Here is the backdrop we have for Scavenger. It's the same as the other Constructicons, only bigger. Scavenger does fit despite his design.
Here is Scavenger in his vehicle mode. It's an excavator, and one of the larger vehicles in the Constructicon team. I'm going to say this right off the bat: I don't think the proportions are done right. While I think the main body of the vehicle mode does look right, the treads do look a little small underneath, and the shovel arm looks a little too thick on the front. Comparing it to Voyager Demolishor (who will be in a similar color scheme in this review to see what details the already-incorrectly-colored-guy-that-spoke-in-the-movie got wrong), the treads on the old toy are larger in length while the shovel arm has a much more appropriate level of thickness to it, yet even its proportions are a little questionable. The treads kind of give the impression of being oversized and kind of being a little too thick for a toy at this scale, while the shovel bucket looks a little too big in comparison to the rest of the arm. Also doesn't help by the fact that the Voyager's main body doesn't have much bulk to it, with the kibble pieces hanging on the back. The Leader Class figure does have a similar issue, but the kibble pieces used to connect to the tires are not as obvious. I feel the best-looking design of the vehicle mode is in-between these two, though I kind of like the little Mech Alive drums rolling around more than the fake pistons.
You can lift the shovel arm on some tight hinges and heavy ratchets, but it does expose the wheel details. The original Voyager didn't have this issue since the arms were on a lower point while the wheels were the actual treads, while the Legends figure has the big wheel exposed on the back.
Here he is next to the other Constructicons in the line. Scavenger, being a Leader Class figure, wears it well by being a larger vehicle than all the others, which is also appropriate for him when he needs to become the upper torso of Devastator.
Transformation is pretty involved, which is expected given how his design works in the movies. There are a few things I like about it, such as folding up the treads of the bottom wheel and sandwiching them together, while the shoulders comprise of the vehicle mode folded up with the arms underneath it. I also like how the shell of most of the vehicle folds up to become shoulders while the shovel arm still splits into the arms. The upper wheel simply rotates to connect to two red pieces to complete the look of the wheel hanging over the head, even if there's a stem behind the head.
The robot mode now starts to defend why it's vehicle mode's kind of oddly proportioned: BEEF! The old Voyager looked pretty thin as the arms, tires, and the gaps between the wheels (along with the actual wheels) make the toy look as if it's frail in comparison. The new guy fixes it simply by sacrificing the way its vehicle mode looks and instead makes the robot mode look stronger even with its odd appearance. Another thing that works for it? The arms are facing forward and are easier to pose (though articulation on the old figure is manageable), and best of all, the tires feel like actual tires. While the attempt of using the treads as wheels is neat and all, I do not like how insubstantial they look when they're tires. Having them be separate components from the tires would work better, or at least have them be like what the Studio Series figure. The old figure's not bad, even if TJOmega reviewed it and people followed his opinion, but it's clear that the Studio Series figure wins due to the proportions he has better fitting the design.
The side of the robot mode hides the stem, but the back shows it even more with a flight stand port that won't really be used.
The head sculpt works well for the character design. The better details and color contrast help it stand out a bit more than the original toy's head, and I can hear the line "This is not your planet to rule! The Fallen shall rise again!" in my head, even if Demolishor said that line.
The articulation is a little funky in the case of this guy. Shoulders move front and back, in and out, swivel at the...bicep? The elbows bend, the hands hinge, and the little claw can be spread out. The head is now on a ball joint, and the lower tire can turn left and right. It doesn't quite do the tire swap action in the movie like the old Voyager did, but that's fine.
You don't have any accessories for this guy aside from one red panel meant to fit on the right shoulder. I think you can also display your figure with one of the treads still out, but it's not quite as effective since now the weight of the figure can be a problem unless you prop it with the arms.
Here he is next to the other Constructicons available so far. He's got a unique look to him like Rampage and Hightower do, but it's kind of cool to see a more fulfilling take on the design here than before. We're two figures away from completing the team, so be on the lookout for reviews consisting of Scrapper (who's on the next Studio Series wave) and Overload (who will be in a future wave of reviews).
Here he Scavenger next to Optimus Prime, because I'm sure people will ask if this guy's in scale with the Autobot leader for when the figure's repainted into Demolishor. For those wondering, yes, he is bigger than Optimus Prime. No, he is not entirely in scale with Optimus Prime. In the movie, Demolishor is a lot bigger than Optimus Prime, so this isn't quite the right size between the two. Of course, one would argue that Scavenger should be a Commander or Supreme figure, but Scavenger's not Demolishor and needs to combine with what will already be a massive Devastator. You can always use a Cyberverse Commander figure if you really want to recreate the scale.
The transformation into the torso mode can be a little confusing, mainly because you need to have everything tabbed in or at the right spots. You need the side with the gaps to face forwards while having the C-joints visible for Mixmaster to clip on. The arms have to be folded next to where the head would connect to make the arm joints visible. Also, these arm connectors are different from the ones used in Combiner Wars, which means that they're not compatible with the figures used in the line. Not like it matters because I'd rather appreciate Devastator for what he is rather than give him some G1 limbs that don't belong with them. Anyways, the torso itself looks a little nondescript, but that's only because it needs Overload, arms, and a head to give more definition. As for Scavenger himself, he makes for an unexpected yet welcome entry in the Studio Series line by presenting himself with a bit more engineering in mind. While the vehicle mode does suffer from some odd proportions and the transformation could be a little confusing as it's not a normal robot, I appreciate it for at least coming with the bulk needed for the design, and the transformation for the upper torso's actually kind of neat for a non-traditional design of a Transformer. It's honestly on-par with Sky Lynx from Combiner Wars. Definitely get this guy if you can, even if he's gotten a little hard to find.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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