Thursday, 14 January 2016

A Concise Combaticon Review of Combiner Wars Swindle In 500 Words Or Less

Pricepoint/Vintage: Deluxe, 2015/2016.
Modes: Robot, Jeep, Arm, and Leg.
Transformation Style: CW deluxe limb, hollow legs.
Play Patterns: Robot and vehicle, combiner, modular 5mm weaponry, a pack-in comic in the USA.
Points of interest: Extensive retool of Rook, A.K.A the best Combiner Wars Deluxe.





The Good
Swindle builds on an exceptionally solid base, retooling almost everything. The robot mode has unmistakable head sculpt, and chest detailing evoking the original toy. Articulation is amongst the best in the line, 16 points with ankle tilts and free moving balljoints. The humvee-like vehicle mode is covered in ammo pouches, rivets and other gubbins, with the steering wheel even visible beneath the roll cage. Its impressively beefy, like the robot mode, and sidesteps the Visible Head Syndrome of the original by detailing the back of the head like an engine. Both forms also benefit from the accessories, the combiner piece in that nice Combaticon grey, and triple-barrelled gun painted in that black gunmetal. These both have a 5mm port built-in, allowing you to stack and combine them a variety of ways, Swindle inheriting Rook's 5mm peg and shoulder ports into the bargain. Limb modes meanwhile continue the beefy theme, the leg mode retaining the 5mm ports. As a side effect of the remoulding, the big backpack shell is gone.






The Bad
While there is an attempt to work them in as seats, the fists are very obvious in Jeep mode. Said vehicle also is lacking in paint to bring out that detailing. The retooling has resulted in the loss of some 5mm ports compared to Rook, 2 less overall., while tabbing the legs together is an annoyance.



The Mediocre
Swindle has conventional hands, as opposed to Rook's distinctive fist ports. On the plus side, this means he can hold regular weapons, but on the downside, no hulk hands. Some may find the mould to be too bulky for Swindle too.




The Alternatives
Swindle is actually better off than his teammates when it comes to substitutes, Off Road or the TFSS 4.0 version of Ruckas not being bad stand-ins. There is also the Fall Of Cybertron and Energon moulds, but they have some issues, the Energon version lacks a direct equivalent. If all you want is a really nice, characterful, Decepticon armsdealer, consider Animated Swindle. He has a bolo tie.


The Verdict
In a strange twist of fate, Swindle ends up being the best deluxe in his wave. This is despite a problematic vehicle mode, a remoulding job that actually takes away some functionality, and that doesn't reflect that well on his teammates. Swindle is better than any other Combaticon on an individual basis, and of real use for the combined mode, but he's a step below Rook in terms of overall awesome. If you only ever buy one Combaticon, buy Swindle.

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