Toy Review - Beast Hunters DLX Dreadwing

[griffin]

(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

[griffin]

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)

.
Both Skyquakes and all three Dreadwings.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

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

[GoktimusPrime]

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).

[SMHFConvoy]

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

[GoktimusPrime]

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

[Mythirax]

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

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