Sunday, February 12, 2012

Head Robots: Blood the Dark Warrior Review


Welcome back to another edition of Saibaa Nichiyoobi. As mentioned before from my review of Bludgeon, I want to review an upgrade kit for him called, Blood the Dark Warrior. After market manufacturers, Head Robots, produced extra accessories that are supposed to replace some of the major complaints we have with Bludgeon. Did the upgrade kit live up to our expectations? Let's find out!

Before we begin, I should again point out that Blood the Dark Warrior only includes accessories for Voyager class R.O.T.F. Bludgeon. Bludgeon is sold separately by Hasbro, so you have to pay for two different products to complete the set. To view what Bludgeon looked like before his makeover, click HERE.

What Is Inside the Kit:
  • 2 chromed swords (katana and tanto)
  • A green tip for the turret
  • An upgraded head with 2 different faces (orig. skull face or IDW comics ver.)
  • Instructions on the back of the card
Assembly:  Assembling the upgrade kit seems simple, but tough at the same time. You have to angle your Phillips screwdriver as the screw is removed. I highly recommend using a thin screwdriver about the size for watch or eye glasses repair for this task. Click the instructions for higher resolution.


Evaluation:  The upgraded katana and tanto are far better than Bludgeon's original swords.


The problems I had with Bludgeon's original weapons were they looked bland in color (light gray) and they couldn't perfectly fit in his hands without a little excessive force. Head Robots redesigned both swords out of hard plastic with a fantastic chrome finish.


The katana is a little shorter, but both weapons can slide in Bludgeon's hands a lot better and they can be stored in the usual sheaths.



One minor problem you may have with these swords is they can't combine together to make a double bladed staff.

Another addition to the swords is a green tip for Bludgeon's turret.


When Bludgeon is in robot mode, you can attach the turret tip to his mini-gun for your convenience.


There are some reviewers that complained about the extremely loose fitting of their caps on the handle of Bludgeon's sword, but my piece fits securely as evidenced by this photo.


As you can see, Bludgeon's katana is able to hang upside down from his backpack because the tip snugly fits on the handle. I even tried to shake the cap off, but that thing stayed on pretty well. Therefore, I can assure you that the problem doesn't happen to everyone.

Bludgeon's redesigned head is probably the biggest motivation to buy this kit. There are two types of faces to choose from: Bludgeon's skull face similar to G1 or IDW comics version.


To switch between the two faces, simply remove the helmet then rotate his head. My personal favorite option is the G1, skull faced look. Even though the skull face has this grin, I still sense something a little maniacal behind that smile. If the skull face looks too bland, Head Robots recommend you to dry brush and wipe the nose and teeth for better details.



My only problem with this head is the helmet can easily pop off during transformation when you're not 110% careful. The helmet is sturdy, but sometimes I fear that it could break without extra care. Be sure to secure Bludgeon's new head when it goes through the shoulders. This redesigned head unfortunately cannot rotate 90 degrees like before, but there is still some rotation though.

Final Thoughts: Overall this upgrade kit certainly breathes new life to Bludgeon's original look. The weapons are better and Bludgeon's new face is spectacular, but I do find a few faults with the head, which could affect how you value this item. In today's market, Big Bad Toy Store sells their kits around $18 (not including shipping charges). If you want to revamp your Bludgeon figure and think that $18 is a fair price, feel free to purchase this kit.



Do you prefer this upgraded look too? Drop a comment below if you think this version is awesome!

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