I have a weird question. Are the arm ports the same so I could use two scrappers for arms instead of Hightower and scrapmetal?

 

Yes they are the same

 

I see the box sets are still available. I’m hoping they still will be in about a month cuz I won’t be able to afford this guy till June (if then). Knowing the way TFs go these days he likely won’t still be up.

 

I can see the price going down eventually

 

Normally I’d agree and I hope you’re right, but it seems like these days nobody can keep anything in stock for long.

 

People home a lot more looking for entertainment these days

 

Finally bought me the box set of this guy. He should be in soon. Now I’ve seen several configurations of him in crawling mode, but I’ve heard some say that can damage the figure over time. Now that he’s been out for a bit can anyone confirm this? Is he safe to put on 4 legs, or should I stick with the stock configuration if I want him to last?

 

I heard that prolonged usage in the stock configuration can cause stress to the Rampage mold and Long Haul. I don't know if it's true, but just in case, I've kept them all in separate robot modes.

 

Prelude: Who can forget the mighty Devastator? How he combined out of eight (or seven? Possibly six? Maybe even nine?) individual Constructicons and... yeah, failed to kill Skids and Mudflap? Awkwardly climbed a pyramid? Fell victim to a human-built rail gun? Well... where was I? Oh yes, Devastator, the combined form of the Constructicons. Many thanks to fellow TF collector Reyjin, who loaned me this mighty beast for this review. So, as we stand here together directly below the enemy’s scrotum, let’s say go!

Individual Figures: The first time Revenge of the Fallen Devastator was released in toy form, he was the combined form of six vehicles with no individual robot modes. Then a Legends version was released, adding seventh member Overload. And now we have the Studio Series version, which adds yet another member, Scrapmetal, for a total of eight (based on Devi’s original concept art). So before we look at the combined monster itself, let’s quickly go through the eight individual members in alphabetical order.

Constructicon Hightower might be the weirdest design of the entire group (which is saying something, considering Scavenger and Mixmaster). He is Deluxe-class and transforms from a yellow truss crane into a... well, a truss crane with a head and tiny little arms. The tracks of the crane bend to become his feet and that’s pretty much it for the transformation. The resulting robot certainly looks very interesting. The number of out-there, non-humanoid designs is one of the things I liked about the Revenge of the Fallen line. So Hightower gets a thumbs up for originality, but has little to offer otherwise. The legs are well-articulated, but the arms can’t really do anything and even using the crane as a kind of attack claw (his only weapon) doesn’t help much. So bottom line for Hightower: nice and original, but little beyond that.

Long Haul has the most traditional-looking robot mode amongst the Constructicons and bears a strong resemblance to the ROTF Voyager version of the character. He is a darker green and somewhat stockier, which hinders his articulation a bit, but otherwise they’re clearly meant to be the same guy. Sadly he lacks the fold-out blades the ROTF version had on his arms, but is very nicely detailed and just looks pretty cool in robot mode. Long Haul transforms into his traditional dump truck mode and looks pretty good here, too, even having mud splatters on his sides. Nicely done. Sadly, the loading area of the dump truck is completely open, showing the robot arms. The ROTF version did that better, though given that it did not have to incorporate a leg mode, it had an easier time of it. So bottom line for Long Haul: my second-favorite of the Studio Series Constructicons.

With Mixmaster we return to the really weird robot modes, as he’s basically a robot that consist mostly of arms. The look is very close to that of his ROTF predecessor, though the parts of the mixing drum are not quite as nicely integrated into the arms here in the Studio Series version. Mixmaster has two additional tiny little arms on his chest (which I forgot to fold out during the pics, I must admit) and relatively short legs, giving him a pretty weird silhouette. Articulation is pretty good, he can pull off a nice evil-genius-hand-rub pose, but overall I’m not too sold on this robot mode. Lacking the third mode he had in ROTF (a cannon mode), Mixmaster transforms into a (surprise) mixing truck and might just be the most realistic-looking of all the vehicles. He even has that tiny little hood ornament he sported in the movie. Nicely done. So bottom line: not a great robot mode, but an excellent vehicle mode.

And speaking of really weird robot modes, we now come to Overload. He would look rather standard in robot mode if not for these extremely wide shoulders with an extra pair of arms. The first thing I noticed about him, though, was the face. Especially that smile. Overload just smiles so endearingly, how can you help but love him? He emits such positivity and joy for life! Anyway, the robot mode looks pretty great, I love the design, but sadly the articulation of the outer pair of arms is pretty limited. Otherwise, though, a very nice robot mode. Great detailing and that smile… I love that smile. Overload transforms into an articulated dump truck, though much like with Long Haul the loading area is utterly fake and cannot dump, either. Neither can the truck bend in the middle, as the original vehicle can. Overload transports the spinning vortex thing from Devastator’s combined mode on his back, but you an just as well leave it off. So bottom line for Overload: I love the robot mode despite its limitations, but the vehicle mode is just serviceable, nothing more.

Scavenger basically looks like Demolishor from Revenge of the Fallen (who also sometimes wore white). Scavenger has one of the most unique designs ever, basically being a face and a pair of arms between two giant wheels. Unlike the previous design, this one’s top wheel is not made from the tracks of the vehicle, but rather hidden underneath the vehicle mode. Apart from that, though, there isn’t too much difference to be found. Scavenger, while a very unique design, has the limitation that he cannot stand without using one of his hands as additional support and apart from swinging his shovels about, he cannot really do much. The vehicle mode looks good, though both the shovel and the back of the vehicle look a little puzzled together. So bottom line: a truly unique design, but apart from that? Nothing much.

Scrapmetal is the least known of the Movieverse Constructicons and I guess he’s a homage to Cybertron Scrapmetal. Scrapmetal has a mostly humanoid robot mode, only the knee configuration is a bit weird, but works just fine. He has great articulation and two clamps for hands, which kind of fits him well. He also comes with an entirely superfluous detachable plate, which he carries on his arm in robot mode and on the back of his vehicle mode. His vehicle mode, an excavator, looks pretty good and might just be the cleanest-looking of all the vehicles. No visible robot bits, no outrageous kibble. So bottom line: a good figure, no real complaints.

Scrapper is actually my favorite figure among the eight individual Constructicons. His robot mode is nearly humanoid, but with permanently bent knees and a deep-set, tiny head. I am not sure why, but I really like the look of this robot mode. Articulation is very good, the only thing I would have wanted to see improved is that claw on his left hand, which cannot open up. Otherwise, though, very nice. Scrapper transforms into a front loader and does a very good job of it. No visible robot bits, the loading shovel can actually move, and there is really nothing to complain about here. So bottom line: yes, Scrapper is my favorite.

Finally, there is Skipjack, who is called Rampage when he is red (and sometimes when he’s yellow, too). To tell you the truth, I did not like his design back in Revenge of the Fallen and I still don’t like it today. While the idea is kind of neat, basically making him a humanoid jackhammer in robot mode, the execution is lackluster at best. Additionally he does not even have the whips that his earlier incarnation formed from his tracks. The only thing Skipjack can really do is stand there (with the help of a stand) and fling his claws about. His vehicle mode, a bulldozer, looks pretty decent, but that cannot really salvage the figure. So bottom line: a figure I can only recommend because you kind of need him to complete Devastator. Red or yellow? Your choice.

Combined Mode: Now let’s get to the big monster himself, Devastator. While he is not the tallest combiner ever produced in toy form, he might well be the most massive (at least among the official Transformers toys). The eight Constructicons combine in the following way: Long Haul and Skipjack become the feet and lower legs, Overload the lower torso, Scavenger the upper torso, Scrapper becomes the right arm, Hightower and Scrapmetal the left arm, and Mixmaster becomes the head. Side note: the instructions for transforming Mixmaster into head mode are crap! Had to look up various imagines online to figure out how to properly affix the vortex drum.

Now the first thing I found noteworthy about his combiner is that, despite looking like a mess of parts, he is entirely stable and in no danger of falling apart. As a matter of fact, the most unstable thing about him is the foot formed by Long Haul, where the panels tend to pop apart now and then, but even if that happens the figure does not lose stability and still retains a solid stance. A pretty amazing piece of engineering, so kudos for that.

Devastator strongly resembles the figure’s original concept art, which I personally like a lot. He also strongly resembles the actual Devastator seen in the movie, except for a few things. One, Studio Series Devastator cannot walk on all fours. Or, well, he can, but he will look down on the ground the entire time. There is an upgrade set (or several, possibly) to fix that, but out of the box like this, he remains bipedal. Not really a problem for me, but I’ve heard some people complain about it.

Articulation-wise Devastator is a mixed bag. Below the waist he can’t really move all that much. He has no knees, so he can only swing his legs back and forth. His arms are pretty well articulated, on the other hand. His head is immobile, but he can open his mouth. So, yeah, a mixed bag. His right arm is pretty stable, composed only of Scrapper, but the left arm is a bite more hodgepodge, with Hightower forming the forearm and thumb, while Scrapmetal is the hand and fingers. Not ideal for grabbing things, but it goes well with the overall look of the figure.

At the end of the day Devastator is clearly a collector’s item, unlike the original ROTF Devastator, who was primarily a toy for playing with. You can play with him, too, of course, but he is big, somewhat unwieldy, and more suited as a display piece than something you regularly take out to transform, combine, and play with. So bottom line: a great feat of engineering, looks great, but some limitations in terms of actual play value.

Remarks: I’m of two minds about this set, truth be told. On the plus side, it’s the closest we’ve come to actually seeing the combiner monster from Revenge of the Fallen in toy form. The engineering is quite amazing, the combination is surprisingly stable, and the combiner itself looks fabulous. On the negative side, the individual figures are a mixed bag, the finished combiner is not all that good at posing (especially below the waist), and given his weird proportions, he takes up an awful lot of shelf space, too.

So bottom line, Devastator is a fun set and I am glad that I had the chance to mess around with it. I will not buy it for myself, though. One, because I am simply not that big a fan of the Movie designs, and two, despite his many good points, Devastator is simply not tickling my fancy. Fans of the Movie designs in general and Devastator in particular, though, will probably be quite happy with this guy (even more so if they improve him with an upgrade set). So, if you count yourself among that group, feel free to take a closer look at Devastator, either by buying all eight bots individually or getting the full giftset.

Rating: B

Source: Transformers-Universe.com

 

I got this through Pulse UK courtesy of a generous advent deal this week. I did already have Long Haul, so excluding him, this worked out as £17.86 excluding him from the cost, or £15.63 including him. For comparison, at the time of the singles release I believe that SS deluxes were running ~£20 RRP. So, a bargain, and a cruicial one. Some capsules, working from head to toe:

• Mixmaster: Good truck, more solid than he first appears in combined mode when all the little tabs are in place. Robot mode is a bit of a wash.
• Scavenger: The most famous freak of the set. The vehicle mode is rubbish, the robot mode is shoulders with wheels derived from Devastator's key turbine bulletpoint. But I think I'm warming to the robot form. As shoulders for Devastator, I'm not convinved- the range of motion is awkward, and I am curious for long term owners to tell me how everything is holding up tbh.
• Scrapper: I was tempted by this guy as a single but ultimately passed, and I'm glad about that. The vehicle mode seems messy, and the robot is surprisingly limited. As a cheap contribution to the set where I can see his full potential? I'm fine with it. As a single, I would not have been happy.
• Hightower: My treads are loose, and his neck likes to fall apart at the middle joint, but I think I want to like this particular freak. The Devastator ratchet is noticably weak on him, I must do something about that.
• Scrapmetal: Boring but competant? He's fine, another one who I probably would have bought as a single if he hadn't predated Smyths getting serious about stocking the Studio Series line. I'm glad to get him.
• Overload: This boy is all about those hips. The robot is decent but surprisingly static despite the number of arm joints, they just aren't arranged in an especially useful way. The vehicle mode is awful, unfinished in the back, and obviously no depth in the dump bed. Some rubbish sculpting would have probably helped that a lot, since it can't be hollowed out. He is very nicely chunky for his portion of the price though. I'm surprised that his legs don't lock in anywhere in combined mode, even against other Overload parts.
  
• Long Haul: I didn't like the single because he just gets in how own way while bosing and transforming, but now he can make use of his leg mode, I'm okay with this for what I paid.
• Skipjack: I want to love this, but his arms are just so stiff. And his whips really seem like they should emerge from his palms, not from the back of his hands? Weird. Anyway, one I'm happy with.

Skipjack, Overload and Scrapper are the ones I find I'm gravitating towards the most as singles, which is unfortunate since the first two aren't reasy to casually remove from Devastator. Speaking of:

• Devastator: This is practically a statue, but an impressive one. With the exception of Overload's legs, everything seems to have a way to lock in, and overall he has the presence of a lumbering monster. Oh, and the additional collar piece Overload brought, but I might prefer the look of the unadorned mixing drum tbh. I am not confident in the longevity of the shoulder joints in particular, and their arrangement is odd to begin with.

Overall, am I satisfied for £125? Absolutely. There's simply a lot here, and while it's not especially functional, the sheer presence of the combined beast counts for a lot. There are a lot of shortcomings throughout however, and I am very glad that I didn't buy this at full price, or as it was released- each member has too many compromises to stand on their own. The full giftset price on Pulse of £250 would be too much for my blood, and that's already a slight discount on 2019/20 SS prices would have been for the singles.

 

Man I know these are just toys but this thing is my greatest collection accomplishment

 

So after collecting these as they came out years ago, I've only really bothered sitting down and getting to grips with the whole set over the last fortnight (I blame the fact that I got Overload and Scavenger while moving house so never found time to sit down in 2020 with them).

As a set, these figures are absolutely fantastic. Something that I love about them is that they go beyond the two usual Combiner team dynamics (6x same size humanoids, or 4x small and 1x big humanoids).

Stood together as a set of individuals they're incredible in both modes. A great mix of colours, sizes, and body types. Very alien, very threatening.

I'm not sure that any of them would really hold up as purely individual releases due to the constraints of having to triple change and fit the movie aesthetic. A few of the vehicle modes are more or less greebly construction vehicle shaped things with wheels, cabins and scoops (Scavenger, Scrapper, Overload for example). Some of them have quite compromised robot modes (Rampage, Scavenger, Hightower). A few are probably too simple in both modes to be a proper full cost individual release (Long Haul, Hightower, Scavenger - he's really taking a beating here). I'd say the best individual bots are Scrapmetal and Mix Master - I wouldn't be disappointed with them as standalone figures for the price of entry.

That said, each of them has their own charm.

Overload: I think this is probably the most underrated figure in the set. Great silhouette in robot mode, more poseable than you'd think, and a good heft to it. Vehicle mode is a bit of a wash.

Scavenger: Look, its not a great standalone figure, though to be fair neither was the original 2009 Voyager. What I will say is that this has a great transformation 'feel'. Everything is very clicky and solid feeling. Probably the most fun of the set to flip between modes.

Scrapper: Looks great in robot mode - love the proportions. Vehicle mode veers a little bit 'vaguely bulldozer shaped with a scoop on the front'.

Mix Master: I feel like this figure has copped a lot of unfair flak. Looks great in both modes, the transformation is actually pretty good (everything has a peg or a slot and its a breeze once you figure the order). The robot mode is great fun if you lean into the long gibbon arms aspect of it, as opposed to leaving the first set of shoulder joints sticking out 90 degrees to the side.

Long Haul: Pure function. Decent looking vehicle mode, robot mode is on model, transformation is mundane. Does what it has to, that being turn into a foot that bears the weight of six other figures.

Rampage: Looks great in both modes and I do enjoy the arm transformation. That said, a bit like Long Haul - this figure is a slave to function.

Hightower: Great looking vehicle mode, unique robot mode with no play value. I'm sad that the part budget didn't have room for more than vestigial nubbin arms. Probably the worst of the set, in that unlike Long Haul and Rampage there was scope for so much more to be done with this figure (because it forms a forearm basically, its not massively load bearing).

Scrapmetal: Probably the best of the set. Looks great in both modes, fun transformation, and a robot form that leans just enough into the movieverse aesthetic to be pleasingly alien (reverse jointed legs, hooves, crab claw hands).

Of course that leaves the star of the show itself, being the combined Devastator figure.

What we get isn't particularly screen accurate, if you care about that kind of thing (I don't). It doesn't have a massive amount of play value beyond being assembled and then disassembled - there's not much functional poseability in the legs and the weight of the arms makes it difficult to do much with them in practise. If you're diligent about shifting the joints property you can get it into a nice 'grasping Legends class figure like its a snack' pose.

That said, it looks amazing, holds together well, is fun to put together and take apart, and has phenomenal shelf presence.

A brief note on the Combiner's engineering - almost everything on this is so so solid, which is really pleasing. In fact, if I'm being nitpicky, I can only find three issues (all minor). The first is that Overload's legs don't secure anywhere in combined mode, and just sort of float around as the gestalt's ribs. It's not an issue in practise, but it seems like a missed step that there's not a spot for them to lock in. The second is that the little hooks that Mix Master's robot mode hips are meant to go into on the robot mode arms to assist securing them for combined mode are practically useless, but that's offset by the fact that the legs secure fine either way. The third is that its always feels like it needs too much force to plug in/remove leg mode Rampage.

Overall, I'm glad I finally sat down and got to grips with this set. It's an absolute delight that we're able to get figures like this. There's an immense amount of play value here, some really nice individual figures, and a fun and unique combiner at the end of it all.

 

Interesting commentary. I feel like long haul is harder to slam into overload than skipjack/rampage, but I do have a KO of overload bc I missed out on the original release. I wish there was a bit more budget for some firepower! The constructicons are lackin in that department

 

Great to see all these combined as it just never worked for me. Believe me I tried. About a year and a half ago when I got all the individual figures I finally tried to combine it. It just didn't work. It was just too frustrating. It wouldn't stay tabbed and kept coming apart. I'm reading how once this guy is put together he's very solid but not for me. Maybe mine have qc issues.

So in the end I just displayed them all together in bot mode until i got sick of them and put them in storage. Long term I'm only likely to keep 2 of them and there's a chance 1 or 2 already went in the great purge of 22. Im getting rid of a few more figs later this year too.

It's disappointing. But look I tried