Titan Autobot Ark

 Titan Autobot Ark

Transformers - Hasbro

The Autobot's signature set piece, the mammoth Ark spaceship that brought them to Earth, is finally here!  Instead of just being a playset/backdrop/vehicle, the AllSpark has given life to it, resulting in another Titan Class Transformer.

It may not be Generation 1 accurate, but it's something unique and imaginative.  Transformation was relatively simple, and the bot mode is solid.  Some of the previous Titans suffer from weak joints and weight distribution problems...not Ark.  I found I could get him in some decent poses without fear of him toppling over or dropping body parts/accessories.

The paint is good, as you would expect from a large object that is primarily bright orange.  There is appropriate detailing here and there, with splashes of reds, yellows, grays, and blues.  The fading blue on the thrusters especially stands out.

If I have any complaints bout the robot, it's that his head isn't quite as "classic" as I would like (just a bit too "Cyberverse" toony) and he has zero weapons to clutch.  His hull does have tiny gun turrets still visible on the outside, but no large gun or sword or anything.  Cost saving measure?  Or did they figure he was badass enough without one?  You do get a couple of transparent blue thruster effects (that barely port into the thrusters) that would look just as good coming from the end of the weapon that he didn't come with.  I expect a third party company to come up with something suitable for him soon.

Even though I may have preferred a fold out play set over the Titan mode, you do get a key accessory built into the Ark's robo-buddy, Mainframe.  Mainframe is dispatched from the center of the ark, underneath the main bridge viewing area.  Here, you can place a super tiny Optimus Prime in command.  Neat detail, but Im not sure I needed the reminder of how one needs to overlook wonky scale issues throughout their collection.

Pulling out the bridge area leaves a decent sized cavity that can act as a cockpit for smaller Transformers.

Mainframe transformed is a bit larger than current deluxe figures, but still smaller than leader class.  He's more "classic" feeling with his blocky body.  What's more is that he transforms into the Autobot computer, Teletraan 1!  While not guns, he does have a few accessories built in.  The Sky Spy satellite camera can be dispatched from his torso, and he has a few important data discs for the Autobots to record it's findings on.

Overall, I'm quite please with this.  I'm not sure how often I will have Ark transformed into Titan mode. It's a neat feature, but I quite like having the ship mode on display with other space-related Autobots.  It looks great docked and ready for takeoff with Titan Omega Supreme's "city" mode and Commander class Sky Lynx's shuttle mode.  I know...kind of an expensive background piece, but it really brings my collection to life for me.  My Titans are complete, and I've got just a few more updated characters I would like to see in the Kingdom line before I can feel satisfied closing the book on Transformers.

Take a look back at other Transformers Titans:

Omega Supreme - https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2019/10/omega-supreme.html

Trypticon - https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2018/01/trypticon.html