General Information:
Release Date: July 9, 2015
Price Point: $179.99
Retailer: San-Diego Comic-Con Exclusive, Hasbrotoyshop
Accessories: In a boxed set with other five Constructicons. Includes Devastator forearms/weapons x 2; Chest plate/weapons; Rifle (splis into two weapons)
The largest Transformers San Diego Comic-Con 2015 exclusive was a boxed set featuring the Decepticon Combiner Devastator. Based on the "Combiner Wars" version of the character, this set included all six Constructicons and featured an exclusive deco and packaging. This review will focus on Scavenger, a Decepticon with some definite esteem issues who transforms into a Power Shovel.
Vehicle Mode:
This updated version of Scavenger takes on a similar vehicle mode to his G1 predecessor: a Power Shovel. This gives him a distinct shape, with large treads on the bottom, a rectangular base section and a shovel arm that rises high above the vehicle with a shovel at the end. To the left is a cabin section for a driver/operator. While this version of Scavenger shares a vehicle form with his G1 counterpart, this version is much bigger and chunkier with a wide base. Both in terms of the fiction and toy world, this vehicle mode can be seen as an upgrade for the character.
There are lots of smaller, intricate details in this sculpt. One of the most noticeable are small cable and piston details sculpted into the sides of the shovel arm. He also has vents near the back of the vehicle on the sides and a series of mechanical details inside a five sided box towards the front. The details on the shovel arm are among my favorites since they add to the fantasy of this being a real, functional construction vehicle.
Scavenger is cast mostly in bright green plastic, with purple plastic on the treads and the back. A bit of black plastic shows in the back as well. Silver paint is used on the shovel arm for the smaller details on the sides as well as the main body of the vehicle for small details like the outline of the five sided box on each side. Purple is used to paint the windows on the driver's section. Black paint is used on the back for small detailing as well as vents on the sides towards the back. Among my favorite deco points on this figure are the mechanical details on the sides, which are painted red, blue and gold. Finally, a Decepticon symbol is tampographed onto the front of the driver's section in purple with a silver outline.
Several factory applied stickers are added to this mode to round out the detailing. These are all hazard stripes and you'll find them on the front, the shovel arm and the sides. The stickers on the side in particular look like two black arrows against a black background. These are direct homages to stickers found on the sides of G1 Scavenger. The stickers and several of the details on this figure (including the silver on the sides of the shovel arm and the blue and gold on the sides) are exclusive to this iteration of the figure and do not appear on promotional images of Scavenger's mass release.
The G1 Scavenger toy was able to swivel from side to side, and the crane arm could bend in the middle and extend forward. Since this figure is built differently than its G1 predecessor, the main body of the vehicle can't turn. However, the crane arm does have a swivel joint that allows the crane arm to turn in the middle to the sides. It also has hinges allowing it to bend in the middle and extend forward. The figure rolls on two small wheels under the treads and a drum in the back.
Transformation to Robot Mode:
- Push the crane arm down against the main body of the vehicle.
- Swing the treads out to the sides.
- Holding the forward part of each tread, pull to extend what will become the robot legs.
- At the end of each tread, swing out the foot and heel pieces of the robot feet.
- Swing the hip section (that connects the two legs to the main body) up.
- Push the lower body up against the robot torso (the underside of the vehicle mode).
- Swing each half of the vehicle's top section forward and press it up against the torso section.
- Swing the driver/operator section back.
- Push each robot arm up, then swing out the fists.
- Swing the torso panel down, then swing the head up and push the panel back into place.
- If you want a more "G1" look, you can extend the shovel arm down and rotate the forward half around so the shovel is "hanging" off the back of the figure.
Robot Mode:
Like the vehicle mode, the robot mode borrows a lot of its design from the G1 toy and animation models. The outline of the robot mode is very similar, with the sides of the vehicle becoming the arms, a head with a flat top and the treads now serving as the legs. As mentioned above, you can even rotate his shovel arm around on his back so it looks like the G1 toy and cartoon model. Of course, there's more to the homages than just the outline, here's a more detailed list:
- The head design is borrowed from the G1 toy and cartoon featuring visor eyes with a mouthplate that has an additional raised square on it.
- The torso has a raised panel on it that curves at the top. While it is just a panel on this figure, in the G1 version this was a key point where the figure could swivel.
- On top of the raised panel on the torso is a beveled rectangle design. On G1 Scavenger, this piece actually swung out to connect to Devastator's shoulder. Here it is just there as a design element.
- On the chest there are rows of horizontal lines on the right and machinery detail on the left. These details are inspired by stickers on the G1 figure.
- On the torso you'll find two vertical strips with horizontal line details inside along with two red dots under them. These are also inspired by stickers form the G1 figure.
The bright green plastic makes up most of the upper body while the lower body is mostly purple plastic - similar to G1 Scavenger. The upper body has a lot of sticker and painted details. There are gold stickers on the shoulders with two black arrows on them (a detail found on G1 Scavenger's forearms). The curved torso panel is colored silver with yellow, black and red used on the smaller details. A Decepticon symbol is printed onto the center of his chest. The smaller details on the chest area (near the shoulders) use a combination of silver, red, gold and blue plastic. The face is painted silver and his eyes are red. The detailing is pretty intricate on this version of the figure. Going by stock photos, there are at least five deco points on this figure that do not appear on the mass release version and that's pretty impressive.
There are fifteen points of articulation on this figure. This includes two in each arm and five in each leg. Several of these articulation points are ball joints (including the shoulders and knees) so he has a good range of articulation at those joints. Scavenger's fists are designed to accommodate 5mm peg weapons.
Final Thoughts:
Scavenger is one of the winners of this boxed set. It's clear the designers tried hard to pay homage to the G1 toy and animation model while also giving him modern articulation. I'm especially impressed that they made the effort to allow the crane arm to turn to achieve a "G1 appearance" and also the detailing on the torso is fantastic.
