TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:
Alternate Mode:
Box Art:
Technical Specifications:
STR
INT
SPD
END
RNK
CRG
FPR
SKL

Warcry's review of: Scoop

Name: Scoop
Nebulans: Tracer and Holepunch
Generation: One
Function: Field Infantry
Sub-Group: Double Targetmaster
Motto: "Generosity has its own rewards."

A gung-ho fighter who never gives up. Considered the best in the field. Uses cool headed logic and hardened battle tactics to outwit his enemies. Always ready to lend a helping shovel to his fellow Autobots, no matter how dangerous the situation. The kind of soldier you want around when you're pinned down in a slug swamp with no ammunition. Teamed with Tracer who transforms into a twin laser-guided ion blaster, and Holepunch, a former office manager turned military man who transforms into a steel-shattering dual compression cannon.

I've had Scoop for a long time now, and he's still in pretty good shape. In my collection, that means one of two things: either I didn't like him when I was younger, or he's and invincible brick.

In this case, both are true.

I picked Scoop up towards the tail-end of the G1 line's lifespan in Canada, paying something like three bucks for him at a discount store (the same place that netted me Chop Shop, Warpath, Cosmos, a Powerdasher, the Micromaster combiner squads, a full set of G2 minibots, Rapido and Skram over the years [for about a quarter of their usual retail prices, too!]).

Despite his extreme brickiness, I like him nowadays...though that probably has something to do with him being one of the few intact survivors of my early collection.

Alternate Mode:

Unsurprisingly, Scoop turns into a front-end loader. He's actually got a proper construction vehicle colour scheme, too. He's mostly orange, with black detailing. His shovel is yellow, as are some robot-mode details that are unfortunately visible in this mode.

The shovel itself features three points of articulation. Scoop can dig with it, use it as a shield, and probably a few other things. He's got a grand total of five different weapons-mounting points in this mode: one in front of his cab, one on either side between his wheels, and two near his rear end. His Targetmaster partners can mount on any of them, as can any weapon with a similar-sized handle. The end result might look silly depending on your choice of armament, but it gives you what's gotta be the most deadly construction vehicle in the world.

I said the exact same thing about Quickmix, didn't I? Bah.

Those are the plusses of Scoop's vehicle mode, but there's a negative to go along with it. His hands and a good slice of his waist are visible if you look at him from directly above. That's not so bad in and of itself, but because the robot parts are yellow while the rest of the plastic that surrounds them is orange...it kinda sticks out like a sore thumb.

All in all, Scoop is probably the best construction vehicle to come out of G1.

Robot Mode:

Scoop's robot mode is...solid. By which I mean, really, really blocky. He looks good, though, sporting the same colour scheme as last time. His chest, arms and lower legs are orange, while his head, fists and thighs are yellow. He has wheels at the top of his shoulders, lending him a powerful look.

Scoop features a whopping three points of articulation in robot mode [shoulders and neck], which pathetically is the same amount sported by his vehicle mode. He has no poseability, because what few joints he has don't move easily. His head is hard to get to, and his shovel gets in the way of his arms.

His Targetmasters mount not in his hands, but on sockets on the outside of his arms. That's...well...not a very good look for him, I'm afraid. It would help if the guns sat flush with the sides of his arms instead of protruding out into the abyss, but to be honest they'd still be odd-looking. When the toy is orange, a blue gun just won't look very good in his hands (or, in this case, clipped to his arm).

What can I say? He looks good sitting on a shelf, but I really wouldn't want to take him down and play with him.

Transformation: 6/10 A nice idea, but not very well executed.
Durability: 10/10 Seriously, nothing short of a thermonuclear bomb is going to do anything more than scratch this guy.
Fun: 3/10 Er...not much.
Price: 9/10 Fifteen or twenty dollars, in decent shape. Not a bad pricetag, all in all.
Overall: 6/10 A thoroughly unremarkable figure, but a pretty one. Recommended if you're in the market for a late-G1 display piece.