than Jetfire. If you like the Jeftire mould, then you will obviously like Dreadwing too. Fub Pub did a great job of conveying Dreadwind's character into a mould not intended for him. At least now Darkwing won't be lonely.

Fireflight

"When I'm flying, no enemy is safe - nor friend."

If Aerialbots needed pilots' licenses, he'd never have gotten his... a hazard in the skies. Doesn't pay attention to where he's going since he's too busy marvelling at scenery. Flies at Mach 2.0, range 1000 miles. Carries flammable "fire-fog" missiles, uses photon displacer gun that effects sight by distorting light waves. With fellow Aerialbots forms "Superion".

STRENGTH

7

INTELLIGENCE

5

SPEED

8

ENDURANCE

8

RANK

6

COURAGE

9

FIREPOWER

7

SKILL

3

OVERALL

53

Click the image above to see the alt mode, or view more photos here
First Appearances

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 21, October 1986 / Issue 50, March 1989
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 63, May 31st 1986 / Issue 278, July 14th 1990
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 57 (Season 2 #41), November 26th 1985 / Episode 98 (Season 4 #3), November 11th 1987
First Toy Appearance - 1986

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

Manufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - Revenge of the Fallen

Additions/Mods:
- Used parts from both ROTF Fireflight and Skydive, Repainted the chest, cockpit, wings and engines a more vibrant red
- Added Autobot symbols to the wings
- Added stickers to the cockpit

Review

Fireflight was always the clumsy oaf of the Aerialbots. Perhaps Hasbro had this in mind when they repurposed the Superion Energon combiner to be a homage to G1 Superion, for the resultant mess is one of the worst figures I have aver had the displeasure to set eyes upon. For why, read on...


Appearance (Robot Mode) 5/10
For everything that Hasbro got right with Air Raid/Slingshot, they got wrong with this mould, for it is damn ugly. It's difficult to know where to begin, so let's take each part in isolation. The head is rather wide and insectiod, and is crowned by some guns which make the head look even more insectoid. The torso sports the 'middle aged spread' look, and is made to look even podgier by the snake-like hips lurking beneath it. The lower arms end in lumps as opposed to fists. The legs are as skinny as the hips, and there is a silly amount of kibble attached to the upper body. At least the gun/shield is pretty nice, but that's only because FansProject designed them, and not the Hasbro work experience guy who came up with this risible robot mode. Knowing I could do little about the look of the mould, I instead tried to make the colours better by combining two figures to make a nearly all-grey robot, and then painted over the horrible maroon with red. The result is a figure which doesn't necessarily match the colour scheme of the G1 robot, but at least it isn't quite so obnoxious now.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 6/10
Thankfully the alternate mode is a vast improvement, but still not nice enough to warrant the detestable robot mode. At least here we have a well-proportioned aeroplane, the same model as Powerglide by the looks of it. I still don't think that an Aerialbot should have this kind of layout though, and would have preferred a more F15-like layout. I prefer the colour scheme of the plane now that I have painted it, as at least it is not quite so jarring with the other Aerialbots.


Transformation 7/10
Part of the reason for the odd proportions in robot mode are due to this transformation sequence, which is actually pretty imaginative. The wings and surrounding area fold back to reveal the legs, which are then pivoted to align with the waist. It is this act of stowing the legs that make them necessarily thin. The legs also are seperated and then fitted back together differently to put the figure into 'combiner' mode. The fists become the jet engines which is also why they are pretty awful to look at.

Poseability 5/10
The articulation on this figure is actually good, especially considering the size class. His head swivels, as does the waist. The Hips, Knees, Shoulders and Elbows are all on ball joints. Even the antannae-like guns on his head can pivot back and forth. Unfortunately, the excessive kibble in the rear of the upper body gives this mould severe balance issues. Add to this a fairly gawpy-looking robot mode, means that you spend most of your time tying to find a non-stupid pose where he doesn't fall over.


Quality 7/10
This figure seems obstinately tough. It knows how ugly it is, and you sure as hell ain't breaking it any time soon. However, the gun emplacement which attaches to the head is very loose, and will certainly be lost should you decide to drop-kick this monstrosity down the stairs.

Overall - 30/50
The mould used to make these poor figures should never have seen the light of day. I guarantee that these figures would have been smelted down in their millions were it not for the fact that they are required to make Superion. This figure is really ugly and does not fit in with the Aerialbot aesthetic, either as a robot or a plane. The only hope is that FansProject one day replace the 2 figures that share this mould with new moulds, as they did with Bruticus. I am happy now that his colour scheme is not quite as awful as it was, though!

Gears

"Nobody wins a war - somebody loses."

Gears is anti-social, a self-proclaimed misfit. Finds fault in everything and everyone. Acts this way to help cheer others up as they try to cheer him up. Tremendous strength and endurances. Totes heavy loads long distances. Launches to height of 20 miles, floats down on compressed air. Becomes an easy target due to limited maneuverability. Can detect infrared.

STRENGTH

8

INTELLIGENCE

7

SPEED

6

ENDURANCE

8

RANK

6

COURAGE

9

FIREPOWER

1

SKILL

7

OVERALL

52

Click the image above to see the alt mode, or view more photos here
First Appearances

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 1, September 1984 / Issue 50, March 1989
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 50, March 1st 1986
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 1 (Season 1 #1), September 17th 1984 / Episode 65 (Season 2 #49), January 9th, 1986
First Toy Appearance - 1984

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

AKA 'Cogwheel'
Manufacturer - Maketoys
Toyline -

Additions/Mods:
- Added an Autobot symbol to the chest
- Added an Autobot symbol to the bonnet

Review

I have a fond attachment to Gears, because he was the first minibot I had, and despite losing the figure later, I still remember transforming him and enjoying his diminutive proportions. One of the more striking aspects of the character was his superman-esque colour scheme, I believe he was the only red and blue Autobot of the 1984 cast, with the exception of Optimus Prime (Although Optimus was more dark indigo than blue). He was used pretty sparingly in the cartoon and also the comics, although did star in one of the stranger US comic episodes, where he teamed up with Spiderman in the only Marvel crossover other than GI Joe in the run. Despite ending up splatted after a big fall, Gears was apparently repairable, not that we ever really saw him again. Perhaps Optimus Prime was trying to spare Spidey's feelings. Due to his relative obscurity, Gears has so far been overlooked by Hasbro, and fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your perspective) iGear stepped up to the plate to produce their homage. Typically, they monumentally cocked it up with an uninsipring, overly large sculpt and a dreadful pastel colour scheme. Then there was another company called SXS, who came up with a nicer product but one which did not evoke Gears particularly. Be thankful, then, that the visionaries at Maketoys saw it appropriate to step in with their own homage.


Appearance (Robot Mode) 8/10
Yes, this is more like it. Here we have a figure who is about the same size as Windcharger, which is my ideal for minibots in general. He is well-proportioned, with chunky feet and broad shoulders, thanks to the massive wheels on display. There are no wheels jutting out on the leg, because these cleverly tuck away for a neater silhouette. Gears comes with a pretty groovy gun, and curiously Maketoys have gone with a non-standard 4mm handle as opposed to the pretty much universal 5mm size. This enabled them to keep the hands nice and compact, I guess. The paint apps are fairly minimal but what are in place are very well applied and really evoke Gears well. The base plastic is actually the right colour, as opposed to iGear's washed out mess. Also the headsupt is nice, but it doesn't really blow me away. It's very neutral although in an added bonus you do get another head which is more toy-accurate. This can easily be popped on in place of the 'stock' one.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 7/10
I'm really torn about this, because it is a very neat-looking vehicle but I'm not that keen about the overall aesthetic. I love the wheels and the proportions seem to hark back to the 'Choro-Q' based G1 minibots. Something I've noticed which is slightly odd is that there are visible screws on the bodywork between the front and rear wheel. These parts form the forearms in robot mode, and again the screws are visible. I find it strange that Maketoys did not put the screws onto the inside of the forearm, so they would be less seen in robot mode, and not seen at all in vehicle mode. This is going to sound strange, but it makes the whole thing more obviously a toy. I mean, I know it is a toy (technically adult collectible, LOL) but I find it odd. In a nice touch, the bonnet opens to reveal so additional lights, not sure why, but it shows good attention to detail.


Transformation 8/10
The rear of the truck is lifted clear to unfold the legs, in a transformation seen many a time before. The feet are then unfolded. In a neat touch, the rear wheels are folded into the calf, stowing them nicely. The arms detach from the sides of the vehicle and they are extended by pulling on them. The hands are unfolded and snapped into position. Most of the time the hands pop off their tiny ball-joints unless you use the tab on the forearm to push into place instead. Then on the roof section the rear parts fold down and tab together, this allows for the sides of the main roof to be folded into the 'armpits' giving a better-proportioned robot silhouette. This is pretty clever stuff, and I particularly like the concealment of the rear wheels.

Poseability 8/10
Gears has a ball-jointed head, although in order to move it, you will most likely need to remove the entire chest section - a feature that is present to allow the head swap. This is because it is set into the torso section, so is forgivable. He also has waist swivel. He has ball-jointed shoulders and hips, with an extra joint at the shoulder. There is also bicep and thigh swivel, with tight ratchet-like joints in the elbows, and more traditional joints in the knees. Both the hands and feet are on ball-joints, although expect the hands to fall of quite easily, and the balls are set very narrow. He balances reasonably well thanks to his ball-jointed feet, although he seems prone to tilting backwards.


Quality 7/10
The plastic is pretty decent, and on the whole the paint apps are very well applied. It feels like a well-designed toy but I am disappointed with the hands detaching too easily, and also the opening bonnet feels quite floppy. I also think that having to pull the chest section out to easily move the head is a problem, because I imagine that feature was designed to be used only a few times.

Overall - 38/50
This is a real improvement over the other iterations of Gears I have seen, and I am more than happy with the size and aesthetics of the robot mode, which I feel look great with the other Hasbro and 3rd-party figures. I'm not sold on the alternate mode, but then I'm not likely to use it much. This is a really nice (and reasonably priced) addition by Maketoys. Recommended.