The Desolation of Smaug.

We got ourselves a big boi today! Not as big as I thought he was gonna be, but still big. I thought he was gonna be the size and weight of a Supreme Class Transformer. He’s about the height and weight of an old school Leader Transformer.

I actually had the Voyager and Commander Predaking before I got this guy. I didn’t really like the Voyager so I sold him off and I have no idea what happened to the Commander.

Let’s see if Ultimate Predaking is any better than the others!

Alternate mode

Predaking here is a dragon. A big dragon. Seriously, that wingspan is nuts. That’s where all the plastic went!

He’s an intimidating looking dragon with plenty of molded detail. The head and neck in particular are just fun to look at. The paint is pretty scarce but what paint Predaking does have looks great. Orange, black and silver are actually a really pretty combination.

My problem with the dragon mode is the posability. Predaking’s head is stuck back like that unless you use the “Beast Fire” gimmick. He just looks confused like that man. His front legs rotate as well as move forward and back at the shoulders. They rotate at the biceps as well as bend at the elbows. His claws are on ball joints and can close. The back legs are pretty much static but the feet are on ball joints. Your options with posing him are pretty limited but Predaking does look great just standing still.

Transformation

It’s super simple for something this big. There is a neat trick for his hind legs to turn into his robot legs though.

While the transformation is simple, it’s fun to do back and forth. It’s also nice to be able to go from dragon to robot mode so quickly without much fuss.

Robot mode

Now this is a handsome robot mode. He looks like he wants to and will kill you. He looks like the final boss of some epic RPG. That head sculpt is just perfect man. The details and paint aren’t overdone, they’re just right. Predaking is one of those Transformers that could fit in with any line. Put him in a shelf with CHUG or Movie figures and he wouldn’t look too out of place.

Predaking is old Leader weight and density but he’s about as tall as a modern Leader. The wings on his back make him look bigger and taller than he actually is. He’s definitely a big guy but somehow he still feels too small. I get that a lot of the plastic went into the wings but I wish Predaking was taller. I want Predaking to be towering.

Predaking has great articulation in robot mode. His head swivels 360°. His arms rotate as well as go in and out at the shoulders. He has bicep swivels and bending elbows. His wrists ball jointed. His fingers can open and close. His legs rotate at the hips as well as go in and out. They rotate at the thighs as well as bend the knees. His feet are ball-jointed. If Predaking could look up and down as well as had a waist joint, he’d be perfect. As he is though, you can still get a lot of poses out of him.

Gimmicks

What does the “Beast Fire” in Beast Fire Predaking mean? It means Predaking lights up at both heads!

In dragon mode, pushing down the lever at the side of his side spring his head forward and opens his mouth. It also lights up the crest on his head with a bright red LED. If you have something in front of Predaking’s mouth with the LED on, it’ll be bathed in red light. That’s metal.

In robot mode, pressing the button on Predaking’s shoulder lights up his eyes, head crest as well as chest. The effect looks great and makes him look really intimidating.

For weapons, Predaking is armed with his Infernum Sword. It’s his tail that comes off and can be handheld as a blade. It actually looks great since it looks more like a weapon than a tail. It’s also huge. The sword is almost as tall as Predaking himself. Predaking also comes with two missile launching crossbows. They’re nice enough and not too small or too big but honestly the sword is the main attraction when it comes to weapons.

Toy or collectible?

I dunno man. I’m thinking Predaking here is both. He’s got a good dragon mode, a great robot mode and a simple transformation. He’s pretty durable feeling and has neat action features. He’s also available pretty cheap for how good he is so he’s a great toy for kids!

For adult collectors, Predaking’s a big and cool looking dragon robot that’ll look great in their collection. Also, he’s cheap which is great for everyone!

Closing

Predaking is a good Transformer but there are two problems I have with him.

1) He could have been an amazing Transformer.

2) He should be bigger.

As it is though, he’s still a very fun Transformer with no real flaws. Predaking’s big, chunky and solid. He’s got a good dragon mode and a great robot mode.

Predaking was pretty pricy when he first came out but even if I got him for his original retail price (RM250/$63), I think I’d be satisfied enough. He goes for about RM100 ($25) now and that’s what I paid for him. For that price, I’m ecstatic for Predaking. You should definitely give this Predaking a shot since he’s available at pretty reasonable prices nowadays.