TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:

Alternate Mode:

Additional Image:

Additional Image:

Box Art:

Brave Maximus’ Review of Reissue Dash Tacker

Name: Dash, Tacker (Dash Tacker or Tacker Dash)
Allegiance: Cybertron
Function: Ground Warrior
Alt-Mode: Sports Car, Half-Track APC
First Cartoon Appearance: Victory - Combine Multiforce!

Long before Transformers: Energon came up with the concept of over\under combiners, there was a small group of “MicroMasters” called the Multiforce. It was made up of 6 members, each transforming into their own robot mode, but also forming a top or bottom part of a larger robot. They were sold in pairs, and in the Victory cartoon they were only seen in their 3 combined forms or as the giant warrior Landcross. One of the big selling features of the Multiforce (other than their being a combiner) is that there were 37 possible combinations. The name of the combined robot was made up of whomever was on top, then whomever was on the bottom (Hence Wing Waver if Wing was on top, or Waver Wing if it was reversed). Through the reviews, you’ll see me refer to them as “MicroMasters”. The quotation marks are not accidental. They were marketed as MicroMasters but each toy is between 3" and 4" in length in vehicle mode. This is double the size of the average MicroMaster.

The last of the three Multiforce teams could be called the heavy weapons and scout team, which is rather funny, because, in a squad, they are usually the first and last troops found marching. I do like these two, and they are the most balanced of the team - they also remind me of D&D characters.

Alt Mode:
Dash: A proper name for a sports car, I think. Dash is some hybrid brand of sports car, and probably my favourite alt mode of the Multiforce. Despite being one of the largest and most angular of the team, he manages to look sleek and fast. He’s chock full of detail: The front almost looks like it should have a light bar, like in Knight Rider, and the top of the hood has a supercharger vent. Despite the back tires being flared out, the angles on them actually make them fit (unlike Tackle's front tires, which seem out of place). He’s primarily red, with black tinted windows. While this might seem plain, it works quite nicely. The top of his roof has a tampgraphed Autobot Symbol and a peg for one of Landcross’ fists for his attack mode. This is the nicest of the Landcross team's vehicle modes.

Tacker: Tacker, in stark contrast to Dash, is a half-track Armoured Personnel Carrier. With a blunt front end and what looks to be a thickly armoured back end, he looks like a good, solid piece of military machinery. The front end is a flat piece that angles back for the driver's compartment. He has wide set front tires (which doesn’t look as odd as it does on poor Tackle) and a raised back end. There are treads moulded into the back, but he rolls on 2 hidden tires underneath, and there appears to be some sort of sensor equipment on the top of his roof. His colours are a nice, dark green, with grey, and a yellow for the windows. There are 2 holes in back where you can place a double cannon for his attack mode. Again, one of the best that the Multiforce has to offer.

Robot Mode:
Dash: Why is it that the fast and sleek looking sports car ends up looking like a dwarven Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officer? Second shortest of the team (by a hair's breadth), Dash manages to look stalky and powerful. He’s wide, with big, powerful looking fists, and HUGE legs. The Mountie reference comes from the hip pants he appears to be wearing, as what would be the roof of his car mode sticks out to the side. His head is a nice design, still managing to look sleek, despite his huge body. His colours remain the same, though a lot more grey shows up in his chest. While there are some great moulded details on his chest, they also added a red and yellow vent sticker, which almost seems out of place here. Dash is also the only member of the Mulitforce with an orange face, as opposed to silver, with a blue visor. He also come with a MASSIVE laser pistol, adding to his dwarven appearance.

Tacker: While Dash did a flip from a sleek sports car to heavy warrior, Tacker does the opposite. The large APC turns into a thin and lithe warrior that reminds me of an elf (it could also be because I’m watching the Lord of the Rings). The tallest of the force, Tacker manages to avoid the bowlegged look. His arms are long and well proportioned. The interesting thing here is that only the head is new detail. It’s thin looking and elongated, with a high crest and an almost Gundam like fin. His face is silver and his eyes are blue. The only other thing different is that he comes with the largest cannon of the whole team. This thing is almost as tall as Dash, with a massive muzzle opening - this is not something you would want pointed at your head.

Dash Tacker: This mode, while the better of his two combined modes, still seems a bit weird. I wish Tacker’s connection pieces were reversed, so that the grey matched up with Dash’s grey, but it doesn’t. The other unfortunate part is that Tackers legs, when perfectly straight, don’t support the weight very well. But if you split them a little, it all works out. All in all, though, he’s nicely proportioned. Dash has hands moulded in, with large fists. They look quite good with the huge cannons he’s carrying. The colours do work well together, in that sort of Christmas sort of way (red and green). Still, it does work together.

Tacker Dash: Now, if you want something that looks like a dwarf, then here it is. The shortest of the combined forms, Tacker Dash is very broad, with huge arms and big weapons. Again, the lack of grey on grey for the chest area isn’t the best, but actually doesn’t seem to be as bad here. Perhaps it’s because the yellow of the main windshield is obscured. Tacker Dash’s head is the only one out of the over\under combinations that is nothing like his smaller robot head. It reminds me of a medieval battle helm: Rounded with a nice crest, a faceplate with sections in it, and a solid blue visor - it actually looks great. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have hands moulded in - so that is a draw back to me.

Poseability: Again, with all of them, the mobility of the limbs is quite small. In individual robot modes, their arms rotate and you can rotate their feet out as well as kick to the side. In the over\under combined mode, the arms have 6 points of articulation and the legs remain the same. So you’re not going to get too many dynamic poses, but it’s not that bad.

Transformation: 4. This is not rocket science, but it’s not a typical MicroMaster either.
Durability: 9. These guys are big and tough - they’re not even starting to get loose.
Fun: 8. Out of the 3 teams, this one is my favourite. And you can mix and match, with is pretty cool
Price: 7. $40 CDN and he’s yours, so that’s a good deal
Overall: 8. I love these little guys. Go out and get them now.