Power Core Combiners: Heavytread & Groundspike!

09.30.2014 – Heavytread is an unfamiliar Transformers character and part of the Power Core Combiners toy line. He’s a Power Core Combiner Commander (now that’s a mouthful) which can combine with drone sets from other characters released. The Power Core Combiners where not entirely known that it never moved toy shelves. If you’re into interchanging drones and Mini-Con weapons just for fun this line of Transformers might be something to take up your time to set and display.

Heavytread was released as part of the wave four assortments in 2011 near the tail end of the Powr Core Combiners toy line, which is paired up with a Mini-Con partner Groundspike. This Mini-Con transforms in to three modes versus the basic alternate mode that most conventional ones that was release before but more of that later.

The profile description on Heavytread’s card says he’s a fun loving Autobot who adored living on Earth. This is the reason he signed off to undergo the Power Core Combiners program to protect the fragile planet from the Decepticons.the racks.









Robot and Companion

Heavytread came packaged in robot mode like all the Power Core Combiners designated a “Commander Class” that can combine with other drone sets that came with other PCC figure assortment instead of having a Mini-Con for a partner.

The head design is the usual robot with mouth plate and has varying articulation for good action pose, but rarely falls of due to his body is front heavy. The colors of a camouflage show what mode he has scanned.





Groundspike

PCC certainly made something interesting about the Mini-Cons partnered with the Commander Class figures. They are not your usual Mini-Cons that changes into another animal or vehicle and they put a fresh perspective on these little guys.

For Groundspike he’s no longer an independent Mini-Con, but rather have varying modes that he changes into. The most common form he transforms into is the mine plow part of Heavytread’s tank which can be seen in the card back packaging.

Colored in translucent blue Groundspike doesn’t seem to blend in with the military theme with Heavytread with that kind of shade. The figure has a nice design but flaws to the leg joint tends to fall off when you try to convert him into a mind plow or into Heavytread’s claw weapon. It’s rare to see a Mini-Con achieve three uses for Heavytread as part of his vehicle mode, weapon and a third one that becomes the “armor” when combined with any four drones released under the PCC toy line.













Power up Mode

All the PCC Commander Class figures can combine to any drone, but some don’t have powerlinx ports to interact with the weapons some of the figures released that did not come with a set of drones.

Groundspike works only to Heavytread when he combines with a set of drones like the Dinobots voila you got an armored PCC ready to defend a vulnerable Autobot City,







Tank + Mine Plow

Heavytread transforms in to a tank which is a cross between an A1 Abrams and UK Challenger 1 with a mine plow (Groundspike) attached in the front. It’s not pleasant seeing it as there is no clearance for the mine plow to roll smoothly to any rough terrain. The vanity to make the tank look viciously menacing defines some attitude to the vehicle’s personality, but the color is off being translucent blue and not matching the camouflage color does not do justice to its use.

Heavytread without the mine plow would look better as there are no bright parts for the vehicle to work in the jungle environment. Groundspike works better as a “claw” weapon when Heavytread is in robot mode.













Overall Heavytread and Groundspike are great if it not for the colors not uniformed. The figure itself on Groundspike should have been painted in solid colors and could have fixed the hip joint as the leg keeps falling off. But the rest of the figure is solid especially when Heavytread in tank mode all contours are connected nothing is falling off.

4 Out of 5 Robot Points.