Part of the current release of Scout Class 'bots for the Hunt for the Decepticons line is this Decepticon named Insecticon. It's not the first time the name of a "subgroup" was used as the name of an individual 'bot (Dinobot got away with his name, why shouldn't Insecticon?) Right off the box art, Insecticon presents himself as a totally new mold with totally alien configuration -- Yes, his robot mode does have 2 arms. Out of the box, Insecticon is basically what you see him for -- an alien, multi-limbed, winged 'bot. He's got heels to help with his balance. He's got ball-joints on his arms ala-beast-wars-era toys. Most irritating of all, he's got those T-rotating joints like WFC Bumblebee's hips which tend to slip out often. Beyond those, you have a toy that will pretty much stand by itself on your shelf. For those who are quite bothered by Insecticon's 4-arms, you can simply swing or hide the extra 2 and have him look like a typical humanoid robot. It really won't make much of a difference as there are no humanoid hands to speak off. Here is Insecticon in size comparison with another insect-like Scout Class 'bot. Here's Insecticon in size comparison with a tall Deluxe Class figure -- I guess based on Insecticon's alt mode, his attacks are bound to come from above. This is where this toy eventually shines -- Insecticon's alt mode is some sort of a six-legged-winged insect. His mono-eye gives him the feel of a drone hence his army-building potential! The legs are quite sturdy as they can hold the entire weight of the toy in alt mode. Each of the 6 legs are independent of each other so getting them in the right position can get irritating. One of my favorite parts would be the translucent plastic wings -- they really add to that "insect" vibe. Regarding his transformation, despite the instruction sheet showing back to back instructions of robot to alt mode and back to robot, they still aren't much use due to the angle of the illustration. This close-up would hopefully show how to position the head in alt mode -- the robot face doesn't need to be exposed in alt mode. It's hard to say what scale this is supposed to be. I have to admit that I'm gonna be freaked out if an insect that large starts flying toward me so I can't call it 1:1. At the same time, he's in perfect size with 3.75inch figures! To sum it all up, Insecticon is one of those figures where you can toss in your 'Beast Wars' pile and look very much at home with the beasts with ball joints. He's army building material if you don't mind his cost. If you're not into beast alt modes then this is one less purchase on your list. ****
I really dig this guy. It's too bad the hftd scouts are 10.99 each at khols (haven't seen any anywhere else besides there).
One of my most eagerly anticipated HFTD figures, definitely the scout I'm most looking forward to getting my hands on.
His design just sort of... bugs me. There. Done. Joke used and over with. No more here to see. I MIGHT get him, just so some of my Joes have something to shoot.
Awesome review! Will definitely try to get this guy when he shows up in Canada (whenever that may be).
I think the only thing I'd change would be to give him slightly cloudy grey clear wings with a light tan wash to make the details stand out. Just for that dirty bug wing look. Would match his body better too. Anyways, he's on my to-buy list.
