Onslaught – Retail Version

Oh man, so much to do.  TFSource just let me know my Master Piece SideSwipe is in stock so he’ll be arriving soon and I gotta get these posts done!

 
I’m doing this kind of ass-backwards.  I was going to start with my PRIME RID guys, but meh, let’s jump right in with Onslaught, mainly because I promised Scion of Primus over at One Per Case (Great site!!) that I’d get this done today –

Let me reiterate here – I LOVE this mold of Onslaught.   LOVE It.  You can see my original post on the SDCC version here.

Now, basically, this is ass-backwards because I reallocated the weapons from the PRIME RID guys to the combaticons.  Onslaught gains a big improvement using Rumble’s Pile Drivers:

The gun is obviously a bit bigger than the cover art – but it sure as heck is similar!   Also, I continue to insist that the weapon be stored on his forearm and not in his hand.   Its just too darn big for it to be a hand-held gun.  I really really wish Hasbro would have designed this thing to store on his back, like every other Onslaught, and give him a regular rifle.  But for now, I’m quite happy with this.

Onslaught, like the rest of this set, tends to get a lot of negative feedback.  I think the issue is, a lot of people don’t realize his shoulder articulation is a key aspect to his arms being posed.  The smaller, ball joint is really just the elbow.  He can’t bring his arm outward, but for any up-and-down pose, you can still make him look very good.   Again, I don’t blame Hasbro for the obvious negatives in the design, because they were trying something new.  I just hope we get some new designs for future figures using these guys as test-beds.  I would also point out – as a lot of pictures get this wrong – that his head should lift all the way up until it clicks into place.  Many, MANY pictures show his head only partially lifted up which looks goofy.

 

Lets take a look at the coloring – here he is side by side with SDCC Onslaught:

Obviously the Retail versions were designed to be much more “flashy” and attention grabbing for younger buyers.  Technically, retail is closer to the G1 colors than SDCC, but much louder shades:

I really don’t  mind the colors, I know some people don’t like the lime-green highlights, and I admit, I wouldn’t mind G1’s olive greens being used instead, but in the end, I think they look really good as an homage to the G1 classic.

 

Those pile drivers really help in Truck mode too – check out how much more solid he looks with them attached:

Again, its not perfect, but it helps with the illusion of making his truck mode resemble the in-game model a little better.  I don’t mind his alt-mode design, but I can help but smile at how this looks much better and it seems any 3rd party company could design something along these lines to fill in the gaps.  (I intentionally want the retail set for any upgrades that may possibly hit the market!)

 
Here’s a side by side look with SDCC, unaltered:

They also cover the head and hands a really well, so you don’t see anything through the sides.

Plus they sort of look like thrusters from the rear, to an extent (okay, so just use your imagination, its a toy after all!)

Here’s another color shot with G1 Onslaught in alt-mode too –

I’ll leave the Bruticus details for when I have the whole team assembled.  I could use SDCC Brawl and Blast Off, but I’d rather wait till I have the full retail set.   At this rate, I’ll end up with the G2 Set before retail…lol.

 

Onslaught will remain as my desk-buddy for a long time I think, probably until the Wrecker version comes out, and Impactor replaces him.  (You gotta have a desk buddy, right?)

Next up is Vortex, Stay tuned!