Toy Review - Age of Extinction Strafe (Deluxe)

[GoktimusPrime]

Strafe (finally, a Deluxe Dinobot whose name doesn't have "Dinobot" in front of it! )
Series - Age of Extinction
Sub-line - Generations
Size/class - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 2
Released here - May 2014
Approximate Retail Price - $30
Approximate Size - 13cm
Allegiance - Autobot
Sub-Group - Dinobot
Alt-mode - robotic dicephalic Pteranodon
Main Features/Gimmicks - missile launching crossbow
Main Colours - blue, electric blue, black
Main Accessories - x2 lances, crossbow

Beast Mode
All of the Age of Extinction Dinobots fail as robots in disguise (even if they were on prehistoric Earth), but Swoo, uh, Strafe especially fails as a two-headed & two-tailed robotic Pteranodon. It looks more like a Monsterbot than a Dinobot -- although one could make the same argument about all of the AoE Dinobots (i.e. additional horns). But this really takes the powder and makes it harder to suspend disbelief that it's meant to be a pteranodon. I wonder how many people who saw him in the trailer identified him as a pteranodon, or as a two headed dragon. While it doesn't work terribly well as a robotic pterosaur, it does work well as a robotic monster. Problem is that it's meant to be the former (packaging even explicitly says, "Pteranodon" -- and of course, these are meant to be Dinobots). But look, it has an impressive wingspan, and the combination of having two heads and two tails makes it look like something from Greek mythology. Predacon Rising? The dino feet have no articulation, so Strafe is pretty much permanently in flying mode; it's not possible to re-position the feet to allow him to perch/stand. The robot hands are clearly visible in beast mode too, for some reason which eludes me. The forearms have cavities which appear large enough to house the fists, but they're unable to swing inside. Like all AoE Dinobots, Strafe has that prickly feel about him, which looks pretty cool on this toy, particularly the serrated edges on the wings. The crossbow can be mounted on the beast mode's back, pointing the missile directly forward. The missile shoots with all the might of a G1 missile launcher (i.e. with barely any force at all! ... yet the toy has a sticker warning kids about the missile ).

Transformation
One neat aspect of the transformation is how the robot legs compact themselves to form the beast legs. Robot legs seem to be an issue of contention with previous pterosaurian Transformers, often ending up as robot kibble in the beast mode. G1 Swoop threw them on his back, and the Beast Wars Terrorsaur mould has the robot legs resting along the underbelly. But Strafe's robot legs fold and turn into itself to essentially compress into smaller legs for the beast mode. The downside is that the robot's lower legs are hollow, but I can accept this as it's necessitated by the nature of the transformation (unlike say, the hollow robot forearms).

Robot Mode
Points of articulation: 16
Resembling a Classical Greek helmet, Strafe has one of the nicer looking heads among the AoE Dinobots. With the single visor and swept back helmet crest, Strafe's head bears reasonable resemblance to Swoop... and absolutely no resemblance to G1 Strafe. I really do like how the wings fold in and compact themselves. The body has some neat sculpting decos which are decoed with electric blue, but a lot of this is covered up by the two beast heads which sit across the chest. I really don't like how the heads just sit there... looks a bit silly, covers up the body, and also obstructs Strafe's vision should he ever turn to either side (or even just his peripheral vision when he's looking straight ahead!). He can hold his two lances as well as a missile-launching crossbow. The two lances can be attached to the crossbow to make it look larger. Unfortunately, similar to Slash, the robot fists are fixed in an "arm curl" position. I have no idea why they couldn't attached the fists in a "holding a cup" position which gives far more meaningful articulation IMHO... especially considering that the fists don't even fold in. :/

Overall
Not a terribly good Dinobot, but a mean looking Monsterbot. This toy would've been a whole lot gooderer if the hands had been positioned 90 degrees from where they actually sit. I find the beast heads to be quite cumbersome and interfering in robot mode, and personally prefer to sling them back over the shoulders -- but officially the heads are meant to sit in front of the chest. With jaws opened. Yyyeeeaaah. Oh, and expect this toy to be half transformed when you open it.

Images
Stock images:
beast mode
robot mode
In package

Beast mode


Robot mode






My unofficial version of the robot mode w/ beast heads over the shoulders

[Lint]

I've been keeping myself out of the loop with AoE toys so this is my first look. I am surprisingly impressed. Great photos!

[KingGrimlock]

The colors and paint apps on him work together nicely in both modes. A nice amount of detail in both modes too which is highlighted further by the colors used on them. Dino mode is just a robot crucified on a kite but it does the job of being a flying beast. I like everything in robot mode except where his heads are placed, rather than fold them onto the chest I fold them to the side to create shoulder pads which I think look better and don't restrict movement as much. I think it's design definately separates strafe from swoop as a character on his own but still fits in with these new Dinobots.

[Sharky]

i like this toy, it doesn’t bother me if it has two heads the figures is pretty good looking considering the movieverse aesthetic the wingspan is impressive and I like how they tuck behind ot you can have them out in bot mode.

His actual transformation is simple but I don’t mind that at all.

This figure would look awesome in a G1 Deco and maybe some 3P G1-esque weapons/missles to attach


you can get som sort of perch pose on the dino mode too

[yoshi594]

Your 3rd pic of him has sold me on this figure! i'll wait till he's cheap though!

[Bidoofdude]

He looks the best out of the dinobots in terms of design so far. He looks sleek and has a clear shape.

[Sinnertwin]

He's probably the most normal looking out of the Dinobots released for me -if you consider a blue, two headed, mechanical flying dinosaur normal.
I may pick him up in a few weeks and throw him in with the Beast Hunters range.

[GoktimusPrime]

IMHO the original Terrorsaur (slated to be later redecoed as Strafe) is a much better toy than AoE Strafe. Better looking beast & robot modes, superior articulation, more solid figure, and 1/4 the price of AoE Strafe (and thus superior value for money IMHO). Of course, for people who want a toy that looks like Strafe from the film, then AoE Deluxe Strafe works better, but for those who want a better Pteranodon Transformer toy, then I'd recommend the upcoming redeco of Terrorsaur (if indeed it ever comes out here).

Actually, I reckon with all of the AoE Dinobots, where there's a Beast Wars equivalent moded figure, the BW figure trumps AoE (e.g. Ultra Megatron > Voyager Grimlock, Dinobot > Slash, Triceradon > Slug)

[crankcase76]

when i opened him up, i was happy to get him but then as Goki mentioned all the points about his arms and legs and the two heads. I was not to keen on him, but in bot mode he makes up for it.

[Sinnertwin]

Just looking over the images again & one thing that has been bugging me lately. Why do they insist on placing the assortment number A1234 etc in the most ill-conceived places. Couldn't they have been a little more discreet?