Release Date: March 2025
RRP: $24.99/£24.99
Although it’s taken a good few years into its existence for Hasbro to bring Devastator to the Studio Series 86 line, at the very least now that they are coming they’re doing it at rapid pace. So much so that we can expect to see all six Constructicons released before the year is out, with the second of the group coming in the form of Studio Series 86 Bonecrusher. Forming the left arm of Devastator in combined mode, Bonecrusher is the first of two (alongside Scavenger) Deluxe Class releases, with the legs (Scrapper and Mixmaster) as Voyagers whilst torso parts Hook and Long Haul are a Commander class two-pack.
As a Deluxe class figure, Studio Series 86 Bonecrusher comes in a box that’s nearly identical to but slightly smaller than that of the Voyager class Scrapper – both using the new unified packaging design Hasbro have adopted for both Studio Series and Age of the Primes in 2025. The front of the box features artwork of Bonecrusher in both modes alongside a window section showing the figure off inside. Interestingly the box also refers to Bonecrusher as “2 of 6” when it comes to forming Devastator, referencing the number of Constructicons there are rather than the number of releases. The left side of the box features artwork of Devastator himself, and the right side simply the Autobot insignia alongside the Transformers logo. On the back of the box you’ll find images of the figure in both modes alongside a short one-sentence character bio and still of Devastator (battling the Dinobots) lifted from the movie. Inside Bonecrusher is neatly tied down to a cardboard tray, with his accessories bagged up beside him. One of these accessories pieces is a connector piece used when forming Devastator – this can be pegged onto him and stored that way rather than just being kept in the box until you want to form Devastator.
If there’s one thing that can immediately be said about Bonecrusher is that he looks plain. It’s examples like this where you can really appreciate just how much detail stickers brought to the original G1 toys, with Bonecrusher gaining quite a lot from his full chest decal and the ones on his arm. Over in the cartoon however Bonecrusher is a far more simple looking bot – almost entirely green if not for his purple hands, the bits of red and purple on his chest (far less than the toy’s sticker) and of course the head (and if you want to push it, the black Devastator connector hanging off his back). It’s certainly not a bad looking robot mode by any means though, and does a good job of looking like the cartoon model whilst also having the larger/blockier proportions needed for an actual transformation/combination. The added bits of moulded detail make for a much better look as well, such as the added tread detailing on the caterpillar track legs. The blocky head sculpt looks great too – not just because it adds some much-needed colour to the design but also look it gets from those triangular cheeks and blocky forehead. In a lineup of all the Constructicons Bonecrusher probably wouldn’t immediately stands out, but there’s still a lot to like about him.
Bonecrusher sports a reasonably good range of articulation consisting of;
- Neck and thigh swivels
- Ball jointed shoulders, elbows and hips
- Hinged knees, ankles, toe section and heel section
The head can also look slightly up and down by way of the hinged section its attached to (which is there to hide the head when transforming), and there is also a waist swivel - it's just completely inaccessible when the chest section is pegged in. This is because the swivel is intended for Devastator's arm rather than Bonecrusher's individual robot mode. Overall this gives the Constructicon poseability that's perhaps slightly less than your average Deluxe, but it does make up for it in how some of it is implemented. The caterpillar tread legs for example have knees that tab in when straightened, in order to keep the treads looking as clean as possible when in vehicle mode. The double set of hinges on the feet also work really well for balancing the figure in action poses, especially when used alongside the thigh swivels as well.
Other than the aforementioned Devastator part which clips straight onto him out of the box, Bonecrusher’s sole accessory is his blaster, which like Scrapper’s is moulded in black plastic (with no additional paint apps) and based on that of the original G1 toy. It can be plugged into either hand via a standard 5mm peg system, and when held fits in nice and snugly. Really there isn’t a whole lot else to say about it, but it is nice to see these weapons still be based on those of the original toys.
With only 16 steps to transform Bonecrusher from robot to bulldozer, he is yet another example of the Constructions having nice straightforward transformations that are immediately easy to get to grips with and memorise. Like the robot mode it is incredibly plain when it comes to colour – almost entirely that signature Constructicon green with small sections of purple at the front and then a touch of silver inside the caterpillar treads. Had the treads been black then it would have brought a little more colour to the design, but G1 accuracy was the assignment here and the all-green look is both toy and toon accurate. But despite the simple colour scheme, that Decepticon logo on the front of the shovel really helps tie the deco together. In vehicle mode Bonecrusher also has some very basic weapon storage – the blaster can be pegged into one of two peg holes moulded on the top of the vehicle.
In bulldozer mode Bonecrusher is a little more curious than most Transformers vehicles, sporting a moveable bucket at the front but no wheels built into his caterpillar treads. Whilst I don’t think anyone was expecting working treads (especially on a Deluxe class figure), at the very least wheels seem to be a standard thing on most of these toys. Nevertheless the vehicle mode itself is still a lot of fun to play about with, particularly when paired up with some rocks or debris to clear out of the way. He also looks great alongside Scrapper’s front-end loader, which bodes well for how good all of the Constructicon vehicles are going to look when lined up together.
Studio Series 86 Bonecrusher looks like a very basic figure, but then again on the cartoon Bonecrusher is a very basic looking robot. But when you look past that blocky design with minimal colours/paint apps you quickly discover that this is another really fun figure, combining cartoon accuracy with a very good (if not perfect) range of articulation and an alt mode that’s easy to change in and out of. There’s perhaps a little less going on here than there is with Scrapper, but unlike him Bonecrusher doesn’t need to justify a higher price tag either. The full potential of these Constructicons is only going to be revealed with all six in hand, but nevertheless they’re proving to be wonderful figures in their own right.
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