31 years after Broadside's G1 toy came out, we now have an updated version to join Springer and Sandstorm in our Wreckers collection! However, I think this toy is okay, and not really super impressive, but it feels like a good figure nonetheless. Joints are tight too. It's probably the feet. Anyway, onto the other pictures!

As many of you know, Broadside shares parts with Alpha Trion, and this is especially seen in the feet, which I still dislike. Seriously, they couldve redone the feet. Otherwise, he looks pretty good. His upper body, especially his shoulders, really stand out to me IMO.

Here's a closeup of Broadside's headsculpt and chest. The gray piece near his waist is designed to make the things around the sides of Broadside's head pop up, but on my copy at least, it is really hard to make it lock in, as the slightest touch may dislodge it. I won't show the Titan Master as stock photos have shown Blunderbuss as a repaint of Sovereign, the Titan Master of Alpha Trion.

These 5 extremely small white Aerialbot thingies come attached to sprues, so you have to cut them out. Unfortunately, this means you might also cut some of the paint away, revealing black underneath. Also, there's no real place to store the 5 of them, unless you place all of them inside Broadside's jet cockpit.

This is Broadside's aircraft carrier mode, and the better of the 2 modes. There are multiple pegs for the Titan Masters to stand on, and these pegs are where the small Aerialbot planes can also go. You can also open the bridge for a Titan Master to stand in. The aircraft carrier also has 3 "landing gears" under it. Also, while it's not that easy to see, the giant road in aircraft carrier mode are pre-applied stickers, which unfortunately means the stickers may come off due to its proximity to the hinges, and it also hides some detail under it.

This is the underside. Tons of robot parts here.

And finally, the weak point of the figure: The weird-ass jet mode. There are pegs here for the planes to fit, but it doesn't make much sense this time. The back part of the jet doesn't really fit, especially the forward swept tail fins. Oh well, one mode had to be compromised, right?

And finally, a size comparison featuring Chase and 3 of Broadside's fellow Wreckers.

Overall, he's lacking, especially in the jet mode. If you really wanna complete your Wreckers/Lost Light collection, get this guy, but don't expect too much from the sub-par jet mode.

EDIT: To answer some questions, yes the tailfins can be removed, but they're pretty tight in there.
As for picture requests:

This would definitely look better if you switch the tailfins, but the lower tailfins are harder to see.

 

Looking closely at my Broadside next to Alpha Trion, the way I see it, the only thing Broadside shares with AT are his lower legs. Everything below the knees are AT's shins and feet sans the beast legs. Given that, I can see why they dont incorporate/integrate well with the jet mode. The engineering isn't there. In that sense, I can forgive the jet mode for what it is.

Not a fan of how the borrowed AT feet dont tab together for carrier mode.

And the decals... i miss tampographs. These new decals just dont do it for me.

Other than those issues i mentioned, as well as the usual random qc misses, I quite like TR Broadside. He's not perfect, but he tries to achieve all three modes to the limit of his engineering.

Besides, it's not like G1 Broadside did any better during his time.

Jya na!

 

IIRC the upper arms and hips are the same too

 

At least he upgraded from his g1 self.
From 3 shitty brick modes he now has 1 great brick mode a descent robot mode and a shitty throwtogether which is his jet mode.

All in all he is remembered from the cartoon as the massive carrier. And that he pulls off. The robot mode is nice. I will get him.

 

Neat, I didn't realize he came with those tiny aerial bot figures for scale displays

I'm also glad Alpha Bravo isn't one of them

 

The biceps/elbow pieces, yes. The hips, i'll take your word for it. Hard to see those parts basing on pics / boxed samples.

 

Are the jet's tail fins held on with pins?

 

Him flipped upside down in Carrier mode looks like a cooler jet mode then the official one.

Seriously thats bitchin'

 

Not a fan of this guy at all.

 

I'll get Tidal Wave instead.

 

Agreed there. We already had enough of that BS in Combiner Wars. We don't need AB represented in a line that has been so slavishly G1.

Are the Aerialbots actually pre-painted on the sprues, as in they're black underneath the white? That's weird. I've painted minis before, though nothing THAT small, but I'm gonna give a try at painting them. Honestly it shouldn't be TOO hard for me...

 

Same here just because I have more attachment to tidal Wave then Broadside.

 

oh my god are people STILL complaining about Alpha Bravo

 

Like the robot mode.
Like the Carrier mode. (Both would have been better if it was a Leader, though, I think)
Not liking that aircraft mode, but it doesn't look as bad as it did in the initial renders released.

Actually, yes.
It would have been nice if the jet mode could have been based of that.

*sigh*... yes...  

 

Thanks for the review.

Broadside looks great to me, but the size comparison is making me hesitate. I'd hoped he be at least the same height as Springer. Now I'm thinking about holding out for Tidal Wave or passing all together.

 

Those stabilizers/tail fins just do not make sense at all.

 

Yeah, the back part of the jet really doesn't look right. You can kinda see how it might've been good (i.e. unfurl backwards from the ankles, the hips spin around), but it's like a bunch of parts had to be nixed last minute and this is the clumsy attempt at making it look sorta ok-ish.

 

If there was ever a figure for the 3rd party community to upsize, this would be it. The carrier mode looks really cool though. I may pick it up.

 

can we see some pictures of the tiny aerialbots in robot mode?