General Information:
Release Date: July 2019
Price Point: $29.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: Target Exclusive
Accessories: Blasters x 2
Official images and text below in italics are from Target.com:
EXPAND YOUR COLLECTION WITH SPECIAL EDITION FIGURES: Generations Selects is a fan-dedicated line of figures featuring special edition versions of characters that can't be found in the main line.
OFFICIAL RED WING TOY: 7-inch WFC-GS02 Deception Red Wing figure. This is an official Deception Red Wing figure! Inspired by the character from Wings Universe comics.
ADD TO YOUR SEEKER ARMY COLLECTION: Designed in the same scale and style as Seekers figures in War for Cybertron: Siege line (each sold separately, subject to availability) so fans can expand their Seekers collection.
CUSTOMIZABLE WEAPON LOADOUT: Comes with 2 weapon accessories that can attach to figure and jet modes in custom configurations. Weapon accessories are compatible with main line Siege figures. (Each sold separately. Subject to availability).
G1-INSPIRED CYBERTRONIAN ALT MODE: Features classic conversion from robot to jet modes in 22 steps.
Fans can expand their Transformers collection with Generation Selects figures. Generations Selects is a line of figures featuring special edition versions of fan-favorite and niche characters you can't find in the main line.
This 7-inch WFC-GS02 Deception Red Wing figure is an official Red Wing figure. This Deception Red Wing figure was designed in the same scale and style as Seekers figures in the War for Cybertron: Siege line (each sold separately, subject to availability), but with deco inspired by the character from Wings Universe comics. Fans can expand their Seekers army by adding this figure to their Seeker collection!
- Includes Voyager Class Deception Red Wing figure, 2 weapon accessories, and instructions.
- Figure scale: 7 inches
- Ages 8 and up
- WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD - Small parts. Not for children under 3 years.
- Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro.
- Dimensions (Overall): 6.14 inches (H) x 9.02 inches (W) x 3.19 inches (D)
- Suggested Age: 8 Years and Up
- Weight: .85 pounds
- Material: Plastic
- Number of Figures: 1
- Doll Theme: Robots
- CPSC Choking Hazard Warnings: Choking_hazard_small_parts
- Articulation: 5 Points of Articulation
- TCIN: 76257404
- UPC: 630509846986
- Item Number (DPCI): 087-16-2121
By the middle of 2019, the "Siege" toy line had reached past its halfway point, with the third wave of the series hitting stores a curious event occurred in July. On July 1, 2019 the Target web site posted a listing for "Siege" Red Wing. At first it was a regular post that fans could use to take orders. Within a few hours the post mostly disappeared (the title still remained, but the images and ordering buttons vanished). Within a day, the entire post was gone!
The best explanation for this lies in a post from Hasbro Taiwan from back in May where the official release date of this figure was said to be August 2019. Most likely some mistake was made by Target's web site admins and the post was quickly removed before it became a widespread issue. Fortunately my order did go through so I am able to provide this review ahead of the street date.
Red Wing is a redeco and retool of the sculpt originally used for "Siege" Starscream. Check out that review for my original look at this sculpt. This review will focus on the changes made to the figure for this release.
Packaging:
Like his fellow Decepticon, Combat Megatron, Red Wing is packaged in "Generations Selects" style packaging. The outer box is a cardboard box with graphics printed on it inspired by the "War for Cybertron: Siege" theme. This includes a giant Autobot symbol that looks like it was spray painted onto the box in black along with Cybertronian glyphs. The box is sealed with a sticker that has Red Wing's name on it. Open it up and Red Wing is sitting in a tray with his instructions underneath.
Accessories:
Red Wing's weapons are the same as Starscream's, but cast in black plastic instead of grey. Both weapons are "HPI Null-Ray Laser Launchers", meaning he has the same weapons as Starscream. Both weapons feature 5mm pegs on the bottom and a small peg at the end that ou can use to attach Battle Effects from Battle Master figures.
Robot Mode:
Red Wing features a new head sculpt, or more precisely a new face. Whereas Starscream has a mouth set in a neutral expression, Red Wing has a mischievous smirk on his face. Most fans agree that this face actually makes more sense for Starscream, who was known for his treachery in the Generation One cartoon series. Some fans have taken to popping off this head and swapping it out with Starscream. If you choose to do so be careful not to break your figure.
Red Wing is made up of red, black and translucent orange plastic. The red makes up most of his body with the black used for smaller parts like his forearms and feet. The translucent orange comes into play on his torso where it acts as a "faux cockpit" piece. Several parts are painted light grey, including the shoulders, knee armor and part of the chest. Like most "Siege" figures, Red Wing has several paint applications that look like battle damage. This includes grey on the forearms and black on the legs. It is not overdone so it looks good. Overall I really love this deco. Red and black are an awesome combination and the light grey provides beautiful contrast. Also, as a Target exclusive it is kind of hilarious that they chose a character who is mostly red in color (I'm sure this was not an accident).
There are twenty six points of articulation on this figure. This includes six on each arm and leg and waist articulation. Due to the way most Seeker sculpts are constructed, it is not common for Seekers to have waist articulation so I was very surprised by this. I was also very happy to see just how tight the various articulation points are. Not one joint is floppy. The figure feels solid. This is especially a relief since this is a redeco/retool.
Red Wing has thirteen 5mm ports in this mode. Each arm has three (including the fists), each wing has one, the thrusters on the back count as three and the others are on the sides of the lower legs. This allows you to attach a lot of accessories to the figure. Even better, each port is nice and tight so weapons don't go flopping around. Red Wing also features several smaller attachment points for Blast Effects (included with Battle Master figures). You will find these on the left shoulder, the forearms and the lower legs. Attach the Blast Effects and it looks like he is getting hit with weapons fire. It is a very cool way to display the figure, however at the same time the pegs do not ruin the aesthetic of the figure if you do not have Blast Effects attached. Want to do more with Blast Effects? There are ports on the bottom of his feet, making him look like he is flying. One more bit of functionality is a small port on the bottom of the crotch area. This is for use with display stands (typically made by Bandai) for display.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Detach the accessories and set them aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Swing the lower part of each forearm out to the sides.
- Rotate the fists in, then swing the forearm panel back in place.
- Push the forearms up against the shoulders.
- Holding the wings and pylons, gently pull that entire section back. This will reveal tabs on the back of the figure.
- Rotate the lower body around.
- Swing the pylons down and clip them together to form part of the vehicle's nosecone.
- Swing the torso panel up.
- Swing the robot head back. The gunmetal grey panel it sits on should go through the slot and the edge should show where the robot chest was located.
- Swing the arms forward at the shoulder hinges.
- Swing the thrusters from the back of the robot mode up, then back.
- Swing the robot legs back, partially covering the thighs with the back of the lower legs.
- Swing the robot arms down. Rotate the forearm sections so the slots on them snap into the tabs on the sides of the legs.
- Swing the wings down. Tab them under the back of the nosecone section (near where the robot knees are located).
- Swing the torso panel up, pushing it into the tabs on the back.
- Attach the Null Rays to the 5mm ports on the bottom of the wings.
For those curious, the issue with the chest panel popping off is nowhere near as bad on this figure as it was on Starscream. I transformed the figure three times while photographing it and the panel did not pop off once. I did manage to pull it off deliberately just to see how well it was attached, but I do not recommend doing that.
Vehicle Mode:
Red Wing's vehicle mode really leans into the red color. This is partly thanks to the wings, which are all red plastic. The black color mostly winds up on the top of the vehicle and bits here and there on the bottom. The contrast between the two colors looks great. A bit of dark red is used for a trim on the edges of the wings and it looks really nice. There are also dark splotches on the wings representing more battle damage. On either side of the middle section are Decepticon symbols. Some light grey paint is also used to paint around the black and translucent orange parts. I love the robot mode deco and the vehicle mode looks just as good.
There are four 5mm ports on the underside of the jet, but you really cannot use all four at a time because of the position they are in. I prefer to use the ones under the wings instead of the arms. Meanwhile, there are five attachment points in the back for Blast Effects. There are the three thrusters on the top section and the thrusters formed from the robot feet. If you have the Null-Rays attached, you can utilize their attachment points for the Blast Effects, adding even more "thruster power" in the back and making it look like he is firing his weapons at the same time.
Final Thoughts:
Red Wing is a fantastic redeco of the Starscream sculpt. In many ways these colors pop a lot more than Starscream's. He also fills the "obscure character" slot on your Seeker shelf. Recommended. Once he is available for order again, that is!
Pros:
- Fantastic sculpt.
- Excellent deco.
- Lots of play value and articulation.
- Intuitive transformation.
Cons:
- Extra "greebles" may bother some fans.
- While better, the chest panel is not pinned in, so there is still a chance it could pop off. If it does, just snap it back on.
