General Information:
Release Date: October 2016
Price Point: $99.99 (Suggested Retail)
Retailer: Limited Exclusive (Amazon, Bigbadtoystore, Entertainment Earth etc.)
Accessories: Hands x 2, Feet x 2, Rifle (Scattershot), Blasters x 2 (Afterbreaker), Shotgun (Lightsteed), Drill (Nosecone)
Official images are from Amazon.com. Official text in italics are from Bigbadtoystore:
In the Combiner Wars, teams of Autobots and Decepticons combine to form giant super robots and battle with the fate of worlds in the balance. Computron is never wrong. Of all the Combiner robots, he is the most successful at merging the different personalities of his component bots. The Autobot processes input from each of Technobots and evaluates all possible outcomes to identify the perfect plan of attack.
Join the battle and build a Combiner super robot with this 7-in-1 Combiner Wars Computron Collection Pack. Get 6 Technobots figures that combine to form a Computron Combiner figure in this 1 set. The Voyager Class Scattershot figure forms the torso of the Computron Combiner figure; the Deluxe Class Afterbreaker, Strafe, Lightsteed, and Nosecone figures form the arms and legs; and the Legends Class Scrounge figure becomes a Combiner weapon.
The Combiner Wars universal connection system means these figures work with other Combiner Wars figures. Combine the Scattershot figure with other Deluxe Class Combiner Wars figures or combine Afterbreaker, Strafe, Lightsteed, and Nosecone figures with other Combiner Wars Voyager Class figures to build more Combiner super robot figures. (Additional figures are each sold separately.) The pack also includes 12 accessories, a Cybaxx mini space shuttle figure, a Combiner Wars poster, and a collectible Computron character card.
Packaging:
The packaging for Computron resembles the one used for G2 Superion. It is a huge rectangular box with a black background. The side features a vertical "Transformers" logo with the "Generations" logo above it. Most of the box's front features Computron's poster art. The other side features the poster and card art that is packaged inside the box. Below that are photos of all six team members in vehicle mode. The back features a large, vertical photo of the character with a write up about him. The individual character names are broken out along the top of the box with cropped images of each team member.
Afterbreaker was named "Afterburner" in Generation One. He was one of the wilder members of the Technobot team who transformed into a futuristic motorcycle. The most recent Afterbreaker toy was actually a non-transforming vehicle that included Marissa Fairborn. This version of the character is a redeco and retool of Deluxe Class "Combiner Wars" Groove. Unlike many of the "Combiner Wars" releases this is only the second use of this sculpt. Check out the Groove review for my initial thoughts on this sculpt. This review will focus on the changes made to the figure for this release.
Accessories:
This set includes two weapons for Afterbreaker: the same blasters that were included with Groove. This time out they are cast in translucent green plastic and painted light grey (except for the handles). Each weapon has a 5mm peg on the bottom and the sides. It appears that at one time Hasbro had planned to create new weapons for Afterbreaker based on G1 Afterburner's weapons. These are drawn on the instructions, but they don't appear in the final product. It's a shame because the G1 weapon designs are distinctive, but I can see why this would have been done from a cost perspective.
Vehicle Mode:
Afterbreaker's vehicle mode features a significant retool in the form of a new windshield piece. Unlike Groove's which only covers part of the vehicle's front end, this piece starts at the front then curves towards the middle. The shape of this piece is heavily inspired by the G1 Afterburner design complete with the window section featuring an angle towards the front and parts that stick out on the sides of the front end. The design is a bit modernized in that the front end has two prongs in the front. This piece covers so much of the front it really gives the vehicle mode a very different appearance than Groove and I'm really happy the designers included this piece.
The colors on this figure use G1 Afterburner as a starting point, but then it adds other colors. The plastic colors on this figure include orange, metallic black, light grey and translucent green. Paint colors include orange, red, light grey and silver. the designers did their best to call back to the colors on G1 Afterburner. This includes light grey in the middle section (calling back to G1 Afterburner's windows) and Autobot symbols on the sides of the light grey sections. The red color is used on two sections on the top of the figure and the black plastic seems to stand in for G1 Afterburner's grey plastic. Overall I like the variety of colors in this form, and they call back to G1 Afterburner nicely.
The weapons still attach to the sides of the rear wheels and they hol din place without a problem. Interestingly he has a port on the top of the windshield piece but it's too tight for his weapons. The instructions also don't indicate any use for it so it may be a planned feature that was abandoned.
Transformation to Robot Mode:
- Detach the weapons and set them aside for now.
- Swing the top and bottom halves of the vehicle's rear section out.
- Pull each half from step two down, then swing them together to begin forming the robot legs.
- Split the legs in the middle, then swing the halves of the rear wheel forward.
- Rotate the waist around.
- Push the front of the vehicle back.
- Swing the robot arms up, then out to the sides.
- Swing the robot arms down and rotate the forearms around.
- Swing the Combiner connector piece down to reveal the robot head.
- Swing the cover of the vehicle's front end up.
- Rotate the front wheel around, then push the piece back up against the back.
- The weapons fit into the fists.
Robot Mode:
Afterbreaker features a new head sculpt in robot mode. I was really happy to see the designers did not just repaint Groove's head. The new head sculpt is largely be based on the G1 animation model. This includes a helmet section segmented into three areas on top including a central crest and sections that angle out to the sides. The face features visor style eyes with a nose and mouth. G1 Afterburner's head was pretty blocky so this is a streamlined version of that design. So modern is the design that it looks like Groove's head design from a distance, but up close the differences are obvious.
Due to the way the plastic parts are laid out in this mode the designers could not replicate G1 Afterburner's colors exactly. Instead he is a combination of black and orange parts that alternate such as on the arms and legs where the upper parts are metallic black while the lower parts are orange. Translucent green is used on the eyes for light piping, something you don't see as often as you used to so it's a nice touch. Both sides of the chest have silver paint with red inside. These details call back to similar sticker details on G1 Afterburner. You'll also find silver on the face and waist. Red paint is also used on the lower legs, offering some color diversity to this mode. Overall the robot mode looks good and he's instantly identifiable as Afterburner (or Afterbreaker if you prefer).
All the joints on my copy of this figure are nice and tight, especially the swivel joints on the thighs and the shoulders.
Limb Modes:
For reference I am including the limb transformation instructions below. I will cover the functionality of the limbs in my Computron review where I review all the members of the team fully assembled.
Transformation to Arm Mode (Starting in robot mode):
- Detach the weapons and set them aside for now.
- Swing the forearms up.
- Swing the upper arms down.
- Swing the forearms back against the upper body.
- Push the lower legs together.
- Pull the front wheel/cover section of the vehicle back, swing the Combiner connector piece up then push that piece back in place.
- Rotate the lower arm to one side (depending on what side you want the arm to be on).
- Attach the fist piece to the bottom of the feet.
Transformation to Leg mode (Starting in robot mode):
- Swing the front wheel/cover section back.
- Push the Combiner connector piece back so it points up.
- Swing the front wheel/cover section back into place.
- Swing the wheel halves on the lower legs back.
- Split the lower leg halves forward and back. Then swing them up and connect them together.
- Push the robot arms down to the sides.
- Attach a foot piece to the bottom of the lower legs.
Final Thoughts:
Despite reusing the same weapon sculpts as Groove, Afterbreaker is a really fantastic example of a retool and redeco. I appreciate that retooling was done in both his vehicle and robot modes. I also love how different the deco is on this figure versus Groove. The designers did a fantastic job on this figure.
