Definitely on the former (though it'll probably be hella cheaper), but the latter is more likely than you think. Hasbro has been very open about wanting to complete teams and they've even mentioned that they keep combinations like that in mind when they make figures - specifically in reference to the upcoming Armada Megatron and whether or not he'd be compatible with a theoretical Tidal Wave figure down the line.
There's an upcoming Transformer named "Twincast" (a redeco of blaster) coming out and I keep accidently replacing one of the vowels with an "e" in my brain which makes me think there's something wrong with me.
There's an upcoming Transformer named "Twincast" (a redeco of blaster) coming out and I keep accidently replacing one of the vowels with an "e" in my brain which makes me think there's something wrong with me.
AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
I've mentioned before that I'm not the biggest fan of the G1 aesthetic overall, but I do appreciate when it is done well.
Well.. I just got a "hot pre-order" email about a gift set for a 3rd party Masterpiece Bruticus.... well, it's Ocular Max, which looks like it's been out for a while, but it's a giant all in one gift set for $650.
I've mentioned before that I'm not the biggest fan of the G1 aesthetic overall, but I do appreciate when it is done well.
Well.. I just got a "hot pre-order" email about a gift set for a 3rd party Masterpiece Bruticus.... well, it's Ocular Max, which looks like it's been out for a while, but it's a giant all in one gift set for $650.
Yoooooo, the MMC Combaticons are absolutely amazing. You should 300% buy them, @Athenor! I reviewed the first three earlier in this thread, in this post:
Let me tell you about the Mastermind Creations Ocular Max All Built In Assaultus.
(It's the Combaticons.)
(It's also a very long post with lots of photos.)
[snip]
I never got around to reviewing the last two, or the completed combined mode; I intend to, some day, but the summary is: Blast Off has an excellent shuttle mode, a pleasant transformation, and a good robot mode that is slightly hampered in the foot articulation by the design of the figure. Brawl is pretty incredible: a really solid tank, a more involved transformation that has some interesting bits (but watch a video on how to handle the head during transformation, the instructions in the first run were misprinted in a way that could lead you to damage it, and I have no idea if it's been fixed in reissues or not), and a great-looking robot that is surprisingly articulated for such a hefty guy.
Basically, what I can say for one of them, I can say for all of them: The materials feel excellent; I love the sculpt and general design; the transformation is fun, pleasant, and intuitive (with a few slightly frustrating bits here and there), and in many places does something novel and interesting; the combined mode looks like a million bucks, and is rather well-articulated. And, the all-built-in combiner gimmick is - without exaggeration - something I've day-dreamed about since I was a kid.
The flaws are:
1. He's shorter than the accepted "correct" height for MP combiners (about 16"-18" if I remember correctly, compared to the ~22" that other MP combiners are)
2. Some people feel that the all-built-in gimmick resulted in compromised bot modes (like oversized lower legs on the two arm-bots, with visible combiner hands peeking out)
3. The initial release had a notoriously weak combined mode right shoulder ratchet (seems like they underestimated how heavy Blast Off would be), and so for most people, Bruticus couldn't hold his right arm straight out if he was holding the bigger weapon from the optional add-on set. Lots of folks report that the ratchets in the combined mode legs are also on the weak side, and have gotten weaker over time.
For me, (1) and (2) are non-issues to such an extent that they don't even register. (3) is a fairly objective flaw, but MMC included a heavier-duty replacement ratchet with the last bot when they were doing the first run, and I've heard that every reissue of Onslaught has had firmer ratchets in both arms and both legs, so I don't think this would be a problem for you.
What is a problem is the price. I bought the first run for $575 total (not including the optional add-on set, which was another $55), and I see that most stores have the upcoming reissues for about the same price. Indeed, TFSource itself (I assume that's where you got the email from) has them individually for a total of $590! Keep in mind that MMC has not done (and almost certainly won't do) a boxed Assaultus set, so what TFSource means when they advertise a "Set of 5" to you is that you will pay an extra $60 for the convenience of clicking "Add to cart" once instead of 5 times. All five bots are in their own individual packaging, they even say so in the description of the listing.
Also, for some reason this "set" is listed as coming in August, when the individual bots at TFSource (and at other stores) are listed as coming in February.
Athenor, I think you'll enjoy this set as a counter-Cang-Toys-Thunderking: smaller, lighter (no die-cast at all), faster and easier to transform, and made of such materials/designed in such a way that you can, like... play with them. I love Fans Toys's products, and their materials are durable as hell, but they paint almost the entire figure and give them more limited articulation, so they feel more like shelf-pieces. I root for X-Transbots as the underdog, but their materials and build-quality - especially in recent years - are shoddy 90% of the time. MMC is the only MP-scale company that makes robots that - I feel - invite play. I can transform them back and forth, pose them, fiddle with them as they sit on my desk, and not worry at all that I'll damage them. Assaultus is one of my all-time favorite sets, and I definitely recommend him.
+3
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AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
*Deep breaths* Well.. you only live once, right?
I will say that Optus Nox was incredible, and by the same company. I think that's why it caught my eye.
Thank you both for pointing out the markup. I don't know if I would have caught that.
MMC has confirmed that they will definitely do one more Assaultus repaint, and the fandom is ready to go to civil war on whether it should be Ruination, Baldigus, Battle Gaia, Ruination (urban/arctic camo), Ruination (desert camo), Ruination (zesty mayo with onions), or whatever else. I mean, I'm sure MMC has already decided how to repaint them, they just haven't announced it.
+1
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AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
edited February 2023
That... incredibly helps with scale, which was one of the things I was curious about.
Edit: Jeez. So many panels! I mean, yeah, masterpiece, but... woah.
That... incredibly helps with scale, which was one of the things I was curious about.
Edit: Jeez. So many panels! I mean, yeah, masterpiece, but... woah.
And to be comparable with CW Devvy?!
I think that so far, the two Protectobots MMC has put out have fewer panels. They seem like a refinement of what they've learned doing Assultus, so I'm excited to see how they whole set turns out. I realize that this is small consolation when dealing with Assaultus's panels, I'm just musing out loud.
TRA GEN STUDIO SERIES CORE MV6 RUMBLE
TRA GEN STUDIO SERIES CORE MV6 STARSCREAM
TRA GEN STUDIO SERIES DLX MV6 SUNSTREAKE
TRA GEN STUDIO SERIES VOY MV6 SHOCKWAVE
TRA GEN STUDIO SERIES LDR MV6 MEGATRON
TRA GEN STUDIO SERIES CORE MV5 MOHAWK
TRA GEN STUDIO SERIES DLX TF7 SCORPINOCK
TRA GEN STUDIO SERIES DLX WFC SIDESWIPE
TRA GEN STUDIO SERIES VOY WFC STARSCREAM
TRA GEN STUDIO SERIES VOY 86 SCRAPHEAP
TRA GEN STUDIO SERIES LDR AST TF86 SWOOP
Apparently some of the MV6 (Movie 6 aka Bumblebee) figures might actually be '86 figures, explaining how there's an MV6 Megatron when he doesn't show up at all in that movie. Rumble also wasn't in MV6, but there's already a '86 figure of him, so who knows what that is. The rest could be '86 figures, but who knows.
MV5 Mohawk is a good choice for core class. He was the shit talking motorcycle that was in The Last Knight, one of the crew Megatron had freed from prison.
TF7 Scorpinock is weird because this is the first I've heard if him possibly being in that movie.
More War for Cybertron figures, making me real curious if they're planning on re-releasing that game.
Scrapheap is another generic Junkion that is likely remolded from Wreck-Gar (Which is interesting, because Evolution ALSO has a voyager Junkion who I previously though might be a Wreck-Gar retool)
And finally there's Swoop, at leader class, completing the Dinobots. I was only going to get Grimlock but man all of the shots I've seen of them together are incredible. It'll be hard to resist, though Slug being hard to find might help. (Cheapest I've seen is $75)
I think I've seen some people say they still have Slug in their Walmarts. Might want to check that thread on TFW and see if someone can pick one up and send it to you. Although might be the same price as you have seen.
Oh hey look. TFSource figure out that people realized that their "box set" was more than their own pre-orders and lowered the price to $570 to tempt @Athenor
Anyone want the second version of the Masterpiece Optimus Prime? Big Bad Toy Store has a damaged package version on a steal for $148.79. Doesn't come with packaging, but all the parts. This version is a great toy to fiddle with.
Anyone want the second version of the Masterpiece Optimus Prime? Big Bad Toy Store has a damaged package version on a steal for $148.79. Doesn't come with packaging, but all the parts. This version is a great toy to fiddle with.
Hey thanks for this. I've been lamenting not having a G1 prime with trailer to play with, and this is perfect. Pulled the trigger.
If you are reading this add me.
D3: HexDex#1281, PSN: DireOtter, Live: DireOtter
+4
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AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
edited February 2023
It's a minor thing, but if your hobbies intersect like mine do, this might be useful:
Folded Space's foamcore inserts have a lot of left-over springy memory foam when you are done. This foam works EXCELLENT for ratchet repair. I pulled out my Studio Series Devastator and found that one of the ratchets had gone pretty much weak, and then watched a video on ratchet repair where they mentioned buying foam. And it dawned on me to try the Folded Space stuff.
So yeah, Devvy no longer has a broken ankle! Which is good, considering... what's coming.
Edit: Damn he is so hard to pose. But... I got him into a position that I'm okay with. Granted it takes up a TON of space, but... hey, it's something.
Here he is alongside his henchman Lysanderoth, and one of his enemies, the ill-fated Archibald. On the far left is Refridgerator-sempai from Sung Won's other epic saga, Chairem Anime.
Would it be wrong if I say I would like to see what kind of figure they'd come up with for Sexica?
I kind of doubt we'll get any more King Dragon figures after this, though. Maybe he'll do some more Chairem anime figs?
Cambiata on
"If you divide the whole world into just enemies and friends, you'll end up destroying everything" --Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind
Finished off the remaining Magic Square figures that I cared about and got their new painted Megatron and their Jetfire. Next up is their Bruticus figures, and if they're as fun as the previous combiners then it should be a good time because the Combaticons have always been some of my favorites.
+5
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Forever Zefirocloaked in the midnight glory of an event horizonRegistered Userregular
So back in August, I preordered Hero Toys Big Devil (essentially Diablo from Diablo 2) from 5ktoys with a $20 deposit. Big Devil has released, by 5ktoys never fulfilled my order and never responds to contact via email, Facebook, or Instagram. And it's past the 180 days to dispute with PayPal. So I'm out $20, not the worst, but seriously fuck 5ktoys
Don't shop with them
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL
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AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
*VIBRATING INTENSIFIES*
As mentioned above, I decided for a "fuck it" day... and it has arrived.
Mmmmmmm.
Yessssss!!!
Cannot. Wait. Stupid work and only having an hour off for lunch... Well, let's at least open this bad boy up...
Oh, huh! Red Envelopes! I've never gotten those before. At first I thought there might be something in them, but nope.. just 8 red envelopes. Very pretty though!
Hugerhino doing a leaping pose, right out of the box! But what's that bag?
Turns out.. not only did this guy come with the parts I expected (the wolf twins' swords, his sword, and his blaster), but it also includes replacement parts for the Thorilla leg clamps! This is a big deal, as I just discovered mine had become... damaged. The joint was too tight, even after using shock oil, and one had bent/broken. So the inclusion of replacement parts is very, very appreciated.
Now, getting him fully transformed (and properly flexible) will take a bit of time. But I just. could. Not. Wait.
I had to do what I could And that means one thing:
WEAPONS.
Top to bottom is Thunderking's sword, Thunderking's blaster, DNA Designs' upgrade kit sword for Predaking, and the Hasbro included blaster for Predaking.
I feel like I could shiv someone with this sword. Which... makes sense, given that it's essentially a dagger!
I'm going to wait for him to hopefully go on sale before picking him up since I already have an Ironhide in my collection. I just like these small sized bots.
Core Ironhide is gonna need a sticker set for his yellow stripe, I see. Wild how the studio series toys, priding themselves on accuracy, keep skipping that.
Well yeah, that's why you gotta encase them in resin. Boom, now you've got a 100-pound giant block that you can put anywhere! Easy and convenient!
+2
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AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
edited February 2023
Convienant. Yeah. Sure.
So.. as you probably could've guessed.. the combination of WFH + package delivery + big toy I've been wanting for months means I did not get much work done today. And I tried! I really, really tried!
But.. we all knew where this was going.
You know, I would almost want a second copy so I could show off all the robot modes. They are extremely well done, well articulated, and creative. Hugerhino is no different in that respect. And even more surprising, very little squeaking! I only had to put shock oil on one noisy joint. There were a few points where I had to push clips out, and it is making me want to get a proper spudger.. but that's okay.
He does sport one heck of a backpack, though - at least out of the box. I bet I could compact this down more now that I know how he works.
The next thing to do was replace those brace pieces. Again, not hard as I'd just disassembled them the week prior. In this case, I took this photo before doing any replacements. The new parts feel almost identical, but they are a bit harder, and the dimensions ever so slightly smaller, so that there's less stress on the pieces.
Rhino time turned out to be a bear. I missed that there was a sliding mechanism in the feet, which caused things to not line up right. A few dings later, and we're rolling.
But then.. came the surprisingly complex transform of the legs! Like, Landbull just kind of folded back on himself. But Hugerhino does this hug-like move that really compacts it.
And thus.
Finally.
Posing him is insane. He's got a TON of articulation, but with all that weight, combined with me loosening some joints that maaaybe I shouldn't have... it just leads to remarkable things. It doesn't help that I have him on a very smooth surface and his feet aren't contacting the floor right. You pretty much have to splay his legs outwards or there's no chance of him standing. I also needed to do a bunch of work to lock in his wings so they wouldn't sag. Lots of weight there - a cross-beam of some sort would be very useful.
So how's he stack up to Hasbro's latest combiner?
Don't worry, Menasor. You're getting thigh grafts here in a few days.
So.. as you probably could've guessed.. the combination of WFH + package delivery + big toy I've been wanting for months means I did not get much work done today. And I tried! I really, really tried!
But.. we all knew where this was going.
You know, I would almost want a second copy so I could show off all the robot modes. They are extremely well done, well articulated, and creative. Hugerhino is no different in that respect. And even more surprising, very little squeaking! I only had to put shock oil on one noisy joint. There were a few points where I had to push clips out, and it is making me want to get a proper spudger.. but that's okay.
He does sport one heck of a backpack, though - at least out of the box. I bet I could compact this down more now that I know how he works.
The next thing to do was replace those brace pieces. Again, not hard as I'd just disassembled them the week prior. In this case, I took this photo before doing any replacements. The new parts feel almost identical, but they are a bit harder, and the dimensions ever so slightly smaller, so that there's less stress on the pieces.
Rhino time turned out to be a bear. I missed that there was a sliding mechanism in the feet, which caused things to not line up right. A few dings later, and we're rolling.
But then.. came the surprisingly complex transform of the legs! Like, Landbull just kind of folded back on himself. But Hugerhino does this hug-like move that really compacts it.
And thus.
Finally.
Posing him is insane. He's got a TON of articulation, but with all that weight, combined with me loosening some joints that maaaybe I shouldn't have... it just leads to remarkable things. It doesn't help that I have him on a very smooth surface and his feet aren't contacting the floor right. You pretty much have to splay his legs outwards or there's no chance of him standing. I also needed to do a bunch of work to lock in his wings so they wouldn't sag. Lots of weight there - a cross-beam of some sort would be very useful.
So how's he stack up to Hasbro's latest combiner?
Don't worry, Menasor. You're getting thigh grafts here in a few days.
AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
I was very happy to get my stuff today, because while I couldn't attend the whole time.. last time I was at gunpla build night, I brought the in-progress Thunderking to show off. So I wanted to show off the completed version.
So here's some extra pics of him, with me doing a bit more of a dynamic pose.
Everyone was really blown away, and I think he took more assembly than some of the gunpla being assembled!
Anyways... time for a smaller bit.
I pulled the trigger on the upgrade kits for the Studio Series Dinobots I own, just as a kind of completeness thing. I'd been waffling because they were fairly insubstantial, especially given the cost. At least Grimlock added some cool touches and a full Wheelie fig.
But hey. I got them. Might as well use them.
Slag's kit is definitely the weaker of the two. Again, including a transforming fig of one of the Witwickeys bumped up the price for no real good reason. Sludge, on the other hand, gets some repair pieces and blast effects. Not a huge upgrade, but.. strangely more substantial? Oh, and googly eyes. which some people may like.
Slag gets his sword, a thingy that lets him hold his tail as a shield, and different colored horns for toy accuracy. Also a transforming fig that I probably should compare to my Masterpiece Spike Witwicky that I got with MP Bumblebee.
Sludge's stuff is repair oriented. A set of bumpers for filling the ratchets, something for the wings to lock them in place, and then blast effects. Oh, and a shield piece that covers the enormous gap in his chest when he's transformed.
Back to ratchet surgery!
My particular Sludge doesn't need these yet, as the ratchets are pretty good, but this will keep them from deteriorating.
The blast effect, meanwhile, can plug into Sludge's gun. Also, a better shot of the googly eyes.
The wing repairs were.. a pain in the ass, but mostly serve to lock the wings in place. They are definitely more stable where they go now. I did bend one a little getting it installed, but it seems to be holding up.
That just leaves his shield and his sword. Both of which look pretty nice.
I honestly don't think either of these kits are really worth it. I'd much rather see a large bundle with all of the upgrades for the dinobots.. but given that Hasbro's releasing 1 a year, it doesn't make sense for DNA design to do that. Also, apparently some 3rd party companies made feet replacements for Sludge that solve one of his big issues in terms of his alt mode, so I'll need to look into those.
That's 3 pieces of my order down. We'll see what's next!
Posts
I now have Sludge on order and can't wait for Snarl to release. Then Swoop to complete the team! These guys remind me of affordable Masterpieces.
Steam: betsuni7
When do I keep thinking about Twencast?!?!
Fixed it for you.
Steam: betsuni7
Well.. I just got a "hot pre-order" email about a gift set for a 3rd party Masterpiece Bruticus.... well, it's Ocular Max, which looks like it's been out for a while, but it's a giant all in one gift set for $650.
That's.. not too bad, right?
Paging @Delduwath .
Edit: Oddly enough, you can pre-order the five individual bots from TFSource for around $590.
https://tfsource.com/mastermind-creations/ocular-max/
Wonder why they are increasing the price for the set without the upgrade parts.
Steam: betsuni7
Basically, what I can say for one of them, I can say for all of them: The materials feel excellent; I love the sculpt and general design; the transformation is fun, pleasant, and intuitive (with a few slightly frustrating bits here and there), and in many places does something novel and interesting; the combined mode looks like a million bucks, and is rather well-articulated. And, the all-built-in combiner gimmick is - without exaggeration - something I've day-dreamed about since I was a kid.
The flaws are:
1. He's shorter than the accepted "correct" height for MP combiners (about 16"-18" if I remember correctly, compared to the ~22" that other MP combiners are)
2. Some people feel that the all-built-in gimmick resulted in compromised bot modes (like oversized lower legs on the two arm-bots, with visible combiner hands peeking out)
3. The initial release had a notoriously weak combined mode right shoulder ratchet (seems like they underestimated how heavy Blast Off would be), and so for most people, Bruticus couldn't hold his right arm straight out if he was holding the bigger weapon from the optional add-on set. Lots of folks report that the ratchets in the combined mode legs are also on the weak side, and have gotten weaker over time.
For me, (1) and (2) are non-issues to such an extent that they don't even register. (3) is a fairly objective flaw, but MMC included a heavier-duty replacement ratchet with the last bot when they were doing the first run, and I've heard that every reissue of Onslaught has had firmer ratchets in both arms and both legs, so I don't think this would be a problem for you.
What is a problem is the price. I bought the first run for $575 total (not including the optional add-on set, which was another $55), and I see that most stores have the upcoming reissues for about the same price. Indeed, TFSource itself (I assume that's where you got the email from) has them individually for a total of $590! Keep in mind that MMC has not done (and almost certainly won't do) a boxed Assaultus set, so what TFSource means when they advertise a "Set of 5" to you is that you will pay an extra $60 for the convenience of clicking "Add to cart" once instead of 5 times. All five bots are in their own individual packaging, they even say so in the description of the listing.
Also, for some reason this "set" is listed as coming in August, when the individual bots at TFSource (and at other stores) are listed as coming in February.
Athenor, I think you'll enjoy this set as a counter-Cang-Toys-Thunderking: smaller, lighter (no die-cast at all), faster and easier to transform, and made of such materials/designed in such a way that you can, like... play with them. I love Fans Toys's products, and their materials are durable as hell, but they paint almost the entire figure and give them more limited articulation, so they feel more like shelf-pieces. I root for X-Transbots as the underdog, but their materials and build-quality - especially in recent years - are shoddy 90% of the time. MMC is the only MP-scale company that makes robots that - I feel - invite play. I can transform them back and forth, pose them, fiddle with them as they sit on my desk, and not worry at all that I'll damage them. Assaultus is one of my all-time favorite sets, and I definitely recommend him.
I will say that Optus Nox was incredible, and by the same company. I think that's why it caught my eye.
Thank you both for pointing out the markup. I don't know if I would have caught that.
And if you're feeling saucy, you can forget the G1 set and get the eye-meltingly garish G2 set:
MMC has confirmed that they will definitely do one more Assaultus repaint, and the fandom is ready to go to civil war on whether it should be Ruination, Baldigus, Battle Gaia, Ruination (urban/arctic camo), Ruination (desert camo), Ruination (zesty mayo with onions), or whatever else. I mean, I'm sure MMC has already decided how to repaint them, they just haven't announced it.
Edit: Jeez. So many panels! I mean, yeah, masterpiece, but... woah.
And to be comparable with CW Devvy?!
https://news.tfw2005.com/2023/02/14/rumor-2024-studio-series-listings-found-wfc-starscream-bb-voy-shockwave-86-swoop-mv6-megatron-more-475715
Apparently some of the MV6 (Movie 6 aka Bumblebee) figures might actually be '86 figures, explaining how there's an MV6 Megatron when he doesn't show up at all in that movie. Rumble also wasn't in MV6, but there's already a '86 figure of him, so who knows what that is. The rest could be '86 figures, but who knows.
MV5 Mohawk is a good choice for core class. He was the shit talking motorcycle that was in The Last Knight, one of the crew Megatron had freed from prison.
TF7 Scorpinock is weird because this is the first I've heard if him possibly being in that movie.
More War for Cybertron figures, making me real curious if they're planning on re-releasing that game.
Scrapheap is another generic Junkion that is likely remolded from Wreck-Gar (Which is interesting, because Evolution ALSO has a voyager Junkion who I previously though might be a Wreck-Gar retool)
And finally there's Swoop, at leader class, completing the Dinobots. I was only going to get Grimlock but man all of the shots I've seen of them together are incredible. It'll be hard to resist, though Slug being hard to find might help. (Cheapest I've seen is $75)
Would the WFC reference the WFC line and not the game? I'd love it if it was the game.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformers:_War_for_Cybertron_Trilogy
I think I've seen some people say they still have Slug in their Walmarts. Might want to check that thread on TFW and see if someone can pick one up and send it to you. Although might be the same price as you have seen.
Steam: betsuni7
Man, I'd love to get the WfC game bots. They really made some great robot and vehicle mode designs for those games.
Meanwhile, I forgot that the Official Transformers YouTube channel uploaded the Beast Wars show and they're up to Episode 2. Now I can check it out.
https://www.youtube.com/@TransformersOfficial
Steam: betsuni7
Steam: betsuni7
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/231171
Steam: betsuni7
Steam: betsuni7
Hey thanks for this. I've been lamenting not having a G1 prime with trailer to play with, and this is perfect. Pulled the trigger.
D3: HexDex#1281, PSN: DireOtter, Live: DireOtter
Folded Space's foamcore inserts have a lot of left-over springy memory foam when you are done. This foam works EXCELLENT for ratchet repair. I pulled out my Studio Series Devastator and found that one of the ratchets had gone pretty much weak, and then watched a video on ratchet repair where they mentioned buying foam. And it dawned on me to try the Folded Space stuff.
So yeah, Devvy no longer has a broken ankle! Which is good, considering... what's coming.
Edit: Damn he is so hard to pose. But... I got him into a position that I'm okay with. Granted it takes up a TON of space, but... hey, it's something.
On the back of his box is his famous rap:
Here he is alongside his henchman Lysanderoth, and one of his enemies, the ill-fated Archibald. On the far left is Refridgerator-sempai from Sung Won's other epic saga, Chairem Anime.
Would it be wrong if I say I would like to see what kind of figure they'd come up with for Sexica?
I kind of doubt we'll get any more King Dragon figures after this, though. Maybe he'll do some more Chairem anime figs?
Don't shop with them
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL
As mentioned above, I decided for a "fuck it" day... and it has arrived.
Mmmmmmm.
Yessssss!!!
Cannot. Wait. Stupid work and only having an hour off for lunch... Well, let's at least open this bad boy up...
Oh, huh! Red Envelopes! I've never gotten those before. At first I thought there might be something in them, but nope.. just 8 red envelopes. Very pretty though!
Hugerhino doing a leaping pose, right out of the box! But what's that bag?
Turns out.. not only did this guy come with the parts I expected (the wolf twins' swords, his sword, and his blaster), but it also includes replacement parts for the Thorilla leg clamps! This is a big deal, as I just discovered mine had become... damaged. The joint was too tight, even after using shock oil, and one had bent/broken. So the inclusion of replacement parts is very, very appreciated.
Now, getting him fully transformed (and properly flexible) will take a bit of time. But I just. could. Not. Wait.
I had to do what I could And that means one thing:
WEAPONS.
Top to bottom is Thunderking's sword, Thunderking's blaster, DNA Designs' upgrade kit sword for Predaking, and the Hasbro included blaster for Predaking.
I feel like I could shiv someone with this sword. Which... makes sense, given that it's essentially a dagger!
https://hasbropulse.com/collections/studio-series/products/transformers-studio-series-leader-86-19-dinobot-snarl
Picked him up and now can't wait for Swoop to complete the team. Well that and Snarl to ship and ship out my Sludge.
Also Core Ironhide popped up for pre-order.
https://hasbropulse.com/collections/studio-series/products/transformers-studio-series-core-class-ironhide
I'm going to wait for him to hopefully go on sale before picking him up since I already have an Ironhide in my collection. I just like these small sized bots.
Steam: betsuni7
So.. as you probably could've guessed.. the combination of WFH + package delivery + big toy I've been wanting for months means I did not get much work done today. And I tried! I really, really tried!
But.. we all knew where this was going.
You know, I would almost want a second copy so I could show off all the robot modes. They are extremely well done, well articulated, and creative. Hugerhino is no different in that respect. And even more surprising, very little squeaking! I only had to put shock oil on one noisy joint. There were a few points where I had to push clips out, and it is making me want to get a proper spudger.. but that's okay.
He does sport one heck of a backpack, though - at least out of the box. I bet I could compact this down more now that I know how he works.
The next thing to do was replace those brace pieces. Again, not hard as I'd just disassembled them the week prior. In this case, I took this photo before doing any replacements. The new parts feel almost identical, but they are a bit harder, and the dimensions ever so slightly smaller, so that there's less stress on the pieces.
Rhino time turned out to be a bear. I missed that there was a sliding mechanism in the feet, which caused things to not line up right. A few dings later, and we're rolling.
But then.. came the surprisingly complex transform of the legs! Like, Landbull just kind of folded back on himself. But Hugerhino does this hug-like move that really compacts it.
And thus.
Finally.
Posing him is insane. He's got a TON of articulation, but with all that weight, combined with me loosening some joints that maaaybe I shouldn't have... it just leads to remarkable things. It doesn't help that I have him on a very smooth surface and his feet aren't contacting the floor right. You pretty much have to splay his legs outwards or there's no chance of him standing. I also needed to do a bunch of work to lock in his wings so they wouldn't sag. Lots of weight there - a cross-beam of some sort would be very useful.
So how's he stack up to Hasbro's latest combiner?
Don't worry, Menasor. You're getting thigh grafts here in a few days.
XBL - Foreverender | 3DS FC - 1418 6696 1012 | Steam ID | LoL
You were researching while working!
Man, that thing looks really awesome and HUGE!
Steam: betsuni7
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B3FSXYQC/
Steam: betsuni7
So here's some extra pics of him, with me doing a bit more of a dynamic pose.
Everyone was really blown away, and I think he took more assembly than some of the gunpla being assembled!
Anyways... time for a smaller bit.
I pulled the trigger on the upgrade kits for the Studio Series Dinobots I own, just as a kind of completeness thing. I'd been waffling because they were fairly insubstantial, especially given the cost. At least Grimlock added some cool touches and a full Wheelie fig.
But hey. I got them. Might as well use them.
Slag's kit is definitely the weaker of the two. Again, including a transforming fig of one of the Witwickeys bumped up the price for no real good reason. Sludge, on the other hand, gets some repair pieces and blast effects. Not a huge upgrade, but.. strangely more substantial? Oh, and googly eyes. which some people may like.
Slag gets his sword, a thingy that lets him hold his tail as a shield, and different colored horns for toy accuracy. Also a transforming fig that I probably should compare to my Masterpiece Spike Witwicky that I got with MP Bumblebee.
Sludge's stuff is repair oriented. A set of bumpers for filling the ratchets, something for the wings to lock them in place, and then blast effects. Oh, and a shield piece that covers the enormous gap in his chest when he's transformed.
Back to ratchet surgery!
My particular Sludge doesn't need these yet, as the ratchets are pretty good, but this will keep them from deteriorating.
The blast effect, meanwhile, can plug into Sludge's gun. Also, a better shot of the googly eyes.
The wing repairs were.. a pain in the ass, but mostly serve to lock the wings in place. They are definitely more stable where they go now. I did bend one a little getting it installed, but it seems to be holding up.
That just leaves his shield and his sword. Both of which look pretty nice.
I honestly don't think either of these kits are really worth it. I'd much rather see a large bundle with all of the upgrades for the dinobots.. but given that Hasbro's releasing 1 a year, it doesn't make sense for DNA design to do that. Also, apparently some 3rd party companies made feet replacements for Sludge that solve one of his big issues in terms of his alt mode, so I'll need to look into those.
That's 3 pieces of my order down. We'll see what's next!
Steam: betsuni7