Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Scout-Class Ransack

I apologize for the lull in reviews; I've been flat broke recently. However, I came by a small amount of cash & saw this guy on a website, and at an MSRP of $9, it was too good to pass up.

This is the closest thing to an official "steampunk" style Transformer we're ever going to come (aside from Hearts of Steel...but that's another matter entirely.) On to the review...



Ransack's bio reads:
"Back in the distant past of Cybertron, when flight was a new technology, Ransack was first of the flying aces. He was a ruthless combatant, blasting his opponents out of the sky, and then strafing the helpless troops stuck on the ground without cover. He may be past his prime and equipped with outdated weapons now, but there was a time when Ransack was the most feared name on Cybertron."



This figure's alt mode is a German Albatross D.V. I believe this was the aircraft used by "Red Baron" Manfred Von Richthofen just before he began piloting his famous Triplane.



The vehicle has lots of little details. The propeller spins quite well, there's a cockpit seat, and there are some nice (non-sticky) paint apps all over the place. There are also some little weapons underneath the wings.



The robot arms (as you can clearly see) are the only kibble on the alt mode, and to be honest, from most perspectives, you can hardly see them. The weapons (machine guns & little bombs!) disguise them a bit, too. For the small size of the figure, I can excuse this little bit of kibble, especially since everything else is done so beautifully.

Transforming Ransack is a bit fiddly, but not too bad. The arms pop off occasionally, but they're easily reattached.



Ransack is easily my favorite movie-former (considering I don't much care for the movie line, that's saying something.) There's just so much character, and clearly a lot of thought went into the design.



Getting a robot out of a flimsy little biplane is a hard thing to pull off, but somehow Hasbro has pulled it off very nicely. Like I said, there's something very Steampunk-esque about this guy. It's very skeletal, but simple & not quite as weird & "thrown-together" as other movie designs. The weapons are well placed, and the "cape" is a nice touch.



Ransack, for his size, has very good articulation. The shoulder is on a single ball joint, and the arms pivot at the elbows. The legs are on ball joints & bend at the knees. However, the articulation on each foot is different (the right foot being more poseable than the left) and the head doesn't pivot. There are still many dynamic poses to be had with Ransack, though.



You'll notice that the engine block forms the top part of his head. This might bother some people, but I'm fine with it. The rest of the head sculpt is very nice, very skull-like. Also, for some reason, the face & engine are removable...



yeah...


All in all, Ransack is a great figure. He's well-sculped, well-painted, well-balanced, well-articulated, and just an all-round well-designed Transformer. He's also very cheap, so if you want him, don't hesitate to grab him.

A 5/5 to ye olde Decepticon!

Transformers G1 Autobot Trailbreaker

Trailbreaker seems to be one of the rarer of the G1 Autobot cars, but not quite up in the ranks as Sunstreaker & Wheeljack. This is partially because he has a small mountain of accessories with him that are easily misplaced, so finding a complete one can be tricky. If you don't want to spend a whole bunch of money, they just reissued Trailbreaker recently, and you can pick one up for around $30.



Trailbreaker's tech specs read:

"An Autobot is as good as the fuel in his tank"

Trailbreaker makes light of any situation, no matter how serious. Practical joker and cheerleader, but considers himself a liability to Autobots since he consumes the most fuel. Lacks self-esteem and often asks to be left behind. Projects nearly impenetrable invisible force-field. Can jam radio transmissions. Very slow. Often mopes about his handicaps, but his bravery and defensive prowess is unquestioned.

So there you have it: a masculine 4x4 SUV that turns into a cheerleader.



Speaking of 4x4 SUV, Trailbreaker's alternate more is a Toyota Hilux (don't worry if you don't know what that is; I believe it was an exclusively Japanese vehicle, like the Honda City and the Cherry Vanette.) The figure is based off the Diaclone Hilux, which came in black as well as yellow, and a rather nice blue variant. The hood of the truck is painted diecast metal, which is very nice, but of course it's succeptable to wear. The tires are rubber and roll quite nicely. All-in-all, it's a very nice replica of the Hilux. However, the hood has trouble forming with the rest of the truck, resulting in a very ugly joint line:



I don't know if this is because mine is loose, or if it came like this.



Transforming Trailbreaker is fun, if a bit messy. The entire vehicle sort of "folds out" and then back together, forming a rather strange, but passable robot. The fists have to be attached into the arms, and the missles & headpiece (I really have no idea what that thing is.)



The articulation is limited to the arms, of course, but they're jointed at the shoulder and the elbow. The fists (or the missiles) can be shot out of the arms via a spring-launch mechanism.



Well, what can I say? He's Trailbreaker. I would absolutely LOVE to have the blue version, but Diaclone figures are crazy expensive. Maybe Encore will reissue him, too? Anyway, Trailbreaker's well worth the slightly higher price you'd pay for him, and I highly reccomend doing so.


I give him a 4.5/5