Toy Review - Age of Extinction Deluxe Scorn

[ILikeSoundwave]

Dinobot Scorn
Series - Age of Extinction
Sub-line - Generations
Size/class - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 1
Released here - May 2014
Approximate Retail Price - $30
Approximate Size - 12cm
Allegiance - Autobot
Sub-Group - Dinobot
Alt-mode - Spinosaurus
Main Features/Gimmicks - None
Main Colours - Red & Orange
Main Accessories -Sword

Spinosaurus mode


Comparison with BH Laserback

Robot mode


Comparison with Laserback


Alt mode:
A very nice representation of a Spinosaurus.Head moves left and right. The little arms are on ball joints as well as the legs. Jaw can open and close. You can make the tail swing if you like, but it doesn't look that good. The plastic used is a good quality and the spins on it's back along with the tail are rubber.
Robot mode:
A very cool looking robot mode with plenty of articulation. One negative would be that the head can only look left to right, so his head will be looking down unfortunately. There is no arm under the tail so it's permanently attached.
Transformation:
It's a very unique transformation. It's not your average beast transformation where the robot is on is hands and knees. It's a fun little and simple transformation.
Overall:
From the reviews I read Scorn looks to be the best figure out of Wave 1. He's really fun and interesting toy that's definitely worth buying. But if you can wait for a 20% off sale or something like that.

[GoktimusPrime]

Appearance
Much like Slug, Scorn's overall aesthetic exudes that "fossilesque" theme (though not as spikey as Slug). The toy is predominantly red and gunmetal grey, with orange highlights. The face plate and Autobot insignia are silver, with teal for the robot and beast modes' eyes. The tail is painted a darker and shinier red which differs from the red on the rest of the toy. The tip of the tail appears to have been airbrushed with grey, which looks quite nice. The head resembles a Crusader's Great Helm. While the beast mode still feels kinda "quasi-Beast-Machines," it is more solid than Slug's. The arms are asymmetrical, with the right arm formed from the beast's head/neck, and the left arm from the tail. The shoulders are also distinctly different and not just mirror-flipped versions of each other. I'm generally not a fan of asymmetry in TFs, but it actually works reasonably well on this toy. I think it's because the asymmetry's been used sparingly rather than all over the place as it was with the Transmetal 2s. The robot hips have these faux teeth kibble which looks a bit odd, but I suspect may make more sense when we see the movie model. The way that the spinal sails divide and sit on his back - it does look quite nice. Scorn also has "elf shoe feet". Amarth faeg! (that's kinda like saying "D'oh!" in Elvish ). His weapon is a stylised scimitar.

Transformation
I do appreciate that they've avoided making Scorn a straightforward "stand up and you're a robot" transformation. It's kinda reminiscent of Beast Wars T-Rex Megatron, but as The_Damned has pointed out, the robot form is rather noticeable in the beast mode. This is something that BW Megatron covered up better, but to be fair to Scorn:
a) He's a Deluxe, not an Ultra.
b) The robot mode doesn't have big kibble-panels hanging off its back like BW Megs does.
I also like how the legs turn around and the middle toe swings back to form the Elven robot feet. The scimitar stores inside the tail, which is a lot better than the ridiculous positioning that Slug has for his swords.

Pros
+ 13 points of articulation
+ Unlike the rest of his case mates, Scorn is not hollow and not a shellformer! He is by far the most solid figure of the lot.
+ The rubber parts are also solid, not super-soft as on many other Transformers, such as Slug.
+ The scimitar is solid plastic, not rubber. And it's surprisingly sharp for a Hasbro accessory! Great for eye-poking fun!
+ The overall form of the robot mode is imposing.
+ In beast mode, the head can swing side to side, as well as up and down, creating a rather authentic look head/beck movement. A nice and unobtrusive gimmick.
+ The spine sails are able to lock into position in both beast and robot modes, and they lock in well!

Cons
- The upper thigh panels of the beast mode have nowhere to lock in. Disappointing considering how solid this toy is otherwise.
- The beast mode's throat has a piece which only folds down so far, and dislocates when the head is turned upwards.
- The robot hand could've been better sculpted with fingers. It looks like he's an wearing angular oven mitt.
- I'm personally not a fan of tail arms. But as far as tail arms go, Scorn's is not bad.
- The head sits quite low, which can make playing with the head more difficult. I would've liked for the head to be able to rise just a few millimetres higher.
- While I do like how the leg panels swing out to beef out the legs, unfortunately there's no way for them to lock into that position, and they easily collapse back in during handling and play.

Other
A Spinosaurus is actually larger than a Tyrannosaurus Rex. So some people who are sticklers for scale might be perturbed by having a Deluxe sized Scorn next to say a Voyager or Leader sized Grimlock. Doesn't personally bother me though.

Overall
By far the strongest of the Wave 1 Age of Extinction Deluxe figures. It's a relatively solid toy that's well sculpted and decorated. Having said that, it's not without its drawbacks and I still don't feel it's quite worth paying full price for. Recommended.

[liegeprime]

Hmmm the AOE toys are a bit simpler than what the movie toys usually are...I guess that's good at least I don't need to find the instruction booklets all the time to figure things out ;P. But I can't help but notice that the toys packaging seem ... simple. oh well too much investment on the packaging usually means that the toys themselves tend to suffer in the budget cuts. ;P

[5FDP]

Hmmm the AOE toys are a bit simpler than what the movie toys usually are...

Wasn't Hasbro quoted in the last year as saying that's the direct they're heading in i.e. simpler toys?

[SMHFConvoy]

Video reviews from Vangelus and Peaugh recommend sanding the lower back edge of Scorn's head for greater articulation.

[Bidoofdude]

Dinobot Scorn
Series - Age of Extinction
Sub-line - Generations
Size/class - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 1
Released here - May 2014
Approximate Retail Price - $30
Approximate Size - 12cm
Allegiance - Autobot
Sub-Group - Dinobot
Alt-mode - Spinosaurus
Main Features/Gimmicks - None
Main Colours - Red & Orange
Main Accessories -Sword

Spinosaurus mode


Comparison with BH Laserback

Robot mode


Comparison with Laserback


Alt mode:
A very nice representation of a Spinosaurus.Head moves left and right. The little arms are on ball joints as well as the legs. Jaw can open and close. You can make the tail swing if you like, but it doesn't look that good. The plastic used is a good quality and the spins on it's back along with the tail are rubber.
Robot mode:
A very cool looking robot mode with plenty of articulation. One negative would be that the head can only look left to right, so his head will be looking down unfortunately. There is no arm under the tail so it's permanently attached.
Transformation:
It's a very unique transformation. It's not your average beast transformation where the robot is on is hands and knees. It's a fun little and simple transformation.
Overall:
From the reviews I read Scorn looks to be the best figure out of Wave 1. He's really fun and interesting toy that's definitely worth buying. But if you can wait for a 20% off sale or something like that.

Scorn makes Lazerback look so animated-esque.

[Omega Metro]

This is a definate buy for me.........if I ever find a shop that's not too scared to break an embargo.

[Holdobot]

Picked him up from local K-mart jumping the gun. He is really cool, love the knight feel they have gone for with the Dinobots. I don't mind the tail arm at all it fits well with the theme, and the sword is really nice too. Simple yet satisfying transformation. The soft plastic tail needed a bit of arranging out of the pack for it to line up properly. But really is a minor issue with a really cool toy. I am glad he was the first on my list to pick up.

[klystron]

Video reviews from Vangelus and Peaugh recommend sanding the lower back edge of Scorn's head for greater articulation.

+1
This will fix the figure's biggest drawback. I was going to suggest it, but SMHFConvoy (and Peaugh) beat me to it. (Gotta be quick around here!)

Also, I keep the dinosaur mouth shut in bot mode. Otherwise he ends up with a hollow forearm, which looks kinda weird.

Regardless, this is great little figure.
+ Heaps of articulation. Capable of some great bot mode poses, and the spinosaur mode head is awesome!
+ Nifty transformation (very BW Meggs-esque). Easy, quick and fun. He's not a puzzle or shell former.
+ Good colour scheme. Red/Grey/Orange work well together. The teal alt-mode eyes and bot mode visor are a really nice touch.

- Alt-mode is a little... thin. Try not to look at it (pose it, display it) front on.
- The sword won't stay securely in the tail (think this might just be my one though...)
- The rubber tail/arm is pretty heavy and can cause some balance issues in both modes.

Although I dont have any other AOE figures, I can highly recommend this one. Even if you're not going to be collecting TF4 figures.

One other thing: AOE toys come with a free sticker - the big red "TRANSFORMERS" label on the bubble can easily be peeled off and applied elsewhere. Mine is on the clear side panel of my computer case!

[BigTransformerTrev]

Nice figure, very cool and matches Slug quite well, easy to imagine they are on the same team. Good colour scheme and transformation too. In this case, making an entirely new Dinobot character, it silences the critics somewhat who say "That's not how he looked in my day!"

Only problem I have is locking the tail in place in both robot and especially dinosaur mode. Any suggestions?