Optimus Primal (Robot & Gorilla) Defender Version 06 – Brutal Fang

When Blokees previewed Defender Version 06 – Brutal Fang, I was overjoyed. Not just because we were getting more Defender Versions (though that was definitely a factor), but because they were finally dipping into Beast Wars. And while there’s hardly anything Transformers-related that I actively dislike, Beast Wars holds a very special place in my heart. It’s almost like a beloved family member I always get excited to visit… and a little depressed to leave.

Today we’re looking at Optimus Primal from Brutal Fang — which I constantly confuse with Wild Fang, and that’s mildly frustrating.

Optimus Primal is available in a few variations in this wave. There’s the beast mode (gorilla) kit and three robot mode versions. Standard, which is what I picked up, is your typical Primal. Then there are two chase versions: Special Galaxy Type, which features a metallic deco with more show-accurate paint detail, and Special Armor Type, which builds on the Galaxy version and includes his forearm blasters, cyber-swords, and Mutant Head.

The Mutant Head gimmick on the original Beast Wars toys was either a mask or alternate head that functioned like a battle mode. Often, redecos would use the Mutant Head as the primary head sculpt. For example, Blackarachnia is a redeco of Tarantulas but uses his Mutant Head. The fact that Blokees included Mutant Heads here brings out a level of giddiness I didn’t know I still had.

Standard Optimus Primal is great on his own. Defender Versions are already pretty irresistible, but the Beast Wars designs translate especially well into this format. I’m reminded of Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors’ Strongest Decisive Battle on the Game Boy Color. The proportions of the Beast Defender Version kits line up shockingly well with the sprites from that game.

And now I can’t stop thinking… what if more of the Beast Wars cast makes it into Defender Version?

Primal comes equipped with his back-mounted cannons. They flip over his shoulders for attack mode or angle backward to form his Prime Jets. His deco leans more toy-based than the other versions. The faceplate is painted solid in traditional Optimus fashion.

The beast mode kit represents his gorilla form and does a solid job. Interestingly, beast mode uses joints more commonly found in Galaxy Version kits for the gorilla elbows, giving him better range in a quadruped stance. I did manage to mix up the upper arm and lower thigh pieces at one point, so pay attention during assembly.

Both kits result in sturdy mini figures of the classic character in robot and beast form. Defender Version is highly articulated, so you can get a wide range of poses out of him.

It’s genuinely great to see Blokees expanding into Beast Wars, and of course I want more. The entire time I’ve been typing this, I’ve been thinking about the dinosaurs from Beast Wars Neo… and oddballs like the bat and gator Optimus vs. Megatron two-pack.

That would be just Prime.

Bruticus [Defender Version]

I felt pretty accomplished after completing and combining the Defender Version Devastator last year, so you can imagine how proud I am after forming the Defender Version Bruticus recently. Blokees Transformers Defender Version kits just might be my favorite Blokees product out right now… hell, maybe my favorite Transformers thing at the moment. I get so damned excited when a new series is released and have so much fun assembling them. Cherry picking random completed figures from the waves to come up with posts is super fun too… they really are a blast to blog.

Like Devastator, Bruticus is the culmination of individual releases spread across multiple Defender Version series. The Combaticons were available in vehicle mode: Brawl from 04-Tyrants Fury, Swindle and Onslaught from 05-Traitor to Tyranny, and Blast Off and Vortex from 06-Brutal Fang. The kit required to form Bruticus was initially available through scanning QR codes before being made available for sale. Sundays have become my model days—Blokees are pretty easy to assemble, so some days I’ll put a few together in the living room while watching TV with the Mrs. Just my folding laptop stand next to me, a little tray for parts, and my model tool kit nearby. Inside the parts kit for Bruticus are the rest of the pieces needed to combine the team, along with a pretty detailed instruction manual. Like Devastator, keep a ziplock bag handy—there will be unused parts from the individual Combaticons.

Each individual Combaticon needs to be converted to limb mode before assembly. The instructions are detailed, but it’s easy to miss a step. Blast Off has a part toward the rear that needs to be removed, and Onslaught’s grill has to come off. Some of this can be tricky. I’ve raved about Blokees’ slightly soft plastic, but disassembling can be a pain. Onslaught’s grill kept bending, so I took a tiny flathead screwdriver and worked it off slowly. Be careful—looks easy to snap in half if you rush. Baby fingers gang, use your baby fingers. I even broke a thumbnail during this step… not the first time, but it’s always jarring. Sounds brutal, but that's Bruticus.

Bruticus’s knees impressed me. The kit comes with upper thighs that connect to the waist, with Swindle and Brawl forming the calves. A small joint piece inserts into the thigh, with an additional knee piece that fits over it. This hides the joint nicely and makes a sort of kneecap when bent. It took a few tries to get right, but I love it. The upper torso is equally impressive: there’s a chest piece and a larger version of Onslaught’s twin laser cannons for the back. I honestly assumed the Onslaught pieces would be used, but they’re tiny compared to this kit. Onslaught’s rear panels disconnect and attach sideways to his front, the chest and back panels peg in, and suddenly you have a very solid upper body. Wow.

Once everything is connected, Bruticus looks fantastic. Like Devastator, it’s hard to believe this started as cute little Defender Version kits. He’s around Voyager Class height, towering over other Defender Version bots, and is surprisingly sturdy. He comes with two closed fists, a laser rifle, and an open left hand that can hold Starscream—or anyone you want dramatically posed thanks to little pegs. That’s a really nice touch. The articulation is great, allowing for dramatic poses or careful gun aiming.

After Devastator and Bruticus, I’m really excited to see what Blokees has in store next. Predaking or Piranacon would be amazing. I’ve even seen speculation about Volcanicus, thanks to the Beast Mode Dinobots in Defender Version cases, and I’d love that. Watching Bruticus come together from five small vehicles made me appreciate the thought behind these combiners all over again. This was an awesome experience.

Glittering Shockwave [Defender Version 03-Heavy Metal War]

Purple is one of the colors associated with Halloween, so it's only logical that we take a look at Glittering Shockwave from Blokees Defender Version 03-Heavy Metal War today. It's neat that his classic design works as well in the Defender body type. Like Ironhide, Shockwave is a 'Glittering' version. Glittering is what they've been calling these neat translucent variations. I'd figure they'd call them Stealth... but look at Blokees doing their own thing. *Like this site*

Like all Defender Versions, Shockwave is well articulated once assembled. He's got his ray gun left hand and a little hose, matching his traditional look. It makes me think of Action master Shockwave and how fans used to use the hoses from GI JOE figures to give theirs one. Allegedly there was one in prototype stages that didn't get included in the released toy. It had the places to connect one. Fortunately Blokees included a hose with theirs. I'd hate to try and track down one tiny enough to fit this guy.

Shockwave's head is one piece and doesn't have the little neck part that also tints the robot's eyes. It's a unique sculpted part, so that makes sense. Though after assembling so many of these... something like that stands out. I really like the translucent plastic and how nice the colors look in it. The purples and grays really pop, damn, I wish Blokees would do Microman/Micronauts. I just know they'd do a great job.

Soundwave with Ravage (Special Galaxy Type) [Defender Version 03-Heavy Metal War]

Buying Blokees by the box tends to get you at least one special version. Defender Versions you get 12 in the box, at least 1 will be one of the various specials. *Neat!* In 03 Heavy Metal War, I got the Special Galaxy Type Soundwave. He's in a metallic paint and comes with Ravage. *Awesome!* Being Halloween time, it's the perfect time to focus on a Ravage toy and this is a good one to take a look at. The Defender Type design fits Soundwave's classic design pretty well.

His classic boxy design combined with the Defender cuteness looks really good. It's got the standard articulation you expect from a Defender... which is a pretty good bit. These little shits can really move. Nicely enough, he's got both his traditional shoulder Concussion Blaster and Rocket Launcher. No generic laser like several of the others have. These weapons were made from the original G1 toy's batteries and are a part of Soundwave's classic image. At this point I shouldn't be surprised in regards to Blokees attention to detail, but I would have been fine if he came with the regular laser. The extra mile taken is much appreciated, however. This is a nice little mini-figure after assembled. The Special Galaxy Type is painted in a metallic paint that just makes him feel more premium. It's super shiny.

Also as a special version, a tiny Ravage is included. Ravage is static and non-articulated, but his inclusion is just really freaking neat! Like, when you think of Soundwave, Ravage is almost always in that mental picture. I don't think I've ever had anything negative to say about a Blokees product, they're definitely in my favorite category when talking about the current state of Transformers. While I'm enamored by anything they do, I think at this point Defender Types may be my favorite thing they do. This little blind box model kit with it's extras feels more important than whatever high end unit is available is out at the moment. Just look at that Ravage!

SG-Sideswipe [Defender Version 01- Galaxy Shining]

When I first saw that the Transformers Shattered Glass version of Sideswipe would be represented as a Defender Version Blokees, I was sold on the spot. Admittedly I'm pretty much instantly sold on anything Blokees at this point, especially Defender Version Blokees, but this was a cool one for them to do. Long time readers may remember me talking about his colors and what makes it so cool.

So I won't go into super detail about that here as that's one of my longer posts and hey... feel free to check that out if you're interested. It's literally one of those times several things are referenced and branch off from. Kinda neat. Shattered Glass Sideswipe toys are usually made from Armada Wheeljack toys. Because they look A LOT like Sideswipe and that particular Wheeljack has a backstory that the name Sideswipe really fits.*sigh* Obviously this SG- Sideswipe is made from an upcoming standard Sideswipe Defender kit and gives me hopes that all the different recolors made from Sideswipe toys get represented.

Because they're cool.

Considering SG-Sideswipe is very similar to Armada Wheeljack's backstory, the more eagle eyes ones of you out there probably noticed the lack of chest would scratching out the Autobot symbol and new Decepticon symbol underneath it. That leads one to think this kit represents a pre-turn version of Sideswipe. Which is also pretty cool. I'm also appreciating the colors unmarred by the scar as not only is it a really nice color scheme, but I love G2 Drench's colors. If I had an extra one of these, I'd definitely make a project out of bringing a Defender version of him to life.

Of course these Defender kits assemble super fast and result in a very pose able mini figure. Sideswipe has the standard Defender laser, which kinda resembles classic Sideswipes laser gun. He also has the rocket launcher G1 Sideswipe has... and it really looks great. I've always been a fan of Diaclone shoulder rockets and they really translate to the Defender Version style very well. This is one of those times where a lot of things I like are combined into one thing I like. I really like that sort of thing.

Prowl [Defender Version 01- Galaxy Shining]

The neat thing about Defender Version Blokees is how they take a really well know looking bot and just make it look fresh thanks to their style. Prowl is one of the original 1984 cast whom originated as a Diaclone mold with other Autobots that share his base mold. It's like the Autobots version of the Seeker. As a Defender Version, what was already a good looking design is now level'd up thanks to the sizes signature look.

Somehow it's both adorable and beefy at the same time. I've always liked the Police deco on robot toys. The white and black tend to look great on the boxy bodies. Prowl, I guess, is the first Police Type Transformer. His characterization tends to fluctuate as time passes. He's normally a by the book type, but how big of an asshole he is depends on the writer. As usual, I usually focus on the original cartoon. The, he's just one of the Autobots and usually fighting the Decepticons alongside the gang. The standard generic Defender Version laser makes a good double for his Acid Pellet Gun, though he doesn't have the traditional shoulder missiles. I really like how the car door wings and his head with chevron looks as a Defender Version. The visual style makes them pop. These are pleasant little models kits that result in a well articulated mini figure. Prowl makes a good showing here, if only he had his Turbo Cycle.

SG Optimus Prime robot & vehicle [Defender Type 03- Heavy Metal War]

Shattered Glass is a fun Transformers mirror universe setting. Evil Autobots vs Good Decepticons with plenty of role reversals and neat paint decos inspired by other characters. It's fun. Personally, I've mainly enjoyed the concept and the look of the characters over the actual fiction used. That's not a slam, just a take. I like to view the alternate universe more as a Cybertronian version of the Upside Down. Several of the Autobots mare made to be a little scary... so it's fitting.

Defender Type series 03 features kits of SG Optimus Prime as a robot and vehicle and it's nice to have the matching set. They are repaints of the Optimus Prime robot and vehicle from Defender Type series 01. I've only talked about the vehicle kit here so far, so let's focus on the robot mode more. The vehicle is pretty much a match for the robot mode as you can see, but man I do love the way it looks with the Combat Deck Auto-Launcher attached. Gives me Blaster Master vibes.

I've got a few different versions of the Defender Type Optimus Prime mold and it's pretty spectacular. The unique look these Blokees kits have really make for one adorably hardcore looking robot. This Optimus is about to kick Megatron's ass and walk a oil puddle through it. Despite his small size, he's well articulated and has one beefy version of the trademark Ion Cannon. It looks out of Metal Slug and that pairs so well with the overall look of the figure.

Like I've said, I really like the look of Shattered Glass Transformers and the purple and black on Optimus is just great. Black versions of Optimus have always looked cool, but the purple is just so very much better. The black parts contrast with it in a way really pops. SG Autobots usually have busted windshields (because it's ShAtTeReD gLaSs), which both of the Optimus kits we're looking at have. It's a good contrast against the slick purple and black colors. It works with my Upside Down take on the universe as well. SG Optimus's voice is supposed to sound like Venger... but Vecna works too. Dang, just imagine if one of Vecna's visions were the SG equivalent of a Matrix Vision? That's be more than five faces of darkness.

Inferno robot and vehicle [Defender Version 02- The Overthrow]

It's hard not to like a firetruck. That's a big part of Inferno's appeal. He's a firetruck and that's awesome! Those vehicle parts do work out making for one cool looking robot. As a character, he's every bit as heroic as the alt mode suggests. First to rush out and try to save whomever needs recusing or defended. His bravery and heat resistant body armor makes him ideal to step right into a fire or firefight. He's pretty rationale and level headed... which is funny compared to his partner Red Alert. A bot who's known for his paranoia.

It's been a while since I've talked about Blokees Defender type kits. Maybe too long. During that time I've amassed a whole lot of them to talk about here and Inferno is leading the way. It's worth noting that unlike prior Blokees posts where I tried to cover a case at a time... it's going to be a whole lot more random on out. I've got a whole lot of kits to cover and variety has always been the flavor of the day here at Zone Base.

In Defender Type series 02, Inferno is represented by both robot and vehicle mode kits. Obviously these models don't Transform, but it's fun to have some of the alt modes represented. Vehicle mode Inferno isn't ride-able like Optimus Prime's, but still is pretty neat. It's a pleasant little firetruck with a raise-able ladder. Neatly enough, the extinguisher tip from the ladder can be removed and attached to Inferno's arm in place of a hand as he's often seen with.

The robot mode kit is well done as the Defender Type proportions really fit Inferno's design. It's hard to express how something so small (and cute) can look so stout and hardcore... but here it is. The way the firetrucks ladder runs down his back (head is in the ladders base) is replicated well and even though he's given the Defender types generic laser rifle, it looks close enough the original toys Extinguisher Rifle. I think the only thing that would make Inferno's kits better would be a Phoenix King chase version. That would be amazing.

Glittering Ironhide [Galaxy Version Defender/01 Shining Version]

In addition to the neat cab mode Blokees Optimus Prime I got at Toylanta is Glittering Ironhide! Two good pulls from a surprise con find! Glittering Ironhide is a translucent version of the classic Ironhide that just looks great. These new Defender Blokees are smaller than the normal Galaxy Version.

The smaller size combined with the signature Blokees style makes for a great little figure that's not to like. Ironhide is pleasantly articulated and has a laser rifle. You'd think assembling something so small would be frustrating, but I actually got the kit put together easily and in a lot less time than a standard Galaxy Version. Ironhide also came with a Megatron coin, there looked to be some variety in coins in the manual. I'm not sure if it's completely random or assigned for each kit. Certainly a neat little extra regardless. I'm obviously a fan of the Blokees Transformers and really look forward to getting more Defender types soon. These little guys have a lot of charm and character... and somehow feel extremely badass.

Optimus Prime Vehicle [Galaxy Version Defender/01 Shining Version]

I've been chomping at the bit to get a hold of the new Defender style Blokees kits. Trying my best to be patient for Amazon to stock them (coming soon) and waiting for the opportunity to get Blokees in general can be frustrating. Fortunately I was able to get two Galaxy Version Defender 01 Shining Version kits at Toylanta this year. Some dealers had Blokees and they went fast. Even casual fans can't resist them.

Defender Versions are smaller and some characters are in their vehicle modes that can be ridden by the robot mode figures. For all those who like to make Action Master comparisons and complain, here's more ammo. Of course I'm pretty sure if that's a complaint, Blokees aren't your thing regardless. Clearly a lot of us love these and they're lot's of fun.

This is Optimus Prime in his vehicle mode as you can tell. The kit snapped together super fast and looks great. His trailer isn't present, but the Auto-Launcher robot from the trailer's combat deck mode comes mountable on his trailer hitch and can be raised or lowered for offensive capabilities. You may have noticed the small guns on top of it's cockpit that aren't traditionally there. Those swivel to become handlebars so Optimus can be ridden like a scooter by robot mode Defender Version Blokees. Those are the new, smaller figures that are big time fun. This is a fun way to make the most out of these vehicle mode kits that's pretty adorable. Cab mode Optimus with the Auto-Launcher attached looks pretty great alone if that's not your thing. This is a great little toy that I enjoy a whole lot. You know, despite how cute these are... there's something seriously badass about them as well.