Hardshell (Kre-O)

The name or term "Hardshell" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Hardshell (disambiguation).

Hardshell is a Decepticon from the brick-built world of Kre-O.

Maybe a Cerebro-shell from him will turn you into the Kre-O Maniac.

Hardshell likes playing with people as if they were toys. (Hmmm.) He absolutely loves it when he can make someone break down, either mentally or just into a pile of blocks. Naturally, this doesn't make him terribly popular at parties.

Toys

Kre-O

• Hardshell (Kreon Micro-Changer, 2013)
  • Collection: 2
  • Bag number: ***** 67
  • Accessories: Logo brick, large rifle

As part of the second Collection of blindpacked Micro-Changers, Hardshell is a Kreon that can be rebuilt from robot mode into a rhinoceros beetle of some sort. He uses the Megatron style helmet.

This Collection was still in circulation at "dollar" stores and drug stores up through 2015. They eventually lost the individual-identifying bag codes, but other changes were hidden inside the bag. The 2015 releases replaced the 2x4 logo stand-brick with a new 3x4 logo plate. The Kreon was also given the slight retooling to the arm seen in the 2014 Kreons, making the "cuff" parts more sharp-cornered and better adapted to being used as studs. Some of the add-on pieces may also be slightly off-color, possibly due to a change in factories in mid-production.

• More information on Hardshell at TFU.info

• Kreon Class of 1985 (Kreon figure set, 2015)
  • Accessories: Blaster

Voted "Best at Convincing Someone Else to Do His Homework" by the Kreon Class of '85, "Insecticon Bombshell" has a deco much more heavily based on the original Bombshell toy. Like the rest of the set, he uses the almost-totally-retooled 2015 style of Kreon body.

This box set of thirty Kreons was a San Diego Comic-Con 2015 exclusive, with leftovers being sold on Hasbro Toy Shop online after the show.

• More information on Class of 1985 Bombshell at TFU.info

• Hardshell (Kreon Micro-Changer, 2016)
  • Collection: 2
  • Accessories: Logo plate, large rifle

In 2016, Collection 2 was re-released in a whole new production run for Dollar General stores in the US as part of a large collection of re-released Kre-O sets. But where most of these releases are nigh-identical to the originals, the re-released Micro-Changer blind-bags use the almost-entirely-retooled 2015 Kreon, with slightly-differently-hued plastics than the originals. (It is possible for some of the add-on pieces to be in the older hues.) Hardshell's tampographs are almost totally unchanged, basically his Decepticon symbol now has a white outline and that's it.

Sadly, this release has no individual-identification code on the bag, requiring you to use the feel-through-the-bag method or just buy blind and hope.

Notes

• Though the instructions say to make sure the side of the torso with the tampograph is facing downward, if you keep it pointing skyward, this much more accurately replicates the original toy Hardshell is based on... plus makes the arms stick out a bit more away from the stand-legs due to the way they bend.
• The Transformers: Kre-O Character Encyclopedia calls him "Bombshell".