Rounding out our galleries of the Combiner Wars Combaticons, we have a look at the member of the team who’s arguably transcended his identity as a Combaticon and become a full-on character in his own right. We are talking about the one and only Swindle!
Swindle is a very nicely done toy. He’s a remold of Protectobot Rook – and he’s one of those remolds where so much has been redone that you can still just about see the original toy in there, it transforms the same way, but ultimately, it looks completely different unless you look really hard for the similarities.
Swindle’s got his classic deco present and correct, and that means a lot of mustard yellow with some purple and black. Unlike Rook, Swindle has proper fists with 5mm sockets in the hands rather than on the front of the gauntlets. Like Rook, he also has ankle tilts, though I found them to be a little less effective in holding poses than Rook. The vehicle mode really shines – it is a proper military jeep, like Generation 1 Swindle, rather than an SUV, like most of the other Swindles to have come along in the intervening years.
This version of Swindle is, simply put, the star of the assortment. He looks great in both modes and is a lot of fun to play with. Extremely well recommended on his own merits, and also as the right leg of Bruticus. Check out his gallery to see if you too share my excitement for this one:
Rack n Ruin
Yeah, I had a feeling that may the case. It does at least have the single barrelled look of the G1 arm cannon, though. I think CW Silverbolt/Cyclonus' gun barrel may look good, but be rather long. Plus, I don't have a spare that I can use!
Any photos of potential G1 arm cannons attached to CW Swindle's arm would be welcome.
Soundwinder
I'm going to try various guns until I get one that fits. I'll try to get a pic of him with Cyclonus' gun tonight, it really looks pretty decent. Huffer's gun is going to be too small, it's just a smidge bigger than his default gun.
Rack n Ruin
Thanks, both of you. A shame about G1 Swindle's cannon. I am slightly tempted to cut the smaller post off the bottom of my old G1 gun, seeing as my G1 Swindle is in a box and will likely stay that way. Or I may try the gun that came with CW Huffer – that has a 5mm post, I think. The gun itself may be too small though. We shall see…
Soundwinder
So… update. For some reason, Silverbolt's gun won't work, but Cyclonus' does. The base of my Silverbolt's gun is a bit narrower for some reason. How odd.
Autobot Burnout
I like how the head makes it seem as if he's got a huge stereotypical car salesman nose.
But yeah, this guy looks excellent and if I only can get one Combaticon, it needs to be Swindle (Brawl is a close second, but given the things I've heard about it…)
But Swindle's only combiner port is located in the front, just behind his feet.
Plus, unless I'm mistaken, Brawl is the only one of the four limb bots with two HFG ports, feet folded back for leg mode and left unfolded for arm mode. Vortex and Blast Off are repaints of molds that don't have two different sockets. And while I do see how Swindle could have been designed to retain the "toe" socket ala Rook for a taller limb option, I also think its omission is more to do with the overall concept of Combiner Wars limbs needing to be able to match the height of any other limb – which leaves Brawl the odd man out as he's the only CW mold whose combination ratchet connector isn't stored vertically within the body. For leg mode, his upper body actually turns up to orient the connector joint into a suitable knee, giving the lower leg itself more height and thus needing to fold the feet back to be equal with any of the other three combaticon limbs. In Arm mode, however, the upper body does not rotate up, needing the feet to stay unfolded to lengthen the wrist so the arm doesn't look slightly smaller than the other combiner arm.
Plus, you wouldn't even get that much of a height increase anyway. Assuming Swindle's foot socket was the same as Rook's, all you'd get is the same effect as putting a second HFG under the feet:
Neko-bot77
He does get good weapons, but he keeps selling them. This is all he's left with in inventory
Soundwinder
Nope. The port is super shallow, and G1 Swindle's gun needs a deep port thanks to the 3mm peg.
Additionally, I thought CW Silverbolt's rifle would look good, but its 5mm peg is super long so it falls out very easily.
Tonight I'm going to try to find my Animated Swindle's gun, see if that works.
Let me know if anyone else has ideas for weapons for him. I find it really weird that Swindle keeps getting shafted in terms of weapons.
Sol Fury
You'd need a head that is about the same size as the existing – it needs to fit between the arms for the transformation. Probably will need a third party head to do the job, Animated's attaches in a different way and is too big.
Autoboty
So, is there any way to give him the Swindle's Salesman Smile(TM)?
Transplant Animated Swindle's head, perhaps?
Sol Fury
Thanks for the complements all! Knowing you all dig my photos makes it even more fun to take them in the first place
Nice spot! I did not know that!
Thank you! I'm also in the Baldigus / Ruination wanting camp (as are a lot of the staff!)
Combiner addiction? Careful, that can lead to collecting Brave.
Oh yes, definitely. I can remember people asking for this as far back as 2004 when the Energon combiners came out. Got to give Hasbro credit for figuring out how to give us the whole Voyager torso / deluxe limbs / five distinct toys combiners which were said to be plain not workable for a long long time. To their credit, such a thing probably was not workable until just recently. Needed FoC Bruticus to test the market.
Not got the gun to hand to test, and the lightbox has Buzzsaw roosting in it, but yes, theoretically the socket size should be the same and that should be possible.
Novaburnhilde
Love this figure.
Another great gallery.
Autovolt 127
Bot for sale.
Rack n Ruin
Nice photos of a nice looking figure. Thanks!
A quick question: Can G1 Swindle's large cannon mount on CW Swindle's shoulder port, leaving the CW gun to be hand held? If so, could someone take a quick photo please? Thank you!
FormTranser
These are great pictures, exactly what I wanted to see. Thank you! I got excited when I saw the Combaticon deluxe wave at my local Walmart, only they didn't have Swindle, just two each of the others. I decided to pick up Brawl (and I think I'll wait for the Takara versions of the others). Also had the leader class Skywarp, but gotta wait a bit on that. Anyway, great pictures, looks like a solid addition to my collection. What I'm really looking forward to is Hound.
We really gotta give props to Hasbro for the Combiner Wars series. It is essentially everything the fan base has been seeking for a good while now.
Megasquared
Swindle is pretty bland all around. Swindle is sparse on paint apps, has visible hands in his alt mode, no front port in vehicle mode to give Bruticus more height, would be nice if the backpack sat more flush, none descripted alt mode, he looks like a humvee mated with a lunar rover. Most disappointing figure in the wave and definitely not my star attraction.
majinh27
Not to sure if any one has figured this out, you can pop swindle's gun in the tab slot under the roof for a shoulder mounted look
majinh27
Not to sure if any one has figured this out, you can pop swindle's gun in the tab slot under the roof for a shoulder mounted look
PredaConvoy
I love the heads on the Combaticons, tons of character (even those with faceplates). Your pics always make me want the toys, Sol.. I am going UW to match my box sets, looking forward to getting Onslaught and the boys! Is it bad that I want a Combatron Baldigus repaint as well? (I plan on getting Hasbro G2 set cos it looks sweet!)
… I think I may have an addiction to combiners. Oh dear.
Trip2boy
This is so true. I just got him yesterday, and he is wonderful! Too bad Wave 3 missed me…
Onslaught24
YES! At last they're complete! You did this set some true justice, Sol! I have 'em and I'm still drooling over your pics