General Information:
Release Date: July 2015
Price Point: $29.99 (Estimated)
Retailer: Limited Release, purchased at BigBadToyStore
Accessories: Cannon
*Official images and text below in italics are from BigBadToyStore
This Megatron figure won’t back down from any battle with his Autobot enemies! He’s the leader of the evil Decepticons and sworn enemy of the Autobots, and it only takes 8 steps for him to change from warrior robot mode to rumbling tank mode. Will any Autobot be able to stand against his massive assault? There’s only one way to find out!
In March of 2015, some interesting listings popped up on the Official Transformers web site for "Cyber Battalion" figures. These appeared to be simplified figures that resembled upscaled Legends Class figures. However, these figures were not present at both Toy Fair 2015 and they were not part of Hasbro's presentation at Botcon 2015. Still, sightings of these figures in countries like Brazil were popping up here and there online. In July of 2015, Ben's World of Transformer sponsor Bigbadtoystore listed several of these figures (including their larger "Cyber Commander" counterparts) and they sold out fast and a week later the listings were gone from the web site. I missed out on Megatron, but thanks to some online sleuthing years later I finally managed to add this figure to my collection.
Packaging:
Unlike most Transformers packaging on the market nowadays, this figure comes in a rectangular box that has no window, so you can't see the toy inside. Instead the front has photography of the toy in both modes with a white and grey grid behind it and a Autobot symbol in grey. Cut in a triangular panel is artwork featuring Bumblebee. To the right is the vertical "Transformers" logo with the "Generations" logo above it. The back of the packaging features the figure and instructions along with a brief bio blurb in four languages (including English and Spanish). Towards the bottom is safety information.
Open the flap on the side and you pull out a cardboard tray with the figure attached by plastic ties. This explains why there's no window box. Basically money was saved by not having to print a fancy background for the tray. It's just plain cardboard. My guess is given the simple nature of the figure, the designers figured most folks getting this would ditch the packaging anyhow. What I like about the packaging is that it is reusable and easily fit onto a bookshelf. There's even character art on the side with the character's name so you can line them up!
Robot Mode:
This version of Megatron transforms into a tank, which informs the design of his robot form. Having a tank mode continues a long tradition starting with "Generation 2" and continuing with "Armada" Megatron, "Revenge of the Fallen" Megatron, "Generations" Megatron and the current "Titans Return" Megatron. In terms of the design this one harkens back to the look of G2 and "Generations" Megatron. The front of the tank mode forms the chest, the turret forms the arms and the rear of the vehicle forms the legs. That said, the designs of these pieces are not exactly "iconic" Megatron. No flat, rectangular chest or "control panel" on the mid-body area etc. That said, the details are nice including windows into what look like control rooms, line details on the arms that look like layers of details and vents on the legs.
There are two iconic Megatron designs adapted for this figure. The head has a helmet with a similar shape to previous incarnations of G1/G2 Megatron. However this design is a bit more curved than we normally see and the sides have vent like details in front. The face has the sharply defined cheeks and pronounced chin piece used on other versions of Megatron as well. The other iconic element is his weapon: a cannon attached to his arm. The design of the cannon largely matches the wide barreled look of Megatron's G1 Fusion Cannon, and it attaches to his arms in a similar fashion as G1 Megatron. With all these elements combined, this figure winds up having a really nice looking sculpt for a "simplified" Transformers figure.
Megatron is cast in three plastic colors: silver, gunmetal grey and black. These are, of course, traditional Megatron colors going back to the character's original G1 action figure (though that was more black and silver, not so much gunmetal). These colors are nicely balanced out, with silver making up most of the figure. Silver paint is heavily used on the chest section, face and thighs. Black paint is used on the Fusion Cannon barrel. Purple paint (another classic Decepticon color) is used to paint the eyes and designs on the sides of the cannon. In a nice, finishing touch there is a Decepticon symbol on top of the chest on the right side. The deco on this figure is fairly simple, and he could have definitely used some accents on the lower legs to break up the gunmetal color a bit but for a simplified figure he looks good.
There are thirteen points of articulation on this figure, which makes Megatron one of the most heavily articulated "Cyber Battalion" figures in the line. Many of the other figures do not have this range of articulation (for instance, Optimus Prime has no knee joints). A lot of this articulation is thanks in part to the transformation of the figure, which pretty much requires articulation on parts like the knees. I was pleasantly surprised to find the hip joints are ratchet joints, allowing for extra stability. There are four 5mm ports on this figure. Two in the fists, and two on the sides of the forearms. The cannon accessory has 5mm pegs that can connect to any of these. My favorite way to attach it is of course to the side of the right forearm, giving him a "proper" Generation One appearance!
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Detach the cannon if attached and set it aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Swing the chest panel up.
- Swing the feet out to the sides.
- Swing the arms up.
- Swing the lower legs forward to form the rear of the tank. Tabs on the feet should fit into slots on the arm/shoulder joints.
- Slide the cannon into the slots between the two shoulder pieces.
Vehicle Mode:
Megatron is an interesting looking tank. He has a few design elements that you would not normally see on tanks. The robot feet form what look like rocket launcher pods on the sides and in the front there appear to be windows that allow you to look into what appear to be passenger sections. The center also appears to have windows, which gives the impression that this vehicle is much more gigantic than your typical tank. The other details are more of what you would expect including a cannon in front and nicely sculpted treads on the sides filled with wheel and piston details. The back has some smaller details including hand holds and armor panels lined up in a row. I really like the look of this vehicle mode.
All the robot mode colors carry over into this form. The only "new" reveal is silver on the sides of the treads. This mode does put a spotlight on the Decepticon symbol and silver in th e front of the vehicle. There could be a bit more silver used on the turret section, but that is my main criticism of an otherwise good vehicle mode deco.
In this mode Megatron rolls on four tiny wheels on the bottom of the treads. The turret cannot turn, but in a nice touch the cannon can move up and down. There are two 5mm ports on the top of the turret, allowing you to attach two additional weapons.
Final Thoughts:
Cyber Battalion Megatron is a fantastic example of what a simplified Transformers figure can be. He has good articulation, nice sculpting and he has a really nice bulky look. The only drawback is that he is not a cheap figure. I spent about $30 USD on him and I know most fans would not want to spend that. Had this come out for roughly a $15-20 price point at mass retail I'd highly recommend it. For now I would only recommend it to hardcore collectors.
Pros:
- Good sculpt.
- Good articulation for a Cyber Battalion figure.
- Powerful, bulky appearance.
Cons:
- Difficult to obtain at a good price.
- Could use some more deco.
