POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

[numbat]

Accepting that completism isn't compulsory and just picking the designs that you like is the key to a far happier collecting experience.

Couldn't agree more!

Makes for more interesting collections too, I think. Everyone has different reasons for how things end up that way.

[Knightdramon]

Genuinely curious as to why you've foregone all the previous sets but taken the plunge on this grab-bag of "oh, Takara, you so crazy".



I think this applies to all lines, tbh. Accepting that completism isn't compulsory and just picking the designs that you like is the key to a far happier collecting experience.

Hah, I think your second statement responds to your earlier question for me.

I've set all previous releases aside for a variety of reasons each; either the torso bots looked off or various limbs did not look the part. Closest I got was Superion I think.

At the end though, most if not all of them [except Superion] have got MP-ified releases or upcoming MP-ify releases that I might be more interested in.

I liked how fun and quirky this set is [plus I got a Generations Cyclonus to scale with Legends Whirl] but the end result left me cold.

[Denyer]

I think this applies to all lines, tbh. Accepting that completism isn't compulsory and just picking the designs that you like is the key to a far happier collecting experience.

Mmm. I reckon part of it is that CW has had a decent batting average, and sucked people in to getting stuff they wouldn't otherwise have. It's even more Pokémon-like than the most recent show.

[Skyquake87]

Yup. I'd agree with that. I bought the Aerialbots because the designs looked good, and well, I don't own a Superion. Picked up the Stunticons because I like the Stunticons, found them wibbly, but fun and both sets are massively improved for me by the addition of the Sticker set that's available to just pick out some smaller details.

I liked the design for Hotpsot, but turns out that was the best thing about him, and I didn't really like the new Protectobots so much, so he's gone and I've just picked up some randoms from the line since. It has been a line that's been very easy to fall into the 'Collect Them All!' mentality, in some ways because its always important from a collector stand point to have all the members of a team.

I was a kid, with the crappy distribution the line has had in the UK (no one retailer has had all five members of a given team in my locality), I'd be happy frankenstiening my own gestalt from whatever was available.

[Denyer]

Yeah... keeping Cyclonus at the moment for that purpose. Planning to get a deluxe Groove when/if they hit more online retailers, so Rook will be available to go with the "spare" limbs from the first two sets, and might snag a Blast Off on the same general principle. Although that would mean needing to put the Galvatron head back on or finding an alternative.

[Warcry]

I hadn't planned on getting all four Combaticon limbs, I really hadn't. But then I hadn't expected my local Toys'R'Us to get them in, or to immediately put them on clearance for $12 to make room for Titans Return stuff. So I'm now the owner of a shiny new Vortex and Blast Off! Of course I already own Alpha Bravo and Fireflight, so they're not really new to me...

Does any version of Vortex actually look good? Maybe the G2 version, but I'm not so sure about this one. The toy-accurate colour scheme here is leagues ahead of what Takara did on theirs, admittedly, but there's too many clashing colours. I can't decide whether his overly-busy look is better than the stark white, kinda drab Alpha Bravo or not. But the differences are so strong that it's easy for the eye to trick you into forgetting that they're exactly the same toy, and that's cool. And with all those colours, he certainly does stand out.

Odds are pretty good that I'll turn one or the other of the copter-bots into Spinister one day anyway...

Blast Off obviously isn't a very good Blast Off, what with being a jet and all. But I've got to admit, the colours work really well on this mold. I bought him with thoughts in mind of one day making a G2 Slingshot, but now I'm not so sure...

In spite of immediately musing about turning them into kitbash fodder, I'm pretty happy with both of them and I'm glad I picked them up.

The Japanese repaint of Drift in his Decepticon colours!

Mainly because he was a lot cheaper than getting regular Drift (at the time of purchase anyway, no doubt thousands of cheap ones will now appear).

The regular Drift isn't all that great. The smaller swords are kind of clunky, the plastic is a really blah off-white (on the Hasbro one at least) and the deco isn't very inspiring. Deadlock (and Blurr, even though he's not a very good rendition of the character) are both so much nicer-looking, and the guns make for great accessories.

[Ryan F]

Combiner Wars Magnaboss! Botcon Unit-3 and Tigatron, plus retail Ironhide, Prowl and Silverbolt with an official sticker set added.

[Skyquake87]

Generations 'Thrilling 30' Waspinator

After reading Warcry's review, I was a bit hesitant about picking this up, but the robot mode looks so good...! I really like it. It's a very impressive update of the '96 toy/ character model. The original toy being a very well articulated figure anyway, this doesn't feel the major upgrade the likes of, say Springer, does but its is very nicely done all the same. Transformation is clever, and you end up with a cutesy hunched up wasp. The robot junk underneath and arms pinned to the sides haven't bothered me so much and I love the wing flapping gimmick! I am very impressed and very happy with him. He's a proper cool little figure, looks great and is fun to play with. The only thing I'm not mad keen on is half his head being opaque clear plastic to enable the light piping. I'd have been happy with a solid cast head and painted eyes, I think. Impressive stuff.

Just Rattrap to go now, hope he's as good as Rhinox and Waspinator have been.

[Warcry]

Waspinator is so pretty, but when you actually try to do anything with him, he's such a mess. Weird joints, lazy transformation... He's a really nice display piece and it's great to have a Waspinator toy that's based more closely on the show model. But that's the only thing he does better than the original.

Rattrap may actually be the best of the bunch. I don't like the clear gun and the transformation is tricky if you're not used to it, but he's a really solid figure all around.

[Brendocon 2.0]

Does any version of Vortex actually look good? Maybe the G2 version, but I'm not so sure about this one. The toy-accurate colour scheme here is leagues ahead of what Takara did on theirs, admittedly, but there's too many clashing colours.

Eh, I'm not sure. Yeah, the UW colour scheme doesn't look as good as the CW one, but the bright yellow missile launchers ruin the entire thing for me. At least Takara's version is drawn from a sensible palette.

I'd probably side with the Hasbro version all the way if not for those bits, but as it stands I'm firmly Team "I Don't Want To Gouge My Eyes Out"

[Warcry]

The missiles are awful on Hasbro's Vortex and the torso is too busy, but it still beats black, eye-searing blue and nothing in between. If Takara had used the darker blue from the cartoon and broken it up a bit more, it would have looked fine.

[Tetsuro]

Generations 'Thrilling 30' Waspinator

I only bought this guy to replace the TFA Waspinator I sold. Which was a design I liked much better, but the Gen. Waspy is a much better toy; TFA Waspinator was an undersized, floppy mess.

[Knightdramon]

Isn't Animated Waspinator bigger ?

Could be wrong, but I remember mine being slightly shorter than Animated Blackarachnia, whose retool as BW BA is substantially bigger than other figures.

[Tetsuro]

I meant compared to how big he was portrayed in the cartoon. Should've been a Voyager at least.

Actually no, I'd argue Gen. Waspinator is bigger. He may be shorter, but he's also a lot chunkier. TFAW is just a spindly piece of crap.

[Skyquake87]

HFTD Terradive

In rationalising my collection (read ; cull) over the last few years, I jettisoned a bunch of figures that I actually really liked for the sake of not wanting an odd one or two from a given line. I have realised this approach is silly and am now picking up figures I miss that I used to own ...and will do again!

Holy crap on a cracker, this guy is still AMAZING and probably the best movie deluxe figure EVAH! That is all.

[Denyer]

Might have overdone it on 40K fiction...


http://i.imgur.com/dJaVudy.jpg

edit: Seriously, the only thing that makes Scattershot not bloody identical to Superion in torso mode is hiding the antennae.

[Warcry]

HFTD Terradive

Terradive is amazing! One of my favourite figures from that era. I love how unique his transformation is, and how different he looks from other jet-formers in robot mode because of it. Super-poseable, too.

For my part, I can finally stop bitching about not having a Blackjack because one showed up at my door yesterday as part of a trade with Heinrad. He was definitely worth the wait! He's a really slick little figure that reminds me once again why I've enjoyed the recent run of Legends figures so much. Good articulation, a quick, simple transformation and fun to mess around with.

Legends Skywarp was also a part of the same package. He's not quite as neat as Blackjack, but he's still a good little figure. More than anything, I find it amusing how much better a job this figure does with the "airplane folds in half" transformation than much-bigger toys like Generations Thunderwing or Universe Silverbolt. Not a bad little seeker at all! I'm kind of surprised the mold's only been repainted four times so far, because at this price point you'd think it would be candy for the army builders out there.

[Skyquake87]

MP 26 Road Rage

Wasn't actually fussed for picking up this lady, as I'm happy enough with the E-Hobby version I already have, but an auction on ebay from ID Toys hooked me and now £30 later (inc postage), here she is. The mould's actually quite fun and not as awful as I was expecting. I don't mind the cavenous gap behind the shoulders so much as the neck just bobbling about with nowhere to go. That, and the piddly built in rear mounted missiles are what really do for the figure. It's a shame really, as everything else ticks all the Masterpiece boxes. She is a bit on the lithe side next to the other MP cars, but being a lady that makes more sense than it does on Tracks. Alt mode is a babe too (really love this daft dong of an alt mode), although I would have preferred the flame decal was a sticker so it could have been left off to give Road Rage a bit more of an identity than 'Red Tracks'. And its a shame you don't get a stand like what the instructions show for cool flying car display possibilities. I'd rather that than the tiny (non-Transforming) Twincast. All in all, not bad and ticks the boxes for me for having a red MP car of some sort. So, hooray for small victories.

[Heinrad]

And for those wondering what I got as trade from Warcry.....

Titanium Ultra Magnus: He's pretty neat, and he displays well with my Titanium Rodimus. And, like Titanium Rodimus, he's got a design hiccup in the shoulders.

[Skyquake87]

RTS Lugnut

Yeah he's awesome. Alt mode still looks a bit too chubby and short to pass as anything particularly realistic, but damn if the robot mode isn't the most coolest thing ever.

...kind of wish we got more Animated reimaginings like this.