(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 the original Prime "Robots in Disguise" voyager Optimus Prime figure. For a review on the mold itself, read the review of the original Prime "Robots in Disguise" voyager Optimus Prime figure here.)

    Unlike his original Prime version, this version of Ultra Magnus is a fairly extensive remold of Optimus Prime-- as fits Magnus' model in the show, which presumably wasn't an entirely new model because of budgetary reasons. Nearly all of the remolding done is done primarily for Ultra Magnus' robot mode. First and most obviously he has a new headsculpt, which is spot-on to the show and has the appropriate stoic look on his face, with a nice dark blue paint app on his central headcrest with a nice red "jewel" in the center and a silver face, all of which looks great. The robot shoulders have also been lengthened, with missile launchers near the top-- the tops of the shoulder missile launchers can move forward-and-back slightly, though having the missiles in their slots restricts this movement. There are little clip-holders for the missiles on the sides of the missile launcher pieces if you don't want to load him up, though. The robot chest has also been re-done, with details to make it look much more like Ultra Magnus' traditional chest design, complete with a red stripe running across it and even a little extra piece that folds out below it for the robot mode. The biggest mold change, though, is a rather extensive winged backpack that is not unlike 2013 voyager Beast Hunter Optimus' backpack-- this one, though, can be detached in either mode. (Each section of two wings can rotate up-and-down at one point and out at one point; the two wings on each side can't move independently.) There's also clips on the sides of two of the wings to give you another option of where to store Magnus' two missiles. The backpack section is very well-detailed in terms of the mold, with little things like coils and exhaust ports visible. Additionally this mold's original "Powerizer" weapon and sword have been scrapped and replaced with the "Forge of Solus" hammer, which is detailed quite like the show but rather undersized considering how huge the thing is in the show. This all looks nice in robot mode, but in vehicle mode unfortunately it makes the back half look like a mess. The big backpack stuff doesn't really fit in with the back half of the vehicle mode at all, though at least it pegs in securely back there; the worst offenders are the added shoulder pad-launchers, which just sort of angle out behind the main portion of the truck cab and look incredibly awkward and out-of-place. Magnus' chest remold also means that his front windows are almost entirely covered by a red bar-- making it hard to make a driver see if one's inside him! On a lesser note, though, the sides of the nose of the truck have been remolded slightly to give Magnus some 5mm ports in this mode to hold compatible weapons if you want to pump him up even more.
    Ultra Magnus' color scheme is very much by-the-book, being primarily blue with some dark blue and red and a lot of light gray. Unfortunately, this definitely isn't the toy that pulls off the Magnus color scheme the best. The light gray is that very blah, milky gray that is just incredibly boring and should have been a more metallic-looking shade. The light blue is also rather flat and should have been just a touch darker; as widespread as it is, it just doesn't contrast well enough with the light gray. The dark blue-- mostly on Magnus' vehicle roof and windows-- is so dark it looks too close to the black on his wheels, and I would have preferred that it had been replaced with Magnus' signature white and/or red, the former of which is missing completely from this toy. The red accents on his shoulders, chest, and lower legs look great, however, and I wish they had been used a bit more. This is particularly the case with his backpack, which is almost entirely that unpainted blah light gray (only the head of the hammer is painted silver). The silver paint on places like the sides of his vehicle mode goes great against the blue, however.
    Beast Hunters voyager Ultra Magnus is a great toy--in robot mode. I appreciate the added big flight-pack and hammer (undersized as it is), and the extent of the remolding-- however, it all ends up being a bit of a mess in vehicle mode. This version of Magnus' color scheme is also "off" slightly, particularly with how light the main color of blue is, and all that light milky gray isn't doing him any favors, either. If you want a show-accurate Ultra Magnus, this is the best version you can get, though-- as bad as some parts of his vehicle mode are, it's still a much more solid alt mode than on the other releases of his Beast Hunters design.

(Continued from Chapter 15, Voyager Grimwing)
Ultra Magnus sees the massive Predacon coming from a mile away. He doesn't know who the big dragon is, and he doesn't care. All he knows is that the dragons are dangerous, and must be defeated. He converts to robot mode and leaps into the air, bringing the Forge of Solus around in a shattering blow that would destroy a lesser robot. Grimwing takes the blow, and is only momentarily fazed. The battle is short, violent, and never in doubt. It ends with Ultra Magnus on the ground, disarmed and barely functional. Grimwing stands over him. "Pathetic," he says. "I hoped to learn something from you, but this new race of Cybertronians must all be liars and savages." He leans down to look into the optics of his Autobot opponent, "Be warned. This world is in grave danger from my fellow Predacons. I will restrain them. You and your fellows stay out of my way or be destroyed." And then he is gone, leaving Ultra Magnus dented and smoking in the dust.
(Continued in Chapter 17, Ultimate Beast Hunter Optimus Prime)

Forge of Solus:
-Nearly equal to the Star Saber in power.
-Powered by a miniature neutron star at its core.
-Maximum power level unknown. Ultra Magnus never uses more than 50% power for fear of destroying the planet.

Strength: 10.0
Intelligence: 8.0
Speed: 5.0
Endurance: 9.0
Rank: 9.0
Courage: 10.0
Fireblast: 9.0
Skill: 6.0

Review by Beastbot

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