Tuesday 7 December 2010

TK-03 Strafe


Strafe


Strafe is a futuristic looking jet described as a rocket plane. Mainly red & white in colour he features wings that swing up & down where they meet the body. Four small wheels under the body allow the toy to roll along. At the front of the body are two notched 5mm peg holes which allow his twin automatic light -pulse blasters to be attached giving his vehicle mode two large spikes sticking out the front giving him a profile similar to Targetmaster Slugslinger.

Transformation: Pull the rear of the jet including the wings back. Rotate the front section of the middle of the jet back 180 degrees to reveal the robot's head. Stand. Pose the wings to your taste.

Strafe's robot mode is basically his jet mode, but stood on it's end with a head folded out. However there's some fun to be had here. The turning shoulders are the only articulation but that allows the arms to tip forward and turning the hands into the shoulders and the automatic light-pulse blasters into the arms. The light-pulse blasters come off and have a small peg that allows them to be used as hand weapons or he can hold his heat ray rifle. The exposed holes on the shoulders, when the blasters are removed, can be used to mount any 5mm peg weapon.

Like the rest of the small Technobots Strafe can form a limb for Computron. Strafe's construction is unique amongst the Scramble City/Special Team combiner limbs: he lacks a fold out peg. The connection for both modes is done through the head with the body's articulation moving it round. Start from jet mode for each limb configuration, but fold the robot head out so it points out the front.

Arm mode: Fold the head down so it points out under the jet. Peg a fist into the rear of the jet.

Leg mode: Fold the wings down and peg a foot into the rear of the jet.

Both modes allow you to keep the light-pulse blasters attached. The instructions show Strafe as Computron's left arm where the light-pulse blasters look good sticking out the top of the shoulder.

Simple transformation but the light-pulse blasters that can be used in each mode and the innovation on the Scramble City connection make this toy.

Strafe was sold in the US & UK in 1987 as Technobot TK-03 and was also part of the Computron Giftset. In Japan he was numbered C-88 and was also part of the C-91 Computicon giftset.

Like the rest of the Technobots Strafe has never been reissued but the character has returned as a Generation 2 Cyberjet, a repaint of Spacecase (thought there is some evidence that the names for both series of Cyberjets were swapped - the Decepticons feature lots of Autobot red) and also as Getei Strafe, a repaint of Universe/Henkei Cyclonus which was exclusive to members of the Transformers Basecamp web site in Japan, which is itself exclusive to those who own a Transformers-themed Visa credit card. According to TF Wiki apparently "Gentei" is Japanese for "exclusive", and a pun on the normal "Henkei!" line name.

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