Dave's Transformers Legacy Rant: Walgreens Exclusive 2023

Autobot Medix (Crankcase plus Burn Out with Elita-1 weapons redeco)

http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/Legacy/Medix

Aha! For once, I was actually at a computer the minute the year's
limited supply of Walgreens-exclusive figures went up on Pulse, so I don't
need to haunt Walgreens for the next year hoping to find some.

This is a sort of grab bag redeco. It's mostly Crankcase, who was a
Skids retool. But it has the Burn Out/Crosscut head, and in addition to
Crankcase's regular weapons got copies of Elita-1/Minerva's guns, plus the
lightbar Minerva used. It's based on the green and white Medix that started
off as a BotCon customization class exclusive, rather than the Rescue Bots
Medix.

https://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/Legacy/Deluxe1 - Skids base mold
https://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/Legacy/Speedia500 - Burn Out head
https://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/Legacy/Deluxe2 - Elita-1
https://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/Legacy/Minerva - Minerva

As with other store exclusives, there's no QR code, not that the newer
QR codes have been working lately. I'll be making up relevant bits.

CAPSULE

$25 price point.

Autobot Medix: Original molds were generally recommended. If you
already have the other four, though, you can be excused for not wanting this
one. This has the same good and bad points as the Crankcase version (better
vehicle mode, worse robot mode), plus a new flaw due to the head not matching
the vehicle hood. This one is really just for completists, don't worry
you're missing much if you never see one on the shelf.

RANT

Packaging: Standard Legacy Evolution box, but without the QR code.
There's new art, or at least noticeably modified art. The Evo-Fusion inset
shows ALL THE GUNS combined together.

AUTOBOT: AUTOBOT MEDIX
Assortment: F7016
Altmode: Ambulance
Transformation Difficulty: 15 steps
Previous Name Use: No mass market (Rescue Bots one didn't have "Autobot")
Previous Mold Use: Legacy many times
Function: First Responder
Special Unit: Protectobots (Affiliate)
Origin Universe: G1
Signature Weapon: Cauterization Blaster
Quote: "Decepticon, I diagnose you with having too few holes. Applying
treatment!"

Packaging: Five strings hold the figure to the inner tray, with a piece
of tissue taped across the back to protect the roof paint job. The weapons,
including the grille gun and Minerva's lightbar, are bundled up in tissue
behind the tray.

Color Swaps: Most of the clear plastic is now clear bright blue, but the
Elita/Minerva guns and lightbar are clear red plastic. Otherwise, it's hard
to neatly equate this to any previous one, so her's the layout: white plastic
for the chest, shoulders, forearms, grille gun, thighs, boots (most of them),
and the shoulder cannons; medium gray for the head, collar, biceps, torso
core, pelvis, and rear wheel struts; black plastic for the wheels, feet,
shins, fists, and the strut that holds the roof to the back.

Paint Apps: In robot mode, there's Constructicon Green on the helmet
crest, around the collar, a bit at the top of the sternum, and on the "ribs"
below the chest part. Lots of white paint, although most of it is on the
backpack, plus the faceplate. There's black paint on the borders of the
chest detail, but not on the halves of the wheels that are on the shoulders.
The rest of the chest detail is bold orange, as are the kneecaps and the
armor boxes on the sides of the boots. The eyes are bright blue. No Autobot
symbol in this mode.
In vehicle mode (and I'm including the gear bits that are mostly part of
that mode), there's medium gray plastic on the center of the lightbar, the
front and rear bumpers, and the front grille. There's Constructicon Green
"EKG" lines on the sides of the doors, silver on the headlights and
top-of-grille lights, and black on the spare tire. A red Autobot symbol is
printed on the centr of the hood, the back of the robot head.

Mold Changes: So, it's the Crankcase set of mold changes, but with the
head used for Burn Out/Crosscut, plus as mentioned the Elita-1/Minerva guns.
No other changes I could find.

Other Notes: The issue Crankcase had with the chest not locking down
continues here. Because the Burn Out/Crosscut head isn't as tall in back or
as deep, the hood has a noticeable dip in the middle and gap near the front.
The really stiff hip joints on mine made transformation difficult, since you
kind of have to shove the pelvis up inside the vehicle mode.
The packaging version of the fused weapon has the two red Minerva guns
in the middle, with the blue pistol stuck to the left side and the grille gun
to the right. Oddly, they show it held by the grille gun peg, not one of the
more central guns.
In vehicle mode, the packaging shows the blue gun plugged into the top
of the lightbar on the roof and the Minerva guns on the back, with the grille
gun in grille mode. Or you can just connect the three clear plastic guns and
mount them on top. Because the mold wasn't really intended as an ambulance,
the roof socket is a bit far back for a convincing lightbar position.

Overall: It does feel like they're pushing it in terms of both how to
keep using this mold, and how to keep giving Walgreens vaguely medically-
themed exclusives. Frankly, if Walgreens exclusives weren't so hard to find
at actual Walgreens stores, I probably would've waited to see this on the
shelf and then passed on it.

Dave Van Domelen, has so many Pulse orders coming in the mail this week
and is falling sooooo far behind on reviews.