Posted September 5, 2016 at 3:30 am

Both Hasbro and Takara tackled Computron separately, and with suprisingly different results.  Like, despite both versions of Computron technically being attempts at the same Computron character, 3 out of the 5 toys are different base molds from their counterparts (and Hasbro adds a sixth).  Strafe is one of the biggest differences.

Hasbro took Air Raid and extensively retooled him to replace all of his Earth fighter jet parts with new Strafe spacejet parts, and also gave him a new head.  It's not a bad job.  In a vaccum, it goes above and beyond what you might expect for a set of toys that seems to have been a late decision in the lineup.  Strafe easily coulda been an unmodified Earth jet.  And so he's neat on the face of him.

(Like, literally, since Hasbro's Strafe head is awesome.  Its original-toy-accurate sculpt is the best part of his design.)

But damn, it's hard to resist the siren call of TakaraTomy's Strafe.  It, too, is an extensive retool, but of Blast Off, the completely new Combaticon shuttle they engineered.  Blast Off was a toy I already liked a whole bunch, except for how his head pops off when you swing his neck assembly out of the way in arm or leg mode.  The Protectobot Rook I think I've praised for being the best deluxe in the line, and Blast Off has a lot of similaritied with Rook.  They both can do the Hulk Hand thing, for example; plug combiner hands into the ports in front of his fists, and it's clobbering time.  Also like Rook, Blastoff has sideways ankle tilts.  Improving on Rook, Blast Off has additional 5mm peg ports inside his fists (so he can hold a gun normally) and also two more on the underside of each forearm.  

TakaraTomy's Strafe improves on many of these things.  First of all, the head doesn't pop off anymore when you transform him into arm or leg mode.  It stays in place, which by itself just makes him a billion times better.  His torso also transforms backwards from Blast Off, leaving the vehicle nose kibble on his back instead of giving him a massive barrel gut.  He no longer partsforms, requiring you to move his shuttle tailfin from its proper placement in vehicle mode to his back in robot mode -- Strafe still has removeable (and separately hinged) tailfins, but they don't have to move during transformation.  Strafe's two main orange cannons are removeable, and as they're 5mm compatible, they can go into his various ports.  

TakaraTomy's Strafe, I've decided, is my favorite Combiner Wars-style limb.  It's everything Previous First Placer Rook can do, but more, and as a spaceship.  Seriously, he's the best guy.  

....once I stole Hasbro's Strafe head and put it on him instead and painted it white to match, anyway.  

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