General Information:
Release Date: May 2023
Price Point: $9.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Amazon, BigBadToyStore, Entertainment Earth, Target, Walmart etc.)
Background:
At the beginning of 2023 Hasbro began releasing a series of Core Class Dinobot figures including Dinobot Slug. The team will ultimately consist of six Dinobots who will combine into a new interpretation of the Combiner Volcanicus. Swoop was one of the original Dinobots introduced in the 80’s and he is back as a Core Class figure. He is also the only member of this team with an aerial alt-mode.
Packaging:
True to the name of the line, the Legacy: Evolution packaging uses the Legacy design as its foundation and then builds on it. The dramatic "Legacy" logo now has the word "Evolution" under it in an equally dramatic font. The background still has green, blue and purple colors that really catch the eye. On the top flap of the box features Swoop in beast mode with his wing mounted weapons blasting away. The left side of the packaging features him in robot mode. The back of the box shows Swoop in both modes calling out an 6 step transformation. It also describes him as "5 of 6" Transformers who form Volcanicus!
Like last year's Legacy figures, Swoop includes a QR Code (located on his instructions) that you can scan to see his tech specs online. I have screen captured the tech specs and placed them in the gallery below.
Accessories:
Swoop includes two weapons. For the purposes of Swoop himself these are blasters, each featuring a thick center section, a small peg/handle section in the back and a weapon barrel sticking out in front. In fact, these two weapons are the opposite sides of a fist for Volcanicus! You can combine the two weapons together and you’ll have yourself a fist with a blaster sticking out of it, mirroring the design of the fist/weapon accessory included with Scarr.
These pieces are made of light grey plastic with glossy black paint on them. Each blaster barrel features a connection point in front where you may attach Blast Effects.
Robot Mode:
Over the years there have been many versions of Swoop released in various Transformers toy lines (including Power of the Primes Swoop and Cyberverse Swoop. Across representations there have been similarities in design. This includes the robot mode having a large crest angling back and upward. His arms and legs are mostly square and rectangular in shape and his torso is largely formed by the beast mode head. On his back are the beast mode wings, folded up so they do not stick out too much to the sides. His figure also features smaller details from classic Swoop designs including boosters on his lower legs, the beast mode feet above his knees and line detailing on the forearms. From a sculpt standpoint this is instantly recognizable as Swoop.
Swoop is made up of silver and light grey plastic. The silver makes up most of the body with the light grey used on his lower legs and wings. Paint colors include red, silver, gold and blue. The red is used for the “helmet” portion of his head while silver is used on his face and lower legs. The torso is a mixture of blue and gold with a red Autobot symbol printed on it. While he could have used a dab of black on the lower legs for the boosters and some gold on the thighs, overall this deco is very true to the characters.
There are fourteen points of articulation on Swoop. This includes the wings, two in each arm and even waist articulation. This may not sound like a lot, but the head, shoulder, elbow and hip articulation are all ball joints so there is a nice range of movement. Each fist has a 3mm port for his weapons or you can swing his wings back and attach the weapons to them for storage.
Transformation to Beast Mode
- Detach the weapons and set them aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Swing the robot head back.
- Swing the beast mode head up over the robot mode’s face.
- Swing the outer halves of the wings out.
- Push the lower legs together.
- Swing the robot legs up and back, pushing them down against the back.
- Tab the arms into the side of the body and thighs
- Attach the weapons to the underside of the wings.
Beast Mode:
Swoop is a robotic Pteranodon in beast mode. Technically Pteranodons are not dinosaurs (they are part of the Pterosauria group, not Dinosauria) but Swoop has been part of the Dinobots since the beginning so this is more about tradition than being scientifically accurate. Like G1 Swoop he has many distinctive features. These include:
- Head: The beast mode head has a long beak with a crest sticking up at an angle in the back.
- Wings: The wings are curved with the outer parts shaped like curved blades.
- Engines: The robot mode’s lower legs appear to form engine like attachments to the top of the beast mode complete with vent like details in front and the boosters that showed in the robot mode wind up on the top.
- Feet: The beast mode feet dangle in the back under the engines.
Final Thoughts:
Core Class Swoop is a fantastic little figure. Of all the Core Class Dinobots I think the least amount of sacrifices were made for this design. Highly recommended!
Pros:
- Excellent sculpt that is instantly recognizable as the classic character.
- Good (but not perfect) deco.
- Of all the Core Dinobots this is one of the most sleek without a ton of kibble in robot mode.
Cons:
- Could use a tad more paint in robot mode.
