Transformers Siege Megatron review

Megatron's G1 self was sort of hard to like in some ways. He's suffered from having the definitive altmode in a lot of ways, his cartoon form was stupid while his comic form sort of felt like an underling of Shockwave at times, and his IDW form going from a badass gladiator to a fucking dumbfounded softie as an Autobot. Still, the figures, for the most part, are pretty well-made, though they don't fit in with specific line aesthetics when your collection grows. Could Siege Megatron be worth getting after his somewhat rocky past in the CHUG lines? Let's find out.

UPDATE 06/27/2020: Walmart Netflix Megatron is included

UPDATE 03/19/2021: Walmart Netflix Spoilers Megatron added

UPDATE 05/23/2021: Shattered Glass Collection Megatron added

UPDATE 07/08/2021: Premium Finish Megatron added

Here is Megatron in tank mode. It's certainly not the Earthly design that fans expected most G1 Megatrons to be, but I'm happy with the more sci-fi look going on. It helps add more of Megatron's design in the altmode since it'd less likely be there in a normal tank version (unless it was G2). My favorite part is the barrel, which looks a lot more like it fits Megatron more than a standard one would. I like how you can swivel the turret without a clunky ratcheting mechanism that makes the toy rattle uncomfortably. The feet do look weird from the back, and I wish the lighter gray looked more like metal with some silver paint or darker colors, but it does the job fine enough; the red could be a bit darker though.

Here is a comparison next to the Combiner Wars version. I like the silver paint of the Combiner Wars version, and the tank mode looks more realistic, but Siege has a nicer balance between looking like a tank and having Megatron's design cues added on nicely.

I'm genuinely surprised that Megatron's close to being as long as the CW version when you start at the tip of the barrels. Obviously, they are different size classes and from different lines, but it's just something I noticed myself from having them in this view.

Megatron's transformation's pretty reminiscent of the Armada version of the character. Between a similar method of having the legs transform, the front treads somewhat looking similar to the shoulder pads of the Armada design, and how the torso somewhat arranges itself into robot mode position does make me wonder if Armada Megatron would be a heavy retool of this figure. That's maybe a bit of a stretch, but it's less G1/G2 based compared to the previous Tank Megatrons made before Siege.

In robot mode, Megatron's certainly reminiscent of his G1 incarnation, from the overall design to the color scheme, but I like how powerful it looks compared to, say, the Combiner Wars or Masterpiece versions. Yeah, the torso looks a little too bulky, but the rest of the proportions make Megatron feel more complete overall, and the way he captures the look of his character design makes me like him even more than previous Voyager Megatrons. I just wish he had some silver paint instead of the bare gray plastic with the battle damage.

The backpack is massive from the side, but it at least A) looks good when viewed from the back, and B) doesn't weigh him back. 

Face sculpt looks close to what Megatron should. I like how the silver face at least contrasts with the rest of his helmet, which is probably why they went with a lighter gray. I like how the eyes look smaller yet look intimidating with the evil squint that adds more to Megatron's design compared to the larger eyes of his Masterpiece figure, which makes his face look a bit goofy.

Articulation is what one should expect for Siege. Head is on a ball-joint, shoulders swivel front and back, hinge in and out, swivel at the bicep, bend at the elbows (though they sort of have a ratchet-like joint that automatically makes the arms straight), and the wrists only hinge in and out. The waist swivels (though the backpack does lift up slightly), hips move front and back, in and out, swivel at the thighs, bend at the knees, and the ankles pivot, though they seem a bit stubborn to click back in place.

For his weapons, he has his signature Fusion Cannon, which not only looks the part but is also able to capture the iconic pose that he has of him shooting his Autobot foes with the arm raised up. It's a trait that's replicated for Animated, WFC/FOC, Prime, The Last Knight, and Cyberverse, but it's pretty unique for Megatron's character traits as he mostly doesn't rely on separate weapons.

Speaking of separate weapons, his other accessory is the tank barrel that can either be stored on his shoulder to capture the gun barrel that the design has, or it can become a sword. The sword looks surprisingly cool, as it's made up of the two blades going over the barrel of the tank; also, it's got quite the look compared to previous swords of G1 Megatrons.

There are a few reuses of the mold much like with Prime, and there is one that shares a thing in common with him. The cartoon accurate version of Megatron removes a large number of paint apps in order to make him look a lot closer to the cartoon cel-shading. Much like with Prime, it's something that tends to be hit and miss. Like the colors look nice on a 2-D image, but not so much with in-hand plastic.

Another reuse is the Combat Megatron, done up with the planned but canceled repaint of the Hero Megatron mold (which looked very much like a zebra at first glance). His headsculpt now has the more bulky helmet seen on G2 Megatron, and a face effect is added for his weapons, which go from black to green. It's a repaint that's perfect for the completionists.

This is a Walmart version of Megatron from the Siege line, which depicts him as he appears in the Netflix series. This repaint gives him a silver coat of paint as well as different kinds of battle damage; he also came with Pinpointer and Lionizer with their old color schemes. This guy's $10 more than the regular version, which does suck for anyone that wants a new Megatron, but honestly, regular Megatron's fine as he is despite not being as shiny.

And finally, this is the other Netflix Megatron, who despite appearances has deco choices that are different enough from the initial version. He has a few effect pieces and a Matrix accessory as well as an included clear purple version of Paleotrex. This feels like an underwhelming use since one would hope the Earthrise version gets the deco.

And here we have the most recent version of Megatron! This guy has been given a makeover to represent his appearance in the Shattered Glass line as far as deco is concerned. However, because the G1 and Energon designs are entirely different (since Energon Megatron was a Galvatron homage from the start), Hasbro gave the figure new accessories to better represent his appearance in the line (even though a version of SG Megatron is the G1 design with the mirror colors). New to this figure are wings and a shield accessory that becomes a cockpit, and the figure can now transform differently to become a jet mode. While a neat idea at first glance, the fact that the figure is yet another reuse of the Siege Megatron mold, has a weak jet mode, doesn't have a new head to make him look more heroic than the regular head, and has an off-white makes him feel underwhelming, and I am certainly not a fan of the price hike for it, I don't care how many accessories or comics are in it.

The THIRD attempt at a WFC Netflix Megatron comes from Takara, and boy does it show how tiring it is to have to deal with this mold. It's the most faithful take on the guy (albeit without the big lips), and at the price of $55, you don't really need this repaint unless you're a completionist.

And we finally get a miner Megs with the Rise of Tyranny set, as he receives new shoulders, chest, head, and weapons to go with a deco inspired by Alex Milne's design for the character. He came in a 2-pacl featuring Senator Ratbat along with a misassembly in his knees somehow.

For a robot mode comparison, here is Siege Megatron next to the Classics Megatron (repainted to look like the United Megatron) and the Combiner Wars Leader Class Megatron. Classics Megatron's not a bad toy, but the difference in aesthetics works best for Megatron when his cannon's not overly massive and when his altmode doesn't make him have wings that look out of place for this toy. Combiner Wars Megatron's better off as an MP stand-in, though he does have some nicer silver paint. I don't have Titans Return Megatron; I would have gotten him had it not been for Siege Megatron, but the issues I saw with the figure, like the light gray plastic and the kibble, made me not want him much.

Here he is next to Optimus Prime, his archnemesis. The size between the two looks good, and I appreciate how much synergy they have coming from the same line.

The fact that we have both characters at once with well-done toys is very well-made. I'm not a massive G1 fan (the show sucks while the Marvel comics get better over time), nor am I pretending to be a massive G1 fan (I swear, a lot of people acting like that feel like the reverse of that "How do you do, fellow kids" meme), but these two figures look great together, especially when you pose them in battle.

As for Megatron himself, I'm pleased with his results! Certainly not perfect, but he beats the other versions of the character made before him. Sadly, he is shelfwarming in most locations, so unless you already got him, I'd recommend him since he's likely got no Earthrise form so to speak (don't be surprised if he becomes an Earth tank or a gun).

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐