Ravage by Dirge

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Name: Ravage
Allegiance: Decepticon
Function: Saboteur
Alternate Mode: Microcassette

CASSETTE MODE
Height: 3cm Length: 5cm Width: 0.5cm

A black microcassette with die cast metal along the bottom edge which is painted in a gunmetal colour, Ravage as painted cassette details such as "A" and "MC60" on the top right "Metal Position" on the left, a tape spool indicator and the word "Japan". The tape window is recessed and bears a sticker simulating tape rolls. It's hard to really complain about black and white, although the gunmetal at the bottom doesn't quite match.

The spools have moulded teeth which are painted white and holes in the middle and there are some other gaps in the cassette itself, notably a largish one underneath one spool. I don't mind this so much because the black tends to hide it unless you have a light source behind him and the gaps allow jaguar mode poseability. It's not perfect, but it's nowhere near as obtrusive as Steeljaw's mane. The rubsign is on the backside of the cassette, on the corner that will become his shoulder.

This is by no means the best cassette mode of the Transformer microcassettes, but its flaws are nowhere nears as obvious as those of some others, and they are there to support Ravage's jaguar mode, unlike the flaw of later cassettes which were simply a result of lazy design.

TRANSFORMATION TO JAGUAR MODE

Fold the die cast metal down to form the legs, fold the tail out from the top left corner, fold the head of from the right side. Attach the rockets into either side of his rear hole with the sights at the top. Stand him up and pose.

JAGUAR MODE
Height: 5cm Length: 10cm Width: 4.5cm

A black jaguar with gold eyes, die cast gunmetal legs with black feet and chrome silver weapons on either flank. His right side has some remnant tape details. The colours are simple yet very effective here and fit his "creature of darkness" tech spec very well. The white painted tape details don't really stand out, which is a bit of a bonus, so he looks nice from either side (although better from the left, obviously).

I really like this cat. The rockets do a great job of bulking up the otherwise slender toy without being overly awkward of bulky while the pointed tips give him weapons. The die cast legs look really good while the feet, head and back are all well shaped. The head is well sculpted with a lower jaw, ears, a nose, ears and a neck. The left side is covered in simple mech sculpting - even the die cast legs. The left shoulder sports his rubsign, and the rubsign blends perfectly with the colour scheme.

Ravage's head lifts up and down, all four ankles are hinged, while the true ankles of the hindlegs, front "elbows" and all four hips are hinged, allowing for a lot of poseability. The ankle joints allow for a lot of _stable_ posing while the front edges of the rear paws are flat so he can stand on his toes for walking poses. Ravage's jaguar mode is easily the most playable of the cassettes.

Considering the age of this mould, this is a really poseable quadrupedal Transformer - Ravage holds his own with today's basics, despite being smaller and partially die cast metal. The colours fit the character and the weapons are well designed. Other than the front spool hole being visible I can't really fault this mode.

VARIATIONS

First sold with Rumble (the red one) in 1984, reissued in 2005 with Soundblaster and Buzzsaw. The reissue has its tape loop sticker replaced with a white sticker sporting an Autobot schematic.

OVERALL

A great jaguar mode with excellent poseability and a decent tape mode make Ravage one of the best, if not the best, of the cassette Transformers. There are some flaws with his cassette mode, but they're necessary to make the jaguar mode work so well, and frankly the trade off is worth it. The character is dripping with cool and the toy matches the character quite well. Easily the best of the quadrupedal cassettes and a toy I recommend for G1 fans - 9/10

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Ravage by Dirge