General Information
Release Date: December 2025
Price Point: $59.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Amazon, BigBadToyStore, Entertainment Earth, Target, Walmart etc.). Using the preceding links helps to support Ben's World of Transformers.
Accessories: Big Cannon, Energon Matrix, Mammoth Haken x 2, Matrix Cannon, Tusks x 2
Official images and text in italics are from Amazon.com:
- 6.5-INCH LEADER CLASS MAXIMAL BIG CONVOY: This Transformers figure is 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) in robot mode and features deco and details inspired by the Transformers universe
- CONVERT BETWEEN ROBOT AND MAMMOTH MODE IN 29 STEPS: This Transformers toy figure converts between modes in 29 steps
- ACCESSORIES ATTACH IN BOTH MODES: Comes with cannon, matrix, blaster, and 2 haken missile accessories. Both tusks are removable. Figure also features non-removable tonfa on each forearm
- ARTICULATED FOR PLAY AND DISPLAY: Age of the Primes Transformers figures feature articulation for display-worthy poses or action-packed play
- PART OF THE TRANSFORMERS AGE OF THE PRIMES COLLECTION: Maximal Big Convoy is an imposing warrior descended from Star Optimus Prime
- GIFT TRANSFORMERS COLLECTIBLES: Transformers action figures make a great Christmas, holiday, or birthday gift for boys and girls 8 and up or anyone who collects Transformers toys
Experience the epic universe of Transformers robots with the Transformers Maximal Big Convoy toy! The 6.5-inch (16.5 cm) Leader Class figure converts from robot action figure to mammoth mode in 29 steps. With intricate poseability and attachable accessories like his iconic big cannon, a blaster, missiles, and removable tusks, this Maximal Big Convoy action figure makes an awesome addition to any collection. Look for more Age of the Primes Transformers collectible toys (sold separately, subject to availability) featuring characters like Razorclaw, The Thirteen Alpha Trion, and Junkion Jalopy and more to create a lineup that is — More Than Meets the Eye. TRANSFORMERS and HASBRO and all related trademarks and logos are trademarks of Hasbro, Inc.
Background:
In 1999 Takara released a Japanese exclusive Beast Wars toy line and cartoon named "Beast Wars Neo". This series focused on a new crew of Cybertrons (Maximals) and Destrons (Predacons) in a space based adventure. One of the coolest aspects of this series were the unusual beast modes used for its characters. This included animals like a rabbit, giraffe and even a penguin! The leader of the Cybertrons was Big Convoy, who transformed into a wooly mammoth. The original Big Convoy toy was an "Ultra" Class figure that had a ton of features including a removable Matrix, something very unusual at the time. Big Convoy would go to be repainted into Nemesis Prime and Ultra Mammoth. Now in 2025, Big Convoy has returned to the Transformers toy line, this time as a Leader Class figure as part of Age of the Primes.
Packaging:
Age of the Primes represents a dramatic shift in Generations packaging. Unlike previous years of the War for Cybertron trilogy or Legacy which went in dramatic directions with packaging shape and artwork, the designers have dialed back the look of the boxes a lot. The Age of the Primes packaging winds up looking a lot more like Studio Series packaging. The boxes are now rectangular. No weird angles or anything. The background is just plain black. The "Transformers" logo is no longer vertical (dropping a trend that began over ten years ago) and is now horizontal in the front of the packaging with the "Age of the Primes" name underneath it. Character art is featured to the right, but it's only partial art showing a bit of the character in robot mode with focus on the beast mode underneath. To the left are icons describing how many steps the character takes to convert from one mode to the other (29 in this case) and the age recommendation (8+ in this case).
Big Convoy is inside the box attached to a cardboard tray. You can see the entire figure in robot mode thanks to the return of plastic windows! Fans will recall that for the last few years Transformers toys have had no plastic windows in an effort to (ostensibly) make more eco-friendly packaging. However, this led to damaged toys with heads being yanked off and sometimes figures being outright stolen. For many fans, the return of the plastic windows is a welcome one.
The back of the box shows the character in both modes calling out a 29 step transformation. Behind the character is a sky background with a wheel showing some of the Thirteen Prime symbols. Off to the side is a smaller window showing Big Convoy holding his cannon.
I think the designers were going for a more "adult" and "premium" appearance to the packaging and to that end it works. It looks like something you'd see in a museum shop, but I do feel some of the fun and whimsy of the dramatic Legacy artwork and visual bombast has been lost and I'm a tad sad about that.
Accessories:
Big Convoy includes several accessories, all based on ones that came with the original Big Convoy figure. Here's a rundown:
Big Cannon
Big Convoy's primary weapon is the "Big Cannon". This weapon is formed from the top part of the beast mode and is made up of part of the beast mode head, the trunk the back and the tail section of the beast mode. Swing the tail section up, fold up the trunk and swing out the side panels to reveal the cannon parts. Pull the head section to extend the cannon. In this form the cannon is very similar to the original. There is even a 5mm peg on the bottom of the cannon's barrel that will allow Big Convoy to hold it (but not very well, honestly). Swing down the back panel and you'll form a stand for the cannon. The stand has a smaller piece that swings out. If you use the stand, the bottom of the cannon has a longer handle that swings out with a 5mm peg at the end. Like the original Big Cannon, the end of the cannon features two barrel openings. This version has ports that allow you to attach Blast Effects, but because of how close together they are it is very difficult to fit two at one time. This accessory is made of brown, black and white plastic with no paint applications.
Energon Matrix
In the era of Beast Wars Neo there is no single Matrix of Leadership as there was in G1, rather, key heroes have been imbued with an "Energon Matrix" that served as a Deus ex machina as needed in their respective storylines. The original Big Convoy figure included a Matrix accessory, which was a rarity at the time. Previous to that figure, LioConvoy had a Matrix sculpted into his chest, but this one could actually be removed and held in his hands similar to the Autobot Matrix of Leadership from G1. This new version of the Energon Matrix is very similar. Like the G1 Matrix, it features a ball in the center with a crystal inside. On either side is a handle with ridges on the top of the handles. Each handle has a 5mm peg, allowing Big Convoy to hold the Matrix like he is about to crack it open Rodimus Prime style. This piece is made of black plastic with gold paint on the outer part of the Matrix and red on the inner "crystal". The back features a 5mm port that allows it to attach to the small peg inside Big Convoy's chest (more on that below in the robot mode review).
Mammoth Haken
The original Big Convoy included two crescent shaped missiles that could loosely be held in his fists as melee weapons. These would be fired from launchers built into the sides of his lower legs. This new version of Big Convoy lacks such launchers, but the "Mammoth Haken" weapons were not forgotten! Instead of being missiles, these accessories are now purely melee weapons. Like the original versions, each of these has a handle in the middle with two hook son either side. The size and proportions of these are very different than the originals. They are much smaller than the originals and the handles in the middle feature 5mm ports, so they hold nice and tight in his fists (unlike the original). They also feature 5mm pegs on the sides, allowing them to attach to ports on the sides of his lower legs. This lets them roughly sit where they did on the original figure. Each of the Haken are made of red plastic with no paint applications.
Matrix Cannon
The Matrix Cannon's name is a misnomer. It is more of a pistol and it has nothing to do with Big Convoy's Matrix. But hey, it sounds impressive! This weapon has actually had a toy once before (which you can see on the TFWiki). The original Big Convoy figure did not include this accessory so this is unique to this figure. The design of this weapon is based on its animated appearance and the role play toy that was made by Takara in 1999. The weapon is a pistol with a chamber on top and a gap towards the back. The back of the weapon has a small section that looks like a disc set horizontally near the handle. This piece features a 5mm peg at the bottom and a barrel tip that can fit a Blast Effect. This piece is made of white plastic with no paint applications. This works since the original weapon was mostly white in color.
Tusks
In a play pattern that differs from the original Big Convoy, the tusks on this figure can be detached from the sides of the head. They can then be attached to 5mm pegs on the forearms. This allows Big Convoy to use these as melee weapons! Each of these is made of white plastic and features a 5mm port at the end.
Robot Mode:
First let's talk size. If you look at the description above, Big Convoy stands at about 6.5 inches tall (about 16.51 cm). That makes him shorter than your average Voyager Class figure from the past, but he is being sold at a Leader Class size. Of course, when looking at perceived value, one factor to take into account is complexity, and I would argue that Big Convoy here has more going on than your average Voyager Class figure partly thanks to all his accessories and functionality. It is also important to take into account that his Big Cannon makes up a significant bulk of the beast mode. Indeed, if you measure him up against fellow wave mate Razorclaw (who is based on 2023's Tigerhawk sculpt), he's actually heavier! Including all his accessories, Big Convoy weighs in at 10.9 ounces versus Razorclaw's 10.1! Finally, it may seem counter intuitive to have Big Convoy being smaller than his arch nemesis, Magmatron but in the animation the size difference between these two figures is about right. Big Convoy was significantly smaller than Magmatron in the cartoon so even from that perspective this size works.
Like so many figures being released in Generations nowadays, Big Convoy is based on his cartoon appearance. Now, the original cartoon model was very heavily based on the action figure (read: this was not a G1 Ironhide toy to animation model situation) so this figure also shares a bunch of details with the original Beast Wars Neo toy as well. Big Convoy features the same basic silhouette as the original toy and animation model. He has parts of the beast mode head behind the shoulders with curved tusks sticking out to the sides. His head features mechanical looking horns on either side, a visual reference to his beast mode. He has wide shoulders and thick legs that feature mammoth parts on the sides. His hips have two of the mammoth legs attached to them and his arms are asymmetrical, featuring different details and shapes.
There is a ton of intricate detail on this figure, a testament to the original Big Convoy design. The top of his chest features four small cylinders that look like the truck lights on the top of the original Optimus Prime. The chest features a circle with three points sticking out of it. His arms are not only asymmetrical in shape, but they also feature different mechanical details from the shoulders down to the wrists. His lower body has distinct details like small gatling guns on his hips and sculpted pistons on the lower legs. If you remove the Matrix, you'll see the panel behind it also has some nice sculpted details to form his Matrix chamber. Like the original figure, this one is full of sculpted details and it looks amazing!
Big Convoy is made up of brown, black, white, blue and silver plastic - all colors used on his animation model in the Beast Wars Neo series. Paint details are done in silver, blue, gold, grey and red. The deco looks fantastic, with some of the most intricate paint work found on the arms. I am also glad to see the designers painted the "rocket packs" formed from his beast mode ears/tusk sections. The background is silver while each rocket is painted red and it looks great. One of my favorite details is the red Maximal symbol on the center of his chest. This is printed onto a ball shaped section that is meant to emulate the "Spark Crystals" of that era and it looks very cool.
There are twenty five points of articulation on this figure. This includes six in each arm and four in each leg. I'm also counting the section with the beast mode ears and tusks behind the head. Both ear/tusk sections are attached to a central piece. The central piece can swing forward and back and the ears and tusk sections can be moved up and down as well. Like the original Big Convoy, rotating these pieces up reveals (non-working) rocket pods! This looks cool and adds to the idea of Big Convoy being a walking arsenal all by himself! There are eleven 5mm ports in this mode. This includes two on each arm, the fists and even one under each foot, a nice carry over feature from the War for Cybertron era. Two more can be found on the back of the beast mode legs on his hips. You can attach Blast Effects into these to make them look like rocket boosters, which is super fun. There is also one on the back that allows you to store away the Matrix Cannon.
Perhaps one of Big Convoy's most iconic features is the ability for his chest to open up and reveal the Matrix. This sounds almost perfunctory nowadays, but back in 1999 this was darn near revolutionary for a Transformers figure and this feature was one of the reasons I was so enthusiastic for the original Big Convoy. That enthusiasm definitely carries over to this version! In another feature inspired by the original action figure, you can swing the bottom panels on each forearm down to reveal his tonfa weapons! Swing each one out and then swing the panel back in place and Big Convoy is armed with a close range melee weapon! Finally, there is a peg on the back that can swing out so you can store the Big Cannon on his back in robot mode, which looks super cool.
Transformation to Beast Mode:
- If you have the Big Cannon in weapon mode, transform it back to being the top of the beast mode. Push in the side panels and back section, swing down the rear tail panel and extend the trunk. If you have it extended, swing the stand pieces up. Set this aside for now.
- Detach the Mammoth Haken and set them aside for now. You don't have to do this but I find it helps make the transformation smoother.
- Set the Matrix Cannon aside for now as well.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Swing each heel piece up.
- Swing the front panel on each lower leg forward.
- Swing the front of each foot up into the lower legs, then swing the front panels back.
- Rotate each lower leg inward, but be sure you can still see the knee joint pointing forward.
- Connect the two front panels on the lower legs together using the small tabs on the knees and towards the bottom of the white panels.
- On the head, push the horns in.
- Rotate the ear/tusk sections around, then swing them in and connect them together.
- Swing the section on the back with the ears/tusks forward.
- Swing the robot arms out to the sides, then back at the shoulders.
- Swing the beast mode leg sections on the hips up.
- Swing the legs out, then rotate them forward.
- Swing the leg panels up.
- Rotate the arms so the 5mm ports on the forearms face down and connect them to the pegs on the back of the robot waist section.
- Swing the lower legs forward, forming the rear beast mode legs.
- Rotate the "fur" panels on the lower legs around.
- Push the lower leg "fur" panel in, connecting it to the rear legs and the fur section on the forearms.
- Swing the smaller fur section from the side panel back and snap it into place.
- Attach the Big Cannon on top to form the top of the beast mode.
- The Mammoth Haken can be reattached but you'll likely have to set them at an angle for them to store properly.
- The Matrix Cannon can attach to one of the 5mm ports on the inside of the side panels.
- Swing the ears back.
Beast Mode:
Big Convoy's vehicle mode is a wooly mammoth. This is one of the more unusual beast modes from the Beast Wars era and that helped make it a fan favorite. Unlike the original Big Convoy figure, this version is based on his animated appearance. That said, the designers still made sure to give it some realistic detailing. The sculpting on the "fur" is fantastic, with lots of intricate lines and folds that look fantastic. He has other organic details including toes on each foot and ridges along the tusks (they're not easy to see even in person, but run your finger along them and you'll feel the sculpted details). In this sense, this figure is a lot like its predecessor. That said, the original Big Convoy did a better job of hiding its robot bits than this one. If you flip this beast mode upside down you'll see a lot of the robot mode including the head, torso and legs. On the original you saw a lot less. Your mileage will vary on how much this affects your enjoyment of this figure.
Another difference between the original Big Convoy and this version is the deco. In this form, Big Convoy mostly shows off brown plastic representing his fur in beast mode. His tusks are white and of course bits of his robot mode peek out through the bottom and back. His eyes are painted to look like the cartoon eyes that Big Convoy had in the Beast Wars Neo cartoon. This is a big difference from the original Big Convoy toy which had green eyes with no pupils, giving it a very alien look. Also, the original Big Convoy toy had different shades of brown deco in this mode, but in the cartoon the artists colored Big Convoy just one solid brown color so this figure follows suit.
There are eight points of articulation in this mode. The trunk itself has three, the front legs can swing forward and back, the ears move and the tail moves. You're not going to get any dynamic poses out of this figure but I'm glad he can move at all.
One interesting note: the original Big Convoy had the ability to transform into a "Mammoth Attack" mode which was basically the beast mode with the Big Cannon deployed and facing forward. The packaging and instructions do not show that mode, but you can kind of fake it. Lift up the Big Cannon, transform it into cannon mode and then slide it into the slot on top with the robot arms doing some of the work to keep it in place. It doesn't really peg into anything but it holds pretty well and displays nicely.
Final Thoughts:
The original Big Convoy toy is one of my favorite action figures from that era of Transformers toys. It was full of interesting features, had a beautiful aesthetic and was fun to play with. The thing is, I can say the same for this figure so I don't find it necessarily better than the original, just a different interpretation of the same character. If you already own the original Big Convoy and you're not dying for a new version, then you may not necessarily want to rush out and get this at full price. That said, I have the original (and its redecos) and I really dig this figure. It's not perfect by any means, but it's a cool interpretation of the character. Recommended!
Pros:
- Excellent sculpt full of fine details that nod to both the original figure and the cartoon.
- Beautiful deco in robot mode.
- Excellent articulation.
- Plenty of play features.
Cons:
- There's a lot of the robot mode visible in beast mode (this will bother some fans more than others).
- Holding the Big Cannon in robot mode takes a bit of fiddling.
