As the last of the vehicle-themed Gestalt Groups based on the American G1 cartoon and toyline, many people have been hanging out to get their greedy little cyber-mitts on the Technobots.  However unlike most of the other Gestalt Groups, there are a lot of distinct differences between the Unite Warriors and the Combiner Wars versions of the teams.  Plus they have been released within a month of each other, rather than six months apart like most of the other toys.  So here we go, in what is probably my biggest and most detailed Transformers review to date, a comparison of the two gift sets: Unite Warriors Computron VS Combiner Wars Computron!

CW Lightsteed VS UW Lightspeed– Robot Mode

The CW version (Lightsteed) is a direct palette-swap of the CW Protectobot Streetwise and it shows.  Luckily Streetwise was a pretty cool looking robot and Lightsteed also comes with Streetwise’s shotgun.  The UW version (Lightspeed) is a retool of CW Wheeljack with two new guns.  With the new head, red thighs and windshield on the chest Lightspeed is the more character faithful and cooler looking of the two

UW Lightspeed VS CW Lightsteed – Vehicle Mode

The original Lightspeed had a dome-like windshield that wrapped all the way around to make him look more like a Cybertronian Speeder rather than a Terran Automobile.  Lightsteed’s vehicle mode (again, a direct palette-swap of Streetwise) manages this well and in colour hue is more faithful to the original toy.  Lightspeed however has a more comic faithful colour scheme as well as the spoiler and side guns like the original toy, whereas Lightsteeds shotgun goes on the roof and he is still sporting the police lights rack which does not suit him.

Winner: UW Lightspeed

CW Afterbreaker VS UW Afterburner – Robot Mode

These figures are essentially palette-swaps of each other.  You can differentiate between the two somewhat by varying the way the windshield and front wheel are positioned on his back.  Afterbreakers colour hues are more G1-toy accurate whereas Afterburners are more G1-cartoon accurate.  Neither’s guns are really G1-faithful but Afterburners look cooler rather than just being copies of UW Groove’s.

UW Afterburner VS CW Afterbreaker – Vehicle Mode

Again, a direct palette sway of each other and again Afterbreaker is more toy accurate whereas Afterburner is mode cartoon accurate.  The windshield has been lowered from the Groove mold to make it more cockpit like reminiscent of the original character though neither has a G1 accurate cockpit colour (Afterbreaker’s is green and Afterburner’s is blue).  Once again, Afterburners guns look a bit cooler at the sides than Afterbreaker’s.

Winner: UW Afterburner (by an Energon sliver)

CW Strafe VS UW Strafe – Robot Mode

Like many of the other Technobots, Strafe’s colour schemes tend towards the toy on the CW side and the cartoon on the UW side.  This is most evident in their visors.  However the UW version has the small shoulder wings and more importantly can take off his vehicle mode’s guns and use them as pistols.  And let’s face it, the UW version seems to be just that bit more striking.

CW Strafe VS UW Strafe – Vehicle Mode

These are both really cool!  Both have been heavily retooled from different UW molds and as a result have completely different looks!  CW Strafe is boxy, has a black cockpit and looks like it could be out of a Halo game or Starship Troopers movie.  UW Strafe has an extra gun at the top and a curved prow giving him a sleek alien-drone look.  Neither fully replicate the original G1-toys look but that’s ok because they both look great!  Both do however have the twin tailfins and the twin laser guns at the front.  I love both of these and would be hard pressed to pick a winner between the two.

Winner: UW Strafe (because of the robot mode)

UW Nosecone VS CW Nosecone – Robot Mode

Never is the difference in direction taken to homage the cartoon VS the toy in the new Technobots more evident than in Nosecone.  CW Noscone has the tank tracks on the shoulders like G1 (both the original toy AND cartoon) and his colour scheme is very much the original G1 toy, using light orange, dull grey and a red face.  UW Nosecone has more browns in it, is white in the chest like the cartoon and sports new features like having the guns in the shoulders.  Both can use their drill pieces as a hand weapon, CW’s drill looking more realistic as a hand weapon due to being less bulky.

CW Nosecone VS UW Nosecone – Vehicle Mode

Like Strafe, Nosecone has been retooled from two distinct CW molds.  UW Nosecone is a heavy retool of CW Protectobot Rook while CW Nosecone is a slight retool of CW Combaticon Brawl.  If the UW version had not come along people probably would have been happy enough with the CW version.  But as it stands the UW version is heads and giant­-drill-bits above the competition!  Instead of looking like a regular tank with a drill instead of a cannon, UW Nosecone really does justice to the original character and with the new shape, the guns on top and aforementioned giant drill bit he looks fantastic!  Probably the best looking Drill Tank transformer we have had to date!

Winner: UW Nosecone (because of the brilliant vehicle mode)

CW Scattershot VS UW Scattershot – Robot Mode

To save confusion, in this review I am referring the to the CW Scattershot that came as part of the Computron gift set, not the individually packaged bot that came out a year earlier though I will be making reference to it.  CW Scattershot has a long rifle like the original figure (even if it is Silverbolt’s) and blue detailing on bits of his body like the stickers on the G1 toy.  UW Scattershot has a lot more browns in him like the original toy but comes with two big blasters.  Both have a blue visor and white face like the cartoon whereas the independent Scattershot had a completely blue face like the toy.

CW Scattershot VS UW Scattershot – Vehicle Mode

Perhaps the one example where the UW versions colour scheme is more G1-toy accurate than the CW version.  CW Scattershot has red along the ships nose/cannon whereas the UW version is completely white.  I don’t mind this too much as it differentiates the two CW versions and it looks pretty cool.  With the new guns whilst the CW versions one goes under the existing cannon to make it ludicrously long, the UW’s versions go under the wings which I think works quite well.  None of these versions are as cool as the original toy in my opinion and of course they all lack the third Cannon Emplacement mode.

Winner: Pretty close but I have to give it to UW Scattershot because of the differences he brings to Computron which I will go into soon.

CW Scrounge with CW Targetmaster Partner Cybaxx

There is no comparison to write here as these two only come with the Combiner Wars version of the Computron gift set.  Scrounge is a retool of Generations Cosmos with a comic-accurate head and Cybaxx is a direct recolour of Generations Payload.  Both are cool enough toys but G1 enthusiasts have been thrilled to get after so many years a toy of Scrounge who has been a very obscure comic character, known mainly for his long arm and traumatizing Blaster by dying.

CW Computron VS UW Computron

I don’t think any of the other gestalts from the two lines have differed so much.  Mainly they have been copies of each other with slightly different colour schemes and maybe one of the characters has a different mold (Blast off and Groove) or an extra character (Blackjack and Powerglide).  Here we see a UW Computron with a new chestplate, fairly uniform colour scheme and new head as well as a downward facing drill on his left knee.  CW Computron has the much improved hands and feet which first arose with the Victorion gift set and can attach Scrounge and Cybaxx on his left shoulder.  Both versions have advantages that the other does not have and, on top of the differences already mentioned, due to being able to position Afterburner/breakers motorcycle front differently as well as the differences between Strafe and Nosecone they look like different parallel-universe versions of each other rather than a simple palette swap.  This is enhanced by the fact that UW Scattershot brings into the mix a new chestplate and head whereas CW Scattershot makes Computron look a bit too much like Superion when displayed together.

Winner: UW Computron (due in large part to the new head and chest)

So overall, which should you get?

Well, overall, especially when it comes to the limb characters, Unite Warriors is a definite winner and if you were to only buy one this is the one I would choose.  However the Combiner Wars version of this group is pretty good too and has extras like a poster, trading card and two extra characters.  Personally I will be mix & matching.  I will be using Scattershot from UW with the limb characters and hands & feet from the CW version to make Computron whilst I will be using all the others to represent the individual bots.  But a great effort by both Hasbro and Tak/Tom and whichever way you go you will not be disappointed by your purchase.