Shrapnel, previously known in Diaclone as Kuwagatorer, is a robotic Stag Beetle. I think he, like Bombshell, looks more like some form of tank. His limbs aren't that well defined and effect made worse by the wheel on the fore and rear most limbs and the lack of any independent motion in insect mode. Once again he's mainly black, with purple sides and rear, yellow forelegs, chromed silver mandibles and a clear yellow canopy allowing a driver to sit within. I love the mandible, a fabulous curving out then in design terminating in gun barrels.
Transformation: Pull each half of the rear of the toy back. Fold the feet down. Turn the robot's waist through 180 degrees (making it even worse that Bombshell has no waist). Stand on the rear of the toy with the cockpit canopy facing forward. Fold the yellow legs behind the toy. Spread the mandibles out to the side revealing his face. Slide the gun, reminiscent of his mandibles, over his forearm.
Shrapnel's robot mode is dominated by the spread Mandibles that reach out to the sides above his head. You feel like they're a little useless there and he could do more with them like point them forward as weapons if only he had some more articulation. At the base of each mandible is a flap that combined with it's twin covers the robot face in insect mode but here it just sits there, still partially obscuring the face. Either make them fold away or have the head turn as per Kickback. Still mainly black with the chest dominated by the clear yellow hatch like all the other Diaclone originated Insecticons, he has chromed silver upper legs and purple arms & feet. His shoulders, hips & waist turn but there's no mid limb joints here. You don't get the feeling as to quite how small the Insecticons are: The top of Shrapnel's head is level with the bottom of Classics Bumblebee's rubsign!
Not a bad toy. The insect design is my favourite of the three Insecticons but I wish we could do something more with the mandibles in robot mode. I await a Classics version to see what they do with them. Said Mandibles are a very vulnerable point on this toy: be careful with them!
Shrapnel was released in the west in 1985 and was available as Transformer #42 in Japan in the same year.
He was reissued as part of Transformers Collection #16 with Bombshell & Kickback in 2004. This set also included Energon cubes that could be stored in the Insect/Vehicle cockpits.
In 2009 was Shrapnel was renamed Sharpshot and reissued as part of a Toys R Us Insecticon giftset with Kickback & Hardshell (a renamed Bombshell)
Like the other Insecticons there's a Robot Heroes version of Shrapnel. Confusingly that is itself named Insecticon
Doesn't do it for me, I prefer the Insecticon colours.
Shothole was sold with Salvo, a repaint of Bombshell, and Zaptrap, a repaint of Shrapnel. Like the TFC 16 pack these Insecticons also come with Energon cubes.