Phil's
Armada & Energon Cyclonus,
Micron Legend Sandstorm,
Superlink Snowstorm
and
Cybertron Buzzsaw
Review


Cyclonus

Cyclonus is a big nasty assault chopper that comes with the Minicon Crumplezone. The main body of the chopper is cast in pale blue, the helicopter wings and robot arms are grey, the rotor blades, robot upper limbs, missiles & cannons are a brassy colour and the front of the helicopter & robot waist are dark blue. If the guns and whatnot underneath are meant to clip into something I've missed it and so he moves a bit whenever you put him down..... and there isn't really any flat surface to rest him on. 2 missile launchers on either arm that fire when you attach minicons to connectors on either side - there's 2 more lower on the chopper but they're used by a robot mode gimmick. In fact there isn't a non live connector on the toy!

The trigger on the underside of the tail causes the blades to rotate - nice feature which isn't only used here. If you raise the chopper's cabin you can clip Cumplezone in (via 2 pegs on the chopper which fit on the insides of Crumplezone's arms) to form a more sleek cockpit with a gun beneath it which moves along with the rotors when you squeeze the trigger. Then courtesy of 2 clips on the underside of the toy either side of an expose gear you can attach a Destruction or Adventure minicon and their gimmick will be activated too !

To TF: Remove any minicons you may have added, fold the waist down, rotate 180 degrees, fold back up, grasp the front and the back of the chopper and push and everything folds into place bar folding the head up (he looks a grumpy so and so) and the arms down.

On the robot we have shoulder movement forwards this time but the arms are about 1cm out from the body on the wings which looks odd. No Fist holes, and I don't think I'd recommend leaving him displayed with any minicons on the arms - for a start the missiles would fire and I think the weight might ware on the joint between the wings and the body. As I said the missile gimmick still works, and you can attach Crumplezone to form a chest cannon but you can't attach the Destruction team or get Crumplezone's gun to move (probably a good job too.....) Minicons on the legs deploy guns in the shins ala Fort Max.

Overall - nice gimmick but looks a bit odd...

In Japan Cyclonus was called Sandstorm and was numbered MD-04. He also appeared in giftset MS-04 with the Destruction team.


Powerlinx Cyclonus

Finally had Powerlinx Cyclonus through the mail yesterday - spotted one on BBTS for $8.99 and thought I'd have it. I'd already got the Micron Legend PL Hotshot and rather fancied this.

Basically it's the original Cyclonus done in a green colour scheme to make you think of Springer. The green is a very bright one, not the same as Springer's at all but more pleasing on the eye. Most of the green surfaces have a grey dirt wash on them which looks nice. Light blue becomes green, dark blue becomes black, bronze becomes dark burgundy, and pale grey becomes a more mid grey.

Of the 3 Cyclonus I've looked at so far, this is probably my favourite.....

Powerlinx Cyclonus was not sold in the main Micron Legend line. A small quantity of this toy were sold through the Entertainer toyshop in the UK in a wave featuring Powerlinx Hotshot, the Red Powerlinx Thrust & Armada Airazor.


Energon Cyclonus

In Japan Armada Cyclonus was Sandstorm, and become Snowstorm (numbered Superlink SD-03) for this repaint (first seen there, and then later as a US exclusive to KB under the Cyclonus name again) and his subsequent Snowcat incarnation. As the name implies this is an Arctic camo redeco of the helicopter. Light blue becomes grey, brassy gold becomes a pale grey, and the dark blue & pale grey become black.| He looks really nice in these colours. Gimmicks as before. Worth getting this, and judging by the number left on the shelves compared to Demolishor other people think so too. This toy will shortly be revisited as Galaxy Force Buzzsaw.

A small quantity of this toy were sold through the Entertainer toyshop in the UK.


Cybertron Buzzsaw

Buzzsaw is a remould of Armada Cyclonus in the colours of BW Buzzsaw. Originally availible in Galaxy Force in a VS set with Blurr numbered GS-01 he was imported into the US Cybertron release but this wave was skipped for European distribution.

Buzzsaw does not come with a Minicon, a Crumplezone in these colours was later available as Trigger in Micron Booster V3.

Buzzsaw is mainly yellow for the blue, with purple for the brass colour, dark grey for the dark blue on the waist and a paler grey virtually white on the forearms & wings for the already pale grey .

He's lost the minicon hard points on his arms and gained 2 new outer boxes which take a force chip to activate Cyclonus's missile gimmick. Minicon hardpoints remain on the legs, but the remoulded guns there just push to the side to pop out. New head is based on Buzzsaw's "robot" robot head. The pop up front of the helicopter has been remoulded and coloured in the same yellow to resemble an insect head with large round windows, a pair of moving guns underneath powered by the rotor gimmick, and 2 moulded missile boxes at each side. This front will lift up still, and Crumplezone can still be attached, and his gun gimmick powered.

The gear slot underneath is still present, as are the gears *BUT* the gear wheel on mine is mounted on the wrong side. Jon Slater's checked his and says it's the same - so no mounting Adventure and Destruction minicons underneath and using the gear gimmick. Shame I say, SHAME ! That detracts from an otherwise great toy. Buzzsaw comes with a Cybertron Decepticon Chip


Possible Other Versions

I wonder if there's room down the line for another set of repaints for this - how about Cyclonus in the Sand/Orange/Black of G1 Sandstorm ?


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