Dave's Transformers Rant: Autorollers
Dirtbag
Roadblock
Finally found them at Target for $12.99 each. So far none sighted at TRU or Meijers (at least the ones I checked).
CAPSULE
Somewhat flimsy in vehicle form, they both have a tendency to droop forward in robot mode. Rubberised tires are insufficiently rubberised for slicker tabletops, making it hard to autotransform them. Free rolling as vehicles is very good...Dirtbag's through-axles let him roll straight for about ten meters (yes, I took him into the hallway and checked), but the fact that Roadblock's front wheels don't share an axle made it swerve to the side pretty sharply. Missiles fire about 3 meters due to being very light. Roadblock's front-end shovel moves realistically. Autotransformations are pretty neat, although you have to make sure the arms are in the right positions before autotransforming back to vehicle form. Both are about 14cm long and 7cm x 7cm in cross-section in vehicle mode and they come on cards with pop-up techspecs.
RANTS
DECEPTICON Dirtbag Function: Materials Transport "Move it or lose it!" Form: Dump Truck
Carries massive amounts of munitions into battle to support Decepticon troops. If Autobots begin to achieve victory, he instantly converts into robot warrior mode to join the fight. Armed with a devastating double-shot missile launcher and crusher claw, he's a formidable fighter despite lack of agility and speed. Titanium/steel composite armour allows resistance to laser fire - but also hinders overall combat efficiency.
STR 8 INT 3 SPD 2 END 9 RNK 4 COUR 6 FRP 7 SKL 4 TOT 43 Avg 5.375
As mentioned earlier, both pairs of his wheels have through-axles which gives him great stability in free-wheeling motion. Has "TFORM" in gold chrome above his radiator grill. His claw is okay, snapping shut when you slide a knob back. His driver's cab hangs over his shoulder in robot mode, and here's a place it could really use a sticker. Instead of seeing the screw on the bottom of the piece, we should get a sticker making this into a searchlight or something. 11cm tall in robot mode.
DECEPTICON Roadblock Function: Front-line Defence "Get out of my way...NOW!" Form: Front-end loader
Always angry. Extremely combative. Enjoys *pushing* other Decepticon around, but only if they're weaker than himself. Recon missions are his specialty. Clears battle perimeters of fallen Autobot wreckage in minutes with his heavy-duty front end "super shovel." Has no fear of engaging an enemy. Uses spinning sawblade to slice open armour like a machete through birthday cake. Fires powerful "penetrator" missiles that bore through double-thick, armour-plated shielding to assure Autobot destruction.
STR 8 INT 3 SPD 4 END 8 RNK 4 COUR 8 FRP 6 SKL 5 TOT 46 Avg 5.75
Well, this is a fun techspec to pick apart. Not only does it contradict itself in several places (front-line defence, but specialises in recon) but it's not even grammatically correct (should be "weaker than he is."). Clever transform bit that has his shovel form a chestplate. He's a little more stable in both forms than Dirtbag is, but has a problem with his vehicle form sagging and preventing free rolling. Has no hands, just a saw and a missile (Dirtbag at least has a claw). In vehicle form his head is visible where the front grill should be, a flap there mighta been nice. OOH, just found the button on his left arm which you push to make his sawblade spin. Bit tricky to get to work right, but neat. 12cm tall in robot mode.
Dave Van Domelen, also got an incomplete Metroplex today and it trying to figure out where the parts he does have go (anyone got some instructions they could Xerox for me?)..
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Lexicon Admin's note: Since Dave lost his original rant with an old webspace account, this copy is from my own files - spelling has been converted to Standard English from American English, there may be some other modifications I've made to make this file easier for my own reading --Dirge