TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

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

Phantom Wraith's review of : Wreckage

Name: Wreckage
Function: Decepticon Close Combat

Just as DECEPTICON BRAWL is the hot blooded indiscriminate destroyer among the DECEPTICONS, WRECKAGE is the stone cold fighter. Though he is as capable as any DECEPTICON of wholesale destruction, he carries twin blades for a reason. That is, he likes to be up close to his target. He lives to hear the shriek of metal on metal as his swords tear through AUTOBOT armor, and the sparking sizzle of shorting electronics as wires and conduits are severed.

The Transformers movie has been a source of great controversy among Transformers fandom. The striking new designs introduced where met with apprehension, and sometimes disgust. These where certainly NOT our beloved robots from the eighties. However that’s not to say this was a bad thing. At times, I found my newer generation Decepticons to be a bit to handsome, a bit too...well, not-evil looking. So, when I got my first glance at these movie Decepticons, I was elated. I rushed out and picked up my first three. They where Barricade, Brawl, and Wreckage. Of the three, Brawl was my favorite, but since someone has already claimed his review. I went with my second favorite, his brother in arms, Wreckage.

Alternate Mode:
Looking at Wreckages' alternate mode even now I'm not quite sure what kind of vehicle he is. I know like Cybertron Defense Red Alert, he's some kind of A.P.C., but this one's more realistic- as long as you don't count the white armor and grey camouflage. He hasn't much for armament in this mode, a tiny pair of what might be machine guns adorn the larger back section, though rises in his armor block off any hope of hitting anything but himself. He does however, have that little grey gun that sticks up like a sore thumb. From what I can gather by examining the barrel, it's a flamethrower. Considering his personality, it's fitting.

The vehicle mode itself has a half ton of detailing. Vents on the top of his back hatch, a tiny, bunkered pilot bay, with no sign of a window (Just like the real ones). Nonfunctional hatches, lug nuts on the hubcaps, tire studding, armored headlights and a whole bunch of lumps and bumps that give it flavor, but I honestly don't know what the heck they are for. Looking closer, there's also a small cannon on the front (For those days when traffics really getting on your nerves). Looking a bit lower, my only complaint is the robot feet are not only visible, but can actually obstruct the vehicles ability to roll if the front limbs and they are not positioned just right. Still, giving what they had to pack into this toy, it's forgivable. The head and the hands hanging off underneath aren't, however. One pothole and this poor Decepticon's gonna have one mother of a headache and some stubbed fingers to boot. Essentially, he's only a robot in disguise until someone decides to take a peek under him.


Robot Mode:
Wreckages' robot mode really shines in my opinion. Aside from the tires, his vehicle mode practically disappears without a trace. In fact when I first saw him on the net, I wondered what the heck he could transform into.

He is molded thin, but built, as you'd expect a melee combatant to be. With a wide stance and grim, head-lowered glare, Wreckage looks as if he’s ready and willing to pick a fight with anyone stupid enough to get near him. Some red on is upper legs and his arms is revealed here to make him a bit more striking, and gold apps accent his robot details nicely. His head is grey with silver face and gold accents on the helmet, and some nice red light piping on the eyes. As with the vehicular mode, details were anything but skimped on. New vents on the robots shoulder molding are revealed, and yet he still has a very smooth and un-buggy appearance to him. I can't wait to compare him to his look on the big screen.

His weapons can be stored in little holsters on his hips in pistol mode, and be either held in his hands, (which aren't the typical fist with hole tip but rather open grip with peg mold), or attached under his arms as assassins blades. A note on this, some may complain his blades face the wrong direction, horizontal, instead of vertical. However many sword attacks are horizontal slashes so it makes sense to me. Aside from his pistols/swords, Wreckage has a chest cannon mounted just under his pectoral armor, either to help in long range or more probably, to blow a hole through an Autobot he's locked in combat with. Woot, belly shotgun! He's rather articulated, posable at knees, ankles, hips, waist, head, shoulders, elbows (two points on each). He has no side to side elbow motion however, but the designers seem to have made up for the fact since through transformation his shoulders can each swing forward a bit. I find it rather funny I can pose him like Lu Kang. Just imagine him screaming "WUUUUAAAAHH!" as he comes flying at some poor confused Autobot, while Megatron declares "Finish Him!"

All and all I have to give this toy a very high grade. As he fulfills all the things I think a Decepticon should. He looks evil, he's well built and thought out, quite posable, and has a believable vehicle mode that suits his function and personality.

Transformation: 5 While not difficult it can be tricky in places, especially robot to vehicle, there’s a table that allows the rear plate to stay in place over the swords, but the catch is you can only really fasten through the tiny space in his folded over legs. His automorph feature, which involves the chest cannon sliding into place while the outer sides of the vehicle mode fold back into shoulders as the head and chest rotate up and down into pace respectively, are a bit ill thought through in my opinion as it can be a bit hard to pose the figure without them folding back. Pushing the flamethrower down into the plate supposedly locks this, but not well.

Durability: 8 the only flimsy looking pieces on him are the holsters, and they have yet to even show signs of stress. He's high grade plastic and the joints are quite stiff.

Fun: 10 I'm having a blast with him, and am already trying to make a web comic starring him. Add in the Lu Kang impressions and it’s hours of grins.

Price: 8 I can't fairly detract points for his price. I live in a place where I pay 14% tax on everything and our dollar is lower then most. To me, 14 dollars sounds reasonable.

Overall: 9.5 Despite minor detractions in his vehicle mode, his robot mode well makes up for it. I simply adore this figure, and I'll recommend him to anyone. He's a definite must have from the movie and certainly less buggy looking then Bonecrusher or Barricade. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go make him beat up my Sub Zero figure again.