Toy Review: Warbot001 Defender

05/4/10

FansProject Warbot001 Defender

There have been several new start up companies putting out fan-made Transformer designs and aftermarket accessories lately. There’s iGear, who made the awesome Teletran 1 playset and the mini masterpiece Prime. Then there’s Mastermind Creations who created the nice, but cheap looking Knight Morpher based on the Heart of Steel designs, then there’s Perfect Effect Toys that made a God Sword for the Classic Prime mold. And who can forget TFClub’s Battle Rollar, a transformer version of Primes little buddy.

None of these hold a candle to the special guys at FansProject though. Since they came on the scene with their simple, but completely awesome Cliffjumper upgrade in 2008, these guys have been pumping out some quality stuff. There’s of course the unbelievably cool upgrade to the Classic Ultra Magnus called City Commander Add On Set, the recent upgrade to the re-issued Superion, and the G3 trailer set for the classics line, and the upcoming upgrades for the Bruticus combiner and Hot Rod.

Last month, FansProject released the first in what will hopefully be a long line of standalone robots to add to your Transformers collection. Dubbed the Warbot Defender, it’s an obvious homage to the triple-changer, Springer from the original cartoon’s second season. It’s a much truer rendition than anything Hasbro has done in the past (which were just green and yellow repaints of whatever molds they had available), and much closer to the way he was portrayed in the series. But more on that later.

The box it comes in is basic, like the other FansProject… projects. There aren’t any fancy origami folds or wordy blurbs on the back. Just a paperboard box with graphics and product photos, and a hard plastic box around that to protect it (which in turn was given to me in a plastic bag and wrapped in paper). It would take a direct blow from a sledgehammer to damage this thing.

On the inside is a plastic tray that holds the figure directly in the center of the box for maximum protection. It also lets you take the figure out rather easily. No twist ties, no rubber bands. I wish American toy manufacturers would get a clue and start doing it this way. Just cut the clear tape securing the two halves and pry them apart and the toy will fall right into your hands.

Instead of an instruction manual, Defender comes with a comic book that describes how to transform him step by step. Trust me when I say you are going to need this book, so don’t lose it. I pride myself on figuring out how to transform Transformers, but this thing is WAY over my head. And at Php 3,600.00 at the time of release, you don’t want to be snapping any parts on this sucker.

The comic is nicely done for a toss-in, and is far handier than any instruction sheet Hasbro has ever included in it’s toys. The areas that you need to change on the toy are convieniently highlighted so you don’t screw up. Why didn’t Hasbro think of that?

It’s a question I hear myself asking everytime I look at a FansProject toy. Just take a look at the weapons that Defender comes with. He’s got 2 pistols and a sword. I’m not sure where the pistols came from (maybe he used them in the comic), but the sword is definitley a nod to the G1 design. In the movie, Springer’s rotor blades became a sword when he was a robot. He could pull it out of his back just like a Robot Samurai. This figure can do the same, and the sword coverts to the helicopter’s rotor. Why didn’t you think of that Hasbro?

The figure has 2 alternate modes, just like any triple changer should. The original Springer (1986) could transform into a helicopter and jet car (albeit ones that looked nothing like the cartoon), but the three subsequent figures were just redecos of regular releases. This one changes from a Jet car to the helicopter, and both look close to the cartoon model, if not spot on.

The jet car is pretty fun, and is the easier of the two to transform him into. It has free-rolling wheels and you can store both guns and sword on the vehicle.

The helicopter is a little bit tricker to change him into and this is where I had to break out the instruction manual. There are a few steps that you need to do with the arms that aren’t immediately obvious. They have to be at a certain angle so everything fits in place. It’s a very elegant and tight design, but definitely not one for kids.

Again, there are places to store the pistols, and the blade becomes the rotor. Everything is part of the design, which makes this toy that much more satisfying. FansProject even included an extra piece that will allow you to attach the Defender to one of those Gundam Action Bases if you have an extra one lying around.

The robot mode is by far my favorite though.

Like the vehicles, he also has a place to store his gear when not in use. His pistols can be slotted into his “boots” while the sword can be pegged into his “backpack”. It’s all very nicely thought out and highly appreciated.

Articulation is aces. There are very few transformable robot toys that can boast the same level of articulation as figures in lines like DC Universe Classics or Marvel Legends. This is definitely one of them. With several balljoints and some combination joints at his hips, knees, shoulders, and elbows, the Warbot Defender can really move. It makes for great fun posing him.

Also, take note that this is one of the few modern releases that sports die-cast parts. And it isn’t tiny pieces like a crossbar here or a support frame there. His entire chest, most of his legs, and some of the pieces on his back are metal. It makes for a pretty heavy figure.

The down side is he may be kind of hard to stand up with all that weight. However, if you have some patience, you can find that sweet spot. And all that extra articulation really does help.

Paint wise, he’s nothing to shake a stick at, but it’s decent. Since he’s a robot, fancy washes aren’t really required anyway. Mine didn’t really have any glaring paint defects, so I’m happy.

One thing you do have to watch out for is that sword. I guess because FansProject wanted everything to be as “realistic” as possible, they made it so that the sword is very thin, almost blade thin. This means that it is very, very delicate and will snap if you catch it on anything. I’d recommend removing it completely if you’re attempting to transform him. Thankfully, the rest of the parts on him seem to be of much strudier stuff.

All in all, I’d say that the figure is worth it to a collector. It’s expensive, sure, but with production runs that are no where close to what Hasbro is doing for their most unsellable toy line, it’s understandable. It’s a rare and high quality figure, with a wonderful sculpt, plus great articulation and accessories.

If you’re a fan of Transformers: The Movie (the original one, not Bay’s version), then this is a great choice for you’re four grand.