General Information:
Release Year: June 2007
Retailer: Target Exclusive
Price: $6.99
Accessories: Missile x 1, Missile launcher, Scope, Exhaust pipes x 2, Energon Star
Difficulty Level: 2

Images:

• On Card (Front)
• On Card (Back)
• Vehicle Mode
• Vehicle Mode (Side)
• Vehicle Mode (Back)
• Vehicle Mode (Weapons attched)
• Vehicle Mode (Weapons attached, left side)
• Vehicle Mode (Weapons attached, right side)
• Vehicle Mode (Weapons attached, front)
• Vehicle Mode (Back)
• With Energon Arcee (Vehicle Modes)
• Robot Mode
• Robot Mode (Side)
• Robot Mode (Back)
• Robot Mode (Close up)
• Robot Mode (Posed)
• Robot Mode (Alternate pose)
• Robot Mode (Holding weapons)
• With Energon Arcee (Robot Modes)
• With Chromia and Flareup
• Versus Flamewar

Tech Specs:
A fast, aggressive warrior, ARCEE is one of the most dangerous AUTOBOTS, despite her comparatively small size. She believes without question that the DECEPTICONS must be stopped at all costs. That belief, combined with the combat training she received from IRONHIDE make her a pure warrior, a creature of speed and sudden action, striking the DECEPTICONS whenever she can and fading away into the depths of space.

In an effort to offer an expanded set of figures for retailer exclusives Hasbro has released a wave of Scout Class Transformers as Target exclusives coinciding with the release of the Transformers Movie figures. One of these figures is Arcee, a redeco of Energon Arcee. The character of Arcee does exist in the Movie universe, having already been introduced in the Transformers prequel comic. There is also a new sculpt of Arcee coming out for the later deluxe waves of the
Movie line.

This sculpt has already been used several times. Not just for Energon Arcee, but also for Ariel, Timelines Chromia, Flareup and Flamewar. Check out all those previous reviews for more information on this sculpt. This review will focus on the changes made to the sculpt for this release.

Packaging:
Arcee is packaged on a card matching the design and size of those used to package the "Real Gear Robots". It is a small card with a wrap around blister around the figure itself. Arcee is packaged in vehicle mode and an "Only at Target" sticker is stuck onto the bubble. The back pictures Arcee in robot and vehicle form, but oddly says to combine the "clear plastic red parts" but the parts included with the figure are actually smokey dark grey. Red was the color used on Energon Arcee's weapons, so it is likely that text was written early on.

Each of these Target exclusive figures features a "Robovision" decoder. When you use the decoder on the Optimus Prime face in the back, a text code is revealed that you enter at the official Target Transformers site to gain access to information and images. In this case Arcee's code is "Bullseye" and entering that code gives you this screen first. Pressing the download button then gives you this PDF file featuring the bios, images and color charts of the three Scout Class Target exclusive figures.

Vehicle Mode:
Arcee's color palette has been changed to a much darker one. When we created the color scheme for Botcon 2005's Chromia figure she was intended to be Moonracer, with a light blue and white color scheme. However we could not clear the trademark for Moonracer so we used the next best name we could that was attached to a female Autobot. However, this color scheme is very much the color scheme shown on G1 Chromia in the cartoon so some fans have taken to call this sculpt Chromia and begun calling the Botcon figure Moonracer, which really is quite fair all things considered.

The plastic color swaps from Energon Arcee to this figure are fairly simple. The white has been replaced with light grey. The grey on Energon arcee
has been replaced with dark grey and the black parts such as the wheels remain the same. Some of the white parts seem to have been replaced with blue as well. The translucent red parts have been replaced with a smokey grey clear plastic. The color pattern for the figure has been changed completely however, distinguishing it from Energon Arcee in more than just color.

The front piece is cast in the smokey grey plastic and painted dark blue in the front. The headlight is painted metallic silver. The end of the curved lines are paitned metallic orange instead of having a line run from the back towards the middle. While most of the body of the vehicle is cast in grey, metallic blue paint applications are used for a majority of the detailing. Metallic silver is used for detail outlines. however, instead of having a "swish" line like Energon Arcee, she has the diamond shape towards the middle and the angled vent like lines painted metallic silver. The sections on the middle of each side, wheel spokes and the tailpipes are also metallic silver. The pink details on the seat section on Energon Arcee have been replaced with metallic blue that seems to shine a bit more than the rest of the blue on the figure.

Even after many uses (including an extra production run as "Transformers Universe Arcee") this sculpt has held together well. The weapons still attach tightly and the wheels roll just fine.

Robot Mode:
The robot mode truly shows how a few color changes can make a sculpt strikingly different. Many of the upper body color patterns are carried over from Energon Arcee. The chest has the same collar pattern in blue with a black section under that, leading to metallic blue. The robot head's "helmet" section is metallic blue with a metallic silver face. The eyes are painted red (a departure from most previous incarnations of this character that had blue eyes).

It's the arms and legs that deviate the most from the established patterns. The hands are cast in grey/silver plastic, distinguishing them from the rest of the arms which are blue and black. The tailpipes are now metallic silver, standing out more mounted on her wrists. The legs have a metallic silver paint application on the inner thighs and the areas around her ankles, with a line leading up the middle over the front of the lower legs. The circular piece on the sides of the ankles are also metallic silver, further differentiating this pattern from Energon Arcee.

Final Thoughts:
As exclusives go, this one is very well done. However, I would dare say the casual fan is probably going to want to avoid this if you already own another incarnation of this sculpt. Those who never got Arcee of course now have another chance. Movie completists will definitely want this or those who may want a "real" Chromia to go with their Botcon 2005 Chromia (aka Moonracer) will definitely want this as well. A very nicely done redeco and recommended.