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.

Brawn

"Might over microchips."

To Brawn, Earth is essentially a hostile environment - and he loves it. Strong, rugged, agile - the most macho of all Autobots. Delights in challenges. Sorry for those not as tough as himself. Second strongest Autobot - can list 190,000 pounds and knock down a small building with one punch. High resistance to artillery fire. Vulnerable to attack by electromagnetic waves.

STRENGTH

9

INTELLIGENCE

3

SPEED

4

ENDURANCE

9

RANK

5

COURAGE

10

FIREPOWER

1

SKILL

4

OVERALL

45

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 13, March 9th 1985 / Issue 257, February 17th 1990
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 1 (Season 1 #1), September 17th 1984 / The Transformers: The Movie, August 8th 1986
First Toy Appearance - 1984

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

AKA 'Hench'
Manufacturer - iGear
Toyline - Mini Warriors

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

Review

Brawn was hard as nails, until he inexplicably died like a massive wimp in the animated Movie. Despite this, he really deserves a good figure, but until he has one, there is a plethora of choice to fill the angry wee robot's shoes. I have bought various figures to represent him, and now I will see if the iGear version is the best of an underwhelming bunch...


Appearance (Robot Mode) 5/10
Much like their Cosmos figure, iGear upscaled an existing mould because they are greedy shysters the fans wanted it. This figure suffers from the same defects as their 'UFO' figure - massive balljoints, crappy plastic and rubbish to non-existent paint apps. This figure is also laughably large - as big as Bumblebee - when you consider that this mould was supposed to be somewhere between legends and scout size, you can perhaps appreciate why the detail is quite so sparse. Brawn has 2 headsculpts but both are pretty poor. The saving graces of this figure are the colour which is spot on, and the figure itself is well-proportioned, and evokes the original character successfully. This would've worked pretty well as a scout-sized figure.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 6/10
The alternate mode looks quite nice but looks and feels very cheap in hand, again due to the fact it was lazily upscaled. The tyres are nicely sculpted albeit somewhat sparse.


Transformation 7/10
Brawn actually has a nice transformation sequence. The doors slide up and then the sides of the vehicle are pulled out and folded back on themselves to form the legs. The waist is twisted 180 degrees and the arms pull out from the recesses either side of the torso.

Poseability 7/10
Brawn has some tight balljoints, but nothing as bad as Cosmos, besides his head balljoint, which alternates between immensely tight and super-loose at the drop of a hat. I haven't figured out why. His head is hard to move anyway because of the cavity it sits in. He has balljointed shoulders, hips, elbows and knees. His waist swivels. His knee joints are very far up on the leg, although not as bad as RID Ultra Magnus. He has some balance issues due to the tabs which form his 'heels'.


Quality 6/10
Intermittently tight and loose balljoints, rubbish, streaky grey plastic and the fact that my figure was dirty out of the box all suggest to me that quality is not at the forefront of iGear's mind. Seaspray was loads better.

Overall - 31/50
This is another crap figure from the iGear stable. I just hope that the remaining 'Mini Warriors' are actually delivered in the scale they were designed for. I'm OK with larger figures if the quality has been upped along with the scale. Unfortunately this is the most representative figure of Brawn by some distance. If something else comes along which is a bit nicer, I will chuck this piece of junk in the bin where it belongs.

Bruticus

Bruticus transforms into the five Combaticons. Can destroy his enemies with ultrasonic waves and smash metal bridges with a single chop of his hand. Cold blooded, likes nothing more than destroying Autobots. Once he starts running wild he is unstoppable. Has small brain circuits, making him simple-minded. Carries a sonic stun gun and a missile cannon

STRENGTH

10

INTELLIGENCE

3

SPEED

1

ENDURANCE

9

RANK

5

COURAGE

10

FIREPOWER

8

SKILL

6

OVERALL

52

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

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 24, January 1987 / Issue 35, December 1987
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 63, May 31st 1986 / Issue 65, June 14th 1986
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 58 (Season 2 #42), December 10th 1985 / Episode 94 (Season 3 #29), February 24th 1987
First Toy Appearance - 1986

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details and review

Manufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - ROTF

Additions/Mods:
- FansProject Munitioner/Explorer v2 upgrade set
- Added various Decepticon symbols

Review

Bruticus was briefly the most imposing of all combiners, after Devastator was mysteriously sidelined for the scramble city-type combiners and before the animalistic fury of Predaking became a reality. He was definitely the most well armed of the four combiner teams who debuted at roughly the same time; the others being the Aerialbots, Protectobots and Stunticons. Even their team name, the 'Combaticons' sounded like they meant business and they certainly did, comprising 5 kick-ass military vehicles. Such was the enduring popularity of the mould, that some 15 years after they disappeared from toy shelves across the globe they were back, this time making up the majority of the Decepticon cast in the 'Robots in Disguise' continuity. The fact that the toys were still cool in 2001 was testament to their iconic design. It's safe to say that I have always had a soft spot for Bruticus and was excited to hear that we would be getting a modern makeover of this set, and then crushed to learn that the 'Bruticus Maximus' Energon set was being re-purposed to homage the G1 figures of old. The Energon combiner was pretty poor, with hardly any articulation and, most damning of all, only three distinct moulds. Thankfully though, a still-fledgeling company called FansProject, buoyed by the success of their Superion upgrade kit, announced their plans to supplement the Combaticons with 2 brand new moulds, and enough accessories to improve the rest of the figures too. Most crucially of all, they would replace the existing head and add some much-needed bulk to the combined robot. The rest is history.


Appearance (Robot Mode) 9/10
The cleverest thing FansProject did was to re-deploy the existing Hasbro figures in a way that would enhance the whole set, and seamlessly blend this in with their new vehicles. Thus, we now have two legs which are coherent with each other, with Brawl barely touched, save for his new foot, which now looks like a foot and not a mess of transparent sticks. He is matched by the great new Swindle figure complete with an updated more G1 colour scheme, and the result is a solid base for the behemoth towering above. Moving up to the torso, Onslaught has been augmented with a new waist panel which really beefs up the figure. The torso now also sports huge cannons - this was something sadly missing from the Hasbro combiner, and is perhaps the most identifiable feature of the original character. Bruticus without gigantic back cannons just isn't Bruticus. I mustn't forget the new headsculpt, which is great and easily one of FansProject's best. Moving onto the arms and Vortex is now an articulated arm as opposed to a stump with no hand. The robot legs have been cleverly re-purposed as elbows, and the forearm bulk is yet another piece of kit supplied by FansProject. The hands are all new, and look great. Each finger terminates in a gun barrel - another example of how tooled up this giant S.O.B. is. Also, the way that Vortex attaches to the torso has altered, with FansProject thinking outside the box again to come up with an attachment point. Moving onto the right arm we have the other new figure, Blast Off, who is deployed very similarly to the left arm, without the need for additional bulk on the forearm. The overall impression is superb. Bruticus is a vast, coherent death machine in muted colours. I did add Reprolablels to the figures as I think that they do provide some much-needed additional detail. All of the Fansproject accessories perfectly complement the good aspects of the original Hasbro combiner, and most people would never notice that these were 2 different manufacturers at play here - a testament to the seamless integration FansProject have achieved. Bruticus is remarkably tooled-up as well - he has a combat knife, sniper rifle and two shotguns. Mess with him at your peril.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 8/10
These vehicles work together very well as a coherent unit. There are also various FansProject enhancements to each vehicle which work to varying degrees of success. We'll start with Brawl again, who has gained an additional 2 guns to sit atop his existing turret. These guns look pretty good and also serve to obscure the fist holes, usually visible to the rear of the turret. Swindle just has the roof-mounted gun, and looks relatively underpowered when compared with the others. But then, Swindle's most effective weapons have always been his brain, and mouth! Vortex has perhaps gained the most - there are now large missile pods underneath each wing, along with 'skis' which nominally act as landing gear in this configuration. It is actually a challenge to align the pods up so they look symmetrical, and the overall added bulk of the 'copter seems like you would need a meatier rotor to achieve lift-off! Blast-Off has zero additional accessories, but then he sits on perhaps the most impressive alteration of all... The Onslaught figure alternate mode was a very stunted truck, with missile pods protuding from the rear, and projecting over the cabin. It was a very unconvincing mode, and FansProject have used come clever engineering to add a lot of length to the truck, enough so that Blast Off can be housed on the back of it. This is another example of great engineering by FansProject. The 'piece de resistance' is those twin cannons, crucially lacking from the original figure. The convoy of these vehicles is one of the most imposing you are likely to see and would likely fill the Autobots with dread!


Transformation 8/10
Onslaught's central component is slightly altered to allow the inclusion of the waist piece - his hips are reversed and his bum ends up as his crotch, in a procedure that sounds more painful than it is. The sides of the vehicle cockpit are opened, to obscure the arms which are spread more widely. It is this change that gives Bruticus his broader physique. The huge guns are then slotted into re-purposed tabs on Onslaught's back, and of course the head is flipped up from the cabin section. The legs are left in vehicle mode, with the fronts being attached to the feet (transformed from Onslaught's trailer) and the rear plugging into the existing Energon connector 'stumps'. The arms are mainly left as vehicles, with the rear sections elongated to give the required length and articulation. The hands are then added, along with the Vortex forearm 'armour', and the arms are then attached to the torso via the transformed missile pods, which now become the shoulder joints. All in all, it is a pretty painless transformation that is a lot of fun.

Poseability 8/10
This is another area in which Bruticus does well in. He has a ball-jointed neck and waist swivel. His hip joints are ratcheted, ans allow for lateral and side-to side movement. His knees bend courtesy of the Energon connectors and it is not uncommon for lower legs to detach at this point, which can be annoying. His feet always point straight ahead but he does have ankle tilt, which is useful given that the figure always has splayed legs. The original Hasbro configuration also suffers form splayed legs, but slightly less because the original Swindle (being a helicopter) is nowhere near as wide as brawl. There is no thigh swivel, but the fact the lower legs can move freely in the Energon ports negates this issue somewhat. His shoulder articulation has some problems, you do get some lateral and side-to-side movement but it could be better. Instead of bicep swivel, the waist swivel of the individual figures is used. also, the fact there are 2 legs acting as a knee joint mean that you can do quite a lot of acute elbow poses. The hands have great articulation, the fingers have 3 joints, there is also a tab on each palm to assist with carrying the provided weapons. There is also wrist swivel. Couple this with large feet which help enormously with balance, and you have a surprisingly poseable figure.


Quality 7/10
Apparently there is a flaw in the missile pod which holds the combined form of Vortex to the torso - the holes which are used to slot to existing circular tabs on the figure are reportedly a bit small, and in some cases the thin plastic has split, rendering the connector unable to support the weight of Vortex. This is not a problem I have observed, but I know that it's out there. This just wouldn't be a FansProject figure if there wasn't at least one design flaw though! Elsewhere the plastics used in both the FansProject and Hasbro components feel nice and solid.

Overall - 40/50
This is probably the greatest example of why third parties have a place in any serious collection. Hasbro produced a set of figures that were flawed to say the least, and then implemented a combiner which was a shadow of even its G1 self. Thanks to FansProject, Hasbro sold out of these much-maligned figures quickly which shows how a symbiotic relationship can be beneficial to both parties. I still feel that someone (preferably FansProject) could re-visit this set and replace all Hasbro components, but until then, this is a remarkable improvement on the original. It makes you whet your appetite for FansProject's forthcoming Menasor really...

Gnaw

"I live for the taste of an Autobot's fuel line!"

Travels in packs with fellow Sharkticons. Fearless and vicous. Loyal only to the master who last fed him. Powerful tail fin allows him to travel at speeds over 150 Knots. Carnivourous with a voracious appetite. Possesses several rows of razor-sharp teeth that can tear through solid steel. In robot Mode, carries a maceration laser that shoots salt-based corrosive liquid. Also carries a barbed mace.

STRENGTH

7

INTELLIGENCE

3

SPEED

4

ENDURANCE

8

RANK

2

COURAGE

8

FIREPOWER

4.5

SKILL

4.5

OVERALL

41

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

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 43, August 1988
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) -
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - The Transformers: The Movie, August 8th 1986 / Episode 94 (Season 3 #29), February 24th 1987
First Toy Appearance - 1986

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

AKA 'Sharkies' Manufacturer - Unique Toys
Toyline -

Additions/Mods:

Review

Since the demise of Impossible Toys people have been wondering who would next tackle the non-Transformer races. In particular, fans intent on collecting the various types of Quintessons etc were still waiting for someone to step up and homage the Sharkticons. And now, in a pattern that seems to be spreading to all 3rd-party figures at the moment, 2 different manufacturers have thrown their hats into the ring. Not to mention that Hasbro has also got in on the act, finally realising that these little guys might shift a few units. iGear announced their intention to create a set of 3 a while ago, but then I don't really like iGear so avoid them wherever possible. Then another company called Unique Toys announced theirs - I wasn't thrilled because I didn't like the designs they had come up with so far. But then I saw the renders and prototypes and my mind was made up. Unique Toys' 'Sharkies' would be mine!


Appearance (Robot Mode) 8/10
There are actually 3 little robots in this set, and generally I feel this represents good value for money - particularly in the 3rd party market. One of the sharkies has a different colour scheme, so because of this I have picked him out as Gnaw, who is the only officially-named Sharkticon. I have used the 'appearances' stats from the Sharkies in general, as there isn't really a way of proving or disproving that Gnaw is not present, amongst all of his pals. Anyway onto the figures who are something of a treat. They are diminutive and barrel-chested, with tiny little legs. Their heads are disproportionately large, yet somehow everything ties in nicely. Regarding the headsulpts, these are finely detailed with 3 distinct faces, all of which are well done. I am also very impressed by the paint apps on this figure, which are really rich and contrast nicely against the electric blue and dark grey plastic. These guys come bundled with their spiked club weapons and a pistol each, and manage to look both comical and menacing at the same time.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 9/10
It is in this particular mode where these guys really shine, and I mean that quite literally with their nicely-chromed eyes, cast in a sumptuous gold. These figures have an impressive set of teeth, which are satisfyingly sharp, thanks to this toy being firmly in the realm of 'adult collectable' and out of reach of the majority of 5-year-olds who could cut their wee pinkies on them. The club weapon works perfectly as a tail and these guys look good from every angle aside from right underneath, which makes them infinitely more coherent than FOC Grimlock. These monsters definitely look better in groups, and I am sorely tempted to buy another 3 to boost their numbers further!


Transformation 8/10
Ostensibly a shell-former, this figure still manages to squeeze in a quite innovative transformation. Firstly the head is rotated to face backwards and is snapped into the shark maw. This is then closed up, and the belly opened up. This allows the legs to be folded, rotated and tucked into the torso and also the arms are rotated down at the shoulder. This is to move them fractionally lower on the body, and also to facilitate slotting the shark arms into place. The robot arms are then repositioned, with the fists collapsed. And with that, you are pretty much done. One of the shark horns has an annoying propensity to pop off - I actually cut them down slightly at the point they connect to hold them in a bit better.

Poseability 8/10
generally this is decent but lacks a forward-facing 'knee joint' in shark mode. But then you do get nice little arms and horns that pivot. Onto the robot mode and the head is ball-jointed but regrettably waist swivel is missing - a necessary concession to facilitate transformation. This figure does have ball-jointed shoulders and hips, and swivel at the bicep and thigh area. The elbows are also ball-jointed, although the range is limited by the plastic either side of the joint, limiting what you can do. His wrists are not articulated although he does have ball-jointed feet. His sheer belly mass makes some dynamic poses impossible, although the balance is very impressive considering the diminutive feet and big belly.


Quality 7/10
This is a solid effort from Unique Toys. Compared to, say, MMC, the plastic used feels quite light and thin although not in any way brittle. The paint apps are also plentiful and well-applied, with my main criticism being that the shark 'horns' pop off with alarming ease, particularly on the side of the head where they are masking the screws. This is because the tabs are slightly too long, and they protude a bit because of the screw. I took a few millimeters off of the tab and now they sit in a bit more securely. They still pop off though, and I would be tempted to glue them in place if I didn't like the fact they could be repositioned to make the sharks look 'happy' or 'sad'.

Overall - 40/50
I heartily recommend this set of Sharkies - I doubt the Hasbro effort will be up too much and they will also be too small. As for iGear they are dragging their heels as usual, and will surely conspire to mess their figures up, as is their propensity of late. The 'Sharkies' are very cute and intricately designed figures, and Unique Toys have not scrimped on quality either, managing to deliver 3 very decent figures for a relatively cheap price. Pick them up, they will make you smile!

Menasor

"Leave no Autobot uncrushed."

A clanking, crushing terror that destroys all in his path -- the ulimate Decepticon weapon if he wasn't so confused by the opposing thoughts of the 5 Stunticons who comprise him. (Motormaster is loathed by the other four.) Tremendous strength, his punch has the force of 140 tons. Impervious to most artillery. Uses Motormaster's cyclone gun and carries an ionizer sword with a 50,000 volt charge.

STRENGTH

10

INTELLIGENCE

3

SPEED

2

ENDURANCE

9

RANK

5

COURAGE

9

FIREPOWER

9

SKILL

6

OVERALL

53

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

First/Last Comic Appearance (US) - Issue 22, November 1986
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 63, May 31st 1986 / Issue 259, March 3rd 1990
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 57 (Season 2 #41), November 26th 1985 / Episode 84 (Season 3 #19), November 10th 1986
First Toy Appearance - 1986

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details and review

AKA 'Intimidator'

Toyline - Causality

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

Review

Menasor was the combiner with the pointy ears, and that's about when my recollection ends. He was used extremely sparingly in the cartoon and the comics, with less than a handful of appearances over all media. He was rather lost in the mix when it came to his contemporaries, being second-best to Bruticus in my estimation. He was also the shortest of the G1 combiners, save the late appearance of Piranhacon and Monstructor. That said, I suddenly became rather excited when it transpired that FansProject were going to produce a homage to him. This took me by surprise because unlike their Bruticus and Superion add-on sets, they had no base figure to augment. No, they would be doing this from scratch - the first 100% FansProject combiner. When you consider that both TFC and Maketoys beat them to this, it is rather surprising. So it intrigued me how one of the original 3rd party companies would fare against these other guys. FansProject teased about this set for what seemed like an age, waiting a looong time before the first fleeting glance of the completed combiner was spotted. One day, a rather innocuous box arrived at my house, containing a very slender box which supposedly contained Motormaster plus all of his combiner kibble. Could it really have everything in it? Of course. So, join me, finally, in finding out how well FansProject can do a combiner when they are unconstrained by Hasbro...


Appearance (Robot Mode) 9/10
Let me say first that this is a stunning figure, and then I am going to get my one criticism out of the way right now. FansProject kinda cheated with this one. Unlike the combiners churned out by Maketoys or MMC for example, none of the limbs incorporate any combiner kibble. Where Maketoys made decisions such as attaching trailers to their arm bots to at least try to integrate and keep the kibble with the relevant figure, FansProject just thought "nope" and didn't bother. I can understand their reasoning; I mean how can you store giant feet or hands without ruining the lines of sleek sports cars? Moreover, both Breakdown and Wildrider simply attach to the front of Motormaster's extended legs - they are actually not required at all. A total skinflint could simply ignore these guys and just buy the 2 arms and Motormaster would still be standing tall. Well, anyway, that's my moaning done. This is simply the best combined robot mode I have seen by some distance. It is tall - larger than both FansProject Colossus and Maketoy's Giant figures. Despite this extra height, it is extremely elegant. By no means does it look weak, but it is lithe, athletic, it looks like it could move extremely quickly whereas Devastator, Bruticus and Predaking look like lumbering battering rams in comparison. As the Central component, the combiner-mode for Motormaster is fantastic. The 'boxed in' head configuration of the original is nicely referenced without imposing the poseability restrictions which would annoy modern collectors. Then there is the headsculpt, which is a rare hit for FansProject, I normally dislike or feel apathetic towards them. This sculpt It is samurai-esque and invokes calm but with a potential for carnage. The dull red eye paint is applied expertly as is the silver of his face. Some people have complained about the arms and how they are configured but I love them. Using the knees as elbows just seems so logical to me - you benefit from 2 joints working in parallel, which can be independently moved providing extra posing options. They do not look overly thin. Dead End suffers by being quite narrow at the forearm, but you can add the collapsed rifle components to bulk this up. You can live with the narrow forearm and employ the rifle too if you like. Then there is the quite ridiculous sword which adds some extra and not really warranted 'menace' (sorry) to the figure.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 8/10
I wouldn't like to see these coming down the road. This is where Motormaster's trailer comes in use, as the combiner kibble is on board but neatly stowed. The only exception to this is the folded up rifle, which sits across the trailer doors. It looks a bit lame if you ask me. Otherwise we have a very sleek, coherent unit. Squint and they look just like the team of old, with FansProject making some alterations and concessions. Wildrider is probably the oddity in the group, as his vehicle mode looks the most angular and futuristic. Drag Strip actually looks less futuristic, stripped of the 6-wheel Tyrell configuration of the original toy. All in all, they look great and the cars scale well with the truck. They can't really display with figures outside of their group in this mode, with the exception of a few scout class figures.


Transformation 8/10
As combiners go this is rather simplistic, with Drag Strip and Motormaster requiring the most alteration. Motormaster essentially makes use of the multitude of waist joints to put what is Motormaster's chest in robot mode to the underside of the torso. This leaves Motormaster's head protuding from the stomach like something out of Total Recall. This is temporary thankfully and can be folded in once Menasor's head has been pulled from the rails it is contained on. On mine, the head takes some work to stow again - not sure if this is limited to mine. The horns on Menasor's head should be fully unfolded after deploying it. This leaves the head sitting in basically the middle of nowhere. Motormaster's arms are used to build the shoulders which keep Menasor's head firmly in place. Then after an extended period of Origami Motormaster's leg stumps are ready to receive the components of his trailer, which are transformed and clicked into place backwards and rotated after that. Both the leg-bots just require their rear panels to be lifted slightly, to allow the hexagonal slots on their chest to tab into the leg sections. Both Dead End and Drag Strip need to be altered to accommodate both the fists and the shoulder connectors - this is a far more convoluted process with Drag Strip, however. I'm not entirely happy with how Drag Strip grips the fist connector - it feels like a tenuous connection and cannot support he weight of the sword or gun. Perhaps I'm doing it wrong...

Poseability 10/10
One area where this figure stands out for me is its ability to pose. It really is incredible given the sheer size, complexity and weight that so many poses can be achieved. Starting with the articulation, the head is on a ball-joint, and the waist has a quality, ratcheted swivel. The shoulders allow for controlled lateral and side-to-side movement thanks to the clever connectors, and the hips have a similar range of articulation. These joints are ratcheted and feel extremely durable. The elbows comprise of 2 sets of knee joints, allowing for radial movement of the forearm to boot. This negates the need for bicep swivel, which is not present. There is thigh swivel, as well as strong ratcheted knee joints. The fists can swivel and bend inwards and outwards, and each finger has 2 joints, as do the thumbs. The palms of the hands have tabs so that the weapons are held securely, without you having to mash the fingers together to get them to stay. The ankles are ball-jointed so there is no limitation articulation-wise. The feet are actually a marvel. FansProject made the simple addition of rubber on their underside which means that even on a smooth surface, this figure will never suffer from doing the splits involuntarily. The feet are also large, accounting for the centre of balance. You can also display this figure with one leg off the floor, such is the combined strength of the ankle ball-joint and the grip on the foot. This is really a top-rate job.


Quality 8/10
I have expressed some gripes about the individual figures, but as a combined entity this feels very solid. As I have already said the joints feel of the utmost quality, easily capable of bearing the load on them. I think FansProject have learned from criticisms leveled at them regarding the arm connectors for Bruticus. I guess only time will tell though, but so far, so good. The fact that the connectors are not part of any of the figures and that they are standardised would potentially make them easier to fix or swap out if they did fail. One person has complained that they had stress marks on the chest of their leg-bot after connecting it, but so far mine have emerged unscathed.

Overall - 43/50
This is a great combiner and in some ways, probably the most accomplished I have yet seen. It is large but not overly so, it succeeds in providing great alternate and individual robot modes without detracting from the gestalt and feels entirely robust. Hopefully FansProject have dispelled some of the QC issues which have plagued them in the past. This certainly feels like a very refined and well-implemented project. They took their time about releasing this collection of figures, but it appears that biding their time has paid off, rather than rushing them to market. Apparently the addition of the rubber for the feet was a late change, and this is an example of making sure everything was as perfect as possible before release. I am really hoping that FansProject's next move will be to take on the Protectobots, as I need them in scale with my other combiners. Hot Spot is getting mighty lonely.

Overlord

"I stand my ground... I accept any challenge... I am hungry for conflict."

A legend by nature of his existance, he emerges as a new and deadly Decepticon anti-hero. This mighty machine has the Autobots guessing. No location is too remote and no terrain too tough for this megalithic power-monger. With amazing capabilities he traverses the dimensions, his multiple functions activated by Energon mini figures in engine mode. A Tank to steamroll a path ahead and a Jet for C-SAC duty (carrier, spy and air-combatant). The colossal body houses an arms manufacturing plant, producing a multitude of sophisticated super-weapons. The ultimate conversion is to Battle Station Complex. A strategic support base ready for the arrival of the Decepticon fleet... ready for all out war!

STRENGTH

9

INTELLIGENCE

3

SPEED

3

ENDURANCE

10

RANK

10

COURAGE

9

FIREPOWER

8

SKILL

2

OVERALL

54

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 -
First Toy Appearance - 1991

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

AKA 'Gigatron'
Manufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - Botcon

Additions/Mods:
- Added the Renderform rifle

Review

Thanks to 'Last Stand of the Wreckers', Overlord's profile has been raised somewhat. An obscure toy with pretty much no supporting fiction outside of Japan suddenly became a must-have. I remember seeing the original toy of this in a store and thinking it looked cool, and never seeing it again. Given how much the original toy sells for these days, I regret not purchasing him which I had the chance! Let's see if this Botcon version can hold a candle to the imposing original.

Appearance (Robot Mode) 7/10
First off, this Botcon exclusive represents only the tank - originally Overlord comprised of a tank and a jet, which both combined to form a massively bulky robot. Unfortunately, the Bludgeon mould used here is necessarily skeletal, which does not homage the original character well at all. The new headsculpt is very nice, but looks too big for the body. Thankfully, the colour scheme is beautifully garish, and mirrors the original brilliantly. Overlord comes with Bludgeon's 2 swords, but I don't display him with them. Overlord is too badass to need swords. At the moment, I use G1 Galvatron's gun, which I may spray purple at some point.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 9/10
I have long been a fan of the tank mode anyway, and now that this colour scheme has been applied it is near perfect. A bright blue, purple and white tank would be a little conspicuous on the battlefield, but I guess a robot of Overlord's fearsome reputation wouldn't care about being spotted. I have a major gripe with the kinky barrel though - the plastic that comprises the sword is flexible as with the original Bludgeon, but for Bludgeon I purchased the Headrobots upgrade set, so didn't have to worry. The trouble is that the sword/barrel is made from a slightly less flexible plastic than Bludgeon's parts, which means that every picture I have seen of Overlord has a wonky barrel. I have been trying to iron out the kinks in the barrel by wadding the gap between the barrel and the body of the tank while storing it, and this has helped to fix it.

Transformation 7/10
Fiddly at first but I quickly got to grips with it. The only concerning part is pulling the chest back up to revert to tank, which requires a fair amount of pressure. Because of Overlord's huge face, you have to be extra careful not to scrape the paint off his nose as I have already done.

Poseability 8/10
While the lack of wrist/waist articulation is bothersome, Overlord can still strike a lot of poses. He does look slightly pigeon-footed, unless you splay his lower legs outwards slightly.

Quality 8/10
Apart from the fact that there is not much clearance for his face, which led me to scrape some paint off his nose, this mould is solid. If you exert too much pressure, the joints pop off, so at least actual breakages are scarce. But because this is a Botcon exclusive, kids should be kept clear anyway!

Overall - 39/50
FansProject need to do their magic with this figure. The way I see it, they should start designing a large black jet, whcih can split up to become armour for Overlord to wear, which will give him the bulky and G1-accurate appearance that he needs. The Bludgeon mould works brilliantly to render his tank alt mode, but is way off the mark to depict Overlord as a robot. As a figure in its own right, Overlord is pretty cool, and the colour scheme is gloriously reflective of the original.

Superion

"To live is to fight; to die is to stop."

A fierce and frightful fighting machine. Suppresses thought of the five Aerialbots that comprise him, directs his thinking to one purpose: destruction of Decepticons. Cold, aloof. Flies at 800 mph, range 5800 miles. Can demolish a battleship with one blow. Uses electrostatic discharger rifle. Difficult for him to adapt to new situations or be innovative due to limited mental functions.

STRENGTH

10

INTELLIGENCE

3

SPEED

8

ENDURANCE

10

RANK

5

COURAGE

10

FIREPOWER

8

SKILL

7

OVERALL

61

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 23, December 1986
First/Last Comic Appearance (UK) - Issue 63, May 31st 1986 / Issue 287, September 15th 1990
First/Last Cartoon Appearance - Episode 57 (Season 2 #41), November 26th 1985 / Episode 94 (Season 3 #29), February 24th 1987
First Toy Appearance - 1986

Click here to see Figure Details and review

Figure Details

Manufacturer - Hasbro
Toyline - Revenge of the Fallen

Additions/Mods:
- Added the FansProject Aerial Appendage upgrade set
- Added the DMY Studios upgrade set
- Energon Sky Shadow used in place of ROTF Skydive
- Custom Fireflight used in place of ROTF Fireflight

Review

When Universe/ROTF Superion was first created from the old Energon moulds, there was much disgust and gnashing of teeth as the resultant mess was a poor homage to the G1 combiner. Then thankfully FansProject came up with a cool kit which would augment the existing combiner and even give him hands! The old Energon weapons could finally be binned after being replaced by some excellent guns for all 5 members of the team. But then I was still unhappy because of some flaws with the torso and the terrible colour choices for the 2 legs. I have now addressed these concerns, but, still, the resultant combiner was too small, when compared to Bruticus for example. I started to have impure thoughts about buying TFC Superion which I don't even like, when as if from the gods, an unknown company called DMY Studios decided to upgrade the upgrade... Confused?


Appearance (Robot Mode) 9/10
While not looking exactly like the G1 original, everyone associates an Aeroplane combiner with Superion, so I'm not bothered that the look isn't spot on. However, I was quite disappointed with the head, and even Fansproject's neat visor didn't fix it. This is where DMY have added to the picture by coming up with a much more G1 set of 'antennae', in fact I lie, because DMY have provided 2 sets. However, only the wider set which I use actually allows you to stow the gestalt head within Silverbolt. However the extra option is a nice touch, for those who only display their combiners combined. I wasn't enamoured particularly with FansProject's recommended configuration for the 'arm' jets, which involved them being used with the nosecones pointing up, and looking rather weedy. This is the next improvement which DMY have bought in - the 'arms' now sit atop a framework which not only adds bulk the arms, but also articulation. Now, no limbs of the small robots are used for the forearm, with a separate piece provided. This may annoy the purists but is absolutely required to let this figure hit it with the big boys. From the waist up, Superion looks like a pretty coherent combiner. The reason for this is that the colours of the torso and arms complement each other quite nicely, mainly sharing a palette of red, white, grey, black and yellow. Unfortunately this coherence falls over somewhat when you get to the legs. Here the 2 vehicles supplied do not match at all. I substituted the disgusting pink limb for the old Energon Sky Shadow figure, so now that leg is grey, red and black. I then combined elements of ROTF Fireflight and ROTF Skydive to make my custom Fireflight. I painted the maroon areas red as well, and blue parts of the wings red. On top of this, the red DMY hip component massively improves the combiner, wrapping around the original empty mess of the groin area. Then the leg extenders sit between Silverbolt's and the leg robots, adding about an inch in height, with the FansProject feet also getting a boost. It sounds rather contrived and fiddly and I don't deny that it is, but the end result is a combiner who is exactly the same height at the head as Bruticus, and pretty much the same bulk. It also looks far more coherent and sturdy than FansProject alone ever managed.

Appearance (Alternate Mode) 8/10
I class the combiner alt mode as being all the vehicles together, and how well they display as a group. 'Pretty well' is the answer in this case. I'm not sure about how the Powerglide-type planes work with the sleeker jets, but I can live with the different moulds, but what really annoyed me was the colour of Fireflight. He alone does not work with the rest of the group which is a real shame. The planes would look more coherent if he were a nicer colour, which is why I swapped him out with my custom Fireflight! I now feel that the jets display together really well. The alt modes are all supposed to house the combiner kibble, but I don't think this works well at all. Air Raid and Slingshot both get the lower arms, which ruin the look of the sleek jets in my opinion. I choose to leave the kibble off them, but I do connect the guns to the wings which looks nice. Fireflight is supposed to get part of the foot kibble, which combines to make a flat radar dish - I also leave this off as it is ugly. Both Fireflight and Skydive look great with their gun/shields though. Silverbolt is supposed to house the feet and hands - this is the least successful integration of kibble in my opinion. It just makes the him look 'plane stupid' so I leave them off as well. The gun connects nicely, though but I still prefer to leave it off. Basically this whole set looks better with all of the combiner kibble tossed aside, however I appreciate FansProject and DMY Studios efforts in making the various parts integratible (?).


Transformation 8/10
I am a sucker for combiners and how they slot together. All of the limbs require very little transformation from their vehicle modes, which I really like. The Air Raid mould is connected to the DMY arm extenders, which very neatly slot into the 'bum' of the figure and then utilise the existing Energon socket to secure the connection. The fists then peg into the forearms, which have the FansProject armour placed over them. The small robot arms need to be swung round to under the nosecone. The Fireflight mould is even simpler - the nosecone is split as if transforming the legs, and the feet are stuck together. The whole assembly is then encased in what I can only describe as a robotic shoe. The wings are folded forward and the legs are ready. True to form, Silverbolt remains fiddly, but makes a much nicer torso than a robot in its own right. There is also less of a visible gap in this mode. He effectively needs to be half-transformed to become the torso, and then the aforementioned DMY hip filler and leg extenders are added. The whole thing connects together via the original Energon ports, with DMY extenders of sorts inbetween all 4 limbs.

Poseability 8/10
For a combiner, Superion's poseability is impressive. Starting from the top, the head is on a swivel joint. The shoulders can be moved out to 90 degrees, and can rotate unimpeded. Thanks to DMY, the figure now has elbows which effectively are on balljoints, with an additional hinge joint. The wrists can be swivelled but they are very tough to move. The thumbs are static but the top finger can move independently of the other three, with one joint present. The palms are notched allowing the gun to be held effectively. There is no waist swivel. Articulation of the lower half is pretty much the same as pre-FansProject, with the exception of ankle tilt which has been added. Otherwise there is a good range of movement in the hips, and bendable knees. The large feet give Superion a decent sense of balance, and a lot of poses are possible, provided the kibble doesn't get in the way. You may find that the lower limbs pop off when bent, but this is not too much of a problem. The width of his lower legs also mean that he can only be posed with his legs splayed somewhat when standing - however this is common with all combiners.


Quality 6/10
There is a worry about the plastic used for the head and some other parts, which is pretty soft and may become brittle over time. However, the head piece at least is replaced by the DMY parts. Also, the 2 'arm bots' both have loose limbs. Other than this, the various robots feel well-made. My major concern is actually with the parts supplied by the 3rd parties, which feel more brittle than the Hasbro bits and pieces, and some parts have stress marks. Also DMY have produced a good kit for their part, but the tolerances in some cases are waaay off. One forearm socket is tighter than the other and inserting the fist has led to stressmarks, which I have had to cover up with Reprolabels. Also the combiner ports are all very tight, with some needing modification before I was comfortable using them. However, for me, the trade-off is worth it for the other improvements.

Overall - 39/50
With their clever enhancements, FansProject and DMY Studios have elevated this figure from being a shelf-warming piece of crap to something quite decent as they so often do. A warning though that while the FansProject components are good out of the box, you will need to work with the DMY elements a bit more to get them working for you. Think of this as a minor custom job rather than a straightforward addition. I wouldn't recommend this set with just the FansProject elements - you definitely need both to provide a match to the combiners of today. While nowhere near perfect, this combiner still looks very good on a classics shelf. The overall effect is an impressive upgrade to the Aerialbots who, more importantly, can finally kick Bruticus's ass.