Combiner Wars Defensor

Considering Superion and Menasor got their own threads for discussion, I thought the big addition to the Combiner Wars line from Wave 3 deserved his own thread. Here he is, the Protectobot gestalt Defensor!



Defensor feels far bulkier and looks heavier then the previous two combiners. He's wide and hulking, but not to his detriment like Menasor. He suffers slightly from Gorilla-esque proportions in the arms, but the package comes off looking really great and the hulking proportions help give the combiner some personality, in my opinion.



Here he is in his IDW configuration, with Rook forming the arm and First Aid the leg (homage to Ambulon?). Groove, not being left out like Slingshot and Wildrider, becomes a chest piece for Defensor. Compared to the insanely loose-fitting Blackjack on Menasor, Groove plugs in incredibly well. Three ports hold him in places, making him connect in their very solidly. I've seen people jokingly call him a "training bra" but I personally prefer Defensor with Groove, I think it does well to break up the black chest and I love that they found a way to utilise perhaps the silliest combiner components this side of Blastoff.



Here is Defensor in IDW configuration minus Groove. The plain chest place roughly resembles the chest of the original G1 toy.



Many may prefer this configuration, with First Aid becoming the arm and Rook (in place of Groove) becoming a leg. This is the way I prefer, with Groove, but the beauty of the line is almost endless possibilities for combination.



Pose-ability-wise Defensor is very stable, comparable to that of Superion and far more stable then Menasor. He doesn't come without his flaws however, as due the rather top-heavy way that Hotspot transforms, his torso often has difficulty finding balance. He doesn't topple over, but he is very prone to leaning forwards or backwards unless you fiddle with him. Regardless, he is able to hold nearly all poses you could want him with and match any that Superion or Menasor can pull off.

Defensor is an excellent combiner, possibly the best of the three so far in my opinion. He looks bulky and tough, is made of an excellent assortment of molds, with the best of both the Stunticons and Aerialbots plus a decent and unique newcomer, plus an awesome way to utilize the 6th member in the Groove chest-plate. The Combiner Wars line thus far has been fantastic in my opinion and Defensor does not disappoint!

Thanks for reading! I received the entire of Wave 3 today which I've been planning on reviewing, but due to work and watching Age of Ultron I haven't been able to finish up all the photos. I'll be doing First Aid, Rook, Blades, Streetwise, Groove, Warpath, Viper and Thundercracker reviews tomorrow onwards, so I hope people check them out too!

 

Awesome! I can't see the pictures however, so could someone attach them to a post?

 

Thanks for the review! Looks like the best CW gestalt so far and Defensor's been a long time coming! Never had the Protectobots as a child so I'm thrilled to see modernized versions now.

 

He does look great!

 

Looks fantastic! Can't wait to get mine

 

I was thinking, is there a way to fanmode Groove on the leg mode of Rook at all? Maybe rotating the cover piece that forms his back around and pegging or wedging him in there? If so that might give the G1 fans a way to have the look they want.

 

Thanks for the review! I initially wasn't excited for Defensor, but he's really looking top notch now to me!

Would you be able to scan the extended bios for the Protectobots for their individual reviews (like you did with the Stunticons)?

 

A bit bulky but I could see that passing for people who prefer a groove'd leg.


Can't wait to get ahold of these myself, tempted to grab them from RK since BBTS pushed them to may...

 

Ugh, his scaling is so bad.... ...but he looks so good as a gestalt. He... looks... so... good...

 

Thanks for the pics gaga...

I LOVE the torso..but the new limbs are the weakest ive seen from the line. Just dont look as nice as the preivious stuff weve had.

But hell..I didnt want Menasor that much, but when I got him he is my Fav. So Ill wait to see it in hand.

OH...and im glad groove is not a limb..a huge bike would look silly. I love the look on his chest

 

I love this design, looks fantastic. Superion's limbs were too chunky for his thin torso, but the limbs on Defensor look well-proportioned.

 

Can't wait! Thanks for the nice photos!

 

Bit of a crappy pic, but here's all three Combiners together, (minus Groove, I haven't been able to get him yet) and I really do like Defensor. He's big, chunky, and looks like he can kick some ass. I was fully expecting not to be as impressed with him and have him displayed as the separate Protectobots, but he's really grown on me, and I've only had him assembled for about twenty minutes  

I'm probably going to mess around with his limbs now. I'm not too enamoured with Streetwise as an arm, I think I'll swap him and Rook.

 

Thanks for the review! He really does look like he's gonna end up being the best so far. My Menasor looks amazing but he can be a pain to mess around with. This guy looks chunky and intimidating in an entirely different way so I can't wait to have them face off!

Dammit really? This will be the third time in a row I've canceled orders with BBTS cause other places have gotten them several weeks earlier. Shame...

 

I can't stress enough just how much I love this guy! The limbs are great, the combined mode is great, Groove in chestplate mode and plugged in properly is great...I need these guys so bad, hahaha. Oh, the pain of being unemployed in these times of awesome toys...

 

Darn Takara should skip Menasor and jump to this.

 

. . . must resist urge to pre-order!!!!!!!!!!!!! Especially since I had G1 and sold him off years ago, wish I still had to display side-by-side. If I do get these guys, Alpha Bravo is getting swapped into the team.

 

Love this! Thanks for the photos and review. I'm more and more impressed with this guy every time I see him. I cannot wait to get him in my hands!

 

Wow... He looks really good. I had First Aid as a child and always wondered what the others would have looked like if I ever got them. Seeing him with the rest of his buddies, is making me think twice about turning down a chance to finally own him. I'll wait a month or two. Still love the look