Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Air Raid is Something That Exists

War for Cybertron Air Raid’s wiki picture

Ah yes, the continual March of Time. Ever dragging the nostalgia window forwards to your eventual demise. As I've discussed before, 2012/13 wasn't a brilliant time for Transformers toys, as budget cuts kicked in and the bayverse had lost its shine. Around this time, The Fall of Cybertron video game had been released to general acclaim, but the tie-in toys were patchy, prompting a cottage industry of third party substitutes and add-ons. That was 11 or so years ago, so it now counts as nostalgia to think about. While the FOC line has largely been supplanted by the conceptually similar Siege, and the more recent Studio Series Gamer Editions, but it was influential in its way. The FOC toys were notable for their use of Retooling, foreshadowing Combiner Wars and modern Legacy toys. And this wasn't merely new heads either, it meant additional accessories too. Air Raid is one such toy. 

Given that Air Raid, is, well, called Air Raid, you'd probably think was he a jetformer of some description. Possibly a seeker repaint, and in the context of being an Autobot, part of the Aerialbots sub-group. He may very well be an Aerialbot, and he is a retool of a Decepticon mould. It's just that the base mould was Shockwave. He has wings, he flies a bit, but Air Raid's altmode is described as “Cybertronian mobile artillery”. Its a weird direction to go, not least because this toy is a legally mandated name-swap too. That's more a discussion for robot mode, but here its evident with the colours, burgundy, gold, silver and metallic grey. Its not a bad look by any means, with things being retooled significantly along the centre line. It has a different character from the Shockwave version, not least because of the additional sword weapon that folds out into decoration or wannabe control surfaces. What is less great is the remnants of Shockwave they didn't change, most notably a piece of faux kibble on top, and the cannon barrel is neglected. By the standards of Cybertronian altmodes, subset of Transformers that look like nowt specific, Air Raid tends towards the middle. Clearly alien, not a Siege style cop-out, but not something noteworthy in form or function. Its a gun with wings, one integrated weapon, one externally stowed weapon, a spare 5mm port if you need more gun, and an upsidedown Autobot badge. Its adequate, although the colours do look great. There's a lot more visual interest than the source material. It does however need landing gear.

 

 

In robot mode, I find there's more to talk about with Fireflight. What? Oh, yes, this is meant to be Fireflight, not Air Raid, but they couldn't secure the name. This is why the toy has absolutely no resemblance to the Air Raid from the preceding video game, and why it was cheating for me to use the wiki image I used above. But I didn't know that at first, and in my defence they did rework Optimus Prime's design completely in-between games. Fireflight is something of interesting one here, in that they've gone a few steps beyond a mere head replacement, but there's still a lot of Shockwave there. The head for example is a stylised take on the G1 version and sits like an ornate helmet atop a mess of cables. His chest plate is new, but otherwise retaining the thick-torso/thin-limbs look of the original. Sculpted detail is otherwise unchanged, but paint applications do help differentiate things here as much as with the alt mode, and he does have wings. The new weapons are of course a highlight, although the more I think about it, the less they seem to fit. Replacing the modular gunarm is a modular bladearm affair with a very large cutting edge and two small gun barrels inherited from the previous version. This didn’t immediately impress me, as the completely new components on this toy seem to be red translucent plastic painted over, thus foreshadowing some of the more worrisome of early 2020’s Transformers, but I digress. My example seems entirely fine with respects to cracking, but as a combined unit it feels a touch impractical given the overall dimensions and build quality. Splitting it up makes for a nicer pair of weapons, granting a rather large blaster with a fearsome blade attachment. The other sword is however immediately lovely; 9 out of 10, no notes. You can combine the accessories for an even more elabourate weapon, its a very modular set, but I've neglected to photo it here. Meanwhile articulation is a bit basic and smells of cut corners. The arms have some decent motion due to the transformation, but there's nothing in the waist, and the lower-legs aren't great. or indeed visually pleasing. Its no legacy deluxe is what I'm saying, although it does have a spring-loaded Dramatic Head Reveal, light piped eyes, and can certainly flourish its swords a fair bit.

I went back and forth with myself when writing this article. There’s two discussions to be had, the base mould, and what was done with it. As a case study in retooling, FOC Air Raid nee Fireflight, is very compelling. Play value is superior to the original, the colour choices are striking, its clearly a different character, and there’s the sort of trivia about the whole process that I enjoy as a collector. As a base toy? Well, the Fall of Cybertron line had recognised weaknesses when it was new, and you can count on one hand the few toys that have aged gracefully. The base mould is mediocre by modern standards, not bad certainly, but a waist joint would have meant so much here. That said you have a toy that is distinct in both forms, has more weapons that it can sensibly use at once, and absolutely is not skimping on the paint applications. So, its something that exists, and exists loudly.

 

Transformers: FOC Optimus Prime Is Something That Exists

Optimus Prime is a character that needs no introduction. So, moving on.

The famous VGA trailer for Fall of Cybertron

While the Transformers brand has its ups & downs, the down circa 2012 was quite a bad one. This was a time where the Bay movies went from a juggernaut to something more mundane, Hasbro was doing the “Aligned” thing, and toy budgets got smaller. Having being previously flushed with money, the toy designers struggled to work within these new confines, and this effect was felt everywhere. It was perhaps most keenly felt with the tie-in toys for the Fall of Cybertron (FOC) video game. FOC has a reasonable claim to being in the top two Transformers games ever, building on the success of the preceding War for Cybertron (WFC). No, not that one, trademark retention is a thing. The tragedy here was that while WFC only got four moulds, not a full line, they were much better received than the much bigger FOC line. Maybe a bit finicky, but clearly benefiting from more plastic, and more time in the oven. The FOC toys were much simpler, often smaller, and of an overtly lesser quality. I say this not to “put the boot in”, I'm actually talking about an old favourite today, but more as a self-evident truth. Sometimes things just don't turn out well. The complex game designs were not well-suited to the new reality, so the fan response was mixed at best. 

A subject for much of the criticism was this toy, which suffered for having a direct FOC analogue in the same size class. There hasn't been a shortage of Optimus toys since about 2001, plus an expectation of him being a physically large character, so a deluxe iteration always has an air of redundancy about it. This one however was also a small deluxe, even by the standards of its day. The WFC version didn't have that problem, and was a more involved toy by most metrics, so right outta the gate, this toy had baggage. The size issue is most evident in its vehicle mode, which, IIRC, was designed to resemble a fist with wheels on it. It's a fairly squat and low to the ground vehicle, evoking the traditional cab, but the silhouette is rather different. Meanwhile, the alien greebling does make it interesting, with the front wheels sticking out further that the back two, although the back end does suffer for gaps and the exposed feet. The overall effect is to make it look smaller than it actually is, not that it's especially big to begin with. On the up side, the gun does feature an angled peg to plug into either of the feet, with two more 5mm ports near the back wheels, and two ports in the smokestacks. So, it's functional, but not setting the world alight.

The transformation and the actual robot is where we start to see the actual positives. Going into to robot does draw on the classical Optimus transformation, but this ends as a boon to the articulation. Prime poses nicely, with lots of unhindered swivels, with the only actual weakness being the shoulder area. He's very agile in the lower body though, and curls a good bicep. This toy has a no-bullshit transformation, a dramatic head reveal, and immediately lends itself to battle poses, which makes it a good deskbot toy. It's hand candy. Of note are the assorted 5mm ports, which by pure coincidence make the toy compatible with the Siege weaponizer play pattern. Seriously, he's got two ports per limb and one on his back. Far more than are actually needed, mind you, and there's a reason for that. 

 

While relatively brief, the FOC line went heavy on the retools, and can be considered a dry run for what Combiner Wars would do. Almost every deluxe got a new head + repaint, with similar ratios in the other size classes, and even a reshell with Sideswipe/Jazz. What made these retools more palatable was the presence of new accessories, usually a bigger gun. When Optimus inevitably became Ultra Magnus, that toy had something that Optimus probably needed in the first place: his sword from the final level of the game. A sword that could combine with his otherwise unremarkable firearm. If only that had been there from the get go, its just so fun. And you could have it stow on his back too. Or bolt it onto the side of the vehicle form. TBH, I kinda regret parting with that Magnus remould now.

The 2012 Fall Of Cybertron Ultra Magnus Toy

The 2010 Cybertronian Optimus Prime Toy, A.K.A WFC Prime

 

My point? Well, just that FOC Optimus Prime is something that exists. He's an above average toy from a fairly disappointing line, suffering in comparison to his immediate predecessor, and a superior retool. That having been said, sometimes restrictions can be a creative asset, and it's definitely true for tiny boi prime, here. 

 

A Concise Review of Generations Fall Of Cybertron Ultra Magnus In 500 Words Or Less

Pricepoint/Vintage: Deluxe Class, 2012.

Modes: Robot and Cybertronian Truck.

Transformation Style: Simple Optimus style with dramatic head reveal.

Play Patterns: Robot and car, 5mm weapons, combining sword and gun.
Points Of Interest: Retool of Optimus Prime from the Fall of Cybertron (FOC) line. Has a sword probably/certainly intended for that toy.

The Good
Optimus was a nice little toy, and this remould retains all the benefits, while adding a new accessory. The new sword is the undoubted highlight, as it can stow on the back, and combine with the gun for an even bigger sword. His articulation allows for some great poses too, and if Prime had came with this he would have been a must-have. To further justify the mould recycling, Ultra Magnus has a new head, and paint applications are both different and more plentiful. The FOC line did a lot of quality retools, and arguably the best of that group. Please however note: the white plastic does not photograph well. It looks better in person.

The Bad
Magnus doesn't address the weaknesses of the mould, like being tiny, and while game accuracy is less of an issue, new things come to light. My example is loose in the shoulder assembly, and the paint apps are a bit slapdash, notably involving the white and faction badge, although this may be in the margin of error. The inside of the sword is also painted red, and is slowly wearing off.

The Mediocre
While colour changes do help, the vehicle mode is functionally the same, just with an oversized sword bolted to one side. The gut of the robot mode prevents two-handed poses. Ultra Magnus fans may have preferred missiles or a big hammer.

The Alternatives
Ultra Magnus is the goto guy for Optimus repaints, as well as there being a resurgence of purpose built Magni in Prime, so choices are plentiful. The recent Combiner Wars toy and Masterpiece version however stand out. If you are merely looking for a classy remould though, consider Generations Sandstorm, whom is the gold standard for retools, or FOC Blaster whom is another pleasing mould reuse from the same line.

The Verdict
If Hasbro HAS to reuse moulds, they could do a lot worse than consider this one to be the benchmark. Basically, they added value to a toy by adding a new accessory, and then took care to make it visually distinct from the last version. The fact that FOC Prime was already a really nice toy in the first place makes for some awesome. This is easily a top 5 choice in the FOC subline, and while that isn't necessarily saying much, its still a toy on my Shelf Of Awesome. Check it out.

Blog Watch: Month 3

Well, I hope we all enjoyed the big Unicron uber review. It took a while, and hopefully excuses a lighter article today. Plus, its the end of the month, its time for another look back at the blog. The good news is that viewing figures continue to be on the upswing, crossing that all important 1000 page views milestone, although the rate of improvement is beginning to level off. Of course, I've only had about 2 and half months of data, so its not wise to put too much stock in the numbers. On the flip side, my surplus of articles has largely dried up, so I am devoting some of my time off to rebuilding that reserve. This is at least partially due to the good time I've been having with Transformers: Devastation, which is holding my attention rather well for such a short game. I also got these.

Yes, long term readers may recognise that as a Warhammer 40,000 product, a frequent topic of my old blog, and the first I've brought in about a year and a half. For newer readers: well, I liked that miniatures game a lot, but a succession of disappointing releases and PR disaster that was Age of Sigmar put me off Games Workshop as a company. Happily though, this is a Fantasy Flight game, and one extremely well received, so I took a chance on it. An article of some description is pencilled in, to be completed once I've played a few games.

On the subject of pending articles, here's a short list of what's on the chopping block, in no particular order. All of this is subject to change, as real life and new shiny things can get in the way.

Fall Of Cybertron Ultra Magnus.

Beast Machines Mirage.

The little fellow in the above picture.

A Transformers: Devastation review.

An editorial on Combiner Wars and its reception so far.

Energon Cruellock.

ROTF Depthcharge.

Hope to see you back soon.

A Concise Review of Generations Fall Of Cybertron Optimus Prime In 500 Words Or Less

Pricepoint/Vintage: Deluxe Class, 2012.

Modes: Robot and Cybertronian Truck.

Transformation Style: Simple Optimus style with dramatic head reveal.

Play Patterns: Robot and car, 5mm weapons.

Points Of Interest: Part of tie-in toys to the Fall Of Cybertron (FOC) video game. The altmode is meant to evoke a fist.

The Good
This is amongst the most surprisingly articulated deluxes the brand has ever produced, where both the transformation scheme is an asset, and they threw in some luxuries. There's eighteen joints, with notably free knees and elbows, and eight balljoints. The shoulders and hips each feature a balljoint, with a swivel directly below, and in a design quirk extremely rare in the brand, a balljointed waist. Play value meanwhile is simple but effective, that articulation allowing for full use of the gun, while having seven 5mm ports in robot mode, the most useful being on the forearms and lower legs. Both modes also look good, and the transformation has just enough going on to hold your attention.

The Bad
While not as badly effected as some, Prime does show evidence of the FOC line's reduced budget in that he's unusually small and simple for a deluxe. This is one of those toys that should have been a Voyager, and as such takes a few liberties with the design. Like those annoying bumper pieces on the forearms that don't lock in place, and a set of decorative knees above the actual knees. There's also an improperly applied Autobot badge on the right shoulder.

The Mediocre
While the robot shines, the vehicle is dull. Its a small toy made smaller, and while it does have six 5mm ports, stowing its own weapon looks odd.

The Alternatives
FOC Optimus suffers stiff competition from his immediate predecessor and successor. War For Cybertron Optimus is bigger and more involved, while FOC Ultra Magnus has a rather badass sword as a bonus accessory. The superior Japanese paintjob trope is also in effect, and there's simply no shortage of Primes. You might want to throw a rock, you'll hit one.

The Verdict
FOC Optimus Prime is a toy that was, and is, easily dismissed as another Prime, but to do so is a disservice to yourself. Its true it does basically nothing new, its small, and like a lot of its kind, there's a superior remould in the wings. That does not however diminish the many things it does right, and this toy has remained a persistent part of my collection while more popular toys did not. It's worth your time.