Arcee with Silverfang (Beast Combiners/Beast Alliance)

Arcee has gotten a variety of different figures in Rise of the Beasts. Each one based on the same design, but also coming out completely different. As a Beast Changer, she's a much more simple toy for gimmick compatibility and I kind of like it in this case. Beast Alliance as a whole brings up strong comparisons to past Transformers gimmicks and Arcee has Pretender vibes. Specifically because her combined form reminds me of Jazz's Pretender armor, or maybe even Dee-Jay from GIJOE. Both toys I've always liked from an era in which bother were really neat. During the concept art phase of this toy, Silverfang (her Maximal partner) had purple armor. This lead to a really neat combined look that was clearly  a victim of cost cutting.

Arcee turns into her ROTB motorcycle alt mode as to be expected. Like I said above and is the case with all the Beast Changers toys so far, she's a fairly simple toy. In Arcee's case, it works as she has a fairly generic robot body. I could see customizers turn this toy into just about anyone. Transformation is simple and combination is done the same was as other Beast Changers. Silverfang slips over he shoulders and select bits can become a gun or melee weapon and a bit of armor/shield. I think that simple robot toy makes it work well in this case as Arcee practically becomes a new robot in this mode. A better looking robot, the wolf armor is cool and that new super mode head are great. So far this is one of the better looking super modes in the Beast Combiner assortment IMO.

Silverfang is a pretty large wolf as is the case with these Combiner partners. Simple like the others as well with unfortunately no articulation. Part of me wishes they would have more features for a more impressive toy, however I'd rather not pay the price that'd come with that. As fun as these are, the lower cost is an incentive and as they are aimed more towards children... I think it'd be pretty detrimental. Not to mention, the old school robot fan in me appreciates the simple figures with a combining gimmick. There's quite a few more Beast Alliance figures still to go and two more Beast Combiners I've yet to acquire as of this writing (Optimus Prime and Scourge). I don't expect the sub line to go on after Rise of the Beasts dies down... but I'd love it too. It'd be super cool to utilize this gimmick with more traditional designs. I could see it working well in the Authentics line.