The Energon Pub

Happy Saturday Seibertron, and welcome to another Seibertron User Review! Today we're focusing on the stone cold Decepticon logician Shockwave and his entries in the Hasbro Combiner Wars line and TakaraTomy's Legends line. So lets kick it off with the first one on the scene, Combiner Wars Legends Class Shockwave.

We all know by now who this guy is. He's the Legends Class (small scaled) figure of the year, and designed to be a partner piece with CW Bruticus as a homage to the G1 cartoon. He transforms into his classic space gun and can be wielded by most other figures. So what seems to be the trend with Hasbro, we get a deco based on his G1 toy going nice and dark with their purple choice. That along with the top notch mix of solid and clear purple plastics make him a fantastic entry to this threesome.







Now this guy has a different story. Also released by Hasbro, he is only available with the Combiner Wars Bruticus Collection Pack. The set is themed on the EXTREME 90's Generation 2 line and is quite brilliantly done actually. This Shockwave is actually based off his Action Master predecessor, which wasn't actually a part of Generation 2 but in fact at the tail end of Generation 1. It's pretty crazy that Hasbro recognized something this obscure and gave us a repaint of it. For what he's representing, he is absolutely perfect. But I do miss the bits of clear plastic found on the other two Shocky's. Speaking of....







The last entry comes from TakaraTomy's Legends line, LG-24 Shockwave and Cancer (we'll get to the Headmaster in a bit). What's now become standard for Takara (going G1 Cartoon accurate) this version is a much lighter purple. This isn't a first for them, and they often receive criticism for the shades they choose. Unbeknownst to me (until making this review) he is even lighter than the recent MP-29 Shockwave! But the amazing paint apps and return of clear plastic make this fella truly great.











Have a look at the three of them side by side!













Wait. Let's go back a step, I mentioned LG-24 came with a Headmaster? Right! Cancer, known in the Titans Return line as Titanmaster Crashbash. The paint job on Cancer is just outstanding, especially considering the small stature of the figure. But Hasbro's Crashbash is great in his own right, and comes with a partner piece allowing him to transform into a t-rex and some type of... flying creature. But there is a serious amount of fun packed in this small package.











What's the logical choice? All three are brilliant figures, each representing something different. It's extremely difficult to choose, but twist my arm and I'd go with Takara's, but I've always been very forgiving of their magenta's and periwinkle's. Which Shockwave did you land on? Join us in the Pub and let us know!



Still interested in this mold and want to venture further? Have a look at Botcon's 2016 set, Reflector, in one of the latest Seibertron Galleries!

I went with Hasbro Retail, but I kinda wish I went with Takara as it was the same price on Kapow and would come with that Headmaster as a little bonus.
But not because I prefer the colours - I could go either way and be happy, but honestly I think I do prefer Hasbro's toy-accuracy here. The dark purple just fits the character soooooo much more than the lighter colouration to me.

My choice: all three, duh! Plus the reflector retool.

I went with the Hasbro retail version. Not out of actual preference (though I do like it best of the three), but because HTS had it pretty early and with a discount code to boot.

I mainly got Takara Tomy's Shockwave to go with Unite Warriors Bruticus. If I should happen to piece together a CW Bruticus I already have Hasbro's Shockwave.

Emerje

Best name ever

I wanted takara but went with Hasbro

Takaras color scheme IS Shockwave, but color me disgusted with Hasbro for making him legends size in the first place.

I recently purchased a downsized KO version of CW leader tank Megatron in nasty green and silver, which I repainted in light gray and black for my classics collection (TANNKNOTGUNN). KO Megatron looks official alongside Classics Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker and ML Soundwave. I just wish I could get an upsize of LG Shockwave or a downsize of the MP to go with him.

1984forever wrote:Takaras color scheme IS Shockwave, but color me disgusted with Hasbro for making him legends size in the first place.

......... even though they did so so he could be compatible CW Bruticus, like in that episode of your beloved GEEWUN?

And even if not for that purpose, the Legends figures are still brilliant and have their own little scale. And Shockwave is an amazing example - arguably one of the best - of how good the size class can be. Articulation in pretty much every possible place for that size - including a ball-jointed neck! - a fantastic sculpt with a great colour layout no matter which version you go, and a nice original take on the transformation that still achieves both Robot and Gun/Spaceship silhouettes from the original figure and character but with some updated styling. A bit like what CHUG used to be before it went extremely G1 toy-accurate.
Honestly while I got him for Bruticus I've found myself fiddling around with him on his own more often that not. He's an awesome little figure.

Nice review Shajaki!

I really like that G2 color scheme, but I'm happy with my Hasbro one. The colors do look very nice and he works well with Bruticus

I'm actually really liking the colors on Takara's Wave. I usually don't care about the colors on Shockwaves but the lavender looks quite nice on that mold.

shajaki wrote:

1984forever wrote:Takaras color scheme IS Shockwave, but color me disgusted with Hasbro for making him legends size in the first place.

......... even though they did so so he could be compatible CW Bruticus, like in that episode of your beloved GEEWUN?

Don't care. There should be laws against making a Shockwave that small.

1984forever wrote:

shajaki wrote:

1984forever wrote:Takaras color scheme IS Shockwave, but color me disgusted with Hasbro for making him legends size in the first place.

......... even though they did so so he could be compatible CW Bruticus, like in that episode of your beloved GEEWUN?

Don't care. There should be laws against making a Shockwave that small.

Ironically if there were laws against having a Shockwave that small, other laws would prevent him from being a gun

Noideaforaname wrote:I went with the Hasbro retail version. Not out of actual preference (though I do like it best of the three), but because HTS had it pretty early and with a discount code to boot.

Same here. I have FoC Shockwave already for the main 'Con group, but I couldn't pass up a fun little Legends figure for that price.

1984forever wrote:

shajaki wrote:

1984forever wrote:Takaras color scheme IS Shockwave, but color me disgusted with Hasbro for making him legends size in the first place.

......... even though they did so so he could be compatible CW Bruticus, like in that episode of your beloved GEEWUN?

Don't care. There should be laws against making a Shockwave that small.

I know, right? They finally make our first new Shockwave figure in 30 years and it's Legend scale.

...Wait a minute, that's not true at all. We've had a bunch of larger options including a Masterpiece. Making one figure in a smaller scale is hardly a problem.

Emerje

The middle one is NOT a homage to the Actionmaster. The purple is too dark and the AM had no red.

Put the orange parts on the Takara version and you'd have a proper Actionmaster homage.

Windsweeper wrote:The middle one is NOT a homage to the Actionmaster. The purple is too dark and the AM had no red.

Put the orange parts on the Takara version and you'd have a proper Actionmaster homage.

If the wiki is correct, he's also colored similarly to G2 Onslaught's missile launcher. Makes sense considering he's exclusive to the Dudicus set.

Windsweeper wrote:The middle one is NOT a homage to the Actionmaster. The purple is too dark and the AM had no red.

Put the orange parts on the Takara version and you'd have a proper Actionmaster homage.

Hasbro said it was so it is. Think of it as G2 by way of Action Masters. Sure, they took some liberties with the red, but the orange is in direct correlation with Action Master Shockwave.

I don't see any problems with the purple. The original was definitely not the same shade as the Takara Tomy figure.

Emerje

I like Hasbro's version more. The dark purple adds to the more dark, sinister feel of the Decepticons to me.

But real talk, an Voyager upscale with more engineering and swivels and/or ratchets would be ACE!!