Generation 2 Dead End
We feel the Dead End mould is a bit overused in Combiner Wars having appeared in Waves 2, 3, 4 & 6 plus the Internet exclusive pair of robots. But the Dead End mould itself hasn't appeared since that Internet Exclusive wave, issued at around the time that the Wave 3 Protectobots became available that introduced the Streetwise shell variation. Indeed this is the third use of the Dead End car shell, and just the 2nd use of the Dead End head.Whereas the original Dead End car is burgundy his G2 version is bright red and looks fab. Indeed by Generation 2 standards it is very nearly sensible! Transforming it to robot reveal some blue on the head & combiner connector, which can also be found on the pipe and Hand Foot Gun, but the majority of the extra pieces are black. Indeed compared to the original unreleased Generation 2 Dead End I'd say it was too sensible again and they should have gone fully radio rental by making the black blue and indeed standardising that blue over all 5 Stunticons.
Generation 2 Brakeneck (Wildrider)
Generation 2 Wildrider, packed in the same box as G2 Dead End is thus the 4th use of the Dead End mould version and the 2nd Wildrider head. Here he swaps the grey of the 1986 version for a a bright Bumblebee yellow. Ah, now this is a bit more like it! Transforming to robot reveals bright blue on the hidden limb pieces.MUCH better, much more like the G2 we know and love. Dragstrip and Dead End are sensible and for the cars you need to go to Wildrider and Breakdown for some proper inanity!
Botcon 2016 Unit 3
In the run up to Botcon 2016 a rumoured list of exclusives did the rounds. One of the more insane items on it was a repaint of Streetwise as Under-3. Under-3 was the name applied to a McDonalds Beast Wars toy that transformed from a Lion's head to an unarticulated robot which resembled Optimus Primal. It was the very definition of the word obscure and was one of the items on the list that was treated with some scepticism. As it turned out the list was very accurate, failing to get Airazor from Slipstream and Botcon Custom Class Ratchet right. We'll come to what they thought Ratchet would be later ....The name Under-3 is adapted to Unit-3, top fit in with a previous Botcon comic story. The Streetwise car shell, it's fourth use, gets cast in bright yellow with black and orange striped details, headlights and Maximal symbol on the bonnet. It looks amazing! Transforming to robot mode reveals the robot parts, and second use of the actual Streetwise head to have been moulded in black with orange and silver paint applications all but matching the original Happy Meal freebie.
Top, top toy. Left field choice but applied to a very appropriately chosen toy mould. Along with Tranatulas one of the highlights from Botcon 2016.
Rumoured Botcon Customise Class Blue Bluestreak
It's odd including a toy that doesn't exist on these lists but I think this deserves a mention ....Two mistakes occurred on the rumoured list of exclusives I saw. Airazor from Slipstream wasn't on it, replaced with Arcee from Legends Blackarachnia, which I thought made sense as there was a previous Botcon Arcee from Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia.
The other thing missing from the rumours list was the Customise Class Ratchet, which I would have considered worthy of a more main line release as part of another Autobot Combiner. The item the list had on it was Blue Bluestreak from Dead End/Streetwise. This made vague sense: there's already a Streetwise use in the Botcon exclusives and the customise class toy tends to be a reuse of one already in the exclusive packages. Blue Bluestreak is a "variation", although it only exists as a Diaclone toy with a lot of collector interest and by doing Blue Bluestrek here it allows a proper silver/anime Bluestreak to be done in the main Combiner Wars line or as part of another Autobot Diaclone Combiner boxset.
Alas it was not be and with Ratchet's appearance my dream of owning all 18 Diaclone Autobots in Combiner Wars form took a severe dent.
I wait to see any version of Bluestreak in any of his three colour schemes, but in particular the rumoured blue one, from the various customisers at work out there.
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