Generations Selects Siege Redwing
Posted: Fri May 08, 2020 8:10 am
Name: Redwing
Allegiance: Decepticon
Size Class: Voyager
Accessories: Two HPI Null Ray Laser Launchers
Wow. As niche characters go, Redwing takes some beating. Reading up on the hows and whys of this neo-G1 character made me go cross-eyed. Essentially, he was to be an exclusive during the days of the Fun Publications tenure of the Transformers Collector's Club, but to cut a very long story short, it didn't work out. As we're now at the point in the Generations line where any animation error or other non-entity is likely to get a figure, so Redwing got one in the Generations Selects line. Which is a line of funny coloured repaints in the vein of the Japanese e-Hobby line, but without the silly price tag and a better production run. And come in shoe boxes. Basically, they're exclusives that anyone can get, if they want.
I bought Redwing for four reasons. I'm bored to death with the endless trotting out of the classic Seeker line up and he's that rarest of things these days – a new Transformers character . He had the most paint out of the new Siege Seekers and finally, because he's invoked fanboy ire, by 'daring' to have a smirking face that the unimaginative would have preferred on Starscream.
Robot Mode: A surprisingly blocky fellow, Redwing is all boxes and triangles in his humanoid form. The proportions are quite nice, save for the usual Transformers problem of an imbalance on the thigh to shin ratio. Highlighted as usual by having knees (where those white blocks are), but by having the knee joints further up his leg than they should be. He looks rather striking in his bright red plastics and Tipp-Ex paint job, with this marmalade cockpit adding a bit of sparkle. There's some of the Siege scuffs and scrapes present (Which I actually like. Don't tell anyone) and he's framed by these flouncy wings, which can be angled about to make him look all kinds of dashing. Detailing is off the hook – I really do like all the moulded details these Siege figures have – and the only let down, is that smirking face. It doesn't look like a smirk. More of an horrific knife wound.
Vehicle Mode: It's a Tetrajet like in the old cartoon! Except it's not a Tetrajet is it, because that would mean it's got four pointy bits, not three. So it should be a Tessrajet or a Triajet, if I'm remembering my classics correctly. Anyway, it's nice enough except for the huge pile of legs and arms scrunched up underneath. And the awful looking faux cockpit at the back.
Marks out of ten for the following:
Transformation Design: Not that far removed from the old Universe Silverbolt/ Darkwing mould, Redwing's entire alt-mode is on his back and just sort of envelopes his crouched up robot mode. It's okay, but highlights the physical reality of trying to get a highly stylised cartoon design to work. The shorthand used in the cartoon was there to save time designing animation models that would be scrapped after 10 minutes of screen time. Anything turning into a flying triangle would really be all sharp angles and sleekness in robot mode, not some fella in boxes who looks more like he'd turn into an F-15. Hasbro have done as good a job as could be expected when working from such source material. Personally, if they were going with cartoon alt-mode as a starting point, I'd have liked to have seen that bleed through into the robot mode, but I'm guessing that's not what folk want or expect out of the Generations line at this point. Do like how the forearms collapse up into these neat little sugar cubes. Top marks for that. 6/10
Articulation: As with everyone else in the Siege line, Redwing meets the definition of an Action Figure. Double-jointed elbows, wrist and waist articulation, anlke tilts, head rotation, a small ab-crunch. This is top flight stuff for a mainline Transformers figure. Full marks. 10/10
Durability: The plastics feel solid, but also let a lot of light through. They don't feel weak or prone to stress fractures, so I'm guessing Hasbro have finally hit on a manufacturing process that keeps the plastic content light, but durable. I don't know, but it's good stuff, whatever. 9/10
Fun: I've got a lot of time for Redwing. He just feels refreshing and way more visually interesting than the other Seekers and I've had a hard time putting him down. Especially when compared to the Rainmakers, who look like bootlegs in their eye-searing one colour paint jobs. The mix of colours just makes him pop and stand out against all the other Seekers. 8/10
Price: Cost me around £30, including postage, which I thought was alright for an 'exclusive'. Aftermarket prices are at bit silly now, sadly, so probably an easy miss for most people. 6/10
Overall: As the sole representative of the Seekers in my Siege collection, I'm really happy with Redwing. He's bright and colourful and adds a bit of joy to the otherwise dour browns, greys and purples of the Decepticon Siege line up. I like that he's a new guy, even if he is just a minor retool and repaint, as it's always nice to get new characters. I do long for the day when we can all move on from thinking that the 1980s are the be all and end all for what Transformers are all about though. If only to get us away from design compromises like this. 8/10
Allegiance: Decepticon
Size Class: Voyager
Accessories: Two HPI Null Ray Laser Launchers
Wow. As niche characters go, Redwing takes some beating. Reading up on the hows and whys of this neo-G1 character made me go cross-eyed. Essentially, he was to be an exclusive during the days of the Fun Publications tenure of the Transformers Collector's Club, but to cut a very long story short, it didn't work out. As we're now at the point in the Generations line where any animation error or other non-entity is likely to get a figure, so Redwing got one in the Generations Selects line. Which is a line of funny coloured repaints in the vein of the Japanese e-Hobby line, but without the silly price tag and a better production run. And come in shoe boxes. Basically, they're exclusives that anyone can get, if they want.
I bought Redwing for four reasons. I'm bored to death with the endless trotting out of the classic Seeker line up and he's that rarest of things these days – a new Transformers character . He had the most paint out of the new Siege Seekers and finally, because he's invoked fanboy ire, by 'daring' to have a smirking face that the unimaginative would have preferred on Starscream.
Robot Mode: A surprisingly blocky fellow, Redwing is all boxes and triangles in his humanoid form. The proportions are quite nice, save for the usual Transformers problem of an imbalance on the thigh to shin ratio. Highlighted as usual by having knees (where those white blocks are), but by having the knee joints further up his leg than they should be. He looks rather striking in his bright red plastics and Tipp-Ex paint job, with this marmalade cockpit adding a bit of sparkle. There's some of the Siege scuffs and scrapes present (Which I actually like. Don't tell anyone) and he's framed by these flouncy wings, which can be angled about to make him look all kinds of dashing. Detailing is off the hook – I really do like all the moulded details these Siege figures have – and the only let down, is that smirking face. It doesn't look like a smirk. More of an horrific knife wound.
Vehicle Mode: It's a Tetrajet like in the old cartoon! Except it's not a Tetrajet is it, because that would mean it's got four pointy bits, not three. So it should be a Tessrajet or a Triajet, if I'm remembering my classics correctly. Anyway, it's nice enough except for the huge pile of legs and arms scrunched up underneath. And the awful looking faux cockpit at the back.
Marks out of ten for the following:
Transformation Design: Not that far removed from the old Universe Silverbolt/ Darkwing mould, Redwing's entire alt-mode is on his back and just sort of envelopes his crouched up robot mode. It's okay, but highlights the physical reality of trying to get a highly stylised cartoon design to work. The shorthand used in the cartoon was there to save time designing animation models that would be scrapped after 10 minutes of screen time. Anything turning into a flying triangle would really be all sharp angles and sleekness in robot mode, not some fella in boxes who looks more like he'd turn into an F-15. Hasbro have done as good a job as could be expected when working from such source material. Personally, if they were going with cartoon alt-mode as a starting point, I'd have liked to have seen that bleed through into the robot mode, but I'm guessing that's not what folk want or expect out of the Generations line at this point. Do like how the forearms collapse up into these neat little sugar cubes. Top marks for that. 6/10
Articulation: As with everyone else in the Siege line, Redwing meets the definition of an Action Figure. Double-jointed elbows, wrist and waist articulation, anlke tilts, head rotation, a small ab-crunch. This is top flight stuff for a mainline Transformers figure. Full marks. 10/10
Durability: The plastics feel solid, but also let a lot of light through. They don't feel weak or prone to stress fractures, so I'm guessing Hasbro have finally hit on a manufacturing process that keeps the plastic content light, but durable. I don't know, but it's good stuff, whatever. 9/10
Fun: I've got a lot of time for Redwing. He just feels refreshing and way more visually interesting than the other Seekers and I've had a hard time putting him down. Especially when compared to the Rainmakers, who look like bootlegs in their eye-searing one colour paint jobs. The mix of colours just makes him pop and stand out against all the other Seekers. 8/10
Price: Cost me around £30, including postage, which I thought was alright for an 'exclusive'. Aftermarket prices are at bit silly now, sadly, so probably an easy miss for most people. 6/10
Overall: As the sole representative of the Seekers in my Siege collection, I'm really happy with Redwing. He's bright and colourful and adds a bit of joy to the otherwise dour browns, greys and purples of the Decepticon Siege line up. I like that he's a new guy, even if he is just a minor retool and repaint, as it's always nice to get new characters. I do long for the day when we can all move on from thinking that the 1980s are the be all and end all for what Transformers are all about though. If only to get us away from design compromises like this. 8/10