General Information:
Release Date: May 2022
Price Point: $22.99
Retailer: Walmart Exclusive (with limited quantities sold on Hasbro Pulse
Accessories: Missile Piece, Cyberbee
Official images and text below in italics are from Amazon:
From the world of Beast Wars, universes collide with the Transformers: Legacy Deluxe Predacon Sandstorm robot toy! Sandstorm bides his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Transformers: Legacy brings together fan-favorite characters from across the Transformers multiverse. Figures feature deco inspired by their universe with an updated Generations design. In honor of the almost 40-year legacy of Transformers entertainment, the fandoms come together from across the Transformers multiverse, all in one toy line.
Transformers: Legacy action figures are great kids’ toys and exciting collectibles for fans of all ages. Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro. Includes: figure, 2 accessories, and instructions. Figure scale: 5.5 inches Ages 8 and up. Warning: Choking Hazard - Small parts. Not for children under 3 years. © 2022 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. Manufactured under license from TOMY Company, Ltd.
- BEAST WARS-INSPIRED DESIGN: This Transformers: Legacy 5.5-inch Predacon Sandstorm robot toy is inspired by the animated series, Beast Wars: Transformers, updated with a Generations-style design
- UNIVERSES COLLIDE: Universes collide with Transformers: Legacy! This epic line of Transformers toys brings together fan-favorite characters from across the Transformers multiverse
- 2 EPIC MODES: Action figure converts from robot to scorpion mode in 24 steps. Transformers toy features claw and tail articulation that allows for more realistic scorpion poses and with intricate scorpion-inspired molded texture
- BEAST WARS-INSPIRED ACCESSORIES: Comes with Mega Missile and Cyber bee drone accessories that can be inserted into the figure’s claws
- EXPAND YOUR MULTIVERSE COLLECTION: Look for other Transformers: Legacy figures to build out your Transformers multiverse collection and create your own crossover stories! (Each sold separately, subject to availability)
Packaging:
Much ado has been made in fandom about the Legacy boxes not having plastic windows (and some of the concerns are legitimate for sure) but no worries with this set of figures. Each of the Walmart exclusive Legacy figures has the same cardboard design as the mass release figures but they also have plastic windows like traditional Transformers packaging.
The box art itself is pretty spectacular. The more Earth-tone colors of Kingdom have been traded up for a very retro-scifi (circa the 90's) look. The background tones are mostly purple and black and the Legacy logo just screams "Pay Attention to Me!!!" with its sharp angles and beveled letters that look like something right out of 90's toy packaging (and yes, this is what the BWTF logo circa 2022 is a homage to). On the right is the now traditional vertical Transformers logo with the Generations logo above that. Both have a "worn metal" coloring on them that really looks great. The left (angled) side of the box features Sandstorm's robot mode art while the other side features Megatron, Dead End, Iguanus and Skywarp. The front features Sandstorm in scorpion mode. Interestingly enough, both pieces of art are new and not just Scorponok's artwork in new colors. The back of the box features Sandstorm in both modes, calling out a 24 step transformation. Unlike the mass release figures in Legacy, Sandstorm does not feature a QR Code to scan (presumably because it is an exclusive figure).
I do have one major reservation about the packaging (beyond the open window portion), and that is how thin the cardboard is. Once upon a time Transformers boxes came in thick cardboard boxes with many layers. This box is super thin and it feels rather flimsy. I worry about how these boxes will stand up to damage on shelves or as they are shipped. Of course, if you ditch your boxes anyway this is not an issue.
Background:
The release of Sandstorm in Legacy is an interesting event because it marks one of the few times where a character who originated as a Botcon exclusive has made its way outside the convention into the "main" toy line. For those unfamiliar, Sandstorm was a member of the Covenant, an ancient being who would eventually rise up to lead the Predacons against a threat known as Shokaract. Is this the same Sandstorm? Or an alt-universe version? I think that's open to interpretation given the multi-universe nature of Legacy.
Sandstorm is a redeco of Kingdom Scorponok. The original Botcon exclusive figure was a redeco of Beast Wars Scorponok so this makes perfect sense. This review will focus on the changes made to the figure for this release.
Robot Mode:
The original Predacon Sandstorm figure used a lot of metallic based plastic colors including beige and orange. It was a beautiful figure that looked like a totally different character despite there being no retooling. For this version of the character, the designers took inspiration from the Botcon version but they did not use the same colors. Instead, Sandstorm is mostly made up of a regular beige and orange plastic instead of one with a metallic shine. Smaller parts like the tip of the tail are purple. Paint colors on the figure include beige and orange as well, but the orange is a lighter shade than the orange plastic. Some darker beige is used on the torso, which adds a nice dimension to the deco. The eyes are painted red. I will say the colors definitely evoke the Botcon Sandstorm nicely.
Any fan familiar with that version of the character will see this and instantly recognize it. However, I cannot help but find myself wishing that metallic plastic had at least been used on either the beige or orange parts (if not both). The pearlescent shine that kind of plastic gives is gorgeous and it would have been nice to see it here.
Like Scorponok, Sandstorm comes with one (non-firing) missile accessory that attaches to the inside of the left claw and his "Cyberbee" drone which attaches to the inside of the right claw. Some fiction suggests that the Cyberbee actually contains a Spark, but this has never been elaborated on in official fiction. All the joints on my copy of this figure are just as tight as my copy of Scorponok, so I have no concerns about the tooling.
Transformation to Beast Mode:
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Point the feet down.
- Swing the arms up out to the sides.
- Swing the tail down.
- Unfold the beast mode legs out from the back so the are out to the sides.
- Open up the halves of the torso. They will only open up partly, creating a small gap in the middle.
- Swing the head down into the gap. It will not go all the way in.
- Pull the lower body down. A hinge that connects the upper body to the lower body will extend.
- Swing both shoulders up.
- Swing back the top half of the back panel and swing out the beast mode head, then push that panel back down.
- Rotate the lower body so the left leg is under the tail.
- Rotate the left leg around and push it into the hollow section of the tail.
- Rotate the right leg around, fold the lower leg over the thigh, then push it into the gap in the underside of the beast mode.
- Position the beast mode arms so they are out to the side and then bend in the middle.
Beast Mode:
Sandstorm looks like a realistic scorpion in this mode versus the more stylized look given to Beast Wars Scorponok (and thus, Botcon Sandstorm). Most of the body and tail are beige with some darker beige paint on top of the main body. The legs ar e the same purple plastic as the stinger tip, offering a nice, dark contrast to the brighter beige and orange plastic colors. I really like the way the beige paint looks like a wash over the beige plastic. It gives a figure a more realistic and "worn" look that I appreciate.
Final Thoughts:
As redecos go, I think the concept behind this version of Sandstorm is a really nice one. Take a relatively obscure Botcon exclusive and make it a retailer exclusive figure? I'm all for it. This definitely shows Hasbro is willing to dive into the Transformers well deeper than just 1984-1988. I do wish the beige and orange plastic were metallic, but it still looks cool. Recommended if you dig adding obscure characters to your collection.
Pros:
- Really nice sculpt with cool details.
- He has Cyberbee too!
- Unique and fun transformation.
- Creepy beast mode.
- A fun homage to a Botcon exclusive figure.
Cons:
- The legs are a bit short resulting in a "stumpy" look for the figure.
- I would have preferred metallic orange and beige plastic.
