Legacy Skullgrin: I Ain't Smiling.

[@SirGrimLockSmithVIII]

The one time visible head syndrome would have done wonders for the alt mode, and they flubbed it

[@smol_robo6146]

Agreed

[@bahamutskingdom]

I could not agree more. I got Mad Max vibes from the concept art all over the place. That is not what was just shown though. That falls under the realm of a Sesame Street bad guy?

[@PerspectiveEnd]

It's weird how what would normally be a problem isn't here.

[@windowbewbs9064]

Truly one of the most Hasbro moments ever.

[@stanbrixsfan0346]

“This is not a tank….. SHUT THE FUCK UP NO ITS NOT” that had me rolling 😂

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Glad people found that funny and not offensive.

[@mitchellbambam5926]

Surprisingly, I actually like the fact that this guy is a deluxe. He looks like the big brawler of the group, just needs a few alt mode improvements. Step 1. Skull on front and more wide alt-mode Step 2. Treads on front as well Step 3. Wait that’s just the concept art…

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Yeah, the concept art is what they should have made.

[@mechgouki7999]

The horns being rubber was possibly a safety feature. Toys in the US, any sharp points have to be made of rubber to avoid poking.

[@russellharrell2747]

The entire head should have been rubber, with pins to hold it together for transforming. Or just let the skull head hang out on the alt mode in one piece. Could have been so much better

[@jameszetterman4487]

Not always though. The Wreck-Gar mold has sharp hard plastic spikes.

[@russellharrell2747]

@@jameszetterman4487 that’s my favorite part of that mold! Need a toothpick? The junkions have your back

[@PerspectiveEnd]

They could have made the horns out of hard plastic, and had the tips of them be made out of a Separate rubber piece to make them soft.

[@AkarosTrueKnight]

I was disappointed when it wasn't core class. I had the same worries and reservations about the figure when they gave us the photos. I would love to see a redemption arc where they do this right and even take your hinge idea and implement it at legends scale.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I feel like that's not my hinge idea, I think that's just what they planned to do originally. I don't know why they didn't.

[@trixie_lily]

maybe it is not a core class cause they needed to meet a requirement for different size classes that changed last minute.

[@JiJ1511]

I really want a side show or comic or something with the Decepticon Pretenders in their Legacy forms just going out of their way to make Megatron proud and prove they're some of the finest Decepticons around. C Team vs the world. I need it.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

That sounds like a Ton of Fun.

[@Cent_Reviews]

I honestly love this figure, it’s encapsulates everything I love about late G1. Also listings have basically confirmed bludgeon and metal hawk are gonna be voyagers, so yeah, scale is kinda outta the question with legacy pretenders now

[@kaylemathewcomendador6964]

I can kinda understand that for Bludgeon, since he’s apparently the most popular Pretender. Not sure what’s with Metalhawk though. I guess it’s due to him kinda being the face of Japanese Pretenders, but I’m not too knowledgeable about Japanese Transformers at the moment.

[@anthonygvergara4778]

@@kaylemathewcomendador6964 yeah metal hawk lead the first like maybe 7 episodes of God masterforce so yeah. Then he turned into a secondary character that's constantly there so

[@PerspectiveEnd]

There's a lot I wish I liked more about this thing.

[@MultiBrawler]

Gonna say skullgrin would have benefited to have been the same size as iguanus and bomburtst. Also really wish they make octopunch and bludgeon too.

[@dialNforNinja]

Bludgeon's already in leaked listings, no word on Octopunch or Submarauder/Gilmer though.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I'm hoping for Octopunch my self. I would like more of these guys.

[@dialNforNinja]

@@PerspectiveEnd I'd really like an Octopunch, but reconciling the shell and inner colors and alt mode would be a bit of a trick. I naokin doodled a way to turn the big diving helmet into two sets of crab legs and the tentacles into pincers, but they were clunky and would still leave the color problem. There's added incentive for Gilmer as well, to complete the Masterforce trio with Blood/Bomb-burst and Dauros/Skullgrin. For their part, Octopunch and Bludgeon were comics-only (and not even released as toys in Japan) but Bludgeon in particular ended up being a major antagonist that people remember, then picked up for use in... I think TFA as well as BBCA? Not that he got more than an elbows-only 1-step toy for BBCA but at least it really did a good job of capturing his look. Having elbows OR shoulder rotation and nothing else was actually pretty typical for G1, especially as late as he originally appeared, so the added spinning wrist sword move gimmick actually put him a step up from there, especially when it could be left popped in and not even be noticed. He's highly likely to be a minor Tarn remold, I'd say, amounting to new colors, chestplate, and head, if they even go so far as to do more than just a different paint app on the chestplate like Minerva blatantly having Elita's, that's nothing like her own.

[@zafool4997]

@@dialNforNinja as long as he’s a robo skele samurai I don’t care what’s is base mold is

[@dialNforNinja]

@@Ecl1ps0_ Yeah, taking a closer lo0ok at the Tarn product shots, he's already got Bludgeon's details molded into the chestplate, just painted to make the Tarn-y bits stand out more. Head swap & recolor as confirmed as it gets before there's an actual photo leak.

[@mothman20]

I think the best part of the decepticon pretenders in legacy is that their alt modes are basically a middle finger to their cybertronian gods like "maybe I don't want a normal alt mode maybe I want to piss people off"

[@PerspectiveEnd]

That's one way to look at it.

[@green-legacy]

in a store this figure had both horns off and has been laying there for MONTHS tempted to just move it away from the shelfs to prevent people from wasting on it eventually

[@PerspectiveEnd]

What do you mean move it away from the shelves?

[@iron1349]

this feels like a partially finished design shoved into the factory before it was close to ready

[@PerspectiveEnd]

That's precisely what it feels like.

[@ignitedmotion5807]

Now that you mention it, your logo does look like it has a smile on it

[@nemesis_saber89]

I can’t unsee it now!

[@salmanedy]

An Irken smile.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Who are you talking about?

[@ignitedmotion5807]

Which one me or salman

[@evolvem2414]

with my copy, it turned out that there was some flashing inside of the horns that kept the pegs from going in completely forcing them off, so i used some nippers to push out the flashing from below the port and clipped it off, and that fixed the horns for me just about perfectly, but im not sure how well it will on yours, but the legs with the splits, turns out it has one of the best splits in the entirety of the legacy line, you just need to push slightly harder, and the rubber should move down/out of the way

[@axelvera13]

I think the Horn problem might be on your copy because i dont have the same problem (or maybe its a more common problem) but totally agree about the fact that they move its quite annoying.

[@kaylemathewcomendador6964]

From what I’ve seen online the horns popping off is kinda a recurring QC issue for some.

[@nikinfernis6729]

Same here. They can flex out of place sometimes, but even during the transformation, they never pop off on my copy. Same thing goes for my copies of Kingdom Scorponok.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Seems like yeah, most people aren't having my issue with the horn. At least there's that.

[@walterodim1415]

After getting point blank I can’t wait for you to tear into him. He is one of the only figures I got them immediately wished I hadn’t. He shares that spot with the likes of classics ironhide and car mode shatter.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Yeah, he bad, get ready for roasts.

[@TerryGXD]

glad i found this months later at legends figure pricing , your staying in robot mode skullgrin

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Yeah that's the better value for sure.

[@alexlemonds2838]

I'm quite content with my Generations Skullgrin (Straxus retool/repaint). Underrated figure, very posable.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

It looks pretty cool yeah.

[@BrodyW2012]

I like to think Skullgrin is the muscle of the Pretender team and that's why he is so big

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I feel like that's all the pretenders though, they are all supposed to be hardcore.

[@funnyguy8498]

This figure is genuinely my favorite figure of this year

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Glad to hear that yours is bringing you so much joy.

[@ratchetmechani2002]

The QC issues you've had with wave 3 has me worried about your luck with Inferno now. I just got him a few days ago and he is probably one of the best values for a voyager I've seen in a while with looking and transforming great, as well as being huge for a voyager. As in, he the only Beast Wars character he's not completely dwarfing on my shelf is Kingdom Megatron, with Tigatron and Dinobot being the closest to his height but still shorter. I don't remember Inferno being that tall in the show necessarily but dang if he doesn't steal the show on a shelf.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I mean I don't think I have that bad as set of luck, not like Baltmatrix, I'm hoping Inferno will be fine.

[@ratchetmechani2002]

@@PerspectiveEnd Fingers crossed. As for Skullgrin, I think the horns are a more universal thing. I've seen a short blaming it on the new packaging design which, while I think can lead to someone messing around with the horns in box and making them worse I don't think is the reason. I think it's the rubbery aspect which I only think was done because some G1 Pretender shells were made of rubber I think, but Skullgrin wasn't one of those. Rubber or not a pin would prevent the issue. As for the alt mode, I don't hate the design itself as much as I do the huge gap. Shame too, Skullgrin's design is probably my favorite of the Pretenders I was excited to see him get a figure.

[@kaylemathewcomendador6964]

My wild guess on why he’s a bigger size class is due to him kinda being the face of the Decepticon Pretenders, outside of Bludgeon (does that mean Bludgeon will be a bigger size class too?). The hybrid of the inner robot and the Pretender shell looks good on him. Although him being like that while the previous Legacy Pretenders being more shell faithful is kinda weird. Why didn’t they stick with the visible skull at the front of the alt-mode? That actually looks like a cool way to do visible head syndrome. The alt-mode looks like G1 Metroplex’s weird mobile mode. Which was pretty weird from the get-go.

[@thesardonicrenegade]

Bludgeon is confirmed to be Voyager class

[@timeman7753]

Metroplex's vehicle mode? An aircraft carrier on wheels, woop dee-fucking-doo

[@godmagnus]

Skull head pretenders are the best

[@PerspectiveEnd]

It absolutely would have been a cool way to do visible head syndrome. And is he really the face of the Pretenders? That doesn't sound right to me.

[@kaylemathewcomendador6964]

@@PerspectiveEnd That’s what I’ve seen about him in the fandom. When it comes to the first wave of G1 Pretenders most of the fandom I’ve seen usually think of him first. As for Pretenders in general it’s usually Bludgeon and the Classics Pretenders like Grimlock & Starscream.

[@elxr9434]

My knockouts head sheared off fresh out of the box

[@PerspectiveEnd]

That sucks man, could you get a refund.

[@elxr9434]

@@PerspectiveEnd well thankfully I was going to swap his head anyway so I just transplanted a neck(successfully) and bbts gave me in store credit so I should be alright

[@samsarex4318]

In my opinion in tank mode they could've replaced the treads with some sort of fold out panels that hid away the robot parts on the side of it which could've given it some sort of cybertronian artillery piece mode because Skullgrins robot mode looks more like a canon or artillery piece than an actual tank

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Literally anything other than tank treads would have made more sense.

[@samsarex4318]

@@PerspectiveEnd exactly

[@15oClock]

When *this* is one of the best of the wave, we're gonna get a lot worse ranting.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Oh yeah, welcome back old Perspective.

[@davidhill2275]

I saw it in the store today. Thank you for saving me $25.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Yeah unless you use a Fan Mode this thing has like 1/3rd the value of a normal Transformers figure.

[@HamManReviews]

I do love the goofy backend of G1

[@PerspectiveEnd]

It is fun indeed.

[@nikinfernis6729]

1. I'd like to let you guys in on a little inside joke between me and a friend (his name is Cesar). Cesar's humor is beyond broken, and it's kind of rubbed off on me as well. There are things that both of us will laugh at that barely anyone else will. One of these things is the recent Bad to the Bone meme where the song is played over pictures of skeletons. Add on that he loves to say "skill issue", and not only was "skull issue" born, but so was "Skullgrin issue." 2. I think this figure is overall okay. Great robot (I don't have the horns issue), really good posing (the hips can go out much farther, even doing the full splits if you force it a little, and once you do, you never have to again), a decent transformation, and an alt-mode that has raised several questions in my house.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I think I can understand your sense of humor. And I didn't know about the legs, thanks for the tip.

[@xavi5876]

I thinks it’s kinda neat that the pretenders are different sizes it, it kinda feeds into the idea from the Marvel comics that these guys were created in a lab. As for Skullgrin I have 0 interest in him, I’ll wait for the other skeleton head pretender that turns into a tank.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I think most people are waiting for Bludgeon.

[@jerometrescott742]

It gives off a madmax vibe, reminds me of that character from the film with the skull mask.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I can feel you on that.

[@jerometrescott742]

@@PerspectiveEnd by the way I just got that holiday optimus prime. Hopefully you'll get yourself one and review it. At first I didn't like it due to the legs then I realized I messed up the transformation. After making some corrections I really like it. Totally different design with a lot of potential for other characters. I'm digging it.

[@chadderbug7587]

Your thought is apparently correct. This figure was meant to be a core class but thanks to how the head had to be engineered, it was upscaled to be a deluxe.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Yeah that's what it feels like.

[@The_Troid]

I think the only reason why they made it a deluxe is because of the marvel comics Skull is kinda known because he has a story where he becomes an actor in a monster movie

[@PerspectiveEnd]

But all the Pretenders showed up in the marvel comic, and they had their own Spotlight Comics.

[@awesomeguy9513]

I have the 2 core pretenders cause sales and they look nice and tempted to get all the decepticon ones. The “tank” I can see what they were going for but the concept art just looks better, it looks like the arms would fold to the back and become the turrets legs would do some folds to be the side and head would make a mean hood ornament but we got this thing instead

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Yeah the Concept art is so much cooler, it makes this seem even worse.

[@celestialalkaid5721]

I'm guessing people are saying it's a complex transformation in relation to the alt mode, like for how little it accomplishes with all the moving parts? idk

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I don't know, maybe. That's about the only thing that makes sense.

[@DJKCP]

Not to mention that it doesn't even have wheels, so it grinds against the surface it's on. And in terms of hover tanks, at least the bumblebee movie Soundwave looks like it should float, while this has half ground treads half nothing

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Exactly, and yeah it doesn't even have little castors to let it actually roll. It's a brick.

[@taylorman666]

For the alt mode, I imagined it as a kind of skiff with a Cybertronic Flak gun on top, only able to move due to the back treads moving at near-impossible speeds. Shame it isn't better.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I mean that's better than what it's supposed to be, a retrofitted vehicle would make more sense than what ever this is.

[@palo_zfogs]

Yeah, I do really want to like this (I still like the design though) but as time passes, more and more stuffs starts looking off to me. I'll most likely hold off from grabbing this figure. I would love to see Skullgrin reattempted again in a Voyager price point where things possibly can be a bit less compromised as it would be really nice to have a removable Helmet, and a better vehicle mode with a proper cockpit. Totally dig the direction of mashing robot and shell design together so I definitely want to see this refined more.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

A voyager Skullgrin could be awesome, then again they could have made this awesome if they just didn't cheap out.

[@jojo-star]

Hasbro toy desingers must of been like "we need an alt more for Skullgrin" "uuuhhh hide the head and put uuuhhhh treads on it." thus the tank of suck that is skullgrin

[@PerspectiveEnd]

It's not the Designers fault considering their concept art, it's more like someone interfered with their idea.

[@no-thyme-for-time381]

Im not sure if this is only on my copy, but if you force the little white hip pieces into the joint then he can kick WAY out to the side, almost over his head

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Interesting. I was considering trying that but I was worried it'd damage the figure.

[@emergencyme4515]

If they were going to do a deluxe pretender, they should’ve done someone like Carnivac who actually turns into something rather than posing into something vaguely resembling a vehicle

[@PerspectiveEnd]

That would have been better than this.

[@castudios3187]

The issues with wave 3 when it comes to QC could be Hasbro probably changing plastics or due to them loosing money. It could also be that their just being cheap

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I'd say the second option is far more likely cause hasbro is always cheap.

[@TheGreatSoundwave]

I’ve had trouble with the quality control on Dead End where the back of the vehicle mode just doesn’t go together I even shaved down one peg and cut off another and it did literally nothing

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I think that's just literally everyone with that figure, I've not heard of a copy that was fine.

[@AceDantalion]

Ah yes finally a transformer that turns into a literal brick, so I can bludgeon myself to death. Man this would've been so neat in core class and looked neat next to bat boy bomb burst and King Con Iguanas.

[@godmagnus]

So you can skullgrin yourself to death.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Yeah it's such a shame that they are really breaking up the team in such weird ways.

[@AcanLord]

Skullgrin if memory serves was supposed to be the "brute" character out of the Skullgrin/Dauros, Bomburst/Blood, Submarauder/Gilmer Trio so i guess i could see how he might be bigger than the other two. I also suppose it makes sense to get a random-space-nothing when your source material is a pretender vehicle mode, allot of those were barely vehicles. i still contend Gunrunner was the worst offender in that regard.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

How was there a Character Named Gunrunner and Bay never used them? Also hope we get more of the pretenders like Submarauder, these are mostly fun.

[@AcanLord]

@@PerspectiveEnd If you haven't seen him, you just cant be prepared for how absolutely Nothing Gunrunner truly is. He turns into..just.. its nothing, a shape. Basically, he becomes a indistinct rectangle, which then plugs underneath a jet shaped accessory that represents his entire "Alternate mode" the rectangle also fits into a Car and cant interact with it in any other way. I have his counterpart roadgrabber which is vastly superior despite being very similar, Roadgrabber at least has jet like features in his rectangle mode like a nosecone and a tailfin and his guns form wings. thats waaaay better, plus his Pretender vehicle also Transforms into a Chariot mode that has the pom pom firing gimmick.

[@megamanpwn3dmario]

i would love to give that head a black or brown wash to get the detail to stand out.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I like the stark white of it, but I can see why you would do that.

[@Prime-Productions]

Ik im late but I feel like she was a deluxe because of that troop builder 4 pack cause one of those was skullgrin with a different head

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I feel like that 4 pack was probably an afterthought so I doubt that was a concern while designing this, but maybe you are right.

[@MrFedoraFilm]

For starters, I don't know Skullgrin very well as a character. Just that he's a Pretender who goes by the name of Dauros on the Japanese side of Transformers. But his Legacy figure gives off this brute monster vibe. With his skull head design looking like a minotaur, it fits. Haven't gotten the figure yet. Looking forward to adding him to my Transformers collection. Hope the horns doesn't pop off like yours does, as it may be a your copy may vary thing. The concept art for the tank mode looks better than the figure's alt mode. And for the swords, Skullgrin might as well be on the battlefield fighting with foam swords. Hasbro should have made them in solid plastic. -With Iguanus and Bomb-Burst, I thought Hasbro would have Skullgrin follow his Pretender teammates in being core class. But it looks like they're one upping the Pretenders scale. Rumor has it that a listed Metalhawk will be voyager class.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I mean I think the Gorn ass looking Iguanus looks about just as much of a bruiser as this. I mean they are apparently doing Bludgeon in Voyager Class, so the Pretenders are going to be all out of what.

[@MrFedoraFilm]

Got Skullgrin and some of Legacy wave 3. Tank mode could have been better, swords should have been solid plastic. His dark magenta/gray/white color scheme is great. This molded/sculpted design for this robot minotaur is cool. Looking forward to the Pretenders future in Legacy.

[@dogrobot9933]

I felt disappointed when you revealed the horns were rubber. Then I felt myself die on the inside when you showed the gun blades were also rubber. Damn, I thought Blitzwing's sword was bad enough, now we have this?!

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Yeah, it's really frustrating to keep getting these figures hampered by rubber.

[@GrimmysReviews]

one improvement idea for the figure, nix the gunswords and make the skull head a removable mask that could fit on the front of the vehicle mode, and have the G1 inner robot head underneath the mask.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

That would be a Huge improvement yes and you know me and partsforming.

[@losisansgaming2628]

One thing is that even in concept thee front of the alt mode was grinding on the ground. And the shitty swords were there too

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Yeah that was weird for the concept art to do.

[@HaloDarkKnight117]

Oh god, that alt mode is a *BRICK*

[@roadbreach]

Personally, I think if they made an upgrade kit that gave the alt mode some front treads then I think that would’ve fixed this thing a little bit.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I can see a 3D print that you glue on of that.

[@donnaroman2727]

Your talking about the paint colors on the swords …of all things

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Yeah because they could have cast in in plastic instead of rubber.

[@donnaroman2727]

@@PerspectiveEnd do you really care about the plastic or would’ve it had changed your mind if they were the colors of the legs but then people would find something else to complain about. First it reviewers complained there was no pretender shell then something else. I e heard people complaining about the quality of plastic. Maybe if people didn’t keep destroying the world plastic and life in general would be amazing

[@KRBrickBot]

Two Combiner Wars gun-swords would look just as similar but actually solid.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Exactly, why are they doing it again but worse.

[@i_like_anim]

I think the alt mode is just those type of tank that just shoots and can't move

[@PerspectiveEnd]

There is no kind of Tank that can't move. That would make it an emplaced gun.

[@brendenperry4856]

I'm sure you're probably not seeing this but the horn thing on your children is just a quality control issue mine isn't like that

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I am seeing it. And yeah, several people have since told me theirs doesn't have the problem.

[@isuckatusernames4297]

this review pushed me to get this guy. and maybe it's because I have the european version and he's got a better rubber as well as an uncrooked head. also, yeah, he's def unfinished, especially once you notice how much the sculpting gets in the way, be it in the hips or the arms where you can't really do the null ray things because there's tabs that get in the way when moving. speaking of which, there's a slight remould in the troopbuilder pack, so you could probs look forward to that if you ever decide to review that pack.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I can't say I have plans to review that pack. And really this Review pushed you to get this, I kind of feel like I was really harsh on this thing?

[@isuckatusernames4297]

@@PerspectiveEnd yeah, he looked alright. guess I had a Thew moment and decided "yep, he's the one". also, helps that I saw a short about a fanmode that fixes a few issues.

[@timeman7753]

I know it may be a stretch, but what if it's a half-hover tank? He's got treads to turn and move back and forth, and the flying part is to not get caught up in speed bumps or so that the tank can make sharper turns if he needs to go somewhere... just an idea, not saying that's what it is

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I don't see that as being more useful than a regular tank?

[@spinyjustspiny3289]

I'd guess that Skullgrin got Deluxe Class because compared to the other two, he's the one people would likely recognize since he got a decent Generations figure, and even then Iguanus has a lot more staying power on that front from name reusage. Pretty much the only thing I can think of that would justify his size is that he turns into some bastardized (and that's saying something) version of the TOG-2 tank from England, which was basically a bunker on treads with the bare minimum of cannons atop to call it a tank, had this weird elongated shape that Skullgrin has, and cannot be safely driven from its current place in a museum because the sheer size and mass of it would start destroying infrastructure the moment it moved an inch. Here's hoping Bludgeon isn't a remold.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Don't you insult the Weanertog by comparing it to this thing. I don't expect Bludgeon to be one, but if he is it will probably be a Tarn one.

[@rexveritate]

Surprisingly, he’s my second favorite deluxe this wave after Crankcase. I actually didn’t have any issues with the horns

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Glad to hear that yours turned out better than mine.

[@charperalta9489]

Luckily a potential bludgeon wont be a retool from him but probably tarn

[@KodyCrimson]

Did you see the Evolution stuff? Tarn's a new and highly accurate mould.

[@charperalta9489]

@@KodyCrimson yeah but this is the reason i say this: tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/5/55/TF_Legacy_Voyager_Class_Tarn.jpg and tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/0/0b/Bludgeon-IDW-Alex_Milne-concept.jpg cdn.donmai.us/sample/6a/82/__bludgeon_transformers_and_1_more_drawn_by_alex_milne__sample-6a8262dc2129db716c57a73d648a76b6.jpg

[@dedalionarts6077]

Wow... I don't have this figure in hand, but I can feel your pain from here. Like... THIS THING WAS SO SCRAPPING CLOSE. Ingnoring the rubber sword guns, ignoring the rubber horns, if this thing at THE VERY LEAST had an dicent altmode all would been more or less forgiven. So of course they had to screw it up. Sweet PRIMUS talk about WASTED potencial. And as for the question of the video... Is there a cybertronian altmode that you honestly like? (and by that I mean alien looking altmodes. Or in short Siege Cyberpunk altmodes for the most part don't count. Since most of them are more or less just futuristic earth cars and trucks).

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I can't really think of a Cybertronian Altmode that looks like nothing that I like. If we are broadening the definition a little I'd say that a lot of the IDW Altmodes look pretty good to me because they manage to be a little more of a thing.

[@Squiddlewheel]

This really feels like an upscaled core class figure that didn’t get modified to fit the deluxe price point. Apparently Bludgeon is going to be a Voyager so now the pretenders are gonna look even worse in a group shot. Why weren’t they all cores????

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I mean I get why Bludgeon isn't one, he tends to be the Pretender who's allowed to stand on his own.

[@samjones7834]

Yeah TBH, I definitely agree with ya when you say this figure would have been much better as a Core Class figure. Like some of the issues like his poor lucking tank mode wouldn't be that big of an issue, since it makes sense that a core class vehicle mode wouldn't look perfect due to how small the figures are, and if the head was small enough it may have also allowed for the head to be one piece -removing the issue of how the horns are separate pieces on the larger deluxe figure. That, and I'm also a bit annoyed at how inconsistent the scaling for the Legacy Decepticon Pretenders is so far. So two are Core Class, yet one is now a Deluxe Class and apparently we could be getting a Voyager Class one in Legacy Evolution with the leaked/rumoured Bludgeon. Like... why not just have them be in one scale? I also love your idea for the skull in the tank mode - I feel like if they had done that, the tank mode would be so much cooler. And besides, the headsculpt is pretty cool, so why not make the most out of it and have it extend out to the front of the tank like the Decepticon skeleton hell tank version of Thomas the Tank Engine?

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I kept expecting a "But" in there where you'd tell me I was wrong, but it didn't come. And yeah, make the most of the cool head.

[@samjones7834]

@@PerspectiveEnd nah, tbh you were pretty much 100% right on this figure. It’s got some really cool ideas and while it does do some stuff really well like the really cool looking robot mode, overall it’s just a disappointing mess of ideas and a figure that really should have been a Core Class rather than a Deluxe Class or if it was a Deluxe Class it should’ve had some of the stuff you suggested like Skullgrin’s head being able to hinge out to the front of the tank and some molded in tread details at the front sides of the figure to keep the tank aesthetic going all the way across the figure. Besides, I think what makes Skullgrin’s tank mode even worse is that from what I’ve seen in other reviews, one thing that pretty much every other Legacy Wave 3 figure get right is having a fairly decent vehicle (and in two cases beast) mode - Crankcase’s military LARPer truck mode is a neat little retool variant of Legacy Skids’ car mode, Dead End’s sports car mode looks very close to the original Porsche 928 that his original G1 toy was based on, Pointblank’s Cybertronian car mode looks like a sleek futuristic racing machine like it’s something from Speed Racer or F-Zero, Armada Starscream’s jet mode is very show accurate, Inferno’s ant mode looks cool as hell and TM2 Megatron’s dragon mode looks metal as hell. And heck, even the Core Class Bomb-Burst has a really neat looking aircraft mode too - ironically having a more complete looking and less compromised look to it than the more expensive Skullgrin. So when Skullgrin has such a lacklustre vehicle mode, it’s made worse by the fact that everyone else in the wave have fairly decent vehicle or beast modes.

[@theplastic_heretic]

It's quite sad considering the rest of the pretenders were so good

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Indeed it is.

[@BertoBoi]

Probably just gonna get Bomb Burst instead, I love Iguanus so I would like another core Pretender. Also, probably should get to making a figure leak/reveal vid soon, some ROTB toys have been leaked and revealed, and they're looking pretty good.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Yeah I need to get on that, there's just so much to cover right now.

[@geo-fry6372]

I’m still really excited for this guy, I’m a sucker for stupid late g1 deceptions

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I hope when you get it you like it.

[@mettatone.x.356]

If only they'll do a core class version of it as well so they maybe can fix some of the issues it has.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

It would be nice to have a proportionate to each other team of Pretenders.

[@ilikepigeons6101]

I don't know if the rubber thing is justified due to safety issues? But it's been happening a lot in the studio series line too.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

They could have just made the tips out of rubber.

[@kanohihorder1228]

I actually kind of like that he's bigger to give him the appearance of being the large muscle of the group

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I feel like they should all be kind of the big muscle though, like I get that Voyagers weren't in the cards for them, but that's like the scale they should occupy in an ideal world.

[@kanohihorder1228]

@@PerspectiveEnd the way I see it is that the reason why the ones we got were core classes are that way because they're based off of animals that are more known to be smaller and agile while skull grin is a big hulking demon bot who would probably do all the Dirty Work. I always see the Legacy Decepticon Pretenders as Decepticons that aren't cybertronian but gave themself robotic implants to fit in but most Decepticons still don't fully accept them thus calling them Pretenders

[@HelenaSan425]

This Skullgrin figure looks amazing all i have is this power of the primes mini pretender figure this one is much better and cooler!

[@PerspectiveEnd]

This is at the very least an upgrade to that.

[@thevicster3900]

Bro you should be smiling, no laughing at how bad it is

[@PerspectiveEnd]

It's not Terrible, it's just flawed to the point of being ungood.

[@bytisoli]

I hope someone downscales this version, because I really, really don't want this demon at this scale to completely throw off the other two. I know the bludgeon is voyager most times, but that spent time establishing that factor for it's identity to the point of overshadowing the original pretender. This hasn't. This figure has design which would, imho, look great in legends scale or, with bit more details, as a voyager. Deluxe? It just feels silly, not giving up either "bastard not to mess with" or "tiny goblin imp" energy.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Yeah, it'd be cool to see someone KO this at a Smaller Scale.

[@ExaltedArchvile]

Thank god I don't care about the Pretenders, otherwise this would've really bugged me. But anyways, I can't wait to get my hands on that Bludgeon figure!

[@ExaltedArchvile]

And before some snarky asshole comes along, I KNOW BLUDGEON IS ONE OF THE PRETENDERS, THAT'S THE JOKE YOU BRAINDEAD F*CKNUT.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I thought you just said you don't care about the pretenders.

[@ExaltedArchvile]

@@PerspectiveEnd Bludgeon's got that cool factor the others don't really hit for me. He reminds me a lot of the Marauder from DOOM Eternal.

[@TheBudgieKing]

Im a bit mixed on this guy, the rubber really drags it down, however the bot mode look good, so i most likely will grab this after the holiday season is over (Also do you have any plans on reviewing holiday optimus?)

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I'm hearing that people are having better QC than me so hopefully your's will be that way. And I've been thinking about maybe doing that.

[@teab0244]

I think the alt mode concept art is based entirely on the G1 toy. It’s ironic how it looks SO much better, considering not many people liked the original pretenders, barring myself.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Yeah that is funny, people hated those back then, but had a lot more hope for them now.

[@ethanielm03]

Yeah, I think I'll just avoid most of the figures from wave 3 and stick to 1 and 2. It's a shame because I was really looking forward to just about every figure in that wave, but it seems like already it's just going to be a bunch of disappointment. On a side note, I took your advice on Jhiaxus from your last Perspective Recommends, only instead of me buying it, I told my sister that's what I wanted from her for Christmas. I already saw him in the store a couple of times and he looked so weird and cool all at once, plus the plastic on his arms looks especially good, so I really can't wait to finally get him. Just 17 more days

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Nice, I hope your sister takes the hint and you love it.

[@Scourgeisoptimusprime]

Love the title

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Thank you, I was happy with it.

[@Scourgeisoptimusprime]

@@PerspectiveEndgood

[@godmagnus]

"Hasbro's been having some trouble with whites lately." Relatable. Kidding (mostly)!

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Lol.

[@Sky_8D]

The vehicle is siege sound wave’s Trina to cosplay as a tank

[@PerspectiveEnd]

What? Trina?

[@Sky_8D]

@@PerspectiveEnd the feet are the front and flat and the arms are the back

[@Nolans_Stop_Motions_reviews_YT]

It’s accurate to G1. That’s why some people like it.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I don't really know what the consensus is on this thing as of yet.

[@isuckatusernames4297]

welp, if scale isn't an issue for Skullgrin, imo they should make a voyager version of it that has a better alt mode and stuff.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Yeah that would have probably given him the budget to not have a crappy altmode.

[@isuckatusernames4297]

@@PerspectiveEnd they should double down on Dkullgrin and each year make a new version of him that's one class bigger than the last.

[@zafool4997]

Hmmm, looks like there’s some small tabs on the legs in ‘tank’ mode. Perhaps another set of treads could be 3D shopped and attached/glued on with little compromise? Eh, that’s up to the third party people. still no way to get a skull on the front tho

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I suppose that is something you could use that stupid tab for.

[@krizilid]

My qc issues are pretty well not there for my wave three....except that same horn is misformed causing it to easily fall off...but easy enough to fix with some hot water but all in all I think there are some cool aspects to it

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Glad your QC is better than mine.

[@anitachavez3804]

Ok so i go this figure and i don't have the same problem with the horns

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Yeah, I hear that's mostly a ME thing. Seems that I got a Copy with mildly jacked up horns. Though I will still say the rubber doesn't help.

[@mechaknuckle]

The gaps in the alt mode and qc are the main issues with skullgrin. The alt mode itself(aside from the gaps) is on par with the other pretenders as it’s just a less shitty version of the g1 mode just like bomb burst and iguanus. He really should have been core class tho, if they all have unifying bot and alt mode philosophy they should be the same scale

[@mechaknuckle]

Also I don’t have the figure(or any wave 3 figure) so I can’t really comment on the qc itself

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I feel like Iganus at least has a reasonably functional altmode.

[@mechaknuckle]

@@PerspectiveEnd that’s only cause g1 iguanus looked the most like a thing already. Now that I’m comparing the alt modes, g1 bomb burst and the legacy one are almost the same, they took no liberties/didn’t update it like they did for the other two

[@TFfangeek]

Epic review PersepectiveEnd!! I really, REALLY hate the rubber parts on Skullgrin, it makes him my least favorite Legacy wave 3 figure. lol Keep on being amazing.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Thank you very much, and yeah it's super frustrating. I will thank you very much.

[@TFfangeek]

@@PerspectiveEnd You're welcome.

[@o.8.p149]

I kinda hate the head it’s just too big but besides that it looks amazing

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I think the head is a fine scale considering the character.

[@SteampunkCreeper]

Yeah I have no idea what they were thinking making this a deluxe instead of a core, my guess is "more money" knowing hasbro. I tend to agree with everything you said here, though mine doesn't have an issue with the horns popping off, mine is the whole dang head likes to fall off if you turn it any direction more than a whisker. He looks good with the other two, even if he is larger. I tend to plug one of the rubber swords into his underarm like you did with his back guns, gives him a halo banished type gun I feel, and use the sword wrists to have him pointing the other. All in all I don't really hate this figure, not as disappointed as I was with Knockoff...I mean knockout but g1...but its not a great figure, unlike your review. Great job as always!! Love your content, easily makes my morning to see a notification with a new video from you, review or roast, one of the highlights of my days! Keep it up, love your channel

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I've yet to play Halo Infinite. Yeah, I'm disappointed with this in a different way than I am with a lot of the rest of the line. Thank you so much. Happy to brighten up your day.

[@banobobot]

1:37 OCD man sad 😢

[@PerspectiveEnd]

He Crie so muc.

[@confusedshovel1232]

at least I’ll keep in mind of his shitness when I pick him up, mainly since I want to collect all of the legacy pretenders

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I hope your's has better QC than mine.

[@clunk2824]

I wasn't gonna have much faith in Skullgrin I do agree that this should have been a core/;egends class like the other two pretenders we got so far, and I don't get why they chose to upscale it. This honestly makes we worried for the rumored voyager Bludgeon.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I assume the Bludgeon will probably be better than this, he is the one guy who's allowed to be more than just a Pretender.

[@EternityKingdomsHeadHoncho]

@@PerspectiveEnd I mean, he's also rumored to be a retool of Tarn, so it'd be hard for him to suck.

[@piperfoxofficial]

I just got a skullgrin today for Chrimbo and his horns on my copy is non rubber they feel like plastic

[@PerspectiveEnd]

That's an interesting running change they made.

[@louking9045]

Hey do you remember the Amazon two pack of Sideswipe and silver Bolt well I had found that same pack at Ross for $23 but in return I accidentally butchered one of my Transformers I accidentally super glued a joint for transformation and now it refuses to move

[@PerspectiveEnd]

That sucks, I'm sorry to hear that.

[@russellharrell2747]

Bludgeon will be the only pretender I get in legacy, and that’s because he was a Decepticon leader like Jhiaxus and Tarn. And Straxus, who desperately needs a modern figure remold of Galvy for the flying cannon alt mode.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I don't even know if I count Bludgeon as a Pretender.

[@russellharrell2747]

@@PerspectiveEnd yeah, he’s had a ton of non-pretender figures over the decades, and his shell is basically considered his robot mode now anyway. A legacy voyager Bludgeon is a no brained at this point.

[@baratiecook]

Since the legacy line, it's more lackluster than hits, which makes it easier to pass on a figure. On the other hand, I'm branching off to the G.I Joe Classified.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I think the first two waves were excellent with very few actually bad figures.

[@rhyperiorhunter7339]

I think the rubber is a matter of toy safety as if they weren't rubber Hasbro would get in trouble for potential safety risks due to long sharp parts made of hard plastic being a danger to the eyes for toys made for children

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I feel like this could have been handled by just making the tips of the horns rubber, rather than having it extend back to the joint it self.

[@thelazyengibot9918]

Its funny that this figure is better As a Pretender. The Bot mode is the best thing about it. I bought this a couple days ago, and the Horns havnt been a issue... His Fucking Hands Are. I put the Sword into the hand, and it just popped off

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Man I didn't even think it would be possible that that's the problem for someone.

[@iamnotme9995]

His alt mode should have just been a boat

[@PerspectiveEnd]

That would have made more sense, though it'd be a little weird for the character.

[@marcy9743]

I don’t think he’s terrible but he is not great, he should’ve been a core class. But on the bright side I got Inferno and JESUS CHRIST HES GLORIOUS. He doesn’t even have a QC problems, ITS A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!

[@PerspectiveEnd]

I'm still waiting on my Inferno to arrive, so you are giving me hope for that figure.

[@skuffy4930]

The thing about the face looking like a mask is that it's supposed to. That part was a removable piece on the OG pretender shell. Make's me wonder if you can remove it on this.

[@PerspectiveEnd]

Yeah I know that, it's just in the comics it didn't look like a mask.