General Information:
Release Date: February 2019
Price Point: $19.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General (Toys R Us, Target, Wal-Mart etc.)
Accessories: Blaster; Light bar
Official images and text below in italics are from Amazon.com:
- Build the ultimate battlefield: discover an expansive ecosystem of collectible figures and weapon accessories with Siege figures. (Each sold separately. Subject to availability).
- Customizable weapon load out: Prowl figure comes with a converting weapon accessory. Multiple C.O.M.B.A.T. Weapon ports on figure enable weapon accessories to attach in custom configurations in Bot and vehicle modes.
- Expandable weapon selection: fans can build bigger mission loadouts by compiling an arsenal of additional weapon accessories from other Siege figures. (Each sold separately. Subject to availability).
- Inspired cybertronian Alt Mode: articulated deluxe class wfc-s23 Prowl toy features classic conversion between robot and cybertronian vehicle modes in 14 steps.
- Add battle effects: attach fire blasts accessories (not included. Included with battle Masters figures. Each sold separately. Subject to availability) to the ends of weapon accessories to simulate blaster fire coming from weapons.
Build the ultimate battlefield with siege figures. Siege plunges fans into the epic fight to survive on the final day of the Autobus and deception battle to control Cybertron. The Deception resistance army and the Autobus counter-resistance fighters gear up with the C.O.M.B.A.T. (Cybertronian omnifuctional modular battlefield assault Tech) system, the universe's most advanced modular weaponry -- including the logical Autobot army major And strategist, Prowl.
Prowl is one of the core characters in Transformers fiction. Originally introduced as one of Optimus Prime's Ark crew, the character (and name) went on to be used many times over. This includes appearances in "Robots in Disguise", "Alternators", "Energon", "Animated", "Combiner Wars" and even "Age of Extinction"! Most recently the character appeared in the "Cyberverse" toy line. Now the character is back as part of the "Siege" toy line.
Packaging:
Taking a cue from "Studio Series", the Deluxe figures in "Siege" are packaged in boxes instead of the traditional bubble card used for Deluxe Class figures. These boxes are beautiful featuring an unusual shape with one flat side and one angled side. While elements of previous packaging are still found on the boxes (ex: the vertical Transformers logo, the "Generations" logo, a largely black background etc.) there is a lot more added on. First, the background is not solid black. There are designs on it that look like sparks or perhaps embers from flames On the angled side is the character's package art. In this case it shows Prowl holding his weapon, seemingly analyzing the situation around him (appropriate for the character). The figure itself is in robot mode behind a clear plastic window. To the left is a chevron with the character name. Below that is the "War for Cybertron: Siege" logo.
The back of the box features Prowl in both modes indicating a 14 step transformation. Off to the side are Pteraxadon and Aimless in weapon mode. This section shows off their compatability with Sideswipe as weapons including the use of Fire Blast effects.
In a fun extra, shining a black light on the packaging will reveal Cybertronian glyphs. Input them on Hasbro's "Teletraan-1" web site and you get a translation. In Prowl's cast it is "PRAXUS", indicating where the character comes from. Enter that into the Teletraan-1 site and it reveals a video featuring the Prowl toy and a desktop wallpaper with Autobot symbols scrawled on a metal wall.
Accessories:
Prowl includes a blaster and the light bar from his vehicle form. The blaster takes some design cues from G1 Prowl's weapon, including a long barrel and a thicker part in the front. The middle section angles back to the rear section of the weapon. This piece is cast in white plastic with no paint applications.
The other accessory is a light bar. This piece is cast in clear plastic with black and red paint applications. This has a 5mm peg on it that allows you to either attach it to Prowl himself or to the blaster. When combined with the blaster, the two accessories form the "W-45 Acid Pellet Strikeblaster", a callback to G1 Prowl's "acid pellet" weapon. You can, in theory, attach the light bar to the blaster in such a way that you create an axe-like weapon. The only problem is that Prowl can't actually hold the weapon so I prefer to keep it as a blaster.
Robot Mode:
When Prowl was first revealed, the renders did not do the figure justice. The particular angles chosen made it look like his car front/chest piece was gigantic with stubby legs. I was very relieved to see that this was just some visual illusion created by the renders and that the figure itself has good proportions and looks more like a classic interpretation of the character. To that end, the designers worked in a lot of "classic" Prowl details. These include:
- The basic silhouette of the figure is based on G1 Prowl including the door "wings" on his back, the car hood forming the chest, the blocky arms and the rear of the vehicle forming thick, lower legs.
- The head design features Prowl's iconic central crest with two "horns" sticking out of the sides. he also has small "vents" on the sides of the helmet and small notches on the parts of the helmet that rest against his face.
- The lower legs feature windows from the vehicle mode in front and parts of the vehicle mode's rear section on the feet.
- The shoulders have wheels behind them, just like the G1 version of the character.
- Some of the smaller details including those around the hips and on the thighs are direct callbacks to details on G1 Prowl's sculpt.
I really like the look of this figure. To me, the proportions are better than the "Universe 2.0" Prowl and of course the body structure is more aligned with the traditional image of Prowl than "Combiner Wars" Prowl.
Prowl is cast in black, white and translucent blue-green plastic. The black and white colors directly call back to Prowl's G1 roots wile the clear blue-green plastic is more of a new embelishment for this design. Prowl's windows have been all sorts of colors in the past, including clear plastic, blue and brown. Silver is used on the face and lower legs. Yellow paint is found on the chest, arms and hip/waist area. Two of these details are arrows, calling back to stickers on G1 Prowl. The eyes are painted light blue and red paint is used for the "horns" on his head, the Autobot symbol on his chest and left leg. Black paint is used for detailing on the chest, forming a point in the middle. This detail comes right from G1 Prowl. Interestingly, there is none of the "battle damage" style deco on this figure that is found on other figures in the line.
There are twenty four points of articulation on this figure. This includes five on each arm and six in each leg. The arms include wrist articulation (a welcome return to form for "Generations" figures) and the legs feature an ankle tilt, something that is uncommon in the Transformers toy line. There are five 5mm ports: the shoulders, the fists and the forearms. For those wondering about rocket launchers on his shoulders (a feature of the G1 toy, but not the G1 cartoon model), there are rectangular slots to fit them into, but they are not included with this figure. Instead, they will be included with the upcoming Barricade and Smokescreen figures. Prowl also has three connection points for Blast Effects from Battle Master figures. There is one on each shoulder and one on the left forearm.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Detach the accessories and set them aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Push the heels on each foot up.
- Push the lower legs together.
- Point the feet down.
- Swing the chest and arms section up.
- Swing the middle panel of the hood piece up.
- Swing the mid-body panel under the hood.
- Rotate the lower body around.
- Swing the lower legs up over the thighs.
- Swing the section with the robot head and legs up under the hood.
- Swing the arms out to the sides.
- Swing the arms in, then swing them down under the car.
- Attach the light bar to the top of the vehicle. You can also attach the blaster to the top of the light bar.
Vehicle Mode:
The original G1 Prowl transformed into a Nissan 280Z (aka "Fairlady Z" in Japan). Aside from "Masterpiece" releases, most G1-based Prowl figures have transformed into some type of police vehicle, but most were either based on a different vehicle or a made up car. This time out Prowl is still an emergency vehicle, but this portrays the character long before he arrives on Earth so the designers kind of split the difference. His vehicle form is still a "Cybertronian" vehicle but it clearly takes inspiration from the Nissan 280Z. Like that car, the front end is long with parts that raise up a bit on the sides, leading to the headlights. The back is shorter than the front and emergency lights are mounted on the top of the cabin section. The vehicle looks sleek and has a retro-futuristic feel. I really like the design.
Prowl is mostly white and translucent plastic in this mode. Black paint is used heavily on the lower half of the vehicle leading to a point on the front end. Each door has the word "Police" printed on it in black, but the letters are Cybertronian glyphs. In the front, there is a small Autobot symbol in red off to the right side. Both of these details are homages to details on G1 Prowl. In an interesting design choice, the wheels are translucent plastic with silver painted on the sides. I think this was a fun way to distinguish this vehicle from an "Earth mode".
Unlike some other "Siege" vehicle modes, this one only has one primary 5mm connection port. Remove the light bar and you can use that as a central connection point and connect weapons to those parts to really load him up with firepower. If you have the shoulder cannon weapons from either Barricade or Smokescreen, they can connect to the rectangular ports on the hood section.
Final Thoughts:
When I first saw renders of Prowl, I was worried. The chest seemed to have very odd proportions with the rest of the body and he just looked unwieldy somehow. Once I had the figure in-hand however I was very pleased to see that he looks fantastic. I appreciate the homages to G1 Prowl and the toy is fun to play with. He may not be the best figure in "Siege", but Prowl is definitely worth adding to your collection! Recommended.
Pros:
- Good sculpt that pays homage to G1 Prowl nicely.
- Good deco (even if it is not the most exciting set of colors).
- Easy and intuitive transformation.
Cons:
- Some fans may have wanted the shoulder blasters included with this figure instead of wiating for redecos/retools.
