General Information
Release Date: July 2026
Price Point: $89.99
Retailer: Fan Channel Exclusive (Including BigBadToyStore, Entertainment Earth
Accessories: Scythe, Tail Blaster/Left Fist, Sword (Scowl), Club, Two barreled blaster, Blaster (Large), Axe and Base, Tail/Blaster and Head, Missile pods/feet x 2, Blaster/Right Fist and Axe Weapon.
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Official images and text in italics are from Hasbro Pulse:
- Collectible Transformers figure set comes with 6 robot monster figures that combine to create the imposing Decepticon Monstructor, a menacing, metal-mashing warrior with a corrosive touch.
- Decepticon Monstructor combiner figure is 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) to the top of his head and 7.5 inches (19 cm) to the top of his shoulders.
- 3.5-inch (8.5 cm) Monster Birdbrain, Monster Bristleback, Monster Icepick, Monster Scowl, Decepticon Slog, and Monster Wildfly figures convert from bot to monster.
- Includes weapon accessories for dynamic posing, including 2-piece blaster and 4-piece halberd accessories that split into smaller weapons for monster figures.
- Includes head, feet, and hands for combiner mode.
Before the war, even before the Autobots and Decepticons, there were The Thirteen Primes. Every bot, battle, and power in the Transformers universe can be traced back to them. The Age of the Primes line celebrates their epic legacy with a far-reaching collection that touches nearly every corner of the lore. Build your lineup to create a display that is - More Than Meets the Eye.
Background:
In 1989, Hasbro released a set of six "Pretender Monsters". These six Decepticon figures each featured "rubbery shells" that were meant to make them more "organic" in nature. These six Decepticons could merge into the Combiner known as Monstructor. The same year, Takara used the same inner robot tools to create their own team featuring "rubbery" Pretender shells all based on dinosaurs. This "Dinoforce" would combine to form Dinoking.
In 2023, Hasbro released a set of Core Class Dinobots who could combine into Volcanicus. The following year they released a boxed set using the same sculpts with some retooling and new colors as Dinoking. However, the release of these two Combiners led to the natural question: would we also get Monstructor? Finally, in early 2026 pre-orders went up for Monstructor! For fun, I worked up the grid below that breaks down who is a redeco of who between the three sets:
| Volcanicus | Dinoking | Monstructor |
| Grimlock | Goryu | Icepick |
| Scarr | Gairyu | Bristleback |
| Sludge | Rairyu | Birdbrain |
| Slug | Kakuryu | Slog |
| Snarl | Doryu | Scowl |
| Swoop | Yokuryu | Wildfly |
Packaging:
Monstructor is packaged in a small, rectangular box with a similar design to the previous Age of the Primes Dinobots based on the G2 decos from the 90's. These figures fall under the Age of the Primes banner so the box is rectangular with a black background. The illustration features Monstructor in front holding his axe weapon. It is not in full color but rather features colors like gold and light blue instead. Under Monstructor is the "Transformers" logo set horizontally in the middle with the "Age of the Primes" line in a gold bar underneath. Towards the bottom is the name "Decepticon Monstructor".
The back of the box features Monstructor and his individual components in robot and beast modes. In a really fun touch he also has G1 styled tech specs! They are truncated and feature multiple language but I appreciate the thought.
Accessories:
When the Legacy Dinobots were retooled and given new decos as the Dinoforce, the set included some really nice accessories. I did a rundown of those accessories in my Dinoking review. Most of these accessories were reused for this set except for the blaster that originally came with Grimlock. Let’s go through them:
- Head: In G1 Monstructor and Dinoking shared the same head sculpt. However, in the IDW Publishing comic books, Monstructor was given a more...um..."monstrous" head design. It is that design which is used for this set's Monstructor head. While most of the detailing is the same as Dinoking's head, the face features a screaming expression with very sharp looking teeth. It is a fantastic sculpt and I'm happy they did this as it helps make this set distinctive. This piece is made of gold plastic with the "helmet" section painted yellow and the face painted grey. The eyes are red.
- Tail (Slog): Slog's tail is based on Slug's tail piece and features a port to attach Monstructor's head. This piece is made of gold plastic with no deco.
- Fist/Forearm/Blaster (Bristleback): The accessory intended to go with Bristleback is a forearm/fist piece that was originally Scarr's tail. Instead of being a tail, this is now designed to be a weapon you can put on Bristleback's shell in beast mode or he can use it as a handheld weapon in robot mode. This piece is made out of lavender plastic with gold paint details. The fist in it features Monstructor's distinctive blaster barrel on the top of the hand. The fist can be rotated around so in theory you can use Bristleback as either arm. The fist also features a 5mm port to hold weapons.
- Fist/Forearm/Blaster (Icepick): The other arm looks different as it serves as a back pack for Icepick instead of a tail like Bristleback's weapon. This accessory is made of lavender plastic with yellow paint. Like the other hand this one features a blaster on top of the hand. This hand can swing in a bit and features a 5mm port to hold accessories.
- Feet: Monstructor's feet are the same sculpt as Dinoking's. They feature a regular looking robot foot in front, but the back actually has rockets sculpted into them. Both feet are made of lavender plastic with the rocket ends painted yellow. In addition to using these as Monstructor's feet, you can use these as rocket packs for Birdbrain.
- Scythe: The scythe weapon is now made of lavender plastic. The blade section has been painted silver. The end of the handle features a 3mm peg while the handle itself is 5mm.
- Club: The club wielded by Icepick is entirely cast in lavender plastic. Like the scythe, it features a 5mm handle with a smaller 3mm peg at the very end.
- Axe: The axe wielded by Slog in this set is made of lavender plastic with the blade painted silver. It features three 5mm ports allowing you to attach weapons in various ways. The handle features both 5 and 3mm sections.
- Blasters (Small & Large): Monstructor features the same blasters as Dinoking. One is a large one with a curved tube on the back, just like G1 Monstructor's. This piece is made out of lavender plastic and features a 5mm peg in the back with a 3mm peg under it. The front barrel section features a 5mm port to attach the smaller dual barreled blaster. That weapon is also made of lavender plastic. The dual barreled blaster also features a 5mm peg.
- Sword: The small sword included with the set is the same sculpt as the one that originally came with Core Class Snarl. This version is made of yellow plastic.
Whew! Okay, now let's get to the figures themselves. The focus below will be on the changes made to each figure for this release.
Birdbrain Review
Birdbrain is a redeco and retool of Sludge. This really shows how creative the designers got with this sculpt because I would not have thought a “brontosaurus” could get turned into a weird bird monster thing. There are three major bits of retooling done for this release:
- The beast mode head has been replaced with one based on the G1 Pretender shell’s head. The design looks almost like the skull of an alien bird and looks wonderfully creepy. The sides of the head feature small ports for wing attachments. The wings look like bat-wings and add to the creepiness of the sculpt.
- The robot head is based on the design of the G1 “inner robot” head. It features flat panels on either side of the head with visor eyes.
- The chest panel has been replaced. The most distinctive design feature is the center, which looks like a vertical rectangle. It features a diagonal line and an outline at the edges. These details are based on a sticker found on G1 Birdbrain.
This figure is made of black and purple plastic. These were Birdbrain’s primary colors in G1 and it is a striking combination. Paint colors include yellow, silver and red. The red and yellow are used on both the beast and robot mode heads. The vertical chest section mentioned above has a yellow outline, some silver and a Decepticon symbol. There are yellow and silver details on both the sides of the forearms and the lower legs. These are all callbacks to stickers on G1 Bristleback. I really appreciate the nods to the past in the deco.
There are ten points of articulation on this figure. The fists have ports to hold any of the weapons that come with this set.
Bristleback is a redeco and retool of Scarr. This was a fun choice as the plates on Scarr's back could be interpreted as "bristles" (squint your eye and tilt your head, it helps). There are four major changes made to this figure from the original:
- The beast mode head is a new sculpt based on the head of G1 Bristleback's Pretender shell head which looked like some type of mutant turtle (no, not that kind). Like that design it features ridges on the top of the head and a hooked "nose" section with thin eyes on either side.
- The rear section of the shell features new pieces that does not have a peg for the tail piece. Instead, there are tabs on top of the shell that you can attach the forearm/fist/blaster piece to. I do wish they had kept the ports on the back in case we wanted to attach the tail in the same was as we can on Scarr. That said, they do feature raised details with a series of horizontal lines running through them. These are based on G1 Bristleback's leg design.
- The robot mode chest piece is based on G1 Bristleback's inner robot featuring a Y shaped design that has smoother designs than those on Scarr's chest.
- The robot mode head is based on Bristleback's G1 inner robot head. This includes visor eyes, flat panels on either side of the head and a "U" shaped crest.
The transformation of this figure remains mostly the same from Scarr minus the tail connection. The robot mode still has 3mm ports in the fists and features nine points of articulation.
Bristleback is made of gold and turquois plastic. Turquois, silver and orange paint are used on the beast mode head. The robot face has grey paint with orange on the visor eyes. The chest features a purple Decepticon symbol.
Overall I like the use of Scarr's sculpt as the foundation for this figure, but I think it would have been nice if a port had been included for us to use for the tail/weapon. That said, I was very pleasantly surprised by how many parts were retooled to match up with G1 Bristleback.
Icepick is a redeco and retool of Grimlock. He features a lot less retooling than some of the other figures in this set but the designers did something interesting with him.
The main piece that has been redone is the beast mode head. Instead of a dinosaur head, Icepick features a lizard like head with frills attached to ball joints on the sides. This is inspired by the G1 figure but to be fair that figure was pretty ambiguous in its design. You couldn’t really tell what Icepick was meant to be, so this defines it a bit more. Meanwhile, the forearms have been retooled, eliminating the dinosaur claws on the sides and instead attaching giant claws on the sides. These can be rotated to suit the mode he is in. What’s interesting is that you do not “fully” transform the figure the way you would with Grimlock. His beast mode and robot modes basically just leave all his limbs in “robot mode”. You can bend the knees in beast mode to give it a bit of a more animalistic look but overall the robot to beast transformation here is one of the simplest in the set.
Icepick is made up of red and turquois plastic. The red is a nice, bold color and the turquois is a deeper shade than the one used on Bristleback. Paint colors include yellow, red and turquois. This is mostly used for smaller details such as the eyes, lower jaw and feet.
Icepick has eight points of articulation. His fists have 3mm ports and his robot legs still have 5mm ports in front but they no longer serve a purpose since the dual barreled blaster/tail piece from Grimlock was removed for this release.
Scowl is a redeco and retool of Snarl. This is one of the more extensive retools in this set. Here’s a rundown of what’s changed:
- The tail pieces from Snarl have been removed and replaced with the halves of the beast mode head! The head is loosely based on the G1 toy. To me the head always looked roughly based on a canine design, like a wolf head. This new sculpt appears similar, but if you told me it was some strange alien lizard creature I’d believe you. This also means that the way this figure stands in beast mode is completely different than Snarl. Instead of being a four legged creature, he stands upright on two legs. More on that below.
- The parts that form the lower half of the beast mode and the robot legs are new. Instead of forming the back of a four legged beast mode, these parts feature feet that he stands on upright. Like the G1 toy, the beast mode feet are sculpted with three claws/toes each.
- The panel that forms the back of the beast mode is different than the one Snarl had. It does not have any plates on it and instead features two circles on either side, a detail inspired by the G1 toy’s inner robot chest.
Scowl is made of yellow and purple plastic. Pint applications are done in yellow, red and purple. A Decepticon symbol is tampographed to the center of the chest.
Since this beast mode is very different than Snarl’s, his transformation differs a bit (but not much). Basically you split the beast mode head to reveal the robot head and that’s really it. The lower legs still swing out and his arms remain in the same positions in both modes.
There are ten points of articulation in robot mode. His fists feature 3mm ports and you can store his sword weapon on his back. The scythe can store there as well.
It may not look like it at first, but Slog is a redeco and retool of Slug! Like Scowl, the figure now stands upright instead of on four legs in beast mode. Here are the changes made to Slug for this release:
- The head is a brand new piece, replacing Slug’s Triceratops head. This monster head is inspired by elements of G1 Slog’s Pretender shell and inner robot beast mode. It features an oval, organic looking shape with frills (or gills?) on the sides. He has a horn in the center of the head and two tusks on either side of the mouth. The eyes are shaped like those found on the G1 Pretender shell.
- The robot head is on the other side of the beast mode head with a design based on the G1 inner robot. It features flat panels on either side and a raised crest in the center. He has visor eyes and a mouth plate.
- The legs are new pieces, featuring a blocky design with raised knee armor and feet with three large robotic looking “toes”.
Slog is made of gold and black plastic. I imagine some fans will worry about the infamous “Gold Plastic Syndrome” with this figure but Hasbro (in theory) figured out how to prevent this years ago so I hope that in ten years we’re not hearing of examples where this guy is breaking left and right. Paint colors include yellow, silver and red. You’ll see some red and silver details on his arms which are callbacks to stickers on G1 Slog’s arms.
There are eight points of articulation in robot mode (only three in beast mode). These are all the same as Slug’s. His fists have 3mm ports in them and he does include Slug’s tail piece so you can have him hold it as a weapon (and to store Monstructor’s head).
Wildfly is a redeco of Swoop. Despite the character’s name, his G1 “inner robot” was more like a dragon-like creature. It was his Pretender shell which had some “fly-like” features. This figure does not change a lot from Swoop but the changes are significant. They include:
- The beast mode head is a new piece based on a combination of details from the G1 Pretender shell and inner robot. Like the robot, it looks like a mechanical dragon head. However, the mouth has rows of sharp looking teeth sticking out which are inspired by the Pretender shell.
- The robot mode head is new, featuring a rounded helmet section with a raised crest in the center. This is directly inspired by G1 Wildfly’s robot head.
- The torso is a new piece based on G1 Wildfly’s inner robot. Perhaps the most distinctive details are two raised rectangles on either side of the chest.
Wildfly is made up of yellow and red plastic. Paint colors include silver, yellow and purple. Silver is used on bits like the beast mode eyes and teeth. The arms have silver, yellow and purple details on them that are references to stickers on G1 Wildfly’s arms.
There are twelve points of articulation on this figure in robot mode. The fists have 3mm ports.
Transformation to Monstructor:
Due to some of the retooling and the different way some characters stand in beast mode, the transformation to Monstructor is not exactly the same as Volcanicus and Dinoking but it is similar. Here’s a rundown by character starting with each in beast mode. I will go top down starting with Slog. Detach all accessories before starting.
Slog
- Straighten out the arms and push them in on the sides.
- Swing the panels on the beast mode chest (these were Slug’s “wings”) out.
- Attach Monstructor’s head to the port revealed by the last step.
- Swing the panel on the back of the beast mode head down.
Bristleback
- Swing the rear of the beast mode out.
- Rotate the lower body around.
- Swing the rear beast mode legs up and back.
- Swing the front beast mode legs up.
- Swing the peg on the underside of the beast mode out.
- Attach the fist/forearm piece and rotate the fist around.
Wildfly
- Swing the lower robot legs down.
- Rotate the lower body around.
- Swing the ends of the wings in.
- Swing the peg on the torso out.
- Attach the forearm/fist piece from Icepick to the legs.
Birdbrain
- Swing the rear of the beast mode out.
- Raise the robot arms up, then swing them out to the sides.
- Rotate the arms so they are pointing upward.
- Swing the beast mode head back.
- Rotate each of the lower robot legs out.
- Rotate the lower body around.
- Swing the lower legs back.
Scowl
- Straighten out the arms and then swing them together and connect them.
- Take the back panel piece and attach it to the arms.
- Swing the lower robot legs out.
- Swing the peg on the back of the figure up.
- Swing the thighs up at the hips and then swing the lower legs against the back.
- Attach the foot to the slot on the bottom of the figure.
Icepick
- Swing the peg on the back of the figure up.
- Swing the arms forward and connect them together.
- Push the legs together.
- Swing the legs back.
- Connect the foot to the slot on the bottom of the leg.
Combination
- Connect the pegs on the bottom of Slog to the ports on Birdbrain’s shoulders.
- Swing Birdbrain’s arms in, connecting them to the pegs on Slog’s arms.
- Connect Icepick to the left thigh.
- Connect Scowl to the right thigh.
- Connect Wildfly to Birdbrain’s arm on the right side.
- Connect Bristleback to Birdbrain’s arm on the left side.
Combine all the weapons together by connecting the axe to the scythe, then the club to the end of the handle. This can fit in one hand while the blaster can be held by the other hand. The small sword can be attached to Scowl while the gold piece that you could connect to Monstructor’s head can be attached to Bristleback’s fist.
Monstructor’s combined form largely shares the same form as Dinoking with some differences of course. Perhaps the most prominent detail change is the Monstructor head which is surprisingly not a redeco of the Dinoking head. In the IDW Publishing comic books the artist reinterpreted Monstructor's head with a terrifying mouth that was often shown screaming with rows of sharp teeth exposed. It is that design that this figure's head is based on and it looks great! While the G1 fan in me would have been perfectly happy with a redeco of Dinoking's head, this makes Monstructor distinctive despite the two characters sharing the same sculpt in G1. Other parts that differ are covered above, such as the beast mode heads, which are almost all visible in this mode, but for the most part the general shape of the Combiner form remains the same.
One interesting note: due to the way the fist and foot pieces were designed, you are locked into one specific configuration of limbs for this form. Wildfly forms the right arm, Bristleback forms the left arm, Scowl is the right leg and Icepick is the left leg. However, if you look at the original G1 Monstructor instructions you would see the limbs were reversed! Honestly this is not a huge deal to me. The general look of the character remains the same and all the same colors are present, they're just not all in the same place.
There are twenty points of articulation in this mode. That includes five in each arm and four in each leg. That said, the fist and foot pieces come off pretty easily. I tried pressing them into place as tightly as I could but when I tried to turn the fists or use the ankle tilt, the parts tended to pop off. If you're just posing him out it's no issue to just reattach them, just be warned if you're bashing this guy up against other figures in combat, parts may fall off in the process.
Final Thoughts:
Monstructor is both a logical and welcome retool/redeco of Volcanicus and Dinoking. The colors are all wonderfully eye catching and I am impressed by how much retooling went into most of this set. The set is not perfect however. There are some decisions made that I would have handled differently but overall this set belongs in your updated G1 collection. Recommended!
Pros:
- Excellent retooling on almost every figure with some great nods to G1 Monstructor.
- Excellent deco that features a bright set of colors we don't often see in Transformers figures nowadays.
- The weapons carried over from Dinoking are excellent.
Cons:
- The fist and feet pieces coming off when posing the figure out is a downer.
