Toy Review - Siege Astrotrain

Series - Generations
Sub-line - Siege
Sub-sub-line - War For Cybertron
Size/class - leader
New/remould/redeco - new
Wave - 3
Released here - December 2019
Approximate Retail Price - $72
Approximate Size - 16.5cm
Allegiance - Decepticon
Alt-mode - locomotive, space shuttle
Main Features/Gimmicks - coal-car converts to launch pad for the shuttle and splits into armour for the bot mode
Main Colours - purple, dark grey, black
Main Accessories - coal-car, 5 different weapons

Up until yesterday I was totally not planning to get this guy, but after seeing the figure in person thanks to DrLockdown I hurried to the Toymate below us and grabbed one for $72 (price matched with Myer).

https://i.ibb.co/ZWjRHyS/80614865-10...34024448-n.jpg
The locomotive mode has quite a presence in person, especially with the additional coal-car. While it may be loaded with heaps of detail, make no mistake that this is unapologetically an Earth locomotive. Even the TR/Legend Astrotrain was more Cybertronian than this. :p
https://i.ibb.co/QK1TmLb/79443477-83...09786880-n.jpghttps://i.ibb.co/4TvLV37/80856980-81...98529024-n.jpg
You can remove the top of the coal-car to load it up with whatever you like, or remove it entirely if you want Astrotrain to resemble his G1 counterpart more closely. The core locomotive doesn't rely on faux wheels, which does add some bulk to the sides but it is a nice touch.

https://i.ibb.co/4dvrbJ2/80708747-56...83760384-n.jpghttps://i.ibb.co/dmmhXbD/79538942-84...42919936-n.jpg
The shuttle mode is the weakest of the three, the back looks unfinished to be honest. Goktimus Prime suggested they could have used the coal-car to help cover it.
https://i.ibb.co/Z86JqnF/79884754-46...69040384-n.jpg
Instead, the coal-car unfolds to become a launchpad. Not a bad way to use the extra plastic, but would have preferred Gok's suggestion.

https://i.ibb.co/54YGMYg/79886865-10...87854592-n.jpghttps://i.ibb.co/XXTPTmK/80197625-14...36041984-n.jpg
Putting height aside, I think he is an improvement on his predecessor and fits in fine with his triplechanger buddies, although I do hope to see them updated at some point too.

https://i.ibb.co/720QKt3/80365769-24...97187584-n.jpghttps://i.ibb.co/NpMF0vw/80775935-45...42927104-n.jpg
Absolutely love the extra accessories they gave this guy, no doubt to help justify the leader price point considering the core figure is effectively a voyager. When armoured up he is ready to join in the War For Cybertron!

Overall thoughts. He is the most faithful GEEWUN style Astrotrain that we have had in Generations and his transformation is even quite similar to the G1 toy in some ways. If you want a more Cybertronian aesthetic then I would recommend his predecessor from TR/Legends, since the obviously-Earth locomotive really doesn't fit with Siege that well. I don't think it is worth the typical leader RRP of $90, but I am happy having paid $72 for him. Grab him if you see him on sale!

I think the robot mode looks great and the train mode is beautiful... but that incomplete looking shuttle mode just kills it for me. :(
As I've already been quoted as having said, (:p) I think that it would've been better if the carriage accessory were able to cover up the shuttle to make it look finished, even if it means forgoing the launch pad mode. I'd rather have a complete looking shuttle than have a launch pad. It doesn't even come with a rocket which is what shuttles need to launch anyway. :rolleyes: I reckon that the carriage should be able to split up and cover up the back part of the fuselage.

Excuse the crude MSPainting here, but something like this...
https://i.ibb.co/JKgtDVq/temp.jpg

If they re-release this toy later with a whole new carriage that covers up the fuselage then consider me sold. :) But I'm unconvinced with Siege Astrotrain.

Love this figure but I think I am doing something wrong.

The front of the train sits too high for the rest of it. Like the wheels at the front don?t touch the ground or line up with any of the other wheels along the body. Looking at the pics above and mine looks different. I think I?m missing a step?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by davieanix

Love this figure but I think I am doing something wrong.

The front of the train sits too high for the rest of it. Like the wheels at the front don?t touch the ground or line up with any of the other wheels along the body. Looking at the pics above and mine looks different. I think I?m missing a step?

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Yeah the front wheels can be pulled down so they touch the ground. It's a bit tough but it is meant to extend.

Comparison shots between G1 (eHobby) Astrotrain with Henkei, Legends and Siege Astrotrain

https://i.ibb.co/nbHywRF/SIEGE-Astrotrain01.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/41f4hSJ/SIEGE-Astrotrain02.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/Rp7B1vW/SIEGE-Astrotrain03.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/rckSBDd/SIEGE-Astrotrain03a.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/xDyswV1/SIEGE-Astrotrain05.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/h9rdX7f/SIEGE-Astrotrain06.jpg

Thanks to Tha_Phantom for supplying his eHobby, Legends and Siege Astrotrains

Mine scanned wrong at Target so I got him for $24 :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tha_Phantom

Yeah the front wheels can be pulled down so they touch the ground. It's a bit tough but it is meant to extend.

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Amazing. Thank you so much!

I have to say I am impressed how few bad Astrotrains there are.

What an amazing toy.

1.Robot mode: Not up there with the TR Astrotrain but makes up for it with the add ons.

2.Shuttle mode: The weakest mode. I find it's best to convert the coal car into it's horizontal platform mode and place the shuttle upon it, so that way it looks like it's under construction. That's the best I can do in turning a negative into a positive.

3.Train mode: By far the best mode. Brilliant engineering that all 17 wheels can make contact with the ground which is better than other TFs.

4.The coal car: It could've been a triple changer instead it's a quad changer! One mode for the robot, one for the train and two for the shuttle.

This is a fantastic, fantastic figure. Aside from the obvious G1 faithfulness, it does what no Astrotrain figure has done since the original G1 toy: change color between the two alt modes to further distinguish between them. He was a purple locomotive and a mostly grey space shuttle. I think it's also amazing that Hasbro had the guts to go with a full on steam locomotive design; in this day and age I doubt a lot of kids know what a steam locomotive looks like. And all the individual train wheels are movable. This definitely wouldn't have happened had it been just sold as a Voyager.

I like the idea of an accessory pack. Aside from giving the outnumbered Decepticon army some fire arms, some effort has clearly been made to integrate the tender into all three modes in some way, and I do appreciate that. The shuttle launch pad is actually not half bad imho.

https://i.imgur.com/XjuT5X9h.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/WT6TXGCh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/kOi9mnRh.jpg

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

https://i.imgur.com/4HRrzBuh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/NNNd4v4h.jpg

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


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

https://i.imgur.com/GczG1rIh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/fkXtU9mh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/DM3lOjsh.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/ltRnY9Wh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/RgG7jdyl.jpg

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

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

https://i.imgur.com/Z9VlGXdh.jpg

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

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

This to me represents everything that HasTak have been doing right in the past few years. It's just fantastic.

Back of the shuttle really looks unfinished. Really irritating lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shockNwave

two for the shuttle.

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Two? The first is the launch pad, what's the second one?

I got one as I've been all space shuttle excited lately. I do like him. Sure he's a voyager with a box, but he certainly has chunk to him making him look super buff n tough! I'm not so sold on the shuttle mode as (most people have said it) the back being exposed is a pretty lazy effort. The train mode is pretty nice however.

The amount of guns he comes with is pretty cool and they all look very nice as well. I definitely recommend taking off the damaged paint on his legs and feet.

I didn't end up paying leader prices, and I wouldn't want to spend that much money on him as he is definitely a voyager with an accessory box.

However if you find him at a discount, I'd highly recommend him, even with the unfinished shuttle mode.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tetsuwan Convoy

I didn't end up paying leader prices, and I wouldn't want to spend that much money on him as he is definitely a voyager with an accessory box.

However if you find him at a discount, I'd highly recommend him, even with the unfinished shuttle mode.

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Managed to get him for $49 from toymate because they had the wrong ticket in front of a bunch of astrotrains on a shelf.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tetsuwan Convoy

Two? The first is the launch pad, what's the second one?

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The second one is the horizontal pad.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shockNwave

The second one is the horizontal pad.

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Aaah, yes of course! The "Transport" thing. Thanks for replying. It's been bothering me more than one would expect :p

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tetsuwan Convoy

Aaah, yes of course! The "Transport" thing. Thanks for replying. It's been bothering me more than one would expect :p

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If what you mean is that you've been having trouble getting it to be 100% horizontal, so that all the wheels touch the ground. Then yes, it's been bothering me too.