Hasbro Transformers Combiner Wars Smokescreen

As the Combiner Wars line winds down to a close we find ourselves ending off with another 84 wave. This time however, there is an oddity among them. An 85 character has for some reason joined the final group and the time has come to look at Smokescreen.

 

Smokescreen is a strait repaint of Prowl, which sadly is most obvious when you see the molded in light bar on the roof of the vehicle mode. Having the light bar sculpted in never bothered me for Streetwise or Prowl, but Smokescreen now has me wishing it was a separate piece that plugged into the 5mm port that’s just an inch behind it. The paint job is the G1 red white and blue with the number 38 tampoed onto the hood and sides of the car. It’s nice but very simple, with none of the head or tail lights picked out and unfortunate chunks of the red and right missing due to the unpaintable plastic pieces.  On the positive side, the hubcaps are painted a nice silver to give this car some much needed style.

 

In Robot mode, Smokescreen looks like a blue Prowl. Seriously, from the front he looks about 95% unpainted, with only the head and chest plate showing any new paint apps whatsoever. It’s sad to think that most of the paint went to vehicle mode and doesn’t have much to show for it. Still this is the Dead End mold and as such has some great articulation. He has a ball jointed head, ball jointed shoulders, bicep swivels, 90 degree elbows, waist swivel, ball jointed hips, thigh swivels and 90 degree knees, so at least you can get your blue man in a few good poses. Accessories are the same as Prowls, a gunmetal shotgun and a black hand/foot gun. Not a bad weapon set for Smokescreen.

 

Again, being the Dead End mold works well for this toy since he can easily fill either the arm or leg configurations in combined mode. I find he can work especially well as a part of Ultra Prime, given how his reds and blues work just right to make a nice Optimus arm or leg.  I do however prefer this mold as an arm, it’s nice and bulky in the right parts and it articulates so well.

 

If you missed out on Universe Smokescreen, CW Smokescreen will be a welcome addition to you Classics shelf. If you do have the Universe version though, this does not quite measure up. Still I can’t help but top hope that a Bluestreak repaint is on the way to round out this trio as the Datsuns are just like the Seekers, you need a full set when a new version is released.