ARCEE
Series - Generations
Sub-line - Studio Series
Hypo-line - The Transformers The Movie
Size/class - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco - Extensive retool of Thrilling 30 Arcee
Wave - 17
Released here – October 2022
Approximate Retail Price - $35
Approximate Size – 13cm (head), 13.5cm (backpack)
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode – Futuristic 2005 car
Main Features/Gimmicks – see review comments
Main Colours – pale fuchsia, white
Main Accessories – pistol































This toy is an extensive retool of Thrilling 30 Arcee. The head, chest, arms, front half of the car and pistol are the same, with the forearms from the Combiner Wars Combiner Hunters Arcee (a repaint and minor retool of T30). Everything else is new. The robot and car modes do visually look more cartoon-accurate, although this comes at the cost of a fiddlier transformation (tucking the hands beneath the headlights is a nuisance). This toy is much more of a panel-former compared to T30, but I personally prefer how T30 Arcee actually incorporates her upper legs into the car mode rather than just concealing them. The rear of the car mode also doesn't look as nice and lacks painted tail lights. SS86 Arcee only comes with the small grey pistol that came with T30 Arcee, which is accurate to TFTM but she lacks the larger pink rifle that she sometimes uses in the TV series. She also lacks the swords that T30 Arcee has, although that's understandable considering that G1 Arcee never had swords. The enlarged heel spurs don't look as G1-accurate, but they do functionally grant this toy superior stability. Much like Earthdom Arcee, SS86 Arcee also features ankle tilts (which T30 lacks).

There are some odd choices with some of the colours. This toy is predominantly pale fuchsia and white instead of pink and white. The pale fuchsia is more similar to how Arcee was coloured in The Rebirth, but she was very much pink in The Transformers The Movie and Season 3. Given that this is Studio Series and that this Arcee is supposed to represent her TFTM appearance, it seems an odd choice that they did not retain her more vibrant pink colouration. The chest grill is also unpainted instead of being grey, and the stomach panel is also not separately painted red; both of which are accurately painted grey and red respectively on Legends Arcee. And while T30 Arcee's chest grill is blue, at least it is painted in, whereas it looks unfinished on SS86. The hands are also white instead of pink. T30/LG Arcee also has less backpack kibble; with the bottom of her backpack ending just below the buttocks; whereas SS86 Arcee's backpack ends just above the back of the knees. This does create further impediment on the legs' range of backward swing.

OVERALL
This toy isn't really better or worse than T30/LG Arcee. SS86 Arcee does offer a more screen-accurate looking mould in robot and vehicle modes, but LG Arcee offers a more accurate colours and, given the increased amounts of paint ops and number of accessories, is better value for money. IMO LG-10 Arcee is still the most TFTM-accurate looking CHUG Arcee toy. Having said that, SS86 Arcee is still a perfectly cromulent toy, although I would only recommend it if you don't already have T30 or LG-10 Arcee. Otherwise feel free to give this one a skip.