We’re in the process of moving, so things have been hectic. But time doesn’t stop for anything so I figured its time for a review! Let’s take a look at the new Leader Class – Doubledealer!
Hasbro has been making its way through the later years of G1, which I absolutely love. The later/Japanese series set of toys are where I think things really got fun, and Doubledealer (or Double Clouder for Masterforce fans) is no exception. A Triple Changer AND Double Power Master, the G1 toy was pretty unique. Coupled with the fact that he has two VERY different alt-modes, a Missile Carrier Armored Truck and…..well a Big Ol’ Bird, he had a lot of play value. This has carried over to current era and the WFC Trilogy. Once again Doubledealer retains his two very distinct alt-modes and under the Generations Selects subline, he’s given his two Powermasters, now Battlemasters: Knok and Scar.
It’s worth pointing out in the image above, this is the Masterforce version of the toy. Hasbro’s G1 Doubledealer featured the full teal face, without the silver mouth area. Doubledealer and Double Clouder are pretty different in terms of fiction, but you can read about that here.
New to the Truck mode, Hasbro added both stabilizers and a launching platform, which is compatible with the A.I.R. Lock system and connects to any other base, or ramp-type battlemaster.
His bird mode has a lot going for it as well, including nice new, folding wings, and a spot on excellent head sculpt.
Its also worth noting – with the original G1 toy, bird mode was actually the Decepticon form, and Robot mode was the Autobot form, with the truck being both form’s alt-mode. For this new version, Hasbro added flip down panels on the robot’s shoulders now so you can swap factions in robot mode, effectively making him a true triple changer.
While he’s an incredibly fun toy and the design is implemented very well, Doubledealer does have a few minor issues. It’s to be expected with such an ambitious toy concept. Probably at the forefront of these minor complaints would be the lack of adequate storage for Knok and Skar. Doubledealer’s chest has a “cassette” sized compartment, similar to Soundwave where you can store one or the other.
However, the the other Powermaster is left having to basically peg into his back. This is similar to the G1 toy, but it’s a little awkward and the connection for the peg isn’t the most secure.
The Powermasters/Battlemasters are 100% optional though, so it’s not exactly a major deterrent. Some people might not even bother picking them up as they are Generations Selects toys and as such, carry a bit of a higher price tag. I just would have preferred a more dedicated port for the Powermaster peg under the wings or something.
I’m also not a huge fan of how the “tail” connects in Bird mode. The tail piece is the same as the launch pad piece for the truck, and while it pegs into the truck very securely, it only pegs into a post on the missile in bird mode, which then connects to the bird as the tail.
My issue is that it essentially keeps the missile attached permanently in bird mode. Not a major problem and the connection is super secure for the missile, but it limits the functionality of the toy. There is a way around this. You can just use the tension of the two pegs for truck mode to hold the tail on in bird mode. It holds really well, but will for sure pop off with any kind of force.
This also allows you to put the missile underneath the bird for a more G1 look if you’d like. Again this is super minor, but I just feel they could have utilized the pegs on the tail section to connect to bird mode as well as truck mode.
BOTTOM LINE
At the end of the day, the minor issues noted above are pretty inconsequential to the majority of the toy, which is excellent. QC mileage may vary on certain parts, like his knee joints, which have both a swivel AND a pivot for transformation, but his paint apps, design and accessories all make Doubledealer a confident pick up for anyone who’s a fan of the later-era G1 toys.
Pax Cybertron 
Actually, there is a proper way to peg the “tail” into the back of the bird mode without the missile! The two “[ ]” bars on that ramp/piston assembly that pegs to the back of the robot mode’s harness fit right into the larger set of “] [” brackets, right behind the “][” brackets that the missile clips into.
Oh man! Awesome! Thanks!