Phil's
Micromaster Combiner Constructor Squad:
Stonecruncher & Excavator
and
Micromaster Combiner Transport:
Retro & Surge
Review


Stonecruncher

Stonecruncher is a yellow van with a crane arm mounted on the top of it. The base of the crane arm - moulded in grey plastic - turns and the arm itself - red plastic - elevates in this base. He's one of the better looking Micromaster combiner half vehicles !

Transformation: turn the front of the vehicle over 180 degrees to form the lower legs & feet then stand with the underside pointing towards you. Raise the arms up from the sides.

Robot mode exposes more grey on the upper legs with the body & head being cast in orange plastic the same as Sledge & Hammer's vehicle modes. He's got standard Micromaster articulation of turning shoulders and bending but linked knees & hips. The crane arm on his back can be tucked in behind the legs or rotated and folded over the top of the Micromaster to match his partner.

Decent enough Micromaster by himself.


Excavator

Stonecruncher's partner is Excavator, a yellow 4 wheeled vehicle with a red elevating L-shaped crane arm sticking out of one end. He's got no cab of any description so he's pretty useless by himself even though he does support himself (unlike Fireshot & Vanquish from the Battle Squad)

TF: Fold the connector side of the vehicle - the "front" forward 90 degrees to become the legs. Stand with the underside facing forward. Raise the arms up.

Again we have grey upper legs but this time Excavator has a purple chest - the same colour is used for Grit & Knockout's vehicle modes. The red hook hangs over the top of the toy or can be folded back to stick out of his back. Standard Micromaster articulation here again.


Stonecruncher & Excavator Combined Mode

Like all the combined Micromasters it's a simple matter or plugging these toys together: If you look at the connector on each toy there's a hole on the left and a peg on the right. Turn them to face each other and the peg on one toy slots into the hole on the other. This allows you to connect any Micromaster combiner with any other Micromaster combiner - front piece to back piece or two fronts or even two backs - which can create some odd combinations. The same connector is found on the door of the Japanese Micromaster Trailers and the western Micromaster Combiner Transports allowing Micromaster combiners to merge with them also.

Stonecruncher & Excavator combine in vehicle mode to form that favourite of the designers in 1990 the eight wheeled over long truck. Of the 14 Micromaster Combiner pairs, eight are like this and two more are close variations on the theme. Yes they're construction yellow here - colour hit dead on by the way unlike so many other TFs. We get crane arms at both ends. This sort of vehicle just looks odd !


Stonecruncher & Excavator are part of the Micromaster Combiner Constructor Squad along with Grit & Knockout and Sledge & Hammer.

In Japan Stonecruncher & Excavator were released with Direct-hit & Powerpunch , their team mates from the Micromaster Combiner Battle Squad , as part of the Cybertron (Autobot) C-368 Crane Cannon W Team with Microtrailer #8 .

The rest of the Micromaster Combiner Battle Squad Fireshot & Vanquish and Meltdown & Half-Track. were released as Cybertron toys in C-369 Jet Tank W Team with Microtrailer #9.

The remaining four members of the Micromaster Combiner Constructor Squad, Grit & Knockout and Sledge & Hammer, were released in Japan as Cybertron toys C-367 Dump Shovel W Team with Microtrailer #7.


Retro & Surge

Stonecruncher becomes Retro and Excavator is re-christened Surge as these two toys become Autobots for release with the Missile Launcher Transport. The following colour swaps are used for this release:

Yellow becomes Red
Grey becomes Black
Orange becomes Sea Green
Purple becomes Orange
Red becomes Pale Blue

The same swaps are used on the other four members of the Constructor Squad when Grit & Knockout are packed with the Tanker Transport and Sledge & Hammer are packed with the Cannon Transport.

I like this recolour, it's a decent one making them look like emergency vehicle belonging to the Fire Brigade - you can see the Fire Brigade having heavy lifting gear. There might be a little bit of a homage to Grapple being turned into Inferno going on here too.

I'm not quite sure why the Autobots are towing a Missile Transporter though !


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