Release Date: October 2022
RRP: $34.99/£32.99
After several years of War for Cybertron trilogy toys that were for the most part modern updates of the classic Generation One toys, the subsequent Legacy line is a breath of fresh air for fans of the wider Transformers universe. While this line continues to cover all those familiar G1 faces, it's also branched out into other areas of the franchise – including other cartoons and comic instalments. Among those is of course 2002's Transformers: Armada, and it didn't take long to get one of its most popular characters with Transformers Legacy Armada Universe Starscream. Unlike most versions of the treacherous Decepticon, this Starscream was fiercely loyal to Megatron only to have that loyalty rebuffed at every turn. After seeing how well Optimus Prime treated his team in comparison, Starscream briefly switched sides before returning to the Decepticon fold and eventually sacrificing his life so that Optimus and Megatron would join forces against Unicron.
We're well into the era of Hasbro's plastic-free packaging now and while there are certainly risks to the figure either being on show without a plastic window to protect it OR complete unseen inside the packaging, aesthetically Starscream's box looks pretty good. This Voyager-class figure comes in dynamic packaging using Legacy's blue and purple colour scheme, with an image of Starscream's jet mode on the front of the box. The flat spine features images of various characters from across the Transformers universe, whilst the slanted side sports full body artwork and close up bust of Starscream. On the back you'll find the usual stock images showing off the figure in its two modes, along with the number of steps the transformation takes. Inside, Starscream is safely tied down to his cardboard tray, with his cannons folder behind it for extra security.
Legacy Armada Universe Starscream is a whole new mould that’s pretty damn accurate to the original cartoon model (and in turn toy) in both design and colour. A few little changes have been made to the design to give it a more modern twist, while the colour scheme uses a more (American) toy-accurate grey as opposed to the white of the cartoon model and Japanese toy. Like most modern toys it's also missing a couple of paint apps here and there, like the white on the legs and the black stripes across the wings. Overall it's an EXTREMELY good likeness though and unlikely to disappoint anyone in that department. The main modern change Hasbro have made to the design here is that those distinct thruster/cannon shoulder pieces are now able to fold down and sit flush against Starscream's back, giving him a much flatter silhouette. They can however be raised up to sit just as they do on the original design. The head sculpt looks great, and the choice to give him a stern expression as opposed to the original's (typically Starscream) smirk fits this iteration of the character much better. Although the Legacy figure features no sort of Mini-Con gimmick, Starscream does retain his fold over shoulder cannons which can be lifted to the front manually. While they don't have any sort of missile-firing gimmick any more, each cannon has a socket piece at the front which Hasbro effect parts can be attached to.
Armada Starscream previously got an upgrade in the form of a Generations figure in 2014 so the design getting modern articulation isn’t an entirely new sensation, but it doesn't make this figure any less satisfying. It features;
- Ball jointed head
- Swivel hinge shoulders and hips
- Hinged elbows, knees, ankles and feet
- Waist, bicep and thigh swivels
There are also a couple of other articulation points dotted across the figure (such as the swivel hinge wings), but these are there for the transformation rather than to add extra movement to the robot mode. As you can probably tell from looking at it the jet nosecone does get in the way of the waist swivel hiding behind it, but if you unpeg it from the torso then you can get a much better range out of it. Credit where it's due the shoulders are particularly well done on this figure, with the shoulder pad piece having a swivel hinge where they connect to the torso and then the arms themselves have its own swivel point where they attach as well. This allows a full range of arm articulation, which is ideal for a sword-wielding Decepticon like Starscream. In addition to the articulation, there's also a small socket on the back of the figure that's a perfect fit for most display stands, allowing for easy mid-air poses as well as an array of dynamic ground ones.
Starscream's accessories include his iconic wing sword, as well as a miniature version of the Star Saber from Transformers: Armada. The first thing to note here is that the wing sword isn't actually made from his wing here, and thus is a solid piece of grey plastic without any additional paint detailing. This means Starscream can be posed holding the sword with both wings present behind him, however if you'd rather a more traditional look the wings are hinged so that they can be folded to the side (mostly) out of sight. It isn't perfect, but it's a fairly close approximation. Honestly though there's no real reason why the sword shouldn't be made from the wing here – it's such an iconic piece of Armada Starscream's design that he just looks odd with both wings intact whilst holding the sword. All it really requires is a few hinges on the wing and I'm sure Hasbro could have managed that. Moving on, though simplified the inclusion of the Star Saber is a very nice touch, and it's easily identifiable as the Armada weapon even with the simplified details. The blade has been painted a vibrant light blue to give it a bit more presence, and Starscream looks great dual-wielding the two weapons. Of course with the Mini-Con gimmick omitted from this release Swindle has also been left out, which again is a bit of a shame because of how closely the Mini-Con partners were tied to these characters. Even with no direct gimmick to speak of it would have been nice for the Mini-Cons to be included somehow, especially since characters like G1 Blaster were able to include tapes (though admittedly his design and transformation are much simpler than Starscream's, which will have factored into production costs). Maybe there's potential for Mini-Cons in the Core Class range one day?
At only 18 steps Starscream has a relatively straightforward transformation, which isn't actually that far removed from that of the original Armada toy. Sure there's a few extra steps here and there just because this version is more articulated, but the fundamentals are exactly the same. Armada Starscream transforms into a futuristic style jet that again looks like it jumped straight out of the cartoon, with the exception that again it uses a light grey plastic as opposed to white. It even retains the top of Starscream's head slightly poking out from the centre of the jet, which is a nice little (if wholly unnecessary) touch. Like most modern Transformers this Starscream has some very basic weapon storage in alt mode, which each of his wings sporting peg holes underneath which the swords can plug into. While it's quite a nice idea for the Star Saber, the wing sword does look a little silly there with the knowledge that it should be made up of the wing itself.
The jet mode doesn't have much in the way of unique play features but as the cannons are still mounted on top they can be folded over for additional firepower. That previously mentioned peg hole on the back of the robot mode is now also located on the underside of the jet, making flight poses incredibly straightforward to pull off with any good articulated display stand (the one used here is a basic Tamashii Act 3 Stage from Bandai). It's a REALLY great jet mode and one of my personal favourites Starscream has had over the years, so it's great to see that alt mode just as good on display as the robot mode.
Transformers Legacy Armada Universe Starscream is a fantastic update to the original figure, further improving the better articulation we saw with the Generations figure a few years with a more cartoon-accurate design and colour scheme. But while little touches like the option to fold the cannons down are nice, removing both the Mini-Con gimmick and the wing sword functionality feel like they take away core parts of Armada Starscream's design. The Mini-Con is somewhat understandable, but that one-winged look whilst wielding the sword is so iconic to the character (not to mention simple to achieve) that it's baffling that it was nixed from the figure. So while maybe not the perfect update to Armada Starscream, this is still a damn good figure that Transformers: Armada fans won't want to miss out on.
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