Ive collected some Threezero DLX transformers and I'm considering jumping into the Takara/Hasbro Masterpiece line.
In my research I've come across the 3rd parties like FanToys. From what I've seen the 3rd party stuff has more variety, and the combiners in particular seem superior in quality and looks.
What I'm looking for in some in hand opinions. IS it worth going third party or should I just stick it out with official products?
Also what is the biggest difference between Masterpiece and Studio series? Some pics I've seen of Studio series look really good,
Well, by Fans Toys you will get possibly the best quality you can have, with some really bad transformations.
Which means fiddly, but not all of them are like this. There's also X-Transbots, which are doing their versions, but, what transformations are concerned,
there are sometimes worse and not as stable. It comes down to your liking and your definition of scale. If you want it having to fit to the Sunbow chart, you will absolutely loose your mind. On direkt figure opinions:
- Fans Toys Sovereign: THE Galvatron to get, to date Amazing, heavy, beautifully painted, in toon-, movie- and toy-decos, but not without it's downsides, a the transformation can be challenging, but the space howitzer is worth it (XTB, reportedly brings their's; Abbadon, end of the year, no word on quality).
- Fans Toys Rig (Huffer): toon perfekt in proportion, heavy, paint's even more gorgeous as on Sovereign, slightly limited in articulation, but enganging and fun transformation and great little truck.
- Fans Toys Hunk (Brawn): pretty much the exact same. So much so, that I bought both, although I never needed the characters, but the bots scream quality
- Fans Toys Tesla 2.0: BEAUTIFUL sculpt and paint. The Perceptor to have, but don't transform him. Just don't. Fiddly, pegs don't hold 100% and I have extremly bad paint chipping all over now, which even more aggrevating, as it was a gift.
For some combiners I can only say, as a first, that it's rough to believe opinions. Everybody you will read about will tell you how great and stable Toyworld/Zeta combiners are. They only are with more or less percentage of margins of errors. Means that people tell you how great it all is, but there is a good chance that they have a way different quality standard than you and they will just 'ok' some fairly big, faulty points. I, for myself, had Toyworld Constructor (Devastator). Amazing look, but when I wanted to review him, their Bonecrusher broke on the shoulder connector. I was able to temporarily repair him, but it didn't survive the move and I was going legends anyway, so my Devi now is Newage Toys Hephaestus EX.
I STILL own Zeta Toys Superitron (as you might suspect: Superion, but their boxset), which looks great, but has some of the worst QC ever.
- Slingshot's back wings sheared clean of the 3rd time I moved them
- Superion's diecast chest shield wasn't properly chamfered and the edges cut in the hips, when I rotate it
- hip panels were assembled wrong, just squashed in the holdings, but once you look inside, you see that the pegs are broken off.
So I had to wait for some replacement parts and still then he is wobbly and not super stable and can tip over rather easy.
These, or other mistakes you can also have on official MPs:
- MP52 Starscream doesn't stand straight
- MP47 was manufactured in a different factory and has parts breaking off
- MP44 has a certain badge where knees break, they all have varying degrees of tolerance issues and big time paint chipping
For your question on MP and Studio Series: It is pretty much just what you think:
MP is collector line. More accessories, better paint, pretty much a fully closed bot, more complex transformations.
Studio Series is main line. Everything is simpler, bots can be hollow in lower arms and legs.
I hope this helps, but at the end of the day, no one can tell you how to safely spend your money.
There are always varying degrees of badges, with varying degrees of problems.
Good luck and stay in touch:
would love to know with what you started.
