Tuesday 15 April 2014

FansProject WB004 - Revolver Core

‘This one will be an easy pass’, he said.

‘There’s a Hasbro version of Roadbuster coming out’, he said.

I have no need for two Roadbusters’, he said.

And  y’know what? I think he was right.  Cos this thing is 'effing epic.

The fourth in FansProject’s Warbot series and the second in the ‘Core’ line of robots introduced with WB002 - Steel Core, Revolver is a big blocky thwack of Third Party fun. 

And in true to form fashion, the designers at FP have put their own stamp on G1. One glance at him in the box and you know where you’re at here. It’s definitely Roadbuster. It’s just not particularly accurate to any one take on the character. What it is, however, is definitively FansProject.

Unapologetically about to kick your ass

Angular, chunky, squared off and pointy with that distinctly anime flavour, Revolver Core is a military muscle machine, presenting a look that screams not only strength but agility with it.

One of these days, these poses and that canal are going to become acquainted

And he’s got some pretty great articulation to back up that aesthetic. Nagging things like the armour around his ball jointed head blocking full movement bring it down a bit, but double jointed knees and foot rockers lift things right back up again.

But not today

Some joints are not so much loose, but a bit more ‘fluid’ than I would like. The waist and one elbow on mine. I can live with that. I’ve been putting this thing through its paces too.

Like any good Wrecker, sorry.. Warbot, Revolver comes packing heat. Twin pistols, a laser rifle and a cannon. And these beauties, as you can see from the photos, are modular too.


An engine resides in Revolver’s back.


This piece is a transformable robot, with ball joints and swivels and an overall spot on attention to detail.

Tiny dude of goggled awesome

In the fiction FP has given us to accompany this line so far, these smaller robots combine with weaponised larger bodies. Very, um.. very Masterforce. No complaints here though – it's an extra element of play and integral to the Warbot story. But if you don’t like it you can hardly tell it’s there.

Transformation to vehicle mode is surprising. Somebody has been taking notes from Jizai and the Function X line and I’d like to buy that somebody a round of high fives. Arms twist and fold in myriad but understandable ways. The legs are clever too, folding backwards into themselves while the shins go and meet his back panels to form the rear of the car.

Plenty takes place during the conversion and while it isn’t in quite the same league of oil based origami that the F(x) line has treated us to, it's a well thought out and enjoyable slice of engineering.

That bumper.. that bumper is made of GUNS

We end up with a halftrack jeep slung low to the ground, slow looking but powerful.

To be honest this mode is never going to set the world on fire but getting here was eye opening and it’s a lot of fun having his smaller self interact with the vehicle. Because pilot.
It doesn’t roll freely which is a shame – no tiny wheels within the treads, alas

Admit it, the fact we have a tiny goggled dude of awesome driving a car with a bumper made of guns makes you smile

In closing, this is a damn fine release from FansProject.

Revolver is full of play features and badass good looks, meaning the Warbot line is back with a bit of a stormer. The modular weaponry is a lovely touch, the transformation is a lot of fun and I enjoy the 'Core' interaction with the smaller robot.

Above all else though, he's scratched my Roadbuster itch with consummate skill.


Let's go to work

(NB. Revolver can interact with the recently released Riftshot and Recoiler Core retools, each of whom comes with attachment pieces. This adds further modular options to the figure, not just in terms of weaponry but in armour options for both robot and vehicle modes. Sadly, these have been a FPC exclusive thus far. Let's get them on a general release, eh?)