These five dudes are the Destronger subgroup Combatrons, aka the RID 2001 Decepticon subgroup Commandos. And what a bad bunch of dudes they are! While scale for these kinds of teams is going to be random no matter what, they do look ready to rumble as a group of 5, though their leader is somewhat hard to notice with two of the limbs being on his left. While there is a lot to talk about these figures individually, these figures were not released individually as the Car Robots/RID 2001 characters and will thus be covered as a single set. Plus, it's a special Takara Combiner Wars set, we gotta go above and beyond for an occasion like this. Oh, and I'll be covering everyone in their Takara names ONCE and then their Hasbro names immediately afterwards.
Here we have Hepter, aka Ro-Tor, in his helicopter mode. This figure turns into an approximation of a Aerospatiale Dauphin rather than the Kaman Aerospace SH-2 Seasprite helicopter that he had in the old toy (or the RID 2001 series, which was more toy accurate than the G1 cartoon). As you can probably expect, this is meant to match the Takara version, meaning there is no red on the side of the helicopter (when it would have been perfect to paint the missiles red). While there isn't much deco for this helicopter mode, we do at least have some paint apps for the windows in the front as well as a red stripe for the nose. There's even gunmetal for the turbine in the tailfin, but not much is there to break up the dark blue of the helicopter apart from the propeller blades on top.
The two weapons can be placed on the ports in the middle of the helicopter, and I guess they do break up the blue used on almost all of the helicopter. To kind of simulate Ro-Tor using two guns, he comes with a solid red gun associated with the Combiner Wars mold, as well as a gun originally belonging to Unite Warriors Mixmaster.
For a helicopter comparison, here he is both on the combiner foot as a display stand and next to Age of the Primes Vortex. While neither really matches the G1 toy (for starters, no prominent landing wheels), I appreciate that both figures try to mimic the firepower they used on the old toy (AOTP has the front gun, Unite Warriors uses the rear cannons via missiles that should be painted red). However, I think the AOTP propellers are handled better, as they are not as easy to warp as the Unite Warriors figure.
Transformation is very simple for a helicopter Transformer. The front section becomes the legs, the back becomes the upper body, and the propellers and tailfin go on the back. However, because this figure uses four propeller blades rather than two, we are left with no choice but to flex the plastic while orienting the setup like an upside-down Bayverse Blackout cape. Likely due to how long these have been stuck bent like this, the parts are flopping around slightly and leaving slight gaps in the assembly. Still, the robot mode is able to resemble the design associated with both Vortex and Ro-Tor, even if the bot mode is more rounded than heroic in its design. As you're about to see, this design is done as such in order to make it a flexible enough toy for future repaints. Still, I appreciate that we can break up all that dark blue with two of the three warm colors found on the rainbow, in addition to some silver on the torso. Kind of feels like one of those weather radar scans where surrounding areas aren't as affected as a center space. Still, it makes the unpainted missiles all the more annoying.
His head sculpt is pretty basic, but somehow it looks more like a good guy version of the Vortex head design than the actual head used for either character. Amusingly, he has an extra warm color for the visor. Anyways, when discussing articulation on the Deluxe limbs, I will bring up any differences. His head, shoulders, and hips are on ball joints, while the biceps, waist, and thighs are on swivels, and the elbows, as well as knees, are on hinges. He is the only Deluxe to not have ankle pivots, but not the only figure in the whole set to lack them.
As far as reuses are concerned, we gotta go back to the one Transformer who started it all. The reason why the figure looks generic or heroic is because of Alpha Bravo. Back when Slingshot/Quickslinger was briefly MIA in the Combiner Wars line, we had this figure to distinguish him from the rest of the Aerialbots AND save money by reusing an existing mold where a helicopter bot was needed. And what perfect timing we start with him, since we're apparently getting a new version of him before AOTP ends. It's no wonder Hasbro made Vortex compatible with Superion. Most of these releases use the standard hand-foot-gun used with Combiner Wars limbs.
As mentioned earlier, we would use this for so many heliformers across different combiner teams. Blades was one of those cases for the Protectobots, and while he has a new head and tries to hide that he is a straight repaint elsewhere with his color scheme, the barely changed vehicle mode and silver missiles don't hide shit.
The Takara version, known as Graze, is closer to the cartoon colors, though it's no surprise that, at the time, Hasbro went for toy-accuracy and Takara did not. This was before the brand unification made toys similar in both markets. If the earlier images are anything to go by, Takara did not sell their Unite Warriors figures individually and sold them in a box set, meaning Hasbro Blades was sold on its own, while Takara Graze was only with his fellow Protectobots.
Who can forget about the one underrated Transformer I think of most? Unfortunately, Spinister's helicopter mode may be the best mode of the two, while the robot mode appears to look uneven with the color layout on the torso, not to mention the botched attempt at separating his eyes. Thank Hasbro for Siege. At least he comes with his Targetmasters.
This mold was used for two twinformers, both included with the fan vote Combiner known as Victorion (aka a character far less famous than Windblade). The figure has been retooled to be more feminine, mostly with the forearms, head, and even the chest, with a barely visible nip on one side. I honestly hate Victorion's color scheme for how prototypey she appears, and it's even more apparent with the color scheme. Oh, and this is Skyburst, aka the name previously used on a shitty Power Core Combiner toy.
This is the other one, Stormclash, who is at least the first and only use for the name. She has a bit of asymmetry with her mold mate, but she still kind of sucks, colorwise. Also, these probably don't match their butch-IDW design because that comic company loves to do that all the time (a huge contrast to the fan service of Takara's Legends fembots).
Takara's set takes the barely distinct figures and gives them unique paint jobs. Also, both these and their Victorion counterparts have unique hands and feet. Lunaclub is black and salmon...
...and we also have one in blueberry named Moonheart! I bet these two act like some Panty & Stocking type duo. Also, no, I never saw that series, but I heard of it, idk if I plan to see it because I'll likely do my 1,234,567th rewatch of Shrek.
Now we have the one dude who this mold was mostly made: Vortex. The Hasbro version is meant to be toy-accurate, but maybe the color scheme is all over the place? The gray and teal are fine enough, but the random bits of purple, yellow, and red prove that maybe toy accuracy isn't always going to look that great.
The G2 version seems to match the old toy colors generally fine enough, even if they're slightly lighter in shade. He's not the kind of Mister Blue Sky you'd sing about.
And finally, we have the Takara Unite Warriors version, which has a more cohesive color scheme in comparison and is the first to use the 4-blade propeller. In this deco, it kind of has a Bayverse Blackout vibe even more.
And that leads us to AOTP comparison #1. The positive of having Vortex be a specific mold rather than share the same kind of body with many, many other characters is that he can better match his cartoon design, being blockier and more evil, I guess. Still, the Combiner Wars mold does get some similar strokes right, especially given it was from a different era where toon accuracy was usually in deco.
Up next, we have Shuttler, aka Movor. We have a pretty standard affair for a space shuttle: white with black, wings and tailfin on the back, and robot kibble that makes it look a bit whack. Not a bad shuttle mode except for the slightly visible orange underneath, and the front section not being able to tab in.
His giant gun can be mounted on top of the shuttle and looks ridiculous, but if we had two of the smaller white guns, then maybe it would make for more convincing firepower. The larger gun comes from Unite Warriors Scrapper.
For an altmode comparison, we can see that their aesthetics are very different all around. Though while Blast Off tries to look more traditional in design, his color scheme is far from fitting a shuttle like himself. Also, for anyone wanting to display Movor with the combiner port as a base, keep in mind that it has two peg holes that will make either display look asymmetrical.
Transformation is closer to the usual Aerialbots affair: front section folds back, legs extend, and the arms straighten out. Very different from the old toy, where the whole front section was all arms. The robot mode looks about what I'd expect it to be: almost Aerialbots-esque in design, down to almost having the same colors. Of course, he does have his own unique hand set-up where you have the partial thrusters that can double as Gobot-esque hand cannons. His feet look goofy with those clown shoes, but at the same time, he does have the potential to do burning kicks. I do wish, however, that the backpack could be more compact. I also wish that the clip holding the head can stay in place better, even if it isn't as bad as with the original use of the mold.
Head sculpt is thankfully without that stupid error that Blast Off usually has with the visor not being painted right. Kind of looks like a mix between Soundwave and G2 Smokescreen. Articulation is about the same with the Alpha Bravo mold, only the elbows have a much deeper bend, and the ankles can pivot.
The rear fin is removable and can be placed on the front. Why is this done, you may ask? It's done to cover up the combiner joint, though it isn't needed for this kind of figure.
Instead, it is meant for Unite Warriors Blast Off, who has the arms swapped at the biceps and the upper body rotated so the combiner joint can be on his back like the old toy. As a result, his upper body sticks forward much more, and I don't think it looks that great. For a while, this was the only way to get a space shuttle Blast Off since Hasbro couldn't even make a proper substitute new mold member like they did with Alpha Bravo, Offroad, and Rook; instead, all they could do was paint one of the Aerialbots brown and purple.
Thankfully, we would get a proper Hasbro release for anyone who has the other Combaticons and was not willing to pay for a whole other set just for a new Blast Off mold. This one is colored like the toy, even having paint apps inspired by the toy stickers. He came with a Prime Master for Megatronus because this figure was released during the Power of the Primes line.
While Hasbro retooled their version of Technobot Strafe with an Aerialbots mold, Takara goes a step further and not only uses the more fitting Blast Off mold but also gives him proper weaponry that the Hasbro version sorely doesn't have in bot mode. Both figures were sold in box sets, but Hasbro is toy accurate and uses the unique set of hands and feet we later use with this set, while Takara uses the normal HFG system. Oh, and no G2 Blast Off as a shuttle because Hasbro used the jet version.
For a bot mode comparison, here we have Movor next to Blast Off. While I find the head better on this figure than I do the AOTP version, I prefer the more unique arm design used on the newer figure more than I do the thinner arms on the older toy. Other than that, not much else to say about who does the design better, yet their foot sizes being distinct is funny.
We go from the air to good ol' land with Dangar, aka Armorhide, and not to be confused with Dengar the Bounty Hunter. Kind of amusing we get his type of tank color scheme before the days of Deep Desert Brawl, though this can technically be a G1 Brawl toy mimicking his Bayverse counterpart's repaints. The general tank proportions are there, but the turret cannot rotate. The barrel thankfully can move up and down, which is appreciated since that doesn't work for Studio Series Brawl. As for his other gun, it belongs to Scavenger. The wheels roll about as well as you would expect them to on tankformers. Be sure that the figure is tabbed in properly as much as possible given how much it likes to get undone.
For a tank mode comparison, here he is with the AOTP version. Neither really matches the other that well, with the AOTP version being closer to the Sunbow design, where he turned into a British Centurion more than a German Leopard 1, like with the old toy (and somewhat for the CW mold). Unfortunately for Unite Warriors Armorhide, he lacks the G1-toy ability of having two extra cannons on the back.
Transformation is fairly involved for the upper body, with the upper body not transforming quite like any usual Combiner Wars figure, given how the front end still becomes the chest, while the waist requires a few twists and turns to make the crotch face forward. Sadly, likely from the necessity of storing the comboner joint inside the chest, we end up with a gap between the two body parts without a proper stomach. The rest of the figure is more or less an updated take on the G1 design, right down to the turret on the back with the barrel pointing up like a permanent middle finger. As for the rest of the bot mode, I will admit that I appreciate him not feeling a repetitive as other Combiner Wars Deluxes, especially with the shoulder treads and not having a chest that is just molded detail surrounding the combiner joint. The arms kind of appear stumpy in a way, though it could be from how short the forearms are versus the upper shoulders. Probably not as bad an issue as his crotch being a bit oversized compared to his tiny hips and thighs, in contrast to those huge lower legs. One issue I need to bring up is that some copies of the mold have a floppy waist, given how much the hook tab sucks at keeping him secure. It's not as bad as the original Brawl mold, but still worth mentioning.
His head sculpt is super forehead-heavy; it's almost a fivehead. Also, it looks like it's carved out of chocolate with how soft the sculpt is, almost looking like someone made a weird bootleg Soundwave sculpture out of that treat if not for the orange visor. Articulation is mostly the same with all of the figures we have here, though the forearms are on ball joints this time around. If you want to give him extra firepower, the turret is removable and has a 5mm peg; however, I don't like the notion of detaching it from where it hinges up and down or risk making it looser or outright unable to clip it in place.
For some prior mold uses, this is the original Brawl figure, whose shade of green probably looks better than the AOTP figure somewhat. Probably from how much its shade of green doesn't look like diarrhea soup.
Naturally, we would have a toon-accurate repaint with different shades of green and grey, and more distinctly, his head has more detailing than what we have on the CW version. As a result, it looks less like a Decepticon version of Grimlock, like the solid black on Hasbro. Unlike most Combiner Wars/Unite Warriors figures, his weapon hand color matches the rest of him.
The G2 version of Brawl has that sweet Hulk green and purple combo that is just perfect as it is, and even better is that it's a deco he shares with G2 Megatron. I wonder if there is any backstory with them doing this.
With HasLab Liokaiser coming soon, it's perfect timing to talk about the time Hasbro gave us the next best thing available for a decade: a Combiner Wars set using only 5 members, and one of them replacing two of the characters who turned into the entire torso. Killbison, aka Ironbison (Wild Access, anyone?), is in a shade of green closer to AOTP Brawl more than either Brawl toy. His head is retooled but is otherwise functionally the same. I'm calling him Miles Bennett Killbison. Awww a baby Killbison, and it's not your old habitat; the hands of a nerd!
The Hasbro version of Computron gave us a Nosecone who sucks ass; the altmode is just reversed, but with the drill pointing backwards, the retooling is barely any different from what we had before, and the drill doesn't even spin! So you're stuck with the hollow parts facing forwards at all times!
And we go from Ironbison to Drillhorn, with Thew still trying to mash his name up with Bob Dylan. His drill is on the front of the tank rather than the back this time, but at least he has the Air Raid gun (which I remember feeling cheap as shit for the plastic). He feels like a weird version of Twin Twist the Jumpstarter. His retooled head looks like Tigatron.
And we have the Tripredacus Council member named Ramhorn, who has the same configuration as Nosecone. His head is also retooled with as much red on it as the rest of him. He is based on one of the trio of Predacons we saw during a noir-esque conference. He was only included as part of the Predacus set.
And of course, we have both of them for a bot mode comparison. Brawl is said to be the most deviated from the old toy, unlike his fellow Combaticons. While the Unite Warriors figure manages to look like it can transform thanks to the visible tank parts, the AOTP version at least has better proportions overall.
The last limb we got to take a look at is Combiner Wars Hound. Okay, I jest much like Runestone did a decade ago. This is Greejeeber, aka Rollbar. Fitting name this time because he has rollbars on the altmode. Unlike the old toy and the Swindle cartoon model, where he turned into a jeep, this is more of a teched-out SUV that can almost rumble and tumble through Halo-esque battlefields with Siege Hound. I love the metallic shade of green on this alt mode, and the silver used for said rollbars, as well as the rims, is a nice touch as always. I also get a funny feeling that the front section is almost like a battering ram; he needs to do more than just shoot enemies and use his suspension at his advantage, after all. His Minicon port on top can use his larger weapon, while the smaller gun pegs on what will be his robot shoulders. The large cannon comes from Long Haul, as expected. If you look closely at the dashboard inside the toy, then it means we have wacky scale issues with a Jeep-like altmode being as huge as a tank, though the same line has an undersized Silverbolt (as per usual), while Ultra Magnus has tiny doors that make him appear massive. Typical Transformers logic.
For an altmode size comparison, here we have him not with Siege Hound but instead the Legacy United version now hitting store shelves as part of the Studio Series 86 line (because why make a better Deluxe Hound when we can re-release one from an expensive 5-pack?!); I wish I can display him with the Siege version for the similar aggressive altmode designs and shades of green but he is in storage. Still, even with an entirely different altmode, it looks better than the SS86 toy. Also, fear not, because when AOTP Swindle finally comes out, I will compare them both to see what similarities and differences they share.
Transforming him is different from the G1 version, mostly because the robot mode ends up having most of the figure's front side from the back and underneath the robot mode; the front becomes the legs, the back becomes the upper body, but at least he has kibble sticking on his back like the old toy. Just be warned that repeated transformations may scratch the hips somehow. The resulting robot mode clearly bulks this figure up, as it, as well as the altmode, are clearly retooled from Combiner Wars Rook (the Protectobot that replaced Groove for a while). I don't mind it so much because they at least made the altmodes distinct, and he has proper 5mm compatible hands, but damn, is he a dedicated bodybuilder. I do find the orange on the chest funny, almost like he has a safety vest on despite being a military bot. The heavy sculpted details are done the best for this figure, and while the arms are stumpier than normal, I always like this kind of bot mode more than I thought I would.
His head sculpt is positively blocky and close to the usual Swindle look, no doubt thanks to the visor shape and a more expressive mouth than the other characters with visors and mouthplates. I almost wish he'd be smirking like on his Universe 2003 urban camo repaint. Articulation is generally the same as with the others, but he has the separate bicep and elbow joints like with Movor and Ro-Tor.
For some reason, the instructions say he can use the feet as shoulder pads by attaching the fists underneath and pegging them on the shoulders. I don't get the necessity either, but hey, it's close to the play factor of the Siege line.
As far as reuses are concerned, we will skip Rook for now since I consider him a separate enough toy in terms of appearances and function. Anyways, the Hasbro version of Swindle is fairly close to the old toy, mostly relying on black and purple to break up the golden yellow of his altmode. The visor on him is much dimmer than it should be. The unpainted rims mean that the different snap-on pegs for the wheels make them stand out more than necessary.
Naturally, the Takara version better matches the cartoon, even adding some silver paint on the hands and not using as much black as on the Hasbro release. The extra silver and purple hood make up for the lack of black on the front trapezoid. As with Brawl, his HFG accessory color matches him.
As for the G2 repaint, most of the deco layout is consistent with the original CW version, but we have purple splotches here and there. He should have the G2 insignia, and he should be redder like his optics.
A different green guy we have here is Hound, who has a retooled cannon so that it can be mounted on his shoulder. Kind of funny that we have him alongside Rollbar, but that's mostly for the Hasbro markets.
And now we have the Takara version, which uses an axe associated with the Offroad mold, as well as using even more color break-up than the Hasbro version. Kind of random, but it does look generally fine. Funny how we have three versions of this mold and they're all green.
For a size comparison, he is slightly taller than Hound, but then again, the Autobot himself was a bit shorter than most of his allies. Once again, in spite of the hollow and slightly cheaper feeling of the Rollbar mold, I like the design of this figure more than I do the more recent Hound figure; it's just from how much effort is missing on the now-repackaged Legacy United figure in contrast to this.
And as we get one step closer towards Baldigus with subgroup leader Dolrailer, aka Mega-Octane. This figure generally deviates the most from the old design, what with it being a retool of Hot Spot from the same line. As a result, he turns into a different kind of anti-aircraft truck that appears more modern in design and a whole lot larger if those tiny windows are anything to go by. While it's more non-descript in its appearance and has the sirens left behind from Hot Spot (maybe a Universe Ultra reference?), the gold paint for the cannons and the silver rims at least add a bit of unintended bling to this strange altmode. While you normally can't rotate the turret, lifting the wing flaps for the chest piece up can sort of allow movement.
You can arm him up even more by either extending his cannons with these ones taken not from a Constructicon but from a Technobot, Scattorshot specifically in the Unite Warriors set. Alternatively, you can use the same feet as some sort of extremities used to ram through things. Despite that, the 5mm ports for the latter mode are extremely tight, likely meaning Takara didn't test tolerances on those ports while coming up with random bonuses.
Transformation is a bit closer to the G1 toy, though the leg transformation involves rotating the lower legs rather than folding the back panels away. The upper body is more or less the same as how it becomes the arms, but the chest panel is not a part-forming piece. While I like the look of the robot mode in terms of both design and deco, one problem holds it back from being an immediate favorite: the cheap plastic quality. He just doesn't have enough zest to him, especially likely from the frequent reuses we've had since 2015 with Hot Spot. Separating the legs is already making me nervous from how thin he feels, especially when the tabs feel like they're about to break. I also find the backpack a bit messy with how visible the combiner head is as well as how spread out the chest panel kind of is. On the plus side, he looks dynamic compared to the cartoon model, and I appreciate that the molded hand syndrome is rectified by making the altmode kibble his forearms are molded onto resemble gauntlets. Just be sure that if you're messing with this figure, have the heels flipped down and the knees tabbed in place.
His head sculpt is the least altered from the way it looked on G1 Onslaught, especially when RID2001 had better aimed toy accuracy than some G1 episodes. Though, to be fair, Sunbow Onslaught seemed to have an accurate head as well. His articulation consists of the same neck and knee range, while his shoulders and hips are ratched, the elbows are double-jointed, and swivels are used for the biceps and thighs. I wish he had a waist swivel, though, given how transformation works, it's understandable why we never had that utilized.
As far as prior uses of the mold are concerned, Combiner Wars Onslaught is appropriately in darker colors, yet is very drab without any significant paint apps beyond the bot mode. It just makes the anti-aircraft truck mode seem undercooked.
The Takara version looks much nicer, no doubt thanks to having a better shade of blue as well as utilizing better greys and silvers not present on the Combiner Wars version. As a result, the alt mode looks much nicer and complete.
The Combiner Wars giftsets roll on with a G2 version of the Big Bad Dudicus. The main differences are that the Decepticon insignias are inaccurate, while the black is now a very, very dark brown that a certain version of Lego Batman may quote. Sadly, his knee joints are misassembled so he can't stay stable like with most releases of the mold.
And now we have Hot Spot, the first use of the mold. The altmode is flipped around so that the front section has the sirens prominent where they need to be, and instead of a turret, we have a fire truck ladder where Defensor's head lies. The altmode seems vaguely DOTM Sentinel-esque.
The Takara version is slightly nicer, though we ditch color break-up for the shoulders in favor of mostly adding further details on the fire truck mode. That also includes the ladder, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
And now we have Inferno, whose red almost makes me think of all the Defensor bootlegs where Hot Spot is inexplicably red rather than blue. However, he has no dedicated combiner name or form, not even when you have any leftover POTP figures. It almost feels like a weird leftover from the Prime Wars line after they realized they could use this mold after focusing too much on Titans Return for a year. Also, let's name him Outferyes.
The unexpected release of Bludgeon uses the Onslaught alt mode tooling, but now we have two giant meat cleavers from Go! Optimus Exprime. He's colored to mostly match the inner robot mode with a vague nod to the more famous Pretender shell. At least his altmode is better painted.
We go back to the Inferno tooling with Pyra Magna, who has the same gaudy red and green colors as well as a far less convincing water cannon on the ladder, where the combiner head is more visibly painted. At least the weapon is cool, but God, is this too close to a bootleg or what?
And finally, we got Megaempress. Easily better painted and makes for a nice genderbent counterpart to Megatron, so long as you try understanding what is even going on in those pack-in comics. Also, despite what people would initially assume, this is a wholly separate character from Megatron.
For anyone wanting to put this next to your other RID 2001/Car Robots toys, here is Mega-Octane next to RID Scourge for an idea. You can always use the Legacy version, and it might scale better, but I actually prefer the older toy simply for having better arm articulation (arm-ticulation?) He is slightly shorter than Scourge, but keep in mind that these toy sizes have fluctuated over the years between different lines. It makes me wonder how well the AOTP Onslaught mold will scale for when we get a Mega-Octane repaint.
And here they are as a team, all lined up and ready for any orders from Scourge or Megatron. If you had told me nearly a decade ago that I would end up with this set in my possession, I'd never have believed you! And I say that because of how hard it was for me initially to pay up for a set based on a Takara combiner team that is somewhat niche and far from obtainable, given it was an import. I look forward to seeing how the AOTP Combaticons line up with each other so we can have two similar yet distinct subgroups in two TF universes (at least in the US and rest of the world because Japan says Car Robots is part of their version of G1 continuity).
Here we have the new with the old. Keep in mind that the Hasbro Commandos have darker colors than what the Takara toys had for their Combatrons, mostly with the orange parts on some of these or the shades of green on Mega-Octane. Armorhide stands out simply for being a powder blue with black camo, though it did leave me wondering if Hasbro would have made their version of Ruination match the old toys given they did that constantly back with the Prime Wars.
And at long last, we can combine them as one! Unlike the frame system used since Legacy Menasor, the Combiner Wars system has the limbs be either arms or legs, and the Voyager becomes the torso all by himself. While it isn't a bad set up, we have seen it done poorly on the likes of CW Menasor. Thankfully, this figure is a good enough combiner that I have no issues at all. And at last, we have Baldigus complete, or as I'd like to say, RUINATION AWAKEN! Bruticus is already my favorite combiner, no doubt from how badass the Combaticons are by themselves as well as showing up in Fall of Cybertron and even being kind of cool in Energon (where they were called the Destruction Team and were mostly just the Maximus dude). The design is perfectly imposing for a combiner like this, but what makes Ruination even more special is the gold on the chest armor; it just pops so beautifully in contrast to the drab grey in the usual Hasbro affair. And for anyone wondering, the upside down G2 Autobot insignia is from the sculpted details coming from Scourge being a repaint of Laser Optimus Prime, and I don't think they wanted to retool the molded insignias on his discs. Plus, a Takara designer said that the logo looked like Darth Vader, confirming that one meme about what the insignia looked like upside down. Also love that we have the unique hands and feet previously used on Combiner Wars Computron instead of the same old HFGs we have seen before; it's no wonder we see similar accessories used but with the Prime Master/Enigma of Combination/Matrix core implementation for the Power of the Primes line. Is it 100% perfect? Not quite, due to how visible Mega-Octane's hands are around the shoulders while the waist is tiny compared to his thunder thighs (which can sort of help with the leaning problem), but those aren't as annoying as he hands and feet being unpainted gold. Beyond that, this is one badass combined mode.
Ruination's head sculpt, naturally being based on Bruticus, looks awesome in silver and gold, and you can't convince me that otherwise because it looks even better than Bruticus's colors! As for the articulation, the head is on a ball joint, the shoulders are on ratchets thanks to the combiner joints, the biceps rotate at what were the waists of the limbs, the hips and knees serve as double jointed elbows, the hips are in ratchet joints, and while you can use a bit of thigh rotation, that is mostly used by the rotation for the combiner joints on the knees. Oh and the ankles can rotate like before (thanks 5mm ports) but now they can pivot. All of the weapons can combine together like in the old toy, which is always appreciative when it comes to leaving them in place and contributing to the firepower.
The Land Mission configuration is possible since this is a Combiner Wars release, meaning that unlike any inevitable AOTP Ruination, this set can have Rollbar and Armorhide as legs while Ro-Tor and Movor as legs. Swapping them is also possible given the play pattern, with AOTP only allowing the fliers to switch sides and the legs remaining in their original spots. Also, he is much taller than the both the original Ruination (given it is an original G1 combiner) as well as all other new mold combiners from RID 2001, meaning Ruination has a bigger advantage than Landfill and Rail Racer.
Now for some prior versions of the mold. The Hasbro version's toy accuracy leads to it being somewhat dry, while the inaccurate Blast Off makes it clear we should have had the shuttle mold sooner without waiting for POTP to put it out. On the flip side, he looks cool with Shockwave as his gun. The Takara version's toon accuracy greatly benefits him more than the usual toon accuracy we get, because at least the colors pop a bit more without being gaudy. It just has an extra premium feel that even the chest design goes well with.
The G2 set looks cool, and I do want to get it someday, but alas, no shuttle Blast Off, but at least he technically stands out a bit less with his inaccurate altmode in a way. Oh and a vaguely Action Master-themed Shockwave is included.
And now, here he is next to Legacy Menasor. Even with the bigger feet, he is still shorter than the more recent combiner. That doesn't stop me from loving this set, however. As someone who only got to have one complete combiner before 2020, that being the floppy mess of Menasor, I don't feel too bad sticking with the Legacy version while now having a similarly engineered Superion and now a Bruticus in the way with potential for the Predacons, Technobots, and Terrorcons on the way with different approaches to their combination. That being said, if there is one CW/UW scale set I recommend, it would be Ruination. Not only will he be a bit unique from AOTP Bruticus in spite of sharing the same design, but it will be great to compare and contrast their engineering as well as how each individual member has his own pros and cons with each figure. Plus, getting a team that's non-G1 (at least in the US/rest-of-the-world-minus-Japan side of things) in an era where Generations was all about focusing on G1. I wish I got to wait for some cheaper listings because I paid nearly $700 for mine when some are currently at around $300, but it's worth it in general.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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