In the spring of 2014, Transformers moved into the marketing blitz phase of Age of Extinction, the fourth live-action movie. The first waves of product to hit the shelves represented the main characters from the film, such as the Dinobot Strafe, a fictional robotic “dinosaur” vaguely resembling a mutated Pteranodon longiceps.
Origins
Strafe’s name is an homage to G1 Strafe, but beyond that he bears little resemblance. The blue and silver Pteranodon-like alternate mode harkens back to G1 Swoop, one of the original Dinobots.
Description
Strafe transforms into a fictional dragon-like creature loosely resembling traits of a Pteranodon. He has two heads extending from narrow, articulated necks, whose mouths can open and close. He also has twin soft rubber tails, and broad bluish-silver wings. Both the tails and the leading edges of the wings are sculpted as rows of nested pyramidal spikes. His wings are supported from below by his large robot arms, which are outstretched, including his exposed robot mode hands. He has large, stubby legs ending in clawed feet.
Due to his simple layout, Strafe’s transformation is quite banal. His arms simply unplug from the bottoms of the wings, the legs unfold at the knee, and his head lifts up from its scantly-disguised place in his chest. The two dinosaurian heads fold down over his shoulders, with the beaks angled in toward the chest.
Strafe’s robot mode is heavily armored, decorated in the same scheme of overlapping armor plates used by the other Dinobots in the series. His armor is decorated with black and silver paint, and a gradient from silver to blue across his wings. His long, thin tails still hang down behind him, though his wings can be folded up such that the tails protrude through the gap between him. Like his peers, his head resembles a medieval helmet, though it less distinctly resembles an extant helmet. Sporting a single pointed crest from the forehead, his only facial features are a chevron-shaped slit for vision, and a vertical cleft at the bottom of the face. He can wield a combination of his two swords and crossbow pressure-launch missile launcher. The swords can be mounted under his wings in either mode, and the crossbow can attach plug into a hole in his alternate mode’s back.
Collector Notes
Strafe’s design is fairly sturdy, though he pays for his durability with his inelegance.
Variants
Strafe does not have any production variants.
Availability
Strafe was available in 2014, as part of the second wave of Generations Deluxe Class toys. He was available the same year in Strafe Evolution 2-pack with a Mini-Con Strafe, exclusive to Toys $ldquo;R” Us. He was also available in a 3-pack with Legends Class Bumblebee and Stinger.
Redecos & Retools
Strafe’s mold has not been re-used.
