Here is Ironhide in vehicle mode. Instead of a minivan or SUV, he is now a Cybertronic van, though I prefer to see it as an armored truck that resembles a battering ram. As for the design itself, while the shoulders and elbows kind of make the vehicle mode look incomplete, I do like the design overall. The gold stripe is decently applied, the silver dash around the rear could pass off as a metal window, and the silver paint applied behind the front windshield gives it a layered appearance, much like the POTP Dinobots. There are even some molded details that give this design a lot less of a washed-out appearance that would otherwise be common with G1 Ironhide figures. In terms of nitpicks, the serial number, while not awful, does look out of place on this toy. It's something done for designating the product that it's used for, but it should be placed on a less noticeable part. Also, the tires look pretty much like they're made of stone without any distinguishable paint making what would be tires black and the rims silver. The head being exposed is bothersome, but at least it's not staring up at the sky.
I appreciate the design that the vehicle mode has in trying to make a cooler version of a basic, uninspiring Vannette. Sure, the feet and shoulders look visible and the tires look bad, but I at least dig the aesthetics of this version of Ironhide pretty well.
The cannon has plenty of storage spots. The shoulder's 5mm slots are one example.
You can display the cannon like this if you like. It's somewhat neat, though vaguely reminiscent of the battle sled of the G1 toy.
My method of displaying the cannon goes like this, where the peg's not as stable but it looks more symmetrical. It also looks the best in my opinion.
Transforming Ironhide is somewhat like the transformation for Titans Return Kup, although without any parts or engineering borrowed for Ironhide. It's somewhat basic for a Siege figure, yet it at least manages to be a lot less cluttered compared to the Universe version. That said, I get a bit of a Beast Hunters 2014 Optimus Prime vibe from this figure to the point where the transformations are almost identical. There is another trait of this Optimus that's worth looking into which I will go over later in the review.
The robot mode looks amazing from the front and the sides! It captures the big beefy look of Ironhide without making him look like he's fat or incapable of transforming. The color palette is also nicely balanced, and I even don't mind that the gray isn't black. The only thing about the design that I don't like much are the shoulders sticking out a bit further than they need to, but I feel this design is better done compared to other incarnations. While the front and side look good, the back is pretty weak. Thankfully, there is no awful backpack, though the back and forearms are clearly hollow. It's sort of like the Studio Series Ratchet, who traded some of the paint apps and plastic quality that could have made him look and feel better in favor of making him taller; in Ironhide's case, he's got the right proportions, though he's not only hollow but is missing a good amount of paint apps. It's somewhat like seeing Beast Hunters 2014 Optimus Prime from behind. Thankfully, G1 Ironhide isn't known to have painted details, and hey, at least he lacks the Siege battle damage.
The head sculpt is certainly G1 Ironhide, though the cranium portion of the helmet looks bigger than it normally is in some angles. Almost like Ironhide's brain is swelling with knowledge.
Articulation is standard for the Siege line. Head is on a ball-joint, shoulders swivel front and back, hinge in and out, swivel at the biceps, bend at the elbows, and swivel at the wrists. The waist swivels, hips move front and back as well as in and out, swivel at the thighs, bend at the knees, and pivot at the ankles.
Before we continue on with the weapon, you can store it on his back like this. Normally, weapon storage can be hit or miss, but at least it's decent here. Also makes sense given the weapon's one that would normally be stored on someone's back.
The actual weapon itself can be held casually (almost like a suitcase), over his shoulder like a rocket launcher, or as a hammer. Before we take a look at the other modes of the weapon, let's see how Ironhide stacks up to some of the other modern versions of the character. They consist of the Descent into Evil version (reused from Energon Towline), Universe Ironhide, and the Masterpiece version. The DiE version doesn't look too much like Ironhide, though it is appreciated as one of the early Ironhide figures to be a step up from the old toy. The Universe version's a mess, so let's move on. The Masterpiece version has been mixed-positive in the community. Certainly cartoon accurate, but it looks smoother than a Titan Hero due to its massive attempt to resemble the cartoon model. Also, the proportions look kind of funny. Siege Ironhide may be a mere Deluxe in comparison when it comes to the budget, but at least it's capable of looking good and working well in comparison.
Back to the weapon, it makes this Ironhide feel a lot more worthwhile than it would otherwise be if it had basic guns. Given how this is a big dude that could be a bouncer of sorts for Optimus Prime, he's going to need a massive rocket launcher that can become a hammer, not a pea shooter that belongs to Bumblebee.
In terms of reuses, this one was bound to happen if you know the history of Ironhide and his mold mate Ratchet. Speaking of, Siege Ratchet is a Walgreens exclusive, which makes sense given his role as a doctor being sold in a store that's a pharmacy. Also, this has third "mode" where Ratchet lays down and becomes a medical bay, with new accessories used to repair the Micromasters and Battlemasters. He has a wrench and a small pistol that can be switched with the robotic arm. Also, it's more than just a head swap of Ironhide and in different colors; as there are parts of the figure that are remolded to make Ratchet look different from Ironhide. I kind of want to get this figure because G1-styled Ratchets are not easy to find, though I want to get this and Dragon Shield Black Ranger at the same time as well as some Refraktors.
Another reuse was added in the line, that being Crosshairs. It's got the same tooling as Ironhide, minus the head, which is based on the G1 character. Instead of Targetmaster Pinpointer, he comes with the same cannon that Ironhide came with. I'd skip this figure since it's not as much of a prominent character compared to Ironhide and Ratchet, and this is me setting aside my bias on preferring the AOE version.
And for an entirely unchanged repaint, this is the Quintesson Deseesus Army Drone He's basically a black and white repaint of regular Ironhide. While the Quintessons could go for more guys, it's still weird that they had an Ironhide that looks like a poor attempt at mimicking the Movie version.
The Siege tooling would later find another use as the Animated Universe Autotrooper, which was part of a troop-builder 4-pack that came with a Seeker, a Quintesson troop, and a G2 Cybertronian. He comes with an alternate head that allows you to display him with the Kiss Players Autorooper design (yes, that's how it's spelled and also yes, THAT Kiss Players).
This figure is somewhat flawed but I at least appreciate the pros that it has. The altmode fits the character, the robot mode's pretty good, the transformation isn't frustrating or entirely basic, and the weapon's rad on this guy. The only things I don't like are the hollow pieces when viewed from behind. That aside, I dig this figure, and it's certainly my favorite Deluxe from the Siege line as of now. I suggest getting this figure when you see it.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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