Review: #889
Name: Vortex
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Decepticon
Line: Age of the Primes
Year of Release: 2025
Size Class: Deluxe (Wave 2)
Mold Status: new
HELICOPTER MODE:
An updated form for Vortex, part of the Combaticons that would combine to form Bruticus, transforms into a grey helicopter.
This is a great looking slim helicopter. The shade of grey used is perfect, dark enough to not be boring but not enough to hide the details.
It's a decent helicopter mode, but from the side, you can see that the rear section seems a little bit bolted on as the body seems to end abruptly right before the tail.
The robot weapons can attach to this mode, the pair of smaller guns at the back, and the bigger gun on the side.
Or you can combine the two smaller guns together and slot it underneath the cockpit, and it looks fantastic there.
The rotors spin freely which is a nice feature that adds some play value.
TRANSFORMATION:
Vortex has a very simple transformation, to the point of being boring and generic, like a lot of the other updated combiners. The front splits and extends to form the legs. While the rear also splits and folds up for the arms.
ROBOT MODE:
At first glance, Vortex's robot mode looks fantastic. The G1 combiners never really had much personality or uniqueness as individual bots, but Vortex gives it a run for their money here.
He does carry a lot of kibble, being the top of the helicopter, the blades, but perhaps the worst part, are the tail sections of the helicopter as giant panels that completely encase his arms.
The head sculpt with the huge painted red visor looks amazing.
Vortex has good articulation, he has joints for his head, shoulders, elbows, waist, hips, knees and ankles.
As mentioned earlier, he has a huge piece behind each of his arms, and they're attached such that they constantly get in the way of his arms, which is very annoying. Since they're on friction joints, they are also prone to just popping off, adding to the frustration.
He comes with two smaller guns, plus a bigger one.
The two smaller guns peg onto his forearms.
While he can hold the larger gun with his hand.
He has the tail rotor blade behind his right arm which he can't really use. However, you can unpeg the main rotor as it's just on a 5mm peg, and use that as a giant handheld weapon.
The addition of blue, plus the shiny black paint on his shins, add a nice dose of color that makes the figure pop.
With the skeletal frame system being favored for combined mode, this means that Vortex isn't compromised much to achieve being part of a combiner. He only needs to be able to split in half and the mechanism is hidden in such a way that you would never know unless you attempt to combine him.
The updated scramble city combiners can feel overly generic and forgettable but Vortex does a great job at fighting back against that idea, as he stands out in a good way.
OVERALL:
Vortex is one of those rare figures that has quite a bit of character that he is worth getting even if you have no intention to completing Bruticus. He's not perfect, as the kibble behind his arms are lazy and disappointing, as well as being very annoying to deal with.
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