Optimus Prime with Lionblade [Beast Alliance/Beast Combiners]

We've reached the end of our look at the Beast Alliance toys from Transformers: Rise of the Beasts with today's look at Beast Combiner Optimus Prime with Lionblade. This is a rather fun toy as it draws strong comparisons to Lio Convoy, but also makes me think about the old Action Master Optimus Prime concept art involving him combining with a lion partner. This toy is a super fun idea.

The base Optimus Prime figure is a pretty decent representation of his appearance in ROTB in a simplified figure. It has a decent rang of articulation, not as much as a Generations figure, but decent enough for a basic toy. He transforms to truck mode fairly easily and mostly how you'd expect him to go... and can I make a comparison here?

When I returned to my look at Beast Alliance, it was just as the Transformers Wild King toys were starting to get shown off (I'm about two weeks ahead in writing posts, mind you) and I just cannot shake the mental comparisons I'm getting between this figure and Energy Master Optimus Prime. I wonder if there's some shared engineering going on. Energy Master Optimus Prime certainly has plenty of new parts and looks bigger... but look at the truck modes. They're very similar. Seeing a these toys are all designed in CAD these days, I don't think it'd be super hard to reuse designs. It could just be me seeing the similarities and coming to some wild (pun intended) conclusions... but I can't unsee it.

Lionblade, Optimus's animal partner is a new Maximal character who so far only exists as this toy. He's a nicely sculpted white mechanical lion with a gold mane. Yes, he's very similar to Lio Convoy in beast mode. I do wonder why they made him a separate character, but I'm not gonna argue with a new character. They're rare these days. Like the other Beast Combiner partner figures, he's large... but limited. Only his legs can move in a basic fashion. Actually, mine was loose right out of the box so I had to use some trickery to have him stand for the picture. Hopefully yours is better.

Transformation to armor is pretty much the same as the others. Remove tail and the top of the beast head, fit body onto the shoulders of the robot. The spring loaded gimmick modes parts into place whilst you plug that head onto whichever hand you chose and the tail becomes a melee weapon. Don't forget to position the bottom jaw from the beast mode as it's now a gun. In Beast Combiner mode, Optimus looks awesome. These toys feature a mixture of classic super robot and Beast Wars looks in a fun package. My only complaint is that the beast parts do limit Optimus's arm articulation some... but any robot toy veteran is used to limited possibility in combined forms. If I ever get those three Japanese exclusive Battlemasters, I'll make another return to Beast Alliance here on the site. For now though, our look at the line is done. It's a fun set of toys tied to a fun movie. The upcoming Transformers Cyberworld and Wild King feel spiritually similar and I'm looking forward to covering them here.

Arcee with Cheetor [Beast Alliance/Beast Weaponizers]

The last of the Beast Weaponizers, Arcee, is who we're looking at today as we close the book on the Beast Alliance toys from Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Like Wheeljack with Rhinox, Arcee comes partnered with a recolored Cheetor. I don't mind the mold reuses as it's a good Battlemaster, but would have preferred a new character with a new deco. I guess they wanted to keep as many onscreen characters relevant as possible.

I've liked the Beast Weaponizers best out of the Beast Alliance 'main' figure types, so it's probably obvious that I find Arcee pretty pleasant. I know that I compare lots of Transformers to Microman figures, but this Arcee really looks like she could fit in with them. It's the sculpting. Like the other Beast Alliance figures, there's some hollowness here and there. It's most noticeable on her back as there's just a large open space. Fortunately it's part of her design as that's where the wheels go from alt mode. So that space does get filled up. Arcee is fairly articulated as Beast Weaponizers generally are. Transformation to motorcycle is pretty easy, everything just goes into place. Her windshield piece can pop off easily, so be careful. This is actually my second one as I initially didn't notice my first was missing out of the store. Dang it! Both modes are pretty good and part of me wishes I would have checked to see if another figure could ride the motorcycle. Maybe one of those Micromen I keep comparing toys too.

Cheetor has the same cheetah root mode and claw weapon mode as his regular Beast Battlemaster release. It's a very slight redco of that toy with darker yellow,and lighter gray plastic with less spots. It feels like a weird choice, possibly a last minute decision. Cheetor turns into the same claw weapon that I still like to think is some sort of electric gun type ranged weapon. It's just too awkward to imagine as a melee weapon... but I guess could serve as one. Once again, I really wish he was a different character or at least in a much different set of colors. Still a good toy, so my only complaints feel like a nitpick. Though I feel it's a fair one. Arcee can hold him in weapon mode or he can mount on her forearms, which would be more suitable looking for a melee weapon. Overall it's a decent set and another satisfying addition to a really fun series of toys.

Wheeljack with Rhinox [Beast Alliance/Beast Weaponizers]

I really enjoyed Beast Alliance upon it's release (as you all noticed) and taking this look back to finish the series just as Transformers Wild King is debuting is making it a little extra fun. Both Wild King and Cyberworld feel like successors to the Beast Alliance series from Transformers: Rise of the Beats and I'm all for it. Today we're looking at Wheeljack with Rhinox from the Beast Weaponizers portion of the series.

Beast Battle Masters and the Beast Weaponizers were my favorite part of Beast Alliance and Wheeljack is a great example as to why. When I covered his mainline toy, I had a lot of fun joking about the naming, but really enjoyed the characters design all together (I really wish he was another character). I haven't gotten the Studio Series version of Wheeljack yet, but this might be my favorite toy of the ROTB version as good as that mainline toy was. Beast Weaponizer figures are similar to a Core Class figure, but just a little bigger. Wheeljack is nice and bulky with a pleasant amount of articulation. It's pretty amazing just how satisfyingly chonky this figure is in hand. There's some hollowness here and there and some skimping pf paint apps... but nothing feels lacking you know? They just did and all around good job.

Transformation is easy and everything just goes into place as it should. Thanks to the placement of joints, his windshield looks as though it has eyes. That's a funny little side effect of the engineering, but isn't overwhelming. Just funny. Unfortunately his Battle Master isn't a new character or new mold. Fortunately it's a good Battle Master with a slightly different deco. Beast Battle Master Rhinox partners with Wheeljack making a great pairing. Traditionally the two are smarty pants, but as this version of Wheeljack is beefy, they contrast nicely.

Rhinox is of course a rhino and as a Beast Battle Master turns into a gun that Wheeljack can either hold or be mounted to his vehicle mode. There's a good amount of points to stick a Battle Master onto Wheeljack, so maybe you'd prefer Rhinox to be arm mounted instead. Rhinox has less colors for this version, making him look more like a natural rhino. I do wish the barrel of his chain-gun mode had some color to add detail. Overall, I really like this set. Wheeljack's Urkel inspired looks contrast with his stocky build nicely and Rhinox pairs well with him. I'd love to see this mold get reused in Cyberworld or elsewhere down the road. It's a good one.

Scourge [Beast Alliance/Battle Changers]

It's been almost 2 years since we began our look at the Beast Alliance toys from Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and with all the excitement surrounding the upcoming Transformers Wild King line, now seems like the perfect time to finish the series. Today we'll be looking at Battle Changers Scourge. Since it's been awhile, Battle Changers were the lowest priced toys from the Beast Alliance series and as you can tell from the picture, pretty simplified figures. It is what it is and they are what they are.

For the price, Scourge looks pretty good. He's got a pretty decent sculpt that looks great in his limited deco. Honestly, he could pass for an Acroyear. Obviously, there's limited articulation (shoulders, legs at the waist), but he does have the weapon gimmick that other Battle Changers have, and that's a built in weapon that can be folded away. That's a nice way of giving the character a weapon, but including it as part of the figure and not another molded part (they've got to keep it cheap). Considering the Beast Battle Masters are compatible with all the other figures in the series, it's a good trade off. Scourge's weapon is the double bladed sword he used in the movie, and that oversized left hand is also a cannon. So he's coming out ready for a fight even without a Battle Master to partner with.

Transformation is obviously simple, but results in a decent enough truck mode. His robot arms are visible in alt mode, but one could argue they're part of the overall post-apocalyptic look he has. I have to laugh with some of these far out vehicle modes. They're robots in disguise, but who's not going to notice him driving by? Scourge is the last of the Battle Changers from Beast Alliance and one the better of the class, second only to Rhinox. I like the sculpting and the colors. Like I said, he could almost pass for an Acroyear. So obviously that's working in his favor. He has a neat design that can carry even the simplest of toys. Not to mention, it's good to have a bad guy now and again.

Airazor (Beast Battle Masters/ Beast Alliance)

Let's take a look back at the Beast Alliance toys from last summer. I was quite the fan of them and plan on covering the entire line here even if posts are sporadic. I've managed to collect all the toys from Beast Alliance (the Hasbro version), and Airazor here was the hardest to get. If this was a social media post, I'd follow that up with a 'lol' and maybe a laughing emoji. I found Airazor at Publix, of all places, while picking up the Mrs and I up lunch from their deli.

Grocery stores can be interesting places to find toys and Publix occasionally has a good selection. The only problem is... the price is more than you'd pay at a regular store. Normally Airazor would be $5, but I paid $10. Which honestly, got under my skin. I expect to pay more the the three 'Burning' Battle Masters exclusive to Japan whenever I get them. However, a $5 figure whose class normally stayed in stock... well that's a pisser. I had assumed her being in the end of the line, she'd be harder to get. So I paid the extra money to get her along with the Mrs sub sandwich and my sushi. Publix has a great. That was in December and come January... my local Walmart is all Airazors. Well, I guess I paid extra for the piece of mind. 

Airazor as a Beast Battle Master is pretty great. She's larger than the others thanks to her wingspan. According to the TF Wiki it's 4", which doesn't seem right to me. I didn't measure her though, so maybe. Airzor has quite a bit of movement due to the ball sockets her wings use. It's basic, but feels like a lot compared to some of the other Beast Battle Masters. Thanks to this extra movement, she has two weapon modes instead of the usual one. She can either transform into a crossbow blaster or a shield-blaster depending on where you fold the wings. Airazor's colors are an odd choice. I feel like they were chosen to represent the statue/artifact of her seen in the movie. Which is neat, but I feel may be lost on some people. It looks good and makes her stand out from the other Beast Battle Masters on the pegs. If she were brown (as you'd expect), she'd be too similar to Optimus Primal and Rhinox.

In either of her weapon modes, Airazor can be held by most Transformers figures compatible with the 5mm system. You could also plug a blast effect inter her or Optimus's gun barrel for extra fun.  Sadly Airazor is seemingly the last new mold Beast Battle Master of Beast Alliance. I know being a move tie in line, it would be a limited series. Part of me hopes Transformers One will have a similar partner figure line as I just love this sort of thing. There's a few more Beast Alliance figures that we'll be looking at over the coming weeks. It's a fun little tie-in line to a movie that I wish did better financially than it did (though we'll only know box office, not ongoing profits). Like I said, hopefully something like it will accompany the upcoming Transformers One as the mask figures seem to be making a return. Fingers crossed.

Scourge w/ Predacon Scorponok (Beast Alliance/Beast Combiners)

Coming back to the Beast Alliance figures from Rise of the Beasts is Scourge with Scorponok. This set is a nice departure from the other Beast Combiner. There's something about Scourge rocking the beast armor that just works. Like other Beast Combiner main bots, he is a more simpler figure. That doesn't take away from the pleasantness of him. He's a satisfying toy of the movie incarnation of Scourge with a little more color. In the movie Scourge is really dark while this toy gives us a little visual variety with a mainly copper/brown body. It makes for a good looking departure. He turns into a Mad Max style truck like other Scourge toys.

Scorponok is a pleasantly large partner figure. A scorpion (duh) that combines with Scourge (or any other Beast Combiner) easily by fitting over the base robots head and shoulders. His tail becomes a melee weapon that I like to think is a whip. Combined mode really stands out as it gives Scourge an extra set of arms and an overall gnarly look. It's worth noting that Scorponok fits onto Scourge facing forward as opposed to sideways across the shoulders like the other Beast Combiners. Thanks to Scorponok and Scourge's dirtier colors combined with the more monstrous looks... we get a pretty unique looking robot. There's a definite fantasy flavor to the super robot styling of this toy. I like it. This is a pretty unique Beast Combiner and so far the best looking one I've covered so far. We've got one more Beast Combiner to look at soon, but until then, let's appreciate this mutant freak.

Transform Squadron 50- Cat Guns and Roses

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This month, Rob takes a look at Beast Battle Masters. There's a whole lotta fun to be had when a wolf turns into a chainsaw.

Scorponok with Sandspear (Beast Weaponizers/Beast Alliance)

Beast Weaponizers are my favorites from Beast Alliance with the individual Beast battle Masters coming in second. I love a good partner figure and love one even better when they turn into a weapon. I was really looking forward to Scorponok with Sandspear ever since the set was announced. Currently, as I don't own the Arcee or Wheeljack Beast Weaponizers yet. It's my 2nd favorite after Optimus Primal. Scorponok just has one glaring problem that I'm going to focus on now before I spend the rest of the post talking about everything I like about it.

His upper body is ridiculously hollow. I expect some hollowness in my Transformers. That's a reality of the line. Either from engineering or keeping the toy on budget, it's just something to expect. Sometimes it can be ignored or is hidden... not with Scorponok. His upper body is literally just the front, there's no back. One can be argued that this is due to the transformation... it feels cheap here and seems like it could of been done better.

With that out of the way... this is a great toy. Scorponok and Sandspear are both scorpions as seen in Rise of the Beasts. Sandspear turns onto a bladed melee weapon that works oddly well. In addition to Sandspear, Scorponok's tail can be wielded as a sword. Clearly he's a melee fighter. The weapons look cool and give an air of menace. Both toys are primarily brown with some accent colors. Scorponok features some green giving him a Rocks Bugs & and Things vibe. If I'm comparing to other toys though and to be honest, this looks like a Gobot. Scorponok's robot head and overall look make me wish Scorponok was a Monster Gobot... because he looks like one. This design feels more like a Bandai toy than a Takara toy.

I really wish a version of this toy in Scorp or Creepy's colors would be released. Sandspear could be one of the alternate colors... or hey McDonald's Scorponok. Whoa. Either way... this is a spiritual Monster Gobot or Devil Invader in my opinion. Scorponok is well articulated and is a really pleasant figure (outside of that back issue) that transforms into a gnarly looking scorpion with some viscous claws. It's a simple toy... but a really cool one. I do hope for some future recolors. It just such a cool set that I want to buy it over and over again in various decoes. I really like it... as you can probably tell. Scorponok with Sandspear is released as part of the Buzzworthy Bumblebee line. That adds to it's uniqueness I think... I don't know how to end this. I just keep wishing he was a Monster Gobot. 

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.

Optimus Primal w/Skullcruncher (Beast Combiners/Beast Alliance)

Getting back to Beast Alliance, Optimus Primal is the weird one of the bunch. The only Beast Combiner so far to be a Maximal main robot and a Decepticon partner. However this works out for one gnarly looking combined form that grew on me really fast. Skullcruncher returns from his Beast Battle Master toy, and his crocodile beast mode paired with Optimus Primal makes me draw mental comparisons to the original Beast Wars 2 pack. Just wish Primal had his bat alt form. Primal does resemble his original Beast Wars design a lot, however. Like the Beast Weaponizer toy, he's made from an earlier design for the movie. They've gave him Transmetal colors this time and that just makes me want an Apelinq from this mold now. 

Unfortunately, Optimus's mold isn't as great as his Beast Weaponizer toy. Beast Combiner main bots are more simple figures and there's just no ignoring it here. He's arguably more simpler than a Beast Changer figure and it's a little disappointing. Really though, you got the figure for the gimmick. Skullcruncher combines with Optimus just like all the other Beast Combiners including the tail becoming a melee weapon and an appendage folding out to become a gun. Obviously they all follow a similar template to allow for interchangeability between figures, so this is all pretty standard fair. Yet the vision of crocodile armor on simian robot mode is just so bizarre... this just might be the most original Beast Wars feeling toy of the new Rise of the Beasts toys. Not just because of the two beasts, but the overall look of the toy. He looks like Beast Wars box art and I freaking dig it.

Optimus Prime with Chainclaw (Beast Alliance/Beast Weaponizers)

Getting back to Beast Alliance, we're taking a look at Optimus Prime. This toy of Optimus is like the others in it's class in that you have a very similar to Core Class figure (about Robot Master sized) with a Beast Battle Master partner included. You all know I'm a fan of partner figures and this gimmick, so obviously I like this set. Thing is, I really like this set. There's just no getting over just how awesome the idea is. Optimus Prime has a wolf that turns into a chainsaw. In the future, the product description will be in a book of great poetry. Let's talk about Chainclaw for a second. He's a wolf or maybe a dog, that's not clear nor is the gender. I'm just assuming. Like Arrowstripe, Chainclaw is a more simple Beast Battle Master than the individually packed ones. It is what it is. 

Chainclaw is a name reuse of an older G1 guy. This kind of thing happens, especially with glorified accessories. It just is what it is. There's not much sense getting too worked up over it, not to mention the whole wolf/chainsaw things just kinda makes everything better. The chainsaw of course can be held by Optimus Prime, but is compatible with most 5mm ports and hands. 

Speaking of Optimus... since he's technically the main figure of the set (personally I bought the set for Chainclaw)... he's a pretty standard Optimus Prime. The intention is a representation of his appearance in Rise of the Beasts, though could really be his classic self if you so desired. I wouldn't be too surprised to see this figure pop up elsewhere down the road. Or any other Beast Alliance figures either, they could work in multiple places and I almost think that was intentional. Optimus is decently articulated for a toy his size and price class and honesty pretty nice. Like, there's nothing bad to really say here. If you came in expecting the smaller toy at a lower price to be a Masterpiece style toy, you fully deserve that disappointment. If you come in knowing what you're getting... you'll be pleasantly surprised. That's been my general impression with Beast Alliance toys. The Beast Weaponizers are generally nicer figures than the others. Optimus could use a little extra paint, which is obviously a price cutting issue. If you're prone to customs or adding extra detail to your toys, he's a prime candidate. I'm not apologizing for the pun. 

Optimus Primal (Beast Battle Masters)

It's not secret that I love partner figures, it's said in every post about them. These Beast Battle Masters are a fun addition to the Rise of the Beasts toy line and an easy sell for me as a fan of Battle Masters and partner figures in general. Optimus Primal is another repeating character from this series. Like I said, I'd rather them all be new characters, but it doesn't bother me too much. Optimus is pretty neat. As a Beast Battle Master, he turns from beast to gun. The gorilla form is simple, but pretty good. There's a surprising bit of articulation for such a small and simple little figure. 

Optimus transforms into a pretty large blaster. It can be held by all 5mm compatible Transformers and obviously is a part of Beast Alliance. There's not really any information about the toy, but I like to think it shoots large electrical blasts. Primal's ape mode was inspired by King Kong, so it's only natural that Kong's lightening abilities be reflected in this gun mode. I'm obviously thinking too much about a silly little toy of a gorilla that turns into a gun... but that's fun to do. I really like how these are making me think alot about other things. Rise of the Beasts has some great toys, and this is another one.

Bumblebee with Snarlsaber (Beast Combiners/Beast Alliance

As we continue our dive into Beast Alliance, we should take a look at Beast Combiners. While the main robot figure is still compatible with Beast Battle Masters, the main focus is combining with animal partner figures. With my love of partner figures, there's no surprise I was instantly hooked. The armor aspect is fun and I love the super robot looks it gives to the movie style robots. It's a pretty cool concept and a fun little toy line. A set costs around $16 here in the states and to accommodate the low cost, the figures are a bit more simple than a normal toy. It didn't bother me too much, but is impossible to ignore. Especially after the pretty great Beast Weaponizers. It's meant to be a line for kids to have fun with, not for a middle aged robot nerd to put under a microscope. It's Beast Summer, so here we are. 

Bumblebee turns into his Camaro that we're used to seeing in the live action movies. The VW from the Bumblebee movie would have been preferred, but with the maybe it's a prequel/maybe it's not nature of these new movies, I get it. That's not me being a Geewuuner either. I like the Bug more and enjoyed his look better in comparison to the Camaro bot styling. However, they did work as much of that design into this new movie as they could, so happy middle ground. I love me some Bumblebee, but this isn't his best toy showing. While these figures are more basic due to the gimmick and price point, this could have been any generic bot. It just doesn't scream Bee to me. In car mode, sure. The robot could have used more character. As is, the figure is perfectly fine. Simple, but fine. Articulation is limited and transformation is simple that'll turn off some. It's not a deal breaker, just hard to ignore. 

Snarlsaber is a large black cat/panther who isn't Ravage surprisingly. Like with the Beast Weaponizers, the new character partners is very welcome. Ironically, even though he isn't Ravage, Snarlsaber makes me think of Panther. Who was Ravage in the Beast Wars Metals manga. Also, a Happy Meal toy. Putting aside my love for the McDonald's Beast Wars toys for a moment, this draws the obvious criticism. He looks like a Happy Meal toy... and that's fair. With the simple nature of the toy and plastic quality, that's a reasonable complaint. It doesn't bother me, but I'm not ignoring it either. Snarlsaber converts into Bumblebee's armor with a spring transformation and a little finagling over BB's head and shoulders.

In Beast Combiner mode, the toy looks pretty great. There's fun overall cat theme thanks to the big cat kibble and head. It's pretty adorable. Snarlsaber's tail detaches and becomes a bladed melee weapon and the top half of his head becomes a shield/gauntlet attachment. The beast leg kibble on BB's right shoulder can fold up to become a blaster for some extra firepower. This is a cool armored upgrade. I had made the super robot comparisons (and I'll swear by them), but there's some tokusatsu in this too. I'm strongly reminded of Gridman/Servo with his toy. The base robot and the way it works is similar to the original toy. Which was also designed by Takara. It's pretty neat. Snarlsaber as well as all Beast Combiner partners are interchangeable with other Beast Combiner robots. If you don't mind the more simple bots, there's a really cool toy here.

Mirage (Battle Changers/Beast Alliance)

Returning to our looks at the Battle Charger class is Mirage from Rise of the Beasts. Like the others before him, he's a simple figure to scale with others in the Beast Alliance sub-line. He's also a lot like the Bumblebee Battle Charger in that there's no interacting with Beast Battle Masters unfortunately. One can't be held nor one cannot be plugged into a port. Ignoring the gimmick incompatibility, Mirage is still a neat little figure. I'm not the only one who has noticed Mirage's toys aren't exactly screen accurate. Like some of the Cheetor toys, I'm guessing this is another result of designs getting changed during toy production. Maybe one day we'll get a more screen accurate figure, but honestly... I like the look of the current toys.

Thanks the silver, Mirage makes me think of Baron Von Joy. His simplicity goes with that comparison. I initially thought there was a mouth plate instead of the face we all know... but was wrong. He's got a mouth, just not a super obvious one. Admittedly... I kinda like the idea of a mouth plate. It may not be screen accurate, but it'd match this design. Mirage turns into a Porsche 911, which looks pretty great. We've all had the Jazz conversation before, it just is what it is. I don't mind it so much here. Maybe because it's so hard to hate on Mirage after seeing the movie. Like other Battle Changers, a hand will flip out into a weapon. It's a harmless way to give Mirage a gun that won't get lost and works well on such a simple toy. I like the gimmick. I like this Mirage, he's a simple little toy for not a lot of money.

Optimus Primal with Arrowstripe (Beast Weaponizers/Beast Alliance)

Beast Weaponizers are my favorite part of the Beast Alliance sub-line.  When Rise of the Beasts toys were first getting leaked out on news sties, this particular set was one of the first I saw and was instantly hooked. Beast Weaponizers are a two-pack of a traditional Transformers figure with a Beast Battle Master partner. However it's not specifically stated if partners are Beast Battle Masters or Beast Weaponizers. I tend to think that the set itself is called Beast Weaponizers and the partners are Beast Battle Masters, so that's how I'll be referring to them from here on out. If I'm wrong, I'll correct that in the future.

In this specific set, Arrowstripe is the Beast Battle Master. Not just that, but a new character! Arrowstripe is a cleverly named white tiger that converts into a crossbow. This crossbow can held by most 5mm compatible Transformers. Most Beast Alliance toys can also be mounted via ports on their arms and bodies as well. It's a fun gimmick that hearkens back to Armada. Some of these are even Mini-Con port compatible... which I've noticed on some newer toys as well. Arrowstripe is made from a different plastic grade than the individual Beast Battle Masters and isn't as articulated. That's likely a cost cutting measure as the set was only $16. I didn't mind it too much, but it's worth pointing out.

Optimus Primal is the set's main figure and a pretty nice toy all around. These Beast Weaponizer figures are similar to a Core Class Transformers toy. However they're to scale with the Beast Changers for some nice uniformity. The Beast Combiners (I'll cover them too, don't worry) main figures are to similar scale as well. However they're more simple. I appreciate that everything is to similar scale in Beast Alliance, even though there's some differences in the toys themselves. I'm actually really impressed with Optimus Primal here. This is a fairly nice little figure. Thanks to his beast mode, Primal has some pretty decent articulation. While his colors match the movie, his sculpt is classic Beast Wars. Like some of the Cheetor toys, I'm sure this is due to design changes during production. 

Optimus transforms into his gorilla form pretty easily. Admittedly the beast mode is a lot more simpler than I'd like it to be. On all fours it isn't terribly impressive as the beast mode head will look straight down. Standing upright looks pretty good. With some additional color this would be a nicer toy, but once again, movie. Still, it's pretty decent. I like this one a lot and it's definitely my favorite of the Beast Alliance toys so far. Actually, I think the Beast Weaponizers overall are my favorite part of Beast Alliance. I'm not including the stand alone Beast Battle Changers in that as they belong to the Rise of the Beasts line overall. It's a weird distinction to make, but I'm trying to be specific to keep confusion down. Optimus Primal with Arrowstripe is probably the best set overall in the Beast Alliance toys, which is probably why it's a little harder to get than others. Fortunately the Mrs ordered me one off Amazon right away when they first showed up. This is a solid showing and is pretty recommended. Especially if you're a Beast Wars fan as it's a good little figure of the classic Primal.

Cheetor (Beast Battle Masters)

Like the prior Beast Battle Masters I've talked about here, Cheetor has a beast main form and a weapon alt mode. I really do love a good partner figure, so I'm enjoying the crap out of these. Like prior uses, I do wish these were new characters... but whatever. I like to think Cheetor here is an updated Catgut, even if his weapon mode is different. Speaking of that, Cheetor's weapon mode is some sort of large claw weapon. I'm not sure of it's a melee weapon, or perhaps some sort of electric trident type gun.

He's fairly articulated in cheetah mode, not super articulated, but the basic parts move. If there's anything to point out, it's that his main body is gray as opposed to a matching yellow. I understand he's likely group molded with another toy to save production costs, but the consumer doesn't save anything when they do that, so it just looks cheap. Cheetor is pretty great, just a bit weird.

Skullcruncher (Beast Battle Masters)

Adding some variety to the Rise of the Beasts toys in the aisle is Skullcruncher. This particular toy of Skullcruncher is a Beast Battle Master and turns into a cannon looking gun. If you take issue with the name reuses of Skullcruncher in this toy, the designed has said it was inspired by Gatoraider. I like to think that's who he's supposed to be.

However, as a fan of partner figures like this... I'm not really nit picking the name. I'm really enamored by the idea of an crocodile that turns into a gun. That's all sorts of neat. I like to think of a cartoon episode where Skullcruncher is used and shoots some swamp gas powered attack. If you have one of those blast effect thingies around, it can plug into the barrel of the cannon looking gun. Like other toys in this line, the gun can be held by most other figures or plugged into the ports present on some.

Neatly enough, the handle is also compatible with Armada style power link ports... which I noticed some on my Voyager Rhinox figure (more on him later). Skullcruncher is absolutely charming. His little gator mouth can open to bite your ass before turning into a gun and shooting it.

Rhinox (Beast Alliance/Battle Changers)

We're back with another Rhinox toy this week and a pretty good one at that. Since I've spent a little time talking about the Bumblebee and Optimus Prime from the Battle Changers size class, I'm assuming you know my mind set on these going forward. Rhinox is the better of the three currently available in this wave. Thanks to his transformation, there's some additional knee articulation. That's a nice touch. There is some hollowness a discount priced Transformer is bound to have. You know, I'm mentally placing Battle Changers as a middle ground between an up scaled Legion/Legend class to and a Authentics figure. They're fun little toys for not a lot of money. I'm hoping for some crazy repaints.

Rhinox looks as he should, though noticeably darker because movie. I don't mind it at all though, it reminds by his Armada toy a little with these colors and reliance on gimmicks. That's not a bad comparison, to me anyway. I loved Armada and that Transmetal mold. Speaking of Transmetal... that's what these movie versions of the beast warriors make me think. There's a strong bio organic theme going on and Rhinox is a good example of it. Even in this more simple figure, you can really see it. I was always a fan of the Transmetal look and it's a good aesthetic for live action designs. Rhinox is a mixture of gray and silver with a little gold and green in robot mode. It's a simple color scheme, but it works well. If you're into customizing, he's a pretty good blank canvas.

Transformation is pretty easy and both modes are fairly simple. Like the other Battle Changers, Rhinox has a flip out weapon. Though his completely replaces a hand... awkward. However it spins! His trademark chain-gun of doom is represented here decently enough. If you pair it with his Battle Master version then there's so many chain-guns of doom! Ok... just two, but that's still a lot of doom. You could even plug another into his arms via ports! This is a pretty cool little figure. You may disagree and that's cool. Me though, I like it. Sure, the price is what I paid for the Transmetal Rhinox I bought 20 something years ago but... dang, that's a sticking point isn't it? Who can we blame? Inflation? Corporate greed? Dick Van Dyke? Yeah... fuck that guy.

Rhinox (Beast Battle Masters)

Beast Summer is beginning with an analogy for life. You need thick skin and to charge forward, you need to be a rhino. A rhino also makes for a good beast mode in battle. Thick skin, heavy hitter, charge forward. That's why Rhinox as a Beast Battle Master just works. Admittedly I'm a big fan of both beast warriors and Battle Masters... but it's hard to not enjoy the idea of an animal based partner figure that changes into a weapon. In this case Rhinox changes into a chain gun. This is super appropriate as something like a rhino needs to be a BFG and well... it's Rhinox, those signature chain guns of doom are a necessity.

As a Beast Battle Master, Rhinox's main form is his rhino beast mode. It makes for a great partner figure, though I do wish they would have made it a different character in this form as there is a plethora of other Rhinox toys in the line. However they probably want to get some name recognition going as well as there's only so many trademarks in the budget. It also makes me think of the Arms Microns from Go! that were main characters as smaller weapons based partners. Like Bulkhead Knuckle. That being said, I'd love a boxing glove alt mode in Beast Alliance.

Transformation into gun mode is pretty easy as it should be for something this small. To transform into gun form, you essentially split the rhino in half and the chain gun barrel comes out the rear Ace Ventura style. The sides and extra parts fold away and you've got a BFG for whatever figure you wish to use it. I paired it with Battle Charges Rhinox. Because yo dawg, I heard you like rhinos. Also that toy was handy.

Optimus Prime (Beast Alliance/Battle Changers)

I'm taking another look at the Beast Alliance Battle Changers with Optimus Prime. He is a better representative of the size class than Bumblebee with gimmick compatibility. Battle Changers Optimus is similar to a Legion/Legend class toy only sized up. I can see that being a turn off for some folks, but if you know what you're getting going in... then it just is what it is. Battle Changers are meant to be a lower cost option and seeing as they're to scale with the higher priced Beast Alliance figures... it kinda works out. I'd be lying if the fact that this lower priced option is what I paid for a deluxe about 11-12 years ago didn't irk me... but times change.

Optimus turns into a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT), which is a militarily truck that's kinda like a hardcore version of his standard semi truck. Personally, I think this fits Optimus pretty well. It looks cool. As you'd expect the transformation to robot mode is fairly simple and you end up with a fairly satisfying figure of Optimus Prime. Optimus has a basic level of articulation, arms move from the shoulders and legs from the hips. His forearms do swivel from transformation adding a little extra possibility. Like I said prior, he has compatibility with the lines gimmicks. Specifically the Battle Masters. Optimus can hold one in weapon mode or it can plug into his forearms. Like other Battle Changers so far, he has a flip out weapon. His sword from prior movies folds out and it's pretty neat.

Battle Changers Optimus Prime is a fun simple toy that's probably not going to be for everyone. That's ok... there's literally a ton of product coming out for this movie, so I'm sure there's a little something for everyone. This is clearly intended for children to have little adventures with that's more affordable in these somewhat harder economic times. Considering this toy was probably designed during the pandemic with expectations for the current economy in mind... just think what's in store about two years from now.

For somebody who likes gimmick toys and enjoys oddball little things like myself, Battle Changers are pretty neat. They're an entryway, lower cost figure for a play pattern designed sub line. Honestly I do wonder if these will continue past Rise of the Beasts as it sure is a pretty fleshed out system for a movie tie in line. I've been a fan of these simpler toys for some time now anyway as they make me think of older style robot designs. While I've been happy to see the advances in things going forward, older style robot toys still had a place in my heart.