Here we have Trailcutter in his vehicle mode. It's a lot different from what fans would normally expect since the design is more akin to IDW than it is for G1. One of the things I liked about IDW was how they changed up the looks for the characters, resulting in leaner, sharper, and more refined appearances than previous comics had. While I despise most of the recent stories in the original continuity, Trailbreaker was a pretty cool reimagining of his bland G1 self both as a character and as a design. And this design takes his old camper truck into a badass filter, with tires meant for offroad adventures, guns underneath the foglights/forcefield generator, a front section with a brush guard, and a small windshield that gives the impression of how big this vehicle feels...which does a disservice to this toy. I don't have any figures from the 2013 Generations waves, but I know 2012-2013 was from a time when downsizing was prominent, especially when prices got higher than they deserved. Thankfully, the price-to-plastic ratio isn't awful today despite $20 being somewhat steep for collectors figures. Still, the design of the altmode looks awesome, though the foglights do look a little too high up.
If you notice the side, the rear wheels are attached differently than the ones from the front are. Obviously, an attempt has been made to make the tires look similar in design, but there are three hollowed-out pieces that just look more obvious than the ones from the front are. Also, the rear wheels snap on while the front wheels are pinned in. The thing is that the outer halves of the front tires do the spinning, so they don't roll as well as the rear wheels do.
The transformation is fairly involved but still reminiscent of the G1 method. Before you begin the process, you do have to remove the truck bed cover first. Once it's done, you can then straighten the legs out in robot mode position and continue with the rest of the transformation. The robot mode torso is the more involved portion of the toy, as you have to both hinge the front of the altmode, the windshield, and the square portion hosing the Autobot insignia to make the proper orientation for the torso design. You also have to swivel the tires AND hinge the shoulders up so they can fit in with the mirrors. Also, the hands have to hinge out before you attach the panels from the doors. As for the head, simply hinge it up and swivel it to the front.
The resulting robot mode is certainly a contrast to what Trailbreaker is known for in the G1 series, though it does fit him to be more of a bruiser type to go along with Ironhide. In fact, I like this design more than the G1 incarnation in general! While the toy certainly looks bulkier than the comic cover that came with this figure (which was a thing Generations figures got up until 2016), it still captures some of the spirit that Trailbreaker is known for, so in a way, fans don't really have to ignore this guy for deviating too much from the Diaclone toy design. If there are a few things I don't like, its how the lower legs have gaps that don't really benefit the look too well, and the feet do look a little puny underneath the shins, but the rest of the toy looks fine. The sides and back don't have much to explain, but at least it's not as bad as, say, Fall of Cybertron Swindle.
Face sculpt looks a lot more detailed than Trailbreaker's known for, since this is the IDW incarnation after all. The face has some nice silver paint applied, the helmet looks more refined, and the expression gives him that tough as nails look combined with the visor. Certainly an upgrade compared to the G1 design.
Articulation is on par with what Siege Deluxes have today. Head can look left and right, shoulders move front and back on swivels, hinge up and down, swivel at the biceps, and bend at the elbows. Waist swivels, hips move front and back, in and out, thighs swivel, knees bend, and the feet can sort of hinge up, but nothing too benefitting. He can use his shield either arm-mounted or held at a handle, which may seem a little redundant, but hey, nothing bad to me.
You can store the weapon if you like, though it does mean the forcefield generator doesn't look prominent over his head.
This figure has a few reuses. Here we have Hoist, who was obviously going to be reused from Trailcutter right when the mold was announced. He's about the same as Trailbreaker in terms of molding, though he does have a new head along with an accessory that becomes both a tow truck hook and a gun. It was a neat attempt, but I have to admit that the design could go for some extra tooling to distinguish it further from Trailcutter.
The two were repainted in the TakaraTomy version of the Generations line for a two-pack that gives them comic-accurate colors. Notably, Trailcutter has a red visor and appropriate color placement to further go with the comic appearance. Also, Trailcutter has a silver brush guard and bumper. Hoist, on the other hand, is less pea-green and more rich green.
This is the BotCon exclusive Lift-Ticket. This figure is a repaint of Hoist put in the Diaclone colors and came in a two-pack with Burn Out, a repaint of Generations Thrilling 30 Skids (a figure I do plan to get). His deco is different from Hoist, and he also has a curious 'WRECKER' decal on the door.
Overall, this figure is not as bad as I originally thought. Despite the small size for the altmode and the hollowed legs, the design looks neat and does give Trailcutter a new name and a neat redesign that takes him from unassuming tubby to a big bouncer bot that would easily look tough alongside Ironhide as they work as Optimus Prime's bodyguards. Sure, the Earthrise version will be more accurate to the character design, but I'm happy to have this guy along with the upcoming Earthrise figure as two different incarnations of the character, even though I like this design more.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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