Sky Shadow's vehicle mode is a type of combat airplane. (Sky Shadow is an odd name for an Autobot, though-- it sounds inherently evil, really.) This mode looks almost WWII-ish, as you can tell from the silver metallic detailing on the cockpit, as well as the small "bolt" pinpricks in between the cockpit windows. The mold detailing itself is a bit lackluster in some places, while really exquisite in others, so it all balances out as "okay". The proportions of the plane are right on target, and it's quite realistic-looking (if you remove the Energon weapon), especially when compared to many other Energon toys. Sky Shadow has three retractable landing gear on his underside, which is a nice detail on such a small toy. Sky Shadow is also equipped for combat- he's got static machine gun mounted underneath the nosecone, and a rotating twin-barrel cannon underneath the main body of the plane. (Neither of them fire actual missiles.) He also has his Energon weapon mounted behind the plane's cockpit, which is another double-barreled gun. It's rather odd-looking, though, as it has a big plate on top of it that doesn't really serve any real function except for when it's a gestalt foot or something. It just is kinda slapped onto of the gun unceremoniously. It's also rather large when compared to Sky Shadow as a whole, so it ruins the streamlined look of the mode a little. Other small complaints are that the robot hands are a little visible next to the rear turbines, and the main wings jut out from the very bottom of the plane, rather than the middle where they should be. None of these downsides really ruin the mode, though-- it's still a pretty solid plane.
    Sky Shadow's robot mode is pretty good-looking, and a bit better than the plane mode, in fact. The proportions, again, are top-notch- a rarity for Energon Autobots in their robot modes. His articulation is also great- he can be put into pretty much any position you can reasonably expect on a basic toy, as most of his joints are ball joints. I also like his turbine-hands-- they resemble the hand-guns that Armada Thrust had, but if you prefer your 'bot to have hands, they're molded into the plastic right behind the turbines. The wings on Sky Shadow's back help complement the mode, not subtract from it, so Sky Shadow really doesn't have any alt mode kibble. His lower legs are asymmetrical-- one of the feet is formed by the plane's cockpit, while the other is formed by the gun under said cockpit-- but they aren't terribly different from each other, so it's easily overlooked. What ISN'T easily overlooked, however, is Sky Shadow's face-- it's my single biggest complaint on the toy, as it looks just plain goofy. It's squat, rounded, and has no discernable nose, while some ugly brownish-green paint is used on the forehead and mouth. It's a rather milky type of paint, so instead of a mouth, it looks like Sky Shadow has some goofy kind of mustache in place. Plus, the rotating turret-cannon rests on top of his head, looking like some kind of odd antennae. I really wish his head design was completely different... Another, small, complaint is that it's rather difficult to get Sky Shadow to hold his Energon weapon in robot mode, as the holes in his hands are blocked a little by the plastic right next to them that is used for the turbines. The holes also seem a tad small when compared to the peg on the Energon weapon-- you really have to cram that weapon in there, which is a pretty difficult feat, as the peg folds into the main weapon far too easily. Sky Shadow's Autobot spark crystal is in the center of his chest in this mode, and his lone Powerlinx port is only visible once you unfold his Energon weapon, so it's not very useful.
    According to his instructions, Sky Shadow forms Superion Maximus' right leg, though if you use the "arm" transformation given in his mold-mate Terradive's instructions, you can make him any appendage on the gestalt that you want.
    Sky Shadow is overall a pretty solid basic, although he does suffer from a few minor problems, like an odd robot face and wings in his plane mode that are too low. He's still a lot of fun to play with, though, and looks pretty nice overall. Recommended.

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Review by Beastbot

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