TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

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

numbat's review of: Clear W.A.R.S.

Name: W.A.R.S. (Wicked Attack Recon Sportscar) (KB exclusive, 2003)
Allegiance: Autobot
Sub-Group: Spychanger

Quote: ‘I dare you to come and get me!’

W.A.R.S. is an aggressive warrior who loves to fight. He is covered in thick armour and specializes in body-slam attacks. His violent actions frighten both his allies and enemies. He has a machine gun that he fires non-stop when in battle.

Another of the many repaints or recolours of the Spychanger molds, here we have W.A.R.S., appearing in a black-purple clear plastic. Of course, many of these molds were already arguably overstretched, with the previous Gobots line during G2. This mold appeared as both Gearhead and Soundwave in 1995 alone! Still, W.A.R.S. is one of my favourite Spychanger molds – and to be honest, I do have a very big soft spot for the guys anyway!

So, how does this version match up with the great paintjob the original W.A.R.S. release received? Well, read on…


Alternate Mode:

As with all versions of this mold, W.A.R.S. becomes a reinforced rally car.

He measures in at 8.5cm (3 1/4”), and is bulky as a Spychanger can be, with loads of great molded detail. These details actually come through very well in the clear plastic, which appears black, but shines through purple. The clear orange on the underside of the car creates a really interesting effect when the whole thing is held up to the light.

As before, he boasts metallic blue windows with silver marking out the front window bars only. The front bumper is also silver, while the undersides of the doors retain their yellow strip, which still works well with these colours in car mode. The exhausts are a step up from the original, being clear orange rather than the totally garish yellow they were previously. Still, not the best choice of colour.

The wheels retain the gold alloy effect, while the Autobot symbol is emblazoned on the roof of the car. Alas, the colours really do imply a Decepticon very strongly here, but Autobot he is.
As to the other decals which graced the original W.A.R.S. and most preceding replaints and recolours, this chap has none. It’s difficult to say if this is good or bad. Obviousy, to work with the dark colour of the plastic, changes to the deal colours would have to have been made, which would be a hassle for a cheap money spinner such as this figure. I think he works fine without.


Robot Mode:

Simple Spychanger standard transformation gives you a cool robot, standing 8cm (3”) tall.

None of the heavy armour is lost in this recolour, and he looks as solid as ever. The colours again cry Decepticon, but, ach well.
Only the upper body and arms show the dark plastic now, with the thighs and head being totally clear, and the lower legs clear orange. The face is touched by solid silver paint, which is quite difficult to see against the clear plastic of the head.

Alas, the yellow strips, now along his arms, look pretty awful – far too garish – in this mode. Other than that, he is acceptable for display, although I reckon the car will always be the favoured mode.

The gun totally throws any semblance of balance the robot mode ever had. The dark clear red plastic just does not fit with the robot, and makes the entire affair look hodgepodge and random.

Still, he’s not the worst guy ever, and is a nice addition to a collection of small Transformers. He would be a far more essential piece if he replaced the Autobot insignia with a Decepticon one.

Transformation: 1 – Dead simple, but nice – certainly not a negative.
Durability: 8 – He’s pretty solid, but, as always, the gun could go wandering (but, perhaps you would want this gun to disappear…)
Fun: 3 – He is as fun as the original, and the car mode looks great, but the colours of the robot mode really limit his displayability.
Price: 7 – You can pick this guy up for around £1.60 ($3) mint on card, which certainly is not a bad price!
Overall: 3 – He’s an interesting figure, with a good car mode and ok robot mode, but he is not likely to be at the top of anyone’s ‘must own Spychanger’ lists.