With Transformers Prime Beast Hunters taking the reins of the main Transformers line at retail, let us take a look at the last of the Voyager class toys – one who is perhaps doomed to suffer from what I’d like to call “end of line scarcity syndrome”. I am talking about Transformers Prime Voyager Skyquake.
Those following the show will know a bit about Skyquake – he was a one-episode character who died in the same story that introduced him, and his death set up the character arc for his twin Dreadwing (and okay, yeah, he later came back as a zombie for another one episode appearance). Dreadwing was released in the third assortment of Voyager class toys and like on the show Skyquake recolors the mold wholesale, swapping Dreadwing’s navy blue and yellow-gold for a more militaristic scheme of olive green and silver, with some red highlights. He of course gets the remolded gun, the weapon redesigned to look more like Skyquake’s gatling gun weapon as opposed to Dreadwing’s beam cannon.
Being a redeco of Dreadwing with a partially remolded accessory, Skyquake shares all of Dreadwing’s virtues and most of his weaknesses. The legs still lack a bit of weight making balancing a little harder than it ought to be, and the weapon can’t be held slung under his arms like on the show. But the head feels a bit sturdier than the extremely rubbery head on Dreadwing, so my main issue with Dreadwing has been fixed. Overall, Skyquake is a good redeco; while it is a pity he is an end of line release, as a one episode character, it does make sense to get the rest of the characters out there first.
Check out our full gallery by opening the link below:
mjcrow
Sadly, these pics are as close as I'll get to owning one. Distribution here sucks and I refuse to pay a huge mark up on a repaint.
David-John
Eh, if you play around a bit it is easy to get Dreadwing to undersling his cannon in two hands by holding it via the peg on top to plug into the jet mode/the plugged in sword handle and then using the little bar towards the end of the cannon (where it rotates out) as a second hand-hold. Has the added advantage of keeping the gun deployed even without a rubber band. Waived what otherwise would have been my biggest quibble with the mould, which whilst not perfect in either mode is still very good.
And I have to say, I do think it looks better in Skyquake's colours.
SmokescreenWRX
Season 1 character… almost season 3.
Too much underbelly kibble. Not readily found in stores.
Meh.
Too little, too late, Hasbro.
Whomever is in charge of the toyline release schedule needs to go.
tigerhawk16
mine arrived last week from bbts and its great skyquake looks sick standing next to dreadwing. Im now hoping Dr. Wu will make show accurate guns for both of them!!
Cleverpseudonym
I'm not a big fan of the translucent elbows.
Prime Jetscream
Am I the only one that's not interested in this? I don't know why, but I just think he's boring.
Also, with the superior paint apps, he'll look out of place next to Dreadwing. :/
Clifftothemax
I have to admit, despite being an actual character in the show, I was thinking of perhaps avoiding getting Skyquake. I've got Dreadwing and he's awesome enough (plus, I generally do try and avoid getting what are essentially the same toys when I can), but after seeing these… damn it, Skyquake looks great. He's got a much better deco than his brother, and despite the actual gimmick being annoying and… well, not very good, the fact that they remolded his powerizer weapon to look more like Skyquake's gatling gun from the show is also another slight plus.
If I can find him, then I'd definitely be tempted.
Autovolt 127
This reminds me that I have got to pick up a Skyquake assortment off of BBTS.
His deco looks real nice. Shame he came out way to late in the line.
Omnius
Excellent photos, as always. You have an uncanny habit of making me cave in on toys… Terrorcon Bumblee says "hi".
RedAlert Rescue
There's a noticeable difference in the hardness of the rubber between my Arms Micron Dreadwing and the Hasbro one – the Hasbro one is very bendy the Arms Micron one is fine and no problem at all – it's barely noticeable his head or other sticky out bits are rubber at all.
So this suggests that perhaps the very bendy nature of Dreadwing's bits is something that wasn't always intentional and was perhaps corrected in both the Takara version and Skyquake ?
I'd be interested to read what anyone who owns the Arms Micron Dreadwing & SkyQuake has to say in terms of direct comparison though.
I hope he gets a wider distribution in places like China and Taiwan as then the price should come down a little. and those places you can also get the Japanese stuff making him a more practical part of a group buy.
Though maybe a UK supplier might get him and save me the bother.
simond
I got in there too as I'd setup an email alert for when he came back in stock, unfortunately just after shipping my 3 pack from bbts or I'd only have picked up one.
Valkysas
Not dumb at all. It'll most likely happen. Magnus and Thundertron have already managed it.
charsdc2
Thanks Hasblow for stanking up another one!
aledromo
How dumb am I for holding out hope for a discount store release a la RTS Grapple?
WarConvoy
How is the quality of the meterial used for 3d printing from shapeways? If its not brittle I might buy the gun for Skyquake.
ex dtw2003
Not to be a wet blanket but where's:
Plane in full top down view
Plane in full bottom up view.
Bot full rear view
Thanks.
Sol Fury
Oh yes indeed, that's another one I owe you my friend!
Shockscream
I much prefer the deco on Skyquake. Green beats blue in this case.
Aren't you glad I found a decent eBay seller for it, Sol?
Transbot90210
It is a straight up repaint with the only remould work done to his weapon thingy.
Bnz Toy
Did they fix the back of the jet where there are the 2 hands sticking out?
both very nice figures (DW and SQ) otherwise.