I haven’t made any posts in such a long time that I’m beginning to feel guilty. So I’m doing one today. And getting his 15 minutes of fame today is… Warpath. Yes, this guy is way too hyper and loves explosions way too much. Warpath is perfectly suited for a Michael Bay movie, so it’s kinda surprising that he never appeared in one. These two need to be introduced.
I have most of my Warpath figures out and about for some odd reason. So I dug out the remaining ones from their hiding spaces, and I proudly present to you my Warpath collection. Pics below.
From left to right:
Back row: Generations, War For Cybertron Kingdom, Fans Toys Sheridan
Front row: Universe, G1, Combiner Wars
I’m going to present some quick thoughts on each of these figs, in what I think was the order released.
G1
G1 Warpath is the toy that started it all. I believe what I have here is a genuine G1 article, acquired in the early 2010s off eBay. He’s in OK shape. Obviously for today’s standards, this toy is not the best. But for 80s standards, this little transforming tank is quite a marvel. The tank mode looks good. The robot mode, while weird, has a great design in that the main cannon ends up on the chest. The Autobot forces needed more than just cars, and Warpath’s unique tank alt mode gave the good guys something to brag about.
Universe
Universe Warpath is probably the oldest of these figs, if you don’t include G1. This was probably the first G1 style Warpath released in the modern day. I was happy to get this fig at the time, simply because there was no other figs to represent Warpath in CHUG. The legend size is good, reminiscent of the G1 Mini-Bot. Neither mode is all that G1 accurate, and the overall color scheme definitely strays from G1. If you don’t already have this Warpath, there’s really not much reason to get this fig now.
Generations
In my opinion, this is the first quality Warpath that we got in the modern day. And to my surprise, this figure still holds up well today in 2021. The figure is good size, being the 2nd largest of the Warpaths I have. And it was only $10. Hasbro does not make figures of this size for this cheap anymore, that’s for sure. Generations Warpath feels solid and well-constructed. Transformation is fun and intuitive. Robot mode is well-proportioned. Colors are G1 accurate. The head mold is modeled more after the G1 toy, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Detractors will say that Generations Warpath is not too G1 accurate overall, and at deluxe size he’s too big in CHUG for his Mini-Bot stature. These are legitimate gripes. But as far as being a nicely built figure and being a playable toy, this is my favorite Warpath here. If you can find one today, buy this figure.
Combiner Wars
Combiner Wars Warpath (say that 3 times fast) is probably my least favorite of the Warpaths here. Other than his head mold, colors, and scale, he’s not at all G1 accurate. He’s the only Warpath here to not have the tank main cannon placed on his chest in robot mode. Instead, the cannon ends up on the arm, explained by the fact that this figure is a repaint of legend size Thrilling 30 Megatron. Transformation scheme is vastly different from all other Warpaths. The arms come together in alt mode to form the main turret, squeezing the main cannon between them. This scheme is used way too often for tank Transformers. But worst of all, this is not a fun figure. Transformation, while simple, feels more like a chore than enjoyment, partly because this figure is not that well built. There is no value to getting Combiner Wars Warpath today.
Fans Toys Sheridan
Sheridan is Fans Toys’ take on a Masterpiece-style Warpath. And all fanboys of Fans Toys will tell you that G1 cartoon accuracy is held in the highest regard in all of Fans Toys’ offerings. Sheridan is no exception. He looks great in both robot mode and tank mode. The tank mode is especially fantastic, exactly like how I imagine a M551 Sheridan tank to look represented in MP form. The robot mode, while good, looks a tad skinny in my opinion. I think he should be shorter in robot mode. Next to some standard size MP Carbots (like Sideswipe or Prowl), Sheridan feels too tall. Transformation of Sheridan from one mode to another is somewhat challenging. I needed the instructions from robot to tank. On the reverse transformation, I kinda needed it too. The transformation can be committed to memory, but you will have to transform the figure quite a few times. If you can find a copy of FT Sheridan today without too much markup, definitely get one. All FT figures go for double these days, so expect to pay a premium. Sheridan looks great in your MP lineup. And quite honestly, I’m not aware of any other MP style Warpaths. I can’t imagine anyone transforming Sheridan over and over. This figure can be played with, but not many will.
War For Cybertron Kingdom
Last but not least, we have the recently released Warpath in the WFC Kingdom line. The newest Warpath is by far the most G1 accurate Warpath that Hastak has ever released. The robot mode, alt mode, colors, and scale, all subscribe to Warpath’s G1 design. He’s sold as deluxe, but he is a bit shorter than deluxe Carbots made in the WFC line. Transformation is not difficult, but it’s not super simple either. The legs can be a bit complex, but nothing that experienced TransFans can’t figure out. There is a shield in robot mode. And this shield is used to lock the legs together in alt mode at the bottom. Hardcore G1 nitpickers will probably bash the existence of this shield, and I do wish they engineered the transformation process sans shield. But this is not a deal breaker by any means. WFC Kingdom Warpath is the truest G1 update we have got as a mass retail product. No G1-er would pass this up.
BAM! POW! KABOOM! Transform and Roll Out!