Dave's Transformers Rant: Destructicons

     Scourge
     Bludgeon

     Originally released about ten years ago as the Combat Hero Optimus Prime
and Megatron, these two have been re-released as Kay Bee exclusives as part
of this year's relative flood of store exclusive reissues.  And while Kay Bee
does overcharge for almost everything, these guys are still cheaper than the
original releases, which were $14.99.  So I picked up a set.  Unfortunately,
neither is as good as the original, although the colors are better.

     (Note: I can't find a copy of my original Combat Hero reviews, or I'd
include them here.)

     (Another note: While the final packaging didn't use the Combat Hero
name, I managed to find a post I made in 1993 where I got the Combat Hero
thing from an article in Hero Magazine.  I recently learned that the Combat
Hero tag was going to be used in a scrapped recolor set in 1995, but that's
NOT where Combat Hero comes from.  It was part of the original set prior to
final version.)

CAPSULES

     Scourge: Very nice recolor of a pretty good (if very blocky) toy.
Suffers from a too-short air hose and some loose connections.  Mildly
recommended.  $12.99 at Kay Bee
     Bludgeon: While the colors aren't great, they're better than the CH
Megatron's purple and black (if only barely).  The mold is good, but this
execution is not.  Due to different plastics, it's VERY floppy (I've heard
from some who have less floppy versions, but most seem to suffer from this).
Neutral.  $12.99 at Kay Bee

RANTS

     Packaging: These are sold as Robots in Disguise, with the same sort of
Deluxe/Supercon packaging as seen in Armada but with RiD as the logo.
However, the sticker/cards are stuck to the tray, and the Transformers:RiD
logo is glued down rather than loose as in other recent toys.  If you're
really careful, you can get a decent plastic trading card out of this, at
least.  The pictures on the back of the package are probably Combat Hero
versions repainted by hand, since their bellows colors are the same as the CH
versions (orange for Bludgeon, neon yellow for Scourge) rather than the
colors of the final toy.  The missiles are also slightly different (I swapped
their missiles, as the black-shafted ones look far cooler on Scourge).  The
sticker/card art is taken from these as well.
     Still, given the PitA clamshell packaging of the Combat Heroes, this is
a big improvement.  }->
     There's no techspecs in the package, nor are any up at transformers.com,
so I'll make my own, based on the previous versions of the characters (RiD
Scourge and Pretender Bludgeon).


DESTRUCTICON: BLUDGEON
Function: Agent of Chaos
Altmode: Tank
Motto: "To know your own limits, you must first know your foe's limits."

A merciless master of the mystic martial art of Metallikato, one of the most
deadly of Cybertron's fighting methods, BLUDGEON is an expert at finding
opponents' weak spots and striking them savagely.  Apparently killed in a
power struggle against MEGATRON, he has returned alongside the enigmatic
SCOURGE, rebuilt in a more powerful form.  The main gun of his tank mode can
fire electric fireballs with a range of over 400 meters, or launch powerful
antimatter warhead missiles up to 3 kilometers away.  His secondary weapon is
a flamethrower that can be adjusted to emit billowing clouds of oily smoke,
or intensified to melt through armor plate at close range.  In robot mode, he
has abandoned his old sword in favor of energized batons, and he can also use
all of his tank mode's weaponry, albeit with slightly reduced accuracy.  He
claims that he will use no sword except for the STAR SABER.  Autobot and
Decepticon alike fear what will happen if he gains the use of that weapon.

STR 8  INT 8  SPD 6  END 10  RNK 7  COR 9  FRP 9  SKL 10  Avg 8.375

     Tank Mode: Yellow (a deeper yellow, not garish), dark green and black
with some white and silver accents, plus Decepticon symbols on either side of
the turret.  The chassis of the tank is 5.5" (14cm) long and 2.5" (7cm) wide,
with four little wheels on the underside of the treads.  The turret does not
turn, as the sides of it are the robot's arms.  Because of the differences in
plastic (I don't see any real mold-rot), many joints are floppy, and the
turret doesn't really hold together well (the original does, I dug it out to
check).  A dark green pistol can mount on the side of the turret, but the peg
is too small for the hole, and I had to use poster-tack to keep it in.
There's clips on either side of the turret that fold down to hold the
missiles, which are 5" (13cm) long and tipped in rubbery plastic.  Of course,
the instability of the turret doesn't help here.
     To fire the main gun in this mode, you have to remove the pneumatic
bellows that form the core of the turret.  The launcher can elevate to about
45 degrees before pinching the air hose.  Range depends on how hard you hit
the bellows, but is upwards of ten feet (3 meters).

     Transformation: Pretty simple, really.  The rear half folds down into
legs, the turret sides fold down into arms, bend in half to stand up.  The
remains of the turret slide over and let you flip up the head.  Transforming
back can be a little tricky in terms of getting the legs back into position.

     Robot Mode: 5.5" (14cm) tall at the head, add a bit more for the main
gun on his shoulder.  The transformation joint at the abdomen is loose, a
problem carried over from the original...a locking bump or something would
have been nice.  A lot of gray enters the color scheme of this mode, and
there's a big Decepticon symbol on the underside of the chest (visible in
vehicle mode, but not prominent), replacing the embarrassing "MEGATRON
RULES!" sticker on the original.  The white hazard-stripe details from the
turret are now on the robot's shoulders, and the missile clips can now hold
the missiles as batons for close combat.  The fists can hold Mini-Con pegs
(and the Star Saber, but a bit loosely.
     Poseability is pretty good, with four points of articulation in each
arm, universal joint hips (a bit loose, but part of that is mold release oil,
a good washing in cool water and soap helped a lot), hinge knees, turning
head and waist.  The feet are a bit small and unstable, but it's not too hard
to keep him balanced.  The figure looks pretty bad from behind, with lots of
empty space.
     While the missile can be fired in this mode, the hose isn't long enough
to reach the floor unless you have Bludgeon kneeling.  It will stay connected
to the cannon pretty well, though, so you can just leave it there in robot
mode.  

     Overall: Combat Hero Megatron was one of the molds that led up to Laser
Optimus Prime, perhaps one of the best Transformers ever, but it had flaws.
Bludgeon has all of those flaws, plus a few more.  Some of them are fixable,
or at least reduceable, but unless you like fixing your toys, I'd recommend
giving this one a pass.  You might luck out and get one of the non-floppy
ones, but the original mold relied too much on really stiff joints to hold
together, and the toy's not so good when loose.
     [Later note: there's some minor mold changes here and there from
Megatron, mostly in the assembly of things.  Generally not visible unless you
do an extensive search.]


DESTRUCTICON: SCOURGE
Function: Destructicon Envoy
Altmode: Missile Truck
Motto: "This is not the best of all possible worlds...yet."

None are sure quite where SCOURGE came from, but there are hints he is
somehow linked to the duplicitous SIDEWAYS.  When asked, he only claims to be
from "elsewhere", and that further response would be pointless.  He bears an
uncomfortable resemblance to OPTIMUS PRIME, yet denies ever having been an
Autobot.  In any case, his goals seem to be clear: seize the Mini-Con weapon
teams and use them to destroy both sides...despite the Decepticon symbols he
wears, he bears MEGATRON no loyalty.  It is uncertain whether he leads fellow
Destructicon BLUDGEON or not, but they certainly share common cause.  SCOURGE
carries a powerful missile launcher in both modes, as well as a small but
powerful laser rifle.  He sometimes moves as if he were about to draw a
sword, but none have seen him using such a weapon.  

STR 10  INT 9  SPD 7  END 10  RNK 8  COUR 10  FRP 9  SKL 9  Avg 9

     Hasbro has really fallen in love with the Black Convoy color scheme,
using it not only on the RiD Scourge, but also on a Spychanger Scourge, this
toy, and an upcoming recolor of Supercon Prime.  And who can blame 'em?  More
than a simple black and silver repaint, it has cool metallic teal striping
and dark ruby windows.

     Truck Mode: Colors as above.  6.75" (17cm) long, it's a sort of mutated
longnose sleeper tractor modified into a 10-wheeler flatbed missile truck.
The sleeping compartment of the cab is actually formed by the pneumatic
bellows base.  The hood is graced by a big Decepticon symbol.  The bellows
themselves are a silvery gray, as is the launcher and the gun that attaches
to the top of the launcher.  I've heard reports that the silver tip of the
launcher barrel is not always glued on well, and falls off.  I haven't had
that problem myself.
     The truck rolls on ten small wheels, but the front two don't always
touch the floor.  The cab section relies on friction to stay in position, and
tends to rise up a bit.  The missile launcher can only rise to 30 degrees,
shortening its range a bit, and the bellows requires poster-tack help to stay
attached to the truckbed.
     Weird side note: his smokestacks are almost Powerlinx Hardpoints.  They
just need the central holes drilled out a little bit.  Of course, they're on
this toes in robot mode and blocked by the bellows in truck mode, so it's
probably not worth the effort.

     Transformation: Even simpler than Bludgeon's.  The cab folds down and
splits into legs, the rear third of the truck separates into arms, fists pop
out, and the bellows falls off.  Sadly, the airhose is about half an inch
shorter than on Combat Hero Prime, making it really hard to get it to
reattach to the robot's back.  One tricky bit, the front bumper has bits that
fold in to let the legs slide through.

     Robot Mode: 6" (15cm) tall at the head, taller at the missile tips
depending on how you store the missiles (up to 10" (25cm) total is
possible).  Unfortunately, the heels are mostly empty and the backpack
bellows mounting makes it back-heavy, so you often have to lean Scourge
forward a bit to keep him from falling over.  
     Scourge picks up two more Decepticon symbols, one on each forearm (not
visible in vehicle mode), and he has the glowing red eyes lightpiping trick.
The fronts of his fists are silver, and he has a false cab-front pattern on
his chest (a trick later repeated in Laser Prime/Scourge).
     While the hose is too short for ease of backpack stowage, it's long
enough to reach the floor, and the bellows can even act as a weak third leg
for stability.  The launcher is on the right arm in this mode, and can be
swiveled around.
     As with Bludgeon, there's four points of articulation per arm, universal
joint ratcheting hips (which are not as stiff as CHOP's, but pretty good),
turning head and swiveling waist.  The forearms are really bulky, impeding
poseability a little.  Also, the fists don't lock into place well, and will
pop back in with very little provocation.

     Overall: A slightly weaker mold (mostly due to the feet), but a better
execution and a really good color scheme.  Looks even better if you give him
Bludgeon's missiles, although it's not worth $13 just for that.  The short
hose is a significant nuisance, though, keeping me from fully recommending
it.  

     Dave Van Domelen, time to start clearing toys off the display shelves
again....