Transformers WFC Siege Starscream video Review

[GrimTrigger]

Transformers War for Cybertron Siege Starscream https://youtu.be/LonLXKauYbM

[SharkyMcShark]

At first I was a hell no on this figure. I can't stand the recent trend in Seekers of a fake chest cockpit, and the transformation looks lazy (robot balls up under vehicle shell).

Then the first reviews came out of the weekend, and hey the robot mode looks pretty good actually, I might consider it.

Then I saw this picture (https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/wfc-siege-starscream.1170414/page-2#post-16662664) and I'm back to hell no. That's just lazy and I'm not rewarding it with a purchase.

[GoktimusPrime]

I'm perfectly happy with my Deluxe Class Generations WFC Seekers. Not as slavishly G1 accurate (but game accurate!), but overall I regard them as better toys.

But hey, at least Siege Starscream is a Cybertronian Jet and not a generic Earth jet fighter marketed as an alien plane! ;) (points for the thought?)

[M-bot]

He’s a really solid toy! Pleasantly surprised. Got some heft, maybe slightly small for a voyager but feels weighty. The legs underneath alt mode are not nearly as horrible looking IRL as I’ve seen in pictures. Some pics of the alt mode I’d seen previously (was it SS or Thundercraker? Not sure) had the head visible in alt mode but this is a mistransformation. Some clever transformation steps and fits together in both modes really cleanly and solidly. The guns can be placed on the upper or lower arms. Like a lot of the Siege toys, the mould is hyper-detailed and the “battle damage” paint is spread more evenly over the whole toy than others in the line.

Recommended!

[Paulbot]

Then I saw this picture (https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/wfc-siege-starscream.1170414/page-2#post-16662664) and I'm back to hell no. That's just lazy and I'm not rewarding it with a purchase.

Yikes!

(But if they redeco and remold that to be a new Gunrunner... and come on this line would be the perfect spot for a new version of that guy)

[philby]

I can't stand the recent trend in Seekers of a fake chest cockpit

why would you want a figure with bad looks and proportions for the sake of a "real" parts?

[TaZZerath]

This figure didn't really excite me until I saw somewhere that someone pointed out it looks a LOT like a Colonial Viper MkII from Battlestar Galactica.

And then my interest piqued again.

[GoktimusPrime]

But without the tragic result of the Colonial Viper toy!

[SharkyMcShark]

why would you want a figure with bad looks and proportions for the sake of a "real" parts?

Because use of real parts > fake kibble is something that matters to me. Engineering matters more to me as a collector than other factors like scale, source accuracy, etc.

The alternate answer would be for the designers to just embrace the fact that the figure doesn't have a classic seeker transformation and lean into that. Give the mold booster nozzles on its chest and leave the cockpit on its ass - just don't use pretend parts at all.

[ChlorHex]

This one just doesn't cut it for me...
I hate the cockpit bum in seeker mode.

[Sutton]

Because use of real parts > fake kibble is something that matters to me. Engineering matters more to me as a collector than other factors like scale, source accuracy, etc.

The alternate answer would be for the designers to just embrace the fact that the figure doesn't have a classic seeker transformation and lean into that. Give the mold booster nozzles on its chest and leave the cockpit on its ass - just don't use pretend parts at all.

Yes, and, a clever engineer can make it work, even at this scale.

Studio Series Barricade is a good example with the grill of the car being accurate in both modes while still being different in both modes.

[Sutton]

Oh, and another thing about this mold that's really lazy?

The damage paint application on Thundercracker is EXACTLY THE SAME. The splodges of crap are in the exact same pattern. It just looks weird once you see it.

[GoktimusPrime]

I hate the cockpit bum in seeker mode.
There once was a toy that we'd parse
Whose fan appeal was quite sparse
Far from fine
With a lacklustre design
And cockpit that formed on its . . . . . ;) :p

[hYpNoS]

Can't say I like how the fake chest keeps popping off during any sort of movement, mine even has white stress marks from all of that, the fake he's basically a shellformer is a problem.

...but I like the robot mode, its so poseable, and the shell itself is quite nifty too...

10/10 will buy all repaints

-seeker hoarder

[Bidoofdude]

I was initially quite disappointed in how the seeker mould looks, considering the transformation of jet with robot parts underneath. The alt mode itself looks great however. I've warmed up a bit to the aesthetic. This mould is a complex issue to be sure.


At first I was a hell no on this figure. I can't stand the recent trend in Seekers of a fake chest cockpit, and the transformation looks lazy (robot balls up under vehicle shell).

Then the first reviews came out of the weekend, and hey the robot mode looks pretty good actually, I might consider it.

Then I saw this picture (https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/wfc-siege-starscream.1170414/page-2#post-16662664) and I'm back to hell no. That's just lazy and I'm not rewarding it with a purchase.

There is realistically no way to make the long cylindrical seeker cockpit of the robot mode work into anything resembling the one on the tetrajet, at least at this ballpark of a budget. That said, there were probably heaps of better ways to make the alt mode in general form from the bot mode, rather than heaping into a ball. The chest being on the back of the jet for example is quite glaring.

[SharkyMcShark]

There is realistically no way to make the long cylindrical seeker cockpit of the robot mode work into anything resembling the one on the tetrajet, at least at this ballpark of a budget. That said, there were probably heaps of better ways to make the alt mode in general form from the bot mode, rather than heaping into a ball. The chest being on the back of the jet for example is quite glaring.

Then they should have worked with what they had. Embrace the jet engines on the chest/canopy on the butt look. Give us something new and interesting.

[Sutton]

The chest being on the back of the jet for example is quite glaring.

It's consistent with Soundwave's altmode, so they're uniformly lazy at least :p

Shockwave goes tits-up, just to keep things interesting.

[Dimi194]

I have only spent about 5 mins with this guy but OH MAN! I actually think it's awesome.

The chest piece is a bit strange (it's tendancy to pop off during transformation and sitting on the back) but both issues don't bother me that much.

The tetrajet is different, but I don't think it looks bad-I just don't have a big strong feeling towards those kind of sci-fi ship designs.

Robot mode is glorious-so much expressiveness due to great articulation (even in the head), lovely to see light piping back, and a neat design-his proportions are a tad strange but they are robots from outer space, and don't need to conform to human proportions :p

9/10, really like this guy! Possibly even more than Megatron!

And to think I was going to say having the CW version was enough...

[Soundwarp]

I’m nearly out of room but I need this guy for my Starscream shelf!

[Tha_Phantom]

I think they've done a decent job considering they're going for a G1 cartoon accurate bot mode and alt mode. The designers didn't have an easy task here considering the tetra jets were never designed with toys in mind. Regarding fake parts remember this toy is at a voyager price point and even some MPs aren't immune to using fake parts to get away with cartoon accuracy.

The few people who have bought it so far all seem to like it which is good to hear, I was planning on getting at least Starscream but might grab the whole seeker set depending.

[SMHFConvoy]

The issue with the chest popping off, I'd rather that, than it shearing off. It's a deliberate engineering choice.

[Tha_Phantom]

So I got Screamer yesterday and I'm pretty stoked with him. Transformation is not too difficult, he's a shellformer done right as Dr Lockdown said. Articulation is good but pretty much what you'd expect except for the feet. I'm impressed there are 4 different points of articulation in the feet which makes posing a breeze! This is also the first Siege figure I've owned where the battle damage hasn't annoyed me, I like that it's fairly consistent all over unlike some other figures in the line. I also appreciate that the backs of the legs have a springloaded panel that pops out so they aren't hollow when in bot mode. Overall the engineering that has gone into this is impressive considering it's both a fairly toon accurate tetra jet and bot mode at a voyager price point. I don't expect perfection here, but what we have definitely does a good job.

My only major criticism of this guy is that darn chest panel! Unfortunately, when you swing it out for transformation it will inevitably keep popping off until it's properly locked into place again, so I just remove it until I'm done with the transformation. Otherwise, I'm happy with this guy and would recommend despite the chest.

https://i.ibb.co/p4WYfJX/54521558-10157569616992137-6753110489774948352-o.jpg (https://ibb.co/HGN5tng)
https://i.ibb.co/kgDsNRy/54396459-10157569617057137-4642758126834024448-o.jpg (https://ibb.co/xSgtxps)

[doublespy]

I agree with Tha_Phantom, I actually the designer(s) did a pretty good job with this all thing considered. A tetrajet that doesn't shell form is pretty unrealistic on a retail Voyager budget.

Here's my quick review:

TETRAJET MODE:

https://i.imgur.com/3v0Tuw4h.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/VZwOajIh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ZXaUbHVh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/jmRQx56h.jpg

A pretty good attempt at the MTMTE Tetrajet design. IMHO it's quite realistic to have this design turn into the G1 toon Starscream without resorting to shell-forming, on a Hasbro retail budget anyway. The legs underneath is not ideal, but considering the robot mass the shell needs to conceal, I suspect it's either this, or a larger jet shell which will no doubt result in an excessive backpack in 'bot mode (I think the backpack as is is perfect). So again, I can look pass it. You gotta be realistic when looking at design compromises.

I've always loved the Cybertronian designs from the 80s which now have a retro-futuristic charm to them. This jet mode is quite clean and everything fits solidly together with multiple interlocking tabs. Love the transparent plastic cockpit here and the battle damage looks decent on the jet. The tri-nozzle on the back is cool and I don't mind the the bot mode chest on the back; the chest "turbo" design looks like extra boosters. The weathering paint apps look decent too.

TRANSFORMATION:
The engineering is simple and efficient. I really like how the jet nose becomes the 'bot mode "intakes". It's like the designer's way to explain why the 'bot modes look the same when transformers were back on Cybertronn, with their earth alt mode kibble. Maybe I got lucky with the tolerances on the hinge piece, but I've had no problem at all with the chest panel. You just gotta find the right spots to apply force, and untab both sides simultaneously with both of your hands holding the hinge firmly, to avoid having leverage on one side only and pop the chest piece off the hinge. The back of the legs are spring loaded to fill the gap in bot mode. I do very appreciate this kind of feature that shows they do make effort to please us collectors.

'BOT MODE:

https://i.imgur.com/rx2hhf8h.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/BUsGJhvh.jpg

I absolutely this 'bot mode. Overall he can pass as "cartoon accurate", and upon close look he has that blended CHUG aesthetic going on, especially all the mechanical details and certain design element like the chest turbos remind me of the first Classics Screamer. The head sculpt has a little bit of Armada Starscream. I wish it was leaning more towards the G1 'toon look, but objectively this is a fantastic head sculpt, per TT's high standards. Overall he's solid and a joy to handle. The designer did great minimizing the backpack imho, which goes back to my point earlier, could be much worse.

https://i.imgur.com/QKh836Qh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/oRtv8DIh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5eW59Nbh.jpg

The articulation is fantastic and probably one of the best in any retail size class, like ever. Decent head ball joint range, shoulder butterfly joints (for transformation, but they're effective for a decent crossing arm pose which I forgot to take photo of...), double jointed elbow, wrist swivel and a bit of rotation due to transformation, a very deep knee bend, ankle tilt and a DEDICATED forward and back rotation! I didn't get my flight stand out but I imagine he can pull off some really cool poses on stand.

This is my first experience with the Siege line and if I remember correctly the designers did say they deliberately avoided using ball joints, which I really appreciate. All the joints here are smooth to handle with excellent tolerances.


Overall, this is a great figure imho. The fact that the chest panel didn't pop off on me at all probably helped too. Fun to handle, looks great in both modes, and insanely articulated: a great representation of modern TF figure.

[Maruten]

Although the bot mode is spectacular, the shellforminess was worrying me. But in hand, this guy absolutely won me over. I feel like they probably could have tweaked the shell a little and hidden or de-emphasised the folded up robot underneath slightly more, but hey... Cybertronian mode, no rules I guess. It sure as heck works better on a "tetrajet" than it does on an Aerialbot.

The chest panel is a huge fail though. Not least because okay fine it's a weird alien plane and it can do whatever it wants, but why does in have a fake cockpit under its butt?

So, trying to figure out whether I can be bothered to pin it myself (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr07cWSegmE). Looks easy enough but am I competent enough to get it right...? :D

[Tha_Phantom]

I really like how the jet nose becomes the 'bot mode "intakes". It's like the designer's way to explain why the 'bot modes look the same when transformers were back on Cybertronn, with their earth alt mode kibble.

Ah thank you, this is another point I wanted to make but couldn't articulate it properly. :p

Also, for those wanting to mod the chest, Peaugh did a quick tutorial. Not sure I will end up doing it though, but if anyone does please post your results.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr07cWSegmE

[Sinnertwin]

Speaking of chest hinges, TFW reports that later production runs include a pin securing his chest in place during transformations.

[Deonasis]

I needed a TF fix so I picked up this guy. He is pretty cool as everyone has eluded to.



It appears very few of the recent design shortcuts have ended up in SIEGE figures. I like the rich paint, great articulation, joints that can be tightened, and only legit 1 pop-off joint. He is not hollow (despite places he could've been) and uses no stickers.


I dislike the super boxy chest and think the thrustors could have been implemented better but overall this figure is a solid WIN.



Including the battle effects, and all positive points above, this entire line looks great for user created content/stories online. This is something the big brands really need to keep in touch with and I would guess Hasbro (hello Botbots) is certainly aiming for this to happen with the SIEGE line.

[GoktimusPrime]

Personally not my thing as I'm happy enough with my FOC Starscream, but I must admit that it's a pretty nice toy. The chest is annoying and reminds me of Studio Series 01 Bumblebee's roof or POTP Cutthroat's beast head -- it's inexcusably bad but not a dealbreaker. And the chest stays on fine in both robot and jet modes, it's only during transformation that it comes off ridiculously easily.
https://i.ibb.co/1Gm5hKW/SIEGE-Starscream01.jpg
It's got a lot of really neat details in it including nods to the G1 design such as fake folded up F-15-like horizontal stabilisers! :D And the way that the nosecone transforms into the shoulder pylons is quite clever. The nosecone is broader than the cartoon mode, I reckon for child safety reasons (cos the alternative would be to have a rubbery nosecone, but then it'd be problematic to split and close up tightly). The interesting result of this is, and this is something I've never noticed before with the G1 Tetrajet design ... but it's soooo typically 70s/80s! It draws heavily from fighters like the Colonial Viper from Battlestar Galactica and the X-Wing fighter from Star Wars. And I'm sure that this is not a coincidence, but the blunter nosecone really accentuates this moreso than the pointy nosecone from the cartoon model.
https://i.ibb.co/NV8YYKh/SIEGE-Starscream02.jpg

[Bidoofdude]

Got this guy in the Target sale today so I able to make some kind of MTMTE diorama down the line with the eventual Bee and Wheeljack.

I’m mainly in it for the alt mode, which does look a lot better in person. It’s only a shellformer a little bit, as the wings honestly aren’t super duper thick and the cockpit formation is really clever, so he gets a pass.

Robot looks fine, but nothing will ever surpass the Classics Seeker mould robot classics-wise which is my go to for all robot mode related seeker stuff. Very fun alt mode though which is what they needed to get right here.

Really hoping Thundercracker, Skywarp and hopefully a rainmaker set fix the chest issue, as he would be above average without the problem.

[KELPIE]

Just opened this guy.

Like everyone else I was surprised by the intakes folding down to form the nose. That was cleaver and made me happy.

The bot is really poseable and both modes are sturdy. I really like him in hand in both modes way more than I thought I would.

I've gone now from only intending on getting Skywarp, to likely getting the main three seekers and then seeing what happens from there.

My only gripe, and I'm sure I'm the only one, is that he's a little to big. I don't think he needs to be this scale... in fact, I think this class is dumb. But that's just me.

Sorry Gok, I think he's way better than FoC Screamer.

[klystron]

Wow, super stoked with this fig. Especially at $39.
Much better in-hand than expected. Both modes are solid. The pose-ability of bot mode is fantastic and the tetra-jet is very... swooshable.
Chest piece doesn't annoy me as much I feared. As others have mentioned it really is secure in both modes and falls off during transformation. (I'm still going to pin it tho).
My main (only?) gripe is the forearms don't clip shut.
Def going to pickup Thundercracker as well!

[SharkyMcShark]

I have severely mixed feelings on this one.

Positives
- The robot mode is incredibly gorgeous and poseable.
- I like the null rays.
- EDIT: Forgot this yesterday - I absolutely adore the spring loaded calf panels. An entirely unnecessary but very much appreciated touch.

Middle Ground
- The alt-mode isn't as cripplingly shit as I'd thought it would be.
- The faux fake cockpit on the chest doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would. In person it looks less like a cockpit and more like a power conduit or something.

Negatives
- The transformation is incredibly boring. It's barely a step above rolling a revoletch or SCF figure into a ball and hiding it under a cape.
- The quality control on some of the engineering is absolute dogshit tier. The chest panel is the chest panel, we all know about that. The grey panel behind the neck is literally too big on my copy to allow the figure to properly transform. As I understand it this is not an uncommon problem among copies of this figure. Fortunately it is on a stiff friction joint and can be removed without tools. You don't lose any functionality (you actually gain a bit of neck articulation) but I shouldn't have to be ripping bits off my figures to make them work.

Overall I'd buy it on sale. It's a good action figure, just not a particularly interesting or well designed Transformer.

[shockNwave]

The alt. mode is what sold me on this one (I prefer the Thundercracker repaint). The Battlestar Galactica Viper is an apt comparison. The only drawback is the ship's bulky underside kibble but otherwise amazing and Soundwave's bulk cruiser mode has nothing on this sleek ship. Also love how it pegs together to stay solid and how can I forget the articulation of the brilliant robot mode.