Cliffbee.com Swindle Toy Review

Individual Review




Name: Swindle
Series: Generation 1
Allegiance: Decepticon
Function: Munitions Expert
Alternate Mode: Jeep



JEEP MODE
Height: 3cm Length: 8cm Width: 4cm

   Swindle's vehicle mode is a tan coloured open-top FMC XR311 (a Jeep-like vehicle). He's got a black windshield, thanks to a black sticker over a tan-coloured panel, and he's got black tyres - which are actually black plastic. On the back of the jeep are two black stickers with yellow lines, and on one side a nice big Decepticon sticker. The front of the vehicle has a rubsign indent (except for the Classic version), if you're lucky there'll be a rubsign here.

   You can mount his big gun on top of a hole behind his seats and the little gun can sit on the side of this big gun, which adds some play value. It's a pretty standard Jeep, otherwise. There's nothing really distinct about Swindle's vehicle mode. There's nothing bad about it, mind you.

TRANSFORMATION TO ROBOT MODE

   Fold the front of the jeep over, pull out the rear section to become the feet and flip them over. Pull out the arms and put a gun in each hand.

ROBOT MODE
Height: 7cm Width: 5cm

   With a black head, purple eyes, tan arms & feet, black thighs, Swindle can have either a metal purple chest or a grey plastic chest. He looks suitably dullish for a robot that springs from a military vehicle, and this colour scheme fits in nicely with the subdued theme of the other Combaticons.

   Probably the most distinctive feature of Swindle is the shape of his robot mode. He's squat and wide. If he were a human, he'd be dangerously overweight. Oh and considering he's a Scramble City limb, he's got a small head - which makes it look worse. The proportions aren't that bad - there are worse shaped Scramble City style limbs, such as Seawing, but it's certainly noticeable.

   The big Decepticon logo from the Jeep mode is now on his left foot, and it looks pretty good there, despite ... well despite the fact his logo is on his foot. What does look bad is the fact that his arms are attached at the elbows. And they stick out a fair way from the body, to allow them to move, so you really can't miss the big posts on his elbows attaching to his waist.

   As mentioned, his arms move, well they swing at the elbows, when they should really be swinging at the shoulders. Oh, and you can attach his guns to each fist. The smaller one looks fine, the bigger one just looks too big, and not in a powerful way, more a holding someone else's gun way.

VARIATIONS

   There were two versions of the original release of Swindle, the metal and plastic chest versions. Then there was the Classic version, which had a plastic chest & no rubsign indent. There's also the G2 version, and he's the basis for Leyland of Battle Gaia and Rollbar in Robots in Disguise.

OVERALL

   Well, in my opinion, he's the worst of the Combaticons, but the others are all pretty decent, and he's certainly better than a lot of later combiner toys. He's okay, without being terrible or terrific. Basically, get him for Bruticus, or for his rather cool character, but not for a standalone toy. 5/10

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