Toy Review - Earthrise ARCEE

[Lint]

Arcee
Series - Transformers War for Cybertron Trilogy
Sub-line - Earthrise
Size/class - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco - New
Released here - November 2020
Approximate Retail Price - $35
Approximate Size - 13.5cm
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode - Cybertronian Cabriolet
Main Colours - Pink, White
Main Accessories - Handgun, Fin/Choking Hazard




Alt Mode
Not really much to say here. It's a terrible car that doesn't roll well, whose panels don't really line up perfectly and looks fairly pedestrian (toon accurate?). The transformation is basically Arcee doing yoga underneath a giant clam shell. To cap it off, the rear fin is easily detachable and is an awful choking hazard. Not sure how that one got past the toy safety panel.

Bot Mode
So basically Arcee is a terrible Transformer but an excellent action figure/doll. Her articulation is fantastic (nay, top of the line) and the detached/reduced weight backpack gives her a lot more balance to pull off those action poses compared to her Generations predecessor. I kid you not, there is very little Earthrise Arcee can't pull off. It's a damned shame they didn't pack in some swords for her to make the most of her abilities. There is only so mileage you can get out of her pack-in pistol. Half the car shell also detaches via a needlessly intricate spring clip mechanism to form what is functionally an 'action base' but thematically... silly.

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

The real star of Earthrise Arcee though is her magical pink slippers! These have a 5mm hole and a 3mm hole which allows her to connect to most War for Cybertron Trilogy figures for some outstanding poses.


https://i.imgur.com/ingaFw8h.jpg

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

https://i.imgur.com/zM2H2Klh.jpg

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


THOUGHTS

At first I was really underwhelmed by Arcee given the poor vehicle mode and transformation but her extremely strong bot mode more than compensates for these shortcomings. Especially those magical pink slippers! The only additional thing I would ask for in the bot mode is better head articulation (it's basically stuck in a horizontal plane) and wrist swivels but I guess we can't have everything: there's still an incoming Masterpiece to sell! If you don't have an Arcee already you should definitely pick this one up.
Apparently she is being re-released in the Kingdom toyline as well so there's not real rush to go snap her up. I do wonder why she didn't make the cut for the SS86 toyline though. She's a perfect fit.


A truly terrible Transformer
A super action figure/doll
Would have loved more accessories

[Deano85]

I've got Novastar and Chromia so she will look good with them. I'm trying to get Sunstreaker first but will eventually get Arcee

[Jellico]

Technical question. Have a look at the back of her elbows. Elita has a notch for a peg (below the hexagon) that isn't used. By the look of it so does Arcee. Likewise the wrist joint does nothing.
A premold perhaps? Who could use those arms.

[GoktimusPrime]

A truly terrible Transformer
A super action figure/doll
Would have loved more accessories

So basically...
https://i.ibb.co/f907S30/temp.jpg ;)

P.S.: Love your poses. Now I know what Transformers: The Ballet would look like. :)

[ComradeRenko]

I' m liking this figure a lot more as Elita 1 than Arcee. Probably because Elita 1 is, to my mind, an improvement on the PotP figure while Arcee is a downgrade from the Thrilling Thirty figure. The remoulded parts also help.

For some reason my Arcee has a very stiff back pin but Elita 1's is much smoother and easier to transform. Gun is still rubbish and the fin still barely stays in, but I guess I can't have it all.

[Tha_Phantom]

I have the Elita 1 version of this mould and I cannot seem to compress everything enough to get it to roll in car mode.
Her robot mode is really well articulated, especially with the removal of the backpack which I've decided isn't necessary as she can't transform properly anyway.
So I'm afraid I have to view her as an Action Master, but a really nice one.

[dirge]

I' m liking this figure a lot more as Elita 1 than Arcee. Probably because Elita 1 is, to my mind, an improvement on the PotP figure while Arcee is a downgrade from the Thrilling Thirty figure. The remoulded parts also help.

For some reason my Arcee has a very stiff back pin but Elita 1's is much smoother and easier to transform. Gun is still rubbish and the fin still barely stays in, but I guess I can't have it all.

All of this. I don’t have Arcee but my Elita One transforms smoothly, unlike the Arcee I’ve played with.

And yes, this is a step up from POTP but a step down from T30.

[ComradeRenko]

I have the Elita 1 version of this mould and I cannot seem to compress everything enough to get it to roll in car mode.
Her robot mode is really well articulated, especially with the removal of the backpack which I've decided isn't necessary as she can't transform properly anyway.
So I'm afraid I have to view her as an Action Master, but a really nice one.

I find on both versions it's a bit hit and miss getting the large pin into the hole in their backs. I have to do quite a bit of fiddling to get it to line up and compress correctly.

[Tha_Phantom]

I find on both versions it's a bit hit and miss getting the large pin into the hole in their backs. I have to do quite a bit of fiddling to get it to line up and compress correctly.

I did have trouble with that but it's more so folding the legs in all the way on mine. They don't really lock or tab into anything, they seem to just rely on friction to stay in place unless I'm missing something.

[ComradeRenko]

I did have trouble with that but it's more so folding the legs in all the way on mine. They don't really lock or tab into anything, they seem to just rely on friction to stay in place unless I'm missing something.

There are some notches on the front of the knee that sort of clip against the (very) small tab that juts out behind the rear wheel. If you rotate the leg far enough round to get the knee tab behind the chassis tab, the legs mostly stay in place.

[Tha_Phantom]

There are some notches on the front of the knee that sort of clip against the (very) small tab that juts out behind the rear wheel. If you rotate the leg far enough round to get the knee tab behind the chassis tab, the legs mostly stay in place.

Ah yes, I worked it out last night. Elita does roll smoothly with the legs/feet in just the right spot, I was pushing them further than they should have been. Thanks ComradeRenko and also Dirge. :)

https://i.ibb.co/rQw94Fc/elita.jpg (https://ibb.co/WH2CgGP)

[shockNwave]

Considering that Arcee is to fembots what Starscream is to seekers, it comes as no surprise that this version of her will be subject to heavy scrutiny.
Which is why I'm happier to have the Elita-1 repaint because (like Chromia) she plays second fiddle to Arcee and is therefore less common (this is my first Elita-1) and subject to less comparisons. BTW, her display stand is impressive when compared to a bog standard dais.

PS I sympathise with you Phantom. Those legs are hard to push in.