Beast Machines Tank Drone Review

Discussion in 'Transformers Feedback & Reviews' started by Philister, May 16, 2009.

  1. Philister

    Philister Teutonicons Rising!

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    Another Beast Machines toy. I'm starting to like them...

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    For more pictures, click on the image above

    Robot Mode: Whereas the first Tankor toy released for the Beast Machines line bore only a passing resemblance to the character we saw on TV, this later version here, which is actually not Tankor but rather meant to be a generic Tank Drone, is pretty much spot on. There are some minor differences in coloration, but apart from that the Tank Drone does a much better job of resembling the TV character than Tankor himself does. Except for one thing, of course: Tankor was by far the most massive of the main characters in the series. The Tank Drone is basic-sized. Meaning... quite small.

    His lack of size is pretty much the Tank Drone's only problem, though. His posability, while not exactly astounding, is okay for a figure of that size class. His detailing is pretty well-done, including the chromed parts. I'm not usually a fan of chromed parts, but here they look pretty good and since the Tank Drone came fresh out of the package, there is no problem with cracks or anything (yet?). The Tank Drone has some slight balance issues when you flip back the big gun on his shoulder, but his feet (actually the tank threads) are wide enough to balance him out with little effort. So overall a decent, good-looking robot mode. No complaints except the size thing.

    Alternate Mode: The Tank Drone transforms into a futuristic looking tank that, just like the robot mode, is pretty much spot on as far as resemblance to the TV counterpart goes. This is the tank we saw chasing the Maximals across the surface of Cybertron in near endless numbers. The robot mode's head sits in the center, clearly visible, and the big cannon on the right. Sadly it can't swivel, only point upwards, but remember, we're in the basic class here. So all in a decent, if somewhat unspectacular vehicle mode. No complaints.

    Remarks: In the second year of Beast Machines, the resemblance of the toys and the TV characters increased dramatically. Case in point, the Tank Drone. Pretty much a spitting image of the tank drones we saw in the series, endless hordes of heavily armed fighting machines led by the Vehicon general Tankor. The Tank Drones took a bit of a back seat in the second season after the death of Tankor, but remained the backbone of the Vehicon armies until the finale. The Tank Drone toy is a good, pretty much flawless depiction of these military machines and the only complaint I have is the size thing. I would have liked to see this toy in the Mega/Voyager class. Apart from that, though: Good. Recommended to all Beast Machines fans.

    Rating: B
     
  2. SPLIT LIP

    SPLIT LIP Be strong enough to be gentle

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    I <3 itty bitty mindless killing machine.
     
  3. Mechafire

    Mechafire Shadow Broker Moderator News Staff

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    This. :D 
     
  4. Ray Kremer

    Ray Kremer Well-Known Member

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    It's actually got some really great engineering in there. In tank mode, the gear on his arm connects to the gear on the shoulderpad, which connects to the gear on the turret if you tilt it upwards. This spins the barrel, which trips the missile launch.
     
  5. Feralstorm

    Feralstorm Good Morning, Weather Hackers! TFW2005 Supporter

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    Tank drones are great little boogers. They are one of the few toys where (for me at least) the awesomeness level is directly proportional to how many of them you have in a group. (summary: numbers offset the smallness)
     
  6. Gingerchris

    Gingerchris Telly-headed Tyrant

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    I love my tank drone. Now I want an oversized KO of one I can use as Tankor.