So, does anyone want to buy a Hasbro Breakdown for their Menasor? I ended up getting a second one by accident.
Mine literally just shipped this week, otherwise I'd be down.
+1
AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
Yesterday was the Archecore stuff.
... I swear, someone needs to make a skirmish-level minis game with this. Games Workshop might sue, though.
The Self Propelled Guns are the two vehicles that became the "Feet" of the Berserker Armor. So technically this is the rest of the squad that maintains the Frost Light. The SPG has been remolded for one of the other factions.. but they don't have a giant combiner armor robot. Though they do have a giant transformer robot, so.. we'll see.
I really do love the artwork.
The idea of a couple squads getting together around a fire, with beer and spirits, just swapping stories.
This is cool. The inner liner has a map with the various factions laid out. I think we've seen 3-4 of these by now?
I appreciate that the manual is translated.
And as usual, the figs are highly articulated with a squad paint job and tons of weapons. This particular set has a couple unique pieces, a unique head, and stands.
Oh man.. the stands. Only the main hero/leader had a stand before this (and his has an arm for more action poses). They're standard now with squads, which is by far the better way to do things.
But first, what all do you get? Why.. OPTIONS!
2 grenades per each. Tons of weapons and tools. 3 sets of hands for each figure. The head changeout. Oh, and instead of their belts storing a pistol or weapon.. they store hip flasks.
Keeping all that straight is a pain.. but that's where the stands come into play. See... They do more than just act as stands.
They open up and store accessories! So I can keep all the bits and bobs with the squad with their individual stands. And THIS is what makes it super awesome. It's a very basic set of plastic, and yet it adds so much. You can't store the big weapons in there, but.. eh.
Now I just need to go through and loosen all the joints, due to the soft plastic they use. I also think the unique armor might be on the wrong dude. And then, after that, the final package, Power Comman---
WAIT! We have some late breaking news.
Unexpected and unannounced.. a new challenger has arrived!
He/Him | "We who believe in freedom cannot rest." - Dr. Johnetta Cole, 7/22/2024
That is a really smart way of doing figure stands.
0
AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
Hooo boy. My life is now completely about replacing and fixing ratchets, I swear. And this was a fiddly beast!
Decent packaging, as usual from DNA design. My box had a big ding in the side, but.. well, that's what packaging is for.
... that's a lot of screws. Fuck.
Here you have all the parts laid out kind of haphazardly as my kitchen table is getting overrun with stuff again. The biggest thing to look at is the sword. Just.. it's on a whole different league!
The original looks like a dagger, or something scaled for Motormaster. Which.. I guess it is?
So. Up next, part installation. In this case, the ratchets are vertical, and the screws are tight. But you get articulated fingers! It loses the ability to hold 5mm port items (I tried), but I think having the extra articulation is more than worth it. Splayed fingers always look kind of weird.. but eh.
Next up is the new hip skirt, and... uuugggh. This is where most of my frustration was. First and foremost, the new design adds a bit of hip skirts, and it turns him from an innie to an outie.
Cue.. 30 minutes of me trying to get these ratchets in place. I tried being gentle, and they just wouldn't go because the original Hasbro ones were slightly bigger than the DNA design was anticipating. Once I started forcing things with my thumb and a sturdy set of tweezers, I finally got it.
So on to the hips! I think the new ones are kind of plain and a little shiny, but.. they do add some lift. It's a little bit of a tricky installation, because while there aren't ratchets, there is the spring loaded clip that locks in the lower legs. And it's a bit of a blind move to attach them.
Doing so about doubles the height of the thighs, though.
Let's pretend like a stiff wind hit him!
Then came the final bits. The "Shoes" ... that I completely missed taking pictures of, and the new chest piece. Add it all up?
I'm not going to lie. I don't think I'm a fan of the new chest piece design. It's meant to invoke the original toy. But.. the gray parts really aren't integrated well. I wish the Hasbro design had the nice metallic red accents, but really this is just a bit off. And to make matters worse, it doesn't even incorporate into the alt mode transformation. I think this is a case where they saw they could easily swap pieces, tried to do so, and couldn't find a way to reconfigure it with the alt mode. If your model is always in combined mode, that's fine. But these pics are likely the only time I'll use it.
A nice touch the attempted to add was the new trailer hitch attaching to the sword, so you can hold it on his back! The plastic's super soft and tolerances aren't the greatest, so it doesn't want to stay clipped to the sword very well.. but hey, it works.
But why oh why would you want to have such a beautiful sword clipped to his back? Well.. because of.. honestly? The part I was kinda meh about... that has suddenly become one of my favorite bits.
A bit of dressing and they took the silly turret mode piece...
And made a fucking rail gun out of it.
All it took was some greebling and things to get rid of the flat, boxy edges, and suddenly you have a cannon that looks like it could blast a hole in the side of a skyscraper. In fact, it's so large that his hand fits into the back! He pretty much has to hold it two-handed.
But when he does... it's glorious.
'Sup?
So.. yeah. I'm happy with that alone. But a nice trick is that it (almost) all incorporates into the alt mode!
First and foremost, you do have to put the original chest back on. And here you can see the difference between the two. The gray of the new piece looks so out of place, but I do love the red accents.
The skirts are able to fold up and out of the way so the original transformation works.
So on the original trailer/alt mode, you basically had Menasor's chest visible from the front, with the legs sticking out the top. Kind of ugly! ... well now we've added extensions. Even uglier, right?
Except.. no! The new shoes wrap around the front. It's far from perfect, there are big gaps, and aligning everything is a beast. But it is definitely better than it was.
Here you can see the Menasor chest covered up.
For some reason, the instructions tell you to flip the hands opposite directions where they fold up now. I'm not entirely sure why? Maybe it has to do with holding the hilt of the sword in there, where one thumb is able to clear it and kind of lays on top of the hilt.
But beyond that... all the other pieces more or less store in the trailer somewhere, and you get... a much longer trailer!
Now that said, the instructions do have a couple parts that don't fit great. I can't show it exactly because I'm not transforming Motormaster back for this, but.. the final extra bits are supposed to fit on the trailer and help lock things in place. They really, REALLY don't. It's a shame, but not a huge one. You can see where one part sits on the left side of this picture, and it's supposed to friction slot in place. But nope.. does not work.
So... yeah! It's an expensive upgrade kit, relatively speaking. But I think it does a lot for Menasor. I'd ditch the new chest piece, maybe go back to the original hip piece (I haven't decided), definitely keep the hands and shoes, and of course the weapon accessories.
You have options. And options are good.
He/Him | "We who believe in freedom cannot rest." - Dr. Johnetta Cole, 7/22/2024
Thank you for that great review and photos of the upgrade kit. I almost bought it for the upgrade, but glad I decided to not get it (and keep my set intact) since I would have probably been annoyed with the replacement of parts. Menasor does look much better combined though. That new gun mode is absolutely awesome! That is the one thing I hate about the Hasbro design with it just sitting there as a turret.
BBTS just sent out a sale notice, several interesting things in there but the top item is Legacy Metroplex 50% off
Nobody on
+1
AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
God that's a good price.. *grumbles*
He/Him | "We who believe in freedom cannot rest." - Dr. Johnetta Cole, 7/22/2024
0
AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
edited February 2023
What's this? Lunchtime and Work From Home?
Why.. I guess that means it is time to open my last figure!
Armada Optimus Prime, the "Monster Truck," is not what got me into collecting toys again. But it was one of the earliest ones I picked up. While Armada was hit and miss, this just seemed a centerpiece toy at the time. I always did prefer the rarer second color scheme, though. So when Fans Hobby released their "Naval Commander," everyone was like.. they do tons of repaints. Just wait.
So I did.
"Masterpiece" scaled Monster Truck Optimus.
Right out of the gate? This guy is HEAVY. Like this box just feels like a dense block of plastic. It's surprising, given some of the other 3rd party toys I've picked up!
Opening the box, and a small aside: What I thought was a cloud pattern at first ended up being an interesting blue shifted map of the Ring of Fire areas. Kind of cool!
The inner plastic trays are substantial enough to have a slight blue tint to them as well. Always appreciated.
So what extra goodies do we get with this? Well, ignoring the mini-con (which I will be for now), we get 6 little missiles, alternate "wings" for the super mode head (that match the original design), and a different face plate. It also looks like different eyes?
So.. Yeah. Heavy. This trailer is incredibly solid. The core robot is no slouch either.
One nice thing about the cleanup I've been doing lately is that I know pretty much exactly where my Armada Megs is! Sooooo...
Huh! I'm actually surprised, the Power Commander one is slightly smaller in some dimensions than the original! I guess Energon Optimus Prime wasn't the only figure to lose some inches around the gut.
You can definitely feel the design lineage, but aimed at more modern techniques and more sturdy construction. I should mention at this point that the trailer treads are rubber, and actually work. That weight really helps them in doing so.
The six missiles fit into the front launchers, an interpretation of the much smaller turrets on the original trailer. But what's really cool is that they are individually spring-loaded! They all fire! And one of them can even go into the big cannon and fire out of there. I can't remember the last time I got a non-Lego toy that featured firing bits. It isn't strong.. but again, it is appreciated.
The instructions next move to describing an "Extended trailer" mode. I'm... not sure exactly what this is. It's a partially unfolded trailer... that acts as something mini-cons can stand on or attach to?
But.. we get to the crux of this lunchtime update. The core robot. I gotta say.. this is my first Fans Hobby transformer, and the plastic is really soft! But in a good way! It feels like it gives under my hand, and has a matte finish to it. This encourages me to be a bit rougher with it, without sacrificing how it looks.
Oh, and you can totally put the smokestacks on the outside to match the original look.
Transformation is very reminiscent of the original toy. There's some neat sliding bits that help fill out the legs and make the hood hide away better. But one thing I loved seeing was a fully molded, removable Matrix of Leadership.. and chains around it! The chains aren't part of it, but again it helps with the monster truck feel.
A bit more fiddling, including unlocking the waist swivel... and..
Damn. This guy is massively poseable. They made everything that could block movement be able to get out of the way. They used very heavy duty ball joints wherever possible, and ratchets elsewhere. They considered what might break or not. Hell, with the hands, the big-ass cannon fits into a slot unlike any I've seen before that helps secure it SUPER tight! I am not sure what the limits of it are.
Then came... memory. I swore, up and down, that the original Armada Optimus Prime had some decent posing for its time too. Turns out...
Nope! Barely just a little. The hips can be split for the super mode to splay the legs, but it looks REALLY wrong when you do that. the arms are on the most basic of pivots. Very little shoulder rotation, no elbow or wrist rotation... just... wow. I know that he's usually either in super mode or wearing Jetfire as pants, but it still threw me back. 20+ year old memories, y'all.
Sadly, I need to get back to work. So I'll be comparing the base and super modes this evening. Still.. This alone is making me decide I'm definitely going in on their version of Energon Optimus and Armada Megs/Galvatron. I know Overload's coming, and I dunno if he's gonna get a recolor to match this version of Optimus. The recolor back in the old days was a garish yellow, and I do not want that color in any way, shape or form. So hopefully Fans Hobby can do something better.
Edit: Oh yeah. For completeness, in-hand images of the Legacy Evolution Armada Optimus Prime (Commander Class) have been released. So just to be fair, here's a couple pics that are similar to the ones I have posted so far.
Athenor on
He/Him | "We who believe in freedom cannot rest." - Dr. Johnetta Cole, 7/22/2024
+5
AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
What's that, Lassie? Work's done? Well why didn't you say so!
So what happens when you lay a trailer flat, and then fold out all its panels? You get a base mode! A pretty flexible, creative base mode... but a base mode none the less.
There's a lot of neat touches, like a ramp at the back and the missile pods being articulated.
Now on the original Armada Prime, the gimmick was this massive autotransform feature. The idea was that if you had everything powered and turned on, and started the core mode transformation, the trailer would automatically transform into its base mode. That's why it has this origami like interior. Everything needed to be unpinned first, of course.. but it really was just laying down.
Then, when you went to transform the core body into the super form, the legs would continue ratcheting around and the base mode would magically stand up.
This is why the original has such poor articulation. The legs couldn't bend any as part of this, and the main body was full of electronics and switches.
Power Commander does not have any of those limitations. Instead, he has very thin plastic bits and quite tight tolerances!
Ignoring the pose, here he is with his progenitor. I swear... the gold on this toy has tarnished so heavily. I do worry it has gold plastic syndrome in a couple places, but others I know for certain are painted.
But a super mode is nothing without.. PANTS!
And thus, we get to the most amazing part. PANTS. Articulated, fully featured, flexible PANTS.
They even took the massive backpack components that hold just layers and layers of plastic... and turned it into a cloak so that his articulation is not impacted. The instructions include how to make the missile pods fold out too.
But... I feel something is missing... something.. new and unique to this mold. Well, they made the mini-con hangars detachable, unlike the original and the Legacy one. Soooo... what to do with them?
How about an homage to the kickass Robots in Disguise Optimus?!
Oh yeah. Bring it. And here you can see how much more superior these pants are to the original.
(Granted, I used Jetfire as pants for most of the time with the original, and that will eventually happen with Power Commander here...)
But.. yeah! I'm super happy. When I first saw a video, I knew I would be.. and now, a couple years later, I'm so happy to have him.
And now.. I come to the end of this journey. A couple weeks ago, I was feeling frustrated and upset, and decided to go YOLO on some stuff I had been wanting for a while. I also needed to make sure I didn't miss out on some bits.
So today... I present to you: A group shot of this labor of love.
Thank you all for going with me on this journey.
...
......
Wait. Something seems.. off about that pic. One sec, let me rotate my laptop a bit.. uh...
Better.
Now.. where the fuck am I going to put all these?
He/Him | "We who believe in freedom cannot rest." - Dr. Johnetta Cole, 7/22/2024
AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
edited February 2023
Yes! Armada Optimus Prime getting a remake as a commander is actually really cool, and I'm glad for people who haven't had access before. And people are also assuming that Overload and Armada Jetfire are also coming as Leader classes (or possibly Voyager for Overload). It would make sense to design your marquee Commander model to have all of its past functionality.
When Fans Hobby first did Naval Commander, there was no twinkling that Hasbro would do anything with Armada, because Kingdom was basically a love letter to Beast Wars, and the closest they'd gotten was Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime (Cybertron Prime). So when Legacy started hinting at Armada stuff.. well.. people got excited.
Honestly, if I didn't decide I wanted Fans Hobby's interpretations, Commander Armada Optimus Prime would be a no-brainer.
Athenor on
He/Him | "We who believe in freedom cannot rest." - Dr. Johnetta Cole, 7/22/2024
Got the replacement Trailbreaker in the other day and remembered the horror we had going on a few pages ago and decided to share this.
You are welcome.
Sadly, Entertainment Earth put up some "not perfect" boxes for a lot cheaper after I bought this one. So anyone interested, you are welcome for my sacrifice.
It's been a pretty quiet toy time for me. Walmart seems to have phased out the MOTU Origins line so I'm stuck pre-ordering pretty much everything online at this point. I've slowed down on AEW wrestling toys as well (although I have one waiting to be opened). However, this past weekend we were in Mass. for a concert and spotted a vintage toy store and stopped in. I was pretty excited to get two new figures for my modestly sized Kevin Smith collection. I found opened Loki and Golgothan figures to go with my Dogma Bartleby. I'm not going completionist on the "inaction figure" line - but I think I may try to finish the Dogma ones since I'm only two away at this point.
Little bummed I'm missing out on a Micromaster, but I already have Omega Supreme and I'm still trying to find room for my Ark and Nemesis to fight. I might have a space but I have to find new storage for the couch blankets.
If that had been a Cybertron Wheeljack, it'd be a must buy. I'll still probably get Jazz, but it's making part of my brain go "Get all of the cybertron versions of characters" and like, STFU brain. Those seekers alone would break my bank!
I caved and got all the Seekers, accidentally bought two of the Bumblebees (forgot I had one and picked one up in the store going, "Oooh Cybertron Bumblebee!!!"). So I have to buy Jazz and hope that they'll make Wheeljack. I mean, they have to right? They have the Energon Rods...
On another note. First Macross Bandai VF-1 to show up on a US site since the Harmony Gold dark ages!!!
@HexDex I remember you wanted to know when a semi-decent Macross toy was released... It isn't the DX line, but one step closer at least.
Edit: Just checked and they are all sold out! Wow. Now I wonder what the story will be for this Valkyrie. Hopefully people here got one if they wanted it. I forgot to say that this toy just came out in Japan, so it is pretty recent.
I thought this was Pulse only, they buried the mention of Target in the description. I feel like normally it'll list right at the top "Target Exclusive with limited Pulse quantities" or something to that effect
Still a bummer, I would've had free shipping with Pulse, and I hate preordering from Target online because they continually run the authorization on your card until the item releases... I'll probably just chance it and try to find it in store then, the Cybertron Bumblebee did have a pretty healthy stock after a bit
Also holy shit Target's search sucks, it's full of like third-party sellers and the filters fucking suck
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL
I wound up ebaying my Origin's Bee for like $20 bucks or so, plus ten bucks shipping, but then the seller accidently sent me a book intended for a different auction instead of the toy and so they gave me a full refund, had me ship back the book (cheaper than what I paid for the toy), and refused any offer to make up the difference between two costs, so I wound up getting it for a lot cheaper even still. Seller told me to "pay it forward"
I thought this was Pulse only, they buried the mention of Target in the description. I feel like normally it'll list right at the top "Target Exclusive with limited Pulse quantities" or something to that effect
Still a bummer, I would've had free shipping with Pulse, and I hate preordering from Target online because they continually run the authorization on your card until the item releases... I'll probably just chance it and try to find it in store then, the Cybertron Bumblebee did have a pretty healthy stock after a bit
Also holy shit Target's search sucks, it's full of like third-party sellers and the filters fucking suck
Yeah I hate Target's search. Although sometimes it comes up with some really odd results that I would have missed.
Edit: Saw someone post in a thread that works for Target showing their scanner saying it will be in their store on 3/16. So maybe you won't have to wait that long to get one in person.
Just a heads up for my fellow Transformers collectors
Buzzworthy Bumblebee: Target Exclusive Line
Velocitron Speedia 500: Walmart Exclusive line (I'm guessing it'll get phased out for a different theme soon)
Galactic Odyssey, Golden Disc, Wreck 'n' Rule: Amazon Exclusives, almost certainly will have a different theme this year.
Medic Characters: Walgreens, for some fuckin' reason (Red Alert, Minerva, the upcoming Medix)
Hasbro Pulse will frequently get a small supply of some exclusives, but Pulse subscribers usually eat up most of them before the rest of us plebes get access.
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AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
I have studied the dark arts of looking up Target inventory by DCPI in order to bypass the app search....
He/Him | "We who believe in freedom cannot rest." - Dr. Johnetta Cole, 7/22/2024
Just a heads up for my fellow Transformers collectors
Buzzworthy Bumblebee: Target Exclusive Line
Velocitron Speedia 500: Walmart Exclusive line (I'm guessing it'll get phased out for a different theme soon)
Galactic Odyssey, Golden Disc, Wreck 'n' Rule: Amazon Exclusives, almost certainly will have a different theme this year.
Medic Characters: Walgreens, for some fuckin' reason (Red Alert, Minerva, the upcoming Medix)
Hasbro Pulse will frequently get a small supply of some exclusives, but Pulse subscribers usually eat up most of them before the rest of us plebes get access.
Good gravy, why is this so complicated? Why can't you just Go To Toy Store (physical or online) and then just Buy Toy?
(I realize that the answer is some flavor of "capitalism")
Store ponies up money for an exclusive with the idea that it will attract customers to their store/storefront and then the customers will aquire other goods while they are there.
The fact that Hasbro sells even a small amount through their store is kind of a wild thing, as it runs contrary to the entire point of the store exclusive. Hasbro, of course, profits from it (especially if you pony up for a Hasbro Pulse membership) but not a lot of incentive for Target to allow Hasbro to sell a handful of Origin Jazz's on their website.
Also it's been like this for ages. Kaybee Toys used to get exclusive Transformers back in the Beast Era, for example.
Hell, way back in the day you had to clip out Transformer points from the boxes and send them in to Hasbro with some shipping money to get toys like Reflector or the Omnibots.
Reflector, a show character was only available through the mail. Wild.
0
AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
BBTS just sent out a sale notice, several interesting things in there but the top item is Legacy Metroplex 50% off
And in the category of "Surprising Fucking NOBODY..."
I really wasn't going to get this one. Honest! Big, bulky, very plain... and at some point you just need to stop the habit. But.. well, a pretty insane sale, even when you figure in shipping, does things to a guy.
Like most Legacy releases, the artwork is fantastic...
But the back is anemic. Given that the whole point of Legacy is to honor the history of Transformers, you'd think there would be SOMETHING on this box that talks about who this figure is and why he got this release. Even the Ark got that treatment!
Ah well. Let's get this guy opened and ready to go.
So here he is in his vehicle mode... or, more precisely, his "curl up and hold onto your butt" mode. It's such a basic transformation, and very hollow. But in the lore of the original Cybertron anime, it makes sense. These giant robots don't need to hide or disguise themselves. They are pure utilitarian. So all their forms basically turn into giant earth movers or construction equipment. They also carried on the "Mini-con" gimmick from Armada, where each of the Giant Planet robots got their own mini-con to go with the cyber key.
This is probably the weakest mode. "Work" mode represents him hunkering down and lowering his center of gravity. It is fairly stable, but again - very obvious transformation lines. Not much to set it apart from the robot "Battle" mode. Also not the greatest at holding his weapon in this mode.
And then finally we get to battle mode. Tall, lanky, insane ratchets, a decent amount of poseability...
...
...
Oh shit, not again.
Yeah, we're gonna need a bigger shovel.
You knew I couldn't resist. Here's the real unboxing.
I give him credit for taking up a seriously large amount of the box! It's not the biggest titan, but still pretty good.
And here's the pieces as they come out of the box. While the shovel axe can't open up to reveal a blaster like the original can, the fact that it splits in half does a lot to make it more practical and useful.
...
And... that's where I stopped. I'll be honest. I've had a very long day, followed by absolutely knocking myself flat at bowling. I knew this would be waiting for me when I got home, so I was looking forward to playing with it... But my first observation is that a TON of the joints are loose. To the point where even getting the poses and pictures above took me quite a bit of time and made my sore arms scream even more. I'm likely missing some locking features in the manual - but if I'm not, then I'm really glad I pre-ordered the upgrade kit because it's time for MORE RATCHET REPAIR!
I promise, I'll get better pics, and comparison pics, soon. But hey. At least he's here safely.
He/Him | "We who believe in freedom cannot rest." - Dr. Johnetta Cole, 7/22/2024
Store ponies up money for an exclusive with the idea that it will attract customers to their store/storefront and then the customers will aquire other goods while they are there.
The fact that Hasbro sells even a small amount through their store is kind of a wild thing, as it runs contrary to the entire point of the store exclusive. Hasbro, of course, profits from it (especially if you pony up for a Hasbro Pulse membership) but not a lot of incentive for Target to allow Hasbro to sell a handful of Origin Jazz's on their website.
Also it's been like this for ages. Kaybee Toys used to get exclusive Transformers back in the Beast Era, for example.
Hell, way back in the day you had to clip out Transformer points from the boxes and send them in to Hasbro with some shipping money to get toys like Reflector or the Omnibots.
Reflector, a show character was only available through the mail. Wild.
These are all good points, but they just make me more irritated.
Like, I'm a dork-ass toy geek, I spend way too much time thinking about this stuff, and just looking at that exclusives list makes me tired. How is someone who isn't extremely online supposed to figure that stuff out?
Though, I guess they are specifically targeting the extremely online.
I think I got the full run of the Omnibots and Powerdashers that way >.>
I had Reflector, but I want to say it was the original Japanese version? TFwiki suggests he wasn't sold there until after I moved though.
I still have the G1 reissue Seekers and Optimus in box from the Commemorative line that TRU had exclusive rights to about 20 years ago.
+2
Forever Zefirocloaked in the midnight glory of an event horizonRegistered Userregular
So Mastermind Creations heavily retooled their Deathsaurus figure into Doubledealer and I think I love it
I think I mentioned before, I'm not one for slavish G1 accuracy. Sure, I like having an Optimus that looks like the cartoon, but there's already a hundred of those, and I appreciate when these companies get creative (Hasbro included, the Generations line was fun because it was classic characters with updated looks). I like the battle car, and I appreciate how they made the tires into turbines for the bird wings, reminds me of Vulture from Spider-Man Homecoming (which Doubledealer's bird mode IS a vulture, right? Coincidence?) Also, triple-changers are my weakness, plus minibots, so I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have to pick this up
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL
+2
AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
Oooh. That reminds me a lot of the War for Cybertron game designs, which I love. It is a nice counter to Fans Hobby's more traditional version.
He/Him | "We who believe in freedom cannot rest." - Dr. Johnetta Cole, 7/22/2024
Posts
Mine literally just shipped this week, otherwise I'd be down.
... I swear, someone needs to make a skirmish-level minis game with this. Games Workshop might sue, though.
The Self Propelled Guns are the two vehicles that became the "Feet" of the Berserker Armor. So technically this is the rest of the squad that maintains the Frost Light. The SPG has been remolded for one of the other factions.. but they don't have a giant combiner armor robot. Though they do have a giant transformer robot, so.. we'll see.
I really do love the artwork.
The idea of a couple squads getting together around a fire, with beer and spirits, just swapping stories.
This is cool. The inner liner has a map with the various factions laid out. I think we've seen 3-4 of these by now?
I appreciate that the manual is translated.
And as usual, the figs are highly articulated with a squad paint job and tons of weapons. This particular set has a couple unique pieces, a unique head, and stands.
Oh man.. the stands. Only the main hero/leader had a stand before this (and his has an arm for more action poses). They're standard now with squads, which is by far the better way to do things.
But first, what all do you get? Why.. OPTIONS!
2 grenades per each. Tons of weapons and tools. 3 sets of hands for each figure. The head changeout. Oh, and instead of their belts storing a pistol or weapon.. they store hip flasks.
Keeping all that straight is a pain.. but that's where the stands come into play. See... They do more than just act as stands.
They open up and store accessories! So I can keep all the bits and bobs with the squad with their individual stands. And THIS is what makes it super awesome. It's a very basic set of plastic, and yet it adds so much. You can't store the big weapons in there, but.. eh.
Now I just need to go through and loosen all the joints, due to the soft plastic they use. I also think the unique armor might be on the wrong dude. And then, after that, the final package, Power Comman---
WAIT! We have some late breaking news.
Unexpected and unannounced.. a new challenger has arrived!
We don't talk about Bill.
Decent packaging, as usual from DNA design. My box had a big ding in the side, but.. well, that's what packaging is for.
... that's a lot of screws. Fuck.
Here you have all the parts laid out kind of haphazardly as my kitchen table is getting overrun with stuff again. The biggest thing to look at is the sword. Just.. it's on a whole different league!
The original looks like a dagger, or something scaled for Motormaster. Which.. I guess it is?
So. Up next, part installation. In this case, the ratchets are vertical, and the screws are tight. But you get articulated fingers! It loses the ability to hold 5mm port items (I tried), but I think having the extra articulation is more than worth it. Splayed fingers always look kind of weird.. but eh.
Next up is the new hip skirt, and... uuugggh. This is where most of my frustration was. First and foremost, the new design adds a bit of hip skirts, and it turns him from an innie to an outie.
Cue.. 30 minutes of me trying to get these ratchets in place. I tried being gentle, and they just wouldn't go because the original Hasbro ones were slightly bigger than the DNA design was anticipating. Once I started forcing things with my thumb and a sturdy set of tweezers, I finally got it.
So on to the hips! I think the new ones are kind of plain and a little shiny, but.. they do add some lift. It's a little bit of a tricky installation, because while there aren't ratchets, there is the spring loaded clip that locks in the lower legs. And it's a bit of a blind move to attach them.
Doing so about doubles the height of the thighs, though.
Let's pretend like a stiff wind hit him!
Then came the final bits. The "Shoes" ... that I completely missed taking pictures of, and the new chest piece. Add it all up?
I'm not going to lie. I don't think I'm a fan of the new chest piece design. It's meant to invoke the original toy. But.. the gray parts really aren't integrated well. I wish the Hasbro design had the nice metallic red accents, but really this is just a bit off. And to make matters worse, it doesn't even incorporate into the alt mode transformation. I think this is a case where they saw they could easily swap pieces, tried to do so, and couldn't find a way to reconfigure it with the alt mode. If your model is always in combined mode, that's fine. But these pics are likely the only time I'll use it.
A nice touch the attempted to add was the new trailer hitch attaching to the sword, so you can hold it on his back! The plastic's super soft and tolerances aren't the greatest, so it doesn't want to stay clipped to the sword very well.. but hey, it works.
But why oh why would you want to have such a beautiful sword clipped to his back? Well.. because of.. honestly? The part I was kinda meh about... that has suddenly become one of my favorite bits.
A bit of dressing and they took the silly turret mode piece...
And made a fucking rail gun out of it.
All it took was some greebling and things to get rid of the flat, boxy edges, and suddenly you have a cannon that looks like it could blast a hole in the side of a skyscraper. In fact, it's so large that his hand fits into the back! He pretty much has to hold it two-handed.
But when he does... it's glorious.
'Sup?
So.. yeah. I'm happy with that alone. But a nice trick is that it (almost) all incorporates into the alt mode!
First and foremost, you do have to put the original chest back on. And here you can see the difference between the two. The gray of the new piece looks so out of place, but I do love the red accents.
The skirts are able to fold up and out of the way so the original transformation works.
So on the original trailer/alt mode, you basically had Menasor's chest visible from the front, with the legs sticking out the top. Kind of ugly! ... well now we've added extensions. Even uglier, right?
Except.. no! The new shoes wrap around the front. It's far from perfect, there are big gaps, and aligning everything is a beast. But it is definitely better than it was.
Here you can see the Menasor chest covered up.
For some reason, the instructions tell you to flip the hands opposite directions where they fold up now. I'm not entirely sure why? Maybe it has to do with holding the hilt of the sword in there, where one thumb is able to clear it and kind of lays on top of the hilt.
But beyond that... all the other pieces more or less store in the trailer somewhere, and you get... a much longer trailer!
Now that said, the instructions do have a couple parts that don't fit great. I can't show it exactly because I'm not transforming Motormaster back for this, but.. the final extra bits are supposed to fit on the trailer and help lock things in place. They really, REALLY don't. It's a shame, but not a huge one. You can see where one part sits on the left side of this picture, and it's supposed to friction slot in place. But nope.. does not work.
So... yeah! It's an expensive upgrade kit, relatively speaking. But I think it does a lot for Menasor. I'd ditch the new chest piece, maybe go back to the original hip piece (I haven't decided), definitely keep the hands and shoes, and of course the weapon accessories.
You have options. And options are good.
So now I can live vicariously through you!
Steam: betsuni7
Why.. I guess that means it is time to open my last figure!
Armada Optimus Prime, the "Monster Truck," is not what got me into collecting toys again. But it was one of the earliest ones I picked up. While Armada was hit and miss, this just seemed a centerpiece toy at the time. I always did prefer the rarer second color scheme, though. So when Fans Hobby released their "Naval Commander," everyone was like.. they do tons of repaints. Just wait.
So I did.
"Masterpiece" scaled Monster Truck Optimus.
Right out of the gate? This guy is HEAVY. Like this box just feels like a dense block of plastic. It's surprising, given some of the other 3rd party toys I've picked up!
Opening the box, and a small aside: What I thought was a cloud pattern at first ended up being an interesting blue shifted map of the Ring of Fire areas. Kind of cool!
The inner plastic trays are substantial enough to have a slight blue tint to them as well. Always appreciated.
So what extra goodies do we get with this? Well, ignoring the mini-con (which I will be for now), we get 6 little missiles, alternate "wings" for the super mode head (that match the original design), and a different face plate. It also looks like different eyes?
So.. Yeah. Heavy. This trailer is incredibly solid. The core robot is no slouch either.
One nice thing about the cleanup I've been doing lately is that I know pretty much exactly where my Armada Megs is! Sooooo...
Huh! I'm actually surprised, the Power Commander one is slightly smaller in some dimensions than the original! I guess Energon Optimus Prime wasn't the only figure to lose some inches around the gut.
You can definitely feel the design lineage, but aimed at more modern techniques and more sturdy construction. I should mention at this point that the trailer treads are rubber, and actually work. That weight really helps them in doing so.
The six missiles fit into the front launchers, an interpretation of the much smaller turrets on the original trailer. But what's really cool is that they are individually spring-loaded! They all fire! And one of them can even go into the big cannon and fire out of there. I can't remember the last time I got a non-Lego toy that featured firing bits. It isn't strong.. but again, it is appreciated.
The instructions next move to describing an "Extended trailer" mode. I'm... not sure exactly what this is. It's a partially unfolded trailer... that acts as something mini-cons can stand on or attach to?
But.. we get to the crux of this lunchtime update. The core robot. I gotta say.. this is my first Fans Hobby transformer, and the plastic is really soft! But in a good way! It feels like it gives under my hand, and has a matte finish to it. This encourages me to be a bit rougher with it, without sacrificing how it looks.
Oh, and you can totally put the smokestacks on the outside to match the original look.
Transformation is very reminiscent of the original toy. There's some neat sliding bits that help fill out the legs and make the hood hide away better. But one thing I loved seeing was a fully molded, removable Matrix of Leadership.. and chains around it! The chains aren't part of it, but again it helps with the monster truck feel.
A bit more fiddling, including unlocking the waist swivel... and..
Damn. This guy is massively poseable. They made everything that could block movement be able to get out of the way. They used very heavy duty ball joints wherever possible, and ratchets elsewhere. They considered what might break or not. Hell, with the hands, the big-ass cannon fits into a slot unlike any I've seen before that helps secure it SUPER tight! I am not sure what the limits of it are.
Then came... memory. I swore, up and down, that the original Armada Optimus Prime had some decent posing for its time too. Turns out...
Nope! Barely just a little. The hips can be split for the super mode to splay the legs, but it looks REALLY wrong when you do that. the arms are on the most basic of pivots. Very little shoulder rotation, no elbow or wrist rotation... just... wow. I know that he's usually either in super mode or wearing Jetfire as pants, but it still threw me back. 20+ year old memories, y'all.
Sadly, I need to get back to work. So I'll be comparing the base and super modes this evening. Still.. This alone is making me decide I'm definitely going in on their version of Energon Optimus and Armada Megs/Galvatron. I know Overload's coming, and I dunno if he's gonna get a recolor to match this version of Optimus. The recolor back in the old days was a garish yellow, and I do not want that color in any way, shape or form. So hopefully Fans Hobby can do something better.
Edit: Oh yeah. For completeness, in-hand images of the Legacy Evolution Armada Optimus Prime (Commander Class) have been released. So just to be fair, here's a couple pics that are similar to the ones I have posted so far.
So what happens when you lay a trailer flat, and then fold out all its panels? You get a base mode! A pretty flexible, creative base mode... but a base mode none the less.
There's a lot of neat touches, like a ramp at the back and the missile pods being articulated.
Now on the original Armada Prime, the gimmick was this massive autotransform feature. The idea was that if you had everything powered and turned on, and started the core mode transformation, the trailer would automatically transform into its base mode. That's why it has this origami like interior. Everything needed to be unpinned first, of course.. but it really was just laying down.
Then, when you went to transform the core body into the super form, the legs would continue ratcheting around and the base mode would magically stand up.
This is why the original has such poor articulation. The legs couldn't bend any as part of this, and the main body was full of electronics and switches.
Power Commander does not have any of those limitations. Instead, he has very thin plastic bits and quite tight tolerances!
Ignoring the pose, here he is with his progenitor. I swear... the gold on this toy has tarnished so heavily. I do worry it has gold plastic syndrome in a couple places, but others I know for certain are painted.
But a super mode is nothing without.. PANTS!
And thus, we get to the most amazing part. PANTS. Articulated, fully featured, flexible PANTS.
They even took the massive backpack components that hold just layers and layers of plastic... and turned it into a cloak so that his articulation is not impacted. The instructions include how to make the missile pods fold out too.
But... I feel something is missing... something.. new and unique to this mold. Well, they made the mini-con hangars detachable, unlike the original and the Legacy one. Soooo... what to do with them?
How about an homage to the kickass Robots in Disguise Optimus?!
Oh yeah. Bring it. And here you can see how much more superior these pants are to the original.
(Granted, I used Jetfire as pants for most of the time with the original, and that will eventually happen with Power Commander here...)
But.. yeah! I'm super happy. When I first saw a video, I knew I would be.. and now, a couple years later, I'm so happy to have him.
And now.. I come to the end of this journey. A couple weeks ago, I was feeling frustrated and upset, and decided to go YOLO on some stuff I had been wanting for a while. I also needed to make sure I didn't miss out on some bits.
So today... I present to you: A group shot of this labor of love.
Thank you all for going with me on this journey.
...
......
Wait. Something seems.. off about that pic. One sec, let me rotate my laptop a bit.. uh...
Better.
Now.. where the fuck am I going to put all these?
https://news.tfw2005.com/2023/02/25/even-more-legacy-evolution-commander-armada-optimus-prime-in-hand-images-476378
Steam: betsuni7
When Fans Hobby first did Naval Commander, there was no twinkling that Hasbro would do anything with Armada, because Kingdom was basically a love letter to Beast Wars, and the closest they'd gotten was Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime (Cybertron Prime). So when Legacy started hinting at Armada stuff.. well.. people got excited.
Honestly, if I didn't decide I wanted Fans Hobby's interpretations, Commander Armada Optimus Prime would be a no-brainer.
You are welcome.
Sadly, Entertainment Earth put up some "not perfect" boxes for a lot cheaper after I bought this one. So anyone interested, you are welcome for my sacrifice.
https://www.entertainmentearth.com/product/transformers-masterpiece-edition-mp56-trailbreake-not-mint/nmhsf3083
Edit: Oooh, looks like Hasbro put up their Guardian Robot up for pre-order.
https://hasbropulse.com/products/transformers-generations-selects-titan-class-guardian-robot-lunar-tread
ALSO CYBERTRON JAZZ!!!!
https://hasbropulse.com/collections/new/products/transformers-buzzworthy-bumblebee-legacy-evolution-origin-autobot-jazz
Steam: betsuni7
If that had been a Cybertron Wheeljack, it'd be a must buy. I'll still probably get Jazz, but it's making part of my brain go "Get all of the cybertron versions of characters" and like, STFU brain. Those seekers alone would break my bank!
On another note. First Macross Bandai VF-1 to show up on a US site since the Harmony Gold dark ages!!!
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/230570
@HexDex I remember you wanted to know when a semi-decent Macross toy was released... It isn't the DX line, but one step closer at least.
Edit: Just checked and they are all sold out! Wow. Now I wonder what the story will be for this Valkyrie. Hopefully people here got one if they wanted it. I forgot to say that this toy just came out in Japan, so it is pretty recent.
Steam: betsuni7
Thanks though, I am still looking for them as I can.
I was debating taking the time to take pics of some of the stuff I got or not. I'm very lazy.
D3: HexDex#1281, PSN: DireOtter, Live: DireOtter
This is.. such an insane price for what you get.
They could've improved this so many other ways, including making it able to be broken down, and had a better power plant. Also a stand.
At least list the goodies!
Uh, what is it?
Steam: betsuni7
Steam: betsuni7
Cool cool Cybertron Jazz already sold out, I hate everything, this world should burn, etc
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL
https://www.target.com/p/transformers-legacy-evolution-buzzworthy-bumblee-origin-autobot-jazz-action-figure-target-exclusive/-/A-87084806#lnk=sametab
Steam: betsuni7
Ahhh, I appreciate you
I thought this was Pulse only, they buried the mention of Target in the description. I feel like normally it'll list right at the top "Target Exclusive with limited Pulse quantities" or something to that effect
Still a bummer, I would've had free shipping with Pulse, and I hate preordering from Target online because they continually run the authorization on your card until the item releases... I'll probably just chance it and try to find it in store then, the Cybertron Bumblebee did have a pretty healthy stock after a bit
Also holy shit Target's search sucks, it's full of like third-party sellers and the filters fucking suck
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL
Yeah I hate Target's search. Although sometimes it comes up with some really odd results that I would have missed.
Edit: Saw someone post in a thread that works for Target showing their scanner saying it will be in their store on 3/16. So maybe you won't have to wait that long to get one in person.
Steam: betsuni7
Like, “site:target.com studio series slug” as an example
It’d never come up in target’s system but I’d almost always find them through Google.
Buzzworthy Bumblebee: Target Exclusive Line
Velocitron Speedia 500: Walmart Exclusive line (I'm guessing it'll get phased out for a different theme soon)
Galactic Odyssey, Golden Disc, Wreck 'n' Rule: Amazon Exclusives, almost certainly will have a different theme this year.
Medic Characters: Walgreens, for some fuckin' reason (Red Alert, Minerva, the upcoming Medix)
Hasbro Pulse will frequently get a small supply of some exclusives, but Pulse subscribers usually eat up most of them before the rest of us plebes get access.
(I realize that the answer is some flavor of "capitalism")
Store ponies up money for an exclusive with the idea that it will attract customers to their store/storefront and then the customers will aquire other goods while they are there.
The fact that Hasbro sells even a small amount through their store is kind of a wild thing, as it runs contrary to the entire point of the store exclusive. Hasbro, of course, profits from it (especially if you pony up for a Hasbro Pulse membership) but not a lot of incentive for Target to allow Hasbro to sell a handful of Origin Jazz's on their website.
Also it's been like this for ages. Kaybee Toys used to get exclusive Transformers back in the Beast Era, for example.
Hell, way back in the day you had to clip out Transformer points from the boxes and send them in to Hasbro with some shipping money to get toys like Reflector or the Omnibots.
Reflector, a show character was only available through the mail. Wild.
And in the category of "Surprising Fucking NOBODY..."
I really wasn't going to get this one. Honest! Big, bulky, very plain... and at some point you just need to stop the habit. But.. well, a pretty insane sale, even when you figure in shipping, does things to a guy.
Like most Legacy releases, the artwork is fantastic...
But the back is anemic. Given that the whole point of Legacy is to honor the history of Transformers, you'd think there would be SOMETHING on this box that talks about who this figure is and why he got this release. Even the Ark got that treatment!
Ah well. Let's get this guy opened and ready to go.
So here he is in his vehicle mode... or, more precisely, his "curl up and hold onto your butt" mode. It's such a basic transformation, and very hollow. But in the lore of the original Cybertron anime, it makes sense. These giant robots don't need to hide or disguise themselves. They are pure utilitarian. So all their forms basically turn into giant earth movers or construction equipment. They also carried on the "Mini-con" gimmick from Armada, where each of the Giant Planet robots got their own mini-con to go with the cyber key.
This is probably the weakest mode. "Work" mode represents him hunkering down and lowering his center of gravity. It is fairly stable, but again - very obvious transformation lines. Not much to set it apart from the robot "Battle" mode. Also not the greatest at holding his weapon in this mode.
And then finally we get to battle mode. Tall, lanky, insane ratchets, a decent amount of poseability...
...
...
Oh shit, not again.
Yeah, we're gonna need a bigger shovel.
You knew I couldn't resist.
I give him credit for taking up a seriously large amount of the box! It's not the biggest titan, but still pretty good.
And here's the pieces as they come out of the box. While the shovel axe can't open up to reveal a blaster like the original can, the fact that it splits in half does a lot to make it more practical and useful.
...
And... that's where I stopped. I'll be honest. I've had a very long day, followed by absolutely knocking myself flat at bowling. I knew this would be waiting for me when I got home, so I was looking forward to playing with it... But my first observation is that a TON of the joints are loose. To the point where even getting the poses and pictures above took me quite a bit of time and made my sore arms scream even more. I'm likely missing some locking features in the manual - but if I'm not, then I'm really glad I pre-ordered the upgrade kit because it's time for MORE RATCHET REPAIR!
I promise, I'll get better pics, and comparison pics, soon. But hey. At least he's here safely.
Like, I'm a dork-ass toy geek, I spend way too much time thinking about this stuff, and just looking at that exclusives list makes me tired. How is someone who isn't extremely online supposed to figure that stuff out?
Though, I guess they are specifically targeting the extremely online.
I had Reflector, but I want to say it was the original Japanese version? TFwiki suggests he wasn't sold there until after I moved though.
I still have the G1 reissue Seekers and Optimus in box from the Commemorative line that TRU had exclusive rights to about 20 years ago.
I think I mentioned before, I'm not one for slavish G1 accuracy. Sure, I like having an Optimus that looks like the cartoon, but there's already a hundred of those, and I appreciate when these companies get creative (Hasbro included, the Generations line was fun because it was classic characters with updated looks). I like the battle car, and I appreciate how they made the tires into turbines for the bird wings, reminds me of Vulture from Spider-Man Homecoming (which Doubledealer's bird mode IS a vulture, right? Coincidence?) Also, triple-changers are my weakness, plus minibots, so I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have to pick this up
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL