General Information:
Release Date: July 2018
Price Point: $16.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General (Target, Walmart, Amazon etc.)
Accessories: Blaster, Prime Armor, Prime Armor cover
Official images and text below in italics are from Amazon:
The Autobots and Decepticons use Prime Masters to wield the incredible powers of the most legendary bots in the universe: the Primes. Prime Masters carry the spark of a Prime, allowing them to share a Prime's godlike ability with other bots. How will the foul Terrorcon foot soldier wield this epic power? Anything is possible and everything is at stake when the Power of the Primes is unleashed! Transformers Generations Power of the Primes Deluxe Class figures are 5.5-inch-scale figures that come with a Prime Armor accessory. Insert a Prime Master figure (not included, each sold separately) into the accessory, attach it to the figure's chest, and imagine Terrorcon Blot wields the power of a Prime. Figure Specs: Deluxe Class Terrorcon Blot Modes: robot, beast Converts in 8 steps Includes Prime Armor accessory and collector card Also works with Prime Master figures (Not included. Each sold separately. Subject to availability.) Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro.
In 1987 Hasbro released a team of Decepticons known as the Terrorcons. These five creatures each transformed from a robot to some type of beast and then all five team members could combine to form the Combiner, Abominus! When Abominus' arch enemy Computron was released for "Combiner Wars", many fans wondered when Abominus would appear in the toy line and now we have him as part of "Power of the Primes"! Blot was one of the original Terrorcons and this new figure features classic design elements of the character along with some updating styling. Blot was the second Terrorcon I owned back in the G1 days and it took me years to complete the team. For many years I just had Sinnertwin and Blot as my Terrorcons, so I have an affection for the character mostly from that perspective. While Blot has not appeared a lot in the Transformers toy line over the years, an "alt universe" version of him popped up as "Beast Hunters" Blight back in 2013.
Packaging:
The Deluxe Class figures for "Power of the Primes" are packaged in a blister bubble glued to a card. The card continues the current trend of having a red Transformers logo set vertically on the right side (if you are facing the card) with the "Generations" logo above it. Most of the card is covered in character artwork. In Blot's case his artwork shows him in beast mode firing the blaster mounted on his back. The figure is in robot mode inside the bubble with the accessories to the side. The insert inside the bubble has the "Power of the Primes" logo on it with the character's name (which uses the "Terrorcon" prefix in front of "Blot"). The back of the packaging shows Blot in his various modes including having the Prime Armor attached. On the right side it shows the Prime Armor attached with Quintus Prime inside the Armor. There is a cosell showing Megatronus and Solus Prime.
The "Power of the Primes" figures from Legends Class up come with collectors cards. However, unlike the "Titans Return" cards which featured tech spec stats, these focus on what ability the character gets if they connect to a specific Prime Master Spark. This means there are thirteen potential card variations per character (one for each Prime)! In my copy of the Blot figure I received a "Quintus Blot" card, saying that he can create a gang of "thuggish henchmen".
Accessories:
Terrorcon Blot includes two accessories. The larger one is his "Prime Armor". This piece is designed to connect via 5mm peg to either the chest or the area behind the beast mode head as armor. There is a plastic panel in the middle that you can remove to attach either a Titan Master in head mode or a Prime Master in "Spark" mode. This Prime Armor piece is a reuse of the sculpt from the Dinobots, featuring spikes as knuckles. The Prime Armor is mostly cast in dark blue plastic and the removable panel is purple. These are the two key colors featured on Blot himself.
The other accessory is a blaster based on G1 Blot's weapon. Like the G1 version of the weapon this features a barrel with flat panels on both the top and bottom, with one panel coming up fairly high on top. There is a 5mm peg sticking out the side and a flat panel (still 5mm) at the bottom, allowing you to attach this to Blot in different ways. The blaster is cast in dark blue plastic.
Robot Mode:
From a structural point of view, Blot's construction differs a bit from the G1 figure. That figure used the top of the beast mode as the top of the robot mode (with the robot head sticking up). This had the effect of making the top half of G1 Blot looking super bulky. The legs were formed by the lower half of the beast mode so they looked a bit stumpy. He was cool for the time, but for this new incarnation of the character the proportions of the robot mode are much better. The front of the best mode folds back and the legs extend out which helps a lot with the look of the figure. The proportions of this new Blot look great and more in line with other "Combiner Wars" style figures.
That said, Blot still features details that were present on the G1 figure. There is of course the head design which features a thick central crest, panels on the sides of the head, visor eyes and a nose and mouth. The chest features rectangular line details based on angled designs from the G1 Blot's stickers. Like G1 Blot he also has the beast mode legs on the sides of his lower legs and the knee armor features raised panels. Other details however are specific to this figure, especially the forearms which feature some of the beast mode claws on the sides, giving the robot mode an extra savage appearance. I really love the look of this figure.
Blot is cast in dark blue and purple plastic. These are very similar to the colors used on G1 Blot. This includes dark blue on the shoulders, torso and lower legs. Meanwhile purple is used on the head, forearms and thighs. Red paint is found on the head and the section behind the head (from some of his beast mode bits). There is yellow and silver on the chest. The knees have silver paint on them with blue underneath. The blue and silver are a carry over from the G1 Blot's leg stickers. The finishing touch is a Decepticon symbol in the middle of the chest. While the deco is relatively simple, it is very true to the G1 figure and I think it looks great.
There are twelve points of articulation on this figure. That does not sound like a lot, but the shoulder, elbow and hip articulation are all ball joints so his actual range of articulation is really good. Each fist has 5mm ports, allowing him to hold weapons with 5mm pegs. All the joints on my copy of this figure are nice and tight. In addition, there are two 5mm ports right behind the head (near the shoulders) from the beast mode. This allows you to attach additional weapons making for one heavily armed Terrorcon! Fitting in the "Power of the Primes" play pattern, you can swing down the middle panel on the chest to reveal a 5mm port. This allows you to attach the Prime Armor to his chest, then of course attach a Prime Master to it.
Transformation to Beast Mode:
- Detach the accessories and set them aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Raise the arms up and swing each fist in to reveal the third claw.
- Swing each arm out at the shoulder joint.
- Swing the beast mode head/chest piece forward over the robot head.
- Swing the beast mode legs out to the side.
- Swing the lower legs up against the back.
- Extend the beast mode legs and swing them down.
- The blaster can be connected to the section behind the beast mode head.
Beast Mode:
In beast mode Blot is an..um...monster...thing. Some have said he resembles a mutated gorilla, still others have described him as a large nose. Personally I like to think he is modeled after some alien creature we are unaware of, though I admit the "giant walking nose" theory appeals to me on a silly level. Blot takes a lot of his design cues in this mode from the G1 toy and animation model. His body is stocky and his arms feature three claws on each. He has short legs that are bent at the knees and the center of his upper body has his rectangular head sticking out. The back section has a post for his weapon and the robot legs become a "back pack" of sorts. These design elements are inspired by G1 Blot's "back pack" and weapon. Some of the details on this mode also come from G1 Blot including the angled lines on the sides of the chest and the circles towards the bottom on each side.
Of course, being an update this Blot figure is not just an upscaled version of his G1 counterpart. Instead he has some really nice design touches including distinct claws on each forearm and details on the head including eyes and a pronounced under bite. He may not represent any specific creature design but he looks tough and scary at the same time!
This mode reflects the same colors as the G1 Blot figure including dark blue in the middle and arms and purple on other parts. The chest is painted silver with yellow and red on top. The top of the beast mode features a sticker that looks like a G1 heat sensitive symbol but it is in fact just a silver rectangle with a Decepticon symbol inside a black outline. This creates the illusion of one of those classic stickers and while this can be seen as a cost cutting measure, I think it looks pretty neat. The designers could have easily just slapped on a plain Decepticon sticker here but this serves as an extra nod to the original figure.
Blot has ten points of articulation in this mode. This includes two in each arm and three in each leg. Unfortunately the knees on the beast mode do not bend. If they did, the range of poses he could achieve would be better. Still there is enough articulation to pose him out and have fun with him thrashing Autobots around. Oddly, on my copy of the figure the left leg is connected to the main body by a very loose joint. Move the figure back and forth and the leg goes swinging back and forth with ease. The figure still stands without a problem but I would have preferred better Q/C on this figure.
There is a section on the back (behind the head) with two 5mm ports on either side. This allows you to attach weapons to him in beast mode. Also, this same platform has a Prime/Titan/Head Master peg on it, allowing a 'Master figure to ride along in beast mode!
Transformation to Leg Mode (Starting in beast mode):
- Detach any accessories and set them aside for now.
- Swing the robot leg sections back and down.
- Swing the beast mode head/torso section back to reveal the Combiner connection piece.
- Rotate the Combiner connection piece so it is pointed up.
- Swing the back halves of the robot legs out, then swing the front halves up over the thighs, then swing the back halves up into place.
- Collapse the beast mode legs into the sides of the lower legs.
- Push the beast mode head/torso section into the main body.
- Push the beast mode arms in at the shoulders, then swing the forearms back, connecting them to the sides of the body using the tabs on the forearms and the corresponding slots on the sides of the robot torso.
- Attach a foot piece to the bottom of the leg.
*Note: The Prime Armor accessory included with Blot does not transform into a foot. It only becomes a fist or it can connect to a foot piece included with Hun-Gurrr to form a stabilizing heel piece.
Leg Mode:
When a Transformers character becomes a leg as part of a Combiner one thing I look for is some bulk. If you consider these legs have to support gigantic war machines, it makes sense for them to look big and powerful, and Blot fits the bill perfectly. Thanks to the width of his beast mode, this leg mode has a very solid appearance. Even better, the way the beast mode claws wind up pointing forward gives it an extra bit of offensive ability if he kicked that leg into an opponent! You can also attach weapons to the top (via the red ports on the beast mode chest) or the front (via the platform from the back of the beast mode) potentially adding four more weapons to the leg! Blot looks great in this form.
Transformation to Arm Mode (Starting in beast mode):
- Detach any accessories and set them aside for now.
- Swing the robot leg sections back and down.
- Swing the beast mode head/torso section back to reveal the Combiner connection piece.
- Rotate the Combiner connection piece out to the side.
- Collapse the beast mode legs into the sides of the lower legs.
- Push the beast mode head/torso section into the main body.
- Push the beast mode arms in at the shoulders, then swing the forearms back, connecting them to the sides of the body using the tabs on the forearms and the corresponding slots on the sides of the robot torso.
- Rotate the waist to the side (which way depends on which arm you are forming).
- Attach a fist accessory to the bottom of the robot feet.
Arm Mode:
Blot's arm mode is a good balance of smaller and larger parts. I like the way it is bulky towards the top and a bit bulky (but not overly so) at the forearms. Also, thanks to the way the beast mode head/torso piece winds up you can attach additional weapons. The joints are tight enough on my copy of this figure that he can hold weapons and pose without an issue, but it is unlikely he can hold up a Legends Class figure in weapon mode.
Final Thoughts:
Terrorcon Blot is a fantastic update of the character. He takes G1 design elements that are true to the character and makes them even better. He looks great in all his modes and he's fun to play with. The only flaw is the really loose beast mode leg, but even with that I still say this figure is highly recommended!
Pros:
- Uses a lot of key design elements from the G1 version of the character.
- Good sculpted detail and deco.
- Looks great as both an arm and leg.
Cons:
- Left beast mode leg is loose on my copy of this figure.
