Dreadwing – Transformers: Generations – Power of the Primes (Deluxe Class Wave 1)

 

This is probably my least favorite figure of the wave… on first inspection. There is not a lot that is really exciting. A heavy retool of Skydive from the Combiner Wars line, so you know the drill. He can become an arm or a leg for any Combiner. Other than that, just another brightly colored Decepticon?

Well, yes and no. The teal and purple and two-toned greys are really reminiscent of the Powermaster figure from 1988 who was named Dreadwind. He looks like he has a wrestling mask on. Guess what? He did back in 1988 too. But this time around, his head is front and center and not placed over his back. So, yay for that.

He comes with a single teal blaster. Back in 1988 he came with two, which is SO much better for a jet, as he could have one gun on each side. Instead of a Powermaster Unit, he comes with Prime Armor. This is the first Prime Armor we have seen that is colored to match the wielder. It is purple with teal insert that covers the Prime Master port, but can also be used as a gun.

Now if you are bot in a perpetual bad mood, it is good to be able to combine with Nexus and spread gloom to all of the bots you are combined with. Well, is it really? I don’t know about that. I can see making everyone as angry as you are, but spreading gloom? Seems like you would want to be able to spread gloom to the enemy. But whatever. I am sure Dreadwing has it covered.

Onto the jet mode. He fits right in with the other small jets we saw back in Combiner Wars. He has some added firepower along the sides just like he has back in G1.

He looks fairly F-16 Falcon like in his overall appearance, as he did back in G1. Nice choice. The thing besides being a Powermaster that Dreadwind could do was combine with Darkwing to become Dreadwing, a really powerful jet. Apparently that will be able to happen again this time but with Darkwing being renamed to Blackwing.

So, since Dreadwind took the name Dreadwing, we will have to come up with a new combined name. Blackdread. Ooh, that sounds menacing.

And the directions show him transforming into a leg. Imagine him becoming a Combiner with the likes of Starscream. That could be quite something.

So, I didn’t love the figure right of, but after some time I liked him fine. Then finding out that he will be able to make a super jet, I am really excited to see what these two can do together.

Beast Hunters Dreadwing

I would think he would have come with a new name to go with his new beast look.

He is a great looking figure. His wings expand in the back to create the fins that show above his head, giving him some extra height. I was bummed he come out in the Deluxe scale. He is supposed to be a big guy, going head to head with Optimus on many occasions.

He comes with a gun that fires missiles. He also comes with a chainsaw looking thing that can be attacked to the gun to make a larger weapon.

His jet mode is modified from his original jet mode, but keeps the same basic design. He has a bit of a hook nose like a bird of prey, and he has the big claws hanging off the back.

I am over being bummed every time I see feet hanging out the back of a Decepticon plane. I am just happy when they figure out how to integrate them into the plane instead.

(This is how he is supposed to be transformed. The shoulder pads go over the arms to sort of hide the greeble hanging down that we should not be able to see on a jet.)

(I like having the shoulder pads pulled up into place along the fuselage. It is not as if they are hiding anything by having them back along with the arms.)

Transformers: Prime – Commander Class, Dreadwing, Ironhide, Ultra Magnus

The Commander Class of the Prime series figures has been going on for a while now.  They started at with a little DVD way back when the series of toys came out.  Generally reserved for the bigger of the characters, these smaller figures still have really good detail and articulation.   They allow for a much closer sizing between the larger and smaller figures in the show.

This is being called”Series 2″ as it is the second series under the Cyberverse line.  The first line of Commander Class figures came out under the Dark of the Moon movie line.  We started with Optimus Prime, Bulkhead, Megatron and Starscream.  Now we are adding on the next 3, Dreadwing, Ironhide, and Ultra Magnus.

Let’s go in order.  Number 005 of the series is Dreadwing:

As soon as I saw Dreadwing on the show, I knew I needed to see him in toy form. The unfortunate thing is that Dreadwing is a gigantic robot in the TV show, and he is about the same size as the other figures in the Commander Class.  What Hasbro needs to do is make him in the Deluxe line, and then he would be just about perfect in proportion to the Commander and Legion Class sizes of figures.

Dreadwing does not disappoint in the Commander size.  He came with a transformation page that is the size of some of the gigantic Voyager size figures.  He has good articulation in his arms and legs.  The color scheme is really well done, with only minor paint misses here and there.   He comes with two weapons, a big gun and a sword.  The two can combine to make a really good weapon as well.

Here you can see him relative in size to other figures, Commander Class Megatron, and Legion Class Vehicon.  He is not anywhere as tall as Megatron, but at least he has a lot going for him.

In plane mode, he looks pretty close to his TV couterpart.  Looking like a Blue Angel on steroids.   It is hard to hide all of the body parts when we are looking at this small scale, but they did a pretty good job there.

Ironhide:

To me, Ironhide is one of the weaker Commander Class figures.  He has an overall appealing look, but there are some things that stand out.  Most notably are the truck parts around his forearm.  They really did not have any place to go, so they kind of hang there off the back of the arms.

He does have great feet and legs that give him a good stance.  he also has a face that is really close to the original G1 Ironhide.  He comes with two cannons, which is what you would want to see wit a “Heavy Weapons Specialist.”

His truck mode is pretty tough, with lots of great details, and big tires.  His transformation is really easy, and looks good.

Ultra Magnus:

Sometimes hero of the Autobots, and sometimes jerk (Animated verions).  He is usually seen with a big hammer, broad shoulders, and longer ears than Optimus.  Check, check, and check.   Visually, Ultra Magnus looks great.  Red, blue, and silver make for some great details.

Mine has a huge problem with the shoulder joints.  He cannot hold up his own arms, much less the hammer.

What happens when a Decepticon is too far away to smash with your hammer?

That’s right.  Attach it to your arm, and blow him out of the sky with your cannon.

His truck mode is fine.  Nothing special here.   A flatbed truck which can accommodate the cannon or a Legion Class vehicle.  His transformation from robot to vehicle is extremely simple.

So, here is Series 2 in all of it’s Commander Class glory:

Standout favorites?  Optimus has some of the best transformation from robot to vehicle.  Bulkhead has a great robot and vehicle mode.  Dreadwing is really nice too.  Megatron has a vehicle mode I don’t like in any class, so that is a hard one to get behind.  Starscream needs to eat a little more.  He is too skinny and falls over too much.   Ironhide and Ultra Magnus make nice robots.  Not quite as good in vehicle form, so they will probably exist in robot form.

 

Next time, we will talk about the return of the Generations line of Transformers.  Fall of Cybertron anybody?

Shhh… I don’t want to make any Japanese Transformers collectors sad

First a story, then a review of the new Scout Class figure, Sunspot.

At the 2010 Tokyo Toy Show there was an exclusive of Dreadwing and Smokescreen that could combine and become one plane.  A nod of sorts to the 1994 combination of Dreadwing and Smokescreen where they also combined in flight mode.

This weekend I went with a friend to see his friend’s new comic shop that he bought.  It is a mecca of toys from the past until now.  The previous owner collected everything under the sun, and then some.

While I was looking around, I came across a box that was this combination of Dreadwing and Smokescreen.   As I took a closer look, I noticed that the top plane looks an awful lot like the new Scout class Sunspot.  Upon even further inspection, the larger vehicle is Mindwipe.

All they did for this exclusive is paint them a shade of blue.    Sooooooooo, if you have Mindwipe and Sunspot, you can put them together as a combiner.  Hmmmm….  that just made me NEED to get Mindwipe, who I previously had no interest in getting.

I had bought Sunspot about a week or so ago as I was walking around Toys R Us, and he caught my eye.   It was his robot mode art work on the box that first drew me to him.  Looking closer, I was impressed by the amount of tranformation involved in a little Scout Class figure.  So I picked him up, and now I have a total of one Scout Class figure, but I like this little guy.

A little guy with a lot of details. Weapons store in the wings.

He has a great face and head.

They gave him a battle mode. Very Robotech of them.

Vehicle Mode. Still sees out of his eye. Not very common in a Transformer.

Undershot. Bulky legs don't fold away. Only letdown of the set.

Weapons in hand. Don't know what they are or what they do, but it is neat they they become a part of the wing.