The G1 Journey

Scavenger Bio:

Desperately tries to prove his worth to comrades by trying to find things of value – whether by digging up hillside or a backyard. Only tolerated by Megatron because of ability to use shovel’s magnetic, ionic, electrical, gas sensors to detect presence of fuels, metals, etc. As right arm module, combines with fellow Constructicons to form giant robot “Devastator”.

Introduction:

Frankly, I’ve heard a lot of negative opinions about Scavenger. Whenever I bring up the Constructicons on TFW2005 or even among my collecting friends, Scavenger is always the weakest link in the chain. Well, why? Why is this toy considered the worst of this fantastic team? I’ve been itching to find out, but just reading his tech spec bio doesn’t exactly give me the best of hopes … Let’s see if Scavenger can “prove his worth” in my G1 Journey.

Alt Mode:

Scavenger’s alt mode is an excavator construction vehicle. Hey, vehicle mode seems like another solid addition to the line up so we’re off to a good start already! However, similar to Long Haul I have a few issues with this figure unfortunately. Let’s start with the positives though, like how his entire shovel base can be rotated 360 degrees! Solid stuff here because it adds to the functionality of this toy, but also the play value. The shovel is also able to extend to a very good length both forward as well as up and down. If you’ve been reading my other entries on the Constructicons, I am a big fan of how these toys do real world things. However, here’s my biggest issue with Scavenger: his shovel bucket doesn’t have an independent swivel 😦 This limits the ability to actually “scoop.” I’m no toy engineer, but I would think one more pin would have done the trick. It’s a bummer, but that’s really only a functional issue. It still looks good!

In Scavenger you get the classic green and purple color scheme and it’s laid out very nicely. You have the dominant green color deco, but then you have these two gorgeous purple treads to power this excavator along. I really like the way these purple treads compliment the figure. There’s also not a lot of stickers on this figure, only two noticeable ones on each side towards the front cab part. I’m pretty happy with Scavenger’s alt mode. I have my complaints, but as a whole I still get a lot of functionality, plenty of play value, and a very decent looking construction vehicle. So far, all the hate isn’t justified …

Transformation:

I get a big sense of deja vu when transforming Scavenger, very similar to Bonecrusher’s transformation, although not nearly as satisfying. Scavenger’s treads flip all the way over his body to become his legs. The bottom of the treads are actually rotated out to become his feet and I HATE it. Not sure if there’s some QC problems or it’s a common thing, but my Scavenger’s feet are prone to popping out if they are over rotated. So I have to get them just right in order to stay on. From here, flip up his head and pull out his arms – robot mode complete. His shovel doesn’t do anything, just stays put sticking all the way out …

Robot mode:

Alright, Scavenger’s robot mode! He’s got a … butt claw? Okay, so I’m starting to see where some of the hate comes from: butt claw, disproportionate body, and some serious balance issues. I get the hate, but the figure isn’t horrible. Let me focus on some of the things I enjoy about this figure. For starters, he’s still a Constructicon. These combiners, such as Long Haul, I’ve felt have suffered due to their triple changing nature. I give somewhat of a pass to Scavenger because I know he has to serve a very specific function in his combination. Even with his combining parts in plain view, they still blend in decent enough to not be such a distraction. This leads me to my next point: his sticker placement. In robot mode Scavenger has a very eye catching set of stickers that break up some of the would-be-distracting points, namely his arm connector piece. The blend of Cybertronian tech stickers makes the robot mode an above average bot.

I can find things I like in this figure and I know he’s no worse than some other G1 bots and even some of his teammates. Am I stretching to find those highlights because of the preconceived hate? Maybe. But regardless, still a solid robot mode if you can move past some negatives, especially the enormous butt claw.

Combined Mode:

As part of the 6 member team that forms Devastator, Scavenger forms the left arm of Devastator. Transformation really involves nothing past plugging his forearm on and extending his shoulder connector. It’s pretty much an excavator arm.

Evolution:

I still remember every piece of hype that was swirling around when TFC toys first teased their first image of their Devastator project: Hercules. Man, the Fandom was BUZZING. TFC’s first release was none other than the updated Classics version of Scavenger: Exgraver. This is a solid update in my opinion. Exgraver has his flaws – I’m not too fond of his legs in particular – but he captures a lot of Scavenger personality in both the alt mode and robot mode. Some improvements include the added mobility of the shovel bucket so you now have more range of motion in alt mode, which means more play value. The best improvement you’ll see is the detachable butt claw on Exgraver. Get this though, you can still have the claw attached to his backside and even do some kind of floating, meditation pose. It’s so ridiculous it’s cool. Overall, I like this evolution. I’m not blown away by either figure, but I appreciate the improvements and similarities from G1 to “Classics.” Check my Transformers Photography section for more pictures of Exgraver in the coming days.

Alt mode comparison:

Robot mode comparison:

When you have Exgraver’s butt claw attached in the traditional G1 way, you don’t get a lot of dynamic posing from this “Classics” figure. However, once you switch things up … you get this result:

Overall rating 6/10:

Overall, I’m finding things I like in Scavenger and somewhat turning a blind eye to his downsides (or … backsides?). Coming into owning this figure, I knew his reputation and I feel that contributes to my feelings toward this toy. If anything, I’m still satisfied owning him because I know he’s no worse than average and he still plays a very important role in one of the most famous teams of all Transformers. And come on … read his tech spec bio again and tell me you don’t feel bad for this guy!