CW Combaticons/Bruticus in-hand photos

[JediTricks]

Here are photos of these, some are mistransformed:

http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/ ... cus/33943/

I was like "well, I don't need these except for Brown Brawl" and then I saw Bruticus together, and now I'm more on the fence. I think it might have been that damned chest armor that sold me on Onslaught there. I'm still unsure if I'll bother with Vortex, Swindle, or Blast-Off as they all look a little naff (as our friends from the UK would say), but I'm definitely in on Brawl and now Onslaught is likely, strangely Blast Off looks really good in those colors (I just am tired of the mold), so it's mustardy Swidle and Alpha Bravo in clown makeup that's really holding me back.

Onslaught is still maybetown because A) that deco is so monochromatic; B) the top of Bruticus' chest is just "there" in vehicle mode; and C) the vehicle scale is all over the map.

[Onslaught Six]

This is actually the first time that the Combiner Wars hands and feet have looked inappropriate on the gestalt. I see lots of complaints but it's never bothered me, but seeing Bruty there actually seems like the hands are too big and the feet are too small. Further looking into it and comparing with the other three, though, and I think it's just because of how much larger Brawl and Swindle are compared to Vortex and Blastoff--the arms are the thinnest moulds from the line while the legs are the largest and bulkiest. I'm sure a reversed version would look bulky and awesome as hell on top but thin and shit on the bottom. Weird.

I mean, I'm in for all of it--it's my supposition that Bruticus is going to be the very last full combiner released, and it makes sense--the original combiners were only the set of four, and Bruticus finishes out the quartet. So if one or two of them are under par, I don't mind.

Glad to see Bruticus's wheels are black though, and the grey on top of the vehicle is pretty good looking; I'll probably get that one. Vortex's colours seem very 'wrong' though; he's supposed to be very Grey but he's kind of a metallic blue gunmetal colour, makes him look more like Movie Blackout than anything else. Weird. Swindle looks less cool than he could be; I think there's just a swath of that browl caramel colour; he could have had some more paint to bring him out or something like that. Hm.

[Sparky Prime]

I'd have to say I'm really looking forward to Bruticus. Some of the color choices do seem like they could be better, but otherwise I think Bruticus looks great. Vortex, yeah it's yet another Alpha Bravo reuse, the most overused mold of Combiner Wars. But I actually really like the colors on Vortex here. I still think changing Blast Off from a space shuttle to a jet (even if it is a reused mold) was a good idea and is more fitting with the military theme of the Combaticons. Swindle I think could look a bit more jeep like but it's alright. Brawl, it's great to see at least one new mold for the Combaticons. And Onslaught, I wish they had an image of his individual robot mode here. But I think he's a very creative re-use of the Hot Spot mold.

[JediTricks]

I picked up Brawl on Saturday at WM, he's pretty meh. Then I slapped him onto Galvatronus with an extra Decepticon and 2 of the Autobot limbs, and he's a pretty poor arm due to stability issues and a massive gap at the middle of the arm, but a decent leg.

Having seen him in person and seen Swindle and the others on card, I am sure I'm not going to bother completing Bruticus. But a strange thing, I think I may end up picking up Blast Off and Vortex to round out Galvatronus, it turns out there are very few actual Decepticon Combiner Wars deluxe/voyager combo figures, I guess letting Devastator do the heavy lifting for that team.

However, looking at pics of Onslaught and comparing to my lackluster feelings on Hot Spot, and thinking back to Swindle, I'm fairly sure I don't want them at all at full price. They just don't fit my taste.

[JediTricks]

I ended up buying Swindle after seeing pics of him with his arms raised, where he doesn't look as much like a steroid-abusing freak. He's alright, some questionable color choices and sculpt issues, but not terrible. Could have used a better mouth sculpt to sell the character tho, this line is very frowny.

Also picked up Blast Off, he's not a good Blast Off but his colorscheme is really nice, very stealthy and Decepticon - the only Decepticon jet in the line besides whatever Cyclonus is supposed to be.


Swindle makes a pretty good arm and leg. Blast Off makes a fair leg and a thinner arm which is a little odd but not bad. I put them on Galvatronus with Wildrider and Brawl, and it makes for a good mix-n-match Decepticon combiner, then added Legends Shockwave and it looks really terrific as their pistol. Brawl is somewhat useful as an arm when using Cyclonus' combined weapon, the rear grip can be plugged into the "forearm" made by Brawl to have the gun held in a more balanced fashion.

I spotted Vortex again yesterday, the only TF deluxe in the store, and looked at him for a while before setting him back down, he's really just too clownish for my tastes. I just can't get behind him or Onslaught, those molds ultimately come up short.