Dai Attacker

While I certainly have a soft spot for strange robots, my favorite toy line is unusual in the remarkable nature of its vision, execution, and influence. Many know of Diaclone as the largest progenitor of the first generation of Transformers. Indeed, Diaclone gave us such iconic designs as Optimus Prime, the Constructicons, and the Dinobots, but many of its finest pieces never saw the light of day in the English speaking world.

A handful of molds were licensed in the US by Takara, including Dia Attacker, which was repackaged under the Kronoform label. The Kronoform release was, I believe, practically identical to the original, though I am aware of a purple variant.

Dia Attacker’s vehicle mode is a vague spaceship-type thing, though a pretty great looking vague spaceship.

Because this is a Diaclone, there are plenty of cockpit details.

The ship at the rear conning tower detaches. It’s often missing from loose specimens.

The design lends itself to a few variations which bring to mind the SDF-1 and Irongear.

You can see with this mode the unique mechanism connecting what will be the legs to the main body. The dual swing bars remind me of the DX Daidenjin. This connection seems precarious, but the construction is solid and I’ve never seen a broken specimen.

These small ships are usually missing from loose specimens too.

I still can’t figure out where they’re supposed to go. They don’t fit in any ports except for the undercarriage/arms. They look awkward shoved underneath, though that’s the only logical place I found to put them.

Transformation to bot mode is simple. You swing out the legs, unfold the arms, bend back the conning tower and you’re done. The addition of fists completes the mode.

Dai Attacker’s a very regal bot. The face looks unusually old. Note the horns, which are another easily lost accessory (basically, if these are loose, everything’s missing; if they’re boxed, everything’s there).

Articulation is limited to the elbows, but who cares when it looks this good? I love the chrome accents and impeccable proportions. The figure is hefty (the front of the torso is diecast), and the fit, finish, materials and construction are of the highest quality. The chrome finish is typically a little thin, and most of these are at least partially yellow (the color of the underlying plastic) at chrome sections.

Dia Attacker is a solid mid-level piece in a line where the poorest designs are beautiful and timeless. Complete specimens are hard to find, but definitely worth the price.