Dave's Transformers Legacy Rant: Voyager Wave 7

Comic Universe Bludgeon (Tarn retool)

Permalink: http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/Legacy/VBludgeon

Somewhat arbitrary to call this the Comic Universe version, although I
suppose the design here isn't TOO far from the IDW2 continuity version (the
G1 Marvel version is way off, since it was a Pretender, and the IDW1 had too
melty of a face). TFWiki concurs that it's based on the IDW2 version from
his appearance in 2021.

https://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/Legacy/VTarn - Tarn mold

Note: the more recent QR codes haven't been working for over a month at
the time I post this, and the huge layoffs at Hasbro aren't going to speed
up the fixing of that problem. For now, I will speculate in parentheses in
some places and leave the rest blank.

CAPSULE

$35 price point.

Comic Universe Bludgeon: Original mold was recommended. This does a
very good job using color and a new head to look like it was always supposed
to be Bludgeon. The chest still pops off. Recommended.

RANT

Packaging: Same as other Legacy Evolution Voyagers, has the same
Evo-Fusion as Tarn as shown on back (two barrels merge into a sniper
cannon).

DECEPTICON: COMIC UNIVERSE BLUDGEON
Assortment: F7211
Altmode: (Cybertronian tank)
Transformation Difficulty: 27 steps
Previous Name Use: None with the Comic Universe modifier
Previous Mold Use: Legacy
Function: (Electric Warrior)
Special Unit: (Pretender Emeritus)
Origin Universe: Comics (specifically the second IDW continuity)
Signature Weapon:

STR (6) INT (8) SPD (2) FRB (7)

(All speculation based on his G1 techspec except for the altmode)

Packaging: Three regular plastic ties and double ties across the chest
and lower legs hold the robot to the inner tray. A tissue-wrapped bundle in
back has the cannon bits (barrels and core) and the new katana.

Color Swaps: The clear purple plastic is now clear red, but the rest
don't map cleanly. Dark red plastic is used for the sword, new head (which
has no lightpiping), and turret core block. Black plastic makes p all the
tread pieces. A slightly metallic medium gray plastic is used for the
biceps, part of the torso core, thighs, knees, and the base of the turret
core. A darker more gunmetal plastic is use for the hands, elbows, forearms,
hip joints, pelvis, ankle joints, and the backpack gun bits (which can be
popped out and repositioned on other 5mm sockets). Kelly green plastic makes
up the pelvis front (including bits of panel attached to the hip fronts), and
forearm armor panels. Golden yellow plastic forms the boots (except for the
upper calves thare are part of the knee bits) and the feet.

Paint Apps: Well, they definitely didn't skimp on the paint budget here!
Most of the chestplate and the roots of the cannon barrels are painted golden
yellow (decent match for the plastic. The forearms and outer halves of the
boot calves are painted dark red (also a good plastic match). The backplate
and the rest of each boot (not the feet) are painted kelly green (good match
for the plastic). There's silver paint on the sword blade, the "teeth" on
the chest, the faceplate, the center of the abdomen, and much of each barrel
of the cannon (leaving enough unpainted that the clear plastic matters). The
helmet vents, lower sternum vent, ring shapes on the lower chest, and sides
of the abdomen are painted gunmetal. The barrel tips are painted black. The
eyes and mouth are bright red. A slightly metallic purple Decepticon symbol
is printed on the center of the chest.
In tank mode, the drive wheel parts of the treads are painted gunmetal.
None of this is visible in robot mode except the sides of the torso when you
lift the arms to the sides.

Mold Changes: There's a new head that is all dark red plastic, and a new
katana that is also all dark red plastic. The head is a stylized skull in a
kabuto helmet, and pretty close to his brief appearance in the IDW2
continuity, and the mouth is molded to be full of wires which fits some of
his IDW1 look.
The katana is not really a katana, as the blade is straight and double-
edged rather than curved and single-edged, but it has a katana-like tip and
Bludgeon has an evil samurai motif, so it's gonna get called a katana
anyway. It's a single piece of dark red plastic 4.75" (12cm) long with a
negligible crosspiece/guard, a short 5mm peg sticking out from the side of
the guard, and a long 5mm rod hilt that ends in a tapered spike that at its
connection point is 1/8" wide (a Lego figure can hold it firmly, but so can
something with a 3mm through-hole fist). The blade part is all painted
silver. The plastic is moderately flexible...not rubbery, but it's easy
enough to bend, very springy.

Other Notes: Yeah, the chest keeps popping off here too. So, clearly
not something they remolded. I ALMOST got it from tank to robot mode without
popping the chest off, but then it came off while I was trying to get the
head out from inside the chest.
The box back shows the katana stored on the left rear fender in tank
mode, but the instructions put it along the left side of the hull using the
boot-side socket. Putting it on top of the turret is also possible, and
reminiscent of RiD15's Bludgeon/Blastwave Warrior Class figure.

Overall: While the retooling is minimal, the extensive use of color
helps make this toy distinct from Tarn and almost look like it was designed
from the start to be Bludgeon.

Dave Van Domelen, delayed posting this for several weeks in hopes that
the QR code would start working.