Let's take a look at the Core Class releases first, and in last place is our most recent Core Class addition, Bomb-Burst! From what I read, Energon Monsters were capped in favor of Pretenders getting a similar treatment to Bludgeon in ROTF. So I think they did an alright job with the replacement idea, but I feel like Bomb-Burst is a pretty weak figure. It's obvious that the altmode was going to be weak and the design of the robot mode feels like it was going to be prioritized, but I'm still left with a feeling of "that's it?" with stuff like the stupid weapon, the face having a half-way point of completion with the personality, the stupid backpack mode having the peg holes develop stress marks somehow, and the arms barely staying in place. It's a shame because I like the Man-Bat look to him.
After that is G2 Megatron, a repaint of a Kingdom Core figure! While he's way better than Bomb-Burst, I can't help but find the green gun a little stupid on top of it not matching the rest of the tank barrel/Fusion Cannon. Why not make it purple? A bigger issue comes in the way its ball joints come loose out of the box, which is not something we should have on current-day figures, Hasbro. Apart from that, he's the same mold as the 2021 guy, just in green and purple instead of gunmetal gray and black.
In third place, we have Skywarp. I should mention that while I did give him the black null rays that he should have had, he is instead presented here without them for a more honest look at him. I like his color scheme a whole lot, and this figure is honestly better than Megatron, but the lack of the null rays is questionable at best. Was it really necessary to give him the fork if you weren't really that interested in the combining sword, to begin with? Like yeah, it's cool but it along with the Energon weapons aren't brought up anymore so who cares?
In second place it's Shockwave. This guy logically represents the Siege figure, albeit looking a little bulkier and turning into the complete spaceship mode rather than relying on the parts that make up the armor in robot mode. He sort of works like the Combiner Wars Legends figure, down to including a 5mm port for other robots to wield him. His pizza-looking ass satellite dish is the only oddity, but I guess it adds some form of play pattern for him.
And in first place it's Iguanus! They took a shitty core robot of a Pretender and made it into a badass. While the altmode looks rough, it at least makes up for it with a cool transformation and a killer robot mode. I love the design and color scheme for Iguanus; it makes him feel like a proper mix of organic and mechanical in terms of details. If there is anything I want from this guy, it'd be for the engineering to be repurposed for a Studio Series Mohawk!!!!!
We'll skip the packaging refreshes of Hot Rod, Optimus Prime, and Soundwave and go straight to the Deluxe-beyond size classes. In last place, it's Skullgrin. I appreciate Hasbro making a Pretender character in the Deluxe price point to make him unique from his Core Class friends, but this guy's got some head-scratching decisions. I know it's easier to sculpt certain details like the head or parts of the skirt armor in PVC rather than ABS if it results in a stronger appearance. But that being said, why was it necessary to do that to the sword guns?! And while the robot mode looks pretty solid, his vehicle mode is very unfocused. The back could pass for a tank on its own, yet the front has the legs barely altered beyond the toes facing forward. And then the middle has this stupid gap that isn't covered up! Apart from the design, I like the play pattern of the weapons, but that's pretty much it.
After that, we have Arcee...or rather, not Arcee but instead Velocitron Speedia 500's Road Rocket and Shattered Glass Flamewar. Yeah I never got Arcee just because I found this Geewunification of her to be stupid. As far as how they work in these decos, Road Rocket feels like a Player 2 version of Arcee with a head design of her own while Flamewar somehow makes the design work with her slick deco. But as far as how the mold itself goes, it's average at best. Bike modes feel like they need an extra bit of personality, transformation is a mix of stuff we've seen before and new tricks I think this figure adds to the table, and robot modes that feel like they're even flatter in the personality department, and articulation that is plentiful yet feels limited at the same time, like with the waist being on a ball joint in addition to the waist panel. The weapons are also weird since as a shield, it feels a little limiting in how you can pose either figure with it, while the split arm blades come off as looking like they don't belong to the design. Oh and Flamewar comes with a Battlemaster in the form of Fireglide, who is probably better as a bow than an ace since it weighs her arm down. If you want the mold, don't get Arcee and instead get R&R for a good price or Flamewar if you want that character.
Up next, we got Wildrider. He has so many issues that literally put them below the other Stunticons. Car modes look pretty good, and the transformation is fine, though the windshield being on a hinge with clear plastic is nothing good if clear plastic of late is anything to go by. Meanwhile, I can understand the way they wanted to break up the backpacks, but they honestly look a little worse. And while they fill in the backs of Menasor's legs, I wish they looked more like they contributed to the combination beyond that. Oh, and we'll get to Breakdown before we cover Evolution...
And after that, we got Dead End! He contributes more to the Menasor combination since he's practically visible when attached as an arm, but he's still got some issues. Not as many as with Wildrider, but still there. The upper body of the robot mode is nicely done, feeling like a less stylized but still solid interpretation of his Combiner Wars design. His twin guns are cool, too, and the head sculpt looks slick with the darker upper region of black before we transition into a somewhat lighter color with the purple visor until we get the orange mouthplate. The rest of the figure is where we get some issues. The lower legs have no real definition to them and have worse proportions than on Dragstrip, his feet are nonexistent, the back of the alt mode doesn't tab in that well, and at least on my copy, the part that holds the head on the hinge during transformation cracked a little bit. Oh and his altmode looks British with its goofy ahh smile.
Up next, it's Pointblank. Certainly, a figure that prioritizes style over substance, as he has such an awesome robot mode that starts to fall apart when we get into the way he's engineered. Yes, he looks cool, and he is pretty tall, but why would he not have bicep swivels? And how come the back of the legs feel hollow? I can forgive hollow parts on a Deluxe, though sometimes they make an effort to cover the gaps. I didn't mind that Peacemaker was going to be a smaller mold with no articulation than the Battlemasters, but Pointblank is definitely a case where the designers really wanted to prioritize the cool factor of a design rather than the functions it can possess. Also, the hips look like they stick out a little too much.
And here is Skids, accompanied by Crankcase. I had a feeling Skids would be the Siege Sideswipe of whatever the Legacy trilogy would be, so he gets the spotlight. Anyways, he's okay for what he is: a car former that turns into a robot with the back of the car being the legs and the hood chest with door wings and a windshield backpack. To his credit, he does try to look a little cooler than normal, especially with those weapons of his, but he does feel a little average. And it doesn't help how weird the knees work as well as that panel on the back of his head. Crankcase does have a few new tricks that I appreciate, such as the front of the car becoming a new weapon as well as a few tweaks to the transformation of the shoulders and backpack, but they're both average.
And now it's Bulkhead's turn. When I first saw this guy, I was extremely confused as to why he doesn't look like his Prime counterpart. Hasbro said it was for the sake of keeping synergy with the Generations brand, I say it's because they want to repurpose the molds by making them less character-specific. Granted, there are only two uses for the same character, but my point still stands for now. That being said, Bulkhead is better than Arcee and Knock Out due to him being less like a Geewunified interpretation of his TFP design and more like a G1 take on Bulkhead in general. The vehicle mode is stronger in design than the robot mode, and the transformation feels simple, but I can pretend this is a G1 Bulkhead while my PRID one stays in the collection with my Prime toys. Can't say the same for Arcee and Knock Out.
And things get buggy with Kickback along with the only Legacy reuse in the Creatures Collide 4-pack, Ransack! As I never got the Legends Insecticons that first came out in the end of Thrilling 30 as well as the first two chapters of the Prime Wars Trilogy, this Deluxe size-up was a pretty good way to start preparing for the trio. I will admit that the Insecticons aren't the most mind-blowing of characters, especially if they're just another bit of filler to sell more toys like in the 80s, but we can admit that Kickback doesn't feel like an upsized version of his Legends figure from Titans Return, with a sharper sculpt, slightly better articulation thanks to the joints, and insect wings that, while translucent instead of opaque, fit the character better. Ransack is a neat reuse that manages to be worth getting thanks to the alternate head as well as the option to display him differently with the wings and weapons. I can't wait for Shrapnel and Bombshell.
He may be a Titans Return mold, but the next character on the list is Twin Twist! This guy comes in his Diaclone colors and makes for a properly obtainable method of getting the Jumpstarter, which makes me want Topspin even more now. He lacks ankle pivot, but the rest of the articulation is otherwise good, and I'm confident in saying that if you want only one Wreck & Rule repaint, get this guy. He even has his guns and drills painted, so you really can't complain!
And after that, we got Scourge! Yeah, I skipped Laser Prime because of the fact that I wanted Scourge much more, especially for some much-needed RID2001 representation. Anyways, Scourge is definitely a case where he is a desirable repaint compared to the previous use yet has some issues of its own that hold it back, mostly with the inconsistency with the black crotch and gray hips, the pink windows being inaccurate, the exposed pink on the shoulder cannons, and the deco being closer to a Nemesis Prime color scheme rather than a proper Scourge deco. At least he has the upside-down G2 Autobot insignias, though the mold still has the same problems of a fairly cheap trailer like with Earthrise Prime on tip of the limited shoulder movement and the lack of finger articulation. Nevertheless, it's still got plenty of cool things yet has room for improvement.
Rounding off the 1985 Decepticon Triple Changer duo is Blitzwing. This guy is billed as a Leader Class yet feels smaller than either of his previous Voyager offerings. The only reason why he is a Leader Class figure is so he can have denser plastic as well as have a more intricate transformation than with Springer or the Horrorcons from the WFC trilogy. And he also has more accessories than the norm to compensate for his height, such as guns, a sword, and his gauntlets with clear red hands. Those latter parts really pissed people off, though while some would say that he is not Geewun enough, other, more logical people, would say they're needless to boost the price up. It's a case where the Leaders nowadays are either fairly tall yet are light on accessories or are Voyagers with Benefits. Blitzwing looks cool, but the price still needs to be lowered.
And here we have Elita-1! After getting both the shirty Netflix Deluxe figure and the half-cool, half-weird POTP Voyager, I am happy to say this one is a good one! She may not have a 1:1 cartoon look, but I value her having a bit of bulk and alt-mode integration. You can give her shoulder pauldrons, but I'd save them for the Minerva release. She makes for a sweet fembot mold after most of them sucked in the WFC trilogy. So far, Blackarachnia and Elita-1 are good...must be their vague Animated connection...
And up next, it's Dragstrip! The best Deluxe Stunticon in the line-up, and for good reason! While his limbs feel a little plain in terms of deco and the back of his head unusually empty, the robot mode and transformation feel much more refined than the Combiner Wars version, and his guns made more sense than the strange blade he came with. His design feels less like it was meant to be vaguely used for Mirage and moreso built from the ground up in his favor specifically. And I like the return of the front four tires this time around. I wouldn't mind getting Shadowstrip, though I'm hesitant about completing a G2 Menasor with the other mediocre Deluxes.
Jhiaxus enters the fray as another comic character getting a new mold, as he was previously either a repaint of Beast Machines Jetstorm or a reuse of the original Armada Starscream. Now Jhiaxus is in his proper design and color scheme on top of getting a proper robot mode! His ankles are a little awkward when he's standing still, but at the same time, he has finger articulation despite being a normal Voyager-scale figure. You don't see that often, huh?
Cosmos was such an impossible-to-obtain toy, especially since he is one of two molds made specifically for the subline. It's pretty annoying that it's a minibot character from G1 we're talking about, but if you do obtain him, you could say he's a worthwhile addition considering how it managed to work thanks to the transformation and the ability to make a new mold without using any of the normal amount of molds, and while some would hate the checker flag gun, I do wish he can have his forearms filled in. Either way, Cosmos is a must-buy since he seems to be available now. Definitely moreso than the subsequent wave's toy-accurate Hot Rod for some reason...
Tarantulas finally completes the original 5 Predacons of the Season 1 cast, and I am happy to report that he's unique from Blackarachnia in terms of engineering! With the claws now serving as mandibles in the front, combined with the different proportions of the beast mode that give him an extra bit of identity that one wouldn't get if he was a repaint of Blackarachnia, even the color scheme is pretty slick for this Predacon. I even dig the inclusion of a buzzsaw and his range weapon not being a reuse of Blackarachnia's. Honestly, it's hard to not make fun of PrimeVsPrime every time he says "This is the best version of so and so from Hasbro and TakaraTomy" because when it comes to Season 1 Tarantulas, it's either this or the original mold (which is not too bad for an old Beast Wars toy).
Back in 2014, Armada Starscream received a Deluxe figure that was initially meant to represent the actual iteration of the character, but it was repurposed as IDW's stupid ass excuse of trying to steal clearly established designs from other worlds and put them in a G1 universe, meaning that G1 Starscream cosplayed as his Armada self...yeah, I'm happy IDW lost the license. Legacy thankfully doesn't have any tie-in material, but the figure itself is better than the Deluxe figure with a few bits of room for improvement. I value how accurate the character looks, but I feel the waist swivel is still limited, and parts of him feel cheaper than normal. That being said, I dig the size increase, the inclusion of both swords (one of them being the Star Saber!), and a pretty great design of the best version of the character...if only he had Swindle.
Metroplex was my third-ever Titan Class figure, and it's amusing how he was the third one I got in the line as a whole. This dude has a massive amount of improvements compared to the original Leader Class toy, from a sharper sculpt, proportions that better fit the design, a more deliberate Worker Mode that is not as half-assed as the original, and better articulation (apart from the shoulders getting undone sometimes). Granted, the figure is missing Drill Bit and his Cyber Key gimmick, and I wish his plastic was a little denser (still better than The Ark), but otherwise, I'm happy to see a non-G1 character get the Titan Class treatment.
Inferno FINALLY completes the entire Season 1 Predacon team, which makes me especially happy as someone who wanted THIS guy in Kingdom and not Red Grapple. The ant mode is surprisingly stable thanks to the ant legs having less articulation, the transformation is pretty clever with how it handles the abdomen as well as how the arms and head go inside out, and the robot mode's not only accurate but also has stuff I wouldn't expect for articulation, such as double-jointed elbows in addition to wrists, and the articulated jaw make the cherry on top of this sundae. His butt can even make a propellor, with the aid of his gun (which does suck he doesn't have the proper gun but it's otherwise fine).
Override is another new mold in the Velocitron Speedia 500 Collection, and it's pretty cool how we get a sleeker redesign for the toy after a fairly clunky mold back in the Cybertron line. Once again, she doesn't have a Cyber Key, but I like how her transformation is faithful while being manual this time around, and who can forget the kickass white and red color scheme that's reminiscent of Speed Racer? She could use some extra paint (even if she's already perfectly fine), and her waist swivel feels VERY limited but setting that aside, we got ourselves the best entry in the Walmart subline. I wouldn't mind a GTS repaint from her, and I'm SUPER grateful she isn't a retool of SS86 Hot Rod.
And in second place is none other than the big ol' king of the road, it's Motormaster! I was initially done with the Stunticons after completing the Combiner Wars team back in 2015, as they were the only complete subgroup I ever got as a poor boy with two broken Aerialbots. But fast forward to 2021, the announcement of Dragstrip meant there'd be a chance we will see Menasor remade once more, and while he may be labeled as number 5 in the box, he was the second member I got, and what a great figure! He's like a mix between Siege Jetfire and Rodimus Prime with a hint of Sky Lynx, where he turns into a normal-sized truck of sorts with a trailer to haul, and the robot mode is Voyager-scale with more bells and whistles added to the engineering and selection of paint apps. The trailer can become either a battle platform or the skeletal frame for Menasor, which has been done for third-party companies but is new to Hasbro. It makes me wonder how it'll turn out for the other subgroups, but I can happily say that Menasor is excellent.
And the first-place winner for the Legacy line is none other than Transmetal II Megatron!!!!!!! This guy takes the cake with the impressive sculpt work, size, articulation for the beast mode and robot mode by extension, and a wicked flame effect part that I feel should have been included with some other bestial Transformers, right? While the wings and head sculpt are more toy-accurate, I think they still work well for Megatron in some way, especially since he was depicted as being monstrous in this appearance. Would he be even better with a coat of Transmetal paint to convey his sheen? Probably, but he is otherwise the best figure in the Legacy line, and for the second time in a row he wins in first place for a Generations line after being the first-place winner of Kingdom!
And that wraps up the first part of the Legacy line. Certainly rougher than Kingdom, and also a weak spot for the Generations line in a way Earthrise was but for different reasons, yet there were plenty of stronger releases to enjoy nonetheless. Let's hope Evolution makes for a better year of toys.
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