Toy Review - Beast Hunters DLX Dreadwing

(Please post photos, comments or even a fully comprehensive review - these are just brief details to get you started)

Series - Transformers Prime
Sub-line - Beast Hunters
Size/class - Deluxe
Wave - 3
New/remould/redeco - New
Released here - not yet (globally March/April 2013)
Approximate Retail Price - $23-$30 (US$15 in America)
Approximate Size - 14cm
Allegiance - Decepticon
Alt-mode - Cybertronian jet
Main Features/Gimmicks - splotchy plastic colour, spiky
Main Colours - Blue, grey, yellow
Main Accessories - blade weapon, missile launcher, 2x missiles

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/tftoys/tfpbh12.jpg

Of the four Beast Hunter toys I got on the weekend (Shockwave, Dreadwing, Ratchet, Skystalker), this was the one I actually liked the best, but not by much.... because after I had played with it, I transformed my Prime Dreadwing toys for a group photo and found that the transformation was almost exactly the same as the Cmdr class toy. Even the way the waist part flips around on itself, it was just so disappointing that they "cheated" by copying a completely different toy.

The other flaw on this figure that spoilt it was the instructions. They are quite useless... actually, most of these mono-colour instructions are difficult to make out the details. At least drawn instructions have distinct black lines to distinguish certain parts.
Dreadwing's instructions say to fold the shoulder pads to be under the wings of the plane mode, but as you can see in the packaging photos and official images, those grey shoulder pads need to be on the sides of the jet nose to form the air intakes.
Plus, it isn't clear on what to do with the weapons in jet mode, as the product images show them under the jet, but the instructions just show how to use one of them on the top of the jet.
One insignificant thing I liked though was the way the wings split apart in robot mode.

Some comparison photos...

Next to Voyager Dreadwing. (this was straight out of the packaging, so I forgot to fix the wings)
http://www.toycollectors.com.au/blog/a585.jpg
.
Both Skyquakes and all three Dreadwings.
http://www.toycollectors.com.au/blog/a586.jpg

I can't take this guy seriously. Those feet and his butterfly wings remind me of the alien from Galaxy Quest....:rolleyes:

Disappointing.

The way they've tried to give the jet that "falcon" look really hurts the jet mode. Even just a direct Deluxe sized copy of the Voyager would've been infinitely better than this. It's not a dreadful toy per se, but it's certainly not great either. I got this toy at the same time as Skystalker, and I actually prefer Skystalker way more than Dreadwing.

The colours are just garish and make it look like a "G2" version of TFP Dreadwing. What is this, 1993?? And what's with the melee weapon? Why not a sword? There's also zero head articulation. :( The things that impressed me were the missile launcher gun and the way the shoulder panels line up in jet mode.

Only recommended if you really want an above-Cyberverse sized Dreadwing and (if like me) you didn't get the Voyager (which never came out here :() and you can get this toy for below RRP. Definitely don't pay full retail for this guy (even at below RRP I feel ripped).

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22..._shoulders.gif

Bought one today. He'll make a fine Jhiaxus some day.

The more I look at this toy, the more I swear it looks like a KO. :/
P.S.: Posted pics here

Those drumsticks are making me hungry

I got this toy today after my gf gave me permission to use some store credit she had for a return.

I would say yes, he is worth it. Admittedly I am a bit more pro-Beast Hunters than most fans, but it seems to me that what we have here is a solid, well-designed, fun to transform toy that manages to retain the feel of the character it's based on whilst incorporating the beast aesthetic. I particularly like the way the wings transform; it would have been so easy to just leave them down by his side like the Voyager and Commander versions, but instead they decided to make them transform into something more organic looking, and reminiscent of Japanese theatre costumes. I have no problem with the bird-like elements of the vehicle mode, as they are pretty much limited to a beak-like nosecone and the clawed feet poking out. The paint apps are cool, fading as they do towards the base of the wings, and the colour of the mechanical parts is a shade darker than Hasbro-grey, its appearance improved by the "swirl" gimmick. In fact, about the only thing I don't like is the ultra-bright shade of yellow. I'm glad the colour scheme is a bit more exciting than that of the Voyager, but the garish banana yellow would have been better placed as a slightly more green shade to match the paint apps, as shown on the packaging. The joints on mine are also a little loose. The weapon isn't the best designed TF weapon ever, or even the best BH weapon, but the designers do get points for trying here. It can mount underneath the vehicle mode, btw; you just have to basically ram it through the hole in the waist joint. Overall a very good toy.

I have the Voyager version which is awesome, and the only reason I got this figure is because I bought wave 3 in one go.

Like most of the Beast Hunters line I will just leave it sealed and 3M hook it to my wall :D

I have the Voyager Skyquake, and as I like to have as many different molds as possible, I decided to get the BH Dreadwing when it came out for my version of that character.


Saw it in the flesh (so to speak) for the first time last night at Target for $28 :eek:


Went straight home and ordered the Voyager AM version for $33 from BBTS ;)


In my opinion the BH toy looks like Zeta Prime mated with a peacock :rolleyes:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tetsuwan Convoy

I can't take this guy seriously. Those feet and his butterfly wings remind me of the alien from Galaxy Quest....:rolleyes:

---

Been killing me what this reminds me of. Thankful I read this thread, you put my mind at ease.

i oddly dont mind this figure. my problem comes when i put him with beasthunter or just regular prime toys. some reason it just doesnt mesh with the general aesthetic for me. its not a bad toy, its just, where does it fit in really?

Got this guy the other day for $16 and I gotta say I like him, I don't know why?