Transformers Legacy Evolution Buzzworthy Bumblebee
Item No.: No. F7133 Manufacturer:Hasbro Includes:3 alternate heads/faces, Axe, Mace, Tail Knife, 2 swords, 4 cannons, hammer/blaster Action Feature:Transforms from robot to van, jet, space ship, or gator monster Retail:$77.99 Availability: October 2023 Other: In a year of great exclusive deco variants, this is near the top of the list
For long-haul fans, the Troop Builder Multipack is easily the most desirable exclusive in ages. If you were a fan in 1984, there's something for you. Also 1986, 1993, and the 2000s - there's so much here to make you happy if you're over 30. This set includes mostly repaints with some new parts, giving you a reason to buy two or more. This set enjoys Decepticon Seeker (from the cartoons), Quintesson Trooper (from the movie), G2 Universe Cybertronian Trooper (from the comics), and Animated Universe Autotrooper (arguably from Kiss Players or Animated, pick your poison.) It's tied with Walmart's G2/Toxitron capsule as my favorite Transformers thing of the year. It's that good... if you know who these guys are. If you don't, I assume you preemptively do not care about them. Given the low price, you should buy one. $78 for 3x $25 deluxe toys and 1x $33.99 toy is a fantastic value for something that could have been a BotCon exclusive boxed set for hundreds of dollars.
The Decepticon Seeker is a generic trooper from 1984 fans have been clamoring to get for years. They've been called Air Warriors too, and while we have had non-transforming PVCs of them we have not had the various purpley lavenderish Starscream repaints as a fully-transforming toy. Were Hasbro inclined, they could do more - but they might hesitate because fans couldn't tell that this one wasn't just Earthrise Thundercracker [FOTD #2,210] from 2020. But it's close - but them side-by-side, and you can tell the Decepticon Seeker is paler even if the silver and other bits are mostly the same. It might even be an acceptable (albeit faded) substitute for Thundercracker, transforming from jet to robot fairly easily and coming complete with 2 null-ray cannons.
This might be the least interesting figure in the set, and it's a fan-demanded toy that seems to be making a lot of collectors pretty happy. We might be getting to a point where there are precious few Earth Seekers left to do, but I'm hoping Hasbro keeps going to give us Sunstorm, Acid Storm, and maybe a few more before moving on to a new mold. (Or better yet, not moving on to a new mold.) Articulation is great for the robot mode, and the jet mode doesn't really do much. That's typical of this mold - but you'll still want it.
The toy itself was meant to be a corrected Bailiff, with a different set of spiky shoulder pylons, a meaner-looking snout and horns, plus the club/axe weapon from the aforementioned boxed set. It transforms into a gator creature, and while I like it better than the Allicon it's pretty dang similar. The legs become the legs, arms are hanging off the robot arms, and it's incredibly simple. It's fun, though, and it's delightful to have multiple movie-inspired Quintesson toys after having none for decades. I'd say it might not be essential but it's a nice addition to an army if you have some of these guys, and a must-have if you skipped earlier releases. Articulation is pretty good in both modes, with exceptional ankle joints no doubt adding to the cost of the set.
The G2 Universe Cybertronian Trooper is one of the two figures in this set that made me need it. Inspired by the comic books from 1993 and 1994, a bunch of mostly nameless teal and white cannon fodder populated the "Cybertronian Empire." These were Jhiaxus' goon squad, and they will go great with last year's LegacyJhiaxus [FOTD #2,469] toy. They're extensive retools of Skullgrin [FOTD #2,597], a figure I didn't especially like who started showing up in Ross stores for $7.99 last September. But this one, I like - it was better executed. It comes with two all-new faces, each of which have jointed horns you can mix and match between them to make "different" guys from the comics. Each slides on a rail on the neck, it's a pretty good system. They're horned, toothy skull-like monster robots - not unlike Skullgrin. These guys got a new chest that looks vaguely like the comics, while not a perfect match to what we saw in there it's darned close enough. This figure retains Skullgrin's tail, cannons, and sword blades - but this time, the other handles were painted on the swords.
He has a purple G2 Decepticon (Cybertronian Empire) faction symbol on his right forearm, and transforms into something that looks like a space ship you blow up in a 1990s video game. With tank treads. Admittedly, it's a silly alt mode but you want this guy for his robot form anyway. Transformation isn't half bad and I think it makes a better G2 guy than it does Skullgrin. I recommend buying this set just for this guy - and if you don't like it, please send me yours.
I never got but always wanted a toy Autotrooper. In America, the only ones made for the US-market were retools of Cybertrinian Ironhide and sold as BotCon exclusives that I never got - and the blue-eyed goggle head is based on that design. There were a couple of red-eyed Stormtrooper-cheeked Autolooper/Autorooper figures from Transformers Kiss Players in Japan, and I didn't get those because they were pricey, the concept was kind of creepy, and I wasn't looking to buy more Alternators or BinalTech toys. But now I got me an Autotrooper! It's based on Siege Ironhide, which I never finished reviewing. Maybe I'll do that soon.
The Animated Universe Autotrooper served as a police force on Cybertron - they're cops. It's light on deco, but you get it where it counts with an Autobot sigil and some black bits. It gets the job done with a very tall robot that's closer in height to most Voyager-class figures, which certainly adds to this set's overall perceived value with two pretty big guys. He carries forward Ironhide's blaster/hammer, which is a nice bonus weapon.
Transformation is pretty easy, with a nifty twisty waist bit. You may not like the feet hanging off the back of the space van mode, but I think it's perfectly fine given you're probably never gong to transform it. It looks sort of like a fist to ram open a door, which makes sense for a weird tactical trooper thing. The vehicle mode doesn't do much other than roll or have accessories plugged to it, and it is nice to finally add this to my toy shelves. (Confidential to Hasbro: Animated Universe Ironfist from this mold would be welcome.)
This is my favorite Target exclusive set and is on the mountain of greatness for 2023. "Toy deco" figures are kind of a drag, hologram figures are cheap, but a box of clever troopers with alternate head parts? OK, you got me Hasbro - this is a perfect little collection for rapidly aging Generation X and Millennial fans. (I wonder if the kids like it?) I would recommend you run out and buy this, at full price, on sight. And if it ever hits clearance, I will personally clean out every Target I see to build my armies of Autotroopers, Seekers, and G2 Cybertronian Empire Troopers. It's such a nice set and I assume there's no way Hasbro can ever top it - the Buzzworthy 4-packs are good, but this one just spoils me rotten.
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