Review – Transformers: Power of the Primes “Battleslash”

One of the Duocons released under Hasbro’s Power of the Primes line, Battleslash* is an ingenious update to the 1987 Battletrap (reviewed here). Where the original Duocons were two vehicles that combined to form a single robot, these new Duocons are two separate robot/vehicles that merge into a single larger robot. Think of this as a new form of combiner where there are only two components to the whole.

Alt Mode

First up, here we see Battleslash* in helicopter mode. As a Legends-class toy, Battleslash is smaller and less complex than many Transformers toys, and the limited budget shows in this mode. That gaping hole in the front of the chopper looks pretty weird; too bad there wasn’t a weapon or something that would have plugged in to complete the front end of the toy’s helicopter mode. Still, the rotor does spin and it’s a decent enough vehicle.

Robot Mode

In robot mode, Battleslash* has some wonky proportions, with the toy pretty squat and looking like a bit of a powerhouse. The Hasbro artwork for the character shows Battleslash holding the rotor as a sword, but the toy doesn’t match the art and the rotor is permanently attached to the robot’s forearm. Despite the main design focus being on the combined Battletrap robot, I am happy to report that Battleslash does make a decent Legands-class robot toy.

Closing Thoughts

I never once thought we would see Hasbro return to the Duocon designs, so Battleslash* and his partner, Roadtrap*, took me by complete surprise when they were announced. The toy isn’t an exact upgrade of the classic Battletrap design, but it’s a clever approach and I like that Hasbro kept the two toys as separate releases and didn’t go for some sort of odd two-pack. This is a great buy if you’re a fan of the original Duocons as well as a fun toy for kids who are just now getting into the Transformers line.