Duststorm is a crane coloured (for a Constructicon) in a non-traditional dark blue. The name is new too, previous Constructicon cranes have been called Hook. The crane arm rotates & elevates at it's base (which includes a control cab) with the arm extending but the moulded hook at the end doesn't move. The arm can be extended further by pegging a clear blue energon claw - which opens & closes - into the 5mm hole on the side of the hook's base - there's a Minicon post on the other side. When not deployed the crane arm attaches to a support on the vehicles body which helps to strengthen then entire toy.
Duststorm had a rotate the crane mount transformation (ala the guns on the combaticon tanks) with the crane control becoming one arm and the crane a hugely oversized other arm. The cab then splits down the middle to form lower legs, and then splits again fore and aft to form feet and heel spurs.
Duststomr's articulation is slightly different to most of the other Energon combiner limbs: the elbows bend then the upper arm turns with a bicep joint. The shoulders are ball jointed and the lightpiped head turns as does the waist. Hips are also ball jointed but the knees merely bend - those who own one of the many Machine Wars Mirage variants will find the upper legs and it's joints a familiar design from that toy ! He's got *very* loose hips, in fact the crane mode flops about at the robot's hips without the crane arm locked in place on it's support. His right had - formed from the crane arm's control cab - has a 5mm peg socket while the crane arm has on either side of it the 5mm socket and Minicon post that were mentioned previously.
Duststorm can form any limb for an Energon combiner robot:
Arm mode is the crane mode with the connector bend down from the back of the toy and the claw on the end of the arm. You can get a reasonable claw by opening the robot's feet up too, and by disconnecting the crane arm from it's support you can also get an elbow & bicep joint for your toy.
Leg mode is the crane mode with the cab feel and heel spurs opened (but still with the cab halves together) and the crane arm cleverly pinned to the crane arm support using the claw. A surprisingly solid leg (given the problems documented earlier) if one that looks a little thin !
It's not too bad a toy but it looses points for the problems with the robot hips and being so thin as a limb mode.
Duststorm was sold in the Galaxy Force Line in Japan as Longhaul which was part of the Toys R Us exclusive EX-01 Buildron set.
Wideload is a mainly green repaint of Duststorm with creamy coloured crane arm and robot chest plate. I much prefer this toy with this in something aproaching the proper Constructicon colours !
Wideload was sold in the Galaxy Force Line in Japan as Gren which was part of the Toys R Us exclusive EX-01 Buildron set.