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.
Scattershot always struck me as a fascinating character. He is the leader of the Technobots, but his idea of strategy is to wade into a pile of enemies firing away until either they have all fallen or he is out of ammo. As a kid I always wondered how this guy became leader of the team, but I confess I enjoyed his portrayal in the cartoon.
The base sculpt for this figure has popped up several times over the course of the "Combiner Wars" series. It was first released as Aerialbot leader, Silverbolt. The most interesting with respect to this release is a previous release of Scattershot that was released in 2015. I recommend checking out that review before this one as I go into detail about the retooling done to the Silverbolt sculpt and how it relates to G1 Scattershot. Meanwhile, here's a list of the various iterations of this sculpt in "Combiner Wars" prior to this release.
Accessories:
Scattershot includes the same weapon that has followed this base sculpt through all its incarnations since its initial release as Silverbolt. This long rifle splits into two accessories: a shield piece and a long cannon. The base piece (the shield) has a 5mm port on top and each piece has a 5mm peg. Interestingly the weapon is cast in maroon plastic, but then the designers painted it a brighter shade of red. There's a double reference going on here. The maroon plastic matches the color of the original G1 Scattershot's weapon. However the brighter red paint color seems to be a reference to G1 Scattershot's box art which was a red color. I personally would have preferred it being unpainted and left the maroon color but I do find the dual reference interesting.
Vehicle Mode:
This version of Scattershot appears to take its color cues from the G1 action figure. Now, it is difficult to match the colors exactly to the original figure, but the designers definitely gave it a try. Most of the figure is cast in light grey and maroon plastic. These were both prominent colors on G1 Scattershot. A bright red paint color is used extensively on the nosecone and wings. The placement of each of these colors comes very close to the original Scattershot figure, especially the red on the wings and the maroon on the middle to back of the figure.
In a reference to some of the G1 Scattershot's stickers there are several details on this figure in a light blue color. These details are really nicely done. Not only are the cockpit windows painted, but you'll see thin lines on the sides of the nosecone and the edges of the wings all painted this blue color. It is not often you see such intricate line detailing on Transformers decos so it is a treat when they do appear. Along with these small blue details are Autobot symbols in white outline on either side behind the cockpit section.
The weapon attaches nicely to the underside of the nosecone section. The wings still connect tightly to the lower part of the figure keeping the vehicle feeling solid.
Transformation to Robot Mode:
- Detach the rifle and set it aside for now.
- Push the vertical stabilizer in the back down.
- Swing the front of the vehicle up and back against the top of the vehicle.
- Swing the wings up and connect them to the tabs on the sides of the nosecone section.
- Swing the sides of the vehicle out (these are the robot arms).
- Swing the maroon parts out to the sides and back to begin forming the robot legs.
- On each leg piece, swing out the robot feet from the lower legs and swing out the heels.
- Swing the small maroon panel on the lower legs in.
- Rotate the lower legs around so the feet point forward.
- Rotate the arms and swing them down.
- Swing the chest panel forward, swing up the head and close the panel.
- Attach the weapon to either fist or you can split them up.
Robot Mode:
While this figure represents the same character as the previous release, the deco is very different. The previous version was much brighter whereas this version leans towards some of the darker colors of the G1 action figure. Like the vehicle mode this mode is largely made up of maroon and light grey plastic with a bit of red on the sides of the legs. The layout of these colors does approximate the placement of these colors on the G1 figure. This includes maroon plastic on the arms, the lower legs and shoulder armor. Light grey plastic is used on the head, mid-body, forearms and thighs.
Paint details are also used to pay homage to G1 Scattershot's deco. Among the details used to call back to G1 Scattershot are:
- Light blue on the eyes, butnot the entire face (reflecting his G1 animation model).
- The chest is painted red with blue on the sides, calling back to the stickers on G1 Scattershot's chest.
- Red paint is used on the top of the forearms.
- An Autobot symbol is printed in white outline on the center of the chest.
Overall the sheer amount of paint used on this figure is really impressive. It is not often you see this much paint on a Transformers figure nowadays so when I do see it I am pleasantly surprised!
Most of the joints on my copy of this figure are nice and tight except the knee joints, which are slightly more loose than those on my other "Combiner Wars" Scattershot.
Torso Mode:
For reference I am including the torso transformation instructions below. I will cover the functionality of the combined figure in my Computron review where I review all the members of the team fully assembled.
Transformation to Torso Mode (Starting in robot mode):
- Detach all accessories and set them aside for now.
- Swing the panels on the back of the lower legs out, then swing the robot feet and heels together and swing them into that slot.
- Swing the chest panel forward, swing the robot head back then push the panel back into place.
- Rotate each robot arm up, then swing the fists back.
- Swing the panel that forms the mid-body and waist out, revealing Betatron's head. Swing the head up.
- Swivel each lower robot leg in, then swing the lower against the central body. There is a tab on each of the lower legs that slides into a notch on the central part of the vehicle mode.
- Swing the knee armor panels on each lower leg down.
- Swing the panel that forms the center of Scattershot's chest up.
- Push the two halves of Computron's torso armor together.
Final Thoughts:
The oddity of Scattershot's previous release was that he belonged to a team but at the time that team was not on the horizon. Now with this set this figure makes a lot more sense. I am happy the designers found a way to make the figure distinctive from the previous release while still borrowing from G1 source material.
