Details
Autolauncher (1998)
Part of the third wave of Beast Wars II products in the Japanese Beast Wars toyline, Autolauncher uses the unreleased Generation 2 Deluxe-sized APC Auto Roller mold and transforms into an armored personnel carrier. In vehicle mode, Autolauncher features a swiveling radar dish, two articulated, non-firing “Dead Launchers” and a “Disc Missile” launcher in his front end that is activated by the front wheels when rolled across the ground. Like the auto-transformation gimmick, a switch is present to allow him to roll without launching the discs. Two small clips are also present allowing you to store his “Launcher Spears” on the top of his vehicle mode, and a compartment in his trunk houses his “Spear Gun” missile launcher.
In robot mode, his chest can fire his Disc Missiles by pushing a button on the back that allows you to manually fire them. His spring-loaded Spear Gun missile launcher can be held in his hand and can fire the aforementioned Launcher Spears. His Dead Launchers also end up as shoulder cannons in robot mode.
Like Autojetter, he has a three-setting switch that changes how the toy reacts to being rolled on a smooth surface. In the center setting, it rolls free in whichever mode it’s in. The other two activate the toy’s auto-transforming gimmick; with the switch to the left, the toy transforms from robot to APC when rolled forward (and back when rolled in reverse), while the right position transforms him from APC to robot when rolled forward (and back when in reverse).
Sonokong also released this figure in their Beast-War toyline as Auto Launcher (meant to be “Autolanecher”). Aside from the difference in packaging, the Korean release of the figure is identical to the Takara releases. In place of the bio cards of the Takara releases, Auto Launcher comes with two “Jan-ken-pon” cards. One has an image reflecting the one on the box, with paper and the number four die roll, and the other with scissors and the number two die roll, with a base-like background.
Beast-War Auto Launcher was later reissued in the Korean Car Bot toyline, reassigned as an Autobot and renamed Scoutlauncher.
Discus Showdown: Mantis VS Autolauncher (1998)
Autolauncher was also made available in the “Discus Showdown” (円盤の対決, enban no taiketsu) vs-pack with his rival Mantis, released in the fifth wave of Beast Wars II toys.
Both toys are identical to their individual releases.
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