Review: #673
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Autobot
Line: Generations - War for Cybertron Trilogy
Year of Release: 2020
Size Class: Voyager (Wave 2)
Mold Status: repaint of Earthrise Leader Optimus Prime without the trailer
VEHICLE MODE (OPTIMUS):
Optimus Prime, as expected, transforms into a red and blue short nosed truck. This is a repaint of the Earthrise Leader version, but without the trailer.
This is a really strong vehicle mode, even from the back. The robot gun pegs behind the cab for storage, but Optimus has this heft and solidness to him, probably from how compact this mode is.
In terms of size, Optimus is really small for a Voyager (let alone a Leader, where the trailer made up for the size difference). Above is a comparison against Deluxe Bumblebee so you can see how compact he really is, even though he is definitely a lot heftier.
There's not much play value in this mode, he rolls and that's it. One slightly annoying are the gas tanks on either side, they're half tanks and nothing stops them from folding back inside the robot thighs when handling the vehicle mode.
A fantastic vehicle mode. It's classic Optimus Prime and so can be a bit boring, but it excels in what it is trying to do.
ENERAX:
Focusing on the two Battlemasters first, Enerax transforms into a yellow robotic pteraxadon.
He has a solid yellow torso but everything else is a transparent plastic, so it can be hard to make out the details.
Enerax usually stands on his two legs but can also stand upright. The wings can fold in but that's the limit of his articulation.
In terms of size, Enerax is approximately the size of a Legion figure, but even more simple and much lighter.
Enerax's weapon mode is an ax (quite fitting for Optimus). Transformation is super simple, the wings fold down to form the blades, while the handle flips out from the torso and you fold the head away.
Optimus can hold the ax in either hand and is a great weapon.
This isn't official but you can also peg the weapon in such a way to act as a type of blaster.
Enerax is actually a pretty nifty little Battlemaster, with quite a bit of flexibility in his various modes.
SHEELDRON:
Sheeldron on the other hand has a humanoid robotic form.
Unfortunately, he has the flaw of carrying his whole alternate mode on his back and it is massive. It's quite distracting.
His backpack is transparent plastic but the actual robot itself is solid plastic at least, with some silver paint.
In terms of size, he is almost the size of a Legion figure, he is one of the bigger Battlemasters in the line.
Sheeldron has balljointed shoulders and hips, so he has some potential for posing.
Sheeldron's weapon mode is a shield, and it is super easy. You flip the piece on his back to form the shield, then handle out from his chest and you're done.
The shield pegs onto Optimus' forearm and just like Enerax, Sheeldron looks great there.
TRANSFORMATION (OPTIMUS):
This is where Optimus' Leader roots come into play because the transformation is very complicated. It is more complex, and more fun, than the Siege Voyager version. The back naturally becomes the robot legs, with some nice panel manipulation, although that is the simpler part of the transformation. The cab forms the torso and arms, and while in general it is as you would expect, there are a lot of clever folding to achieve this. This includes how the grill and wheels fold away, and how the panels fold to form kibble-less boxy arms.
ROBOT MODE (OPTIMUS):
Optimus's robot mode is where he truly shines, as he is absolutely stunning. The darker blue in his legs help.
He doesn't have much kibble, which is impressive. While the wheels are visible from the back, they don't protrude and nothing gets in the way.
The head sculpt is to the same high standard as the rest of the figure. The dark blue looks amazing, and the light blue eyes make it pop.
In terms of size, Optimus is the size of a normal Voyager, he's definitely bigger than a Deluxe now.
A quick comparison with Siege (left) shows off how much slimmer and more athletic looking this version is. They're very familiar but this Earthrise mode just edges out slightly as the better one.
The biggest negative is how much the chest windows protrude out over his abs. It's not noticeable at first, but once you do notice, you can't unsee it.
The reason for that is because the chest windows can open up to reveal the Matrix of Leadership.
The Matrix itself is also removable, although it can be tight given the size of the Matrix. Optimus can hold it in his hands thanks to his fists being able to be opened.
Optimus has excellent articulation, with joints for his head, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees and ankles.
The hips are also jointed separately for the sideways and front to back swivels. What this means is that he has amazing range with his legs poseability.
Pose Optimus just right, and he can pull off a fantastic and heroic silhouette with little effort.
Optimus' primary weapon in robot mode is his gun.
He can hold the gun in either hand, although the gun itself is a bit chubby looking.
The gun can fold back up and peg onto his back for storage when not in use.
Alternatively, this version has the option of using Enerax and Sheeldron as weaponry. The sword and shield combo complements each other so well.
A near perfect robot mode that's extremely impressive.
OVERALL:
If you didn't like the Earthrise release, given that the trailer was an empty box that opens, then this version will be the one for you. It contains the core figure, with a more complicated transformation than your average Voyager, plus two Battlemasters. The figure has impressive engineering and two amazing modes, while the two Battlemasters adds quite a bit of play value to the set.
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