Power Core Combiner Crankcase

Prelude: Crankcase is a repaint of Power Core Combiners Huffer, who has previously been reviewed here on TFU.

Robot Mode: Crankcase is a black and grey robot about the size of a Scout-Class figure. While the fact that he transforms into a Truck isn’t immediately apparent, he’s got big wheels on his torso and his legs as visible vehicle parts. I always like it when the robot contains vehicle parts without them getting in the way. His red visor is about the only spot of color on the robot (not counting the bright blue PCC connector plugs that serve as heels) and he is nicely articulated due to ball joints.

Homage-wise Crankcase is about a third Motormaster (black truck who becomes a combiner torso) and two thirds RID Scourge / Black Convoy (the actual robot). Either homage works for me, though I’m more of a Black Convoy guy. Anyway, no real complaints here except for the lack of a weapon. A very nice mold and the black and grey paintjob suits it. Thumbs up.

Alternate Mode: Crankcase transforms into a black and grey truck very similar to that of Scourge / Black Convoy once again. The truck looks pretty good and has a fair amount of detailing for the size class, so no complaints. There are those bright blue PCC connector thingies sticking out the back once again, of course, but other than that: no complaints. A very nice truck mode.

Drone Vehicles: Crankcase comes with four drone vehicles to serve as limbs for his combiner mode. They are a blue-grey AWACs Jet, a black missile truck, a black SUV, and a grey helicopter. Given the choice of vehicles, this is actually more of a Combaticons homage than a Stunticon one, which would fit with Crankcase being more of a Scourge / Black Convoy homage than a Motormaster one, too. Anyway, the four vehicles look good given their size, being among the better drone vehicles from the Power Core line.

Power Core Mode: For all that Crankcase in single robot mode doesn’t really look like Motormaster, his combiner mode sure looks like Menasor. The head is a dead ringer here, so I wonder why they didn’t give him Stunticon-like drones as limbs. Anyway, Crankcase makes for a very nice combiner torso and the four drone vehicles make passable limbs. Articulation is, of course, limited to what the torso robot can accomplish, as the drones don’t really offer much here, but overall it does work quite nicely. The mostly black and grey paint scheme of the team blends well and the resulting combiner is definitely among the better of the PCC line. Nicely done.

Remarks: The Power Core Combiner line is a strange mix in that they mostly forwent the known names of Transformers (no Starscream, Bumblebee, Optimus, Soundwave, etc.) but still paid homage to them in terms of looks and paint jobs. Case in point: Crankcase, who is a double homage, covering both G1 Motormaster / Menasor, as well as RID Scourge / Black Convoy and the RID commandos / Destrongers. The result is one of the better commander / drone combinations of the PCC line and personally I think this mold works better in black than as Huffer. So for fans of the PCC line, Crankcase and the Destrons are a good choice.

Rating: B-