Friday, 16 May 2014

Part 4 of 6 - Blight Pictorial Review

Today's review, Blight from the Transformers Prime Beast Hunters toyline!

I'm tired of small weapons. Give me the big, b@d@$$ pickaxe!


Another Transformer from the G1 universe to get a name change, Blot, now known as Blight(in the Transformers Prime universe), was a Terrorcon who can merge with his Terrorcon teamates, Hun-Gurrr the team leader, Sinnertwin, Cutthroat and Rippersnapper into Abominus, which he usually forms by being it's right arm.

Pic credits : tfwiki.net


Stinky, stinky, stinky... One of the most popular, if not the most, popular word to describe Blot. I am not sure why, but almost everywhere there is a write up on Blot, the first words I see are 'stinky', 'disgusting' etc. I did not really watch the Generation 1 cartoon. During my childhood, Beast Wars was the most popular series at the time and the first series that I watched(only a few episodes, by the way)

Personally, I feel that G1 Blot does not look anywhere near to disgusting. He looks like a tough bot, one which no one will dare to mess with. However, as I mentioned, I am not well-versed with the Gen 1 cartoon, so I do not know the full story behind this guy.

Moving on to Mr. Stinky himself, Blight comes packaged in the standard Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Legion Class packaging.

Front view


Back view of the box


His tech specs...Wow, Braveheart...


I'm gonna start with Blight's robot mode. This mode is a beauty to behold. A nice, well-proportioned  robot with really nice paint apps. A nice improvement from his G1 counterpart.

G1 Blot


Robot Mode


Blight


The dark blue which covers most of him is a deep. metallic-type of blue. A really nice paint scheme and the best one among his team mates so far. This is one of the toys you can just sit and stare at, even despite its small size.

Side view




There's actually no kibble at the back, except for the beast mode head but it is not obvious when viewed from the front or the back. No biggie(to me, at least).

Back view


If there is one thing I would complain it would be that the robot mode looks hollow from the top. It's not a very big problem, but I think it would be more pleasing to the eye if it the hollow part did not show.

The gap between the head and the back.


And he has a very cool head...







Another thing I would like to point out. Blight has these wicked shoulder pads, similar to Lockdown from the upcoming Transformers : Age Of Extinction movie. It makes him a lot more menacing and I really like it especially when it makes him look bulkier on the upper part of his body, specifically at the shoulders.

Those spikes...


Looks familiar?



Blight comes with an Affliction Hammer, which is basically the same hammer as Twinstrike's, with a darker grey paint scheme.









There's some really nice detailing on the hammer and considering how small it is, the detailing is quite impressive actually.

I'm gonna bash you up!!!


Size-wise, he is the standard Legion Class size. However, given his body proportions, he looks larger than Twinstrike.

With the Deluxe Class Generations Orion Pax


View from the side


With the Voyager Class Classics Optimus Prime


Side view

With Blight's tough looks, I decided to go further for his strength test. Aaaaannnnddddd........TA DA!!!

Yes, this is the Leader Class Nightwatch Optimus Prime!


Don't judge me...


It was difficult getting this picture as the Nightwatch Optimus tends to lean over to one side. There were times when I had to actually let Optimus lean a little on the backdrop. And I was very impressed that Blight could hold all the weight!

Blight asking for trouble...


Get off me, you irritating ape!


Optimus rides Grimlock in the upcoming Transformers : Age Of Extinction movie... I got myself a ride too!


Beast Mode

Blight transforms into a...err...some ape-dragon hybrid monster. A really weird creature but since he also transforms into an unknown creature in the G1 universe, I guess that it fits him.

Robot fists on the feet?


Side view


See the fists?


Blight's articulation is not that good. In this mode, his arms can move due to the ball-jointed shoulders. His elbows are static and they can only swivel slightly. His legs are also solid pieces with no knee articulation and his head is fixed and can only move up from its standard configuration in beast mode, but this is simply for the transformation process.

Close up of the beast head. It has a little dragon-like influence to it and it kind of fits well with the other Predacons.

Nice teeth you got there...


And here is how he scales in beast mode with the Deluxe class and Voyager class toys.

Hi Shortie!


Side view


Now you're tiny!


Side view


Personally, he looks like a gorilla to me. An alien one, though...


King Kong?


He doesn't like you, boy...


Leg Mode

Blight can form either the left or right leg of Abominus but the official configuration is Abominus' left leg.

There are a few steps to transform him to his leg mode from his robot mode.

First, conceal the bot head by pulling the chest down and flipping the head. Then, position the arms to look like this.



Fold the arms to get him into this






Next, turn him around and you will see this.





Flip the beast mode head until it faces downwards like this.





After that, see this tiny tab? The one circled in red.





Peg it right in.

Like this


Do the same for the other limb and you get this.






Set him upright and you have one leg for Abominus!





This looks much better than the arms of Abominus. The transformation is not much but I feel that it is so much better than just flipping the tail and repositioning the limbs to get to the combiner mode.

Side view


Back view


And here are the size comparisons.















To sum it up, Blight is a really nice figure to play with and worth buying. However, I still feel that the standard price is a little too steep for a Legion Class figure.

4 reviews down, 2 more to go. Thanks for reading!

And my next review's teaser...


Monday, 14 April 2014

Part 3 of 6 - Windrazor Pictorial Review

      Windrazor was not known as Windrazor in the G1 cartoon series or in the G1 toyline. In fact, he was Cutthroat, the barbaric Decepticon Terrorcon who can combine with his Terrorcon teamates, Hun-Gurrr the team leader, Twinstrike, Blight and Rippersnapper to form the mighty Abominus!


Pic credits : tfwiki.net





      Fast forward 25 years, and Hasbro makes another reincarnation of Abominus, this time in the Transformers Prime Beast Hunters toyline as a combiner in the Predacon faction. Windrazor is one of the three members of Abominus to get a name change from his original self in the G1 universe(possibly due to trademark reasons). Sinnertwin is now Twinstrike and Blot became Blight, leaving Hun-Gurrr and Rippersnapper(though his name on the packaging is Predacon Rippersnapper) the only two to have inherited their original names.

      Windrazor can form either the left or right arm of Abominus but the official configuration shows him as Abominus' right arm.

      First up, as usual, his packaging.

      Windrazor comes in the standard Legion Class box.







      Together with his tech specs on the side.






      And pictures of him at the back in his robot and beast mode.

My apologies that the artwork at the back is blocked...The soft tag is to be blamed.


      Windrazor transforms into a flying creature very similar to a Pteranodon(it says "dragon" at the back of the box) and an excellent homage to his G1 counterpart.

G1 Cutthroat


Cutthroat's beast mode(the picture above does not show his beast mode clearly)


Windrazor(Cutthroat 25 years later)


      I really like the G1 colours on this guy... It's very pleasing to the eye. And his beast mode rocks! This is, to me, the best beast mode of the three Predacons I've reviewed so far. The detail on him is also quite impressive.

B@d@$$!!!


Side view
  

  Articulation is also good. Most of the joints are mainly for the transformation process, but it still enables him to be posed quite nicely. The legs, shoulders and forearms are on ball joints and the head, neck and tail can be moved up and down.

      Another feature of Windrazor which I really need to mention is his impressive(to me, at least)wingspan. In my honest opinion, his wingspan is truly one exceptional highlight in his beast mode. It makes him look so much bigger and much more imposing in person than when his wings are retracted.







The classic "predatory-bird-swooping-down-on-it's-prey" pose


      Windrazor overall looks like a Pteranodon, however, if you observe his head closely, it has a more of a "dragon" look, partly due to the details molded on it.

Nice Mohawk..


      Windrazor is the standard Legion class size, but he looks bigger when his wings are fully extended(I've included comparison shots of both).

With the Deluxe Class Generations Orion Pax


Side view


With the Voyager Class Classics Optimus Prime


Side view
    

With his wings fully expanded.













      He's a nice beast, fun to handle and a with decent paintjob.

Bird vs. bird?


Time to ambush Laserbeak...


Dinosaurs together, friends forever...


Until he decides to eat your head.


      Robot mode.

      Windrazor's robot mode is the opposite of  Hun-Gurrr. While his leader looks like a wrestler, with a bulky upper proportion, Windrazor is lean and mean looking. His bot mode is sleek, completely free of kibble, unless you count the wings as kibble. He doesn't look as if he is someone who will rip victims apart(which is something he is known for). Instead, he looks like a trickster, similar to Loki of Asgard from the Marvel Universe and the Thor movies.

     
Front view


Side view


Back view. Still kibble-free.


      And a close-up of his head.

Sorry I couldn't get closer...My camera just cant focus too close to his face...


      Windrazor comes with his Tornado Bow, which is a more advanced (Cybertronian?) crossbow. His weapon is the same colour as  Hun-Gurrr's Dragon-Tooth Saw(thankfully) and not Twinstrike's Piston Hammer's pale, light grey.



       Windrazor can either hold the bow in his hands, like this...



      Or it can be perched on his wings, like this...



Double Firepower!!!


      And here are the size-comparison shots.

With Generations Orion Pax


Side view


With Classics Optimus Prime


With Classics Optimus Prime


      This guy might look lean and thin, but he's strong too!

Passed my usual strength test.

He's quite poseable too, for a figure his size.


Windrazor getting shy...


Cybertronian gymnast!


What's Windrazor afraid of? He can fly. cant he?


Should I shoot or don't shoot?


Sneak!!!


Wrong move, boy...


      Finally, his arm mode for the combined mode.

Creative?


      His arm mode is his beast mode upside down(just like Twinstrike)and you just have to move the tail upwards and slightly re-position his wings.

Front view


Size comparison with Generations Orion Pax


Side view


With Classics Optimus Prime


Side view


      All in all, Windrazor is one of the most(if not the most)fun figure among the three Predacons so far, a much better figure than Twinstrike. Sure, his arm mode is a little bit on the "lazy" side, but besides that, he is almost perfect, and the G1 colours works really well on him. Even if you are not planning to get all five Predacons to form Abominus, try considering on buying this guy alone.

      Thanks for reading!

      Coming up next...