Sunstreaker (Combiner Wars)
Vehicle ModeRobot Mode
Allegiance: Autobot
Size: Deluxe
Difficulty of Transformation to Robot: Easy
Difficulty of Transformation to Leg: Very Easy
Difficulty of Transformation to Arm: Very Easy
Color Scheme: Semi-metallic sunny yellow, black, moderately light milky gray, and some metallic black, silver, moderately light red, dark blue, and light metallic silvery blue
Rating: 7.8

(NOTE: Because this is a repaint, this is not a full-blown review. This mainly covers any changes made to the mold and the color scheme, and merely compares it to Combiner Wars Breakdown. For a review on the mold itself, read the review of Combiner Wars Breakdown here.)

    You knew this one was coming ever since seeing Breakdown-- the hand/foot/gun weapon was most definitely aimed for THIS redeco and not Breakdown. Without any remolding done to the vehicle mode, it fits Sunstreaker perfectly to a tee, with the usual Sunstreaker colors of black and yellow-- with a bit of gray in robot mode-- present. I'm not usually a fan of yellow, but Hasbro picked pretty much the best possible shade of yellow for Sunstreaker-- a rather semi-metallic, SUNNY shade of the color that not only fits the name, but looks pretty nice with all the glitter in it. The black serves as a nice foil to the yellow, particularly in robot mode, where there are a surprising number of paint apps specific to said mode. The addition of black on the lower chest and lower legs really helps vary up Sunstreaker's colors a lot, and keeps him from being TOO yellow as a robot. The gray plastic is, unfortunately, the rather boring shade of milky gray that's on far too many TFs, but Sunstreaker's is a shade or two darker than usual, making it mildly more palatable, especially since it's really only visible on the upper legs and accessories. As for the vehicle mode, the light metallic silvery blue not only contrasts well against the yellow, but helps to tie Sunstreaker in with his fellow "Optimus Maximus" components, given they all have the same shade of paint for their windows. There's also some nice silver paint on the accessories and the wheel hubs, but the surprise here color-wise is the addition of some moderately light red on the rear sides of the vehicle mode (as well as some small bits on the robot shoulders), which is used in a more dynamic way and in a larger amount than on the G1 toy. It looks nice and just gives that extra bit of color variance to the toy that was largely missing on the Universe 2.0 version. That said, some paint on the rear spoiler/vents in vehicle mode would have been appreciated.
    Sunstreaker does have one mold change-- obviously, a new headsculpt. It's done very well and proportioned quite well, keeping all the unique features like a round head with large yellow side antennae and a fairly "normal" silver face with some nice dark blue eyes. It's a nice update of the G1 look to make it look more "natural" while making it very clearly the same character. No complaints here.
    Combiner Wars Sunstreaker was pretty well-done, and honestly works better for the mold than Breakdown did. The particular shade of yellow plastic chosen is PERFECT for the character, and the amount of black, light silvery blue, and red paint helps keep him from looking too yellow, especially in robot mode. That said, this IS still one of the weakest deluxe molds from the Combiner Wars line, despite the nice color scheme, and because of that unless you can't find the Universe 2.0 version for a reasonable price or just really want a combining Sunstreaker, I'd pass on this version for the superior Universe 2.0 mold.



Sunstreaker Comic Bio:
A Combiner robot needs contributions from every bot that forms it, and Optimus Maximus is no different. Optimus Prime can bring the courage. Prowl can bring the strategy. Sunstreaker? He makes this Combiner look goooood.
SUBGROUP: Optimus Maximus
FUNCTION: Warrior

Pre-mission psych-screening report by Rung, Autobot Psy-Ops Specialist:
Sunstreaker has always enjoyed spending time on Earth, especially since humans tend to stare at him in both robot and vehicle mode. At his spark, Sunstreaker is a courageous and skilled soldier-- it's just that his spark is covered by the most stunning and shiny metal you've ever seen. The only Cybertronian with nearly the same flash and style is his twin brother Sideswipe. Aside from him being yellow and Sideswipe being red, there's one other easy way to tell them apart. According to Sunstreaker, "I'm the good-looking one." Carries a highly polished cyber machete as well as a high-yield electron pulse cannon capable of firing 300 bursts per second.
CONCLUSION: Cleared for mission.

HISTORY (extracted from compulsory biographical download):
Sunstreaker has been an Autobot stalwart; a volunteer for the Ark that first landed on Earth as well as a member of the initial crew aboard the Lost Light spacecraft. He's an interesting study-- conceited enough to crash a shuttle while staring at his own reflection, but selfless enough to detonate a bridge alone while his teammates escape. Forms either an arm or a leg of Optimus Maximus, the combined form of Optimus Prime.


Review by Beastbot

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