ALL THINGS TRANSFORMERS!!!!

[thecorsair]

I got my FT Soar today, and WOW, what a figure. So far, the FT stuff I've gotten is of higher quality then the official MPs TT is putting out.

My only complaint is some of his joints are TOO stiff, but overall, the paint, chrome, and build quality are tremendous. Anyone on the fence about FT figs, don't miss out.

Congrats!

My Soar should be here later this week and I've been advised that I may need a screwdriver on hand. My friend said you don't need to go crazy, just a half turn of the screwdriver should be enough on certain joints so I'll bear that in mind.

Furyan,
As you know I'm fairly sceptical of XTB's ability to deliver great build quality but if they can do it with Apollyon then great, that'll be another large box ticked and even less reason to continue with official figures.

3rd parties are doing more Dinobots, Megatron, Insecticons, Reflector, Perceptor and Warpath in 2015.

Even if Takara announce a couple more Autobot cars to go with the Bumblebee and Wheeljack repaints and that oversized Power Rangers reject it's already looking like the year belongs to 3rd parties.

Nightwing,
Don't get your hopes up for a new Takara Grimlock because it's very unlikely to happen.

Fans Toys will probably have their version out during 2016 and it'll be better than anything Takara could come up with. All their Dinobots so far make MP08 look very out of date, particularly in robot mode.

EDIT
XTransbots are doing an MP style Beachcomber,




A decent looking design, but the question mark over build quality means it's not going to be a definite buy.

 

[teemu]

Man,These 3rd party transformers Mp's are coming fast and furious...getting harder to keep up or buy them.Beachcomber looks good

 

[Sith_fire30]

No love for Trailbreaker??? I'd love to see an MP or a 3rd Party MP scaled version.

 

[karamazov80]

I think he and Hoist have been seriously overlooked over the years. Pretty sure we didn't get an Alternators or Classics version of those guys (though you could mod one of the Alts into Trailbreaker as I recall), and the 3rd party guys haven't touched them for some reason. I had both as a kid, and Trailbreaker is one of the few toys of my early childhood that I remember getting in the store. Hopefully the MP line doesn't neglect him.

--edit: Google searching, I do see there were some lame IDW styled Classics versions a couple years back. That's not gonna cut it, but nice that they at least got some attention.--

 

[MPCanes]

Funny enough, I'm rewatching G1 now and Trailbreaker gets a ton of screentime - all day yesterday I was wondering why we haven't seen him yet. He's actually a pretty great design and I'm sure a MP treatment would do him well.

 

[thecorsair]

I don't think Trailbreaker/Hoist are likely to be high on anybody's "to do" lists, or not for the forseeable future.

Takara have so far shown no inclination that they're willing to go beyond safe choices for their licensed vehicles as they've only done sports cars and the VW Beetle which has enough of a cult following to ensure it'll sell even to non Transformer fans.

I think Ironhide/Ratchet will be the one to test the waters with the less exciting alt modes. If they did alright then Trailbreaker/Hoist, Grapple/Inferno, Hound and Skids would become more likely.

3rd parties have much more limited resources than Takara and the best ones are all more than busy at the moment....maybe one of them can have a go at Trailbreaker/Hoist in 18 months or so if there still hasn't been an official release.

 

[sharpnel]

Fans Toys and Badcube are on my TFs priority list in 2015. Takara is too slow and I'm glad 3rd parties are filling in the gap and producing great designs. I won't be surprise if Takara outsource 3rd parties or buy their designs.

 

[thecorsair]

Fans Toys and Badcube are on my TFs priority list in 2015. Takara is too slow and I'm glad 3rd parties are filling in the gap and producing great designs. I won't be surprise if Takara outsource 3rd parties or buy their designs.

Takara are definitely too slow,

MP10 first came out in September 2011 and there's still no Megatron to go with it. That's like a Star Wars line going without a Darth Vader figure for the same period of time

Takara have had a Lamborghini license for a couple of years and there's still no Sunstreaker to go with Sideswipe

I don't like the redesigned side windows on Omnigonix Spinout and what they've said about the final colors ( no chrome or silver paint on the spoiler ) is disappointing but I'll still take it over no MP Sunstreaker at all.

Takara released Grimlock several years ago and never bothered to finish the team

If Sever makes it out on time Fans Toys will have done 3 in under a year and all at a much higher level of quality than MP08.

If Takara bought 3rd party designs they'd have to change stuff in order to pass their safety tests and meet their pricepoints....something would inevitably get lost in the translation and I'd rather things stayed as they are.

 

[sharpnel]

Takara are definitely too slow,

If Takara bought 3rd party designs they'd have to change stuff in order to pass their safety tests and meet their pricepoints....something would inevitably get lost in the translation and I'd rather things stayed as they are.

Good point. I think Taraka has to deal with restrictions (license, safety, etc.) which limits creativity freedom. This is where 3rd parties have an advantage over Taraka. Now, I find myself more incline to follow 3rd party forums and not too excited about Takara unless they announce Devestator. IMO, no 3rd parties have produced a superior combiner and Devestator would be a win for any company who can do the best job.

 

[Whyee]

How long do you think until anyone makes an mp/mp scale jazz?

 

[Ra88]

First clear pic of Combiner Wars Devastator.



Titan Class Devastator pic - TFW2005 - The 2005 Boards

 

[Furyan]

Well **** still waiting for an MP version

 

[thecorsair]

Good point. I think Taraka has to deal with restrictions (license, safety, etc.) which limits creativity freedom. This is where 3rd parties have an advantage over Taraka. Now, I find myself more incline to follow 3rd party forums and not too excited about Takara unless they announce Devestator. IMO, no 3rd parties have produced a superior combiner and Devestator would be a win for any company who can do the best job.

I think there's been some good 3rd party combiners, but they've all been Classics style.

A Masterpiece Devastator has to be bigger than the Titan Class and not as cheap and nasty looking....which I'm not sure the best 3rd parties could manage even if they tried

Whyee,
In the past the VW Group ( who also own Porsche & Lamborghini ) refused Takara a license to make an Alternators Jazz that turned into a Porsche Boxster and a New Beetle Bumblebee because VW had some sensitivity about their company origins and didn't want their brands associated with "war toys".

Time has now passed and it seems they're more willing to do business because they've allowed Takara use of the Lamborghini license and crucially, the VW license itself for MP Bumblebee.

Takara's sister company Tomy has also released this in their Hot Wheels style Tomica line,


Takara's designers have mentioned in interviews that the Tomica line has made licensing cars for the Masterpieces a lot easier.

I think the chances of a Masterpiece Jazz are very good. The Porsche license would also make Cliffjumper possible.

 

[MegaPrime33]

It's Hasbro, so this isn't a surprise to me whatsoever, but this looks cheap to me. It's great they're doing g1 combiners of sorts, but I'd rather get 3p if I were to get one.

 

[karamazov80]

Yeah, looks crappy, but I wasn't expecting much better. It's at least an improvement over some of their past efforts. I remember when this was the best they could do, and folks were willing to pay $50 or whatever for it:

 

[soundwave]

Yeah, looks crappy, but I wasn't expecting much better. It's at least an improvement over some of their past efforts. I remember when this was the best they could do, and folks were willing to pay $50 or whatever for it:

Lol that's freaking hilarious
So bad in so many ways.

Neil

 

[Spanbauer]

First clear pic of Combiner Wars Devastator.

View attachment 163245

Titan Class Devastator pic - TFW2005 - The 2005 Boards

Thanks, Ra88! How you been, man?

I'm definitely divided on this guy, but the amount of hate I've seen thrown around for this figure seems pretty extreme.

Pros:
- A straight-up G1 official Hasbro Devastator, true to form with 6 constructions and assembled in classic style.
- They even recreated some of the sticker details, like those on the chestplate and even those on the bottom of Bonecrusher's scoop.
- Feels more like an updated G1 Devastator to me than any of the $600 3rd party options
- For all of the complaining I've seen elsewhere about proportions, I think they too are better than the 3rd party options
- As a kid who suffered from a Bonecrusher with a broken peg and a Scavenger that always fell off, I for one don't mind that the treads clip into the body for added support

Cons:
- Plastic looks exactly like the stuff used for those knock-off G1 constructicons you find on eBay; not acceptable for a $100+ figure
- The head sucks; looks like it came out of a toaster
- The thighs look really sloppy with all of those bizarre lines and rectangle holes
- The tires, while true to the original, also look really cheap for a $100+ figure
- Mixmaster's stub cab

I look forward to seeing more images, specifically ones that aren't strongly overexposed by a ****** cellphone camera

 

[thecorsair]

It's taller than Hercules or Giant and will inevitably be cheaper than both in North America. That's all it has going for it.

Which is inevitably all it needs to be for some collectors and fair enough, but there is no way on this Earth that it looks even remotely worth whatever the UK asking price will end up being, assuming it even reaches TRU's here.

 

[karamazov80]

I think a more in-scale, aesthetically pleasing head could have made a world of difference. I think Takara "gets it," while Hasbro often doesn't when it comes to these things.

 

[Ra88]

Thanks, Ra88! How you been, man?

Damn if that's not a blast from the past! Pretty good, 3rd year of college now, just wrapped up my internship and going into a project for a client. Moving to a place near my school too, so that is exciting.

I'm definitely divided on this guy, but the amount of hate I've seen thrown around for this figure seems pretty extreme.

Pros:
- A straight-up G1 official Hasbro Devastator, true to form with 6 constructions and assembled in classic style.
- They even recreated some of the sticker details, like those on the chestplate and even those on the bottom of Bonecrusher's scoop.
- Feels more like an updated G1 Devastator to me than any of the $600 3rd party options
- For all of the complaining I've seen elsewhere about proportions, I think they too are better than the 3rd party options
- As a kid who suffered from a Bonecrusher with a broken peg and a Scavenger that always fell off, I for one don't mind that the treads clip into the body for added support

Cons:
- Plastic looks exactly like the stuff used for those knock-off G1 constructicons you find on eBay; not acceptable for a $100+ figure
- The head sucks; looks like it came out of a toaster
- The thighs look really sloppy with all of those bizarre lines and rectangle holes
- The tires, while true to the original, also look really cheap for a $100+ figure
- Mixmaster's stub cab

I look forward to seeing more images, specifically ones that aren't strongly overexposed by a ****** cellphone camera

Yeah I think that this will look a lot better when properly posed. Right now the only real issues for me here is the tiny foot, small head and the threads being part of the chest. I hope that's a transformation, because having the treads be part of the upper arm assembly would really bulk them up. It does look ****** now, but so did Superion, and he turned out ****ing amazing.