Phil's Beast Machines and Robots in Disguise Scavenger Review


Beast Machines Scavenger

In 200 I wrote: "Parcelforce finally got their act together and delivered some of my outstanding parcels today.

As well as my long awaited Waspy repaint - not as bad as it looks in Robot mode with Robot head, and the 3 BM Basics - Mirage good, Scavenger strange, Buzzsaw hmmm"

Scavenger is described on his package as a Demolition drone. In practice he looks like an odd cross between a tank and construction machinery. He's got treads up front and wheels to the rear at either side of a dark green platform on which is mounted (via a ball joint) an pinkish orange arm that bends at the base, middle and top that ends in a spring loaded opening shovel grabber which has a gun on one side and three molded missiles on the other. In some ways he looks like he's the offspring of G1 Ratchet/Ironhide's tracked base parts ! A panel on the side folds down to reveal a green Vehicon spark.

TF: Fold the back wheels out to the sides. separating the claws between them to form arms. Turn the tracks round 180 degrees so that the wheels face up. Fold out the feet from the front of the vehicle. Fold the legs under the vehicles. Collapse the vehicle arm and fold the back wheels around the sides of it. Pull the head out of the top of the shovel scoop.

The robot is odd, very blocky, minimal head - though more of it extends than you might think and you'll want to push it through from underneath to see all. The chromed claws on each hand open, there's a double ball jointed elbow - though the bending part of both ball joints faces in until you turn the lower part of the arm round - and ball jointed shoulders, hips & knees. The head is lightpiped in clear orange with the rest of the robot using the same dark green and orangey pink as before.

Not the most loved TF toy out there, and a huge shelf warmer in the UK when it came out.


Robots in Disguise Scavenger

Scavenger came back in the RID vehicon three pack with the green replaced by blue and the orange by white. It's not until I've sat down to write this that I've ever given much thought to it but I now think there's a huge mistake with this set: Scavenger and Mirage GT have each other's colours. Mirage GT in white & blue would look like the G1 Car while Scavenger in yellow & black would be a decent bit of construction machinery. Oh dear !


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