Predacons and Predaking

I've found that with US G1 collectors, there is one of two combiners typically hailed as their favorite. Devastator and Predaking. Predaking is by far the largest of the G1 combiners, even if you include the Japanese ones as well. 

Funny story about this set of Predacons. Before the 2010 reissue, I ended up selling my Predaking that I had picked up from V at my first con on cybertron.ca before the 2010 reissue was announced. 

At TFcon 2011 when I restarted collecting G1, I went with the idea I wanted some deals, mainly Wheeljack, Predaking, and Darkwing and Dreadwind. I got almost all of my want list and then some. (minus the Powermaster jets) I seen a Predaking for sale in the dealer room for significantly less than what I had sold him for (thanks to the reissue) and picked it up.

In my hotel room later, I was looking over the figure, and it was eerily familiar, same missing parts, same damage to the one sticker, etc. I pm'd the guy I sold it to and asked him if he had sold the Predaking I sold him, and he said that he had done so at the show. So, three years after I had reluctantly sold him off, the same one was back in my collection. 

I had to find three of the swords and three of the sets of small guns, but that was pretty easy, in the end including the first time I bought him and sold him, the grand total for it was $25. 

So, without further ado, we'll get to the figure itself. The individual bots are between deluxe and voyager size, The limb bots are all equipped with a sword and two small guns. Divebomb's bird mode is pretty fierce looking, the wings are articulated up and down, but not back and forth. 

In bot mode the bird's head acts as a hat for him, and the wings give him a very iconic silhouette. The colours on them are all the same red, yellow, black and orange with the gold highlights. He forms the left arm of Predaking. 

The right arm bot is Rampage, his cat mode is decent, I like that they articulated the jaws of the cats and Divebomb. Each of them has an attack mode like most of the other combiners, Which is what is shown in the pictures. He forms the right arm. 

In bot mode, they are some of the best combiner limbs, having a few points of articulation, In the case of Rampage, Razorclaw, and Divebomb, waist swivels, knees, shoulders, waist swing. Tantrum and Headstrong have head swivels and more joints in their arms. 

Headstrong's beast mode can carry one of the footplates as a huge double cannon. I really like how they positioned the legs on him to be more centered and evoke the look of an actual rhino. He forms the left leg.

In bot mode, the legs collapse into the chest, giving him two large black rectangles for a chest plate, with the rear legs swinging around inside the bot mode legs. One thing that the original pulls off better than Feral Rex is the lack of animal mode leg kibble, it all has a place to fold up into or onto.

Tantrum also carries a foot on his back, with him forming the right leg. 

His bot mode is pretty awkward looking, but still ok. The front legs just fold flush with his back, making him the weakest kibble-wise. 

Razorclaw forms the torso of Predaking, he has a large transforming gun that can be mounted either on his shoulder or the back of the beast mode. 

In bot mode, he has the weakest element of the whole set, his stubby arms, when compared to Divebomb's or Rampage's, it's a wonder they didn't do something to extend them more. Especially when the rest of the figure is so good. 

Finally, Predaking, He's easily the most poseable of all the G1 combiners, with knees, waist, waist swivel, elbows, shoulders, wrist swivel, bicep swivel, and a raising head. Razorclaw's gun is transformed into an arm mounted cannon for combined mode, the sword shown was a gift from my friend in Scotland. 

A really great set, It's nice that it's so easy to get a hold of one now. I'm also glad to have this one back in my collection, it's not the only piece that I sold back then that has migrated back to me either.