Review: #600
Name: Shockwave & Solar Shot
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Decepticon
Line: Cyberverse
Year of Release: 2019
Size Class: Spark Armor Battle Class (Wave 2)
Mold Status: new
TANK MODE:
Shockwave transforms into a walking tank but this is a pretty poor one. This is because the turret and cannon is tiny, and is situated too far back.
This is effectively the robot mode on all fours and it shows. The front legs are the robot arms, and the back legs are the robot feet.
He's part of the Battle Class subline, which is approximately the size of a Legends figure.
One good thing with reusing the robot limbs for the tank limbs is how articulated this mode can be. The turret can also rotate from side to side.
This is not a good tank mode, it is barely passable and is laughable, really.
TRANSFORMATION:
Getting Shockwave into robot mode is extremely simple. Straighten the back and front legs to allow him to stand up. Detach the turret on top to peg onto either arm, and then fold the front down to form the chest.
ROBOT MODE:
Robot mode is where Shockwave shines the brightest and this is a decent representation of the character.
He has his iconic laser arm complete with the plastic hose. The hose only pegs to his shoulder, but this attachment can actually peg onto either arm, and both arms have a proper fist.
The biggest negative here is the head, it's not so much the sculpting (as it's decent, even with the "angry" eye) but that his head is fixed, it cannot move at all.
He is slightly taller than a typical Legends figure in robot mode.
Barring the fixed head, articulation is good. He has joints for his shoulders, elbows, hips and knees.
The hose doesn't get in the way at all and he doesn't have any kibble either.
As mentioned earlier, the laser gun is an attachment that pegs onto the fist so you can leave it off and have a Shockwave with two normal hands if you want.
There are some lighter purple accents that looks great as a highlight. This is a solid robot mode.
SOLAR SHOT:
As part of the Spark Armor gimmick, Shockwave comes with Solar Shot, which transforms into a satellite.
The solar panels as well as the dish in the front are both made of softer more flexible plastic.
This piece is pretty much an accessory, and is a bit smaller than a Legends figure.
A quick comparison with Shockwave's tank mode. It's easy to imagine that the satellite's aerial firepower is a complement to the tank's ground based firepower.
This is not a bad alternate mode, even if it doesn't have the challenge of hiding robot bits.
TRANSFORMATION (SPARK ARMOR):
The satellite splits into four pieces and this provides the Spark Armor additions to Shockwave's robot mode. It splits into a weapon, the solar panels which form the backpack, a head and torso armor piece, and a second gun.
ROBOT MODE (SPARK ARMOR):
The armored up robot mode keeps the core Shockwave elements, and then doubles down on it. Shockwave now gains a second gun arm and a more menacing silhouette.
There is quite a bit of backpack now. The solar panels are a feature, but the torso piece that adds the helmet has a big chunk sticking out the back. All the Spark Armor Battle Class figures have this flaw, which is disappointing.
The armor gives the original head a helmet, so you can see Shockwave's face through the visor. It's one of the better integrating helmet of the line.
Shockwave sells for nearly Deluxe price but when bulked up, since nothing is added to his legs, he remains the same height.
None of the armor pieces restrict any movement either, his articulation remains the same as the core robot mode.
Of note is attached to his gun arm is another gun, of which the hose then attached to the back.
While he may be bigger and clunkier, he looks more powerful too and is a neat upgrade to the normal Shockwave design that we've come to expect.
OVERALL:
Shockwave may have a weak tank mode, but the robot mode as well as the Spark Armor gimmick more than makes up for it. The armor adds a ton of play value, and it makes the robot look power, despite only really adding a few additional pieces.
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