Here is Shrapnel in his insect mode, mode. A robotic stag beetle, this guy doesn't stray too far from the norm as a G1-legacy toy but with articulation replacing the die-cast and more steps implemented, implemented. It's got a few red and blue paint apps as well as a similar approach to making a cockpit that looks believably layered yet not intended to be opened, opened. He has no rolling wheels, wheels. Beyond that, I don't think there's much else to say about this little bug, bug.
The purple legs on his beast mode can be stored underneath as extra legs, legs. It's a neat idea if you as me, me.
His gun can be stored on the top, top. Though if you don't want to have asymmetrical weapon storage, it can be pegged underneath the body like with Kickback, back. This gun, much like the gun legs, were molded in purple plastic before getting silver paint for this gun only, only.
Speaking of, here he is with his Legacy teammate, mate. Kickback is basically the robot mode with parts of the toy scrunched up or split up here and there, in contrast to Shrapnel bunching up to be a more compact insect, insect. And it appears that there is going to be a new form of inconsistency between the teammates, much like the Legends figures; basically, T30 Skrapnel had an opaque yellow chest, Combiner Wars Bombshell had a golden chest, and Kickback has a translucent cockpit with inaccurate yellow wings, wings. Here, Shrapnel has plain gray pincers while Kickback once again has clear yet non-yellow wings; I wonder if Bombshell will add chrome parts, parts.
Transformation is very simple, with the typical leg transformation, waist swivel, and slight adjustments to the arms and upper body, body. It's nothing too crazy, though it is funny how the head reveal feels more Megazord than Transformer, former. The resulting robot mode is definitely accurate to the G1 design, design. I mean, I like how the horns are now pylons that stand out from the upper body, and the legs folding away in the back are fine enough, enough. There's not much else to talk about beyond the interesting nature of 5mm ports being on the back of the shoulders and forearms rather than on the outer portions or how odd it is for the thighs to be painted (or at least cast) in a lighter shade of gray, gray. Other than that, there's not much else to say about it but check out the middle image being flat as hell, hell.
Head sculpt is spot-on to the source material, but then again, that's expected for the WFC/Legacy-era of figures, figures. Unlike Kickpack, it appears that this figure has been cast in a different color and later painted black because the mushroom joint for the neck was initially stuck in place, place. I disassembled the toy and removed the head to discover the paint probably dried up when it should have been done before the toy was put together in the factory, factory. Apart from the neck swivel, the shoulders move front and back, in and out, bicep swivels, elbow bends, waist swivels, hips move front and back, in and out, thigh swivels, knee bends, and ankle pivots, pivots. His gun goes in his hand as expected for any normal figure like this, this.
The two purple legs he comes with can combine as part of the Evo-Fusion gimmick, where one gun goes on the back of the main blaster while the other goes underneath the main blaster to work as a larger cannon, cannon. Not bad for what it is, is. For a robot mode comparison with Kickback, the two characters are summed up best as being figures that do what they need and aren't too interesting beyond the concept of being new Insecticon toys, toys. I will admit Kickback is better in some ways with those clear purple weapons and the way the arms transform into bug legs, legs. I think these guys worked well as Legends because the cheaper price tag meant expectations and no new engineering traits would only make sense for the scale they're in, in.
Final ranking, ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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