General Information:
Release Date: October 2018
Price Point: $7.99 (Varies by retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Target, Walmart, Amazon etc.)
Accessories: None
*Images and text below from Amazon.com:
"Picture This: Me, on Earth, still cooler than everyone this side of Optimus Prime, but I've got zero memories. Now I'm on a mission to recover My memories and discover all of My awesome powers. I’ll have to battle Decepticons, outrun an explosion or two, and be heroic- basically, I’m in for one epic ride across the cybernetic." The resourceful Windblade uses her telepathic cityspeaker powers to defend Justice with the heroic Autobots.
Convert and attack with Transformers cyberverse action attackers! Change figure from robot to vehicle mode in 8 steps. The last step of conversion automatically activates wind blade figure's signature turbine thrash action attack move! Once converted, attack move can be repeated through easy reactivation steps. Look for other action attackers figures, each sold separately, to discover the signature attack moves of favorite cyberverse characters! Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro.
- Scout class wind blade figure inspired by the cyberverse animated series
- Each action attackers figure performs a signature character attack move
- Convert wind blade to activate turbine thrash action attack move
- Once converted, attack move can be repeated through easy reactivation steps
- Changes from robot to jet mode in 8 steps
- Includes wind blade figure and instructions. Ages 6 and up.
In late 2017 it was revealed that a new Transformers cartoon would be replacing "Robots in Disguise". The series focuses on Bumblebee with partial amnesia attempting to regain his memories. A blend of G1 and modern characters combined with a more kid-friendly animation style results in a show that leans more towards a younger audience than even "Robots in Disguise", something which is reflected in the toy line. The toy line was released in countries outside the United States such as Australia around late June 2018. A few weeks later it would be released in North America.
The second wave of "Cyberverse" figures hit stores in the US around October of 2018 including a second wave of "Scout" Class figures. Unlike Scout figures of the past such as Firetrap or Arcee these figures are smaller (in general taller than a Legion Class figure but shorter than a One Step Changer). These figures have a robot mode, but do not fully transform into a vehicle form. Instead, they become a part vehicle/part robot "attack" mode.
Packaging:
Scout Class "Cyberverse" figures are packaged on bubble cards. The cards have a new design which takes cues from more recent Transformers packaging. There is still a vertical "Transformers" logo on the right side, above it is a symbol (Autobot or Decepticon based on the character) and the character art is at the top of the packaging with the "Cyberverse" logo under it. Perhaps the most distinctive part of the packaging design are the colors, which utilize yellow and light blue helping them stand out against the black and red colors used for "Generations" packaging on shelves. The back of the packaging features the figure with its action feature called out. Windblade has a "Turbine Thrash" feature.
The insert on the packaging notes a recommended age of "6+" which is important to keep in mind with this Class of figure. Contrast that with a "Generations" Deluxe (such as Jazz or Sunstreaker) which have recommended ages of 8+. This age recommendation is more along the lines of "Robots in Disguise" Legion Class figures such as Bisk. This (partly) explains the new play pattern being introduced here, which eschews the traditional "robot to alt mode" play pattern and instead focuses on a partial transformation with an action gimmick.
Robot Mode:
Since 2014 the character of Windblade has been popping up left and right in the Transformers toy line. First there was the "Generations" version and even "Robots in Disguise" had their own version. Now the character is one of the featured Autobots in "Cyberverse" making her debut in toy form most welcome for the line.
For the most part, this version of Windblade is a stylized version of the character's previous appearances. She has two big wings hanging on her back, her head design is based on the Onna-bugeisha design and several armor parts on her body look like the ones from previous incarnations including shoulder armor that extends out to the sides a bit and her forearms look almost like she is wearing a pair of gauntlets. Like other Windblade figures, her thighs are relatively thin, but then they lead to lower legs which widen out towards the ankles and feet. From a sculpting perspective this little figure looks pretty great.
Windblade is cast in metallic red and black plastic. You can see some blue peeking out from inside the wings. The most intricate part of the deco is the head, which features a black "helmet" section, light blue around the eyes, white on the face and red lines around the eyes. This deco is based on previous version of the character who all featured some type of red design on their faces. The mid-body is painted metallic blue and a white outline of an Autobot symbol is found on the chest. While she is missing many details from the animation model including light blue lines on the chest and turbines. Still, for a small figure at a lower end price point she looks good.
There are seven points of articulation on this figure. This includes ball joints at the shoulders and hips. Each forearm has a 5mm port, allowing you to attach weapons from other figures, though in general they wind up looking gigantic on the figure!
Transformation to "Vehicle" Mode:
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Holding the legs, rotate the mid-body section around.
- Swing each arm up and connect them to the wings using the tabs on the wings and the corresponding slots on each forearm.
- Swing the cockpit section forward and push it down.
"Vehicle" Mode:
Much like Starscream, Windblade's "vehicle" mode is actually more of a Gerwalk style mode with a jet on top and robot legs underneath. It looks fine as an intermediate mode, but part of me cannot help but want a "full" transformation into a jet. You can try to finagle one by swinging the legs back, but frankly it looks pretty ugly.
This mode shows off mostly metallic red plastic, but there is much more black paint on the wings and turbines. Blue is used on the cockpit windows. I actually like this color combination quite a bit. From a pure color perspective I think the figure works very well.
Press the section behind the cockpit and you activate her "Turbine Thrash" action feature. Two blades swing out of the wings, each one looking like a blade with a movement effect trailing behind it. These are painted light blue. It is a fun feature and works very well.
My biggest gripe with these "vehicle" forms is that there is no real reason for them. This same action feature could have been given to a Windblade figure that fully transforms into a jet. If you can make a Legion Class Windblade that fully transforms at a smaller scale than this, this figure should have that option.
Final Thoughts:
The lack of a true vehicle mode continues to bother me with the "Cyberverse" Scout Class. That said, the robot mode looks great and I dig the action feature so it is not a total loss. Mildly recommended for younger fans. I would also try to get it on sale if you want it.
Pros:
- Nice robot mode sculpt.
- Beautiful metallic red plastic color.
- Good articulation for the size class.
- Cool action feature.
- Happy to see 5mm ports on the forearms for weaponry.
Cons:
- Lack of a true vehicle mode works against the figure.
- Could use some more paint deco in robot mode.
