Transformers Galaxy Force Guardshell (Cybertron Landmine) review

Landmine may be best known for getting the fourth shout out in the Cybertron intro, but he represents more than just part of a song that sometimes gets memed on; he is the true example of an Autobot fighter, and his brute force and overall code of honor makes him a stand out amongst the faction he fights with. He also trained characters like Mudflap and Optimus Prime for the many years he lived, though his radically different designs in Energon and Cybertron might have some continue believing Cybertron is disconnected from the first two thirds of the Unicron Trilogy just because Takara said so. However, a small part of me wonders if he was meant to be either Armada Smokescreen/Hoist or Scavenger. The former mainly due to the color scheme and gruff brawler motif, and the latter because of the similar history shared with Optimus Prime. Regardless, let's take a look at the Galaxy Force version, Guardshell. Also, don't expect me to use the Japanese name.

Here we have Landmine in his vehicle mode, a front end loader with an articulated shovel not unlike the usual Scrapper incarnations. It's got the toyish proportions and sci-fi elements to make it more appealing as both a construction-themed toy and a Transformer. The big, chunky wheels at least help it roll effectively unlike what TFWiki says, and the shovel is articulated as one would expect from an altmode like this. The paint apps are not as sparse on a toy like this as one would expect, especially at the front where you see some scrapes intentionally applied to give him somewhat of a dirty look. 

His attack mode consists of you turning the vehicle around, placing his gun on the top, and deploying the rear wheels with the blades via the Cyber Key (which actually twists unlike the average use of the gimmick). It's nothing that significant, but it is a mode present for anything comparable to a Transmetal's bonus mode.

Transformation has that chunky-satisfying feel you would get from a generic chunky construction robot. Front section becomes both the legs where the wheels reside while the bucket becomes the arms. The torso has a neat feature where hinging the side parts down fills in the gap where his crotch would be, weird as that sounds. The resulting robot mode looks appropriately powerful in spite of being a Deluxe, no doubt due to the somewhat stocky proportions and the chunk provided by his alt mode kibble. The scoop halves are cumbersome, but they at least do something to make the arms less puny on his body. A small part of me wishes that the rear wheels were higher up on his back, but the figure still works fine regardless. In a way, he feels like a more beefed up RID 2001 Wedge from the Build Team, from the design elements to the similarly functional alt mode (even if this is a front end loader and not an excavator).

His head sculpt is even similar to Landfill, the combined form of the Build Team members. While it's got the usual antennae and forehead design choices, it still works well and adds some identity to a guy like this from an era of creativity long missing in today's Transformers series. Articulation is pretty standard for the line, with swivels at the neck, shoulders, and lower legs, hinges for the outward arm movement and knees, and ball joints for the shoulders and hips. His missile launcher works as well as it should, especially after seeing the guns of Hot Shot and Starscream in the Legacy United line reduced to smaller accessories with nubs for blast effects. 

His Cyber Key gimmick can be reused here, though now it generates wind rather than be used for something like the Vortex Grinder used by ROTF Devastator.

As far as reuses are concerned, the Hasbro version is barely any different beyond the slightly different shades on his colors. TFWiki claims that the Takara version had silver paint on the gray parts, but as someone who does own it, that is not the case.

A BotCon-exclusive comes in the form of Rhinox, who was part of a Dawn of Future's Past set including similar Axalon-themed repaints of Cybertron molds as Maximals Optimus Primal, Cheetor, Rattrap, and Predacon Dinobot. Though the head wasn't retooled to match the proper Rhinox look, it still looks better than the Kingdom version.

Finally, we have the 2007 Movie toyline's Grindcore. He was a Walmart exclusive and is not exactly in Constructicon colors. Had a Decepticon insignia replaced the Autobot one, it would make the neon green and his name make more sense. Still, you can paint it purple and make him Shattered Glass Scoop.

For a size comparison, here is Landmine next to the previously mentioned Legacy United Hot Shot. Given how the newer version of HS is barely different from the Cybertron original, these two don't look inconsistent with each others' aesthetics. Given Landmine was mentioned in the opening segment of Cybertron, I recommend you get him for also being a solid Deluxe from the line. Some will find his forearm kibble and wheel gimmick a bit needless, but he still does a little more than the average G1 Scrapper toy if we ignore the combining aspect. You can stick with regular Hasbro version because there is literally no real difference between both versions. I was just lucky to get the Takara version MISB from an auction.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐