Title:
Treadbolt With Rollbar
Description:
Treadbolt (Mega Class, 2004)
Accessories: Missile
A redeco of Armada Scavenger, Energon Treadbolt transforms into a large yellow bulldozer equipped with a rear roller drum. Unusual for Transformers toys of this era, Treadbolt features functional rubber caterpillar treads. Her packed-in partner Rollbar (in robot mode) can be placed inside the driver’s cabin, and pressing down on the Mini-Con activates engine start up and revving sounds. Pushing Treadbolt forward will cause the large dark brown drum wheel at the back to rotate, making driving sounds, as well as causing the front shovel to raise and lower.
In robot mode, Treadbolt has virtually no leg articulation whatsoever. Her legs are halves of the shovel blade clipped onto the dark brown drum wheel. Pushing her forwards in robot mode rotates the wheel, moving the legs up and down in a simulation of walking. Each ’step’ is accompanied by a stomp sound effect. Moving her arms up and down activates a crashing metal sound effect. Powerlinxing Rollbar to the active Powerlinx port on her right hip, then pulling it back fires a gray spring-loaded projectile, as well as activating a laser firing sound.
In order to get her to stand upright when not activating the walking gimmick, one must lock one of her legs down using the flap on the armature; this brings it down far enough for the toe to touch the ground, keeping her upright instead of tilted forwards. In addition one can also unpeg the other leg from the drum and lock the flap on its armature allowing both feet to touch the ground, creating the illusion that she is standing in place. However, this results in one leg flopping around due to it not being connected.
Notes
With no bio or fiction appearances, Treadbolt technically had no established gender until 2015 when Ask Vector Prime (guest hosted by Spacewarp) made the character female, chosen because she was practically the only Hasbro-original "Unicron Trilogy” character left who had no fiction to her name, not even an online bio.
Treadbolt was an "eleventh-hour” addition to the early Energon line, likely originally intended to be a "Unicron Battles” "Powerlinx” redeco of Scavenger in Armada, with a highly accelerated production cycle. Along with Ultra Magnus and Rapid Run, who were similar repurposed additions, she was reportedly produced at only 10,000 pieces, low for a normal mass-retail release (though she ended up being a shelfwarmer within the UK). As such, photography for the toy in its proper colors could not be done in time, so Scavenger’s photos were used for the box-back.
As Treadbolt’s card artwork is flipped from Scavenger’s, her chest detailing is reversed, and her missile tube is on the wrong side of her body.
Accessories: Missile
A redeco of Armada Scavenger, Energon Treadbolt transforms into a large yellow bulldozer equipped with a rear roller drum. Unusual for Transformers toys of this era, Treadbolt features functional rubber caterpillar treads. Her packed-in partner Rollbar (in robot mode) can be placed inside the driver’s cabin, and pressing down on the Mini-Con activates engine start up and revving sounds. Pushing Treadbolt forward will cause the large dark brown drum wheel at the back to rotate, making driving sounds, as well as causing the front shovel to raise and lower.
In robot mode, Treadbolt has virtually no leg articulation whatsoever. Her legs are halves of the shovel blade clipped onto the dark brown drum wheel. Pushing her forwards in robot mode rotates the wheel, moving the legs up and down in a simulation of walking. Each ’step’ is accompanied by a stomp sound effect. Moving her arms up and down activates a crashing metal sound effect. Powerlinxing Rollbar to the active Powerlinx port on her right hip, then pulling it back fires a gray spring-loaded projectile, as well as activating a laser firing sound.
In order to get her to stand upright when not activating the walking gimmick, one must lock one of her legs down using the flap on the armature; this brings it down far enough for the toe to touch the ground, keeping her upright instead of tilted forwards. In addition one can also unpeg the other leg from the drum and lock the flap on its armature allowing both feet to touch the ground, creating the illusion that she is standing in place. However, this results in one leg flopping around due to it not being connected.
Notes
With no bio or fiction appearances, Treadbolt technically had no established gender until 2015 when Ask Vector Prime (guest hosted by Spacewarp) made the character female, chosen because she was practically the only Hasbro-original "Unicron Trilogy” character left who had no fiction to her name, not even an online bio.
Treadbolt was an "eleventh-hour” addition to the early Energon line, likely originally intended to be a "Unicron Battles” "Powerlinx” redeco of Scavenger in Armada, with a highly accelerated production cycle. Along with Ultra Magnus and Rapid Run, who were similar repurposed additions, she was reportedly produced at only 10,000 pieces, low for a normal mass-retail release (though she ended up being a shelfwarmer within the UK). As such, photography for the toy in its proper colors could not be done in time, so Scavenger’s photos were used for the box-back.
As Treadbolt’s card artwork is flipped from Scavenger’s, her chest detailing is reversed, and her missile tube is on the wrong side of her body.
Theme:
Energon
Manufacturer:
Hasbro
Year:
2004
Date Added:
2022-02-26 14:49:27
Date Added:
2022-02-26 14:49:27
