Review: #274
Name: Defensor
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Autobot
Line: Generations - Combiner Wars
Year of Release: 2015
Size Class: N/A
Mold Status: N/A
PROTECTOBOTS:
Defensor is of course formed by the Protectobots, who are comprised of Hot Spot, Blades, Streetwise, First Aid and newcomer Rook.
Most of them are based on emergency/rescue vehicles, with the exception of Rook who is just a SWAT vehicle and so somewhat sticks out.
They look great as a team and there is a coherent color scheme which sells this subgroup.
Lastly, Groove is also officially part of the team (the original G1 team too), however, he is regulated to being a Legends figure this time around.
In robot mode, they look equally good. It helps that they all share a common aesthetic.
Personally, the Protectobots are the winner of the Generations Combiner Wars line because individually they are each fun toys.
LIMBS:
Hot Spot forms the torso of Defensor and the transformation into torso mode is very ingenious and clever. It was fun and what makes it so impressive is that the ladder wraps around the whole torso, it is elegant and intuitive. What's also impressive is how well it emulates the G1 toy's chestplate without any add-on kibble.
Blades usually forms the right arm and he makes a good arm. His leg mode is great because it has a knee spike (hiding the combiner port) and the way the extra combiner feet attaches, it doesn't stick out.
First Aid forms the left arm and it's a nice chunky arm. The layering effect caused by the robot arms on the sides is also fantastic, it adds a complex look to the figure. The leg mode is a bit too bulky although the hood as the knee is pretty sweet.
Rook is the right leg, nothing to write home about. The arm mode is quite thick due to how wide the vehicle is.
Lastly, Streetwise is the left leg and due to how wide the vehicle is, the feet looks a bit small. The arm mode is pretty good but again, the vehicle is too wide making the forearm a bit wide.
DEFENSOR:
Onto Defensor who is without a doubt, the best Combiner Wars combiner, yes, even better than Superion. He has the bulk, the uniformed color scheme and just simple awesomeness.
He doesn't have much kibble, just Hot Spot's truck windshield on the outside of his knees, parts of his ladder and arms on the back. All this does is bulk him up though, so it's welcomed here.
The head sculpt is okay. The head is hollow due to transformation but it swivels from side to side.
A closer look at the chest detail, it mimics the G1 figure's chestplate perfectly, and this is without any additional pieces.
Unfortunately, the feet and hands are out of proportion with the figure, the hands being too big and the feet being too small. This is what you get when you try and use universal hands and feet pieces.
A quick size comparison with a Voyager classed figure, Defensor towers over Optimus Prime. Note Defensor is one of the shorter combiners within the line.
Remember Groove? He can combine into Defensor too, but this time as a chestplate. He works much better than Blackjack just because there are a few places for Groove to peg in and he stays there very securely.
Groove as a chestplate works much better than expected. Sure, it does make Defensor's chest stick out a bit but it neatly integrates into the figure that it's quite impressive.
Defensor has good articulation. What he doesn't have is good balance. Naturally, being comprised of a Voyager, four Deluxes and a Legends toy makes him very heavy. Coupled with the small and slippery feet meets Defensor wouldn't be pulling off any dynamic poses.
That being said, he can still be placed in many poses. In this configuration, his combiner ports are visible, which is distracting and tacky.
Defensor's gun is formed by combining both of Hot Spot's together, this makes for a long and thin gun but it's hard to see how else they could bulk it up without it looking bad for either robot.
He can hold the gun in either hand. The rest of the individual robot's weapons can be attached too, so you don't have to be afraid of losing any pieces.
Defensor has good proportions overall. The limbs manage to complement the bulky torso which gives you a powerful looking robot.
While his hips are able to be lifted to the sides, there are two reasons you don't want to do this. The first is that he'll probably do the splits, and the second is that he doesn't look good as it makes his hips seem very small.
As you'd expect for something this heavy, most of his joints are strong ratchets. The elbows are also double jointed.
As each Deluxe can form either a leg or an arm, you can mix and match Defensor's limbs.
A lot of combinations are possible but since the torso always remain the same, each combination is not as uniquely different to blow your mind.
He is able to combine with other Combiner Wars Deluxes as well, not being regulated to only Protectobots. However, that makes as much sense as Optimus combining...
As already mentioned, as the color schemes of most of the limbs are very similar, this creates a coherently colored combined mode and it helps.
Defensor is a fantastic combiner. He looks amazing, feels solid and is fun to fiddle around with.
OVERALL:
Nothing much more needs to be said, Defensor is a must have figure. All the individual robots are fantastic toys in their own right, but the combined mode is truly greater than the sum of the parts. Not only does Defensor look good, he is super stable and can pull off some good poses.
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