Generations Blitzwing [uploaded]

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Cal
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Generations Blitzwing [uploaded]

Post by Cal »

Name: Blitzwing
Allegiance: Decepticons
Function: Ground Air Commander

Strength: 9
Intelligence: 6
Speed: 9
Endurance: 8
Rank: 3
Courage: 6
Firepower: 8
Skill: 4

”Destroy first, think later.”

Within his heavily armoured and highly destructive body, Blitzwing has the ice-cold mind of a master strategist - sometimes. At other times, he is a boiling cauldron of rage, waiting for any excuse to unleash his firepower on the nearest target. And now and again he is a chaotic whirlwind of bizarre behaviour and intermittent bursts of plasma fire. His unpredictability makes him a poor soldier, but his raw firepower and unstable mind make him a useful tool for a commander as capable as Megatron.


Blitzwing is a character that has been in high demand for a Classics overhaul ever since the line began back in 2006. Aside from Astrotrain and Octane (or Tankor if you prefer), Hasbro has been rather wary of the whole triple-changer angle because of how difficult it is to design three successful modes. It's not like the G1 days where you could get away with removing a helicopter's rotors and calling it a car. Blitzwing is faced with the challenge of not only retaining his cartoon appearance, but transforming into two convincing alt modes that would hold up under the scrutiny of the more mature and critical G1 fans. Springer has proved to be immensely popular with the crowd so far, but can Blitzwing follow the same act?


Tank Mode

Blitzwing comes packaged in robot mode, but I'll save that part until later. Let's start with the tank mode. Transforming Blitzwing into a tank requires folding his arms and cannon up to form the turret, extending the treads, concealing the wings, and pegging the legs into the chest. I recently read that one fan had difficulty with the last step. The treads have several notches on the ankles; you need to extend them fully when swinging the front part out, but you have to push them back down one notch in order for the pegs to fit securely into the chest.

Blitzwing's tank mode is a faithful homage to his G1 incarnation. Whereas the original turned into a Japanese Type 74, Generations Blitzwing transforms into a more generalised battle tank. It convincingly reproduces the form of a tank with almost no kibble from its other vehicle mode. The cockpit that was so apparent on the front of the tank on the G1 toy and cartoon model is now hidden underneath between the treads. I'm particularly impressed with how discretely the wings fold into the legs when the treads are pulled out. The only redundant area is the tailfins at the back, but the effect on the tank's profile is negligible.

Blitzwing rolls quite well for a tank, better than Galvatron or Warpath for sure. The turret can rotate and raise its gun to pick off any Auto-brats, but the axis is too far forward due to the transformation, which swings the turret off to the side when turned more than a few degrees. It's a small concession. Blitzwing comes with a purple missile, but there's no trigger on the cannon. In a clever touch, the spring mechanism is activated by depressing the barrel. I just wish safety regulations didn't make the spring so weak. His other weapons include his trademark Electron Scimitar and Gyro-Blaster Rifle, which are supposed to peg into the turret and cannon, respectively. The sword comes off as rather conspicuous in this mode, so I prefer to peg it into the cannon with the rifle on top, if only to preserve the symmetry of the vehicle.

Blitzwing's colours in tank mode are predominantly a desert tan, just like the G1 figure. Since the purple cockpit and wings are hidden in this mode, it brilliantly concedes tan as the primary colour without needing to flip the whole vehicle over. Purple is relegated to the central area in an aesthetic manner that adds a little diversity to the deco. Overall, I'm very pleased with the design and transformation of the tank. It feels as good as it looks, and it's faithful enough to keep G1 fans happy. Now if you told the layman that this chunky vehicle could transform into a jet, he'd probably just laugh at you. Well, prepare to be amazed!


Jet Mode

G1 Blitzwing's transformation from tank to jet mode was simple, but ingenious. It involved little more than flipping the vehicle over and folding the nosecone, wings and tailfins into place. It effectively turned a very blocky vehicle into a more aerodynamic profile, which was impressive by 1985 standards. Does Generations Blitzwing repeat this success for the 30th anniversary? Oh, yesssssss!!

To transform Blitzwing from tank to jet mode, fold out the cockpit, give the legs and arms a quarter turn, rotate the cannon underneath, and extend the wings. I have to say, the difference is truly amazing! The distinction between tank and jet modes was the first thing that impressed me when I saw photos of Blitzwing and still impresses me today. Practically nothing of the tank remains in jet mode and it could easily be mistaken as the toy's sole alt mode. When reviewing the jet, I can't help but think of Blitzwing's last incarnation in the Animated line. If you remember, the jet mode had a rather hokey design that looked more like a loose-fitting plane sitting on top of tank treads. Here, no such dodginess is present. The treads tuck into the body as discretely as the wings did in tank mode, and the legs peg securely into the shoulders to stop the assembly from rotating. Everything holds nice and tight. The cannon also becomes the jet's exhaust, but it's just a tad too long because the barrel doesn't stay depressed due to the spring mechanism.

The jet is visually quite different from the Blitzwing's original MiG-25 mode. Now he transforms into a futuristic fighter plane with a rocket backpack. I love the look of this form, and the backpack lends Blitzwing the same Macross vibe as the Autobot guardian Jetfire. You could easily picture them going nose to nose in a daring space battle between the forces of U.N. Spacy and the Zentradi army. I like how the hips form the jet intakes, and there are panels underneath the wings that fold out to give a fuller appearance. Retractable landing gear is featured in the nosecone and sculpted into the legs at the back. He has the option to swivel the cannon forward as depicted in the instruction manual, but I don't recommend it because the jet doesn't stay level. An alternative would be to swing the gun up top like in tank mode to give Blitzwing an overhead cannon.

Blitzwing's weapons can peg into the tabs underneath his wings as the stock photos show, but they look even sillier in this mode, not least because I've never seen a sword on a wing before. A more sensible option would be to peg the sword between the two halves of the backpack and fit the gun on top. This looks much cleaner and boasts the added benefit of concealing the Cyclonus-like gap in the centre of the fuselage.

The deco is as sweet as the design with purple superseding tan as the main colour just like the G1 toy. The colour change is one of my favourite aspects about this figure, because it highlights the difference between the two alt modes beyond the design itself. A red stripe substitutes the busy G1 decals on the wings, and Blitzwing seems to share Thrust's taste in fashion for yellow cockpits. It's a wonderful mode all around and I honestly can't decide if I prefer this over the tank. Both of them are so distinct and well executed that I can't help transforming Blitzwing between them for play as much as display. But don't forget that he still has his robot mode, and this is where the design takes the true test of integrity.


Robot Mode

So now to get Blitzwing back into robot mode. Depress the wings, rotate the legs down, swing the cockpit into the chest, fold the cannon behind the back, open the nosecone, and lock the shoulders into the chest....

Lock the shoulders into the chest......

Lock the.... *grunts*.... shoulders into the.... *heave*..... Gah! It's not working!

If you're reading this, you're probably well aware of the widespread problem plaguing a key aspect of Blitzwing's transformation. Due to excess plastic between the two halves of the torso, the shoulders don't peg securely into the chest. The result is that Blitzwing's whole arms swing out of place whenever you rotate the shoulders. It's a rather asinine design to begin with. Given the common use of square pegs on Blitzwing, it's a mystery why Hasbro didn't include something similar on the shoulders instead of such a weak fitting. It's become the bane of Blitzwing owners everywhere, but fortunately there's a solution. SnakeEyes1975 provides a useful video offering a permanent fix to keep the shoulders locked in place. Admittedly, the process took a lot longer than the alleged fifteen minutes for me (a couple hours at least), but the result is well worth it. Now I can turn the shoulders every which way without the transformation coming apart. Thanks, SnakeEyes1975!

Before the fix, I found that I didn't transform Blitzwing into robot mode as much as the alt modes. Perhaps I was subconsciously avoiding the shoulder problem, but more outspoken critics have gone so far as to say that the figure sucks and Hasbro should redesign Blitzwing entirely. Wow, real mature. If you prefer to complain about a problem instead of taking the time to fix it, there's no hope for you. I won't deny that Hasbro is at fault for not picking up on this issue during testing, but I'm not going to moan about it indefinitely when there's a simple solution online. Use it!

So now that Blitzwing is as he should be, I can get back to enjoying the robot mode. Rather than being a straight update of his G1 appearance, he incorporates elements from his erratic Animated counterpart. The most obvious homage is his ability to switch faces, alternating between a monocled face, crazy face, and a more traditional G1 visored face. It's a fun little gimmick that I enjoy playing with, although you can just leave it as his G1 face if that's how you roll. The faces are a little tougher to change, but they fill the helmet better than Animated Blitzwing because they rotate vertically instead of horizontally. It's an ingenious design that I hope to see on other Transformers as a way of changing expressions. Make it happen, Hasbro!

Other Animated aspects include tank treads on the legs, tailfins that angle down on the shoulders, and a cockpit on the chest. A universal motif for Blitzwing is the cannon on the back, improving his silhouette and ability to shoot down pesky Aerialbots. The robot is very cleanly designed with virtually no kibble beyond parts intended to homage his G1 origins. The chest detailing is a nice update of the original toy stickers, featuring a mix of silver plaques and red triangles. His weapons find the most use in this mode, but be advised that the back of the rifle is too big, which limits its ability to slot into his fist somewhat.

Blitzwing's articulation is excellent. Due to the lack of cumbersome kibble, his limbs can move unimpeded and they all have a wide range. The feet are quite big and ball-jointed, so he's well balanced. The only thing really missing is waist articulation due to the transformation. As for colours, this is pure G1 through and through. The tan and purple colours that dominated the tank and jet modes, respectively, blend together in robot mode in a faithful homage to Blitzwing's roots. The use of translucent yellow for the cockpit becomes more obvious here, since it complements the head in what would be a lone yellow spot on an otherwise tan and purple deco. The colours are much more vibrant than the desaturated Animated palette and assures Blitzwing will stand out on your shelf. After such a long-awaited release, I think he deserves as much.


Marks out of ten for the following:

Transformation Design: 9 - Ingenious! Blitzwing's alt modes are even more distinct than Springer's and peg together more solidly. It's a marvel that two vehicles with radically different profiles can be reconciled into an aesthetic design. Naturally, I had to dock a point because of the shoulder gaffe.
Durability: 6 - Various reports of QC issues, but Blitzwing is pretty solid all things considered. The head puts a little too much pressure on the nosecone and the cuffs sometimes fall out, but these issues can be managed with careful handling.
Fun: 9 - I can't stop transforming this guy! Not since G2 Dreadwing have I experienced a triple-changer that's so fun to play with. The ability to switch faces gives Blitzwing more personality than just another grunt on the battlefield.
Aesthetics: 10 - Blitzwing has never looked so good. His alt modes are as gorgeous as they are convincing, and the robot mode is a wonderful fusion of G1 and Animated design. For fans complaining that Hasbro shouldn't have incorporated Animated aesthetics, I only have two rude words for you.
Articulation: 9 - Superb. Blitzwing has a wide range of motion and excellent balance. He's very poseable and the interchangeable faces should help his expressiveness.
Value: 8 - Unlike Springer, I bought Blitzwing when he was knocked down about eight quid on Kapow Toys, probably because of the widespread criticism he received. It's a point in your favour, since it saves you money on a figure that can be just as good as Springer with a little tweaking.
Overall: - Dependant. I would rate Generations Blitzwing an 8.5 out of the box, but tightening up the shoulder pegs warrants a solid 10! Some corrigible QC issues aside, I honestly love everything about Blitzwing, and I believe the variable score reflects how much a simple fix can affect your outlook on this figure. Scale be damned! I'm glad Hasbro released Blitzwing in Voyager class to do this design justice. Transformers Senior Design Director Josh Lamb stated that with triple-changers, "usually you get two modes that are great, and the last one is, ehhh, sure, it works. Not here. All three are awesome." Nothing could be more true with Blitzwing. He complements Springer as one of the best triple-changers ever made and leaves me drooling for more. Flywheels repaint please!
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Blackjack
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Post by Blackjack »

I planned on reviewing this guy but like you said it's been a long, long time since I claimed it. Your review thankfully strikes off all the points that I would, though -- namely, beyond the random QC and shoulder problems he really is a wonderful figure.

I think he's a wonderful toy, although even with the shoulders fixed I'd give him an 8 maybe a 9 at the most. He just falls short of leaving me searching for complaints the way Springer did. The rubber nosecone irritates me to no end, and having a big hole in jet mode inconspicuously filed with a sword and a tank turret is kind of annoying.

The QC on my copy of Blitzwing is very much horrible. I simply adore the design, but on my Blitzwing the soft plastic that makes up the nosecone and the whole back-and-shoulder assembly are all sorts of warped that makes me extra-careful when transforming him.
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Post by Cal »

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, I realize that some fans dislike the rubber nosecone, but I believe that the overall design and execution of Blitzwing deserves top marks, given the sheer difficulty of making a successful triple-changer. After all, Springer also has some small problems. I find that the left window doesn't stay flush in car mode and the sword is a little loose-fitting underneath, but that didn't stop you from awarding him straight tens across the board. I don't dispute that score because I also feel that Springer's brilliant design outweighs any drawbacks, and the same applies to Blitzwing.
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Post by Paul053 »

Grand review! I can't wait to open mine. Well, I did open him. But just for fixing the shoulder issue and then put back in the box. So technically he is not yet "opened" for me to enjoy. :)

I passed Springer due to his size doesn't quite fit in my collections. But I will certainly and can't wait to pick up his repaint, Sandstorm.
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Post by Warcry »

This is way more positive than most reviews I've seen, and I really like Blitzwing's character design, so I hope that I agree with you when I get mine (if he ever shows up :( ).
Cal wrote:Flywheels repaint please!
Yes please! Due to all the Animated elements incorporated into the design (which I like -- it's cool when Generations-style toys homage more than just the original figure) the mold actually looks as much like Flywheels than it does G1 Blitzwing. He'd be a brilliant reuse of the design, even if a Springer redeco as Battletrap doesn't seem very likely in light of Sandstorm.
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Post by Cal »

Paul053 wrote:Grand review! I can't wait to open mine. Well, I did open him. But just for fixing the shoulder issue and then put back in the box. So technically he is not yet "opened" for me to enjoy.
You mean you modified Blitzwing before transforming him? I'm not sure that's wise. It's important to familiarise yourself with the joints and pressure points on a toy before modding it. Filing down the plastic on the torso may make the shoulders tighter, but keep in mind that the legs need to slot in the same space in alt modes. Accidentally removing too much plastic can impede the figure's transformation, especially in jet mode.
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Post by Denyer »

I can see why some people are a bit narked about the QC, but I think the mould's pretty awesome (particularly after realising that it does actually have knees.) It's fun rather than a particularly amazing feat of engineering.
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Post by Skyquake87 »

i think being narked about QC is a legitimate complaint, especially if you're having to rely on imports - its a fair bit of money to hand over for something that turns out to be substandard. a figure like Blitzwing that you have to mod yourself for it to function correctly is not something that should have seen mass release.

i'm amazed that so often in fandom, obviously poor production on official transformers product is just handwaved away. it shouldn't be accepted as just something you have to put up with.

I like the look of Blitzwing (less so the addition of the Animated head swap thing - doesn't fit the aesthetic and they could have spent the money sorting out the shoudlers, rather than sticking in a Man-E-Faces style gimmick), but problems with poor quality really put me off.
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Post by Paul053 »

Cal wrote:You mean you modified Blitzwing before transforming him? I'm not sure that's wise. It's important to familiarise yourself with the joints and pressure points on a toy before modding it. Filing down the plastic on the torso may make the shoulders tighter, but keep in mind that the legs need to slot in the same space in alt modes. Accidentally removing too much plastic can impede the figure's transformation, especially in jet mode.
By cutting off, I actually added more. :lol: Yes I did cut off some plastics but that still didn't fix the issue on mine (especially the right shoulder). So I went my way by adding a tiny piece of plastic on the shoulder peg and that solved the problem totally. Glanced through the instruction and I'm sure that won't affect other two modes. Well, since MMC's Six Shot keeps postponing, my time of playing with Blitzwing is REALLY close. Thinking about next week during the holidays here. So till then I will find out. :)
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Post by Cal »

Skyquake87 wrote:i think being narked about QC is a legitimate complaint, especially if you're having to rely on imports - its a fair bit of money to hand over for something that turns out to be substandard. a figure like Blitzwing that you have to mod yourself for it to function correctly is not something that should have seen mass release.
Do you feel the same way about Ironhide's head? Or Wreck-Gar's handlebars? Or Hound's shoulder weapon? Heck, if you had your way, none of these great figures that have been widely modded would have seen mass retail. It's not as if the design of the figure is fundamentally flawed like Galvatron or Octane, there's just some excess plastic on the torso that can easily be shaved off. The same applies to the handlebars on Wreck-Gar, and I'd still give him top marks because of the successful design. I think I voiced my opinion on critcs of the shoulders in my review:
If you prefer to complain about a problem instead of taking the time to fix it, there's no hope for you.
I also find your complaint about the face swap quite ridiculous. The feature is optional. Optional! If you don't like it, just keep the G1 face. Hell, if it bothers you that much, just unscrew the head and remove the other faces entirely. Besides, your claim that the gimmick is diverting funds from a QC oversight makes absolutely no sense. Sheesh!
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Post by Denyer »

Haven't figured out the face change thing yet... there wasn't any incentive to. Not an attraction from my point of view, but probably quite a good marketing move for some extra sales to fans of recent series.

Unlike FoC Grimlock, where a poorly done light took priority over the dino mode. Could've been a lot better, even keeping the light, and still stayed within the plastic allocation.

Galvy would've been fine as a Voyager. Might replace that one if I ever stumble on a cheapish Henkei release.
If you prefer to complain about a problem instead of taking the time to fix it,
At the prices action figures now fetch, leaving aside importing because it's a niche market, it's not a good idea to give the impression to parents that you're cheaping out. The figures having die cast parts was one of the main reasons I wound up with some TFs at the beginning; they were expensive but two (or more) toys in one and felt like quality (even if the thin plastic parts were shit). Lego was similarly well-regarded because the plastic used was ABS and people knew it lasted from years before. Many inherited pieces retain a firm clutch.

The FoC Combaticons, to pick a popularly derided example, aren't constructed too badly but they feel and look very cheap.
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Post by Skyquake87 »

Cal wrote:Do you feel the same way about Ironhide's head? Or Wreck-Gar's handlebars? Or Hound's shoulder weapon? Heck, if you had your way, none of these great figures that have been widely modded would have seen mass retail. It's not as if the design of the figure is fundamentally flawed like Galvatron or Octane, there's just some excess plastic on the torso that can easily be shaved off. The same applies to the handlebars on Wreck-Gar, and I'd still give him top marks because of the successful design. I think I voiced my opinion on critcs of the shoulders in my review:

I also find your complaint about the face swap quite ridiculous. The feature is optional. Optional! If you don't like it, just keep the G1 face. Hell, if it bothers you that much, just unscrew the head and remove the other faces entirely. Besides, your claim that the gimmick is diverting funds from a QC oversight makes absolutely no sense. Sheesh!
The only one of the neo-G1 figures you listed I own is Wreck Gar, and the handlebars finally crumbling away was a disappointment. So in answer to that one, yes I do. What I find frustrating about Transformers produced roughly since Animated up is that they have been littered with QC problems, and sadly, the Generations line seems to have suffered more than most. The plastics feel noticably different and less prone to wear and tear - or just the movement required to Transform them which rather defeats the object.

Modding a problem is sensible...but shouldn't this have been worked out during the R&D and QC process before going to be manufactured?

And yes, the changey face thing is probably a personal thing and perhaps is an unfair criticism given that gimmicks appeal to children, whom ultimately are the market for these things.

Also, what Denyer wrote is pretty much how I feel as a consumer of Transformers toys right now. The Prime toys, despite the lack of finishing (except on Dead End!), feel solid and durable and designed to be played with. The Generations toys, by comparrison, feel quite poor and have an inverse relationship, both in terms of their size and design, with their pricing. Possibly not helped in the UK by being a TRU exclusive (£13.99 for the data disks?! F**k off).
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Post by Paul053 »

Opened (again) my Blitzwing last night. I have to say, this is a really, really fun toy. True, quality issue aside (despite I fixed it already), this is a good figure. I managed to transform all three modes without instruction. :swirly: And the robot mode is so poseable! :up: I will also get his stickers from Reprolabels when they have more of what I want.

Cannot really compare him to Springer since I don't have him, but I will know when I open Sandstorm. Blitzwing is fun, but I'm sure I will not pick up his repaint Doubledealer.
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Post by Cal »

Glad you like him, Paul! I do believe this figure gets more criticism than it should because of the QC issues (eyeballs Skyquake87), but there really is a fun toy to be found underneath its problems if you work to find it.
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Post by Paul053 »

What he said is also true.
Skyquake87 wrote:Modding a problem is sensible...but shouldn't this have been worked out during the R&D and QC process before going to be manufactured?
A "good" toy shouldn't rely on consumers' modding to be problem free. When we buy a toy, shouldn't we expect the quality be good already? As they didn't stated on the box saying "product may have problem, please fix yourself".

Anyway, Blitzwing is still a fun toy. I was playing his tank mode today and felt a little disappointed that his tank size is kind of small especially when I put Gen. Kup on him. Yeah, really trying to remake the scene in the '86 movie. ;)
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Post by Cal »

^ I think we can file that one under 'cartoon being out of scale'. If you think Blitzwing's tank is small, try comparing him to Ani. Blitzwing's tank mode.
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Post by Blackjack »

Preeeeetty sure the toys are the ones that are out of scale. The cartoon's taking a pickup truck robot and a tank in a relatively sensible scale, and they've established size-changing and stuff. Kind of pointless trying to debate scale in Transformers anyway.

I mean, there's no possible way of making a voyager tank and a deluxe car be the same scale in toy form unless Kup is like, legends or Blitzwing is like leader.
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