Overview
Smoke Sniper is a Destron warrior in the TransFormers Robot Masters line of toys from Takara. Released only in Japan, this toy includes two rocket-firing cannons, two rockets, and a green translucent gun, the latter of which is available only in this set.
Unlike many Robot Masters toys that were repaints of older toys, both Smoke Sniper and his companion Gigant Bomb had their fists remolded to hold the smaller size weapons. The legs of Smoke Sniper were also retooled, as were the grips on the twin firing weapons included with this figure.
Smoke Sniper was previously sold as several characters as part of a two-pack but never alone. During Generation 2 he was sold as Smokescreen, and later he was Beast Wars II Starscrem (yes, Starscrem), and Robots in Disguise Smokejumper. The toy was also scheduled to be a Generation 2 Starscream which was never released.
This time around, the toy was sold in a blue, grey, and purple color scheme. He was also sold as a dark blue color, in grey, and in a purple and yellow deco in previous lines, when he was packaged with the mold that would be called Gigant Bomb in Robot Masters.
Packaging
This toy came packaged in regular Robot Masters packaging, which is fairly intricate. Inside a box, there's a three-piece plastic tray to hold the figure in place, which is surprisingly extensive for a small toy. Best of all, there's no twist ties!
Like all Robot Masters, the set includes Generation One-styled TransFormers logos as well as faction symbols similar to that era.
Other
For your amusement, here's the lineup of Destron warriors available as of the last revision of this page.
Text and photos by Adam Pawlus
Sample purchased from a Japanese toy dealer in September of 2004 for roughly $20
Work in progress. Last updated September 22, 2004.
