We’ve shown you the individual Combiner Wars Protectobots – but like any good special team, when they stand united, they become more than the sum of their parts. Rounding out our coverage of this great recent wave of Combiner Wars toys we have the gestalt formed of the five Protectobots – the mighty Defensor!
Fully combiner, Defensor is a solid robot – no hip issues like the Motormaster mold on this torso. In fact, the design of the combiner Defensor can best be described as a “wall” – his silhouette impresses the idea that if this guy is in front of you on a battlefield, he will hold the line no matter what. The individual Protectobots make fine limbs for Defensor, and special shoutout to the new guy, Rook, who aesthetically manages a shape similar to that of Groove, whose spot he took on the team (unless you are in Japan… ). Speaking of Groove, the Legends class motorcycle Protectobot forms a nice optional chestplate that locks in very solidly – no problems with him falling off like Blackjack.
Overall, Defensor is an impressive bit of Combiner, being a nice, big, solid robot, carrying on the excellent work of the individual Protectobots. As individuals or as a group, this assortment is very good – but we could say that of the whole line so far, really. Check out our gallery of Defensor at the link below:
Combiner Wars Defensor gallery
Sigmalock
Courtesy of daimchoc: http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-3rd-party-discussion/1017850-perfect-effect-combiner-wars-superion-upgrade-kits-post12587614.html
Simply awesome
Eurobeatking
I saw some do this with his rifle. Dont know if he modded the guns tho or not,but it looks pretty cool.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/41405/tf/Clean/2015/05%2023%20pefeet%2001.jpg
0ptimusPrime
Defensor is the perfect combiner so far out of the group, I don't see much wrong with him. Um, rifle needs replaced asap though, im working on one for mine as we speak. anyway. this is by far the perfect combiner.
flik68
yeah the only thing that says to me is this particular deco will only be a asia exclusive product. Hasbro will use its own deco for this so they are not related and the statement doesn't apply to their bots.
Sol Fury
I believe the words were to the effect of "unattainable overseas", which only reflected the current state. They never said "will never be released outside of Japan", so therefore it is premature to presume anything is out of question – especially a US release of a mold for a line which I'm told is proving quite popular.
Slingshot
Well they aren't. The statement that came with Groove was that the mold was an exclusive to Takara. There's little chance they would go against that.
transmasterc
I went ahead and pre order the set. I do hope Hasbro wises up(yeah no chance at that I know)will release the deluxe Groove. Again for Hasbro it would just make to much sense which I think should be their new slogan.
YoungPrime
Yeah this guy would benefit a lot from PE hands and feet. I'll likely skip Rook and use Alpha Bravo as a stand in until Hasbro gets a clue and releases the real Deluxe Groove.
ex dtw2003
It is. Where you looking?
Also, about Rook, APCs and modern days police forces – lots of comments here with a political bent, some subtle, some not so much.
Rodimus Prime
Can I ask why these guys are so expensive? $20 for a Deluxe seems a bit… steep.
IamRoller
I think this guy and also Devastator (TFC Hercules) are so Sweet!
But TFC Devastator is my No1 for now. lol
JT-bob
Looks good, although I don't care for the whole chest being hidden behind the chest plate.
Neko-bot77
Ditto. Plus, if Hasbro is watching these boards and their sales figures, they're seeing what's happeing with Quickslinger and Brake-Neck RIGHT NOW. They would have to be completely out of touch with reality to not see how well these 2 are doing. In short: releasing "exculsive" G1-combiner finishing bots is like printing money for them.
Plus, the mold has already been made (or very close to being made)…have to recoup that mold/ design/ engineering cost… with a more than healthy margin!
battery1979
Bbts has UW Defensor with Groove for preorder.
scrapmetaru
I'm generally a Rook supporter. However, if you know anything about modern america, then you know the fuzz aren't using those APCs to protect. That said, Rook does appear to be a heavily armored, but unarmed brick-on-wheels, so it seems protective enough to me.
OriginalFire
Who is the character that is missing from the Takara Groove Exclusive edition
Ronbot1986
Always looks better in my hands. Pic don't justify. I said nope then held a TF in my hands and said."MINE" lol
Zenstrive
To the guys who think APC is for military, take a look at police nowadays and you can see many APCs are being used by them. Hence Rook.
Also: Hot Spot Torso mode is the best among combiner so far. You can even attach the limb-bots while Hot Spot is in his own bot mode!
Lacimehc
These pics looks really good! I can't wait to pick these guys up!
Omnus
Respectfully,
Yes, any vehicle can be a weapon in the wrong hands, like a fire engine.
It is all about intent. Rook is an APC.
An APC is military equipment, the intent of which is to keep as many soldiers alive as possible while transporting them to and from the battlefield so those soldiers can be effective as possible in battle.
The only current use of an APC outside of the military, in the US, is in selected misguided police precincts. These precincts use them with the intent to transport a SWAT team which will either use the threat of overwhelming lethal force or use overwhelming lethal force.
Rook's bio paints him as a Protectobot. The only thing that is a clear cut common element among the original Protectobots is their vehicle modes. Rook's vehicle mode is jarringly unlike the Protectobots.
I would put zero stock in it based on the translation that we currently have except for two things.
The first is the previous examples of Slingshot and Wildrider. That isn't much of a precedent as they're both recolors and tweaks of an existing mold, and deluxe Groove is a new mold.
The second is that the deluxe Groove mold's robot mode looks distinctly like a blending of the cartoon robot modes of Groove and Afterburner. Given the tweaking of molds for CW characters seen so far, I don't think that appearance is a simple coincidence.
Those two together point to a strong possibility (not a certainty) of a US release of the deluxe Groove.