Toy Review - DOTM Basic Human Alliance Icepick and Sergeant Chaos.

[Lint]

Picked this out last night, only because the human's name was sergeant chaos and he was the only decepticon of the wave. I would say this was the weakest of the wave (minus the jeep one which I didn't buy).

Upsides are a unique alt mode, neat colour scheme and the fact that if you have megatron you can complete the chainsaw killer image. In fact if Icepick was in the DOTM movie, he should have been used to maim sentinel in the chest.

Downsides are a lousy bot mode, absurd looking and awkwardly utilised clippy weapons and the fact that Chaos just doesn't want to stay on the Skidoo.

[Sky Shadow]

The only issue I have with the toy are that bizarrely, there's a joint that seems to have been neutered that would have enabled the neck/spine/head section to pivot back. I don't know what it was there for in the first place, but I also don't know why it's been 'plasticed off' so that the entire joint is useless. Maybe it was just the only way to mould and assemble the plastic, but if anyone can work out what I'm talking about and explain it to me, I'd be interested to know why it's there.

I found out - this is what the joint is supposed to be for:

http://www.dvandom.com/kitbash/icepickmod4.JPG
http://www.dvandom.com/kitbash/icepickmod3.JPG

And what has to be done to fix it:

http://www.dvandom.com/kitbash/icepickmod1.JPG
http://www.dvandom.com/kitbash/icepickmod2.JPG

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Perfect timing, I got this guy this week and opened him a day or two ago.
This little dude is really fun, and has become my favourite out of the four HA Basics I own (the others being Whirl, Sandstorm, and Tailpipe).
In terms of design I have to go with the general consensus that Tailpipe and Sandstorm are better toys, but Icepick here has an easier transformation (better for fooling around with) and more interesting alt-mode. Sandstorm and Tailpipe are just involved enough to require attention, and Whirl is a bit fiddly with the landing gear and cockpit, but Icepick is the kind of toy you can just pick up and fiddle with without having to engage your brain - the perfect desktop TF for absentminded procrastination.

I went for 'Only if (something else)', the something else being either cheap and/or you like exotic alt-modes.