Toy Review - CW Swindle

[BigTransformerTrev]

SWINDLE
Series - Generations
Sub-line - Combiner Wars
Size/class - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco – Remould of Rook
Wave – 2016, Wave 1
Released here - not yet
Approximate Retail Price - (probably about AU$30) US$17
Approximate Size - 15cm
Allegiance - Combaticon
Alt-mode – Army Jeep
Main Features/Gimmicks - Combiner limb
Main Colours – Tan, Black
Main Accessories – Gatling gun, combiner fist/foot/cannon




Robot Mode
I think perhaps the best official rendition of G1 Swindle we have ever seen! I love my Animated Swindle but for a more G1 look this wins. Really well proportioned, decent articulation, good colour scheme etc. Has a good weapon, though it would be nice if he also had an arm cannon more like G1 Swindle/Animated Swindle rather than a grey shoulder mounted one.




Vehicle Mode
Yeah, it’s a pretty tough looking military jeep, Looks like he could be driving through a warzone in the desert blasting away. Only downside is the inside of the jeep where the passengers would sit is full of Swindles arms. I guess they had to go somewhere but even Cybertron Swindle managed to avoid this. There are lots of little details like saddle-packs on the sides, though they lack the paint details that could make them stand out.




Transformation
Not too hard, a nice redesign of Rook. None of these CW toys are that hard.

Overall
Worth getting for the robot mode and definitely worth getting so you can make Bruticus! This Swindle is no swindle!

[Deonasis]

The fists could just about fold into Swindle's forearms.

[DELTAprime]

Look's so different from Rook, that's how you should do a remould.

[Handsprime]

Look's so different from Rook, that's how you should do a remould.

Agree, even though it's not a new mold, how they retooled this I would most certainly buy one when I get the chance.

[Dimi194]

Awesome remold, and a good looking figure! Loved the Rook design so this is a winner (love the new little Gun too!)

[prjkt]

Look's so different from Rook, that's how you should do a remould.

heh, looking at the two side by side, we've got the following parts the same:
Combiner bit
Shoulder struts
Elbows/middle arm section
Hips
Upper legs & knee joints
Heel pads
Neck piece

and that's it. Even the hand/foot piece is different to Rook's, unlike how it was with Dead End/Streetwise, Off Road/First Aid and Sky Dive/Air Raid.

Now owing to the fact that Swindle and Rook share the same basic engineering profile, articulation is the same - ankle tilts probably being the most prominent when compared to the other CW limbs - as is transformation, although it's a little quicker to get straight from vehicle or foot mode to arm mode, as you don't need to move his robot mode arms out of the way like you do with Rook.

Overall, I think I like Swindle a little more, not because he's a more recognisable character, but because his back pack is a lot smaller and he has "normal" fists.

Fits Swindle really well I think. Not so sure about Hound, might keep the Generations/AE version for him and skip the CW release.

[griffin]

Swindle looks a bit strange in vehicle mode (with the feet out the front and the shoulders hanging off the back), but the robot mode is quite nice as a homage of that character.

I imagine that cost-cutting is why the fists don't fold into the forearms, which would improve the look of the vehicle mode (by having more space where the seats would be). I wonder if TakaraTomy will bother to sculpt and mould folding fists to go with all the other changes they look to be doing with their Bruticus. They did a couple of extra folding limbs for Devastator, but Bruticus might already be stretching the budget with Blast Off (if it is a space shuttle).

[Handsprime]

Robot mode is amazing, vehicle mode is a bit off due to how his fists are the passengers? I dunno much.
But nonetheless it's a good toy and if you're after a swindle, defs get this (unless takara makes a much better bruticus)

[Bidoofdude]

Swindle looks a bit strange in vehicle mode (with the feet out the front and the shoulders hanging off the back), but the robot mode is quite nice as a homage of that character.

I imagine that cost-cutting is why the fists don't fold into the forearms, which would improve the look of the vehicle mode (by having more space where the seats would be). I wonder if TakaraTomy will bother to sculpt and mould folding fists to go with all the other changes they look to be doing with their Bruticus. They did a couple of extra folding limbs for Devastator, but Bruticus might already be stretching the budget with Blast Off (if it is a space shuttle).

They did a nice job on the robot mode by having both the bits of the G1 toy making up the torso but also having the faux-jeep front somewhat similar to the cartoon model.

They nailed the headsculpt and proportions, they have the squareness that Swindle always had and he exudes a lot of character. Swindle was always the most interesting combaticon. It wouldn't matter if he wasn't part of the team, since he already stands out on his own as a regular Decepticon. The others seem a bit lacking without their team to back them up, while Swindle often flew solo.

The gun is a little small though. I'd rather he have a bit bigger of a cannon reminiscent of his cartoon model. Overall though, he's the ideal representation of a character I remember a lot from childhood (didn't even realise he was a combaticon at the time) and has all the charm and character that previous versions (FOC, Cybertron, Alternators) lacked, while combining as well.

[ComradeRenko]

Quite like this guy, good colours and good looking vehicle mode. I found that the hand/foot weapon can be plugged into the jeep roof where the instructions put the hand gun, then the hand gun plugged on top of that for a very heavy weapon look.

I love that they put an extra hole on the bottom of the hand/foot. It adds great functionality and I wish it had been incorporated into more figures in this line.