Following in the footsteps of many other recent Takara reissues, here are the E-Hobby exclusive recolours of the Collection #16 Insecticon set, Takara's 76 Insecticon Clone Army. As with many of the G1 reissues so far, this E-Hobby recolour set has been done in the Diaclone colour scheme, so in actual fact to call this set of Insecticons recolours is a slight inaccuracy because these colours were what these moulds were originally released in!

In early-to-mid 1983, Takara released the Insecter Robos as part of their Diaclone line. The Insecters were part of the Waruder army (the bad guys in Diaclone) and were designated Kuwagatorer (Lamellicorns-type pre-Shrapnel), Battas (Grasshopper-type pre-Kickback) and Kabutron/Kabtoron (Beetle-type pre-Bombshell). These were released together as a giftset (Insecter Robo giftset)...

...as well as individually:

You can see that these figures did indeed come with Diaclone drivers from the picture on the front of Kabutron's (Diaclone Bombshell's) box. The Diaclone drivers for these Waruders had slightly bigger bug-like heads with little horns. The individually-packed Insecter Robos came with a yellow foam insert that the toy was wrapped in. So in actual fact, it was the Transformers release of this mould that should be called the 'recolour'. But as convention has it, these are the E-Hobby recolours. They are presented nicely in the E-Hobby Collector's Edition box with the only character art coming from the collector's cards stashed away in the bottom right hand corner of the insert. From that and the above pictures you can see that the character art for these guys (and the regular TF Insecticons) came from straight from the Diaclone line, although I personally feel that the Diaclone giftset was better presented. That said, when Curt sent me the very first online pictures of this set packaged, my reaction was "Wow, cool!". A good start :)

On opening the set, you first come across the Collector's edition robot points and then the very impressive sight of the insert packaging. One of the nice features introduced with this new set of E-Hobby Insecticons (and the regular reissue Insecticons) is the inclusion of the very first factory-produced Energon Cubes for use with Transformers toys. They're a fetching bright pink and a decent size when you consider them in relation to most of the early Decepticon toy line.

Maybe you've noticed something different about the collector's cards issued with this set compared to all the other collector's cards released with Takara's reissue Transformers so far? Apart from the fact that they are now separated from the weapons by a similar-sized transparent plastic card, they don't have the Takara designation number on the front, but they do have them on the back. The Diaclone-coloured Kickback in this set is called "Shot Hole" and is designated 73. The Bombshell is called "Salvo" and has been designated 74. The Shrapnel is called "Zaptrap" and has been given 75. The set of three Clone Insecticons as a whole has been designated 76. All of these numbers were previously unused designations in Takara's original Transformers line, and they are not to be confused with D-73 to D-76 (The individually-packed Japanese Predacons Razorclaw, Tantrum, Headstrong and Divebomb). I like the names Zaptrap and Salvo, but I think Shot Hole is in for some understandable stick from across the fandom.

So why don't these fellas' cards have number designations on the front then? As you can see from the box layout, only one collector's card can be displayed when packaged and that is Shot Hole's. Usually, the visible card in an E-Hobby package represents the whole set. However, since the whole set has been numbered 76, if Shot Hole's number 73 was the sole displayed number, that might give the impression that the set was number 73 as opposed to 76. That's my theory anyway.

Here you can see the designation numbers on the back of the collector's cards and the instructions show that the whole set has been numbered 76 (as does the small tell-tale sticker on the back of the box). The stickersheets are numbered 41, 42 and 43 which are the original designations of the Takara Transformers Insecticons. So the regular reissue Insecticon stickersheets have been put straight into this set as well. I guess the saving in costs was worth the lack of correspondance between the stickersheet numbers and the actual toy designation numbers. This is nothing new with E-Hobby of course, and doesn't really detract from what has been a very impressive release so far. Here's a closer look at the enclosed stickersheets:

These are of course Transformers stickersheets. The original Diaclone stickersheets were a little different. Some of their stickers had what looks like "XR-1" ,"XR-2" and "XR-3" on them. The 1, 2 and 3 were on different stickersheets and were releated to the designation of the toy. If you think in terms of the above stickersheets, Diaclone Kickback (Battas) had "XR-1" on stickers 5 and 6 (sheet "40" above), Diaclone Bombshell (Kabutron/Kabtoron) had "XR-2" on stickers 4 and 5 (sheet "41") and Diaclone Shrapnel (Kuwagatorer) had what looks like "XR-3" on stickers 10 and 11 (sheet "42"). As you can see, the TF stickersheets don't have those designations as they are probably Diaclone Waruder designations. Here are the collector's cards together...

...and here are the accessories:

The guns are different to the originals, but I won't go into those more hard-to-notice modifications/variations. The Energon cubes feel soft and almost malleable, even a little sticky. I'm not entirely sure they aren't candy! I think they look pretty nice from a distance, but on closer inspection there are a number of moulding defects, this being the worst:

They don't appear to have been done particularly well, and all of them have that above defect. It's a little disappointing but I am still pleased that they were considered and added as the set wouldn't be as cool without them.

Now on to the Clone Insecticons themselves, starting with Shot Hole:

Shot Hole looks excellent with the shiny new unworn chrome wings and the sparkly green chest section. The red canopy is also easy on the eyes. Some collectors have expressed distaste towards the overall colour scheme of these toys, and maybe as a whole the colours don't work exceptionally well for some people, but the individual parts do look good. I think the brown plastic on the legs, arms and wheels of Shot Hole is darker than that used on the original Diaclone versions of these toys. From the last two pictures you can see where the Energon Cubes can be stored in insect mode. Previously that space was of course intended for the Waruder pilot. Shot Hole probably looks the best out of the three in insect mode.

Shot Hole, and all of these figures in fact have a good quality feel to them and there are no loose joints in evidence at all. In fact I found it quite hard to manipulate Shot Hole's head and the first time you open the chest cavity, be prepared for a fight! The Kickback mould has always been attractive to me in figure mode mainly because of the position of the wings. The chrome gun adds very nicely to the look of the figure and I just love a TF with an articulated neck.

Now there's a very interesting major moulding issue with Shot Hole that I'd like to highlight. Have a look at him standing side-by-side with an original US Transformers Kickback:

Kickback actually stands a little taller. And why is that? It's the wings. The original Diaclone Insecter Grasshopper had pointy chrome wings which were deemed unsafe for children, hence the rounded bobbles on the end of TF Kickback's wings and his increased height. The great news is that for this E-Hobby release, those pointed wings have been used again. As a result, Shot Hole is even more faithful to the original Diaclone and looks a good deal better for it! If they don't mind using sharp bits for this release, maybe a future reissue Swoop will also have Diaclone-style pointy wings and beak.

Here's a closer look at Shot Hole's collector's card:

Not only have Takara decided not to put the designation number on the card front, they have also decided against the Decepticon faction symbol on Shot Hole's chest. If you look at character art on the box of any TF Kickback you will see the Decepticon insignia on the right side of his chest. In the case of Shot Hole however, Takara have (probably indirectly) harkened back even more to the original Diaclone release of this toy by not giving him that symbol in the artwork. An oversight maybe? This same issue exists on the other two collector's cards as well. Speaking of the other two...

Salvo has the least chrome in insect mode and I think as a result, probably isn't the most impressive looking of the three in this mode. His transformation is also the simplest of the three figures in the set. Again you can see the red compartment that opens up to house the Energon Cube. It's not by any means a snug fit on any of the figures as the the cube is noticeably smaller than the chest cavities. As was the case with Shot Hole, that cavity originally belonged to a Waruder Diaclone driver.

Transform Salvo into robot mode however, and suddenly he is all manner of badass. Shiny chrome gun and legs make for a sparkly and eye-catching specimen. Excellent-looking broad shoulders and an ominous stinger lurking in the background, yet playing a very significant role in making Salvo easily the most menacing and intimidating member of the Clone Insecticon team. The Salvo/Bombshell head mould is also extremely memorable and quite unique. It also adds to the evil look of this particular figure. Again, no looseness and what feels like newly modified ratcheting joints. I must say however that it can be a little difficult to get the legs exactly right as sometimes they don't align correctly. It seems like a slight quality issue to me there, but let it not take anything away from what is probably the best looking robot mode out of the three Clones.

It should also be noted that the original Diaclone version of this toy had a special-jointed stinger/antenna section that was capable of folding over so that you could point it straight over the robot's head. If you look at Salvo's, Kabutron/Kabtoron's and Bombshell's artwork, that is exactly how he is posed. Some Transformers versions of Bombshell could also be posed that way, but unfortunately Salvo cannot.

You can again see the distinct lack of a Decepticon symbol on Salvo's chest on the front of the collector's card. Salvo looks especially plain without it, yet these cards continue to be some of the best things about the Japanese releases.

A good showing of shiny new chrome on nicely-sculpted antennae make for a nice looking insect mode on Zaptrap. I can't say I'm too fond of the yellow front legs as I think it would have worked much better in red, but the antennae really do make this piece in insect mode.

Zaptrap has an impressive selection of chrome parts in figure mode and the most humanoid face of the three Insects. His transformation for me is the most enjoyable simply because of the rotating waist and extendable legs. There's just a tiny bit more to his transformation than the others, and the outward-pointing chrome antenna give him a unique and memorable appearance. That's a positive point for all these figures actually, they all have very distinctive figure modes with nicely sculpted and memorable features. As you can see above with all the figure mode pictures, the Energon cubes do increase display options effectively, but only if the chest compartments are open which could mean quicker looseness in the related joints.

Zaptrap's character art, as with Shrapnel's, probably looks the best. Loads of detail on the upper body and head section. It all just adds to a very nice collection of well-presented figures with enough extra features to make it a special and interesting purchase for any type of collector.

Just like the Transformers Insecticons, these three figures have enough of the same colour-coding and chrome styling to look really good together and part of a team. I imagine that if you had these guys lined up next to your regular Insecticons, they would make quite a sight. Even though they differ quite a bit in structure, shape and size, they are different enough with plenty of unique features to be memorable and work as a sub-group. Salvo has the stinger and faceplate, Zaptrap has the outward facing antennae and Shot Hole has the wings and awful name.

Despite the moulding issues with the Energon Cubes, their addition has definitely brought something extra to this release and as you can see from the pictures above, they add quite a number of extra options for any diorama of figures. In other words, they make it more interesting, more unique, more fun. That seems to be the theme with recent reissues from Takara. Targetmaster Hot Rod was specially moulded to hold ALL Hot Rod guns, Stepper had not only the TM but also gold Jazz weapons and was capable of all holding the TM in his hands. As a fan of both the original cartoon and the toyline itself, I am really appreciative of what Takara are trying to do to make these more than simple re-releases. The fact that Shot Hole has the pointed wings also impresses me and makes me more enthusiastic about upcoming reissue possibilities.

The quality on these figures is nice and the only disappointment was the Cube moulding, but I would rather it be on that than on the toys themselves. The clicking and snug fit of almost all the parts was a relief and the lack of looseness in any joints was a major plus for the set.

The presentation and vibrant colours evident throughout the set also increase its appeal. The Diaclone references won't strike a chord with all collectors, but for those who appreciate that sort of thing, the set becomes more special and it's different enough visually from the original to still allow for mystique to endure on the Insecter Robo giftset. And this really does work as a set; one figure looks amazing in insect mode, another has a very menacing figure mode and the last has a cool transformation process. Plenty of variation and contrast in all the moulds to keep you coming back. The usual recycling of available parts and paperwork doesn't spread too far beyond the stickersheets with the Clone Army set. The lack of numbers on the collector's cards may irk some who appreciate consistency though. But look at the pictures, it's a small complaint isn't it? :)

Many thanks to Morg whose Diaclone Insecter Robo pictures were an essential part of this article, without which many comparisons would be simply textual instead of visual. Cheers for the continuing support Morg!

All the best
Maz

You can pick up your own Clone Army here and set of #16 Insecticon Reissues here