![[The Transformers Archive - an international fan site]](/common/skin/cardbackwide/tfarchive.png)
Ta, can't spot one (they seem to be focusing on Batman for now because there's a shortage of figures of him, apparently) but it's definitely a job for a figure base and sod the alt-mode. The story's heavy on anachronisms and visual-only design work so may as well lean into the pretender shell, plus no need to be too faithful to something that'd need a scratch build otherwise. My first thought was maybe one of the McFarlane Luthor power suits when they get clearanced, for the circuitry and ribbing/fibre bundles, shave some bits off, and focus on a head that's close enough but otherwise mainly the colours and chest reactor window. Or possibly start with an existing pretender shell to hammer home the point and remove distinctive parts -- or mix them, Longtooth arms on Octopunch with more normal feet, for instance. There might be some larger Marvel Legends figures that fit the bill too, something of the stature of the Death's Head 2 release.
Like some other 3P stuff (and a worrying number of higher end official figures, including the infamous MP Rodimus shoulders) there's a few too many parts on RB/DN that rotate or are on pins and the materials just aren't going to be up to it, but whereas they'd be usually designed to pop off or forced to be thicker due to safety restrictions on an official figure the plastic separates on these. That 3P Minerva was similar. Not that chromed moving parts are a good idea either.
POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!
Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!
Shattered Glass Ultra Magnus - Bought a second one so that I could have both a Shattered Glass and a Diaclone colours version.
Legacy Evolution Nacelle - Australian stock for this was heavily shorted due to some loose mould, so lucked out somewhat with finding one on Amazon UK during the Black Friday sale.
Generations Selects Antagony.
Legacy Evolution Nacelle - Australian stock for this was heavily shorted due to some loose mould, so lucked out somewhat with finding one on Amazon UK during the Black Friday sale.
Generations Selects Antagony.
-
Tantrum
- Posts: 674
- Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 1:24 am
- Custom Title: Systems Analyst
- Location: Aquidneck Island, RI, USA
Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!
Earthspark Deluxe Nightshade - Remember Silverhawks? Most of them has wings attached to their wrists, so they'd spread their wings by making a T pose when you squeezed their legs together. But, I vaguely remember a green one with an alternate design where the wings were attached solely on the back, leaving the arms free. This mofo's* bot mode reminds me of this other figure that I may have made up, with a little Nite Owl from Watchmen in the head.
Alt mode is less good than photos suggest. The photos make the sides of the owl body look solid, when in reality there's a fairly noticeable gap that goes all the way through one side to the other. I actually wondered if I was doing something wrong. But, all the tabs fit into the slots, and there's no other piece of plastic I could move to fill out the sides.
I really like how the daggers store in the wings. The tabs on the daggers to make this work mean NIghtshade looks better wielding their weapons blades down, like RotF Mindwipe (the stealth bomber Voyager) or Norman Bates. This makes them look a bit more murderey that their on screen characterization would suggest, but it works.
* mofo is a gender-neutral term, right?
I opened Legacy Elita-1 to put her with my Terrans. Mounting the fenders to the backpack instead of the shoulders works much better, giving her options for display and posing than Strongarm. I've currently got them oriented with the wheels facing up, since that doesn't interfere with shoulder articulation or show the hinges when viewed from the front.
This Deluxe came with a pair of blasters, each larger than the pistols the PotP Voyager came with. So, I swapped them, to the improvement of both figures. One of the blasters' sculpting meant it wouldn't fit in the Voyager's hand due to forearm sculpting, but they combine to form a double barreled blaster which works. The red pistols look like they were made for the Deluxe, well proportioned and color matched.
Alt mode is less good than photos suggest. The photos make the sides of the owl body look solid, when in reality there's a fairly noticeable gap that goes all the way through one side to the other. I actually wondered if I was doing something wrong. But, all the tabs fit into the slots, and there's no other piece of plastic I could move to fill out the sides.
I really like how the daggers store in the wings. The tabs on the daggers to make this work mean NIghtshade looks better wielding their weapons blades down, like RotF Mindwipe (the stealth bomber Voyager) or Norman Bates. This makes them look a bit more murderey that their on screen characterization would suggest, but it works.
* mofo is a gender-neutral term, right?
I opened Legacy Elita-1 to put her with my Terrans. Mounting the fenders to the backpack instead of the shoulders works much better, giving her options for display and posing than Strongarm. I've currently got them oriented with the wheels facing up, since that doesn't interfere with shoulder articulation or show the hinges when viewed from the front.
This Deluxe came with a pair of blasters, each larger than the pistols the PotP Voyager came with. So, I swapped them, to the improvement of both figures. One of the blasters' sculpting meant it wouldn't fit in the Voyager's hand due to forearm sculpting, but they combine to form a double barreled blaster which works. The red pistols look like they were made for the Deluxe, well proportioned and color matched.
Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!
I think it'd be parentorguardianf*cker.
That's quite a neat retro sci-fi design on the Nightshade alt mode, and the robot mode is giving IDW vibes... is it possible to have the wings point down out of the way or take them off?
That's quite a neat retro sci-fi design on the Nightshade alt mode, and the robot mode is giving IDW vibes... is it possible to have the wings point down out of the way or take them off?
-
Tantrum
- Posts: 674
- Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 1:24 am
- Custom Title: Systems Analyst
- Location: Aquidneck Island, RI, USA
Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!
I'll go with pofo from now on.
In owl mode, the wings can fold down by the sides, covering the gap and giving the impression of the bird perched. In bot mode, that doesn't work because the shoulders get in the way of the mounting hinge. The wings pretty much have to be displayed spread out. The heels are enough to allow the bot to stand with the wings pointing back.
The wings come detached in package, but I don't think that connection would stand up to repeated disconnection. You could leave the wings off, but then the owl mode wouldn't work.
The ball joint for the mounting hinge would probably hold up to more repeated disconnection and reconnection, but I'm not sure how well. I was able to take a wing off and put it back on once with no problem, though. The ball joints are behind the bot shoulders so they're visible, but easily ignored.
I opened Legacy Wildrider. He's got a great car mode. The bot mode is alright, with a very nice head sculpt. But he's got a huge backpack and narrow shoulders. It's not just the mass of the hood, but the windshield doesn't fold down far enough. It's too bad his front wheel sections don't become the shoulders like on Dragstrip and Deadend, but that would probably interfere with him becoming calf armor.
In owl mode, the wings can fold down by the sides, covering the gap and giving the impression of the bird perched. In bot mode, that doesn't work because the shoulders get in the way of the mounting hinge. The wings pretty much have to be displayed spread out. The heels are enough to allow the bot to stand with the wings pointing back.
The wings come detached in package, but I don't think that connection would stand up to repeated disconnection. You could leave the wings off, but then the owl mode wouldn't work.
The ball joint for the mounting hinge would probably hold up to more repeated disconnection and reconnection, but I'm not sure how well. I was able to take a wing off and put it back on once with no problem, though. The ball joints are behind the bot shoulders so they're visible, but easily ignored.
I opened Legacy Wildrider. He's got a great car mode. The bot mode is alright, with a very nice head sculpt. But he's got a huge backpack and narrow shoulders. It's not just the mass of the hood, but the windshield doesn't fold down far enough. It's too bad his front wheel sections don't become the shoulders like on Dragstrip and Deadend, but that would probably interfere with him becoming calf armor.
Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!
Cool, might keep a lookout for that one.
Legacy Lio Convoy and I don't know whether it's my point of comparison being the RobotMasters one and low expectations but I actually like the dour-faced unposeable brick and don't immediately want to paint pupils on, although will photoshop them to fully black first to see how much of an improvement it'd be. Not sure the design differentiates well enough from earlier ones, not having seen/handled examples of most of them -- I strongly suspect that hacking play features out makes it a distinctly less fun toy -- and those silly small missiles are a bad idea, but everything else locks into place quite satisfyingly. Plus it's got a bit of an Evil Clever Dog vibe (Sades sent me one years ago) and can pose with that. Will get a photo when I can.
Whereas have decided that I can't stand the Legacy G2 Laser Optimus (the box set version of the Prime titanmaster/triple-changer looks far better and poses better with the recent G2 Megatron IMO) and will probably foist it onto someone too young to be familiar with the original. Maybe not an actual kid, however advanced my nephews are for their ages.
Legacy Lio Convoy and I don't know whether it's my point of comparison being the RobotMasters one and low expectations but I actually like the dour-faced unposeable brick and don't immediately want to paint pupils on, although will photoshop them to fully black first to see how much of an improvement it'd be. Not sure the design differentiates well enough from earlier ones, not having seen/handled examples of most of them -- I strongly suspect that hacking play features out makes it a distinctly less fun toy -- and those silly small missiles are a bad idea, but everything else locks into place quite satisfyingly. Plus it's got a bit of an Evil Clever Dog vibe (Sades sent me one years ago) and can pose with that. Will get a photo when I can.
Whereas have decided that I can't stand the Legacy G2 Laser Optimus (the box set version of the Prime titanmaster/triple-changer looks far better and poses better with the recent G2 Megatron IMO) and will probably foist it onto someone too young to be familiar with the original. Maybe not an actual kid, however advanced my nephews are for their ages.
Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!
HasLab Deathsaurus - Picked up from EB Games.
Toxitron Collection Toxitron - Bought from JB Hi-Fi.
Legacy Evolution Cyberverse Shadow Striker - Bought from JB Hi-Fi.
Shattered Glass Rodimus & Sideswipe with Whisper - Bought from JB Hi-Fi.
Toxitron Collection Toxitron - Bought from JB Hi-Fi.
Legacy Evolution Cyberverse Shadow Striker - Bought from JB Hi-Fi.
Shattered Glass Rodimus & Sideswipe with Whisper - Bought from JB Hi-Fi.
-
Heinrad
- Posts: 6282
- Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2001 5:00 am
- Location: Riskin' it all on my Russian Roulette!
Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!
Meanwhile, aboard the Nemesis.....
How one dresses, it has been said, projects how you are to the greater world. And no one knew this better than the small green and burgundy Decepticon looking into his closet.
Which to go with, he mused to himself. He had options-
"No."
Huh?
"I will not go through with your asinine attempts as humor. It is degrading."
Rattrap and Dinobot don't mind.
Bludgeon quietly drew his katana. "I am neither of them. And I will cut my way out of this reality to give you a lesson on the finer points of humor if I must."
Geez. Killjoy......
Super 7 ULTIMATES Bludgeon: Let's hear it for Christmas. The figure's not perfect - I'm going to have to give the helmet the hot water treatment to get it to fit properly, I have yet to get the turret to mount on the arm, and I think an open hand as well might have worked for the left hand- and I'm still wondering who would want to display a headless Bludgeon, unless they're planning on doing a G2 Megs with a Bludgeon head hand. But he just looks so cool. And given that I'm seeing him as more of a comic Bludgeon, going with the expressive head and not having the turret mounted works pretty well.
How hot does the water need to be, anyway?
EDIT:
Hot water fresh out of a Keurig followed by 2 minutes in a microwave. I think I singed all the pain receptors off of three fingers on my right hand..... Answer: Very.
How one dresses, it has been said, projects how you are to the greater world. And no one knew this better than the small green and burgundy Decepticon looking into his closet.
Which to go with, he mused to himself. He had options-
"No."
Huh?
"I will not go through with your asinine attempts as humor. It is degrading."
Rattrap and Dinobot don't mind.
Bludgeon quietly drew his katana. "I am neither of them. And I will cut my way out of this reality to give you a lesson on the finer points of humor if I must."
Geez. Killjoy......
Super 7 ULTIMATES Bludgeon: Let's hear it for Christmas. The figure's not perfect - I'm going to have to give the helmet the hot water treatment to get it to fit properly, I have yet to get the turret to mount on the arm, and I think an open hand as well might have worked for the left hand- and I'm still wondering who would want to display a headless Bludgeon, unless they're planning on doing a G2 Megs with a Bludgeon head hand. But he just looks so cool. And given that I'm seeing him as more of a comic Bludgeon, going with the expressive head and not having the turret mounted works pretty well.
How hot does the water need to be, anyway?
EDIT:
Hot water fresh out of a Keurig followed by 2 minutes in a microwave. I think I singed all the pain receptors off of three fingers on my right hand..... Answer: Very.
-
Tantrum
- Posts: 674
- Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 1:24 am
- Custom Title: Systems Analyst
- Location: Aquidneck Island, RI, USA
Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!
I got Steamage SA-02 Leap (3P Hearts of Steel inspired Cliffjumper) for Christmas, and bought the SS 88 Sideways / SS 86-16 Arcee 2-pack for myself. I also got the Hearts of Steel graphic novel. I'm usually a bit disappointed by trade paperbacks because I think there's more story, but then there's a bunch of pages of cover galleries and art samples. That still happened here, but I really liked looking at the cover galleries and art samples since they gave cleaner looks at the steampunk designs, unobstructed by speech bubbles or cropping.
Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!
I've seen a lot of people re: customising MOTU figures say not actually boiling, just hot, but personally I just boil it, pour some into an insulated mug and give the plastic a minute or two in that. Hasn't damaged other Super7 figures, but the sculpting on the AM Bombshell hands doesn't actually fit the accessories so getting stuff to stay in them does require some ingenuity such as twist ties etc.
Still no sign of Bludgeon over here.
-
Heinrad
- Posts: 6282
- Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2001 5:00 am
- Location: Riskin' it all on my Russian Roulette!
Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!
Shuttle Bay, Ark:
Rattrap and Dinobot stood in the middle of the shuttle bay, looking at the two massive vehicles sitting there. One was a massive, multi-stage rocket, hanging from waldoes and support arms, aiming at the shuttle bay doors.
Sitting on the other side of the bay was a smaller space shuttle, locked into place atop a drop pod.
“These guys don’t do nothin’ by halves, do they? I mean, we got Onega ova there, but parkin’ him anywhere is kinda hard-“
“What makes you say that?”
“You eva seen him land? He hits and BLAMMO!!! Instant rocket base!” Rattrap pointed at the shuttle/drop pod combination. “At least that ain’t gonna destroy whereva ya land.”
Dinobot took a few steps towards the shuttle. “NASA?
“Wel, they did retire ‘em. I bet Prime got a good deal for it.”
“Nnn…..” Whatever reply Dinobot was going to make trailed off as he saw the other word printed on the side of the shuttle.
MAGNIFICENCE
“Of course. It would be.”
Rattrap’s eyebrow went up. “Would be what? I mean, yeah, it ain’t th’ Enterprise, but that’s a mock up. Must be one’a th’ later ones, right?”
“No. It is not a human space shuttle, Vermin. It is…. Something worse.”
“Worse?”
That was when the shuttle took notice of them. “Ah-HA! I see my fellow Autobots have started allowing pets on board. Fear not, little creatures, your day will be saved.” The shuttle and drop pod transformed, changing into a dinobird-looking thing atop a quadrupedal thing.
“Aw, not anotha slaggin’ saurian! We already got four!”
The Autobot sniffed in annoyance. “I must assure you that I am no mere saurian. I am Sky Lynx, and with my arrival, nothing will ever go wrong again.”
Rattrap and Dinobot looked at each other.
“Y’know, destroyin’ nature ain’t so bad….”
Transformers War for Cybertron EARTHRISE Commander Modesty aka Sky Lynx: Yes, I finally got the egotastic space chicken himself, and I like him. I’ve always liked Sky Lynx. I had thought about getting the POTP version, but I like the separate drop pod/cargo sled/whatever Lynx’s alt mode is. My one complaint is that I can’t get the wings to lock in in shuttle mode.
Rattrap and Dinobot stood in the middle of the shuttle bay, looking at the two massive vehicles sitting there. One was a massive, multi-stage rocket, hanging from waldoes and support arms, aiming at the shuttle bay doors.
Sitting on the other side of the bay was a smaller space shuttle, locked into place atop a drop pod.
“These guys don’t do nothin’ by halves, do they? I mean, we got Onega ova there, but parkin’ him anywhere is kinda hard-“
“What makes you say that?”
“You eva seen him land? He hits and BLAMMO!!! Instant rocket base!” Rattrap pointed at the shuttle/drop pod combination. “At least that ain’t gonna destroy whereva ya land.”
Dinobot took a few steps towards the shuttle. “NASA?
“Wel, they did retire ‘em. I bet Prime got a good deal for it.”
“Nnn…..” Whatever reply Dinobot was going to make trailed off as he saw the other word printed on the side of the shuttle.
MAGNIFICENCE
“Of course. It would be.”
Rattrap’s eyebrow went up. “Would be what? I mean, yeah, it ain’t th’ Enterprise, but that’s a mock up. Must be one’a th’ later ones, right?”
“No. It is not a human space shuttle, Vermin. It is…. Something worse.”
“Worse?”
That was when the shuttle took notice of them. “Ah-HA! I see my fellow Autobots have started allowing pets on board. Fear not, little creatures, your day will be saved.” The shuttle and drop pod transformed, changing into a dinobird-looking thing atop a quadrupedal thing.
“Aw, not anotha slaggin’ saurian! We already got four!”
The Autobot sniffed in annoyance. “I must assure you that I am no mere saurian. I am Sky Lynx, and with my arrival, nothing will ever go wrong again.”
Rattrap and Dinobot looked at each other.
“Y’know, destroyin’ nature ain’t so bad….”
Transformers War for Cybertron EARTHRISE Commander Modesty aka Sky Lynx: Yes, I finally got the egotastic space chicken himself, and I like him. I’ve always liked Sky Lynx. I had thought about getting the POTP version, but I like the separate drop pod/cargo sled/whatever Lynx’s alt mode is. My one complaint is that I can’t get the wings to lock in in shuttle mode.
Last edited by Heinrad on Wed Jan 03, 2024 6:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!
VNR Optimus
Legacy Evolution Devcon
Buzzworthy Bumblee Origins Jazz
Super7 ReAction Toy Prototype Unicron,
Legacy Evolution Medix
Buzzworthy Bumblebee Towline
Legacy Evolution Detritus
Takara Ultimate ROTB Optimus Primal
Buzzworthy Bumblebee Trooper Builder Multipack
Legacy Evolution Dreadwing
All of the above were bought through Jmart.
SS-86 Ultra Magnus
Legacy Evolution 'Pre-War' Collection Nova Prime
Christmas presents to myself.
Legacy Evolution Devcon
Buzzworthy Bumblee Origins Jazz
Super7 ReAction Toy Prototype Unicron,
Legacy Evolution Medix
Buzzworthy Bumblebee Towline
Legacy Evolution Detritus
Takara Ultimate ROTB Optimus Primal
Buzzworthy Bumblebee Trooper Builder Multipack
Legacy Evolution Dreadwing
All of the above were bought through Jmart.
SS-86 Ultra Magnus
Legacy Evolution 'Pre-War' Collection Nova Prime
Christmas presents to myself.
Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!
Got a couple of Transformers for Christmas. Neither were ones that I had a burning desire for, but one of them turned out really nice.
Legacy Nightprowler
Having owned Shadow Panther for a year-plus already, no big surprises here. I found that I like the figure significantly more in shades of grey than in all-black, though. Shadow Panther is a glossy ink blot that defies closer examination, with an attempt at a toy-accurate mutant head that the toy design team accidentally misinterpreted into Zant's helmet. Nightprowler's lighter colours give the mold's details much more room to breathe, and the end result is quite nice. The Kingdom Cheetor mold isn't without its flaws, but I think this is the version I like the most.
Legacy Crankcase
Not great. I think I've ranted before about how it's just not a very good Crankcase, but in hand I don't think it's a very good toy either. I hate transforming it because nothing wants to tab into place correctly, or stay there once you start moving other bits into place. One of the shoulder joints is constantly dislodging itself from its mushroom peg. The glossy, painted-over clear plastic that makes up much of the vehicle shell isn't very pleasant to handle. The overall silhouette of the robot mode is so distinctively "Skids" that it's hard to see the toy as anything else. The accessories don't impress either...one of them is one of Skids' guns (exacerbating the previous problem of looking too much like Skids), and is cast in unpainted clear plastic. The other is just the grille of his alt-mode with a couple blast effect studs exposed, and is painfully unconvincing despite the halfhearted attempt to sculpt the (entirely hollow) outline of gun barrels on the other side. If the disappointingly tiny shoulder cannon nubbins had been blast-effect compatible, that would have gone a long way towards making me like the figure, but they're not.
I honestly can't think of a single redeeming feature on this thing, but don't tell my wife!
She was trying to be nice.
Legacy Nightprowler
Having owned Shadow Panther for a year-plus already, no big surprises here. I found that I like the figure significantly more in shades of grey than in all-black, though. Shadow Panther is a glossy ink blot that defies closer examination, with an attempt at a toy-accurate mutant head that the toy design team accidentally misinterpreted into Zant's helmet. Nightprowler's lighter colours give the mold's details much more room to breathe, and the end result is quite nice. The Kingdom Cheetor mold isn't without its flaws, but I think this is the version I like the most.
Legacy Crankcase
Not great. I think I've ranted before about how it's just not a very good Crankcase, but in hand I don't think it's a very good toy either. I hate transforming it because nothing wants to tab into place correctly, or stay there once you start moving other bits into place. One of the shoulder joints is constantly dislodging itself from its mushroom peg. The glossy, painted-over clear plastic that makes up much of the vehicle shell isn't very pleasant to handle. The overall silhouette of the robot mode is so distinctively "Skids" that it's hard to see the toy as anything else. The accessories don't impress either...one of them is one of Skids' guns (exacerbating the previous problem of looking too much like Skids), and is cast in unpainted clear plastic. The other is just the grille of his alt-mode with a couple blast effect studs exposed, and is painfully unconvincing despite the halfhearted attempt to sculpt the (entirely hollow) outline of gun barrels on the other side. If the disappointingly tiny shoulder cannon nubbins had been blast-effect compatible, that would have gone a long way towards making me like the figure, but they're not.
I honestly can't think of a single redeeming feature on this thing, but don't tell my wife!
She was trying to be nice.Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!
Legacy Pointblank
I've always had a soft spot for this character. I don't think I could tell you why. The original toy is a pot-bellied dork. I can't remember any examples of art that made him look cool. Maybe it was early onset completionism, since I owned Crosshairs and Sureshot as a kid and really wanted this guy to complete the set? Maybe it's because the car mode looked really cool in the 1987 catalogue? I'm honestly not sure. What I am sure about is that it was enough to inspire to me buy a toy that got very bad reviews, and somehow wind up...actually liking it?
The robot mode is horribly flawed, as I think anyone who's seen the unfinished, gappy back view would agree. The hips are ungainly. The elbows don't do much. But I like the silhouette. It's not all gut like the original was. The split front end on the shoulders is nice. The little winglets on the knees are a nice touch. I like the head design, although I wish the central head crest could have been the huge, exaggerated, hood ornament looking thing that he sometimes got drawn with in the Marvel comics. And I really like the car mode. It has a lot of the same charm as the original, up to and including the patently silly sky blue plastic hubcaps. The Targetmaster is a bit too simple for my liking, but miles better than Needlenose's were. It makes for a passable weapon while still being recognizable as a guy folded up into a gun, so at the end of the day it does its job well.
It's not a great figure by any means but I definitely like it more than it's better-engineered but much less interesting wave-mate Crankcase.
I've always had a soft spot for this character. I don't think I could tell you why. The original toy is a pot-bellied dork. I can't remember any examples of art that made him look cool. Maybe it was early onset completionism, since I owned Crosshairs and Sureshot as a kid and really wanted this guy to complete the set? Maybe it's because the car mode looked really cool in the 1987 catalogue? I'm honestly not sure. What I am sure about is that it was enough to inspire to me buy a toy that got very bad reviews, and somehow wind up...actually liking it?
The robot mode is horribly flawed, as I think anyone who's seen the unfinished, gappy back view would agree. The hips are ungainly. The elbows don't do much. But I like the silhouette. It's not all gut like the original was. The split front end on the shoulders is nice. The little winglets on the knees are a nice touch. I like the head design, although I wish the central head crest could have been the huge, exaggerated, hood ornament looking thing that he sometimes got drawn with in the Marvel comics. And I really like the car mode. It has a lot of the same charm as the original, up to and including the patently silly sky blue plastic hubcaps. The Targetmaster is a bit too simple for my liking, but miles better than Needlenose's were. It makes for a passable weapon while still being recognizable as a guy folded up into a gun, so at the end of the day it does its job well.
It's not a great figure by any means but I definitely like it more than it's better-engineered but much less interesting wave-mate Crankcase.
Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!
Legacy Evolution Twincast
Bought through Amazon as it wasn't available in Australia, even though we got that wave here.
Studio Series SS-86 Ratchet
Actually hard to find here.
Bought through Amazon as it wasn't available in Australia, even though we got that wave here.
Studio Series SS-86 Ratchet
Actually hard to find here.
-
Heinrad
- Posts: 6282
- Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2001 5:00 am
- Location: Riskin' it all on my Russian Roulette!
Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!
Rattrap stalked out of the shuttle bay. “Anotha slaggin’ saurian. Why th’ slag did we get ANOTHA slaggin’ saurian?!?!?”
Muttering under his breath, he rounded a corner and walked face-first into a wall of metallic grey, stumbling back in surprise. “HEY! I’M WALKIN’ HERE!!!!!”
The Autobot he’d walked into turned around and looked down. “What’s your problem, tiny?”
“Tiny? TINY?!?!? Call me that again, ya freakin’ pile’a scrap! I’ll blow yer freakin’ ankles off!!!”
“Before or after I stomp you flat?”
Dinobot rounded the corner and stopped, watching Rattrap arguing with the much larger Autobot. “Vermin, you may wish to back down.”
“Why? Just Anotha freakin’ gigantic Autobot wit’ a attitude!”
Dinobot sighed.
The Autobot in question transformed, and Rattrap found himself face to chin with a mechanical stegosaurus.
“ARE YOU SLAGGIN’ KIDDIN’ ME?!?!?!?!?”
The Transformers The Movie Studio Series ‘86 Snarl: Bit later than I wanted to get him, but now I have Snarl. And I like him. He’s big. He’s bulky. And like Slag and Sludge he’s a little too tall in robot mode compared to Grimlock. And he’s the only one who came with a sword. No gun, but a sword. And given his lack of screen time in The Movie, I do seem to remember ther’s one episode from the show where the Dinobots are firing at the Decepticons, and Snarl’s using his sword to fire energy blasts. Maybe they should have just called it the Studio Series G1 line?
Muttering under his breath, he rounded a corner and walked face-first into a wall of metallic grey, stumbling back in surprise. “HEY! I’M WALKIN’ HERE!!!!!”
The Autobot he’d walked into turned around and looked down. “What’s your problem, tiny?”
“Tiny? TINY?!?!? Call me that again, ya freakin’ pile’a scrap! I’ll blow yer freakin’ ankles off!!!”
“Before or after I stomp you flat?”
Dinobot rounded the corner and stopped, watching Rattrap arguing with the much larger Autobot. “Vermin, you may wish to back down.”
“Why? Just Anotha freakin’ gigantic Autobot wit’ a attitude!”
Dinobot sighed.
The Autobot in question transformed, and Rattrap found himself face to chin with a mechanical stegosaurus.
“ARE YOU SLAGGIN’ KIDDIN’ ME?!?!?!?!?”
The Transformers The Movie Studio Series ‘86 Snarl: Bit later than I wanted to get him, but now I have Snarl. And I like him. He’s big. He’s bulky. And like Slag and Sludge he’s a little too tall in robot mode compared to Grimlock. And he’s the only one who came with a sword. No gun, but a sword. And given his lack of screen time in The Movie, I do seem to remember ther’s one episode from the show where the Dinobots are firing at the Decepticons, and Snarl’s using his sword to fire energy blasts. Maybe they should have just called it the Studio Series G1 line?
Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!
Legacy Evolution Bludgeon.
Legacy Evolution Trashmaster.
Legacy Evolution Trashmaster.
Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!
I found a few figures I was looking for, on clearance at a local Canadian site. I guess the universe heard me bitching about how we never get discounts up here anymore and said "this'll shut him up"?
Vintage Beast Wars Wolfang
I'm still as perplexed as ever about what exactly Hasbro was doing with this line, which mixed show-accurate redecos of old toys with re-releases of complete randoms like this. I loved it but I can't imagine it had much mass appeal, considering the 30-Cheetor-deep clearance racks we had a couple years ago...
...and the fact that nothing past Tigatron actually made it into stores near me. I was able to source a few from Walmart's website but eventually even that dried up. I was excited when Wolfang was announced because it was a toy I really wanted as a kid in '96, but I've never managed to get my hands on an original. I wasn't able to get one at retail, so stumbling onto one for a bit less than half of retail price was nice!
It's kind of a dorky toy TBH, especially the giant chin and goofy flip-down mask in robot mode. That's part of the appeal, though. The early Beast Wars toys weren't afraid to be silly and I've got a lot of time for that. I like it, and I'll have to keep an eye out for a clearanced K-9 to go with it.
Vintage Beast Wars Cybershark
I actually do have an original Cybershark, but it's second-hand and a bit beat-up. The shark fins always fall off, and I'm pretty sure a cat chewed on his switchblade at some point. I'm super happy to be able to get a nice, new one -- again, for about half retail price.
Where I mostly enjoy Wolfang for being charmingly outdated and silly, Cybershark is genuinely fantastic. The original is one of my favourite 90s Transformers. The missile launcher, the switchblade tail, the psychotic head sculpt, even the transformation...all top-notch. The reissue uses much weaker springs than the original. It doesn't ruin him like it did to Retrax, but it's a bit disappointing that he can't even launch the hammerhead far enough to clear the end of the launcher. Other than that, it's a great toy even by modern standards and I am super happy to own one that can reliably stand without toppling over from loose joints.
Studio Series DOTM Laserbeak
The pink mini-Bumblebee from the creepy tea party scene, that is. I got it on a whim because it was cheap and a pink Bumblebee is nice and eye-catching. I do wish the primary DOTM Laserbeak design would get a new figure one day. If it does, I hope it's better than this trash.
Hasbro's made a zillion movie Bumblebees at every conceivable size. I have Legends-class figures from ROTF or DOTM kicking around that are significantly better Transformers at half the size...better-sculpted and more fun to handle. Don't buy this.
Legacy "We're Such Cartoon Fanboys That We Actually Called Him Tasmania Kid"
Silly naming choice aside, none of the potential target markets for this toy seem particularly happy with it. Fans of the anime don't think it's cartoony enough. Fans of the toy are upset that the beast mode is cutesy instead of being a demonic chipmunk. People who liked the Kingdom-style "character model turns into a realistic beast" philosophy are disappointed that he still looks nothing like a Tasmanian devil.
I think I might be the only person who actually likes it? Admittedly, I'd rank the original Snarl towards the bottom of the list, as far as Beast Wars toys go. But other than cheating with the chest plate, this one does basically everything better. The original is a bit of a mess, awkward to handle and overwhelmed by huge kibble. The much slimmer Legacy figure is a genuinely fun little toy to me.
Legacy Energon Megatron
I absolutely loved the look of the original, back in the early 2000s. But I could never afford it because I was a university student with no job and no money, and it was a huge, expensive figure. I've been hoping for a new version ever since they started branching out into other Universes around Kingdom. I didn't expect it would come at Core class, but honestly, this nicely distills everything I liked about Energon Megatron -- the Galvatron design cues, the colour scheme, the alt-mode that looks like it comes from Star Fox or something. And despite being scaled down to about 1/12th the size, it seems a ton more dynamic than the original. A nice little toy.
Vintage Beast Wars Wolfang
I'm still as perplexed as ever about what exactly Hasbro was doing with this line, which mixed show-accurate redecos of old toys with re-releases of complete randoms like this. I loved it but I can't imagine it had much mass appeal, considering the 30-Cheetor-deep clearance racks we had a couple years ago...
...and the fact that nothing past Tigatron actually made it into stores near me. I was able to source a few from Walmart's website but eventually even that dried up. I was excited when Wolfang was announced because it was a toy I really wanted as a kid in '96, but I've never managed to get my hands on an original. I wasn't able to get one at retail, so stumbling onto one for a bit less than half of retail price was nice!
It's kind of a dorky toy TBH, especially the giant chin and goofy flip-down mask in robot mode. That's part of the appeal, though. The early Beast Wars toys weren't afraid to be silly and I've got a lot of time for that. I like it, and I'll have to keep an eye out for a clearanced K-9 to go with it.
Vintage Beast Wars Cybershark
I actually do have an original Cybershark, but it's second-hand and a bit beat-up. The shark fins always fall off, and I'm pretty sure a cat chewed on his switchblade at some point. I'm super happy to be able to get a nice, new one -- again, for about half retail price.
Where I mostly enjoy Wolfang for being charmingly outdated and silly, Cybershark is genuinely fantastic. The original is one of my favourite 90s Transformers. The missile launcher, the switchblade tail, the psychotic head sculpt, even the transformation...all top-notch. The reissue uses much weaker springs than the original. It doesn't ruin him like it did to Retrax, but it's a bit disappointing that he can't even launch the hammerhead far enough to clear the end of the launcher. Other than that, it's a great toy even by modern standards and I am super happy to own one that can reliably stand without toppling over from loose joints.
Studio Series DOTM Laserbeak
The pink mini-Bumblebee from the creepy tea party scene, that is. I got it on a whim because it was cheap and a pink Bumblebee is nice and eye-catching. I do wish the primary DOTM Laserbeak design would get a new figure one day. If it does, I hope it's better than this trash.
Hasbro's made a zillion movie Bumblebees at every conceivable size. I have Legends-class figures from ROTF or DOTM kicking around that are significantly better Transformers at half the size...better-sculpted and more fun to handle. Don't buy this.
Legacy "We're Such Cartoon Fanboys That We Actually Called Him Tasmania Kid"
Silly naming choice aside, none of the potential target markets for this toy seem particularly happy with it. Fans of the anime don't think it's cartoony enough. Fans of the toy are upset that the beast mode is cutesy instead of being a demonic chipmunk. People who liked the Kingdom-style "character model turns into a realistic beast" philosophy are disappointed that he still looks nothing like a Tasmanian devil.
I think I might be the only person who actually likes it? Admittedly, I'd rank the original Snarl towards the bottom of the list, as far as Beast Wars toys go. But other than cheating with the chest plate, this one does basically everything better. The original is a bit of a mess, awkward to handle and overwhelmed by huge kibble. The much slimmer Legacy figure is a genuinely fun little toy to me.
Legacy Energon Megatron
I absolutely loved the look of the original, back in the early 2000s. But I could never afford it because I was a university student with no job and no money, and it was a huge, expensive figure. I've been hoping for a new version ever since they started branching out into other Universes around Kingdom. I didn't expect it would come at Core class, but honestly, this nicely distills everything I liked about Energon Megatron -- the Galvatron design cues, the colour scheme, the alt-mode that looks like it comes from Star Fox or something. And despite being scaled down to about 1/12th the size, it seems a ton more dynamic than the original. A nice little toy.
-
Skyquake87
- Protoform
- Posts: 3987
- Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2010 9:34 am
Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!
[youtube][/youtube]Wolfang was similarly one I'd never owned 'growing up' (I was what, 18ish and buying Beast Wars toys at the time..!), and was quite pleased to find him for a few quid at discount chain B&M and yeah, he certainly has a chin. I leave the mask down. Did the K-9 reissue ever appear anywhere? I feel like I saw it online once and never again.
Good to hear Tasmania Kid is decent. I'm looking forward to him showing up - Snarl was a rare dud amongst the Beast Wars Basics, but the new version looks pretty swish to me.
I meant to post about these back in November, but I've just been having great fun with them. It's another round of buying Transformers that no-one wants and I managed to hoover up the entire 2007 Movie cast toyline, plus a few outliers. I'll start with the Autobots and come back to the Decepticons.
Scout Class Armorhide
Recolour of a Cybertron deluxe that transforms into a nifty looking tractor cab and back. It's a really nice figure and looks exceptional done out in black. The Cyber Planet Key gimmick flips out a (non-launching) missile pod and he has a gun thingy too. Great little figure!
Scout Class Air Raid
One of the repurposed Unicron Trilogy toys used to pad out the slender 2007 movie line. Here done in a sort of Minecraft type of camouflage with a Sector 7 logo, becasue they use spacey jets. The plastics on this recolour feel a lot more sturdy than the original toy and it's still a great wee toy. Massively out of place with the aesthetic of the film, but fun all the same. Also pretty sure this came in a two-pack.
Deluxe Bumblebee (1974 Camaro)
A 'not bad' attempt at translating the busy movie design. Prefer the rounded nogging this lad has over the skull-faced ghoul we see on screen. The Auto-Morph does most of the work for you, so I don't feel very involved transforming this guy. Robot mode looks a bit like a T-800 Endoskeleton wearing car parts, has some decent posing power and I do appreciate the missile launchers, which are great fun and look pretty cool mounted on the shoulder wheels. The alt-mode is also nice and a decent go at the movie prop - just lacks the rake that has, as the rear wheels are the same size as the front ones.
Deluxe Bumblebee (Concept Camaro)
I love this. The alt-mode is perhaps a bit more custardy than the vibrant yellow of the prop, but it looks great and rolls really well - even on smooth surfaces, thanks to the treads! Robot mode looks great and again benefits from a less horrific visage and I like the pop out switchblade weapon thingy. Has a bit of Auto-Morph, but it works nicely.
Deluxe Jazz
Probably the best deluxe of the main movie cast, although that's not saying much. The alt mode is nice and the robot mode looks decent, if a little on the baggy trousers side. Weapon is odd. It looks like there's something missing from it. I've checked though, and there isn't. Curious.
Voyager Ironhide
A nice chunky looking pickup truck with massive cannons hiding not right well under the doors. Looks daft, but feels such a part of Ironhide that toys look wrong without them. Getting to robot mode is a bit of trial as there's so much Auto-Morph and spring-loaded moving parts engineered into this that get in the way of each other. When you've wrestled this to robot mode, it still looks pretty awesome. This gruff looking warrior is who I think of as Ironhide over the min-van dude from the cartoon. The name just fits this bad-ass.
Deluxe Longarm
I had my first go on this figure with the Hoist recolour and I like the original version of the mould better. The plastics are nice and crisp and everything feels a bit tighter and fits together with better precision. The robot mode is superb with a good balance of white, blu, grey, black and marmaladey light piping. What a great figure and a real gem in the 2007 line. The vehicle mode still has some odd proportions that I can't get over, but it does it's job and looks good enough.
Leader Class Optimus Prime
The 2009 ROTF Leader Version might be the better looking and engineered toy, but is it as much fun? I don't think so. You can really see the bridge between the chunk and heft of those Armada toys and the more delicate movie designs in this toy. It's not the slickest thing in the world and a bit of clumsy looking thing in robot mode, but by golly it is just a great, great toy. Lights and Sounds, a really cool head reveal, slide out weapons and satisfying click and clack of a transformation. The alt mode is great and I really appreciate the rubber tyres and overall look of the truck mode. Everytime I pick this up and play with it, it brings a smile to my face. Brilliant.
Voyager Ratchet
Like Optimus, this feels like another transitional figure. I like how chunky Ratchet is - it's not accurate to the on screen model, but it's a better toy for it. Nice that this one doesn't have any Auto-Morph built in, so you feel a bit more involved with it. Vehicle mode looks great, but that Emergency Yellow is really dialled down on the toy, giving it the same colour as bile, which isn't a great looking colour and probably a reason you can find so many of these cluttering up eBay. The roll cage pincer weapon and flip out axe are also a bit naff.
Deluxe Salvage
The Autobot recolour of the generally great Dropkick toy. I think I prefer this over the Decepticon, just because it's another example of having more solid plastics on a given recolour. It's an odd thing and probably down to polymers and paint colours and whatnot, but this feels much nicer than Dropkick's slightly waxy feel. Salvage just seems more polished and proper. Robot mode is great, alt mode is fantastic. Only that silly pliers weapon takes the edge off what is otherwise one of the best 'looks like it could have been in the film' designs the 2007 line managed.
Good to hear Tasmania Kid is decent. I'm looking forward to him showing up - Snarl was a rare dud amongst the Beast Wars Basics, but the new version looks pretty swish to me.
I meant to post about these back in November, but I've just been having great fun with them. It's another round of buying Transformers that no-one wants and I managed to hoover up the entire 2007 Movie cast toyline, plus a few outliers. I'll start with the Autobots and come back to the Decepticons.
Scout Class Armorhide
Recolour of a Cybertron deluxe that transforms into a nifty looking tractor cab and back. It's a really nice figure and looks exceptional done out in black. The Cyber Planet Key gimmick flips out a (non-launching) missile pod and he has a gun thingy too. Great little figure!
Scout Class Air Raid
One of the repurposed Unicron Trilogy toys used to pad out the slender 2007 movie line. Here done in a sort of Minecraft type of camouflage with a Sector 7 logo, becasue they use spacey jets. The plastics on this recolour feel a lot more sturdy than the original toy and it's still a great wee toy. Massively out of place with the aesthetic of the film, but fun all the same. Also pretty sure this came in a two-pack.
Deluxe Bumblebee (1974 Camaro)
A 'not bad' attempt at translating the busy movie design. Prefer the rounded nogging this lad has over the skull-faced ghoul we see on screen. The Auto-Morph does most of the work for you, so I don't feel very involved transforming this guy. Robot mode looks a bit like a T-800 Endoskeleton wearing car parts, has some decent posing power and I do appreciate the missile launchers, which are great fun and look pretty cool mounted on the shoulder wheels. The alt-mode is also nice and a decent go at the movie prop - just lacks the rake that has, as the rear wheels are the same size as the front ones.
Deluxe Bumblebee (Concept Camaro)
I love this. The alt-mode is perhaps a bit more custardy than the vibrant yellow of the prop, but it looks great and rolls really well - even on smooth surfaces, thanks to the treads! Robot mode looks great and again benefits from a less horrific visage and I like the pop out switchblade weapon thingy. Has a bit of Auto-Morph, but it works nicely.
Deluxe Jazz
Probably the best deluxe of the main movie cast, although that's not saying much. The alt mode is nice and the robot mode looks decent, if a little on the baggy trousers side. Weapon is odd. It looks like there's something missing from it. I've checked though, and there isn't. Curious.
Voyager Ironhide
A nice chunky looking pickup truck with massive cannons hiding not right well under the doors. Looks daft, but feels such a part of Ironhide that toys look wrong without them. Getting to robot mode is a bit of trial as there's so much Auto-Morph and spring-loaded moving parts engineered into this that get in the way of each other. When you've wrestled this to robot mode, it still looks pretty awesome. This gruff looking warrior is who I think of as Ironhide over the min-van dude from the cartoon. The name just fits this bad-ass.
Deluxe Longarm
I had my first go on this figure with the Hoist recolour and I like the original version of the mould better. The plastics are nice and crisp and everything feels a bit tighter and fits together with better precision. The robot mode is superb with a good balance of white, blu, grey, black and marmaladey light piping. What a great figure and a real gem in the 2007 line. The vehicle mode still has some odd proportions that I can't get over, but it does it's job and looks good enough.
Leader Class Optimus Prime
The 2009 ROTF Leader Version might be the better looking and engineered toy, but is it as much fun? I don't think so. You can really see the bridge between the chunk and heft of those Armada toys and the more delicate movie designs in this toy. It's not the slickest thing in the world and a bit of clumsy looking thing in robot mode, but by golly it is just a great, great toy. Lights and Sounds, a really cool head reveal, slide out weapons and satisfying click and clack of a transformation. The alt mode is great and I really appreciate the rubber tyres and overall look of the truck mode. Everytime I pick this up and play with it, it brings a smile to my face. Brilliant.
Voyager Ratchet
Like Optimus, this feels like another transitional figure. I like how chunky Ratchet is - it's not accurate to the on screen model, but it's a better toy for it. Nice that this one doesn't have any Auto-Morph built in, so you feel a bit more involved with it. Vehicle mode looks great, but that Emergency Yellow is really dialled down on the toy, giving it the same colour as bile, which isn't a great looking colour and probably a reason you can find so many of these cluttering up eBay. The roll cage pincer weapon and flip out axe are also a bit naff.
Deluxe Salvage
The Autobot recolour of the generally great Dropkick toy. I think I prefer this over the Decepticon, just because it's another example of having more solid plastics on a given recolour. It's an odd thing and probably down to polymers and paint colours and whatnot, but this feels much nicer than Dropkick's slightly waxy feel. Salvage just seems more polished and proper. Robot mode is great, alt mode is fantastic. Only that silly pliers weapon takes the edge off what is otherwise one of the best 'looks like it could have been in the film' designs the 2007 line managed.
Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!
I've always had the impression they are/were still easy to find originals of, I got Cybershark a few years back for the alt-mode and Wolfang much earlier to swap parts with a Max-B on to do alt-mode Carnivac for a Wreckers display.
Wolfang unmodified is charming enough I guess, but the the cyborg head and tail do add some interest. I think I'd have been a bit nonplussed when it first came out, even more than with BW in general. A lot of that's down to the asymmetry. Brain doesn't cope well with it when it's really lopsided or involves huge parts hanging off, recognisable animal heads, etc. Similar sort of reaction to RID stuff, and I really like e.g. RID Prowl otherwise.