Siege Impactor

Prelude: He started out as a disposable no-toy comic character, ended up becoming a fan favorite, and is now makes regular appearances whenever the term “Wreckers” is uttered. Impactor, leader of the Wreckers and mentor of Springer, got a new figure (and several repaints) for the War for Cybertron series and – with the figure now being reused for the Frankenstein Collaborative – it’s time to finally take a look at the one I got. Let’s say go!

Also: Impactor scores the 1,500th review on Transformers-Universe.com. Congratulations!

Robot Mode: Let’s get my biggest beef with this figure out of the way first: he is Deluxe-Class. Impactor was always shown as a pretty big guy, usually on par with Springer, so I think he should have been Voyager-Class. Mastermind Creations’ Spartan is about the scale I would have preferred. That’s just me, though, and scale is a complicated topic in Transformers anyway, so let’s move on.

Look-wise there is little cause for complaint. Impactor has the traditional Impactor colors (purple and an almost orange yellow), he has the head with the purple mohawk, and the flat shoulder gun, too. Nicely done. Now there are two different heads for Impactor (see below for the different versions), this one being more generic-looking and in line with his appearance in the Netflix series. The comics version had a more Spartan-like helmet on his head, but it looks pretty good either way. The only slight downside in terms of looks are the legs, which are hollow in the inside. Not a big thing, but I know that a few people don’t like that.

Impactor adheres to the current level of articulation in mainline figures, meaning he can pose very well, has ankle tilts, and a twisting hip (or belly, rather). No wrist articulation, sadly, but that is probably due to his “gimmick”. Impactor was often depicted in the comics with a harpoon-like attachment for his right hand, so Siege Impactor can fold in his fist (either side) and attach a weapon that looks like a cross between a harpoon and a blaster. Pretty nice.

Which brings us directly to his weapons, which is the aforementioned harpoon, the shoulder gun (which is non-detachable), and a large rifle to complete the assembly. Impactor also has sculpted guns on the outside of this knees, but those are pointed up, so probably not a lot of use in robot mode. The big rifle I could have done without (don’t remember comic book Impactor ever wielding one, he was more of a pistol and harpoon guy), but it works out okay.

So bottom line: a good robot mode. Nothing terribly spectacular here, but as the first official Impactor figure that is not a repaint/retool of a previous one (and actually looks like Impactor), he is doing pretty well.

Alternate Mode: I can’t seem to remember whether Impactor ever transformed into his alternate mode in the Netflix TV series, and he definitely never transformed in the Marvel Comics, so the IDW Comics are really my only source for comparison. Impactor transforms into a science fiction style tank with a turning turret, a gun that can be angled upwards, and sculpted tank tracks on both sides. The transformation is simpler than it appears at first glance and just about the only real complaint I have is that Impactor’s shoulder weapon should be the tank’s main gun instead of being an accessory on top of the turret, but that’s really more of a subjective thing.

Otherwise, a nice tank mode. Not exceptional, but good. The dreaded battle damage deco that was sometimes used rather excessively on some Siege figures actually works pretty well here, being situated along the tank tracks, were it makes sense to show some wear. Nicely done. So bottom line: a good tank mode.

Side note: Impactor can also assume a sort of walking tank mode (see picture 8) that kind of reminds me of the tank mechs from Robotech’s second season (aka Super Dimensional Cavalry Southern Cross). Nice.

Remarks: Impactor was created by Simon Furman for his classic “Target: 2006” story that put the Marvel UK comics on the map. Not having a toy to his name, Impactor was quickly killed off to make room for Springer (who did have a toy on the shelves at the time) to follow him as leader of the Wreckers, the Autobot elite special forces unit. Fans wanted to see more of him, though, so he returned as a zombie in the “City of Fear” story, only to be killed off again. Since then, though, Impactor has returned time and time again, the last time being in the War for Cybertron Netflix series.

There are actually four different decos to this figure. This here is the retail one which more or less depicts Impactor as he appeared in the Netflix series (though the Netflix version is a bit closer still), while others depict his Marvel Comics look and his IDW comics look respectively.

Impactor is more of a niche character, despite his appearance in the Netflix series, so unless you have a connection to him I am not sure how attractive this figure will be to you. He is a good Deluxe-Class toy with a good robot mode and a nice sci-fic tank for an alternate mode, but there is nothing really exceptional or surprising about him. Also, Impactor really should be the same size as Springer, just saying. So bottom line: a good choice if you’re an Impactor fan and don’t want to dish out the money for Spartan. Otherwise, just a good Deluxe figure, period.

Rating: B