Review: #734
Name: Scourge
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Decepticon
Line: Generations - Legacy - Velocitron Speedia 500 Collection
Year of Release: 2022
Size Class: Leader
Mold Status: repaint of Legacy Laser Optimus Prime
VEHICLE MODE:
There was little doubt when Laser Optimus Prime was released that there was a high possibility it would be repainted into RiD Scourge, the original black Optimus Prime repaint.
And this is a really nice deco. The whole tanker portion is painted silver, and this pretty much used up all the paint budget (so that robot mode's color scheme is quite different from the original character).
While Scourge is a Leader classed figure, like a lot of other offerings in this size class, it's basically a Voyager with a trailer. Above is a comparison with Leader TLK Optimus and Voyager Siege Optimus.
The tanker portion attaches via post onto the cab's bed, so this allows it to be articulated. There's no additional play value here though.
A good looking vehicle mode, made even better with the black.
VEHICLE MODE (CAB):
Since the tanker is a separate piece, it can detach leaving only the cab portion.
The bed is a tad bit long, being the robot legs. The other annoying part are the gas tanks on the sides since they don't tab into place, and so are very easy to push back in.
Another quick comparison to show the Voyager size of the figure.
The robot weapons can either store in the trailer, or they can store on the cab itself: the shield tabbed at the back, and the sword underneath.
Again, the black, magenta and teal combine into a striking color scheme that makes the vehicle mode look great.
TRAILER:
The trailer has a piece that folds down so that it looks to stand independently.
It's a nice option even though there isn't really that many reasons to separate the two.
The trailer unfolds to form the base. It is literally splitting it up, and then rotating a few pieces.
The base mode is extremely disappointing as there is little play value. The middle portion can rotate and there's an articulated claw but that's it. A far cry from the original, if they only added two panels and two more guns, and then it would have replicated the original much better and added a lot more play value.
TRANSFORMATION:
Scourge has a somewhat simple transformation but it feels solid. The front naturally splits into two to form the shoulders, and the arms come from the back of the cab. The rear folds down and splits to become his legs. What is more involved than expected is how the torso and the panels with the arms pegs together, as you need to get a few pieces in just the right spot to lock them all.
ROBOT MODE:
That said, the key draw is of course the robot mode and Scourge looks awesome.
The robot mode is great in that it barely has any kibble, only the roof of the cab that kind of juts out from the back, but it's flush enough that it doesn't impact on anything.
The head sculpt is fantastic, the teal highlights on the side perfectly captures the evil Optimus clone look.
For size, he's about Voyager height here. Above is a comparison against Leader POTP Optimus and Voyager Siege Optimus.
Also a quick comparison against the original usage of this mode so that you can see the color differences. It's exactly the same figure, just a different color scheme.
It's a shame that this version went for the red transparent windows to match the vehicle mode rather than have it painted like the original. Considering Legacy (and the lines before it) was so fixated on cartoon accuracy, it's weird that they broke away for Scourge.
Articulation on the other hand is pretty much perfect, with joints for his head, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees and ankles.
The ankle joints in particular are very helpful since they allow him to stand flat in all sorts of poses.
He comes with three weapons, a sword, a shield, and a gun that is taken from the base's turret.
First off with the gun, he can hold it in his hand, but it's a thin hollow piece of thing, so it's not all that great.
Shown in the instructions is the gun also attaching to his shoulder pylons or at the side of his legs. Both looks awkwardly comical and are best forgotten.
The other weapons are much better, with the sword being a nice transparent magenta.
The shield is a tad bit short and chubby in comparison.
However, the shield and sword can combine together to form a giant weapon, which looks surprisingly okay and isn't too unwieldy with its length.
The huge shoulders, while an iconic element of the design, can get in the way of shoulder articulation despite the designer's best attempts. Although what's cool are the upside G2 Autobot insignias on the shoulder pads, just like the original.
There are two more gimmicks here, the first is that the shoulders have panels that flip up to reveal missile pods.
While the second is that his chest opens up to reveal the Matrix of Leadership (or Scourge's evil version), and it can be taken out too.
A good robot mode that has a nice variety of weapons, good unobtrusive gimmicks, and plenty of articulation.
OVERALL:
It depends on your tastes, so grab either this version or the Optimus version since the mode is pretty nice, despite the disappointing trailer. The trailer is definitely the weakest aspect as it feels like a flimsy piece of hollowed plastic. Scourge himself is much more solid and strikes a good balance between complexity and play value. As per usual, it's a shame that this is an exclusive given it's such a nice repaint.
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