Toy Review - DOTM Basic Human Alliance Icepick and Sergeant Chaos.

[Sky Shadow]

Dark of the Moon Basic Human Alliance Icepick and Sergeant Chaos.

Icepick is... yada, yada, yada... which brings me to Sergeant Chaos! Sergeant Chaos is the first Earthborn Human Decepticon ever to be released in the Western World of Transformers toys. (I'm sure there may technically be others, but I can't think of them right now.) Sergeant Chaos has nine points of articulation, a tiny Decepticon insignia on his chest, and his name is Sergeant Chaos. He's so great that you can even sing his praises to the tune of 'Rock Me Amadeus' by Falco. Everybody (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMuDtfxAIKk&feature=fvwrel)! "Sergeant Chaos, Sergeant Chaos! Sergeant Chaos! Sergeant Chaos, Sergeant Chaos! Sergeant Chaos! Sergeant Chaos, Sergeant Chaos! Oh, oh, Sergeant Chaos!"

I have to say at this point that Human Alliance is the perfect line in which to release Alice from ROTF. Seriously, if they can release Frenzy as a human... c’mon! At least Alice looks human. Speaking of humans, Sergeant Chaos comes with a snowmobile accessory and his hands turn and his legs swivel and bend in all the right places to actually ride the snowmobile. Look!

I give Sergeant Chaos five snowmobiles out of five.

...

Oh, yeah.

Sergeant Chaos's snowmobile transforms into a Decepticon called Icepick. Icepick's bio is intriguing. He is a character who has only teamed up with Sergeant Chaos because Icepick's "combiner team" was "destroyed". Is this a sly reference to Movieverse Monstructor? Very cool if it is. Icepick has a Mini-con/MechTech port on his left arm and he's pretty cool. The only issue I have with the toy are that bizarrely, there's a joint that seems to have been neutered that would have enabled the neck/spine/head section to pivot back. I don't know what it was there for in the first place, but I also don't know why it's been 'plasticed off' so that the entire joint is useless. Maybe it was just the only way to mould and assemble the plastic, but if anyone can work out what I'm talking about and explain it to me, I'd be interested to know why it's there. Otherwise he's great and also turns into a giant chainsaw!

I give Icepick four chainsaws out of five.

[kaiden]

great review! i cant wait to see how he'll look riding in mp-10 prime :D

[Sky Shadow]

AROOG... AROOG.... AROOGDIGDOOGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/536/035ic.jpg

[Stompy]

Entertaining read Sky.

I was a little disappointed at these Human Alliance basics. I know people hate the Cyberverse commanders for the size : prize ratio but these aren't engineered as well as the Cyberverse Commanders, in my opinion. Transformation is simple and the limbs unruly.

With Icepick, the bio is actually referring to the Power Core Combiners Icepick. Judging from the engineering of these HA Basics this has the PCC teams trademarks all over it. Boxy limbs, angular sculpts, odd proportions and crazy designs. Instead of Targetmasters we have humans.

Icepick actually looks like a female bot to me, despite the bio referring to it as a he. The long hair, curvy proportions, the heeled pointy feet and hand sculpts I've only seen on female bots of past. I must say robot mode is quite nice, especially with the Voldo (Soul Calibur) like mask and the crazy ass backpack. Alt mode is quite nice and definately resembles a Snowmobile. The weapon mode (compatible with all mechtech figures) is a little bit forced but I admire Hasbro for trying.

Not a bad figure but my money is still on Cyberverse Commanders. Human Alliance to me means complex and detailed figures. This is still good fun though and to be honest, prefer these Human Figures over the Targetmasters in the PCC line.

[Sky Shadow]

Thanks Stompy.


With Icepick, the bio is actually referring to the Power Core Combiners Icepick.

I thought Hasbro might have meant that, but... that doesn't make sense. The actual wording of HA Icepick's bio is "with his combiner team destroyed". PCC Icepick didn't have a combiner team, he didn't even have drones - he just had Chainclaw. That's why it seemed logical for it to be a reference to Monsterbot Icepick, who actually had a combiner team, but none of them (Birdbrain, Bristleback, Scowl, Slog, or Wildfly) have had their names reused in the years since 1989 except Icepick.

[Stompy]

Hmm, yes you are probably more correct. I don't think they would cross universe with a gimmick line with a mainstream one. Still nice to know though. My G1 knowledge ain't as sharp as all you lot here.

[GoktimusPrime]

TFwiki have placed PCC Icepick as the same character as DotM Icepick, but they admit that this was a subjective interpretation on their part and not necessarily canonically accurate.


Due to the vague continuity of the Power Core Combiners line, the case for Power Core Combiners Icepick and Dark of the Moon Icepick being the same guy is not airtight. In fact, it's not entirely out of the question that Power Core Combiners Icepick is a new body for Generation 1 Icepick, upon whom his bio is heavily based. TFWiki.net has gone with the simplest explanation.

Source: http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Icepick_%28DOTM%29

[Sky Shadow]

http://toynewsi.com/news.php?catid=242&itemid=17259#

[GoktimusPrime]

Haha, "Grecian"... can't believe George W. Bush actually thought that was what people from Greece are called. (-_-)

[griffin]

(I wonder why the HA Basics have the Human listed first on the packaging, as if they are the primary toy and the robot is their accessory)



Icepick w/ Sergeant Chaos
Series - Dark of the Moon
Sub-line - Mechtech Human Alliance
Size/class - Basic
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 1
Released here - May 2011
Approximate Retail Price - $20
Approximate Size - 10cm
Allegiance - Decepticon (the only Decepticon in the first 2 waves)
Alt-modes - Snow-mobile & Weapon
Main Features/Gimmicks - Human figure interaction
Main Colours - White, black, purple
Main Accessories - 2 guns, Sergeant Chaos

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/tftoys/mt27.jpg

[Lint]

Picked this out last night, only because the human's name was sergeant chaos and he was the only decepticon of the wave. I would say this was the weakest of the wave (minus the jeep one which I didn't buy).

Upsides are a unique alt mode, neat colour scheme and the fact that if you have megatron you can complete the chainsaw killer image. In fact if Icepick was in the DOTM movie, he should have been used to maim sentinel in the chest.

Downsides are a lousy bot mode, absurd looking and awkwardly utilised clippy weapons and the fact that Chaos just doesn't want to stay on the Skidoo.

[Sky Shadow]

The only issue I have with the toy are that bizarrely, there's a joint that seems to have been neutered that would have enabled the neck/spine/head section to pivot back. I don't know what it was there for in the first place, but I also don't know why it's been 'plasticed off' so that the entire joint is useless. Maybe it was just the only way to mould and assemble the plastic, but if anyone can work out what I'm talking about and explain it to me, I'd be interested to know why it's there.

I found out - this is what the joint is supposed to be for:

http://www.dvandom.com/kitbash/icepickmod4.JPG
http://www.dvandom.com/kitbash/icepickmod3.JPG

And what has to be done to fix it:

http://www.dvandom.com/kitbash/icepickmod1.JPG
http://www.dvandom.com/kitbash/icepickmod2.JPG

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Perfect timing, I got this guy this week and opened him a day or two ago.
This little dude is really fun, and has become my favourite out of the four HA Basics I own (the others being Whirl, Sandstorm, and Tailpipe).
In terms of design I have to go with the general consensus that Tailpipe and Sandstorm are better toys, but Icepick here has an easier transformation (better for fooling around with) and more interesting alt-mode. Sandstorm and Tailpipe are just involved enough to require attention, and Whirl is a bit fiddly with the landing gear and cockpit, but Icepick is the kind of toy you can just pick up and fiddle with without having to engage your brain - the perfect desktop TF for absentminded procrastination.

I went for 'Only if (something else)', the something else being either cheap and/or you like exotic alt-modes.