Review: #778
Name: Terran Nightshade
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Autobot
Line: Earthspark
Year of Release: 2023
Size Class: Deluxe (Wave 3)
Mold Status: new
ROBOT MODE:
Nightshade is a mostly new and unique character that transforms into a green robotic owl.
This is a fairly good owl if you can forgive the torso looking like a mess. Despite how it looks, he stays pegged together really solidly, although there is a reliance on the robot heel spurs to keep him upright, but they are on a joint and are easily dislodged calling the owl to topple over.
He has some articulation, mostly in the wings which can flap up and down. Speaking of which, the wings come in separate pieces in the packaging and you have to clip those on yourself.
The head of the owl can also turn from side to side, and the wings have enough motion to fold completely by his side.
Finally, the robot weapons, which are a pair of knives, slot into the back of his wings.
Nightshade also comes with a torso piece of the Build-A-Figure, Mandroid.
While the torso is a bit messy, this is an okay and passable robotic owl mode.
TRANSFORMATION:
Simple and elegant, Nightshade doesn't have too bad a transformation scheme. Basically the whole robot is folded up into the owl's torso, so there is a lot of unfolding going on. The front of the torso along with the owl feet are actually his arms. Get those out, and then unfold the legs down before you can rotate the owl head into the gap left over to form the robot torso, which also reveals the head.
ROBOT MODE:
Nightshade has a unique robot mode as well, but he is lanky and dominated by those huge wings on his back.
If the wings could have had some engineering go behind them to make them smaller or fold away better, then it would have made the figure much more deserving of its price point.
The head sculpt is great, and the figure has shades of metallic green that makes him pop.
Size-wise, he is around the same height as a typical Deluxe, just that he's really lanky, which is not surprisingly considering how everything folds into such a tiny owl.
This is also why his legs are mostly hollow, as they are required for transformation, but just makes him even more top heavy.
The articulation is fine, with joints for his head, shoulders, elbows, waist, hips, knees and ankles.
He comes with a pair of knives as his weapons.
Both knives can be held in his hand, and they can be held up or down, depending on your preferences. However, the owl feet that stick out behind his forearms are annoying and gets in the way.
Similarly to alternate mode, the knives can be stored in his wings if you don't want to use them.
This is a good robot mode, where the only flaw are the big wings, and the hollow legs causing some top heaviness.
OVERALL:
Terran Nightshade is a rarity in that his design is quite unique, to the point where you are more willing to forgive his flaws. They aren't major flaws, but just the usual issues of being small considering how expensive Deluxes are these days. However, if you can get him on sale or special, then he is worth having.
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