General Information:
Release Date: June 2013
Price Point: $47.00
Retailer: Transformers Collector's Club Exclusive
Accessories: Sword
Back in the days of "Generation 2", one of the last versions of Optimus Prime to be released in a large size was "Laser Optimus Prime". This version of the Autobot leader had him styled as a longnose truck with a tanker trailer. He transformed into a robot that had new styling with some carried over from his G1 incarnation and a key weapon: a sword. Years later, this figure was given a new deco and identity as Black Convoy in the Japanese "Car Robots" series. This series (and the toy) would later be aired outside Japan as "Robots in Disguise" with Black Convoy being released as "Scourge". This design became the template for many figures down the line including "Nemesis Prime" who appeared in the Alternators line and the Universe 2.0 line.
Many years later, the "Reveal the Shield" line of toys released a version of Optimus Prime based on G2 "Laser" Optimus. Now history has repeated itself with the "Transformers Collector's Club" version of Scourge (aka "Black Convoy"), a redeco of "Reveal the Shield" Optimus Prime. This was one of the first figures to be shipped as part of the "Transformers Collector's Club" subscription service, started in 2012, but shipped in 2013. This review will cover the changes made to the figure for this release.
Vehicle Mode:
For this incarnation of the sculpt, the main plastic colors have been switched off to a much darker color palette: mostly black and translucent red. The black covers most of the figure including the front, the wheel wells, the wheels and the tanks on the sides. Translucent red is found on the headlights and the headlights. A bit of silver plastic peeks out in the middle where the front of the vehicle meets the back and on the bumper in the front. This is consistent with the color scheme found on the original Scourge/Black Convoy.
The paint applications used on the figure are made up of silver and red paint. The silver is found on the front grille and outlining the windshield. Silver is also used on the smokestacks and the sides of the wheels. The coolest silver detail is the upside down G2 Autobot symbol that was used to represent Decepticons in the "Robots in Disguise" series (as opposed to the main villains, Predacons who used "Beast Wars" era Predacon symbols). It's painted on both doors and looks fantastic. The side windows have been painted red to match the windshield colors. Thin teal lines can be found in several places, over the front wheel wells, on top of the hood, over the side windows and even over the rear wheel well covers. This is a key detail used on many Nemesis Prime type designs. Taken as a whole the deco looks great and it's instantly recognizable as a "Scourge/Nemesis Prime" styled character. The symbol cements its connection to the "Robots in Disguise" series and the vehicle form matches the character personally.
Scourge is a direct redeco of "Reveal the shield" Optimus Prime. There have been no changes made to the sculpt itself.
Transformation to Robot Mode:
- Swing the black panels on the sides of the vehicle up.
- Swing the panels at the very back of the vehicle down.
- Swing the black foot pieces down.
- Flip the vehicle over to get a better perspective of the robot mode.
- Split the legs apart from each other and remove the sword accessory.
- Swing the handle at the end of the sword out.
- Slide the black piece on the sword down to form the hilt of the sword and set it aside for now.
- Swing the arms out to the sides and split the shoulder armor areas apart (these form the front of the vehicle mode).
- Swing each arm down to create a clearance in the center.
- From inside the cabin section, push the robot head out, flip it out, then swing the panel back into place.
- Swing the two window panels on the sides in.
- Swing the chest piece with the head attached to it down to form the robot chest.
- Swing the black panels from the sides of the vehicle up, then connect them together on the back.
- On each leg, swing the top pair of wheels forward and up, creating a gap between the two sets of wheels.
- On each half of the leg are black panels on the back, swing them forward to rest against the insides of the thighs and lower legs.
- Push each of the wheels on the legs in so they rest partly inside the legs.
- Slide the sword into one of the hands.
Robot Mode:
Scourge's color scheme in this mode is largely based on the color pattern he had in the "Robots in Disguise" series. A lot more silver plastic is shown off here including the front panels on the shoulder armor and the thighs. "Robots in Disguise" Scourge also had silver coloring on these areas. The rest of the plastic is black except for the translucent red on his chest and on the back of the head for light piping on the eyes. The teal color returns in paint applications on the head, shoulders, chest, waist, arms and legs. These are balanced out by silver deco on most of the same areas. Pay special attention to the head area, which has a ton of deco on it that you aren't likely to see in a mass retail release Transformers figure.
A spot of yellow is used on the crest, providing an interesting additional color for this mode. The sword blade is cas tin translucent red with a black handle and hilt. Overall the colors look awesome and there are a lot more details on this guy than the "Reveal the Shield" Optimus Prime figure.
All the joints on this figure are nice and tight. I did however find that the handle for the sword a bit too snug, but it does fit in the hands with a bit of a push..
Final Thoughts:
Scourge looks amazing in both modes, and thanks to "history" repeating itself, the sculpt is absolutely perfect for the character. It is a special release, so it's not going to cost you $15-20, it is an exclusive to the Club and will likely cost you at least $50 on the after market.
