Transformers Siege Skytread Review

The Duocons are one of the many G1 gimmick toys that were nothing more but wishlist filler for characters that are known not for their personalities but for their ability to combine two separate vehicles into a single robot. Tell you the truth, I didn't really care about seeing CHUG versions of either Battletrap or Flywheels for a good while because unlike most CHUG collectors, I mainly want well-known characters and comic cult classics. While I still wait for the day we get a proper G1 Bludgeon figure that will finally let the ROTF guy stay in the Movie shelf (which I have done the day I got him), we instead have characters mainly consisting of background characters and robots that feel nonexistent in general. It wasn't until Power of the Primes gave BT's components robot modes, known as Battleslash and Roadtrap, that did make me interested in getting them, though $20 for two Legends figures is a little steep when a cool combined mode and Roadtrap have to contend with how weak Battleslash is. I'll get both figures at a retro toy shop some other time, but for now, let's take a look at not Flywheels, but instead Skytread (and what a more appropriate name for the guy)!

Here we have the components in their vehicle modes, named Skymark and Dangertread. Who knew that a Blitzwing-esque selection of vehicles would be repurposed for a Decepticon? Sadly, no Autobots got their own take on the Duocon gimmick, but hey, not like it matters. I chose to give a gun to the jet portion of this set because it'd go well with some firepower a la Jetfire from last week's wave of reviews. Still, in terms of designs, Skymark may have quite a bit of brick underneath the jet while Dangertread does have a blockier turret than he should, but I guess they don't look too bad for what they are as vehicles that have to transform into parts of a robot while also becoming robots of their own. The molded details and paint apps are nicely applied, even on the weapons, which is a plus in my book.

In terms of their coloring, it's some of the dullest I've ever seen on a Transformer since, honestly, Energon Alpha Quintesson. Some may criticize the overabundance of red for the Autobots, purple for the Decepticons, and the grays/silvers of half of the movie Transformers, but these two look so bleak that they look very miserable when he's put alongside the rest of the Wave 1 offerings. Sideswipe had that nice red and black color combo, Hound was given a nice forest green, and Cog was a neat mix of navy blue with bits of silver, red, and black. These two, being one of the three Decepticon offerings in all of Wave 1 (minus any Battle and Micro offerings), end up making the team they're in look a lot drabber than it really is. At least the blue cockpit on Skymark is a nice touch, though Dangertread uses a bit of maroon to break up his dirt brown surface.

Here are his components next to Siege Starscream and Impactor for vehicle scale. No question that they're small, but I was honestly surprised that they'd be a bit bigger than I expected them to. I guess you could say that Impactor is more of an upgraded tank compared to the normal-looking Dangertread. If we pretend Starscream's jet mode is supposed to be bigger than the normal military jet of Skymark, then it's not too bad.

Transformation is pretty basic, as you only extend the legs and flip out the arms for the tank while moving the cockpit down and sliding the jet into the crevices. Once done, you get quite the best of both worlds look for this version of the character. He's toy accurate yet has better proportions. Of course, I jest. He looks mistransformed. And in case you're wondering, there are no individual robot modes for Skytread's components. It sucks because you were getting two Legends figures worth the price of a Deluxe when combined when it comes to Battletrap, so why doesn't this guy get any? It'd help make the only Wave 1 Decepticon stand out even more from the two Autobot Cars and their Weaponizer. So tl;dr, I made up that Skymark and Dangertread bit. Sorry.

Now we're at the actual transformation, which vaguely reminds me of Sky Shadow/Overlord's transformation in Titans Return where the tank becomes the legs while the jet becomes the torso. It's a pretty neat feature, but I can't help but deny there's a part of me that wished we got proper robot modes for the components. Yeah, they'd have a bit more engineering required and they might suck more than the Battletrap guys do, but at least it'd add a bit of play value not seen in the G1 version. All we have is a tank that opens up to reveal thighs and a jet that has the typical cockpit chest with arms that feel like they belong to the tank.

For the proper robot mode, this figure certainly does the G1 with knees schtick that initially made me dislike the new direction Generations took, but it's more than that with Skytread. He has proper proportions, he doesn't look like a toy that belonged in a cereal box, and he's also got a nice amount of molded details added in the mix. Still, the color scheme doesn't have quite the energy he should have. I know military Transformers shouldn't be vibrant AF in terms of deco (with some certain exceptions in the upcoming reviews), but take a look at G1 Megatron's mix of gray/silver and black mixed with bits of red, or Movie Brawl's forest green with bits of camo and silver here and there; they complement their looks without making them either too gaudy or drab. Still nice to have the blue cockpit remain, and now we have the face which we'll take a look at in just a bit. From the side and back, he's not quite as bad in terms of kibble, even though the wings do stick out a bit too much and the tail of the jet hanging a little too low.

Sorry for the unbearable blur, but I hope you can see the details as well as you can. While the head does look generic, at least the visor and mouth region have some nice paint apps to make the head look less drab. The cherry red and metallic silver contrast nicely from the dull dirt brown, and looks a lot more defined than the old toy's blob of silver paint.

Articulation is standard for the Siege line. Head is on a slight ball joint, shoulders move front and back on swivels, in and out on shoulder hinges, swivel at the biceps, and bend at the elbows. Waist swivels, hips move front and back as well as in and out, thighs swivel, knees bend, and the ankles pivot. He can hold his guns in his hands, and it's also neat to have them in different lengths to go with the tank mode and the jet mode.

This figure has one use only, that being Slamdance. This Autobot variant gives the character a much more vibrant deco, with Thundercracker blue for the jet and Warpath red for the tank, and even the head is given some deco tweaks to distinguish himself from Skytread despite being the same mold. Also love the silver guns, and the outline for the cockpit done in the same color. He does resemble a knockoff somewhat, though sadly, it's not just the looks that make me say that; this toy was infamous for getting broken at the ankles, even when it's taken out of the packaging. Sucks because this figure looks nicer than Skytread is, even if he can't become cassettes that would go with Blaster. Also worth noting that the color scheme is reversed; Grand Slam, the tank, is supposed to be the torso, while Raindance, the jet, is supposed to be the legs.

For a size comparison, here he is with Megatron, who he started to talk with in the new IDW continuity. Part of me feels he should be slightly bigger, but at least he could mostly be at the same height as Duocon Battletrap (who I will get, don't worry)

This guy isn't too bad for what he is, especially considering just how the character is just too vehicles that become a background guy. Not a horrible toy, but certainly the filler entry of the line. He just doesn't have the same kind of energy that the combined Battletrap would have, even if you set aside how the Duocons were released in either line. I feel you may want to get this figure if you see him on discount, though there are thankfully some interesting Decepticons in the Siege line, one of which we'll see this week.

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