General Information:
Release Date: March 2017
Price Point: $16.99 (at Walgreens)
Retailer: Limited Release / Walgreens+ Exclusive
Accessories: None
Official images and text below in italics are from Hasbro's Web Site:
Transformers Cyber Battalion Series figures feature some favorite Transformers characters in a 7-inch scale. With classic Transformers conversion, change this Cyber Battalion Prowl figure between robot and police vehicle in 6 steps. Collect other figures in the Cyber Battallion series to create your own Autobot vs. Decepticon battles (Each sold separately. Subject to availability). Choose a side and prepare for battle!
With the brilliant strategist Prowl making the battle plans, the Autobots can invade any Decepticon base. Prowl uses his logic and knowledge of complex tactics to equip the Autobots with the perfect battle plan to takedown any Decepticon.
Includes Cyber Battalion Prowl figure and on-box instructions.
- Cyber Battalion Series Prowl figure
- Series includes some favorite Transformers characters
- 7-inch scale figure features classic conversion
- Changes between robot and police vehicle in 6 steps
- Takedown Decepticons with Prowl
Figure scale: 7 inches. Ages 6 and up
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.
A couple years later, three of these "Cyber Battalion" figures were repurposed by Hasbro as Universal Studios Exclusive figures. Unfortunately as of this writing (September 2017) the figures are not available via their online shop. The only way to get them is to go to the park itself and pick them up in person.
Adding to the mystique around these "Cyber Battalion" figures, in March of 2017, Cyber Battalion Jetfire and Prowl appeared in Taiwan! This indicated that the previous Cyber Battalion figures were not just one offs, but that the line would be continuing in some form. Months later in the Fall of 2017 it was revealed that these figures would be serving as Walgreens exclusives alongside the previously released (but limited) Optimus Prime and Bumblebee figures. It was great to finally be able to obtain these figures at a non-premium price and in store instead of online from overseas sellers.
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 Starscream. 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:
One of the biggest questions fans have had about the Cyber Battalion figures are their sizes. In the case of Prowl, the figure stands at about 7 inches (about 17.78 centimeters) making him roughly the size of a Voyager Class figure, though his design is far simpler than a Voyager or even a Deluxe. The size makes sense since this figure is aimed at a younger audience. It has a chunky feel to it that works perfectly for younger fans.
Prowl's design borrows elements from his Generation One design. They include:
- The head sculpt is right out of G1, including a central crest with two "horns" coming out the sides and the sides of the helmet wrapping over the cheeks a bit.
- The chest is made up of the vehicle mode's front end.
- His shoulders have vehicle mode wheels in the back.
- The forearms are blocky with some ridged designs on the sides.
- The waist area has a distinct triangle in the middle, this comes from a sticker found on G1 Prowl in the same area.
- The thighs have an angled "L" shape with a smaller, angled rectangle in the middle. G1 Prowl had similar designs.
- The lower legs have parts of the rear window on them.
- The feet have rear vehicle mode lights on the edges, similar to G1 Prowl's feet. This is especially noteworthy because they are not actually the lights for the vehicle mode. They were sculpted on here to call back to G1 Prowl and I love that.
I really love all these design callbacks to the original Prowl. There have been many interpretations of the character the designers could have used for inspiration, but they went for the classic one and this Old Skool fan appreciates it.
Prowl is cast in black and white plastic. The white is used on the head, the chest, back, the forearms and lower legs. Black makes up the rest. There are some nice colors found on this figure including metallic red on the "horns" and on one of the halves of the sirens on his feet. The face and grille on his chest are painted silver. A really rich, metallic blue is used for his eyes, part of the chest and details on the sides of the legs. The headlights on his chest are painted yellow. Metallic black is used on the window halves on the lower legs. While the arms and the center of the body look a bit plain without paint, I really like how the rest of the figure looks. The choice of using metallic paints also helps a lot.
There are fifteen points of articulation on this figure. That is a lot if you consider most of the Cyber Battalion figures don't even have knees that move. Thankfully Prowl moves his knees as part of his transformation! While Prowl does not include any accessories, his fists are designed with 5mm ports, allowing him to hold weapons from other figures with 5mm pegs.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Point the toes down.
- Push the lower legs together.
- Swing the chest up.
- Swing the robot arms down, then in.
- Swing the legs forward.
Vehicle Mode:
In Generation One Prowl was a Nissan Fairlady Z police car, giving him a rather sleek and sporty look for a police vehicle. This time out his vehicle mode seems a bit more influenced by Barricade who transformed into a Mustang which has a much more thick and aggressive looking profile than the Fairlady Z. This vehicle form is pretty thick in front and the lines sweep back at a relatively small angle. There is a spoiler in the back, and the front end does curve forward a bit, but everything about this vehicle screams "power" over looking sleek.
This mode shows off some nice smaller details including the light bar on the top and intricate details on the sides of the wheels. Also, there is a lot of sculpted detail on the rear, including the rear lights. Unfortunately they are not painted so they get a bit lost in the white plastic.
This mode shows off a lot of the same details as the robot mode, but now they come together in a different way. The metallic blue paint from the chest, arms and legs now form a pattern on the lower half of the vehicle that starts in the front and wraps all the way behind the rear wheel wells. You can now see all the windows are painted (a pleasant surprise given how often rear windows are left unpainted) and you get a look at an Autobot "police" shield on the hood in blue. It features a shield with an Autobot symbol in the middle. Overall, I love the deco on this vehicle. With a couple more deco points this would have been perfect.
Prowl rolls on all four wheels in this form. There are no attachment points for weapons.
Final Thoughts:
Cyber Battalion Prowl is not for everyone. Some fans will scoff at the simple design. Others will not like the fact that he does not come with weapons. I think this is a great "bridge" figure to get younger fans into "Generations" and familiarize them with classic characters and designs. Recommended, particularly for younger fans just starting out with "Generations".
Pros:
- Good sculpt in both modes.
- Sculpt pays homage to G1 Prowl in many surprising ways.
- Beautiful choice of paint colors.
- More articulation than the average Cyber Battalion figure.
Cons:
- No accessories.
- Design may be too simple for some fans.
