Maximal Big Convoy Beast Wars Neo commander, not renamed Slammoth! Transformers Age of the Primes Leader Class Item No.: Asst. G0471 No. G1906 Manufacturer: Hasbro Includes: Matrix Cannon, Big Cannon, 2 tusks, 2 Mammoth Haken hook things, Energon Matrix Action Feature: Converts from robot to mammoth, removable tusks, jointed ears, flip-out tonfas, chest opens to store Matrix Retail: $59.99 Availability: December 2025 Other: Maximal Commanders On Parade
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I got this in mid-December. Would you believe this was the first open slot?

I skipped Transformers for much of the 1990s, admiring but not buying Kenner's very good Beast Wars toys. Clearance Fuzors got me buying again, and the 1999 toy that inspired this new Maximal Big Convoy got me collecting and importing. At that point I never had an Optimus toy, nor was a particularly Optimus-looking figure available in stores, so a mammoth that turned into something like Optimus Prime - even at import prices - was too much to pass up. I had to have it, and that mistake has resulted in hundreds (probably thousands) of robot purchases. New ideas can attract new customers, and it sure as heck got me interested. This new version is a little smaller and takes more cues from the Beast Wars Neo cartoon that, 26 years later, I have still not seen.

The toy is very much like other remakes of toys from before the year 2010. If you have the original? This new one is a little smaller, emphasizes cartoon details, and has exorcised gimmicks in favor of articulation. It's less frustrating, but you lose the bananas Mammoth Cannon mode of the original toy. Also it's worth noting that this is Hasbro's very first Big Convoy toy. We got Nemesis Prime mammoth, Ultra Magnus mammoth, but Hasbro has never sold this character in these colors, or a toy with this name before. Hasbro did bring over Magmatron as a Target exclusive for Beast Machines, though.

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We can forgive this mammoth erasure for now, as the robot is pretty good and is actually different than the Takara-Tomy deco for the "anime" rerelease of the character in 2019. This new 2025/2026 robot showed up ahead of schedule. It leans heavily into a flatted coloring, dropping the clear plastic completely. The anime yellow "gold" is now actual gold paint, but there are no vac-metal bits. Everything is pretty flat, with a gray face plate and yellow eyes. The horns are gray, with sculpted detail taking cues from all versions of the toy. This Big Convoy has more sculpted detail than the cartoon, but isn't quite as sharp as the original toy. It's still good - I think we're just seeing something akin to generation loss now that things are sculpted digitally and almost no toy coming out of Hasbro or Mattel has the same sharp finish that we saw before roughly 2010 or so. This is no complaint - he looks good, but without the metallic paint he doesn't pop quite as much. Also, parts are far less likely to pop off, so I'd say it's not an unimportant upgrade. If Takara-Tomy does a "toy redeco" I'd probably consider buying it.

Articulation is similar to the original, but different. The original had two joints per elbow and wrists that could tilt a bit, this new one has one joint per elbow and swivel wrists. The legs have a good range of movement, and the original toy had rocker toes - a real innovation back then - while the new one has those tilty ankles. Since the new toy feels more stable, I'm not complaining about the changes.

Accessories are similar, minus the gimmicks. The giant kibble cannon remains, adding support so it doesn't make the arm sag while dropping spring-loaded rockets. The tonfas still fold out, and look cool. His Mammoth Haken are here, but no longer fire out of his legs. I would consider the toy a lateral move - it's not worse, but it's not significantly better. Since I never got the anime repaint, I am generally digging it and will most likely play around with this version. Of particular interest is his Matrix Cannon, a small pistil that was sold as a roleplay toy (and featured on the cartoon) in Japan. A far as I know it hasn't ever been released in America, and it lacks the colors or features. It's plain white, it looks fine, but it does not impress.

I found no real problem interacting with the accessories, but it does take some doing to get that ridiculous nose cannon in the robot hand. You have to rotate the back kibble just-so to get it to work, and I'm particularly happy about that added cannon scaffolding.

The original toy's transformation was rather unpleasant. Parts were more or less guaranteed to pop off, or fire in your face, or generally be awful. This new one was much easier to transform, and I didn't need the instructions to do it either. I don't want to deal with things flying off or having to consult a slide rule to determine panel placement, so I would say this is a better overall transformation.

The mammoth mode is good, but it's different. It reminds me of a number of cartoon elephants and mammoths, losing the fur gradient and Takara-style green robot eyes. (That's a pity, I loved those.) The trunk lever gimmick is gone, but now it's jointed. The ears are jointed, but no longer cause the tusks to wiggle - but you can rotate them, if you like. The tail is jointed, and you can swing the front legs forward if you want. The mammoth is mostly undecorated except for the cartoon-style eyes.

There are no play features to speak of, and the sculpt is good - just not super-duper sharp. I like the personality they gave this guy, but I also liked the old one a bunch. The old paint fade looked a little cooler, too, and the old toy's tusks had much more sculpted detail on them. I have reasons to like both, but if forced to choose one I'd probably give it to the 1999 mammoth mode for gimmicks, sculpt, and color. And I'm sure fans of the cartoon would prefer this new toy version.

All accessories store inside the mammoth shell, with plenty of 5mm sockets under his shaggy fur body.

I had to buy this guy - I love the concept. You no doubt have a ton of Convoys and Primes and Primals, and are very happy with them. Do you need more? This is a good one. It's less frustrating than the original, but also a little less impressive as a toy. I love how all the mammoth panels tab together perfectly, giving you a sturdy plastic furball that doesn't fall to pieces if you try to play with him. I also miss the old-school sculpting and sharp detail. I assume the 2025 model - with less metallic bits and no rubber - will hold up better to the ages. If you're going to buy one, buy the new one.

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