Can we get a comparison with classics deluxe figs?

 

damn i have yet to see this guy at retail anywhere around here...ugh

wish they had made him a decepticon though .

 

Just got this guy today and apart from having to take the first one back because one of the lower leg pins was driven through at an angle so the panel wouldn't hinge into place and the part was cracking my expereince has been nothing but awesome.

For once all three modes work really well, from the tight tank mode to the Brawl-like robot mode with a decent range of articulation (although I'm not fond of the stumpy legs and covered hands), to the best of all torso mode that has a cool head and offers top articulation compared to most other Commander torso modes. Get some chunky drones on this bad boy and all is right with the world.
I'll be covering the Autobot logo and making this my Classics Brawl.

Groundspike is less enjoyable, always popping off the peg when as the blade on the front of the tank, being oddly proportioned in robot mode (his chest connects directly to his crotch), and not really much to look at in weapon mode. He can make a passable batleth or bow though. I think he works best when as chest armour. I just wish he wasn't such a clashing colour compared to Heavytread. I wish the PCC Minicons were just cast on colours that compliment the Commanders. Same with the connector pegs. That light blue can really bugger up an otherwise cool-looking figure.

This guy is definitely now my favourite PCC Commander. I think if you're trying to change the mind of anyone that thinks PCCs are crap this is one of the first figures you should use to show otherwise.

 

Pros:
. Nice solid and realistic-looking tank mode (and 2 of 4 blue PCC plugs hide away inside the body of it!)

. Decent robot mode, with a strong Brawl-like look.

. Torso mode is quite strong too, with good stiff joints compared to many other PCC toys. Looks best with military ground vehicle drones, not surprisingly.

. Some nice touches to the transformation, like the pelvis opening up to fill out and stabilize the rear of the tank mode, and the aforementioned hiding away of blue plugs inside the tank body.

Cons:
. Groundspike the minicon is a bit of a turd. (at least for me). My main problem is that one or both legs WILL come off if moved certain directions (that might be required for certain modes), and there's a couple bits of design that look like they are intended to work a certain way, but don't. I'm probably being harsh, but he's the weak companion compared to Heavytread.

. Hands in robot mode are iffy-looking, like boxing gloves made from track links.

Notes: his combined mode head is unusually large compared to other PCC toys. It, along with the compact combiner torso mode, makes the combined form look almost more like a single toy in proportion, rather than a composite form.

Overall: A PCC toy that looks good and is stable and solid in all three modes? Astounding! It's sad (or fitting) the Power Core Combiners line is finishing, as Heavytread is probably the best commander figure of the entire line. Now I want to get another Heavytread, and one or two more 5-packs to give him some good matching drones.

.

 

I finally got my hards on this guy today. It almost blows my mind how clever his transformation is -- I think a lot of deluxe tanks could take a lesson.

 

nabbed him today too. just about as awesome as expected.

a few things though:
- he has a master chief head
- his shins have a tendency to slide around
- groundspike actually turns into a crossbow, but he is so overwhelmingly amazing at this that hasbro censored it and turned it into some derpy rake

 

I did an arm swap with Groundspike and that blue minicone axe and came up with an interesting combo --

Yes, Groundspike does make a decent crossbow! Heavytread now takes on a dual targetmaster role ala G1 Quake.


Combining 2 minicon weapons, you get the crossbow:

 

Still loving this figure. My only wish would be that he had proper hands flip out from his treads.



And now I have the Combaticon set he can be even more awesome:

 

Finally got it... how ridiculously long time it took my friend to get one from a local retail discount store...



Cute power up head..

 

I hate to necro a thread, but I just got Heavytread recently. This has to be the perfect PCC commander figure. Sure he's got odd hands, but all three modes are just...fantastic. This guy is my Brawl, period. The look, the head, all of him just screams Brawl. I'm glad I was fortunate enough to finally get my hands on this guy. Even if you forget the PCC gimmick the figure is STILL amazing!

 

He's an awesome looking figure overall, and I'm sorry I missed out on this guy when he was more prevalent at retail. And pics of the 3rd party add-on limbs for this guy (two tanks and two prop planes?) will make him even better!

 

For more pics, click on the image above


Robot Mode: A stocky little robot, Heavytread can’t really hide what it is he transforms into. He’s got tank treads on his arms and legs and a big gun turret as a rucksack on his back. One very positive thing I'd like to note right here: unlike many other tank-formers who have their turret on the back, Heavytread can actually still use the tank's gun in robot mode. The turret can slide forward/upward into his shoulders behind his head and he only needs to bend over a tiny bit in order to fire. Very nicely done.

Okay, what else can I say here? There is nothing really wrong here, as articulation is good, detailing is good, everything works as it’s supposed to, no complaints. Just about the only thing I don’t like is that Hasbro chose to colour their Powercore connecting ports a bright blue, no matter the colour scheme of the toy in question. If those things on his arms had the same colour as the rest, you’d barely notice them. But being bright blue, they stick out. That’s pretty much the only downside here, though.

Well, not quite. One other thing that slightly bothers me is the lack of hands. Heavytread has a hole in his right forearm where he can stick in his Minicon partner in weapon mode (see below), but that’s it. Not even any sculpting around it to simulate a hand. That’s my last complaint, though. Otherwise a very nice robot mode, especially considering that it’s been built around a gimmick.

Alternate Mode: As was pretty evident from the robot mode, Heavytread transforms into a tank, more specifically a Merkava tank, an Israeli model that first entered service in 1979 and is still being used today. Not sure what the significance is in a peace-loving, gentle Autobot choosing a tank mode in the first place and of a model that’s seen more military action these last 30+ years than just about any other post-WW2 tank to boot.

Anyway, a very solid tank mode. No visible robot bits, the turret can turn a full 360 degrees, the only negative thing are – once again – the bright blue Power Core combiner ports, which stand out against the camouflage pattern the rest of the tank sports. Apart from that, though: no complaints. A very nice alternate mode.

Partner / Add-On: Heavytread’s Minicon partner is called Groundspike. His robot mode looks pretty good, though the translucent blue plastic makes it hard to see much of his detail work. Like all PCC Minicons he has three alternate modes and unlike most of the PCC Minicons the three modes actually manage to look somewhat different. He can become a chest plate for Heavytread in robot or combiner mode, he can become a kind of snow-plow / mine-sweeper attachment for the tank mode, and can also serve as a kind of hook-weapon to be held in hand. So bottom line, definitely one of the better PCC Minicons.

Combiner Mode: Just like every non-Minicon figure from the Power Core Combiner line, Heavytread can become the torso of a combiner robot which can use any of the PCC drones as limbs. The transformation from robot to combiner torso is pretty simple, as Heavytread tucks in his arms and legs and exchanges his smaller head for a bigger one. Well, not quite, the rucksack is configured a big differently, now having the cannon barrel sticking out behind one shoulder and a second, missile-launcher-like barrel being lowered over the other one.

Combiner Heavytread retains the full articulation of the robot in his legs and hip, while his thick construction makes him one of the most stable of the PCC torsos. And while he works just fine with just about every set of drone limbs, he looks really, really cool when combining with the Iron Army dudes. Yes, those aren’t official Transformers, but rather Third Party figures, but still. They look like they’re made for each other. So bottom line, Heavytread makes for a great combiner torso. Best of the entire line in my mind.

Remarks: The Power Core Combiner toy line was a good idea… on paper. Offer up figures with an endlessly interchangeable combiner gimmick, keep it clear of the usual suspects (Optimus, Bumblebee, Starscream, etc.) except for the occasional homage here and there, and just make them good, fun toys. Well, it was that last one that kinda failed in reality. The PCC line did have some great figures, but the emphasis here is “some”. Quite a few were mediocre at best and quite a few fans never got over their disappointment that the drone limbs didn’t have robot modes of their own. And so the PCC line died a quiet death, even as some of the final toys that came out were among the best of the bunch.

Case in point: Heavytread. To me he is quite simply the best of the PCC toys. Good robot mode, good vehicle mode, best combiner torso (though Bombshock comes very, very close), an all-around great package. So unless you’re completely allergic to the entire Power Core Combiner concept for some reason, there is really nothing at all wrong with getting this guy. Oh, and grab the Iron Army dudes, too, while you’re at it.

Rating: A-

 

Dude...he's got hands! Turn the fore arm!

Heavytread is one of, if not the best PCC, and still an awesome scout sized toy. Tank looks realistic too...reminds me of a merkava.

 

Heavytread was released in 2011 as part of the Power Core Combiners toyline.
Heavytread is a scout class figure coming with a PCC minicon, Groundspike.

Packaging

Spoiler

Alt mode

Heavytread transforms into a decent tank, with a rotating turret. Wheels don't really work, and the turret's barrel doesn't lift, but it's overall a nice TF tank.

PCC minicons, differently from Armada (UT) minicons, are proper powerups, and not just small cars attached to an arm.
Groundspike, like all 32 PCC minicons, has four modes:
- robot mode
- armor mode
- vehicle weapon/integration mode (think about Armada Demolishor)
- targetmaster mode

All four modes are found in this review's pictures. Like most of the 9 PPC minicon molds, Groundspike's four modes suck. However, Groundspike is a bit special, in that all of its modes suck.

In robot mode, Groundspike has uselessly long legs. In armor mode things get better but its legs have nowhere to go. Its vehicle weapon mode is specifically designed for Heavytread, and even here it sucks.
Its targetmaster mode sees Groundspike transforming into a claw, as pictured on the back of packaging. Needless to say, that claw mode sucks.
Groundspike reminds me of three notable TFs: G1 Devastator (armor mode), Armada Hot Shot (vehicle integration) and Cybertron Leobreaker (claw mode). Despite the homages and the creativity, I am afraid Groundspike is one of the worst mini-con ever made, possibly worse that Armada Nightbeat.




Robot mode
Who cares.

Combined mode

In combined mode PCC Heavytread shines, and even Groundspike finds some redemption. A great PCC torso with excellent proportions, Heavytread manages to add value to any drone set attached to it. In these pictures we see Heavytread stealing the Combaticons drone set from Bombshock, doing a much better job.




Overall, PCC Heavytread is a pretty decent scout class transformer, with good alt mode and an acceptable robot mode, and an excellent torso mode for your leftover PCC drones. Groundspike is the worst minicon out of the over 540 I own, and that includes Armada Nightbeat. I don't think that Heavytread justifies paying the prices I have seen online, and I am not sure it's worth tracking down any third party limbs set for this. I think if you manage to get the Combaticon drones for cheap, Heavytread is already as good as it could ever be - even without a minicon. 8/10

 

I always thought Groundspike looked better attached via the side peg hole, as opposed to holding is his hand. Less like a backscratcher, and more like a Freddy Krueger claw.

Here’s some pictures with third party add-ons. I think they look pretty good.

 

It's interesting looking back at these guys now, since their modern counterparts seem to be those Crash Combiner-type things which... don't look so good. I mean, the PCC drones and Mini-Cons aren't that great, but the Scouts were often times pretty amazing.

Heavytread is definitely one of the best of the lot, if not the best. A huge improvement from Bombshock (who I still quite like), it's a shame the line didn't get to continue.