Dave's Transformers Studio Series Rant: Deluxe Wave 15

#80 Brawn (Cybertronian drill vehicle)
#81 Wheeljack (Cybertronian car)
#82 Autobot Ratchet (Cybertronian van)
86-11 Perceptor (Microscope/Tank)

Permalink: http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/Studio/Deluxe15

So, three characters from "blink and you miss it" appearances in the
opening scene of the Bumblebee movie, and one Transformers the Movie (an
technically G1 in general) character.
Warning, most of this wave gave me poor first impressions, but managed
to look better after some more time messing with 'em.

CAPSULES

$23 price point (I got two at Walmart and two on Pulse because I only
ever saw this wave once on the shelf and it had already been picked over).
Wave 16 raises it to $25 at Walmart.

Brawn: Good robot mode, mostly good vehicle mode save for a weak point
in weapon storage, decent transformation. Recommended, and my favorite of
the wave (in part because there was no, "Does this toy suck?" bad first
impression).

Wheeljack: Pretty good robot mode, very complicated transformation that
has to be done just right for the vehicle to be stable. Recommended, but I
worry about it being too complex for its own good (much like the character
himself).

Autobot Ratchet: Okay robot mode and I like the vehicle mode in concept,
but the transformation doesn't quite work. You might get lucky and get one
that has everything fit together properly, but I didn't. Mildly recommended,
and a bit of a roulette.

Perceptor: With the goal being cartoon accuracy in mind, this toy does a
good job. It manages to feel a little cheap next to the rest of the wave,
but that may just be a side effect of the simpler lines. The lack of
functionality (microscope doesn't work at all, knobs don't turn) bugs me a
bit, but that's more of a preference thing. The only objective issue is that
some transformation hinges in the thighs are not designed to snap into place
so he's prone to wiggly legs. Recommended if you prefer looks over function,
mildly recommended if you really want to be able to use Perceptor as a toy
microscope.

RANTS

Note, the release schedule has fleshed out enough to confirm that there
will NOT be a regular #86.

Packaging: This is the last wave to use plastic windows, Wave 16 has
open windows. The windows are the same size as the open ones of Wave 16, so
it's possible they were considering removing the plastic from these or wanted
them to be ready for a later wave reissue without plastic.
They have cardstock inner trays that repeat their backdrop image, rather
than plastic trays.

AUTOBOT: BRAWN
Assortment: #80
Altmode: Driller vehicle
Transformation Difficulty: 18 steps
Previous Name Use: G1, Universe, RotF, Gen:TR
Previous Mold Use: None
Movie: Bumblebee
Scene: Cybertron Falls

BRAWN helps his AUTOBOT allies hold the line against the DECEPTICONS
before being knocked by an enemy blast.

Yeah, just "knocked," not "knocked out" or "knocked down."

I am amused that the French translation of the scene is Chute de
Cybertron.

Packaging: Five plastic ties hold the robot to the inner tray,
interestingly (to me, anyway) the torso one crosses diagonally like a
seatbelt. The weapons are held in the corners by folded up bits of the tray,
and can be pushed out the bottom once the tray is out of the box. Even if
the window was open, they can't be pulled up through the loops, as the top
loop is smalled than the bottom in both cases.
The backdrop image is the same "under the overpass" thing used on other
Cybertronian scene BB Studio Series toys.

Robot Mode: This statement applies to all three of the Bumblebee movie
figures in the wave, they do a pretty good job of splitting the difference
between "Bayformer greebles" and "classic G1" in the appearances. A few
iconic details here and there, colors other than gray...it goes a long way.
While he has the "pile of shards" face, it's housed in a bucket helmet that
evokes the animation look of G1 Brawn. An interesting twist not usually
found on Brawns is that his back rises up in a way that evokes an oxen yoke
around his neck more than it does a hunchback.
4.25" (10.5cm) to the top of the head, 4.5" (11cm) to the top of the
yoke, in dull yellow, pea green, gray, and various metallics. A sort of
greenish brownish light gray plastic is used for the weapons and the wheels
(two visible on the hips in this mode, two hidden inside the torso). Pea
green plastic is used for the head (which is painted over almost entirely),
upper arms, and boots. A slightly brownish yellow plastic forms the torso
shell (other than the canopy on the back), pelvis, and toes. Medium gray
plastic with a slightly pearly sheen (how much varies from part to part) is
used for the collar, shoulder joints, elbow joints, forearms, fists, waist
joint (mostly hidden), hip joints, thighs, and heels. The canopy bubble on
the back is smoky clear plastic.
The helmet is painted over in dark gunmetal, as is the sternum area, the
armpit greebles, a sort of belt buckle (albeit recessed), and the treads on
the toes. Silver paint is used for the face, some stripes on the upper arms,
a molded stripe on the underside of the pelvis, some armor on the inner
thighs, ovals on the kneecaps, and the drill part of the drill weapon. Pea
green paint (decent match) is used for the thigh armor pads, a bit at the top
of the yoke, and the wheel hubs. The eyes are black with metallic blue dots
in the centers, and a white Autobot symbol is printed on the sternum.
The neck and waist are smooth swivels. The shoulders are ball joints,
the elbows are double hinges, and the wrists are swivels. Technically
there's upper arm swivels, but they're REALLY restricted bu armor bits around
them, I think they're really just for fine adjustments during transformation,
so that the head can fit down between the upper arms. Universal hips, thigh
swivels just above the single hinge knees, the usual sideways ankles. The
toes are hinged for transformation, but there's a little useful range for
keeping things stable.
The hands can hold 5mm pegs and there's 5mm sockets under the toes.
There's a 3mm stud near the top of the back, and the usual 3mm socket in the
back of the pelvis. There's a few other holes that are closer to 4mm
sockets, decorative rather than functional. (Well, the ones on the forearms
go into pegs in the canopy for vehicle mode, so not PURELY decorative.)
The rifle is a single unpainted piece of brownish gray plastic 3.25" (a
little over 8cm) long, with a 5mm peg grip near the back and a 5mm socket
muzzle. Around the midpoint there's a 3mm stud on top, a 3mm socket on the
underside and another 3mm socket on the right side. The two sockets are
meant to go onto the stud on the robot's back: underside socket in vehicle
mode, side socket in robot mode. The stud on top is for holding the drill if
you don't want to plug it into the muzzle.
The drill is a little over 1.5" (4cm) long, three blades around a
central core, with the drill bit painted silver. It has a 5mm peg at the
back end, a 3mm stud on the side of the base, and the gap between the blades
at the tip is 3mm in diameter so it can be attached to a 3mm stud.
The instructions just show the drill being mounted on top of the rifle
barrel, but if you put it into the muzzle you get a drill rifle 4.75" (12cm)
long. There's no second grup to let Brawn hold it two-handed, but you can
rest the barrel on the off-fist.

Transformation: A little tricky to figure out, mostly because the head
only needs to drop down a little bit into the torso, but has the range to go
a lot farther into the front canopy area. The arms also have the issue of
the joints moving farther than they need to, but I only needed to look at the
box back to figure it out. One tricky bit is that the robot shins need to
simultaneously plug into the front wheel hubs and tabs on the canopy, which
can require a bit of the old Excessive Force.
The rifle is supposed to go on top via a 3mm stud on top of the vehicle,
and it doesn't really stay well. Unfortunately, there's no other place to
store it. The drill goes on the front end.

Vehicle Mode: This is basically a beetle with wheels. A beetleborg, if
you will...but rather than big and burly, he's small and surly. (Okay, Gears
is the surly one, not Brawn, but I wanted the rhyme.) Between the domed
cockpit, the oval back end, and the drill as a sort of horn, it really does
seem to have been inspired by various "kabuto" style beetles. Other than the
rifle not staying on very well, it's very stable once every tab and slot are
in the right places. Unfortunately, without the rifle, the hole in the back
end where the head just sort of sinks down is very obvious. I suppose
someone could make a gap-filled that has a 5mm socket in the center to secure
the rifle better, and it'd be a shield or something in robot mode. Absent
such a gap-filler, I guess he's sort of a pickup truck drill vehicle? The
front wheels are closer together than the rear ones, flanking the drill bit
holder in front, so it's not quite a trike, but it's definitely not a
standard rectangular car plan.
3.5" (9cm) long without the drill, 5.25" (13cm) with the drill. The
yellow dominates now, mostly on the upper part but a bit on the sides too,
and most of the gray is hidden. The drill socket piece is medium gray
plastic, that's basically it for new plastic in this mode. The armpit
greebles are split apart but connected by the robot upper arms, so visually
it connects together reasonably well. There's silver paint along the
centerline of the cockpit part, anove and below the clear canopy, but oddly
the stripe continues as pea green on the rear section before picking up as
gunmetal in the very back. So, I mean, there's a center stripe all along the
solid opaque parts, but it keeps changing colors. The Autobot symbol ends up
on the back.
The drill has its own 5mm socket in front, none of the other 5mm sockets
are accessible (the ones on the toes help lock the vehicle together). The
pelvis-back 3mm socket is still accessible, but you can't store the rifle on
it without locking up the wheels. The wheels do roll pretty well, if with
not much clearance.

Correction, once I got Perceptor under better light, the "silver" on the
helmet crest was revealed to be a somewhat dull gold.

Dave Van Domelen, already fixed the version on the website.

On Saturday, August 20, 2022 at 11:56:45 PM UTC-4, Dave Van Domelen wrote:
> Correction, once I got Perceptor under better light, the "silver" on the
> helmet crest was revealed to be a somewhat dull gold.
>
> Dave Van Domelen, already fixed the version on the website.

Love Perceptor. The Generations half-track was fun but flawed, and I still don't have the Titans Return or the G1. But this release is the most faithful translation of his animation model yet. An easy and intuitive transformation with a spot-on bot mode and a fun alt mode. Really the only criticism I have is that I wish it were a working microscope. I'll give due credit to the corporate behemoth - when Hasbro gets it right, they get it right.

Dave Van Domelen <dvandom@eyrie.org> wrote:
> Dave's Transformers Studio Series Rant: Deluxe Wave 15
>
> #80 Brawn (Cybertronian drill vehicle)
> #81 Wheeljack (Cybertronian car)
> #82 Autobot Ratchet (Cybertronian van)
> 86-11 Perceptor (Microscope/Tank)
>
> Permalink: http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/Studio/Deluxe15
>
> So, three characters from "blink and you miss it" appearances in the
> opening scene of the Bumblebee movie, and one Transformers the Movie (an
> technically G1 in general) character.
> Warning, most of this wave gave me poor first impressions, but managed
> to look better after some more time messing with 'em.
>
>
> CAPSULES
>
> $23 price point (I got two at Walmart and two on Pulse because I only
> ever saw this wave once on the shelf and it had already been picked over).
> Wave 16 raises it to $25 at Walmart.
>
> Brawn: Good robot mode, mostly good vehicle mode save for a weak point
> in weapon storage, decent transformation. Recommended, and my favorite of
> the wave (in part because there was no, "Does this toy suck?" bad first
> impression).

Brawn looks like he came from a late 1960s science fiction show in vehicle
mode, and I love him for it. There are third party connector bits for
filling the weapons hole in vehicle mode, and connecting the drill to his
arm better in robot mode.

I don’t often go for third party bits, but I loved this toy enough that I
was willing to.

Not sure he makes a great Brawn, but what can you do? Matches the movie I
guess. I would prefer a more G1 face as the movie face feels entirely out
of place. A problem with all the Bumblebee movie toys.

> Wheeljack: Pretty good robot mode, very complicated transformation that
> has to be done just right for the vehicle to be stable. Recommended, but I
> worry about it being too complex for its own good (much like the character
> himself).

The more time I spend with this toy the less impressed I am. The
transformation is too fiddley. I like him, but he slowly drops in my favor.

> Autobot Ratchet: Okay robot mode and I like the vehicle mode in concept,
> but the transformation doesn't quite work. You might get lucky and get one
> that has everything fit together properly, but I didn't. Mildly recommended,
> and a bit of a roulette.

I got a good one, and he looks like he belongs in a late 1970s or early
1980s show. If you were to tell me his vehicle mode was a support vehicle
in Buck Rogers, I might believe it. That front window is very evocative.

I was a little disappointed with this toy when I got him, as I was hoping
for something more, and my feelings haven’t changed. Still good, but a
little underwhelming.

> Perceptor: With the goal being cartoon accuracy in mind, this toy does a
> good job. It manages to feel a little cheap next to the rest of the wave,
> but that may just be a side effect of the simpler lines. The lack of
> functionality (microscope doesn't work at all, knobs don't turn) bugs me a
> bit, but that's more of a preference thing. The only objective issue is that
> some transformation hinges in the thighs are not designed to snap into place
> so he's prone to wiggly legs. Recommended if you prefer looks over function,
> mildly recommended if you really want to be able to use Perceptor as a toy
> microscope.

There’s a big gap in his back that I can’t quite forgive, and I don’t like
the toy enough to hunt down something third party to fill it. And the
colors feel wrong.

But what’s worse, it is good in all the spots the Titans Return is weak in
(scale, solid feeling), while being weak where that toy is best (deco,
functioning microscope, tank mode — the driver is good). It somehow makes
me like the Titans Return toy less without being itself any better.

I think I hate this toy.

On Monday, August 22, 2022 at 2:44:18 AM UTC-6, Gustavo Wombat, of the Seattle Wombats wrote:

> I think I hate this toy.

But would you buy it again as Magnificus? Apparently, that's a thing that's happening.

Zob