Finally, I've got a Roadbuster worthy of standing with my Wrecker squad. I’ve been waiting for this release for what feels like years. The first time I saw the initial render I knew this was the perfect version of Roadbuster to stand along my other classics style wreckers including Mech Ideas Gauntlet, Geminus and Apex, and of course Mastermind Creations own, Spartan. Dicamus isn’t a perfect release but he’s got a good balance of pros and cons going on. I’m satisfied, but not blown away like I usually am by MMC releases.

Vehicle Mode

Dicamus’ vehicle mode is an impressive brick on wheels. He’s got large rubber tires and rolls really well. Everything tabs together tight (despite what a few of my photos show, the front hood area actually tabs in very nicely) and the vehicle feels heavy and solid. Putting him next to Generations Roadbuster really makes the mainline release look like a joke despite my previous enjoyment of it. Elements of the vehicle look a bit abstract and you have to use your imagination for some things like the armoured windshield but it gets the point across that Dicamus is built like a tank and isn’t going to take crap from anyone. The weapon implementation as the front bumper and side gun are well done if a bit simple. More weapons would be nice but that’s a point that’s been picked to death by everyone already.

Paint work is sparse, relying mostly on coloured plastic with a few painted details here and there. The vehicle is basic but gets the job done. This is an armoured car, it’s not going to be full of gimmicks and gadgets. I was very surprised that the tires were actual rubber, or at least rubberised plastic of some kind. It’s those kinds of nice touches that keep me invested in MMC and satisfied with my purchases from them.

Robot Mode

Dicamus carries through the brick motif even as a robot. He’s huge and bulky, with a lot of power evoked even just when standing still. There is a lot to like here! There’s also a bit that I’m not super stoked about.

Articulation on Dicamus is fairly standard with a few exceptions. He’s got the usual range of joints including (from the top down) a ball jointed head, double jointed shoulders with a ball joint/stalk into the body, double elbows, wrist swivel, articulated fingers (single joint), waist swivel, double knees, toe tilt and toe/ankle pivot. This all sounds very impressive on paper but due to his bulky nature some of these points end up quite limited especially in the upper body.

The most frustrating joint system to deal with is in the shoulders. There is very little outward swing in the arms, due to the shoulder armour, shoulder/body, and backpack all colliding if pushed too far. The arms can swing forward and back to an acceptable level but you will have to wrestle with the same armour pieces and do a little bit of stretching/flexing to achieve more extreme positions. The double jointed elbows on my copy are extremely tight. While this means they can hold any position and could even probably hold up another bot without trouble it does make them a bit of a chore to adjust, especially when trying to fine tune a pose. Dicamus also has surprisingly involved hands, with each finger on a single pin joint, the thumb on a ball joint, and a rotating knuckle cover/wrecking ball panel that can fold out for melee combat.

Everything from the waist down is wonderful, despite his chunky armoured legs. Dicamus can assume a kneeling pose without any trouble and his feet/heels as well as toes all tilt and swivel independently for a stable base in almost any position. There’s also a nifty trick you can do by rotating the legs below the knee. This is mainly for preference if you prefer the tires on the outside of the legs and flatter feet, or tires on the inside of the calves and larger boot-like feet.

The bot mode is a mixed bag for me and most of my troubles stem from the backpack and shoulder armour. It’s easy to sit back and point fingers trying to say “why didn’t you guys just do this” but I’m sure this figure had a ton of R&D go into it before we got to this stage. If the backpack tires and shoulder armour could have been a bit more compact I think some of my issues would have been nullified but honestly I don’t know enough to declare that with any confidence.

Accessories

1 x Rifle – Standard issue rifle moulded in the same green plastic as the hands and feet with some orange accent paint on the body. It looks decent enough and can be held solidly in Dicamus’ hands. There is an attachment port on the bottom of the rifle to allow one of the grenade launchers/cannons to be mounted on the underside. It can be a bit frustrating to get it held properly due to the shoulder armour preventing the support from resting properly under the arm. The rifle slides into a groove next to the cockpit area of the vehicle mode and also has a large circular peg hole that pegs into the round protrusion on the side of Dicamus arm when in vehicle mode. It holds in very securely.

If you pre-ordered your Dicamus from Planet Steel Express (PSX) you will get 2 of these rifles. I personally think this should have been included to begin with as Dicamus is woefully under-armed but it is what it is.

2x Grenade Launchers/Cannons – Moulded in green plastic, these 2 cannons/launchers can be mounted on Dicamus’ shoulders, forearms, and one at a time on the bottom of his rifle. They can also be mounted as the front bumper in vehicle mode, or on the sides/top of the vehicle if you prefer. Not a lick of paint on these guys at all, it would have been nice to see some of the same orange detailing applied. In photos of the test shots the front of the cannons were painted silver, obviously this application didn't make it to the final product.

1x Replacement Head – Dicamus comes with 2 head options, one very rounded and primarily brown in color, with a simple mouth guard. The other is more square and primarily green with a grill design for the mouth guard. Both draw from comic book designs however I think the alternate head is likely to be my go to choice as it more accurately represents the look of the character in LSoTW and AHM.

Final Thoughts

Dicamus cuts an impressive silhouette and ultimately fulfills my requirements for an IDW version of Roadbuster. I personally would have liked to see him stand an inch or two taller, and see a bit more engineering put into the shoulder armor as it's a real pain in the butt to work with. Issues aside, Dicamus is a fun release and really looks incredible standing next to my other Wreckers figures. This is the redeeming feature to me is just how incredible he looks and how well he fills out my display.

I don’t think this is a figure I would recommend to your average collector/enthusiast but if you’re a Wreckers die-hard like myself then this is a must have! No one else has come close to the look that I crave so this is my Roadbuster, imperfect as he may be.

As always thank you so much for taking the time to check out this review! Please check out the full gallery below! At the end there are a few comparison pictures with Generations Voyager Roadbuster as well. Please let me know what you think in the comments or comment/message me on the Facebook page! You can also email me if you have any questions, requests, or critique at plasticsparkphotography@gmail.com!