Return of the Fallen: Scout Class Assortment 1

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Other

Return of the Fallen: Scout Class Assortment 1

Of all the sizes of Transformers today, I think the Scout Class is by far my favorite. They are just the right size to allow you to play with them at your desk, transform in a reasonable amount of time, and allow for some decent articulation. Legends Class figures are cute, but many have horrible articulation and can't really do anything. Leader Class figures are expensive and their "Level 4" transformations are way too involved to go over it regularly. Scout Classes are just right.

Which is why when I was given the chance to buy either the new Deluxe movie toys or these new Scout robots, I chose these.

There are supposed to be 6 new Scouts in the assortments for the new Revenge of the Fallen movie, but only 4 have made it to our shore so far. They are Dirt Boss, Dead End, Rollbar, and Knock Out. Depthcharge and Ransack will come in later assortments I assume.

The packages for Scout Class figures never really changes. They are always on blister packs, with cards that display their two forms. This time around, they come in robot form. The price has jumped from it's p500.00 mark when the original movie came out to now p650.00. Considering a Deluxe figure goes for p700.00, it's hard to justify the price hike. Word has it that the Deluxe assortments will get their price hike too, so maybe it's not so bad.

Out of the package, these are just as cool as any Transformer I have in my collection. Each has excellent articulation and unlike most movie toys, a relatively un-silly robot form. First up is Knock Out.

He has a transformation similar to the Arcee/Elita mold from Energon, which isn't bad. I think most will agree that that is the best way to transform a motorcycle to a robot. He shares the same wheels over the shoulder design she had, so it looks as if he's got a jetpack attached. His exhaust forms a gun, which is a great little touch.

Articulation is excellent, second only to Dirt Boss. His paint and colors are really nice, making him good for just about any mission. I really like his sculpt, and if you want, you could even use him as a bike for 1:18th scale figures. Or at least Microman scale.

Dirt Boss is my third on my list. He has excellent articulation, better than any, with some wrist and ankle action thown in. I love the fact that he transforms into a forklift. It's just so backwards. What do you change into. A Porche! Well I'm a FORKLIFT!

His forks (?) become his weapons. Twin blades that are slung underneath his arms. They look kind of bulky. I'd love to see some kind of add on to turn them into chain guns for some real bad-assery.

Roll Bar is probably my least favorite. He's got a nice transformation, mostly shell-former with a little twist thrown in. I would have liked him better if he looked more like a FedEx or UPS van, and didn't have such a long torso and short arms. It really looks un-proportioned. Still, his decent articulation and fun factor really count for alot.

Dead End is just plain cool. From the time I read his description, I couldn't wait to play with him. It says he walks around on all fours and tends to suck other Decepticons dry without them realizing it. It sounds alot like the old Night Vipers from GI Joe.

His articulation is weird, with his arms limited by the big panels and his feet not really lending themsleves well to him crawling. But with a little imagination, he can be pouncing on bots in no time.

So bottom line. Are they good? Yes. Definitely. If you have the scratch, go out and find them.

Are they value for your money? Absolutely not. These things are about 3-4" tall. At p650.00 a pop, they aren't cheap. If you're on a budget and only want the core bots, I suggest getting the Deluxe assortment.