Horri-Bull w/ Kreb [Age of the Primes/Target Exclusive 4-Pack]

Horri-Bull’s eyes opened. In front of him stood his partner, Kreb.

“What’s today?”

“EH?” returned the Nebulon, with all his might of spite. 

“What’s today, asshole?” said Horri-Bull.

“Today…” replied Kreb. “…it’s Christmas.”

“It’s Christmas Day!” said Horri-Bull to himself. “I haven’t missed it. The Spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like. Of course they can. But so can I… HEAD ON!”

He had no further interaction with Spirits, but lived upon the ways of the Decepticon regardless, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him that he knew how to stop Christmas, if any bot alive possessed the knowledge. And so, as Tiny Tim observed, Take cover, everyone!

One thing I’ve grown to really appreciate about these Target Exclusive 4-Packs is the Headmasters created for the sets. Almost each time, there’s an updated classic Headmaster character creatively made from a Titans Return toy mold. This time we’ve got Horri-Bull, made from Titans Return Skullsmasher/Skullcruncher in a very clever remold. Actually, all of these Headmasters in the 4-Packs have been very clever remolds, and I’m thinking a look at ones I haven’t covered here on the site is in order.

Horri-Bull is known as Bullhorn in Masterforce, so if you’d rather use him as Bullhorn… go right ahead. I’m forever delighted by pun-based names, so I’ll stick with Horri-Bull. I don’t believe I covered Skullsmasher/Skullcruncher here on the site, which is another thing I should probably go back and do. I’ve also been considering an in-depth look at the Titan Masters from Titans Return, but for now, let’s look at our grumpy star of the season.

Horri-Bull is a pleasantly articulated toy that’s wonderfully blocky and chonky in the vein of classic G1 Transformers. Skullsmasher was a great base to use, as his basic silhouette isn’t all that different from Horri-Bull’s to begin with. Really, it’s his head, colors, and beast mode kibble that make the visual difference. This was seemingly easy (or as easy as new parts are probably still an undertaking) to accomplish, with the bull monster head and claws being new parts and Skullsmasher’s alligator tail being removed.

Also remolded is his chest, which you might think is missing a cover for the Headmaster technical data, but this is true to his original toy. Considering Titans Return toys were originally released almost a decade ago, the mold has held up pretty well, though his arms did feel a little loose. I’m guessing the mold got a bit of refurbishing with this update, but time still seems to be catching up. With his cool late-G1 colors, he looks great. I’ve always been a sucker for those post-movie Decepticon palettes.

He’s got both his Concussion Blaster and the beast mode tail, which becomes a double-barreled flamethrower. The two guns can be combined or held separately.

In beast mode, Horri-Bull is a cross between a bull and the Terror Dogs from Ghostbusters. So really, he’s a robotic incarnation of the Hodag in wonderful colors. Transformation is pretty easy: remove Kreb and fold the beast head into place. Arms and legs become the monster’s legs, and the robot mode feet fold around the upper thighs, becoming the beast’s rear end. As mentioned above, the two guns combine to form a tail.

Beast mode is simple but effective. The legs can move, most notably the front ones, and the jaws on his head can open for a little chomping action. Speaking of that head, the horns will need to be moved around a bit for the proper look in both robot and beast modes. They’re separate pieces that need to be clipped from sprues out of the package. The horns are also painted, so there will always be a small spot left from clipping unless you touch it up with paint.

Of course, Kreb can pilot Horri-Bull in this form via a cockpit on his back. I’ve always really liked that feature on Headmasters. Kreb himself is a remold of Grax (Skullsmasher’s Titan Master). I do wonder why they didn’t use the individual Titan Master Terri-Bull for this project. Maybe the mold wasn’t available? Weird.

Regardless, the whole package is another well-done Headmaster update pulled off in these 4-Packs. They’re really the highlight of each set for me, and I’ve always been especially fond of the Headmasters from Masterforce. All in all, this year’s set has been a really good one, and as always, I’m ecstatic to have it.

Primus bless us, everyone...RUN!

Bios: Scorponok

 

"Kindness is no virtue... and cruelty is no vice."

Function: Headmaster Commander

Despair and isolation are all that remain in his wake. Believes the poor should be exploited, the weak oppressed, and the noble corrupted. Others' pain is his sole pleasure. In scorpion Mode, tail shoots 100,000 volt electric bursts, has twin pulse blasters, claws can crush mountains. In defense base Mode, has over-the-horizon radar, communications center, anti-aircraft sonic cannon, repair bay, construction bay; semi-autonomous armored interceptor with dual photon cannons that patrols the base perimeter. In robot Mode, has fusion-powered anti-gravity gun. Binary-bonded to Lord Zarak, leader of the evil Nebulans.

Bios: Fangry

 

"Leaders are for fools who need to follow."

 

Function: Tracker

A fearsome, foul-mouthed nightstalker. Rebels against authority in any form. Lashes out at anyone who even suggests his next course of action. His Decepticon superiors have more difficulty controlling him than the Autobots have fighting him. Binary-bonded to Brisko, a former Nebulan cartographer with a photographic memory. Shoots semi-automatic ion pulse gun. Tail converts to compressed air cannon that produces 200 mph gale force winds. Able to fly short distances in wolf Mode.

Headmaster Horrorcons Run A Scary School

Apeface and Snapdragon. Decepticons, Headmasters, Headmaster Decepticons. I just said what they are three times. If you like what I do, please ... just kidding. Maybe because it's Halloween week I'm trying to do something spooky with every post. Maybe. Also I wanted to share this cool U.K version of their commercial with you.

These two specifically are the Headmaster Horrorcons, which leads me to believe they are in charge of a prestigious school for scary Transformers. I don't specifically know what makes them the Horrorcons and why Mindwipe isn't a member but... they're pretty cool toys non-the-less. If I put dashes in between those words spellcheck doesn't act up.

Snapdragon 64, Get N Or Get Out

My wife picked up Earthrise Snapdragon for me the other day and I was super thankful. I've been really looking forward to this guy for some time now. Like most recent Generations toys, he's a pretty slavish homage to the original toy. If you've heard the term 'G1 with knees' then you have a pretty good idea of what to expect here. If that's something you don't like... then why do you keep pre-ordering them? 

Snapdragon is a Headmaster like his original toy. They don't make too big of a fuss over this on the packaging and don't refer to him as a Titanmaster either. Like Apeface in Siege before, it's an evolution of Titans Return toys in use here. Basically a modern Headmaster toy. It took a few sentences to explain that, which I wish could have been expressed in an emoji. I save so much time with that poop one.

As you'd expect from his name, Snapdragon transforms into a dragon. Admittedly he's more the type of dragon you'd see at a monster truck show than fighting a knight. An alien robot from outer space can only be so realistic when transforming into an imaginary animal. There's a lot of charm to this dragon mode however, it might just be me being a fan of these old designs admittedly. He's weird and blocky and that's one of the more lovable aspects of post movie G1.

Remember the part about Snapdragon being a Headmaster? Krunk, his Headmaster partner pulls double duty. He forms both the dragon and robots head in addition to piloting the vehicle mode. Honestly that's one of the things I love about Headmasters/Titanmasters, the piloting vehicle modes. It draws back to the Transformers Diaclone roots and honestly is a fun play feature.

Speaking of Snapdragron's vehicle mode, his is a spaceship based on the SR-71. I've always called this kind of vehicle a spacejet, because obviously. I absolutely love this mode. It's got that classic 80's styling that always looks great and I just want to fly him around while making flying noises. With triple changers one of the alt modes is generally superior to the other and this is that one. While I do like the dragon a lot, I love this more. 

That's partially due to the transformation. I didn't enjoy the change to dragon mode, while the conversion to spacejet was pretty painless. That's pretty much the one complaint I have and it's likely just me being clumsy. Nothing is perfect, and the idea of a perfect toy line is completely subjective to opinion. So far though, Earthrise has been as perfect as a Transformers line can be for me.

Bios- Quikmix

The faster it is, the better I like it.

Impatient, short-tempered inventor. Always in a hurry. Constantly devising new formulas and developing new ways to defeat the Decepticons. Somewhat absent-minded. Too busy starting new projects to see his old experiments through to the end. Teamed with the mercurial Nebulan, Ricochet, who transforms into a sub-machine gun and the bombastic Boomer, who turns into a sonic pulse cannon. In vehicle mode, reaches maximum speed of 150 mph.

Bios- Targetmaster Blurr

The faster it is, the better I like it.

The fastest Autobot land vehicle -- and he talks even faster; often has to be told to slow down so he can be understood. Nervous, high-strung, loyal, determined. Paired with Haywire, excitable Nebulan teenager whose impulsiveness makes him a chancy electro-laser cannon, at best. In vehicle mode, maximum speed: 750mph, range: 1500 miles.

Bios-Chromedome

A battle plan is only as good as its programmer.

Spent several thousand years crunching numbers at Cybertron's Institute for Higher Programming before a Decepticon attack reduced it to a pile of smoking microchips. Binary-bonded to Stylor, an egotistical Nebulan more concerned with personal appearance than warfare. In car mode, maximum speed: 478 mph. Range: 630 miles. Hood-mounted infra-red range finder automatically targets roof-mounted dual lasers.

Targetmaster Cyclonus

Compassion is the Autobots' downfall.

An emotionless marauder whose single-minded purpose is to destroy the Autobots. Incapable of fear. Paired with Nightstick, a Nebulan master criminal who doubles as a blinding, corroding black-beam gun. In space jet mode, has nuclear-powered turbine engines that allow him to cruise at Mach 2 in suborbital altitudes and achieve escape velocity for interstellar space travel.

New Targetmasters commercial (1988)