Review: #176
Name: Scorn
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Autobot
Line: Age of Extinction Generations
Year of Release: 2014
Size Class: Deluxe (Wave 1)
Variations: none as of yet
DINOSAUR MODE:
Scorn transforms into a red Spinosaurus (this is the official designation and I am not going to go into any debate whether this is accurate or not). While Scorn is supposed to be a robotic dinosaur, he is one of the more organic Dinobots.
This is a well formed mode with limited robot kibble sticking out. There is some silver spray paint at the tip of the tail, which is also made from soft rubbery plastic.
There are spikes and the like everywhere, sculpting is excellent with barely a flat surface. From the sides, you can see clearly the robot torso and how he transforms. He looks better on the right side since it's not as obvious.
Surprisingly, Scorn feels pretty big, maybe it's due to the long tail or the big chunky parts. Nevertheless, he doesn't feel too downsized or cheapened.
The spines on his back are also made of soft bendy plastic, which is more scary as they're thin and will probably warp easier.
The head sculpt is... an acquired taste. Personally, I thought it was too thin and the way it is jointed at the neck (it has to be this way for transformation) makes it feel "attached" awkwardly to the body instead of looking natural.
As the dinosaur head forms the robot arm, it is well jointed and dynamic. The jaw can open and close.
The arms are jointed at the shoulders but the legs are restricted and limited. You can't really do running poses of this guy. This is a decent dinosaur mode that looks good and fun to play with.
TRANSFORMATION:
Reminiscent of Beast Wars Megatron in that the tail forms the left hand and the head forms the right. The torso rotates and the beast legs become robot legs. It's interesting and keeps your attention. It's involved enough such that you have fun and presents a small challenge. The transformation feels intuitive. Of note is that the spines on his back is made of bendy plastic but you need to force it out of the pegs which warps the plastic, there isn't enough clearance and it feels that if you do it too much, it'll eventually break. Otherwise, a satisfying transformation.
ROBOT MODE:
Scorn has a striking robot mode, the red color scheme suits him well, especially with the lance as his left hand.
The only kibble he has are the beast mode hands that sit on his back. The spines work really well as a distinctive feature.
The head sculpt is great, I love the visor and face plate. Straight out of packaging, the head articulation is limited so I suggest you shave down some of the plastic at the bottom of the back of the head, which allows a much better range of motion (at its most basic, it allows him to look straight ahead).
The legs are angled in such a way that he will be leaning forward if you straighten his legs. His left hand is also a lance formed by the dinosaur's tail, it's not a detachment piece, thus there isn't a hand hidden in there.
Scorn is a good size, the big shoulder pads lend him a bulky look. A hand folds out of the beast mode's head, which is a nice touch. Instructions have it that you flip the lower jaw out as a sort of small shield but it leaves a huge gap in the forearm.
The articulation is superb, only missing a waist joint which isn't too sorely missed. He is stable in a variety of poses thanks to the large heelspurs and good balance. The tail works really well as a lance, much better than I would have expected.
As if that giant lance is not enough, he also features a small sword.
Where does this small sword store? Well, in the tail of course, this is a neat and nifty feature.
He can only hold the sword with his right hand. Due to transformation, the wrist doesn't have any meaningful articulation.
At first look, it doesn't seem that there are many paint applications but as you fiddle around with him, you'd notice some subtle areas that are highlighted with paint. There's red on his spines, the jaws of the dino head is painted gunmetal grey and there are orange highlights through the torso and shoulder pads.
If you would prefer he have a dragon head for a hand then that's no problem too. It's an extra weapon and Scorn looks wicked with it. This is also why I wouldn't be surprised if they ever decide to repaint this as Beast Wars Megatron...
If you couldn't tell already, Scorn (and the rest of the Dinobots) have a knight motif going on and it gives them a heroic aesthetic. This was a good design decision.
There are no other gimmicks to speak off, the weapons and the articulation IS the gimmick, which is fine by me.
A spectacular robot mode who oozes charm and distinctive personality.
OVERALL:
The stellar highlight of the first wave of Age of Extinction Generations toys, yes, even better than Grimlock, Slug and Optimus (Voyager or Leader). Scorn has a fantastic dinosaur mode and an even better robot mode. The red used may seem garish at first but it grows on you and it feels as if it is the perfect choice for Scorn. I cannot imagine him in any other colors now. The tail as a lance works surprisingly well and there is unlimited potential for awesome poses. If you're going to get one AOE figure, Scorn is the one. From the way things are looking, he's still leaps and bounds better than any of the Wave 2 figures.
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Looking for more Dinobot reviews or even just AOE figures in general? Check out some of them here.