Toy Review- WFC Siege Deluxe Prowl

Series – War For Cybertron
Sub-Line - Siege
Size/class - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 2
Released here – March 2019
Approximate Retail Price - $35

Bought this guy today as a replacement for my honestly quite drab Combiner Wars Prowl. He was the one in this wave I was least excited for, though he ended up being easily the best in the wave.

Bot mode is spot on, basically a mini masterpiece (par for the course as of late). All the Prowl landmarks are there, with holes for shoulder cannons should you salvage some from later wave retools/redecos. The height difference is honestly neglible, and he fits no problem next to my other decently tall ‘84 bots and fits the aesthetic very well.

Alt mode is also fantastic. Although it is futuristic and Cybertronian with the windscreen design and wheels, it is otherwise pretty earthen and definitely evokes a more modern take on the Fairlady Z. Fits no problem with my earthen mode Autobots.

Transformation is very smooth and although simple, is really quite clever, especially with the chest. Joints are solid and articulation is satisfactory for what you’d expect Prowl to have.

Siege Prowl is the wildcard that threw me for a loop this wave. He is just really well done, and I am definitely excited for Bluestreak and Smokescreen, especially with the shoulder cannons. Easily the number 1 toy of this wave for me. Get this toy.

Agreed. I'm not sure his robot mode is 100% perfect, but it's not too bad and the alt mode is brilliant.

Grabbed him from toymate on a whim. Very glad I did because he is just immaculate.

Robot mode is a little thin in points but it is obviously Prowl in both modes. I also love the transparent tyres as well.

It has made me consider getting Ironhide and the others in this series.

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Originally Posted by Bidoofdude

Alt mode is also fantastic. Although it is futuristic and Cybertronian with the windscreen design and wheels, it is otherwise pretty earthen and definitely evokes a more modern take on the Fairlady Z.

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Yeah, to me it looks more like a futuristic car than an alien one. It wouldn't surprise me if cars will really look like that in 50 years. Part of me wishes the text on the doors we're in English than in Cybertronian.

It's a pretty good modern interpretation of Prowl, and the basic gist of the transformation is similar to the G1 toy - particularly the way the waist rotates during transformation, the back bumper forming the feet, the placement of the doors in robot and alt-mode, etc.

EDIT: I've been transforming the figure back and forth this evening while watching video reviews of it. Not so much because I like the transformation, but mainly to check if I'm doing it right. When getting it into car mode, I can't seem to get the doors aligned so that the pegs plug easily into their respective holes. To get them to align, I had to resort to using force and squeezing the figure. I don't know if it's me or if there's a flaw in my copy. I've tried imitating several video reviewers when transforming it, but kept getting the same results. So far I've not noticed any stress marks or cracks, but I'm not going to further risk it (considering I paid $34 for it), and I've decided that Siege Prowl will remain in robot mode for the rest of its existence.

It looks amazing in both modes, but it does feel rather fragile considering that his legs between the knees and feet are sculpted entirely out of clear plastic.

Poll? :confused:

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Originally Posted by FatalityPitt

Part of me wishes the text on the doors we're in English than in Cybertronian.

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It's Autobotese. But yes, I agree. That's how I feel about the text on Stakeout's doors, and that really looks more like a current day Earth car. Just put them in English. Or Japanese. Or Armenian. Some Earth language. Also, Barricade's writing is in Autobotese even though he's sporting a huge honking Decepticon insignia on his bonnet. :confused: I'd personally rather see Decepticonese writing on the doors and let him be a Decepticon Enforcer, but if he's meant to be disguised as an Autobot police officer then what's with having such a prominent Decepticon logo? Make the logo only visible in robot mode or make it really small and hard to notice on the vehicle mode (as with Bayformers Barricade).

I'm finding it amusing that in 2009 we were told that Hasbro couldn't make Animated Constructicon toys because they didn't want those toys to cross-compete with the ROTF Constructicons. Yet 10 years later we now have, within a single year, multiple police car Transformers; Siege Stakeout, Cyberverse Prowl (multiple classes), Siege Prowl and Siege Barricade (which could've been a G1 accurate race car, but no, let's make it a G1 inaccurate police car). Yeah, we can't have Animated Constructicons alongside ROTF Constructicons, but would you like some police cars to go with your police cars? :p
https://i.ibb.co/80zx5M1/meme-hasbrologic.jpg

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Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime

It's Autobotese. But yes, I agree. That's how I feel about the text on Stakeout's doors, and that really looks more like a current day Earth car. Just put them in English. Or Japanese. Or Armenian. Some Earth language.

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Japanese on Prowl would be pretty appropriate, even if it's not faithful to the character, since Prowl was originally modelled after a Japanese police car. Would still love to see a Prowl with Japanese characters one day. Siege Prowl's alt-mode doesn't look that much different from his original toy, just more futuristic.

I'm sure reprolabels would someday release something to cater to people who prefer the English/Japanese over Autobotese. Question is, would they want to pay for stickers on top of what they paid for the figure.. Pretty expensive...

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Originally Posted by FatalityPitt

Would still love to see a Prowl with Japanese characters one day.

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Will this do? ;) I guess Hasbro chose the Datsun Fairlady Z police car instead of the Super Tuning Lamborghini Countach police car because it has "POLICE" in English instead of Japanese. No need to redeco the toy for Hasbro's markets. Although of course MP Cordon is based on the Lamborghini police car with the Japanese writing on the doors.

BTW if you're wondering what a G1 Prowl toy might look like with Japanese text on it, then it might be something like this; although it has a different set of strobe lights plus it's regionally specific to the Kanagawa police dept (keeping Tetsuwan Convoy safe!).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FatalityPitt

I'm sure reprolabels would someday release something to cater to people who prefer the English/Japanese over Autobotese. Question is, would they want to pay for stickers on top of what they paid for the figure.. Pretty expensive...

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As you said, it'd be an expensive option. And we really shouldn't need to. Just label the toy in an Earth language and let Reprolabels print Cybertronian text labels for those who want it.

I received my Prowl yesterday, first impressions weren't great. His waist and thighs are just too tiny, he's really hollow from behind. The paint was flaking off the hinge on his back. Didn't like how his doors can't be angled up. Excess paint on his head I had to scrape off.

I don't know to me it feels like the quality has dropped off with siege from the initial wave of figures. I could put up with with the smaller scale, but the quality drop off has really soured my desire to buy more.

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Originally Posted by neomoz

I received my Prowl yesterday, first impressions weren't great. His waist and thighs are just too tiny, he's really hollow from behind. The paint was flaking off the hinge on his back. Didn't like how his doors can't be angled up. Excess paint on his head I had to scrape off.

I don't know to me it feels like the quality has dropped off with siege from the initial wave of figures. I could put up with with the smaller scale, but the quality drop off has really soured my desire to buy more.

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Yeah, while I like the overall idea of the figure and the way it accurately mimics the original G1 toy (good for people who always wanted one but can't find an affordable one in good condition), I think some of the design choices in this version of Prowl are iffy. The legs seem really fragile because the knees are quite thin and are basically made of clear plastic.

Also the quality control is lacking somewhat. I can't seem to transform my copy as easily as other peoples', and I suspect there might be a component that's slightly misshapen.

I like Prowls transformation, but I feel ripped off without missile launchers which are coming with bluestreak. I hope a 3rd party produces some to fix it.
I would be happy paying more for Deluxes that were at least complete.

Also I hope reprolab labels do some highway patrol stickers for prowl in English

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Originally Posted by reillyd

I like Prowls transformation, but I feel ripped off without missile launchers which are coming with bluestreak. I hope a 3rd party produces some to fix it.
I would be happy paying more for Deluxes that were at least complete.

Also I hope reprolab labels do some highway patrol stickers for prowl in English

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Prowl hasn't had shoulder launches in toy form for ages though right?

And he certainly doesn't in the cartoon.

I quite like both his modes. The robot mode definitely could have used some more paint apps and some shoulder blasters.

The silvery wheels, all the faux-metal under under the windows and the blaster on top all help make the alt-mode feel fairly Cybertronian but it still looks pretty Terran to me. I hope to one day finally be able to find the Titanium Toy - now there was a proper Cybertron Prowl :)

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Originally Posted by KELPIE

Prowl hasn't had shoulder launches in toy form for ages though right?

And he certainly doesn't in the cartoon.

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Th3 Cyberverse iteration has a flip out shoulder launchers gimmick

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Originally Posted by KELPIE

Prowl hasn't had shoulder launches in toy form for ages though right?

And he certainly doesn't in the cartoon.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by SMHFConvoy

Th3 Cyberverse iteration has a flip out shoulder launchers gimmick

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Yep, there are toys on the shelves right now with shoulder cannons. Useable in vehicle mode too.

Pics HERE

I had a look at this toy last week and it's not for me (I'm happy enough with my Henkei Prowl). I do appreciate the "simple but elegant" style of transformation over the fiddliness of Universe/Henkei Prowl. It is nice to have a toy that you can just straightforward "CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK" during toy play rather than stopping everything to solve a puzzle; complex transformations can be a buzzkill during playtime especially when in the moment of an intense fight or something. I also quite like how the long bonnet panel behind the head slides inside a cavity beneath the head; it's a neat and clever way to conceal mass. It's the kind of cheat that impresses me on MP figures and it's even more impressive to see them incorporating a similar engineering feat on a Deluxe toy.

The clear wheels look ridiculous to me. Yeah, I know that it's a "Cybertronian" mode, but still... at least give it metallic wheels like on Ironhide. Overall while I appreciate this toy it's not something that I'm personally interested in, although it has piqued my interest for the Barricade redeco (although I really hope that it won't stop Hasbro from releasing a G1 CHUG Barricade later)

Re: transparent tires, you'd think that considering the lack of paint Hasbro could've painted the tires silver like how they've been doing the windows on Prowl and Sideswipe.

Remember paint apps is over a wave of figures not an individual figure.

The tyre thing isn't an issue of paint apps but rather a choice of which colour plastic; they obviously opted to go with clear transparent plastic rather than solid black or grey.

The car mode has that Datsun Fairlady look from a head on perspective but when the rest of the car is taken into account, the look reminds me more of a Dodge Viper and that's what sold me on this one.

Painted his thighs silver, erased his bonnet label and replaced it with a centred reprolabel.

https://i.imgur.com/UBSt5gz.jpg

Finally opened this guy.

This guy is better than Sideswipe in my opinion. His feet are a little bit fiddly in bot mode, as in I'd like the heels to be able to lock out. Other than that great figure.

I still think the generations figure is a better representation of the character but I like the look of this one more.

Got the last Space Datsun today, and looking at them all together Prowl is unfortunately the worst looking of the bunch, and for some reason the loosest. The white deco really shows the panel lines compared to blue, silver, or black. The unpainted headlights also stand out when compared to the other three. The lack of shoulder guns is a bit disappointing, but given that Barricade came with shoulder guns but no hand gun I can understand it.

Smokescreen looks nice in blue, but the red painted over the blue is quite dull, and his hand gun is blue plastic painted white. Stands out all the more because his shoulder guns are white plastic.

Bluestreak and Barricade are the nicest looking. I'd have a hard time picking one over the other. The darker colours really suit this figure.

I recommend the Matrix Workshop upgrade kit for this figure. I split it between Prowl and Barricade so now everyone has a set of shoulder guns and a hand gun.