Transformers Legacy Evolution Voyager
Item No.: Asst. F2991 No. F7211 Manufacturer:Hasbro Includes:Sword, 2 cannons, turret base Action Feature:Transforms from robot to tank Retail:$33.99 Availability: October 2023 Other: It's a great remold
It's an IDW toy! But not the IDW you wanted. Comic Universe Bludgeon comes from the 2019 continuity, so you'll be forgiven for looking at him and going "...wait, what?" That design was a mishmash existing designs, but was pretty close to Tarn. This new toy is a retool of Tarn [FOTD #2,549], which means he's a great figure and a perfectly OK tank.
If what you want is the original toy, or the comic design, this isn't it. Instead it's Tarn with a sword and a new head, and if you don't need that Pretender shell, it's really a nice one. There's still room to go back and try a new Pretender shell, or something closer to the 1980s designs, but short of an actual new Pretenders toy, what can you even do? The designers probably had that exact question in mind when developing this guy, which is a pretty skinny robot that looks like he has some armor on him and a new skull head. This is how a lot of toys used to be, like Fall of Cybertron Ultra Magnus, although in some cases you didn't even get a new head. Like War for Cybertron Cliffjumper.
At first glance I assumed they retooled the fingers, but no! Tarn also had claw-like fingers, and the gray color made me think it was something new. The fingers still open, and you can still easily insert 5mm weapons - but this time you get a cool sword he can hold with both hands. I know a lot of fans are just shrugging, but that sort of think was unthinkable in most Transformers lines. You can get him balancing on one foot, he can stand, he can sit... he's really kind of great. While I would have loved to have received a new chest plate piece too, I assume that wasn't in the budget. It's also better than most of the other Bludgeon toys in recent years, which counts for a lot. There is no way you could do this figure - a retool of an existing toy - and satisfy purists, but you've got the Super7 Ultimates! figure or actual original G1 figures you can buy too. For people wanting a super-articulated robot that can still transform, this gets the job done and I'd take "good existing mold with new head" over "new mold that isn't very good." The Tarn mold is one of their recent best, and since a lot of fans just missed Tarn I don't blame them for giving us another crack at it.
He has a pretty nice big sword, which really turned out well. Most swords in recent years tended to be on the gummy side of things, and this one feels fairly sturdy. You can pop off his little cannons - and his big cannons - to hold as weapons too. If this figure didn't transform, I'd still recommend it just because they engineered a very good action figure that makes a perfectly nice space tank.
Changing Bludgeon to a tank is more or less the same as Tarn, but the head doesn't go into the chest cavity quite as well on my sample. It still fits, but you may need to fidget with it.
The tank mode is Tarn, but orange and green. This makes it seem like a mutation of other existing, recent, not-necessarily-G1 Bludgeons. He has two turrets, you can mount the sword on the side, and no money was wasted adding useless tiny wheels under the treads of the tank. Instead you get little nubs. It works. I know some people will miss the wheels, but let's be honest - aren't you going to get more out of articulated fingers or enhanced arm joints for sword-slicing poses? The teensy wheels on the bottom of Transformers toys add material and assembly costs - and don't usually roll very well. Why waste money on it when you could have more paint, or another accessory instead?
I bet anyone buying this guy will leave it in robot mode. It's a good one - the tank isn't terrible, but the robot is just so much fun to fuss with. It's a well-made figure with giant feet that make it difficult to accidentally knock him down, so it's a very satisfying toy to play with on your desk. I love the clear orange used on the cannons and chest, and the sword is about as perfect as they get these days. I don't think I need another Bludgeon at this point, but I'm not opposed to creative reinterpretations in a world where full-size Pretenders toys are about as likely as working Firecons with real spark-spewing action. I started seeing this toy show up in late 2023, and he seemed to sell super quickly. If you see it at a fair price, it's fun enough to warrant the $35-ish price point. It's one of the better Voyagers, and Hasbro has been on a roll with most of these guys lately.
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