General Information
Release Date: October 2023
Price Point: $77.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: Target Exclusive with a limited number sold on Hasbro Pulse (US), Toys 'R' Us Exclusive (Canada)
Accessories: Rocket launcher/hammer, alternate head (Autotrooper), Swords x 2, Blasters x 2, Alternate Head, White horns x 2, Grey horns x 2 (G2 Cybertronian), Null Rays x 2 (Seeker), Axe, Mace, Tail/Sword, Allicon head (Quintesson Trooper)
Official images and text in italics are from Target.com: Prepare for an epic battle between the strongest Transformers robot troops with the Troop Builder Multipack! This pack includes 4 Transformers action figures: Decepticon Seeker, Quintesson Trooper, G1 Universe Cybertronian Trooper, and Animated Universe Autotrooper. Each figure converts from robot to their classic alt modes in 14-27 steps. Gear up your figures for combat with the character-inspired weapon accessories and the 3 included alternate heads for the Quintesson Trooper, G2 Universe Cybertronian Trooper, and Aniamted Universe Autotrooper figures. You've probably heard the buzz, but Bumblebee is kind of a big deal. And now the bodacious bot is making his mark with a line of some of the most buzzworthy Bumblebee products for fans of all ages. Buzzworthy Bumblebee figures feature collectible special packaging themed to fit the Buzzworthy Bumblebee line. Collect more Buzzworthy Bumblebee figures, only at Target (each sold separately, subject to availability).
Includes: 4 figures, 9 accessories, 3 alternate heads, and instructions.
- BUZZWORTHY BUMBLEBEE: The Buzzworthy Bumblebee collection features some of the most buzzworthy Transformers action figures for boys, girls, and fans of all ages, only at Target
- BUILD THE BATTLE: Assemble your strongest troops for battle with the Troop Builder Multipack! Includes Decepticon Seeker, Quintesson Trooper, G2 Universe Cybertronian Trooper, and Animated Universe Autotrooper
- AWESOME ALT MODES: Each figure converts between robot to alt mode in 14-27 steps. Includes alternate heads for Quintesson Trooper, G2 Universe Cybertronian Trooper, and Animated Universe Autotrooper figures
- GEAR UP FOR COMBAT: Comes with 2 Null Rays, 2 swords, 2 cannons, blaster, axe, and mace weapon accessories that attach to the Transformers figures in both modes
- BUMBLEBEE-THEMED PACKAGING: This Transformers multipack features special Buzzworthy Bumblebee collectible packaging. These Transformers toys make great gifts for boys, girls, and fans of all ages
- Ages 8 and up
- Warning: Choking Hazard - Small parts may be generated. Not for children under 3 years.
Background:
One of the most unique features of the Transformers line in the 80's was the fact that each character was a unique being. The tech specs on G1 toy packaging gave fans a look into the character's personalities and abilities, something that was fairly uncommon at the time among action figures. As the years went along Transformers characters having unique personalities and identities became a critical part of the toy line. However, G1 did often feature generic background characters who were often used as cannon fodder in battle scenes. However, it was rare for the Transformers toy line to have figures that would be considered "Troop Builders" (unlike say, G.I. Joe which had generic Cobra troopers or Star Wars which had Stormtroopers). In 2023 Hasbro decided to go all in on the troop building concept by releasing a troop builder 4-pack as part of the Target exclusive Buzzworthy Bumblebee toy line! This 4-Pack was designed to encourage fans to purchase multiple copies. Not only was each character in the set a generic troop, but each also featured alternate heads to create different versions of those characters which is frankly a brilliant move from a marketing perspective.
This set included four figures: Autotrooper, G2 Cybertronian, Seeker and Quintesson Trooper. This review will focus on the Quintesson Trooper. The Quintesson Trooper is a redeco of the Quintesson Baliff from the "Quintesson Pit of Judgement" set that was exclusive to PulseCon 2020. The Baliff in turn was a redeco and retool of the Earthrise Allicon figure.
Packaging:
The Troop Builder figures are packaged in a long, rectangular box. The background color uses the standard "Buzzworthy Bumblebee" yellow. Off to the left is stock art of Bumblebee, Optimus Prime and Megatron while the middle is mostly taken up by a artwork featuring the four characters inside. Each name is called out underneath: "Decepticon Seeker", "Quintesson Trooper", "G2 Universe Cybertronian Trooper" and "Animated Universe Autotrooper". The right side has the Generations logo and the vertical Transformers logo in black. The back features each figure in both modes calling out the number of their transformation steps. For the figures that include alternate heads, a small window shows off each alt-head. Overall this is beautiful and striking packaging.
Accessories:
The Quintesson Trooper includes the same weapons as the Quintesson Baliff figure with both the Baliff and Allicon heads. None of these accessories are new, but they are a nice "mix and match" set from previous incarnations of this figure. Here's a rundown:
- Allicon Head: This is the same head that came with the original Earthrise Allicon figure. This head features a large fin on the top of the head, narrow eyes and a mouthplate. This version features a similar paint layout as the original Allicon's ead but this time metallic blue has been painted along the front edges of the "helmet" section. This winds up being much more cartoon accurate in color than the previous version of the figure.,
- Baliff Head: The Baliff head is a totally different design than the Allicon head. The head is wide and the "helmet" section has a thin crest in the center and curved horns on the sides. Running from the top to the back are small spikes on the "helmet" section. The mouth looks almost like the primary valve on a gas mask. It is a very distinctive sculpt and honestly fits into that category of figures I never thought I'd see get an official release. The deco on this head is much more in line with the character's animated appearance. It is made of grey plastic with metallic blue, light blue, metallic purple and red paint. The heads are attached to ball joints so they pop off pretty easily when you want to switch heads.
- Sword/Tail: Part of the beast mode's tail detaches to form a sword weapon. This is the same design as the one that came with the Allicon. This sword has a 5mm peg at the base and is made of the same grey plastic used for the tail of the beast mode.
- Axe: The axe weapon included with this figure features two large blades that look kind of like bat wings. The top has a spike and the handle features a 5mm peg. This piece is made of a softer dark grey plastic for safety reasons. This weapon can attach to the mace (see below) to form the weapon wielded by the Baliff in The Transformers: The Movie animated film. The axe handle has a slot in it that can be used to attach to the back of the figure for storage.
- Mace: The mace weapon features a ball shape on top with a series of dulled spikes sculpted onto it. The handle is 5mm with a smaller peg at the end to attach to the axe weapon. This piece is made of grey plastic with no paint applications.
For those curious the spear weapon originally included with the Earthrise Allicon is not included in this set.
Robot Mode:
The Allicon figure was given a significant retool when it was turned into the Baliff figure. Since didn't get to review that figure when it came out, let me go through what has been changed aside from the head sculpt:
- Shoulders: The shoulder armor from the Allicon figure have been replaced with new ones. The shoulder armor itself is still a rounded panel over the shoulders but the sculpted details on them are different than the Allicon's. Also, each shoulder armor piece features two spikes sticking up, one longer than the other. These design cues are taken directly from the animation model for the Baliff, though the spikes on that model were shaped slightly differently. Here it is likely they were reworked for safety purposes.
- Chest: The chest panel on the Baliff is completely different than the Allicon. It features a curved "collar" area with overlapping panels on the sides and a vertical layer of armor in the middle with a small circle on the center of the chest. These details all come from the animation model for the Baliff.
This figure is mostly made up of grey, green and lavender plastic. Paint colors include metallic blue, lavender, green, light blue, silver and red. If you put this figure and the Allicon side by side, it really is cool to see how many details were left unpainted on the Allicon but are painted here including the knee armor and parts of the forearms. This is also one of the few figures to have the Quintesson faction symbol on it. It's tiny but look at the middle of the chest and you'll see it! The deco is really beautiful on this figure. I especially appreciate the use of metallic colors like the blue and silver.
All the joints on this figure are nice and tight. The weapons fit in the hands nice and snug and you can connect them together as a single weapon without an issue or keep them as separate weapons. If you want to store the axe and mace, connect them together and use the slot on the axe handle to attach to one of the tabs on the back of the figure.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Detach all the weapons and set them aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Attach the blade weapon to the end of the tail on the back.
- Rotate the waist around.
- Push the waist panel down.
- Lift up the tail section, rotate it around and push `it down, using the tabs on the tail section to fit into the slots on the robot chest.
- Attach the forearms to the torso using the tabs on the forearms.
- Rotate the beast mode arms forward.
- Swing the robot legs up, bending them to form the beast mode legs.
Beast Mode:
The Quintesson Trooper's beast mode is mostly the same as the Allicon's, but it features the same shoulder parts as the robot mode and the top of the beast mode head is a new piece. Mind you, the top of the beast mode head looks very similar to the Allicon's but it features several segments running from the front all the way to the back unlike the Allicon which had an armored section over the heads. The variation is relatively small but I'm glad the designers even did this. This really helps this figure look distinctive from its predecessor in both modes. Sure the figure still suffers from some of the same design weirdness as the Allicon (such as the robot fists just...sitting on the sides) but I still love how strange this creature looks.
The colors from the robot mode all carry over here with the only real newly revealed details being on the beast mode head. The top features a really light mint color with a bit of lavender in the middle. The eyes and the inside of the mouth are painted red. The teeth all feature gunmetal grey paint which looks fantastic.
Like the Allicon, the mouth can open and close. The articulation in this mode remains the same and there are still seven 5mm ports to attach accessories (if you include the robot fists). Thanks to the tabs on the back you can attach the axe and mace weapons at the same time if they're combined. You could also put each of them into his robot hands in the back which looks cool from the front but kind of odd from the back.
Final Thoughts:
As a kid I never imagined that one day I would have multiple Quintesson warriors to make up a small army for my Quintesson Judges and this troop builder figure is a perfect addition to any fan's collection!
Pros:
- A good sculpt with great two cool head sculpts.
- Excellent deco that is a big upgrade from the original figure.
- Good play value.
- I love the extra weapons.
Cons:
- The robot arms sticking out in beast mode is really unfortunate. It messes with the aesthetics pretty significantly.
