RID 2015 Optimus Prime vs. Bludgeon

Robot Mode: Yeah, this is clearly mean to be Optimus Prime, no doubt. He’s got the head, the color scheme, the basic layout. Yep, that’s Prime all right. This particular version of the Autobot leader is about the size of a Scout-class figure and not terribly detailed, but ball-jointed for pretty good articulation.

The only thing that really makes this figure any different from roughly 100 or so other Optimus Prime figures in this size range is that it comes with a big orange axe and several pieces of orange armor. Optimus can either wield the axe by itself (even two-handed), attach the armor pieces to the axe to make it a really, really big axe, or put on the armor himself, thereby emulating the look from the cartoon when he was powered up by the Decepticon Hunters. The armor and axe are pretty cool and really the only thing about this set that’s interesting. Optimus looks pretty cool all armored up. Apart from that, though, a thoroughly unimpressive robot mode.

Alternate Mode: Unsurprisingly an Optimus Prime figure transforms into a blue and red truck. Or rather, it transforms into something that, with a bit of imagination added, does look somewhat similar to a truck. Really it’s just a jumble of parts in a roughly truck-shaped arrangement. I’ve seen much smaller figures pull off much better truck modes, to be honest. So yeah, Optimus can become a truck. No reason why you should want to transform him into it, though.

Partner / Add-On: Optimus Prime comes with Mini-Con Bludgeon, a ball-shaped black robot who transforms into a black ball. And... yeah, that’s pretty much it. The robot is completely immobile except for what’s needed to roll into a ball, the ball itself can only be used by Deployer-type figures for Cyclone-type Mini-Cons, and that’s it. Bludgeon doesn’t look half-bad, but that’s all he’s got going for him.

Remarks: I must say that how Hasbro is currently handling the whole Mini-Con thing in Robots is Disguise is a head-scratcher to me. So many Mini-Cons, many of them actually appearing in the cartoon, the cartoon actually showing explicitly that the Mini-Cons can interact with any of the bigger Transformers, and yet when it comes to the toys: nothing. Oh, sure, there are these big Deployer figures, a gimmick with some robot attached, but when it comes to the rest of line: nothing. 14 years ago the Armada toy line showed how it was supposed to work: every single bigger figure could interact with any of the Mini-Cons. Some better than others, but there was universal compatibility. Today’s Robots in Disguise line, though? Nothing.

As is evident in this very two-pack here, because there is zero interaction between the two figures. Bludgeon can’t attach to Optimus, interact with the armor pieces, nothing. It seems very random, just pack a superfluous Optimus Prime figure with some random Mini-Con. The armor parts are cool, granted, but that’s pretty much the only reason I can see for getting this set. So bottom line: a wasted opportunity. Would have been much nicer to get the armor parts for the bigger Optimus figure and bring out the Mini-Cons on their own. I got this set as a gift from my wife, which gets it some bonus points, but other than that: hands off!

Rating: D+