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[Heinrad]

Meanwhile, aboard the Nemesis:

Darkness.

The room was completely dark. But not the darkness of space, or the darkness of a sealed room. It was the darkness of the grave, one that would chill the soul, one that didn't so much replace the light, but would hunt the light and tear it to shreds.

And suddenly, in the hungry, haunted darkness... there was light. But like the darkness it appeared in, it wasn't a kind, welcoming, and soothing light. It was cold, sharp, a silver gleam as hungry as the surrounding darkness, the shape of a blade.

It hovered in the darkness, then slowly started to spin, point down, balanced perfectly. As the blade spins, shards of light glint through the darkness, offering brief flashes of four figures in the room. One was a skeleton, clad in samurai armor, the empty hollows of the eye sockets showing the yawning void of eternal, screaming emptiness. One was bulky, sharing a face and helmet design with the first, but the samurai armor was mixed with tank armor, tread belts hanging from the shoulder boards clanking like the chains that weigh down a sinner's afterlife, the limbs skeletal and covered with fragments of armor. The third, while smaller, had a similar profile and head, but didn't have the same skeletal aspect, appearing thicker and more solid. The fourth and final one was thin and lanky, it's face less skeletal and more mechanical. All four figures were focused on the sword.

"Which of us shall go?" The samurai's voice had a hollow echo to it, sounding like it was coming from the yawning depths of an ancient, evil crypt.

"I shall go." A skeletal hand reached towards the sword, the voice similar to the first.

The smaller figure reached out, grabbing the skeletal arm. "No. I shall go." The voice, again, was that of the long-forgotten tomb.

"Then I shall go." The lanky figure reached forward with a long arm towards the sword, only for the hand to stop in mid-air.

"This is not how we solve things." The samurai's empty-eyed gaze took in the other three.

The lanky one gazed back. "Only the one who goes can touch the sword." Within his eye sockets an orange glow started to form.

The two who looked similar to each other stepped back. Not so much giving up their claim as not wanting to be caught in the crossfire.

The samurai's empty hollows glared at the lanky one, pinning him in their intense gaze. Within the empty hollows of the samurai's skull, light was starting to form as well, a crackling blue/red. "This is true. But I am the prime. Therefore, I should go."

"Always has to be you, doesn't it." The bulkier skeleton crossed his arms over his chest.

Without a trace of pride, the samurai responded. "Yes. I am prime."

"And as such, every time our name is uttered, people only think of you." The shorter one stepped towards the samurai. "Give the rest of us a chance once in a while."

Electricity started to crackle around the samurai's hands.

The bulkier skeleton snorted. "Sure. Fall back on the powers the Fallen unlocked in our mind."

"Yes. It is part of our abilities. We can all draw on them. They should only be used against an appropriate foe, however. Otherwise there is no challenge."

The lanky one gave a partial, almost sarcastic bow. "So nice to be seen as a worthy challenge."

Bludgeon looked at the later three incarnations of himself. All three incorporated elements of his rarely used tank mode, with only one of them leaning into the more skeletal look. "Then, perhaps, we should all go."

Transformers LEGACY Evolution Comic Universe Bludgeon: Oh, yeah. It's a nice, kind of comic accurate - if you squint - version of Bludgeon, although my guess is they're leaning far more into the Stormbringer vibe. Within budget constraints, anyway. I didn't get Tarn, but now that I have Bludgeon, I'm kind of glad I didn't. I got the impression Tarn was always supposed to be this big, bulky bruiser. The lean aspect fits Bludgeon far better. Although I would maybe have done something different for the tank turret, but since it's not really shield material, it sits nicely on his back. As for the tank mode itself.... Eh? I've seen worse. I've seen better. It's actually smaller than I thought it would be. It doesn't scream Bludgeon, but given how little we've seen him use his tank mode, Bludgeon with an alt mode just seems off.

[Heinrad]

EDIT: Board hiccup.

[Denyer]

I think you'd have to really squint to get to the Stormbringer design; https://tfwiki.net/wiki/File:IDWBludgeonShell.jpg

Milne's Tarn seems to be ganglier so the design isn't far off for that character, ditto the Super7 one, although Flame Toys and 3P have gone in more beefy directions.

Definitely looking forward to this one now, whenever it actually reaches this shores. It sounds like it'll need the usual boiling water application to avoid the usual Super7 plastic issues but that's a fine toy/comic homage. And whatever else Super7 might be, better value than an original.

Apropos of nothing, until I looked up the original just I'd forgotten Bludgeon has four tank treads (doesn't break the treads over the transformation) despite having one on the shelf in front of me.

Wouldn't have hurt them too much to do a non-transforming inner robot considering that the turrent/gun is already included, would it?

[Warcry]

A few seconds in hot tap water definitely helped with the toy-style helmet. It'll go on without it but the fit is defintely easier once it's softened up a bit. I had no issues at all with the comic-style one but mileage seems to vary a ton from figure to figure.

The turret-shield looks huge to me compared to what it was on the old toy...a robot in scale with that would probably be as big as a Deluxe so I can understand why they didn't include one. I don't know if all the TF Ultimates are so big, but Bludgeon is about as tall as the recent Leader Dinobots...more of a fit for MP figures than Generations ones if scale's your thing. Though mine's eventually destined to hang out with Spinister and the rest of the Mayhem Attack Squad we've gotten over the last few years, no matter how oversized he might look alongside them.

After having it in hand for a day or so, I think I'd even be willing to shell out for Ultimates versions of Octopunch and Stranglehold if Super Seven were crazy enough to complete the set.

[Tantrum]

Could you use Micromaster Bomshock in lieu of the turret as a transforming representation of the inner robot?

I've opened Strongarm, and only have 1 real complaint. I knew about several issues, like the feet being visible in alt mode, the backpack, and the awkwardly placed door wings. None of these bother me. What does bother me is that the joint connecting the front fenders to the mounting brackets is a pinned swivel joint instead of a ball joint. If it were a ball joint, the fenders could be oriented outside the shoulders instead of above them. This would emulate the broader shoulders of the character design while not blocking the head when viewed from the side.

[Denyer]

Weirdly, Minerva's plentiful over here at less than initial price (not really clearanced but online stores clearly overstocked and have moved on to trying to sell other things).

The new Bombshock wouldn't make a bad Bludgeon alt mode -- better fit than the original MM -- but I'm probably just going to put the original inner robot with the Super7 "shell" as I've got one with a repro turret and gun. Could "tier" them in a display... S7 shell, inner robot, MM tank.

Would definitely consider Octopunch and Stranglehold (I think I've said before, but Super7 are probably the only company mad enough to do the latter -- they might get away with it too if they did him first, then Octopunch). I've got a crude custom one made from a base of MOTU Classics parts I might fish out of the cabinet when/if Bludgeon arrives... he could do with a bit of upgrading.

I keep forgetting there's actually quite a bit of size difference between the original and this Bludgeon, although the turret is probably a bit oversized?

[HeavyArms]

Buzzworthy Bumblebee Studio Series 86-24BB Ironhide / 86-20BB Prowl (The Transformers: The Movie) - These were becoming a little hard to find, so grabbed them while I could. They will look good displayed next to Alternate Universe (Dead) Optimus Prime.

[Skyquake87]

Couple of new bits and a bunch of old:

Legacy Twincast
I liked Blaster, but figured I have a couple of reissues of the original so moved him on in favour of his Fisher Price upgrade from Headmasters. The mould is still awesome and one of the best figures from the Siege/ Legacy run. Little Rewind is cute too. Good do.

Legacy Bombshell
After loving Kickback and liking Sharpnel, Bombshell is a bit of disappointment. Clinging to the wretched cartoon look and stuck with budgetary compromise make this the weakest of the 3 Insecticons. Robot mode is decent, but the alt mode just doesn't work. Half curvey bug and half shoe box, with the robot head barely covered up. Boo.

Walmart Resissue Hot Rod
Sold the Pink Hot Rod to buy the Walmart version. I liked the novelty of the pink one, but having a reissue in a replica box with that glorious artwork is where my G1 reissue preferences lie.

Beast Wars Iguanus Reissue
Great fun flip changer frilled lizard robot man. Hooray!

Skullcruncher w/ Grax
Lucked out on a reasonably priced original and am very happy with the two of them. What daft fun figures the '87 Headmaster toys were. And indeed, still are.

Armada Cyclonus w/ Crumplezone
Another repurchase, I think this might possibly be the best Armada toy. I love that Crumplezone fully interacts and integrates with Cyclonus in vehicle mode. The coloures are great and I love mucking about with all the Powerlinxing. And the hand held trigger rotor blades. Hasbro really knew what they were doing with Armada, making some brilliant chunky, fun figures.

Cybertron Snarl
A figure I've been after for years, it's so nice to finally own him. As with Tigerhawk, the figure uses a lot of white plastic, which washes out a lot of the good work done with the sculpting.That aside, this is lovely. Great looking beast mode with nicely articulated legs. The Cyber Planet Key doesn't unlock much - just opens the wolf's mouth, but it's a fun enough feature. Nice tail weapon that shoots a missile. Good fun and really pleased to finally own him.

[Tantrum]

Buzzworthy Dead Ironhide and Prowl I just bought this set a month ago at full price. Now, it's clearanced to US$17. So, I bought another. I know from Buzzworthy Bluestreak that blast effects can remove paint if you leave them on too long. So, now I have one set to display with blast effects, and another to keep "pristine".

Super 7 Reaction Unicron - A 6" non-transforming version of the prototype Unicron from the 80's. His torso is just the planet. I think the arms would've been the rings, and the legs fold in somehow. He's silly fun and, at $25, the price of a similarly sized Deluxe.

FYI - Ross and Burlington seem to have taken over from Ollie's and TJ Maxx as the end point for surplus Transfromers. I saw Buzzwroth Bluestreaks ($8) and SS '86 Wreck-Gar and Sweep ($13) at Burlington today. No Ross near me, but I've read of SG Flamewar, and Velocitron figures showing up there.

[Denyer]

This is also a "remembering old toys" post that I think shows how far things have declined since Siege Megatron was designed.

I know that Legacy G2 Laser Optimus Prime has the basic trailer, but there's no way this is a Leader class figure. At half price including shipping it's not too much of a rip off and it's nice to get one that scales in reasonable proportion with the green Megs.

Although is it just me or do the fixed position shoulders really not work well? Plus the head's set back at a weird angle and hard to rotate, and overall it kind of feels like a mix of Energon Prime and Commander Rodimus. Weirdly proportioned and a bit too complex for its own good, with bits popping off and some low value accessories.

And yeah, the shelf top needs dusting.


https://i.imgur.com/eTxx2Oa.jpg

[HeavyArms]

Shattered Glass Grimlock.

[Warcry]

The shoulders on that Laser Prime were what talked me out of buying one, but the entire package felt like a step backwards from the original. I feel like that says a lot, them not being able to make a toy that's objectively better than the source material from 1995...

My understanding is that they made the same questionable shoulder engineering choice for the new Armada Megatron, as well.

Generations Selects Antagony



This showed up last week. It has all the same issues that Legacy Inferno did, so it's not the greatest action figure in the world by a long shot. The black deco covers up some of the mold's issues though, so for example the eighth set of ant legs on the shins in robot mode aren't so egregious. I definitely like it more than I liked Inferno, but I'm pretty sure that's 90% because of the novelty of them making a new toy of a Beast-era BotCon exclusive whose only previous toy runs you hundreds (or maybe thousands now) on the secondary market. But it's a better actual toy than Sandstorm was, at least.

The Inferno head is way too Inferno for my liking but I'm surprised by how much I like the Scavenger one.

[Denyer]

Neat design. Surprised we've never gotten Unicron acolytes although I suppose it'd be possible to cast the Cybertron deluxe head.

Although not quite as noticeable in-hand, in various poses the arms on Bunter Prime feel like they belong on Tentakil and the legs like they're a kind of a Stilt-Man cosplay. It's a similar sort of proportions problem you get with oversized combat suits (such as in 40K) where if you drew just the inner body it'd be distended.

[HeavyArms]

Toxitron Collection G2 Universe Dead End,

Toxitron Collection G2 Universe Cloudcover - Bought from JB Hi-Fi.

[Tantrum]

Legacy Bludgeon - I saw this guy about a month ago, but both copies has bad paint apps on the chest. This guy's clean. I haven't opened him yet.

G1 Retro Starscream - The G1 toy in movie accurate deco. Walmart had clearanced this guy to $6. I bought him intending to use the ammo and rear wing to complete my original G1 Starscream, one of the few TFs I've had since child hood. But, I like the look of this guy enough, with the painted face, lined cockpit, and lack of decades of grime, that I'm keeping him together.

I went back to Walmart today, hoping to score another for parts, but they were out. I may cut the extended bomb tips down to size, then give them to original Starscream, so he at least doesn't have empty cannons. Then, he'd just be missing a rear wing.

Edit: I tried to fit new SS's ammo into old SS's cannons, and they don't fit. The new ones are wider.

If anyone sees Legacy Flamewar at Ross, would $30 be enough for you to grab one and mail it to me?

[Denyer]

You could sandpaper down the bomb shafts, or if they're much thicker cut off the conical tips then drill into the back slightly and replace the shafts with superglued-in short sections of something else such as rigid wire or cut off nails.

(Wouldn't feel right just gluing the tips to original launchers, personally).

[Warcry]

Legacy Bombshell

As seems to be the pattern lately, Hasbro saved the worst for last. That isn't to say that Bombshell is awful, but Kickback and Shrapnel had a feeling of "mission accomplished" to them that he's just lacking. Hasbro set out to make Deluxe-class Insecticons that were as close to the 80s depictions as possible, and if that's what you wanted, the first two delivered and then some. The source material was straightforward and uncomplicated, no real wrinkles between toy, comic, cartoon or modern interpretations, and they nailed it. And Bombshell...isn't that. He's a retool of Shrapnel, which isn't the worst idea in the world. Going on the assumption that you're not going to try and replicate the original toy's completely hollow shins, Bombshell's lower body and forearms are generic boxes, so subbing in someone else's generic boxes works just fine. The problems lie in the execution, because it seems like the designers didn't have the forethought to have the reused parts on the right sprues, or the paint budget to cover it up. The end result just looks a bit...unfinished? Not even all that bad really, except by comparison to the other two.

But the real problem is the head. There was obviously some indecision over what to do here, and what ended up happening must be the worst possible solution to the problem. The original Bombshell toy had a normal head, black with a silver face, with the mortar hanging off a flap on the back. The cartoon streamlined that and gave him the distinctive "mortar antenna" head, but all silver. Almost every other interpretation stuck with that head design (it's a great design!) but used the toy colours, so we got a silver face, black helmet and a head-mortar. This toy makes the curious decision to use the original toy's engineering -- plain, boring head with no antenna, mortar on a separate flap -- but the toy's colours. And the head, which is not the cartoon head, is painted like the cartoon head. The packaging and official picture suggest we're supposed to pose him with the flap flipped almost all the way forwards, covering his head like a giant hoodie, so that we can pretend it's all one unit with a mortar horn. This looks silly. If you decide you'd rather give him the toy look, the unpainted all-grey helmet makes him appear...bald, I guess? This also looks silly. So you'd figure that it'd probably be best to just put the toy in insect mode and leave it at that, but the mortar-flap doesn't actually cover the head in bug mode when you transform him, so -- and stop me if I've said this before -- the insect also looks silly. Considering they only had to design about 35% of a toy this time around I'm really surprised the character's most recognizable feature didn't come out better. A couple shots of black spray will remedy things, at least as far as the toy head goes.

[Denyer]

Mmm. I think painting the head is a good call. And probably going to display with the Legends class ones in insect modes, rather than ever bother to transform them.

Despite liking the original toys (and the AM) could never really get past Bombshell being overpowered, similar to other unbalanced 80s ciphers like MOTU's Snake Face, which was on top of generating clones. Or how casually kid shows and comics deal with mind rape-y characters.

[Warcry]

I wish I knew which box I left the Legends-class bugs in. The only one I can find is Chop Shop. I'd imagine they look good with this set.

The paint is already drying on the head -- I started disassembling the toy almost immediately after my last post. The good news is that unlike most of the recent decade's Transformers, this one was mostly held together with screws. I only needed to knock one pin out. I'm pretty sure I'm going to do the upper legs in silver, too, since the black hips are pretty unsightly.

I've never had much love for Bombshell or Shrapnel as characters...they got the flashy superpowers but Kickback is the one who got a personality.

[Warcry]

Much better:



Well, except that I forgot that this silver paint took over a month to cure when I used it on Chromar, so I won't actually be able to handle it until Christmas...

Aside from the silly factory colour layouts it really is a nice figure.