Review: #288
Name: Slipstream
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Decepticon
Line: Legends
Year of Release: 2015
Size Class: Deluxe
Mold Status: remold of Generations Windblade
PACKAGING:
Like the others in the Legends line, Slipstream comes in a nice fancy box that looks great as showing off the figure.
Even the stock photos are better, showcasing the figure's two modes, gimmicks and on the right side of the box, there is some artwork.
JET MODE:
Slipstream, based upon the Starscream clone from Animated, transforms naturally into a jet, with purple and turquoise being the primary colors.
She has some unpainted thrusters at the back and her robot shins/feet forming the top of the jet in an obvious manner.
She is a remold of Windblade but the jet mode remains the same for the most part.
The most part refers to the fact that Slipstream ditches the sword that came with Windblade but instead has two null-rays. These actually attach to the robot arms in jet mode and so the tips are covered the wings, which is a shame.
Slipstream is a Deluxe figure but feels a bit thin and light on her own.
Ditching the sword also means that there is an unsightly gap in the fuselage.
The only gimmick here apart from the flip up front landing gear, is that her turbines can fold forward, up to 90 degrees.
This is a striking jet, while the color scheme can seem gaudy, it works very well since it has a metallic sheen to it.
TRANSFORMATION:
Slipstream's transformation remains the same as Windblade which means it is fiddly. Everything pretty much unpegs from jet mode into a mess of joints before you end up fitting them together again. Due to the various small pieces, it is not that great. The plastic here seems stronger than Windblade's but not by much.
ROBOT MODE:
Slipstream's robot mode is where the focus is, and where all the remolds happened. This is a fantastic remold and it makes the mold like a completely new figure.
That said, she carries most of the kibble that dragged Windblade down, including the awkward wings and cockpit behind her back.
You can fold the wings back and rotate them to your liking, but it can make her back heavy and fall over.
The first piece of remold is the head and it looks amazing. She carries a small smirk which gives the figure so much character.
The other remolding happened with her chest, which now carries a faux cockpit, not to mention that she also has null-rays which pegs in tightly on the outside of her forearms.
She is a decent height here but once again, she feels very light due to the thin parts.
In comparison with Windblade, personally I like Slipstream better. The colors, styling and weapons all win out.
Her poseability is quite good, she has some wrist swivels which means she can utilize those null-rays really nicely.
That said, her hips can be restricted by the section that attaches to the balljoint. They still haven't fixed the heel issue, so balancing her can be a pain as when you shift the figure, the heels collapse back inwards.
The metallic silver paint carries over here and combined with the shiny silver used, makes for a striking robot mode.
The null-rays cannot be stored anywhere else nor be held in her hands, since they are molded specifically to attach to those forearm pieces.
A great robot mode that is clearly where the designer focused. Considering this is a reuse of a mold that wasn't really suitable for reusing, the designer did a great job to evoke the character.
OVERALL:
Who knew a reuse of a mold can be so good? TakaraTomy did a fantastic job here making the Windblade mode into Slipstream. There remolding was smart, and the color scheme is well thought out. Slipstream is definitely highly recommended even considering the minor flaws of the mold.
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