Toy Review - BLITZWING (Legacy)

BLITZWING
Serie - Generations
Unterzeile - Legacy
Größe/Klasse - Leader
Neu/Unformen - Neu
Veröffentlichung - 2
Hier verkauft - Ja (Juli 2022)
ungefährer Verkaufspreis - $100
ungefähre Größe - 16cm
Treue - Decepticon
Untergruppe - Triple Changer
Transformationen - Panzer und Luftwaffe
Haupteigenschaften - drei Transformationen
Hauptfarben - beige und purpur
Hauptzubehör - zwei Kreisel-Kanonen und ein Elektron-Krummsäbel

https://i.ibb.co/BfL7hhb/TL-blitzwing01.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/VJfXpwS/TL-blitzwing02.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/YLV3F7p/TL-blitzwing03.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/VSpZqWG/TL-blitzwing04.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/TtvhcvW/TL-blitzwing05.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/bvJ10V9/TL-blitzwing06.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/KjzNCY4/TL-blitzwing07.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/xqY7Xyn/TL-blitzwing08.jpg

THOUGHTS

By far the most cartoon-looking Blitzwing toy to date. I don't know if it's worth paying full price; I got mine on sale for $75 at Zing, and I think that this is a good price for this toy. Tank and robot modes are fine. The backpack on mine doesn't lock into place which is a minor nuisance. Thankfully the point where it tabs in is on the bottom, so I don't need to worry about backpack collapse happening in the future. The way that the tank barrel folds in is pretty neat. The jet mode is the most compromised mode though, as it is very chunky.

Overall I think that Titans Return Blitzwing is still the best CHUG Blitzwing toy. I still don't like how it's a Headmaster, but aside from that, I think that it's the most well balanced CHUG Blitzwing toy in all three modes. Plus TR Blitzwing is half of TL Blitzwing's price at full RRP (and even cheaper when Big W had it on sale at $15, which is when I got mine :)). If you're perfectly happy with your TR Blitzwing then you might want to skip Legacy Blitzwing. Otherwise I recommend grabbing one while it's on sale now.

In my view, the best Blitzwing was my original G1, until now. The TR (Legends) one has disappointing track kibble on his arms. The tank mode is ugly and cartoon inaccurate, and the jet mode, while a nice looking realistic jet, wasn't really accurate either. And since I disliked the TR Astrotrain, and never bought it, it meant that my Siege/Earthrise Astrotrain was out of scale. So I'm quite pleased with Legacy Blitzwing. The tank and plane modes are still not fantastic, but close enough to the G1 style I want. I wish the cockpit windows were blue though.

For those cartoon episodes where Blitzwing's cannon was long, you can choose not to fold it in and simply rotate the turret 180 degrees.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...8ffaa65e_k.jpg

Even though I have the TR and LG versions, I couldn't resist ordering one from Amazon for $75.

I'd love to Frankenstein both the Legacy and TR/LG versions for the Ultimate Blitzwing as I feel both have pros and cons.

Triple-changers would be hell to design on a reasonable budget, so I can forgive Legacy Blitzwing's horrible jet mode; the bot mode and tank are nice enough. The huge fist accessories are a bit daft. Blast effects woulda been preferable.

Overall, worth it for $75, although it really should be $60 max (the fists don't make it a leader class fig)...would not buy at $99...at least I don't think I would... ;)

The Shogo Hasui fanboy in me was shocked in disbelief when it was revealed in the livstream that he's the TT designer behind Blitzwing. I wonder what happened that left us with two seriously half assed alt modes here. Was it scheduling, likw what happened with ER Starscream? or Hasbro's insistnece to include the Energon hands? Or could it be somthing else that we might never know. Hasui has given us three great SS86 Dinobots, and an incredible Legacy Tarantulas of late，so it's not like the quality of his design output has suddenly dropped. Would be nice to read about it in an interview somewhere. Ben mentioned in the stream something along the lines of "you guys know Hasui san very well" so we know Hasbro are aware of the celebrity status Hasui holds in the fandom. I do wonder if the sometimes too honest interviews Hasui did with Japanese publications may not sit too well with Hasbro (the inadverdent effect of fan translations), and in turn influence TakaraTomy's decision on who to put in the interviews in the future.

Anyways, let's talk about transformation first, as some of the decisions made here really hurt the alt modes imo.

Transformation:
G1 Blitzwing was an ingenious design in terms utilizing geometry and difference sufaces of the same parts to turn froma beige tank to a purple jet. Hasui clearly wanted to do something different here, instead of re-using the G1 engineering like he did with Sixshot. The main sticking point was probabaly the robot shoulder articulation, so the back half the tank no longer connects to the arm/shoulder blocks that form the front. The jet wings now form from the leg panels instead which I thought is a really nice touch. But these two decisions create the problem of all that excess tank mass doing thing in jet mode. If the turret wasn't there, these chuncks could possibly swing inwards. As is, they are an asbsolute eye sore in jet mode.

The only real prolem I have with the tank mode is the(fake) jet nose being too long; I know it's in the character model but it was flush with the front of tank. It even has a dedicated fake translucent cockpit only for this mode! Admittedly to have waist articulation, theres' only so much you can fit in the chest cavity, but maybe the tank treads could've slit forward to at least be flush with the jet nose?

There are some really nice Hasui touches still, like the extra panel folding over to bulk up the 'bot mode chest, and how the cannon is stored inside the turret, but I can't help but thinking the overall design should've been better.

https://i.imgur.com/qe4m1vIh.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/M45qLBmh.jpeg


Tank Mode:
It's a nice modernized tank, with some heavy armor plates over the treads (which also help the other modes as there's less treads visible compared to the G1 design). The turret turns but the cannon has indented upward rotation mainly for transformation, it doesn't look natural in any position other than horizontal.

The Energon hands are okay in this mode. I was gonna try these on Menasor but the hands are so damn hard to untab from the forearm part I gave up and gave them to the kid next door. Awkward design and a waste of mold/parts count imo.

https://i.imgur.com/l3LL8LUh.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/EoOUx66h.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/Z9kdXw0h.jpeg


Jet Mode：
The front proportions are more cartoony compared to the G1 toy, which is amazingly realistic, but it's cartoon accruate. The sword has no good place to store that doesn't look silly in either tank or jet mode.

https://i.imgur.com/QvLU1Cah.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/fhrRufwh.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/1E5SN71h.jpeg


Bot Mode:
This is where this figure shines. Great toon accuracy. Silver details esepcially the thighs really pop. Incredible head sculpt.

The beige panels on the inside of his arms seem to have been originally designed to fit a tab on the purple part, but the tab's no longer there. So now the panel doesn't tab in anywhere.

On my copy, the backpack doesn't tab in bot mode, luckily gravity still makes it sit flush on the back.

https://i.imgur.com/xSswdH3h.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/DNEu5ebh.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/kPtcW0Zh.jpeg

You can tell he's much denser in hand and has more parts packed in than a Voyeger figure.
https://i.imgur.com/YZAWa7Qh.jpeg

Articulation wise, he has a dedicated up and down neck joint, which will help in flying poses. The shoulder articulation is generally unhindered, but the arms don't go back very far.

https://i.imgur.com/advd7r3h.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/L28hym9h.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/MMcSZoAh.jpeg


Overall:
I got him on sale and I don't think he's worth the full retail. I knew this was gonna be a bit of a disappointment going in, but in hand I really think the alt modes could've easily been handled better. As mentioned, I would love to see an interview with Hasui about this one, or the development insights from the Hasbro side.

I mentioned this in a recent Facebook post but my suspicion is they planned on the fake wings from the bot mode to be the underside wings in the jet mode, similar to the G1 toy, but then they ran out of part-count and had to downgrade their plans. The fact that there's a set of wings underneath the jet and in the right position but pointing the wrong way is telling.
I'm just guessing but I can imagine them going "good plan but we've got to fit the gloves into the part count, so rather than have the second set of wings, just fold the tank parts underneath as best you can".

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Butcher31

I'm just guessing but I can imagine them going "good plan but we've got to fit the gloves into the part count, so rather than have the second set of wings, just fold the tank parts underneath as best you can".

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I suspect that this is the case.

TL Blitzwing is definitely above the level of a Voyager. Having recently compared this toy with T30 and TR Blitzwing, it is certainly worth more than a Voyager. But it's not worth the Leader Class RRP IMO. It feels more like an Ultra Class figure ($70 RRP); so I do think that the current $75 sale price is worth it (think of the extra $5 as paying for those silly "hand" accessories). This is why I voted on the "Only if cheap" option.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime

I suspect that this is the case.

TL Blitzwing is definitely above the level of a Voyager. Having recently compared this toy with T30 and TR Blitzwing, it is certainly worth more than a Voyager. But it's not worth the Leader Class RRP IMO. It feels more like an Ultra Class figure ($70 RRP); so I do think that the current $75 sale price is worth it (think of the extra $5 as paying for those silly "hand" accessories). This is why I voted on the "Only if cheap" option.

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You're bang on. I keep a little spreadsheet of figure part count and weight. All classes seem to be pretty consistent in terms of price as a factor of part and weight (deluxe, voyager, commander, titan). The overpriced exceptions being the small classes (core and below), which is understandable, and leader class, which doesn't make much sense. Based on their parts and weight, they really should have a RRP of around $75-$80 instead of $100. And Blitzwing is a pretty typical leader class toy by modern standards.

I got impatient with JB not having it in stock, so I picked Blitzwing up at Toyworld at full price and have no regrets. But, yeah, I reckon $75 is about right too.

I hate the power gloves, even though I can see some cool intended play value. However that's probably because I've never really been a fan of line-wide gimmicks.

That said, I think this is the better Blitzwing to own... also, what's the deal, no Animated Blitzwing in any photos?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KELPIE

However that's probably because I've never really been a fan of line-wide gimmicks.

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↑ 100% agree. Gimmicks are meant to be an additional special feature on a toy. And to paraphrase Syndrome from The Incredibles: when everyone is special, nobody is. :/

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KELPIE

also, what's the deal, no Animated Blitzwing in any photos?

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This is a G1 CHUG toy, so... I'm not gonna take a comparison pic next to my Animated Blitzwing (or Movieverse Blitzwing). But hey, if you or anyone else wanna do that, more power to you. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime

This is a G1 CHUG toy, so... I'm not gonna take a comparison pic next to my Animated Blitzwing

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Aww, but one of your G1 CHUG toys, has Animated's rotating face.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KELPIE

Aww, but one of your G1 CHUG toys, has Animated's rotating face.

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Yeah, it's an Easter Egg. Siege Ultra Magnus' truck cab is a clear nod to God Magnus, but I never felt the urge to take comparison shots w/ my God Maggie. In any case, I've already sold off my T30 Blitzwing. :p

Genuinely I do not know how to feel about this figure. I'm glad I bought it, have enjoyed playing with it, but also don't like it a huge amount?

I've been eyeing it for a while and finally crumbled yesterday (I had a Toyworld credit standing to my name).

The robot mode is awesome. Looks great, solid, very playable. This is the highlight of the figure. Beats the Titans Return figure hands down, and I bloody love that TR figure.

The transformation is also pretty good. It's not really as solid as it could be (those damned arm panels flapping about in all three modes), but there are some nifty tricks in there like the jet wings forming the legs. It's also fun to do! Great hand feel.

The tank mode is decent. I know the cockpit dong is G1 accurate, but I think it looks stupid anyway. Otherwise, no objections. A solid effort, though I think on balance I actually like Titans Return more.

The jet is a write off. You get to a certain point in the transformation where you have a fully formed, very serviceable voyager class jet made from Blitzwing's limbs and torso, with just a giant chunk of deconstructed tank shell beneath that doesn't actually really do that much to tidy itself up. Titans Return wins hands down and I think a big part of it is the choice of the jet mode design. Titans Return evoked a MiG 25/MiG 31, which is a giant chunky long slab of a jet with a brutally oblong fuselage. That figure also had a relatively wide wingspan. It certainly still looked like a jet with part of a tank under it, but so far as triple changers go it was relatively compact. Whatever this figure turns into as a jet looks like a chibi jet model. Tiny snubby nose, vestigial stabilisers, short wings. It's fun to transform into and out of, but the actual mode itself pants with terrible proportions.

The accessories are baffling. I could have done with just one gun and sword, and then having the extra engineering/plastic budget plowed into improving the figure itself. The gauntlets/missile pods and the second gun add some fun play value but I'd rather have a more proportional jet mode, all things considered. If you plug the gauntlets into the back of the jet to make boosters, the side profile of the jet is increased massively, for example.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SharkyMcShark

Genuinely I do not know how to feel about this figure. I'm glad I bought it, have enjoyed playing with it, but also don't like it a huge amount?

I've been eyeing it for a while and finally crumbled yesterday (I had a Toyworld credit standing to my name).

The robot mode is awesome. Looks great, solid, very playable. This is the highlight of the figure. Beats the Titans Return figure hands down, and I bloody love that TR figure.

The transformation is also pretty good. It's not really as solid as it could be (those damned arm panels flapping about in all three modes), but there are some nifty tricks in there like the jet wings forming the legs. It's also fun to do! Great hand feel.

The tank mode is decent. I know the cockpit dong is G1 accurate, but I think it looks stupid anyway. Otherwise, no objections. A solid effort, though I think on balance I actually like Titans Return more.

The jet is a write off. You get to a certain point in the transformation where you have a fully formed, very serviceable voyager class jet made from Blitzwing's limbs and torso, with just a giant chunk of deconstructed tank shell beneath that doesn't actually really do that much to tidy itself up. Titans Return wins hands down and I think a big part of it is the choice of the jet mode design. Titans Return evoked a MiG 25/MiG 31, which is a giant chunky long slab of a jet with a brutally oblong fuselage. That figure also had a relatively wide wingspan. It certainly still looked like a jet with part of a tank under it, but so far as triple changers go it was relatively compact. Whatever this figure turns into as a jet looks like a chibi jet model. Tiny snubby nose, vestigial stabilisers, short wings. It's fun to transform into and out of, but the actual mode itself pants with terrible proportions.

The accessories are baffling. I could have done with just one gun and sword, and then having the extra engineering/plastic budget plowed into improving the figure itself. The gauntlets/missile pods and the second gun add some fun play value but I'd rather have a more proportional jet mode, all things considered. If you plug the gauntlets into the back of the jet to make boosters, the side profile of the jet is increased massively, for example.

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Agree with all of this. I've had this guy for a while and have been waiting for him to grow on me more, but it's not happening. He's a bit of a letdown.

There are some characters that Has/Tak just can't seem to get right for whatever reason - Blitzwing is one of them (Ironhide/Ratchet comes to mind as being problematic too). To be fair, the design brief is tricky, triple changers are hard enough but when they also change colour? Hard stuff. I note that the 3P companies haven't nailed Blitzwing either, with the exception of some legends sized releases and the never-released FansToys attempts. T30 was a good first attempt, but had annoying QC that let it all down. TR was also pretty good overall, but had it's issues too - for me, mainly the colour scheme (I'm not phased by the headmaster gimmick personally, but the lack of optional head storage in tank mode let it down...). If I could have tracked down a Takara Legends version I probably would have stuck with that.

The robot mode on this guy is aces. On the shelf next to Octane and Astrotrain altogether, he looks fantastic. Tank mode is close enough, plane mode is terrifying. I think they would have done better to lean more in to a 'Cybertronian' or 'Future Military Hardware' aesthetic, that might have helped it get a pass.

I also think the Leader price point is wasted on this guy. The part count is higher, but it's not used in a way that helps the transformation. There's some good stuff there - the legs end up covered, the arm panels aren't hollow, that's all good - but I would have rather have gappy arms and legs, and the parts be put in to further transforming the jet and tank. The giant hands could have been an okay accessory (from a kid's play-pattern perspective) but the insistence on using clear coloured plastics for the accessories early in this line makes them ugly. Energon weapons have never made sense to me outside of swords/axes etc...

Get him on special for the bot mode.

NOW 59 $ on AMAZON