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[HeavyArms]

Legacy Evolution Armada Universe Hot Shot & Armada Universe Jolt.

[Skyquake87]

Here we are then, my exciting box of 2007 Movie Decepticons!

Deluxe Bariricade w/ Frenzy
Largely successful translation of the busy movie design into plastic. Having the bonnet crumple up is a bit much, so we can forgive the toy doing what it can with that. The robot mode is long armed horror and can't really pose well, but it does enough. The inclusion of Frenzy is a nice touch and the alt mode is very nice.

Voyager Blackout
The helicopter mode is great. Nicely realised and detailed, with a nice mechanism for making the blades spin. The hatch at the rear that can deploy Scorponok is great and the wee Scorpy is cute. The robot mode is a bit cluttered and deploying a huge chunk of it as a weapon as seen on screen is it a bit much, but makes it a good toy. It's a 'nearly' sort of toy, feeling slightly undersized for what it is and not quite as good as it could have been.

Deluxe Bonecrusher
One of the early triumphs of the Movie line. This is a great figure. The mine sweeper alt mode looks fantastic and the clean and clever way this opens up into robot mode is a joy. The only downside is that he does feel a bit small.

Deluxe Brawl
Another figure. The robot mode is very busy, all covered in tank parts and shooty bits, but looks great. Transformation is well thought out and the tank looks very impressive. And it has a spring loaded missile launcher, so wins extra points for being fun!

Leader Class Megatron
This is an interesting one. I've never handled this before and it's striking how little this feels like a Transformer. Aside from those globules of earwax that transformed into a protoform version of recognisable characters, this is the only Movie figure with a proper Cybertronian alt mode. And it looks like a couple of coat hangers. It's recognisable as a sort of flying craft, and is very swooshable, so I think I like it? Robot mode is similarly a bit of an odd one. It looks like a Bionicle. There's some creaking electronics that do a bit of Automorph (did this do lights as well or something? It looks like it once may have) and an early example of Mech Tech with his grabby claw weapon thingy. I do like that the can use his right hand as a flail. That's cool. A toy that's great to play with and better than you might expect, but bloody odd all the same.

Deluxe Overcast
This had such potential. The jet mode is awesome. It's so slick and cool looking and you can launch the flames from the rear boosters - there's some real care and attention gone into this. And then you transform it. The robot mode is incredibly derpy looking and it's hard not to feel sorry for the poor lad. Not only does he have an awkward robot mode, but he's got one of those horrible lens faces, like some sort of Empurata victim. It's not a good look. It's one of those toys you end feeling a bit sorry for, as there's a good starting point and then, I don't know what wrong.

Deluxe Scorponok
A bit of a surprise hit for me. Wasn't expecting to like this at all, as there's no real attempt to try and give Scorponok a proper robot mode - his beast mode just sort of stands up - but it's actually a pretty great figure. The scorpion mode is really nicely finished, with lots of bronze and gold breaking up the grey. There's some nice tampographs too, and the gears in this that move are really cool. I like his beady red eyes and horrible grabby tendril claws - and the stinger you can launch at victims. Great fun!

Voyager Starscream
A bit of a lumpen take on the F22, but I do like the missile launchers - they're great fun, and I like that you can store the missiles separately, so you don't shoot yourself in the face. Transformation is pretty good, and gets you a more beefy and powerful looking take on Starscream's wiry triangle of a robot mode.

Deluxe Stockade
I've always liked this figure and it's nice to own it again. The faceless SUV alt mode is nicely done and I like that , as with Barricade, this is an example of a bady guy being properly in disguise, playing on the infiltration that makes the Decepticons such memorable villains. A Sector 7 vehicle perhaps isn't as one the nose as a police car, but I like it. The robot mode is a nice chunky looking fella with a silly gimmick that extends his fists. It's a bit of harmless fun, but looks a bit rubbish.

Deluxe Swindle
As with Overcast, I just want to give this guy a hug. What did he do to deserve such a clumsy looking robot mode? It's an awkward looking thing, but ten out of ten for trying. Vehicle mode is good; one of those sporty looking saloons that were all the rage in the 2000s.

Deluxe Wreckage
I dunno what it is about this sort of arctic/ urban camo, but I really like it. Wreckage is a neat looking bit of military might that transforms into a rather athletic looking chap with pop out blades. Neat!

[Denyer]

Group photo?

Vaguely remember Blackout as well as Starscream and I assume Barricade and Scorponok were the 'normal' size releases, but find it impossible to visualise most of the fifteen years of movie releases.

[Denyer]

Legacy Generations Select Magnificus because apparently ID found some more to clearance in a stock take... and got a 75% off Rakor to even out postage. And then they apparently found more Dicelings to clear after I ordered... so will be trying to get one example of each creature, I think, if anywhere has the underproduced mimic. The dragon and beholder are both pretty fun, so I have reasonable hopes for the owlbear and displacer beast. Took a while to realise the beholder's mouth opens.

If this is typical of the quality of Studio Series anyone paying RRP for one is likely to be a bit disappointed. Solid but gappy in the forearms and back, and the plastic and moulding feel a bit weird. Do like the MC-20 Microman/Microchange homage and the way the lens assembly can be repositioned (although it's pinned on) which helps for display.


https://i.imgur.com/DN0K59j.jpeg

I've removed the Decepticon symbols -- isopropyl alcohol suffices for the chest symbol (good job really as it's paint on paint) and a bit of acetone to remove the silver background of the big one on the scope although there's still a subtle outline, it's actually raised and wanted a little light sanding before polishing back up.

[HeavyArms]

Legacy Evolution Deadeye Duel 2-Pack (Ascenticon Kaskade VS Senate Guard Autobot Javelin).

[Skyquake87]

Allspark Power Mudflap
Custard themed Decepticon repaint of erm, Cybertron Mudflap. It's a big crane thing and it's great. The crane bit can rotate around, the jib can lift and lower (and has a piston - fancy!) and extend. It's a great chunky toy. Transformation to robot mode is good fun. The robot doesn't look very Decepticon-y, coming off like a normal looking robot builder bloke. Maybe they're a cowboy builder or don't pay taxes or something.

Legacy United Tasmania Kid
Nice to have another Core Class Beast Wars character and here's where I do like modern revamps of old toys; taking a slightly derpy looking design with a barely functional but amusing gimmick and tidying it up a bit. The robot mode looks great and a little more slender and less kibbly than the old toy. Only bad thing is standing on the beast mode painted teeth. Transformation is great and pleasingly involved for a small figure. The beast mode probably still doesn't look like a Tasmanian Devil, but it's less horrific looking that the bat/ gerbil of the original toy.

Legacy United Tigerhawk
I was very excited to get this. It looks so nice. I had the original toy, but always found it a bit of a mess to handle, with all it's spring loaded action features launching missiles and feathers everywhere. Plus that odd club foot one of the bird legs had for the sake of a grabbing gimmick involving springs. This having a more solid white plastic (please don't yellow!) means all the detailing and sculpt work is easier to see. The colours are really nice too, and I appreciate this looking more like the show design with the colours and that. Transformation just involves exploding everything and rearranging it. The alt mode looks great, although the bird legs do look a bit skinny. All in all, a really nice (and hefty) looking figure. And I will happily buy this again if Hasbro want to do the Razorclaw repaint.

[Denyer]

Hasbro's Dungeons & Dragons Dicelings count as transformers, right?

Got the red dragon ages ago (which doesn't represent the overweight Themberchaud at all) plus a cheap orange beholder recently and then went for the white owlbear and the displacer beast since they're being clearanced off by some places. Can't find the Mimic anywhere at the moment and with the live action film kind of bombing (despite being quite fun and probably a truer depiction of the game than any other fantasy film) and other more direct tie-in toys getting far more heavily clearanced, I'm guessing Hasbro have canned production on anything like this.

edit: Maybe not, BBTS reckon they have stock arriving in Feb.
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/ ... ils/235490

None of the recent three really use the d20 "shell" pieces as well as the dragons, but you can get at least one decent pose out of all of them. I wouldn't bet on being able to intuitively work out the reverse transformation for the owlbear and displacer beast, either, which are both a bit overly complicated. It's a fun idea and some iconic monster picks, but ages 4 and up is having a laugh. Kids would be likely to break them immediately.

[Clay]

After seeing the Nemesis move from in stock back to preorder on BBTS, I went ahead and had the one I'd ordered shipped. I had intended to wait as long as possible for it to go clearance, but if they're refilling stock at MSRP even when taking preorders for Tidal Wave, that may not reliably happen.

So... she's big! The dimensions are bigger than the Ark, but the Ark is heavier by half a pound. What I really like about it is the three-dimensionality of the ship. It reminds me of some Beast Wars figures in a way. With several of those, they basically started out with a three dimensional animal and had to tease out whatever proportions for a robot mode that animal would allow (as opposed to just having a robot hanging off the underside of a jet). With the Nemesis being a totally blank slate, they did a similar thing. She doesn't have the same proportions as... well, most other TFs. She a spindly, gremliny thing and I like that.

She also transforms far more than most of the other titans, who just sort of rest on the ground. It's not anything horribly complicated, but it's got some thought to it.

I just wish I could have found it for less.

[Denyer]

Super7 Transformers Ultimates Bludgeon off someone with buyer's remorse.

Bit floppy I guess, but the hands on this and the fire sale Banzai-Tron I picked up to go with him are much better than the Bombshell ones. He's noticeably bigger than Banzai-Tron, and whilst I might want to get the helmet to fit a little better in due course it still looks good as it comes -- personally that's with accessories kept to a minimum of scabbard on the back, plus gun and sword.

Pic mostly of other things acquired... probably not going to get any other 80's Commanders stuff, but this is a miscellaneous shelf and Hacker nicely represents Centurions. (If you can find one for about half what Ramen Toys are asking).


https://i.imgur.com/PhGQpf3.jpeg

The only thing I'd really criticise is that including a closed left fist would have been nice. Apart from that it's a larger update of the original with some articulation I'm choosing not to use and displays nicely with the original inner robot (well, the original inner robot plus some repro parts) -- particularly viewed from below.

And it's much cheaper than the original figure even though it'll likely be clearanced soon like everything else once the first wave of buyers is satisfied.

[Warcry]

Is that a giant Krang at the front of the group?

I keep meaning to get that Leatherhead, or one like it, for my kid. He wants one so that he can act out the boss fights from the games he's played.

Glad you were able to track down a Bludgeon. It doesn't sound like yours lost the QC roulette any more than mine did, which is always the concern with Super 7 stuff.

Seeing the inner robot there reminds me that I'd really like to get a Core-class version one day. I've always liked the colours, and it would make for a nice, simple figure with a few more joints.

[Denyer]

It's the Kidrobot big foam Swine Sucker: https://toywiz.com/madballs-series-2-sw ... foam-ball/ and off to the left there are some rubber ones of Dust Brain, Freaky Fullback and the modern Blech Beard that have an inner pouch filled with liquid that'll doubtless age as badly as the originals. There are a couple of Super7 Ultimates Krangs knocking around on other shelves since C&C heavily discounted those like the early wave TF ones and it was two to a pack (one with walker, one without).

Yeah, the MM Leatherhead was a random nostalgia supermarket find, more because I was watching prospecting videos at the time than any affinity for the character, although do obviously remember the original TMNT media. Seems like a decent line where they've emphasised the 'toy' part in the designs and pricing.

Picking up a Bludgeon that had been opened the QC was definitely on the back of my mind, at least that way someone would be expected to mention any specific issues. Plus cheaper. I suspect anyone after one won't have too much trouble finding them for the foreseeable future at or below RRP.

I could go for a deluxe class Legacy Bludgeon with no pretender shell callbacks. Not sure it'd be worth doing core class although I guess Skullgrin was the anomaly and it'd be easier to justify and differentiate from the voyager samurai. It's just that the Micromasters showed that sticking joints on things for the sake of it really doesn't turn out well, and most legends/core stuff is similar with dodgy ball joints.

[Denyer]

The original Transmetal Optimal Optimus for seven quid including postage. Missing most of the accs like most of them (although found two clip in bits in the box before crushing it down) and the backpack part is detached (I've snipped off the remainder of the wiring, removed batteries and internals and fixed the slider in place) but holds together reasonably well and the rest is in good condition.

Nowhere really to put it, but put a low bid on a random eBay recommendation prompted by that recent conversation about when TFs were big fun things. I got given Primal Prime by a significant other whilst at university (and probably should have kept it judging by prices now) so there's a certain amount of nostalgia, plus the fact he turns into a winged monkey ape is pretty cool.

[Denyer]

Looks like the rest of the stock that Hasbro Pulse didn't clear itself ended up here too:

https://www.bargainmax.co.uk/brand/transformers.html

If anyone's still after Leadfoot, Scraphook, Leo Prime, etc. Free delivery on £10 or more, 10% off first order. Kind of tempted to get Motormaster.

[HeavyArms]

Studio Series Mohawk (The Last Knight).

Studio Series 86 Frenzy (Red) - Pulled the trigger on this one thinking it may become hard to find sooner than others.

Legacy United Animated Optimus Prime - Also pulled thew trigger on this expecting it to be rather popular.

[Denyer]

Transformers Retro The Transformers: The Movie Perceptor loose and complete for a decent discount, to go with the MC20 deco Selects figure and the TR one. Can't remember if I still have the RTS one in a tub somewhere, and having just googled it really don't care unless it's to borrow the head.

On reflection, the SS86 figure is probably the best of the trio so I'm kind of glad I got it in black rather than making the other two feel redundant... they're each their own thing. The SS86 figure seems to have prompted lots of people to offload their TR figures if anyone fancies an easy custom into Emirate Xaaron.

1. It seems idiotic that a metal clip for the scope wasn't explored. Can't imagine any more of the originals made it than things like Jazz roof parts.

2. Putting brighter cartoon style colours looks okay, but doesn't especially suit that head, particularly with the neck brace built into the transformation (and the wheel for the head isn't that obvious, is it?)

3. Like Soundwave, the mould benefits from articulation delivered by the transformation. Also his wrist dials can store on his butt due to the size of the screw holes.

Weirdly the RRP doesn't seem too out of place for a genuinely voyager scale figure, especially compared to the figures the earlier reissues seem to go for. So knocking a third or so off, plus the size, makes him feel like quite decent value. I'm glad there are some more random reissue choices happening.

[HeavyArms]

Legacy United Animated Universe Bumblebee.

Legacy United Rescue Bots Universe Chase.

Bought both from JB Hi-Fi.

[Tetsuro]

G1 Fangry, Windsweeper, Backstreet, Override, Dogfight and Overlord.

[Denyer]

Kapow have some lightly water-damaged stock included in their sale now, including Kingdom Galvatron at 1/4 RRP: https://www.kapowtoys.co.uk/category/sale.html

Reminds me of Doubledealer insofar as he feels like a substantial voyager, and like a decent bargain at appreciably less than twenty quid delivered. The battle damage (acid pool?) paint is relatively inoffensive and if you skip the spaceship guns and matrix the cannon recalls the toy as much as the cartoon. It comes with the option to fold the back out into a gun emplacement rather than the flying cannon mode (although that does just about balance). The shade of purple looks pretty good on it, leaving a fair amount of the figure grey to contrast well when transformed.

All in all I like it more than the photos of the Selects version without stickers. Definitely a success as a cannon, and some decent robot modes possible to make it look less wooden than if viewed straight on. It's easy to remove the chest 'damage' paint if preferred, to match the Earthrise re-release. People have come up with gun modes if that's your bag:

https://www.deviantart.com/magigrapix/a ... -916988161
https://tformers.com/transformers-leade ... /news.html

Or turning it upside down is about as effective.

[HeavyArms]

Universe Acid Storm - Bought from eBay, I had been putting this one off for a while.

[Denyer]

Legacy Motormaster for close to voyager RRP, which is reasonable. The trailer won't be doing anything any time soon, but might make a simple display piece when folded out.

The cab and robot mode are decent oldschool voyager* in size and weight, and updating the design so that the (admittedly hefty) trailer is separate is a plus. The back wheels on that trailer feel flimsy as hell and it seems likely loose examples will turn up in years to come with them snapped off. Sword's a bit too big and not giving him a pistol or rifle to match the toy or cartoon original is cheap of Hasbro to say the least.

It's a shame that unlike Prime who can stand alone as a cab MM will only ever get released as a combiner part. It's a nice update.

*And by "oldschool voyager" for comparison let's say... TR/POTP/Selects combiner team leaders because Selects Snaptrap (only a few years ago, albeit overpriced) is more imposing, and Silverbolt might be a bit more light/basic but is still comparable.

I'm not considering getting the rest of these Stunticons, Dragstrip is fine and I've got 3P versions of another couple of them, but secondary market prices for the Legacy ones really do emphasise how poor the release strategy was.