I’m a Bludgeon fanboy, and I don’t apologize for it. The Transformers G1 comics by Simon Furman are “my” Transformers canon, so I have a special place in my heart for characters emphasized during that series like Bludgeon. Though he served as the Decepticon leader at the end of the original Transformers comic and the beginning of Transformers Generation 2, the samurai skeleton Bludgeon received precious little in the way of toy attention–that is, until a few years ago when Hasbro realized just how popular ol’ skull-faced Bludgeon is. Now, not only has he had several regular mass-released Transformers toys (of varying quality), but Bludgeon has been immortalized with his very own LEGO Minifigure-like Kre-O Micro-Changer figure!

The Right:

I never in my wildest dreams imagined I’d own a Bludgeon minifigure, but Hasbro has managed to shock my wallet into submission with this little Bludgeon Kre-O Micro-Changer figure as part of the first set of 2013 Kre-O Transformers Micro-Changers blind bags.

Better still, this Bludgeon Kreon is an incredible throwback to his Generation 1 Pretender toy! Micro-Changer Bludgeon’s tank treads are a very close teal green to what his inner robot’s treads were way back in 1989, and Hasbro even have Bludgeon a lavender-colored barrel to match his turret color from the vintage toy! Remove his black “vest” piece and there’s a faithful reproduction of Bludgeon’s 1989 armor printed on his torso underneath! Seriously, this is some real love and fanservice Hasbro is showing longtime fans right here.

No robot samurai skeleton would be complete without a katana to wield (I mean, other than the original G1 Bludgeon), and Kre-O Series 1 Bludgeon is no exception. His sword looks great in either hand and clips in tightly. Thanks to the increased articulation Transformers Kre-O have (as opposed to LEGO Minifigures), Bludgeon can take on a couple of cool stances with his sword and has a variety of dynamic poses possible.

Since samurai skeleton Bludgeon was a Pretender shell, some people forget his inner robot turned into a tank. Hasbro obviously didn’t, as this Kreon Bludgeon also turns into a tank. I wasn’t expecting much (at all) from the tank mode, but it’s actually pretty passable. The “transformation” only takes a couple seconds of work, and the G1-like colors make the tank really feel like Bludgeon. I’m not going to be keeping my Transformers Kre-O Bludgeon in tank mode, but it’s about as good as you could hope for.

The Wrong:

The quality of the clip-on treads that attach to Bludgeon really aren’t the best. One is slightly loose, which is annoying, but the other is extremely loose and wobbles around constantly when Bludgeon is in robot mode. Worse, in tank mode it’s too weak and the tank collapses in on itself. I tried to fix the problem using a pair of pliers gently on the clasp, but that only fixed the problem temporarily and left permanent stress marks on the treads. I don’t think I’ve ever had problems with similar accessories from LEGO, so Hasbro needs to up their game a little bit here.

“Where Can I Buy It?!”
I posted the code number list for Kre-O Transformers Micro-Changers Series 1 earlier today if you want to hunt for Bludgeon at retail, but if you just want to order him from home, Bludgeon is easily available for about 5 bucks online.

Overall: Other than some minor quality issues with the clip-on accessories, this 2013 Kre-O Micro-Changers Series 1 is totally killer. I love the attention to detail that makes this Bludgeon feel like his original G1 model, and the Kre-O style of articulation really lends itself well to some sword-fighting action. Even the tank mode looks fairly respectable (for a $3 blind bag mini figure), and this Bludgeon is just so much fun to play with. Great design and execution by Hasbro–I can’t imagine anyone who likes Bludgeon wouldn’t have a blast playing with this Kre-O Transformers Micro-Changers Series 1 toy.

GRADE: A