Pricepoint/Vintage: Voyager, 2015/2016.
Modes: Robot, Anti-aircraft Vehicle,
Combiner Torso.
Transformation Style: CW voyager,
expanding backpack style.
Play Patterns: Robot and vehicle,
combiner, 5mm weaponry, partner legends mould.
Points of Interest: Extensive retool of
Hot Spot with an inverted vehicle mode.
The Good
Onslaught retains most of what was good
about Hot Spot, and gains a few articulation related refinements. He
has 21 joints, gaining a heel spur, adjustable toes, and a smaller
backpack. This allows for easy posing, gun-fu being very much a
strength. Visually, the robot mode is a good interpretation of the
character, a new head, chest, and shoulders going a long way. The
transformation has been reworked, giving us a completely different
altmode, and its possible to change between all three modes without
removing the guns. Bruticus meanwhile has a gorgeous head sculpt, a
balljointed neck, reduced kibble at the knee, and a rather impressive
silver chest plate. More importantly, as rubberised plastic has been
removed from the mix, he's a more solid torso than Defensor. Its a
nice looking combiner too, with effective use of grey on all five
main components, and the limbbots pair so well.
The Bad
Onslaught inherits Hot Spot's myriad of
vehicular sins, and warning lights, while displaying Bruticus' scalp.
The new parts look nice from many angles, but all those gaps still
remain, it doesn't roll that well, and some play value went with the
ladder assembly. There are some slight tolerance and tabbing issues,
notably with his neck and the front end of the truck. Bruticus ends
up with wheel assemblies on the shoulders. You can fold these down,
with the instructions indicating this, but this affects stability.
Bruticus also has a slight tendency to lean forwards.
The Mediocre
Both Onslaught and Bruticus are
characterised by the twin back cannons, which in this case are Hot
Spot's weapons in grey. As no other accessories are provided, using
them spoils the look of the toy, but Shockwave would compensate for
this. Be aware: his knees are mistransformed in box.
The Alternatives
Onslaught is relatively well-served
with alternatives, as not only did he get a non-combing version for
Universe, he's remained a constant in the team. While most of these
are worth considering, his TFSS remould Bludgeon has swords, the FOC
version is pretty bad. A running change will bring a tan combiner
chestplate to this toy in wave 6.
The Verdict
Onslaught typifies the Combaticons as a
whole, capturing the character, but with a questionable altmode and a
feeling we've seen this all before. He's basically the same as Hot
Spot, with a great robot mode, but with a flawed vehicle mode.
Bruticus however shines brightly, and I expect him to shine more once
I get my hands on Shockwave. It makes up for all mould reuse.
Long-story-short: buy this guy for the combined mode, but he's not
without his own charms.
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