Name: Gutcruncher
Series: Generation 1
Allegiance: Decepticon
Function: Air-to-Ground support
Alt Mode: None (was a tank)
ROBOT MODE
Height: 10.5cm Width: 5cm
A green robot with extensive grey on his head, elbows, fists and thighs, Gutcruncher has a mustard yellow chest, black mouthplate and yellow eyes. Rounding things off we have white and black paint applications on his boots. Both the green and grey are suitably drab for a tank, with the white and yellow providing enough colour to keep Gutcruncher interesting without him being gaudy. A small Decepticon symbol graces the chest, and this is the only sticker on the robot itself.
There are black treads on the back of his boots, complete with white driving mechanisms, and there's a cannon protruding from the right side of the chest, which is moulded as the armoured front of the tank. Gutcruncher's alt mode is pretty clearly defined, and there are small gunbarrels on either side of his face. There's no obvious turret, which is testament to the other tank details really. The face is simple but this works for a brutish looking robot mode, and the head sculpt has enough detail on it to keep me happy - the simple face is a design choice rather than just laziness.
Gutcruncher's poseability is the same as every other Actionmaster - his head turns, arms rotate and legs have G.I. Joe poseability (fully poseable hips, knees bend 90 degrees). The waist is slightly different to other Actionmasters, with a metal block inside the groin rather than the standard "T". The hips don't lift up as easily on other Actionmasters - you need to pull the legs down a little before trying to sit Gutcruncher down. This joint bugs me a little, although it doesn't ruin the poseability by any means. Gutcruncher has a red handgun, although I prefer to leave it off since the bright red clashes with the drab green.
STRATOTRONIC JET
At 35x25x13cm, this is a pretty big Actionmaster accessory - Gutcruncher was one of the largest toys in the 1990 assortment. The jet itself pretty much dwarfs Gutcruncher himself. It's a black, off white, blue and orange swing wing-style jet with wings stowed and two open cockpits, although his unusual waist makes Gutcruncher tricky to get into the front cockpit (I've got him in the back one as I type this, with Slicer in the front seat). The front seat is actually quite narrow, and Gutcruncher's hips are too wide.
There's a fair bit of play value here considering this isn't the action mode. There are three wheels underneath, all of which can stow. I'm not sure why the wheels needed to be purple with lime green struts, but they're not really visible so I don't care. There are a total of four red bombs under the wings, all of which detach. There are two red guns underneath the wingbases and another red gun (the handgun) just in front of the back seat. With two Decepticons able to ride, this is an impressive jet mode. Mind you the sheer size of this thing is impressive.
The transformation is more or less a case of taking this thing apart and reassembling it. The nose and tailfins detach and join to form a scouting drone, the rear seat detaches to form a rather nifty little tank, with the red gun able to swivel. There's a decent level of detail which is rather drowned out by the orange plastic - some paint would have worked wonders. This tank has twin purple wheels underneath, although without rubber tyres it has a tendency to slide anyway.
The remainder of the jet transforms into a battle station, with the wings flipping over to reveal the four missiles and two red guns (all of which can turn around). An orange fusion blaster extends at the front while the front seat clips into the back spot, and two more seats on the sides are now accessible, meaning this playset can now accommodate up to four Decepticons. The base is now revealed as purple with green stabiliser legs on either side (these are just for show), making the wheels slightly less random.
While I still don't see why we need green and purple, and would have preferred a white tank, this transformation gives Gutcruncher a lot of play value as a set. No projectiles fire, but there's room for kids to flex their imagination. The drone is a bit of a cop-out, being a clear case of "let's do something with the extra bits", but it works relatively well for what it is. If you like the Actionmaster battle emplacements and such, then this one-bot playset should appeal.
VARIATIONS
None that I know of.
OVERALL
A fairly good Actionmaster figure, although I don't like the compromised waist joint, and I don't see why the movement needs to be restricted. His tank theme is well done and the colour scheme well thought out. The jet itself has fair bad colours, but it's big and versatile with lots of play value - including space for up to four Actionmasters. If you're just after the figure this playset might come in a little pricey, but it you want a playable Actionmaster vehicle then it's quite good - 6.5/10
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