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 Scrapper, who holds a special place in my heart because for many years he was the only Constructicon I owned during my younger years.
Vehicle Mode:
Scrapper's vehicle mode is the same as his G1 counterpart: a payloader. The front end has a huge shovel connected to the rest of the vehicle by a pair of arms. The rest of the vehicle is blocky and chunky, giving it a powerful appearance. The center of the figure has a raised section which serves as the area where a driver would sit. Many of his details come straight from the G1 version of the character. This includes the teeth on the edge of the shovel, raised, rounded sections on the shovel arms and even small pegs (possible exhaust ports) sticking up at the back of the vehicle. He also looks like a "bulked up" version of the G1 figure, especially the wheels which are huge in proportion to the rest of the vehicle.
Some details on this figure are unique to this design. In the G1 toy the central driver's area was open with a canopy on top. This one is enclosed with windows. On the sides there are ladder details sculpted into the middle sections, implying this vehicle is huge compared to his G1 counterpart. He also has smaller details like circles and cross hatches in the back. Overall the sculpting looks like a great representation of an "upgraded" Scrapper.
The vehicle mode mostly shows off the same bright green plastic found on all the Constructicons in this set. His wheels are cast in black. You can see some of the vacuum metallized purple in the center in this mode, but that is mostly features in the robot mode. Like the mass release version of this figure Scrapper features purple on the windows of the driver's section with a Decepticon symbol tampographed on top. However, he also features several details not seen on the mass release version of the figure. These include hazard stripes on the sides of the shovel and rear of the vehicle, black paint on the back section right behind the driver's area and silver on both the wheel rims and the ladders on the sides. This extra deco definitely helps elevate the figure and keeps the bright green color from completely washing out a lot of the sculpted detail.
The shovel on this vehicle has two hinges, allowing you to raise it up and adjust its position in the middle. It can also roll on all four wheels nicely thanks in part to them being so large. There openings in the back of the figure that allow you to tab in the "wing/chest armor" from Devastator in the back. This is a callback to something that G1 Scrapper could do to form an "Attack Payloader". A peg in the back of the wing/chest armor piece helps hold it in place and it looks great.
Transformation to Robot Mode:
- Detach the wing/chest piece if attached.
- Swing the sides of the vehicle out.
- Flip the vehicle over and swing each of the panels of the vehicle's rear end down.
- Swing out each of the robot feet.
- Swing down the rear halves of the vehicle mode and connect them to the panels with the robot feet to form the lower legs.
- Separate the two legs from each other.
- Swing out the fists on each forearm.
- Swing the shovel back and push it up against the back.
- Pull up the robot head.
Robot Mode:
For those fans wondering about size and if Scrapper is a "true" Voyager Class figure, I'd say that depends on your definition. In terms of sheer height and weight he is definitely on par with others. I compared Scrapper to Combiner Wars Cyclonus and the two are about the same height. Cyclonus is about 5.9 ounces (roughly 167.2 grams) while Scrapper weighs in at about 5.6 ounces (roughly 158.7 grams). It would be easy to perceive him as being "simple" (partly due to the lack of elbow articulation) but consider he has to perform triple duty as a vehicle, robot and limb. In my book I think the Voyager Class designation fits here.
Like many of the Constructicons, the G1 version of the character is referenced heavily in this figure. Here's a list of design elements pulled directly from the G1 incarnation of Scrapper:
- The outline of the design is just like the G1 version with the shovel behind the head and pronounced wheels on the shoulders and legs.
- The head sculpt comes right from the animated model, including the flat panel on top, the visor eyes and the mouthplate with a sharp angle in the middle.
- The forearms feature distinct ridges that wrap around the forearms. G1 Scrapper had these as well.
- The torso design is distinct with a raised section in the middle that divides the right and left sides of the body vertically.
- The chest features an asymmetrical design. On the right side is a flat panel with two rows of vertical line designs while the left features two circles with a rectangle under it. In the center is a six sided design that angles inward with extra details inside that area.
- The waist features several vertical ridges that are based off sticker details from the G1 toy.
- The thighs have raised sections right above the knees which take their inspiration from stickers found on G1 Scrapper's thighs.
Of course, this figure isn't just about being slavish to the original. Several details are unique to this figure including some extra line details on the thighs, piston like details in the lower legs and a couple extra small greebles on the head in the area right above the eyes. These really help make the design look more modern and I think they look fantastic.
Like the sculpting, the deco owes much of its design to the G1 version of Scrapper. The main torso and waist area is vacuum metallized purple, but most of these deco points are used to replicate details from G1 Scrapper's stickers. Here's a rundown:
- The face is painted silver, though here the eyes are red while G1 Scrapper just had a silver face.
- The chest colors including red on the right side (outlined by silver with gold in the smaller sections) and the red in the center come right out of the G1 version's stickers.
- There is a Decepticon symbol outline in white (really a light grey) in the middle of the chest. On G1 Scrapper there was a Decepticon symbol sticker in this spot.
- The middle of the body is painted silver with red details overlaid on top, this is based on a sticker in the same area on G1 Scrapper.
- The waist area has gold in horizontal lines with silver on the vertical ridges, a design element borrowed from corresponding stickers on G1 Scrapper.
- The thighs are painted silver, representing the vacuum metallized silver found on G1 Scrapper's thighs.
- The area right above the knees has gold on the raised, horizontal lines. This calls back to stickers in the same area on G1 Scrapper.
Surprisingly, the mass release version of Scrapper has most of the same deco as this one. The main difference is this version has some more gold details on the chest and legs than the mass release version. I'm really impressed by the designs on the torso. It's a very intricate deco and it looks fantastic.
Scrapper has seventeen points of articulation in this form. This includes three in each arm and five in each foot. A lot of people are concerned about his elbow articulation, which only allows the arm to swivel around, but not bend. Most fans have rationalized that this is largely because he has to serve as a leg for Devastator, so having an elbow joint that bends would destabilize the combined form. However, the Takara Tomy version of this figure will have elbows that bend on this figure, so it's tough to say how much this will affect the stability of the figure. I would say overall that the lack of elbow articulation is the worst part of this figure - which is to say it's not that huge of a deal to me. If this figure was a stand alone release perhaps I'd feel differently, but knowing that it's mean to be part of a larger set somehow my perspective shifts a bit and I'm willing to allow it. His fists are designed to allow him to hold 5mm peg weapons, several of which are included with the set.
Final Thoughts:
Scrapper is a fantastic update of the original toy and character. The sculpting is top notch and the deco on this version is strong. The kid and adult collector in me are both thrilled despite the imperfections in the figure.
