TRDQ: Siege - Refraktor Reconnaissance Team 3-Pack

[@jackdubz4247]

Loving the image of Thundercracker popping down to Jessops to get his holiday snaps developed.

[@Theover4000]

In 2020 when I was living in an apartment with my parents these guys were my only birthday gift as everything else was on backorder, I’d never had a reflector of any kind and I loved the idea of the whole camera setup. One of my favorites from the WFC trilogy.

[@DoinItforNewCommTech]

This is my mum's favourite Transformer that I own, and I gotta say, that lady has good taste

[@MitchBam]

This set is really special to me as it was a gift, and one of the figures that got me back into collecting!

[@originaluddite]

I have the original, and another thing about this toy is it's a much-needed army-builder for the Decepticons. The two side robots are nicely generic and look like randos that filled out crowd shots when the cartoon visited Cybertron's past. Pity, then, that they only came in mail-order form and only _after_ the character(s) had been phased out of the story. Fun non-fact - in my head canon it is Reflector that becomes the Sweeps, while the Insecticons survive, supporting whichever leader promises them the most energon, and later eek out an existence scavenging on Chaar and staying out of Galvatron's way.

[@jasonrhome710]

Shoulder weirdness aside, I do like the bot mode on this mold.

[@aladdinsane5925]

Love these guys. The Toyhax adding textured faux-leather labels is the icing on the cake.

[@tomjames9681]

FINALLY! The TRDQ Fremzeek review we’ve all been waiting for, and it was far from disappointing 😆📷

[@chozoone19]

I'd always had a soft spot for the transformers that could turn into things instead of vehicles cause it just felt cool having that little bit of added play value that way. So seige reflector/refraktor piqued my interest some but not quite enough to get 3 of them....then I see this set go up for preorder and I was in love. Kinda wish spectros 'shield' was a bit less cumbersome but otherwise I really enjoy these three.

[@TsunogaiDanshaku]

I think the "artillery hovercraft" mode works way better if you interpret it as a big ol' gun and slap it onto another toy, basically using three Deluxes as one oversized Weaponizer (they look excellent on Megatron, for instance). The tricky part is the boys have plenty of 5mm ports, but nary a peg on them, so you have to get creative in order to actually attach them anywhere.

[@mechanwhal6590]

Put the boys on any given Unicron Trilogy toy, pegs everywhere… Roy.

[@TsunogaiDanshaku]

@@mechanwhal6590 Ooh! Now THAT'S an idea! Where'd I put that Tidal Wave...

[@NightmareZerogbs]

I still can't believe I managed to get this set here, for LESS than what 3 deluxes would be no less! it's a fantastic pack, the colours are crisp, the accessories are just the right amount of silly and it makes me feel like less of a sucker for buying the same mould thrice because at least they're different colours.

[@Toxic3610]

I’ll say this it’s nice that it comes with parts that make it look more like a real camera, but the beauty of the siege individual purchases was that you could make some thing uniform in color……… also, there were a bunch of weird fan motors that were really nice

[@darkangel076]

Say what you will about Siege, I will always appreciate the weird 70's-80's product homages, including those that didn't originate with Takara or Hasbro, like Galactic Man.

[@hexedcrab]

I still think it's funny that the original siege refraktors didn't come with instructions on how to make them turn into a camera.

[@soundwavegamer2321]

I have both these guys and the retail line up. I had the retail ones before the set and with my retail ones their all imports which was a surprise to me considering no where on Amazon did it say they were. The set I managed to grab during wave 2 of Legacy and honestly it’s alright it’s one of the few figures I have that I keep in their box alongside the Jurassic Park crossover crew and my Beast Wars II: Lio Convoy

[@dukenukem9770]

I still have a G1 Reflector that I picked up secondhand as a kid. It's missing some of the accessories, but I have all three bots, and they're in decent shape. I might need to order this now...

[@windsweeper8002]

Great review as always. I regret not picking them up when I saw them at TFNATION a few weeks ago but at least I met yourself again. You have always been a gent in person.

[@TRDQ]

That's true!

[@mechamax7919]

there is implications of the combined form doubling as a laser cannon (since idk if Cybertron would understand how an Earth camera mode would look)

[@TheInfiniteReview]

A great video on a great channel

[@shaldurprime7154]

wow, this appears immediately after rewatching Thew's refractor video for old times sake

[@serPomiz]

the guy has always been a shorthand for a "generic space robot", the color scheme is iconic, to the point that if you ask someone that isn't a g1 fan, to design a non-flier generic decepticon, they'll always make it that. I particulary like the 'scrapface' color pallette. the set was sorely needed, I'm no fan of army building to the point that all of my sweeps are a different mold, but here it was really needed to make the set. the full color set is really a nice throwback to the original toy, and improve the whole thing. the arm shield pat could have use a little more more work, but it does it's job and it does it well the artillery overcraft mode is a bunch of nothing. it needed wither more bulk, or more accessories. it looks like the poor cousin of Neo Cortex overboard. which would have been a better idea, as it only needed an extra 5mm peg for that

[@SN1P3R808]

Great review! Complete where all the camera parts goes on each figure 👍

[@TTMMH42]

I enjoyed refraktor. Never had the original and always wanted him as a kid, til i found out he was a mail away figure that was long since unavailable to me.

[@Beedo_Sookcool]

This was a nifty set, but it dropped at a time that was financially inconvenient for me, and I still haven't gone back for it. But as I'd already bought a third-party camera dudes set years before, when Hasbro seemed intent on only releasing the OptiMegaBumbleScream Big Four and maybe one other guest robot per wave, I'm in no colossal rush to bag this set. Maybe if I win the lottery, or something. I vastly prefer these toy-accurate versions to the cartoonish ones. I hope they do more such re-releases.

[@jessicarie-tp6ti]

you still have on amazon on transformers store. for me it was less then 100 euros. and comparing deluxe prices now, that are 33 euros each. for me, it was worth on getting it. I also did saved up some money, but if it was more then 100 euros , that's when i draw the line. I don't give more then 100 euros on a "vice"

[@jinxedreviews]

I got this set for Christmas in 2020. The second time I transformed Viewfinder from camera box, he broke. His left leg sheared off and it soured Christmas Day in an already shite year. I still display the three but never mess as, as a set, they’re broken. If I could find a loose Scrapface or regular Reflector for cheap, even if it’s not got any accessories, I’d buy it so I could mess with my set again

[@SpaceWampa]

I just picked this set up it's great but I didn't know it came with a lil Kremzeek so I was happy to see him

[@CardboardBots]

Your bald shiny cartoon head at 0:05 reminds me of the animation style found in Duckman. Is your rendering inspired by that or any other particular style?

[@TRDQ]

Um not really - but maybe? Insightful!

[@Drivaaar]

Can't BELIEVE you're disparaging the blast effects system, this huge success has changed you man, you used to be cool

[@TRDQ]

No I didn't

[@NeilBlumengarten]

I moved house this weekend and found Kremzeek on the floor, behind my nightstand. I picked him up and brought him with me, but if I never saw him again, I don't think I'd mind, either.

[@Renkencen]

I missed out when Entertainers had Scrapface for £22 a couple of years ago! No one told me that mold was fun when it come to fan mode including if you just own one!

[@SaturmornCarvilli]

Those individual alt modes are still better than G1 Broadside.

[@TRDQ]

Shocking

[@ae_double]

Was always a hard toy to get, due to everyone always getting 3 of them at a time, selling out real quick. Mainly wanted to get one for my dad, who doesn't really care for toys much, but is a real camera enthusiast. So kind of a cheeky purchase, I guess.

[@oliverrichardson4429]

Spectro’s big “Shutter Shield” would tickle me more I think if you could put it on his shoulder like a Zaku

[@BillyBobKornhol]

A “BLOKE ON A BOAT”

[@HappyBirthdayRoboto]

Spyglass looks like he's cosplaying as Soundwave... I'm cool with that...

[@dedalionarts6077]

As far as Refracktor/Refracktors are corncerned. I think this is the best (and probadly the last for a LONG while) what Hasbro did for them. Especially considoring the Scrapnels flimsy excuse of a "target master" from thrilling 30.

[@condifennex3996]

Own these 3. Worth it

[@robwilson4975]

really had it in mind you'd be all about the Kremzeek, have him and Repugnus doing shtick. Not the last time I lose a bet on a youtube channel, probably

[@HiperPivociarz]

Viewfinder has a green dolphin on his chest. JoJo reference confirmed?

[@triplea5470]

“Piss plastic” definitely gets my imagination going ngl, I wonder what usin actual urine for a plastic formula would look like

[@rexdamage]

"Fucking cheeky" 🤣🤣

[@XPproductions365]

If I had one problem with this set it would be the lack of toy accurate heads. If they had that as an option I’d definitely try to get it, but the fact that they don’t makes me kind of want the cartoon versions instead. Edit: I also realized viewfinder looks a lot more like spyglass than he did originally. The original toy was a very dark purple. This set portrays him as a shade of blue, just like spyglass. (Neither of those issues are that bad, I just felt like pointing them out).

[@XPproductions365]

However, if those issues don’t bother you I definitely recommend going for this set. At least in the US it might be cheaper to go for this instead of 3 copies of the mainline version. New copies of the standard siege refraktor will probably cost you $35 each, so if you wanted to get 3 you would have to pay around $105. On the other hand this set (as of late 2023) is still available on Amazon and big bad toy store for retail price ($70) that’s $35 less.

[@glxblrt]

Generations Kremzeek with camera accessory

[@RSEDARK]

I am disappointed that they have not put the heads of the original toy

[@thedeadpoolwhochuckles.6852]

I remember wanting the G1 version. I wasn't a smart child.

[@windsweeper8002]

The G1 version isn't a bad set.

[@AlexReynard]

*ABRUPT ENDING* A Gavin Spence specialty.

[@bchuggs]

LOL! What a trooper!

[@cowpuddles4851]

I don’t love the camera alt mode- never a fan of these modes being anything other than vehicles or dinosaurs, but the lens breaking apart into shields and the weapons becoming a tripod are great ideas. My biggest peeve is the name written on the shoulder pads, like that G2 Optimus with his name on his trailer. Why is it there? It’s Robots in Disguise, not Announce Yourself to the World.

[@g_oduofthenorth9618]

I very nearly got this.... I'm not sure whether I regret not getting it

[@TRDQ]

You do

[@michaellombardi1620]

They are a handsome bunch

[@leftygurl]

fun fact- i got these guys and the rainmaker set for free because toys r us fucked up! :D honestly i do cherish both sets, the rainmakers were my favourites at first and probably the better figures still, but having these lads around in the original decos from microchange means they get to fit in nicely opposite my diaclone collection, filling a similar niche on the decepticon side. they go really well with magnificus too, there’s a surprising amount of shared design details. anyways the one with the flash accessory sucks the most out of the three okay bye

[@TinyRobotED-tm9rs]

I kind of want this

[@russellharrell2747]

Kremzeek vs Paradise Bird from Legacy Beachcomber.

[@TinyRobotED-tm9rs]

This is a cool toy

[@TheGreatSteve]

You'd think the Japanese would be good at designing a camera mode.

[@BenDaresAll]

Say cheese!

[@michaelpytel3280]

Say Cheese Gavin !

[@emilianotype-g6877]

Firts combinar 1?

[@SuperMookles]

I always felt that the character was underdeveloped. But perhaps I'm just being negative.

[@thedeadpoolwhochuckles.6852]

puns? I shutter at the thought. sometimes they just don't Pan out.

[@ShokoArc]

Hello Gavin

[@TRDQ]

Hello Lex

[@lampy5490]

It (they?) certainly works a lot better in the OG colour scheme, but that "Refraktor" sticker look cheap as fooooook! Which is a great shame. 😞

[@KingKyoryu1234]

First

[@Paul_the_Bookworm]

"I've seen worse" I wouldn't say worse but Skullcruncher's alt mode is just as meh.

[@TRDQ]

An insane thing to say

[@Paul_the_Bookworm]

@@TRDQ Insane? Possibly. Truthfully? Most certainly. All have decent robot modes at least, and the camera is what everyone is really wanting

[@suemeade2471]

The single release was g1 show accurate! These are cute,but garbage!

[@jessicarie-tp6ti]

just got this today.. , long time on my whishlist, and iam still playing with them right now. i love the box and all that inside. The spaceship modes, actually are spaceships. I don't remember the name, but they are heavily inspired on old anime design. ("mars something" , is coming to my head, when i look at them....) They work very well as spaceships, and together with shockwave (captain harlock ,in my universe :P), soundwave (as THE Macross) and astrotrain (as galaxy express), all together make a very nice Decepticon Space Armada.