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Savannahtron
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Post by Savannahtron »

Additional pics.
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Savannahtron
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Post by Savannahtron »

^
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Cal
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Post by Cal »

A bit on the short side. Why are there no durability and overall scores?
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Blackjack
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Post by Blackjack »

Cal wrote:A bit on the short side.
Some people write short reviews, some people write long reviews. There are advantages to both.

Besides, small toy, short review... makes sense, no?
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Firestrider57
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DOTM Thundercracker

Post by Firestrider57 »

Thundercracker:
Faction: Decepticon
Function:Warrior
Alt Mode: F-22 Raptor

Tech Specs:
Strength:9
Intelligence:4
Speed:9
Endurance:5
Rank:5
Courage:7
Firepower:9
Skill:6

G1 Bio: Contemptuous of anything that cannot fly. Not totally convinced of the Decepticons' cause, but they persuaded him to continue battling Autobots. Flies at speeds up to 1500 mph... produces controlled, deafening sonic booms that can be heard for 200 miles. Equipped with powerful drone rockets and incendiary gun. Doubts about cause sometimes impede effectiveness.

Thundercracker is the best definition I can come up with for a "blue collar" (no pun intended) Decepticon. He's strong, doesn't ask too many questions, doubts much of the propeganda fed to him by his superiors and an all around average achiever. This is not to count the guy out, because he's one of my favorite all-time Decepticons. Why? Because action is what he's mostly about. The Decepticons would not have been a formidable force if it weren't for guys like Thundercracker who'd get the job done.
Thundercracker hasn't always been a popular Decepticon because of other figures that were more garish with better characterization than he.To that, my answer is simply that not all can be chiefs, there have to be warriors as well, and Thundercracker was one of the best Decepticon examples.
This off-screen, DOTM version of Thundercracker, built just like Starscream and Skywarp, holds a number of surprises. I will discuss them more thoroughly in the review as I go along.
Transformation: The package said that this figure would be a "2" in difficulty-- It should have been a "3". Once you have mastered Thundercracker's transformation, it's not that hard, but it is on par or even trickier than the Voyager versions of Movies 1 and 2. The deluxe version reminds me a lot of Energon Starscream. The legs fold out very neatly, but very tricky as well. It seems that everything transforms from the middle of the bot. The wings are fairly tricky to maneuver and the central body comprising head and torso are the least threatening part of the whole transformation. The weapons are interesting, but is that Roadbuster's saw-blaster? Overall, for a deluxe, I have not reduced transformation time lower than say 2 minutes yet. The chest/ upper torso is the most noticeable difference in comparison between Deluxe and Voyager versions. I actually prefer the Voyager here to the Deluxe for this, as well as other features. By just flipping around two panels near the arms, you have the "arm pits" of Thundercracker. Overall, transformation is exactly like the other Seekers in this series, and will keep you busy enough. After my experience with this aspect, I am now looking for Skywarp and Starscream deluxe versions as well.

Robot Mode: This is actually my second favorite version of Thundercracker-- ever. The only reason that it isn't is because it isn't G1 . Generations Thundercracker beats him out narrowly in my estimation. I can't justify the price of a Henkei nor a Masterpiece, so this TC is actually the one I will keep, unless I actually do find a Generations version on the shelves. His color scheme works much better than even Starscream's. He truly looks menacing in this version. The arms are a very nice touch, although I would prefer the missiles to that weird blade thing that he uses as a melee weapon. The fact that he also looks like a space vulture lends more believability to the character than a smirking dolt who can't aim strait.
He has a fair amout of articulation. If it weren't for the fact that his legs are oddly articulated in unusual places, it would be one of the best articulated figures ever. The hands are nicely articulated. Arms are fully articulated. No torso rotation.
He's a little squat, but it's only because his legs are bent much like a chicken's . His arms are reminiscent of a sloth's and the hands are actually a great touch (shock!) I like this appearance quite a bit. The paint lends well in this color scheme. He's the perfect troop builder. The only thing I don't particularly like is that ugly bayonette-sword thingy that you put on one of the arms as a melee weapon (more on that later). The saw-blaster really is a great gimmick.

Alt Mode: This is my favorite part of the figure. This looks very authentic with very little robokibble on the top or bottom. Landing gear is a great touch as well. Everything about this mode screams F-22 except (yep-you got it!) that blade thingy. What F22 carries a huge Rambo-daggar in the sky. You can't use it as a sword in the sky. The reverse of that weapon would work as a gun, but still , the aesthetics is thrown off because of that weapon. Landing gear is really nice . The fit and finish of this deluxe version is excellent as well with a very clean paint scheme.
From top-side, you couldn't tell that this were anything but an F-22. It has quite a lot of authentic features. Underneath, the "robogoodies" are visible, but not annoyingly so. It all fits in nice and neat.

Overall: This is so far my favorite of the DOTM Decepticons. It's a great looking jet at a lower price-point than the Voyager. It has plenty of goodies and it has an authentic alt mode. Although I would choose different weaponry than what was given to him, yet the blade is not that big of a detractor to not buy him. The blade is actually great as a sword if swords are what you like to use with TF's. It has a very menacing look and actually does Thundercracker's characterization some justice. All I will say is that DOTM Thundercracker is no G1.

Points out of 10 for the Following:
Transformation: 7- A tricky transformation indeed, but not overly difficult, and nothing ingenious.
Aesthetics: 8- As movie Seekers go, this one really is one of the better ones. The main detractors are the existing mech-tech weapons are not that pleasant to look at in jet mode.
Articulation:8- Excellent articulation throughout. Most points are great-even hands! The legs are a little odd,with no side-step, thus losing points.No torso rotation.
Durability: 8 I really haven't found many weak points on this dude. He's solid for such a spindly character. The wings are my concern because of the relatively thin plastic used to make them. Otherwise, not too shabby.
Price: 6 or 10. I bought mine for a reduced price of $9.97 CAD at WalMart, which is a steal, but the list price is over $16.99, which is highway robbery.
Fun: 8 Yes, you can find loads of fun with this guy. The weapons, though aesthetically unappealing, are actually what make this guy as fun as he is. He has no missiles, so that is a detractor in this department, but overall, there's very little to complain about here. Makes an excellent troop builder.
Overall: 8 Overall, a great deluxe with loads of entertainment qualities. It's nice to see a deluxe of this , or any seeker for the first time in the history of this franchise. Don't let the weapons be a bummer, because you get one great weapon, one not-so -hot sword and all kinds of goodies to go along with it.
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Firestrider57
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DOTM Cyberverse Commander Ironhide

Post by Firestrider57 »

Ironhide
Faction:Autobot
Function:Weapons Expert
Alt Mode: GMC Top Kick Pickup

AUTOBOT weapon specialist and and old-fashioned warrior IRONHIDE is the big stick that backs up the soft steps of OPTIMUS PRIME. Paint scarred and chrome chipped by shrapnel from a hundred battles, he is the oldest of the AUTOBOTS. His right hip is a mass of bypasses and temporary solutions, his power core and timing system are irregular, and his idle is set way too high; but his optics are the sharpest on CYBERTRON, and his cannon arm is as steady as ever. OPTIMUS PRIME relies n him for tactical advice and a cool head. As long as they keep making missiles compatible with his cannons, he'll keep fighting, until every last DECEPTICON is a smoldering wreck.
Ironhide was not always my favorite Transformer. He was first of all one of those predictable hard-case, Sgt. Slaughter types that could take any beating and any amount of verbal abuse as well. He wasn't exactly the smartest, nor exactly the strongest, but really a great ally . It wasn't until TWOW ( The 2007 movie) that Ironhide really emerged with leadership qualities in my estimation. In G1, He took back seat to Prowl and Jazz,and for some reason, liked liquid nitrogen. The movie version of Ironhide was much different. He was wayyyy less affable and took a back seat only to Optimus Prime. In ROTF, he became the very vocal Interim leader of the Autobots, because of Prime's death.
I have owned 5 Ironhide figures since 2007. This review is based on the best small scale (Cyberverse Commander)version I have collected to date.

Transformation: This is perhaps the easiest Ironhide since G1. It may be the easiest movie version ever. The legs convert effortlessly from the truck bed. The arms are still a bit troublesome, but definitely not like Voyager nor HFTD versions. The "folddown" of the hood section to the torso is fairly tricky. The head is pesky , but not incredibly hard. Overall, without troubles with the arms, this could stand to be one of the best transforming Cyberverse dudes to date.
Robot Mode: The robot mode is very movie (2007) accurate. He has both arm cannons , black paint, imposing stance, what's not to like? Minor articulation flaws only slightly dent my articulation score, such as no turning head. The arms . This robot is poseable in so many positions. I find this dude very fun. He makes a very good show piece. The cannons also combine to form the super cannon. This is really cool, and for those who missed or got rid of their TWOW Voyager, they get essentially the same bot, only smaller. He is the perfect size to store, so you could have quite an army of these little dudes. Overall, this guy looks very menacing. With all the right poses, He looks like he can definitely exact vengeance on Sentinel Prime of the same series.
This robot mode, though very enjoyable is not without its faults. The head is stationary and the arms like to pop off in transformation. It suffers from the same upper-torso woes that hftd Ironhide suffers from. Nonetheless, this is a great robot mode and well in scale with Optimus and Megatron.
Alt Mode: Ah,yes-- the GMC Top Kick , the ultimate pick-up truck! This is one great alt mode. In this series, you have to ask the question-- Does the figure have to have all this black plastic in place of clear plastic? Really, you get what you pay for, and in this case, you ain't pay' in for the best paint nor clear plastic, but a small robot that looks decent and gets the job done, even if it doesn't look like glass. What you are paying for are cool weapons that,when attached to the tail of the truck, makes you wish there was a red stripe down the side, and a small "A-Team" logo on the side. So, I really am impressed with the weapons in this mode, just not in combined mode. If you position the cannon the way it is meant to be, the arm peg will prevent the super cannon from lying flat on the cab. Rather, it looks like it should be aiming at Starscream from the ground. The only problem I really have with this mode are the truck doors. These hide the arms, and if they are not lined up just right, can cause the truck to look like it's about to fall apart. I must say, though that even though I like tf robot modes better than vehicle modes (generally speaking), I like both modes equally.
Overall: I think Ironhide is serious fun. He's very poseable, playable, and easy on the eyes. He is light-years better than the legends releases in the two previous movies. There are more joints and an overall better paint job. I honestly feel like I got the best of all worlds on this figure. The Cyberverse Commander line is a winning line chiefly because of Ironhide.

Points out of 10 for the following:
Transformation: 5-- Middlin' easy because you aren't finagling with the arms forever and a day. The bed panels collapse into the legs logically, and you won't feel like you broke him by pulling something too hard.
Aesthetics:8-- Ironhide looks the part of a Weapons Specialist. He's great in all black. Black windows and combo cannon take away from vehicle score.
Articulation:8-- Mostly articulated,except in the waist and head. No serious detractors.
Durability: 6-- I have concerns about Ironhide's doors. The arms pop off easily during mid- transformation.
Price:8-- Usually, these run $10 +. This one cost me $7. Not really that bad.Could be better.
Fun:10-- This is THE most fun you could possibly have out of a small figure ( unless you might count Battle-Steel Prime)
Overall:9 -- A great find! Don't let this one slip away!
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Blackjack
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DOTM Deluxe Roadbuster [PROOFED - NEEDS PHOTOS]

Post by Blackjack »

Name: Roadbuster
Allegiance: Autobot
Size Class: Deluxe Class

"I'll ball ya!"

Naturally, the third Transformers movie introduced a bunch of new Autobots who are supposed to have arrived off-screen during the interim between the second and the third. We have quite a bit in lieu of new Autobots as well, to make up for the suddenly-MIA Skids and Mudflap (due to alleged stereotyping reasons, which, as far as I am concerned, is just the work of oversensitive pricks). We have tiny little Brains, who gets to be Wheelie's sidekick and comedy relief, we have the sleek blade-brandishing Ferrari Dino as well as the eccentric inventor Que, all of which were introduced within the first fifteen minutes or so of the movie.

Then, about halfway through, the Autobots were supposed to get off the planet, and we are introduced to the Wreckers - Roadbuster, Leadfoot and Topspin, a trio of foul-mouthed Autobots who maintain the spaceship Xantium, reportedly not let out of base because they are assholes. After being complete jerks to the human workers, spouting some crazy awesome lines in those funky accents (Roadbuster is Scottish, and Scottish accents are awesome to hear) they apparently die. Then ZOMG they survived, rolling up to literally tear a hapless Decepticon apart limb by limb, Leadfoot apparently biting off a chunk of the poor chap. (Really, if their survival wasn't even more obvious, you think they'd make full-scale models of the Wreckers and use them for two minutes?)

The Wreckers then basically take over the late Ironhide's role as the heavy artillery. And being NASCAR Chevrolet Impalas strapped with a ludicrous amount of weaponry, it really suits the Wreckers fine. They basically held Shockwave at bay (twice) as well as taking down a giant Cloverfield monster Decepticon. But they prove to be decent engineers as well, as their major role involves repairing Optimus' jetpack and freeing him from the inglorious fate of hanging from construction cables. All while being awesome with one-liners in their fun accents.

For those who can't tell their Wreckers apart, Roadbuster is the green, Scottish one with the hat-like helmet and shoulder missile racks. Leadfoot is the red, gruff one with a beard and an awesome giant beer gut with a Target logo on it. Topspin's the blue, dreadlocked, silent guy with giant claws for hands.

Now, older fans might remember that in the Marvel UK comics, Simon Furman introduced 'the Wreckers', an Autobot crack soldier team made up of - yes, you guessed it, badass Autobots with an inclination towards violence. There were several version of the Wreckers team across the various comics, but the classic, original lineup included Roadbuster and Topspin, so at the very least, while the Movie and G1 Roadbusters had absolutely nothing in common except for Wrecker membership and the colour green, the writers didn't randomly pick any name out of the bag.

Roadbuster's one of those names that has not really been reused, and so far only two characters bear the name Roadbuster: the G1 guy and the Movie guy.

How can I not love Roadbuster? Named after one of my favourite G1 characters, a Wrecker and a Scottish hooligan that calls people nancy wankers and threatens to ball them... yeah, I'm a big fan of the DOTM Wreckers. Which, really, isn't a surprise when it leads me to picking him up at retail.

Alternate Mode:
So Roadbuster transforms into a NASCAR Chevrolet Impala. The one seen in the movie is, of course, weaponized to the brim with gatling guns and shit, and you can get a Roadbuster toy looking like that if you spring for the Human Alliance toy. But the Deluxe Roadbuster figure is the non-weaponized version of the Chevy Impala – unlike his Deluxe counterparts in Topspin and Leadfoot, who are both weaponized. Of course, the Wreckers only appear on-screen in their weaponized vehicle mode, but hey, you can't have everything.

Roadbuster's primary colours are a nice shade of dark conifer green and white. Mainly green, with white on his sides. The headlights are painted silver, the wheels are obviously black, and the taillights are painted red. The windows on the front, back and right side are cast in transluscent plastic, while inexplicably the driver’s door window is cast in a blackish-brown grille, accurate to the real NASCAR Impalas. Sadly, the front third of the driver’s window has been left as an open gap, rather than filled with a section of window.

What is terrific, though, is the amount of detail put into Roadbuster's decals. Roadbuster's vehicle mode is based on a real NASCAR vehicle belonging to one Dale Earnhardt Jr. It's got a massive symbol of 'AMP energy' on its hood in white, as well as a smaller Chevrolet symbol. On its roof is a giant red '88', as well as, lovingly, little painted signatures of Dale Earnhardt Jr, which are a nice touch. On each side of the car we have symbols of NASCAR, another giant 88, another AMP energy, and a National Guard symbol. It's all done in great detail, especially the little signatures.

Alas, this is confounded with a real issue – sticky paint. Mine hasn't quite come off yet, but the sides (all those beautifully tampographed advertisements) seem to be quite sticky, which deters me from taking Roadbuster out of the display lest I ruin the sticky paint.

One thing to note, though... unlike Topspin or Crankcase, Roadbuster's peg holes on which you could attach weapons are not big obtrusive holes, but are filled with spring-loaded covers. So, when you rightly feel that Roadbuster would look silly with a chainsaw attached to his car roof, we don't see a big hole in the middle of it either. Beautiful.

Of course it goes without saying that Roadbuster, like many DOTM Deluxes, is a wee bit smaller than their counterparts from previous lines, although Roadbuster's size mercifully isn't quite as jarringly different, unlike Sideswipe or Jolt.

All in all, though, despite all the attention to detail, Roadbuster just isn't catching to the eye. He simply just lacks appeal. Probably it's because, unlike the alternate modes to the Deluxe class versions of Topspin (who had an armoured hood and spiky doors and tiny guns) and Leadfoot (who had exposed side engines and tiny guns), Roadbuster's looks the most like a stock car, which is a shame. You could attach the included MechTech chainsaw-thing to Roadbuster and pop out his rear rocket launchers but that makes him look even more horrible. Frankly I'm baffled why they released Roadbuster in a purely unweaponized mode when every other Wrecker toy in this size class had weapons strapped onto it... perhaps a deal with whatever execs to release an unblemished Chevy Impala in each size class (Legion Topspin, Deluxe Roadbuster and Human Alliance Leadfoot are all standard un-weaponized stock cars, unlike their counterparts)? Highly unlikely, but that's my insane theory and I'm sticking to that.

Thankfully, we can alleviate this boredom by transforming Roadbuster into our favourite Scottish Wrecker. (Technically, he's the only Scottish Wrecker, but still, he's our favourite, right?)

Robot Mode:
Roadbuster's transformation is quite easily done, quite smooth if I wasn't so afraid of smudging the white paint. I particularly like little details like the wheels on his legs actually being able to move and clip on further down his thigh, which, while completely unnecessary makes him look more like his on-screen CG model, which is a nice touch.

However, a huge chunk of his vehicle mode, namely his entire roof and much of his hood not placed on his chest, hangs off his back, which kind of makes him look unwieldy. Roadbuster's got two missile racks hanging from his back, which would have been awesome if they are placed on stronger joints and don't flop down after a while. Of course, they are not located at the positions they are in the CGI model – in the film Roadbuster’s missile launchers are on connected directly to his shoulders, whereas the Deluxe Class figure has a back mounted ‘Y’ rack. Still, what’s not to love about a Scottish Transformer armed to the max with massive rocket launchers?

His headsculpt is excellent. For those who don't know, he's got a funky visor and a sports hat, making him look like a bit of a hooligan. Still, he looks exactly like how he looks like in the movie.

Roadbuster's got quite a bit of molded (sadly unpainted) detail, as is to be expected from an onscreen character. He's got the average range of articulation for a deluxe class toy as well... head on a ball joint, shoulder, elbow, thighs, double-jointed knees, ankles, missile racks... he's got decent balance, too, and the kibble backpack, on account of being thin pieces of plastic, doesn't hinder much.

He's got a MechTech port (spring loaded, remember) on each arm, which are the doors in vehicle mode. Roadbuster comes with this funny thin gun with chainsaw spikes... which becomes a chainsaw when you pull the lever. A chainsaw with giant holes in the middle... which wouldn't be so bad, if there were a way to keep it deployed as a chainsaw permanently. As it is, Roadbuster is left with a weak-looking weapon that fails to look threatening at all. Thankfully he's got those shoulder missile racks to rely on to look badass...

So where does Roadbuster go wrong? Simply put, his colour scheme. In the movie, Roadbuster is mainly metallic green, with moving black-and-grey-and-chrome metal making up the rest of his non-kibble body. The toy decides to replace all the 'moving metal' bits with simple, plain old grey plastic. His entire body is basically ugly grey with a few tack-on green parts. Which is a shame... all those molded details that should be green on the CG model are left unpainted. Really, if bits on his chest and stomach and legs are picked out in greens and, oh... black, probably? Roadbuster won't look so... dull.

Really, it's a pity when you consider guys like Que get lots of unnecessary paint applications, while Roadbuster lacks them.

Like DOTM Jolt, another great, excellent toy rendered not as awesome due to poor colour choices.

Marks out of ten for the following:

Transformation Design: 6.5 – Mmm, there's nothing to be faulted in the design, certainly. Plus points added for the aforementioned thigh-wheel thing, but really it's quite generic.

Durability: 4 – Ooh, I don't like how the sticky paint feels. Some of the white paint on mine has already begun to smudge off, which had put me off touching Roadbuster with greasy hands. Physically, some of the jutting flat edges (like the windows) feel fragile.

Articulation: 6 – He's got decent articulation, but really not any more than a normal Deluxe class toy.

Aesthetics: 4 – Roadbuster's got it all... proper layout, moulded details... and he certainly shows it off with the NASCAR decals in the vehicle mode. But the ugly flat grey plastic makes his robot mode look dull, and next to Topspin and Leadfoot, his vehicle mode looks very unsatisfying.

Fun: 7 – What can I say, I love the Wreckers. BADASS SCOTTISH TRANSFORMER ARMED TO THE MAX WITH ROCKETS AND A CHAINSAW!!!! Need more ever be said?

Price/Value: 5 – He's a decent Deluxe class toy, but not particularly an excellent one like Topspin or Battle Blade Bumblebee.

Overall: 6.5 – Roadbuster is a toy that would have gotten an 8 or 9 if he had been tweaked a little. In the beginning, I had him as a solid 8 in my head before I began noticing the little problems with him... which, really, aren't that difficult to fix. Screw the MechTech weapon and a few tiny little guns like Topspin for the vehicle mode, paint in a few details in the chest and crotch, add a wee more green and voila, you have the perfect Roadbuster toy. Of course, I knew I'd get Roadbuster to complete my set, but for those who aren't rabid Movieverse collectors or Wrecker fanboys (or Scottish), Roadbuster isn't really as recommended as Topspin is.
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Firestrider57
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DOTM Cyberverse Commander Megatron

Post by Firestrider57 »

Megatron
Faction:Decepticon
Function: Decepticon Leader
Alt Mode: Mack Titan Tanker Truck
Motto: Peace Through Tyranny

Tech Specs:
Strength: 10
Intelligence:10
Speed:10
Courage:9
Endurance:10
Firepower:10
Rank:10
Skill:9

Megatron has survived countless skirmishes with the Autobots. Although he has been deactivated more than once, he has never been permanently destroyed. He has devised a diabolical plan to assume the dictatorship of Cybertron by enslaving the Earth. With everything falling into place, nothing will stand in his way of total conquest.

Megatron is one of my favorite villains of all time. He is intelligent, cultured, agressive, and yet a chronic underachiever. Because he never stays long in the heat of a battle, he often loses by default to Optimus Prime and the Autobots. Although this is not my favorite version of Megs, yet I have a few things to say about this version.

Transformation: As a part of the Cyberverse Commanders, he has a simplified transformation that is fairly intuitive. I find this particular figure the easiest in the series to transform. The legs are simpler than they look, and they come out of a most interesting place. The arms (although prone to pop off) are much like TWOW Bonecrusher (Seen it before). This figure has several features that I have seen before in other figures-- especially deluxe Bonecrusher. The fusion cannon even transforms. That's not too bad, but it looks goofy if you split the cannon in half. After all, Megs needs at least one hand free in the battle. The most challenge in this figure comes by arranging the upper torso to drop the grille and brush guard over the chest area. I like the legs overall, because of the rotation. In Alt mode, all this honest-to -goodness robot villain is neatly compacted into the Mack Titan (snicker). If you have the extra to put on it, I would recommend the extended length battle base edition which includes an extended fuel tank, and a majorly amped fusion cannon.
Robot Mode: For a Cyberverse Commander, Megatron is one of the best. He's stocky, strong and extremely durable (unlike the movie). He also looks VERY DOTM Megatron. Many smaller versions of other characters lose the identity of the character in cm's of globby plastic-- not Megs. When transformed, he is as tall as Prime, shorter than Sentinel and taller than Ironhide, as he should be. He is very poseable because the legs are moveable in many directions below the knee. The arms have ball joints in the elbows, so as long as the arm is in the right position, you will be able to have decent movement. The head shows the injury imposed on him by Optimus Prime using his own cannon against him in ROTF. The problem is that it's stationary-- the only problem with any of the Cyberverse Commander series in articulation. Again, I say this isn't my favorite design, but I notice the small things about this figure (No pun intended). The rivots on the cab section give this character a "Frankenstein-ish" quality. The color of this guy also lends to his sinister nature.
Alt Mode: Megatron's Alt mode is (again) a Mack Titan Tanker. Whereas the size of the robot is very appropriate, and well proportioned, the regular issue alt mode of the DOTM Cyberverse Megatron is not. The fuel tank is simply too short. This is no doubt trying to meet a price point and to give a lower price alternative to the "full-scale" Cyberverse battle station version of the same figure. The cab section of the truck is proper, but the tank looks too small for the cab. The front of the cab looks very aggressive. The truck is very reminiscent of TWOW Bonecrusher, due to the front end, the placement of the arms under the cab and the military appearance of this vehicle. In comparison between Megs and Prime, Prime is longer, but shorter in vehicle mode.
Overall: I like this version of DOTM Megatron. It's easy (almost sacrilege for a Megatron figure) and it looks superb among the other Legends and Cy- berverse figures in my collection. He is the best built figure in this line, in spite of his tank proportions. He's very well articulated with joints everywhere, even joints that are present on more expensive versions. I have four Megatron figures, of which this is my second favorite.

Points out of 10 for the following:
Transformation:4 Easy- almost too easy for Megatron, yet intuitive-- the hallmark of this series.
Aesthetics:8-- how could something so ugly garner such a good "pretty" score? Simply the robot mode and the front of the tanker. The rear needs to be lengthened to be believable.Fusion cannon in robot mode is awkward any way you put it. Robot :9, Tanker:6
Articulation:9-- Well articulated. No head movement
Durability: 10 Rock Solid ! No loose joints nor parts.
Price:8-- This one seemed to be at $7.00 CAD. Not too bad for a figure that usually gets a price of around $10 CAD. Not too shabby, but could be better.
Fun:9.5-- In spite of the appearance, this guy is fun-FUN!! The only detractor is the short fuel tank, and that you have to split it in order for you to transform the cannon.
Overall:9 For the figure itself , this is very well made. It serves well as a commander for Legend-size troops. Although the truck looks like it needs a dwarf crew to drive it, it's saving grace is the compactness and the lower price. I can't really complain about what I got for the price I did. Well done, Hasbro.
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Firestrider57
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DOTM Specialist Ratchet

Post by Firestrider57 »

Ratchet
Faction:Autobot
Function:Medic
Alt Mode: H2 Hummer Ambulance

G1 Bio:Ratchet was the best tool-and-die man on Cybertron. In his workbay he can make anything from a pin to a missile. Repairs injured Autobots, given the right parts. Likes to party, give backtalk, but does any job as well as anyone. Has laser scalpels, arc-welders, electron microscopes, circuit sensors, fluid dispensers at his disposal. Sometimes his having a good time interferes with his effectiveness.


Ratchet is one of the most skilled Autobots anywhere. He doesn't shy away from a battle, but rather goes straight to the injured to repair them as quickly as possible. Peace is his goal, but too often, the lingering war presents challenges that only the use of weaponry can answer.
This version of Ratchet has one of my favorite color schemes. With the resizing in the DOTM line to a Deluxe version, Ratchet is a very collectible and storable version. I have waited a very long time to collect one of these deluxe versions , so I jumped at the chance to get one of these figures. He might not be White and Red, but he is a very convincing Red and White. Awesome to pose. He's well worth the wait.
I hated the G1 version , yeah , the headless version that looked nothing like the cartoon version of the same year. The one I liked the best would have been the Classics 2.0 repaint of Ironhide. Unfortunately, in Canada, we never saw him. This version, if you didn't get the Rescue Ratchet green paint version, is still every bit as good , and maybe even better.

Transformation: Ratchet is rated at a 2 for intermediate difficulty. Although on the surface, he is challenging from the torso up. Twisting a few fenders here and there. Switching a windshield panel and swinging doors outward seems to be the big challenge here. The legs are a bit easier, and very intuitive. Usually, I wince at the difficulty of the deluxe DOTM (or any movieverse) figures. Voyager Ratchets have a major weak spot in the front cab sections, so the windshields break off a little too easily. Otherwise, they're bricks.

Aesthetics: This one is great to stand next to G2 Prime, HFTD Ironhide and Classics 2.0 Roadbuster. The rest are grossly out of scale. If you compare these together against others in the deluxe size class , you will be slightly disappointed. Bumblebee, Prowl, Jazz, Wheeljack, Sunstreaker are all bigger, or too close to the size of Ratchet to justify the Hummer size comparison to say, Camaros or Lamborghinis. I watched the movies, and Ratchet is every bit as tall as Prime in vehicle mode. Again, side by side with Ironhide and Prime, he fits in nicely. My own personal opinion, for this, they could have easily made Ratchet a Chevrolet Express , Ford Econoline, or Dodge Sprinter and it wouldn't have hurt my feelings. To me, the Hummer is vehicular overkill, but nice overkill at that.

Transformation: Ratchet transforms much like the Voyager with some very good exceptions. In the Voyager, the nose of the Hummer doubled back onto itself , leaving the windshield under the chest, exposing it to eventual damage. In the Deluxe, only a portion of the same section is reversable, nearly avoiding the damage. To start, the legs fold out intuitively from the back of the ambulance. The arms also unfold nearly effortlessly. He is in no wise a hard one to transform. The hardest thing about this guy is working around the brush guard.

Robot Mode: This is a very nice robot mode. He has a strong look about him , of course without much strength to match in tech specs. He has a lot going for him, especially with that new color scheme. This is possibly the best color scheme for this bot. With everything transformed, he has great articulation-- one of the best for this size class. Everything bends. He has amazing posability. The thing I don't understand is the weapon. Ratchet is a medic, not a soldier. Of course, the fighting in DOTM made it a little hard for Ratchet to stay a pacifist. The weapon is also a little bit of a headache. Because of the spring action of the MechTech weaponry, there is no slide-in-place weaponry. Therefore the retract makes the weapon somewhat difficult to display in full weapon mode.

Alt Mode: This is a great mode indeed. The Hummer H2 Ambulance is accurate down to the cross-hatching and metal dimples. Incredible detail. It looks like it can have hidden panels and it also has a sharp cab interior. When in this mode , I team it up with my Whirl figure, giving him a honkin' huge weapon with rockets and a large cannon, something totally antithetical to an ambulance. He holds together very well and transforms much cleaner than Smoulder, the next best transformer of this type. This is one of the smartest designed transformers that there is.

Marks out of 10 for the following:
Transformation: 6 Not very difficult, yet not too easy. Pleasantly challenging.
Articulation:8 Very posable. Can't really complain about this one too much.
Durability: 8 Windshield, though not as bad as Voyager, still concerns me. Everything is sturdy otherwise. Paint is excellent.
Price:7 I got mine for $11. There's been better deals , but when this is at first release, really, there isn't much to complain about.
Aesthetics: 9 Hummer 10/Robot 8. I've never been one to like Ratchet's face. He looks too much like Richard Nixon to take him seriously. The Red and White color scheme is a brilliant touch.
Fun:10 Being that this character has been the one major hole in my collection, I'd say finally acquiring him made it worth the wait. He's so posable and with his weapon and Scout possibilities, makes this one of the most versatile TF's ever.
Overall: 10 This is one of the best TF Deluxes ever. He doesn't take an inordinate amount of time to transform, and once you figure out the front end, it's all downhill from there. I could imagine a kid would have lots of fun over him. He looks great in your collector's case as well.
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Post by Rookwise »

Finished at last :)
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Headrobots Centurion (Fortress/Cerebros upgrade)

Post by The Reverend »

Name: "Centurion"
Function: Headmaster Leader
Size Class: Upgrade set for Fortress Maximus' "Cerebro"/"Fortress".

As most fans know, Fortress Maximus's head transforms into a smaller robot whose name and personality (if any) varies by the continuity. In the Euro-US comics and cartoon-ender "The Rebirth", the smaller robot is named "Cerebros" and its own head is formed by a binary-bonded humanoid (initially Galen the Nebulan in the Marvel Comics stories, succeeded by Spike Witwicky, who was also Cerebros' head in "The Rebirth"). In the Japanese "Headmasters" stories, the robot is the smaller Transtector for the Autobot "Fortress", who forms its head.

Interestingly, while the Japanese continuity's head looks fairly close to the 1980s toy version, the Euro-US comics and cartoon had a very different head for Cerebros that looks nothing at all like it. I don't know precisely why this is; they may have been working from a very early prototype or concept drawing. And the original toy tends to look a bit oversized in head mode - Cerebros' body is not very wide, and the head looks like a large plastic block on top.

Headrobots' "Centurion" kit is an attempt to rectify the aesthetic issues in both camps, consisting of two Headmasters (a "Cerebros" head and a Japanese "Fortress" head). Also included is a new design of the sword that was supplied with the smaller Fortress robot in Japan, which I'll discuss later in this review. By the way, the set comes packaged with an insert card that depicts both Cerebros and Fortress in their animation looks. Also, it appears Headrobots is putting out a red version of the same set for use with Grand Maximus, this one is being released as "Courageous".

Alternate (Head) Mode: Fortress (Japan)
In the Headmasters' series, Fortress' head resembles its toy counterpart at least passingly, as I stated before. The animation typically depicts him with a dark gray helmet and a white face, bearing a close similarity to the larger Fortress Maximus' noggin. The original toy head was slightly oversized in proportion to the body, and the whole front of it - helmet and face together - was colored a dark grey with yellow eyes. Headrobots' offering is a notable rendition of the character's visage, sharing many similar sculpted details of the helmet. However, instead of being a plastic square with the face details sculpted in, the Fortress head is a better shaped version with beveling on the upper and lower parts of the helmet to allow for a more three-dimensional look, and the helmet details overlap each other instead of simply protruding out of the plastic square base. While the helmet color isn't as dark as the cartoon's version, it comes close to matching its body color scheme. The face is white and well sculpted and features dark blue eyes. Overall, while I don't think the face really looks that much like Fortress, the rest of the head details are quite good. Each head is supplied with a small "connecter" piece consisting of the insertion tabs to connect it to a Headmaster body and a ball joint at the top that gives the head freedom to rotate, although the robot body's shoulder pads (which connect it to the large Fortress Maximus in head mode) severely limit its rotation. And by the way, the connecter does accurately trigger the Tech Spec's meter in the robot body's chest.

Alternate (Head) Mode: Cerebros (Europe/US)
Cerebros's head, as depicted in the earlier cartoons and comics, was extremely different from what was packaged with the toy. He is depicted as having a cylindrical head with a fully masked face, and in "The Rebirth", his primary color appeared to be black instead of gray. Obviously, Headrobots could do little about Cerebros' body color, but they did go ahead and color the Cerebros head black, leaving his faceplate white and giving him a dark blue visor. While this head still looks a little large as compared to the typical depiction, it's definitely not as oversized as the original. Again, Cerebros' connectors on his shoulders prohibit a lot of head movement on the supplied joint, but at least he can turn his face a little to each side of center. Detailing is a little sparser here than on the Fortress head (though not really to Headrobots' fault, the customary "Cerebros" head as depicted in the media was not full of interesting nooks and crannies either), but you still get a good three-dimensional look instead of just some incised etching.

Robot (Transformed Head) Mode:
Despite their very different looking head modes, both the Fortress and Cerebros heads transform identically and very similar to the original Headmasters once the connecters are removed from the heads' neck joints. Each one unfolds into a humanoid form. The "robot" modes feature swiveling joints at the hips, shoulders and knees - while they don't have the ball joints at the knees like Junkion Blacksmith's releases, they can still bend both forward and backwards at the knees independently on each leg. They do have humorously large, projecting feet, I'm assuming this was to aid stability. Interestingly, they also have open, claw-like hands, akin to Lego figures. Fortress is colored in white and grey, while Cerebros' Spike/Galen is black and grey. Because their heads are not the connection points for a Headmaster-less body, they are a little shorter than the original Hasbro/Takara Headmaster partners.

Here's where this release stumbles a bit - neither one of the transformed "Headmasters" looks anything like their cartoon or comic counterparts! The colors are passably close on Cerebros, at least to Spike's armored appearance in "The Rebirth", but that's about it. Fortress lacks the blue limbs of his animated appearance, and neither one has a head sculpt that resembles either animated/drawn continuity - if anything, they kind of remind me of the sentry robots from "The Black Hole" film. I guess since they're more likely to be displayed as an upgraded head for the Cerebros/Fortress robot, Headrobots didn't sweat these details as much. I can't totally fault them if that was the case, but it's a glaring deficit to the set in my opinion.

Master Sword:
Without going into way too much expository detail, this is the small sword wielded by Fortress in the Japanese continuity, which was omitted from the Cerebros version. The sword provided with the Fortress toy was a solid black, almost feather-shaped accessory, while this one has been made much closer to the cartoon appearance with its clear red faceted blade. It looks very good and can be held by the robot, although since the arms can only rotate 360-degrees at the shoulder - or in essence, eight positions within a 360-degree radius and without any elbow joints, Fortress/Cerebros can't really make dynamic poses with it, but he can at least spar with the G1 Dinobots and whack smaller robots over the head with it.

So is the Centurion set worth it? Well, it's a nice little add-on, and I do like the looks of both heads. The generic, we-didn't-try-very-hard robot modes are a disappointment, and I don't know if the Master Sword's inclusion is enough to balance that out. Another problem is that if you don't already have a Cerebros/Fortress body... they're expensive on the secondary market! I really think Headrobots might have gotten a bigger take of the market if they'd released two sets - one of the Fortress head with the Master Sword and one of the Cerebros head with a sleeker sidearm than the one (and now outrageously expensive one) that he got in the original release. But for what it is, if the just-a-little-too-big and blocky Hasbro/Takara "Spike" head looks odd to you, the Centurion set is a nice replacement. If you really value the original head's robot mode, though, you might be better off getting the Chinese "Planet Master Warriors" set and using the "Fortress Maximus Spike" from that.



Transformation Design: 3. They're Headmasters. Outside of that, though, the better joints are a plus...
Durability: 3. Because they're not as blocky as the original Headmasters, they're probably easier to chip and bang up.
Fun: 4... well, they do look better in most respects than the original, especially if you liked the look of Cerebros' head in the media.
Aesthetics: 6. The head modes really do look nice. Transformed, they're rather generic and uninteresting - sure, they're not little statues like the original HMs, but their bland appearance is not particularly eyecatching.
Articulation: 4. The improved joints in the robot modes do help, although they feel loose and lightweight.
Value/Price: 4. I think the Centurion set, at apx $65 USD, is a little pricey for what you get, but isn't really a wallet-breaker.
Overall: 4. They do look nice attached to the robot body. If the original head isn't quite to your liking, the set is a nice upgrade. But the play value might be lacking and frankly irrelevant to the market they were aiming for.
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[split from review claims]

Post by Cal »

Warcry wrote:Have you had a chance to look after this one yet? I wouldn't mind taking care of it, if you're too busy.

I'm also going to review Prime Arcee.
Yes, thank you for replacing ganon578's non-existent Black Shadow review with your non-existent Black Shadow review. And what the hell happened to Arcee? :nonono:


While I'm on the subject of reviews, it seems the Trailcutter review in the archive appears to be a dead link. Fix plz?


Anyway, I just got my hands on Henkei Silverbolt, so I'll try and write a review of him over the weekend.
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Post by Warcry »

Cal wrote:Yes, thank you for replacing ganon578's non-existent Black Shadow review with your non-existent Black Shadow review. And what the hell happened to Arcee? :nonono:
You know, your rudeness is wearing thin. I've had enough of you antagonizing people and bossing them around in this forum, and I'm not the only one. You're more than welcome to write reviews, but drop the attitude.

You've been asked more than once to knock it off, by several people, and you haven't. Consider this your last warning on the subject.
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Kabaya Wave 4: Hot Rod, Victory Leo, and Inferno(WIP)

Post by Heinrad »

Kabaya Candy Wave 4: Hot Rod/Rodimus, Victory Leo, and Inferno


Uh.... I'm guessing that on the boxes are brief profiles of the characters. Or possibly pun filled jokes. I can't tell.

I've always been curious about the Kabaya kits. I've seen pictures of the old ones from way back in the 80s(Although it has to be said that a neon green, though completely accurate, Rodimus Prime isn't something I've ever wanted), but a few years ago, I'm guessing Kabaya discovered more than one color for their little kits and went nuts. Although the only other set I know of is the Convoy/God Ginrai/Star Saber set. In pictures, they look amazing.

In person..... Well, in person is another matter.

The thing that really drew me to wave 4 is that they decided to do a miniature version of the Japanese release of Masterpiece Rodimus Prime. I've got the American release, and I think it's an amazing figure(as a bonus, Roddy was even intact out of packaging. He was fine until the cat knocked him over a couple of times and the spoiler mount broke), but the thing that made me really curious was the trailer. I'd seen reviews, but I couldn't talk myself into spending Primus knows how much on a figure that seems to disintegrate almost as soon as you opened the package.
Then, lo and behold, Kabaya makes this kit. Although I do find it interesting that if you want to make the "full Roddy", you have to get Victory Leo and Inferno as well. And thanks to these guys in the Phillipines, I've done just that.

So let's start with kit #1 in this set, Hot Rod.(At least, I think it says Hot Rod.)

Hot Rod! That laughing young daredevil, full of vigor, excitement and.... uh..... no elbows?
Assembling him wasn't that hard. I barely even need the instructions. And when you have him all together, he looks pretty cool, if a bit stiff. His head can turn from side to side, he's got pivot points on his shoulders. Articulation drops off a bit at this point. While there are pivot points at his hips and knees, they only go to the side and are there because of the transformation. Height wise, he's head and shoulders taller than DOTM Legion class Sideswipe, and while far more colorful, doesn't look nearly as sturdy.
Transformation is fairly simple: Take the backpack(formed by the trunk/back of the car) off, flip the chest up, flip the arms down and take the exhaust pipes off, line up the hood of the car with the roof(the hinge is a bit fiddly), pivot around at the waist, fold the legs to the side at the knees, then again at the hips, locking the hands in at the sides, put the exhaust pipes back on so the connect to the ones on the back of the car, put the trunk/backpack with spoiler on into position, and there you have it, a tiny Hot Rod.

For Rodimus pieces, Hot Rod comes with the sides of the trailer, the big exhausts, and the rifle.

On to kit #2: Victory Leo. The poor sod.
The more I see of poor ol' Victory Leo, the less I want him. The full sized version might have been wonderous, but the Kabaya version suffers from the same problem that my KO RM version does. The figure is designed to be little more than a bunch of booster parts for Star Saber, so the whole togetherness of the figure is lacking. Which basically means that Victory Leo isn't so much of a brick as a small pile of rocks held together by mutual consensus. The fact that's he's a peg together model kit doesn't help him any, either. Posability is very limited, with articulation at the shoulders and sort-of elbows(only reason he's got them is because of the lion mode feet), and hip articulation like Hot Rod's. You can pose him doing a side kick or a rather painful looking split, but that's about it.

Transformation isn't too difficult. Flip the arms up into a lion-like pose, flip the hands around so it's the feet. Then it gets a little tricky. You have to pull the legs out of their hip joints, pull these two side panels down(one on each leg), pull the thigh sections out of each leg, and move the thigh sections down one peg hole. Put them back in, flip the panels back up, plug the legs back into the hip joints, flip the hind lion legs down(after cursing them for having come off several times during all of this), and there you have him, Victory Leo. Looking a bit wobbly.

Leo's Rodimus pieces are the Combat Deck Gun and mount.

And, saving what might be the best for last, or at least as good as Roddy, we have kit #3: Inferno. Or whatever they call him. Must learn to read kanji at some point.......

Inferno! That raging firebrand of recklessness! And he has elbows!!!!! No knees or hips, but elbows! Eh. Can't win them all, I guess......

Of the three figures, you can tell Roddy was a labor of love for somebody(or a cause of mental breakdown because they had to miniaturize a complex figure and still have it come out right), Leo was a by-the-numbers redo of a 20 year old design, and Inferno had some thought put into him. I missed the original Generations Inferno release, and this one matches the pictures I saw. He's bulky and looks like a fire engine. And to Kabaya's credit, he's got the most complex(in terms of annoyance) transformation of all of them.

We'll start with him in fire engine mode. He looks like a fire engine, one with a water cannon on the rear deck. Doors, panels, and windows are picked out in the molding.

Transformation.... is different. While I'm guessing he matches the regular version by having his waist swing back on a hinge, I don't think the regular version has to have the legs pulled out and swapped around. The arms pull out of the peg holes in the back, and out of the big shoulder panels. They then get pegged back into the big shoulder panels at an angle which will make you worry that you're about to break something. They then peg into the sides of the cab. Flip the panel that the head is on up, put the head back on, and there you have him, Inferno.

In robot mode, he's got articulation at the neck, shoulders, and elbows. If you want to be really picky, his fire engine mode deck gun can swivel on it's underarm mount through 180 degrees.

For Rodimus parts, Inferno comes with the deck and cab for Rodimus' trailer.

Bonus Figure!Rodimus Prime!!!!! That still kind of stiff young daredevil, but with an older face and a rifle that's almost as big as he is!

I have to give the guys at Kabaya credit. They came up with a simple solution to the Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime face problem. It's not a terribly good one, in my opinion(more on why later), but it works. Pop Roddy's helmet off, spin his head around to reveal the Rodimus face, and slide the helmet on. Then fold the sides of the combat deck down, swing the gun up, and peg Roddy onto the pegs on the back.

To transform him to vehicle mode, repeat most of the steps to turn him into car mode. When you're done, leave his spoiler off and just put the trunk lid back on. On the trailer, flip the cab section out from under the trailer. Fold the deck gun down, leaving the photonic eliminator rifle plugged into the top of the cannon, flip the sides of the trailer up so it closes around the peg on the rifle. Put the spoiler in place on the cab, take the exhausts off of the Hot Rod, and plug him into the trailer under the cab, facing backwards. And there you have him, Rodimus Prime in vehicle mode. Whatever he's supposed to be.

And now I come to the part about these kits that really made me scratch my head. Stickers. Lots of stickers. And not terribly durable stickers, either.

All three of these figures are masterworks of fine detail. Hot Rod's youthful face. Rodimus' older face, Victory Leo's face. Inferno's face. Windshield wipers are sculpted onto Inferno's windshields. His grill and headlights are detailed. The reason I figured Hot Rod was a labor of love for somebody was that his tires and rims are molded in, unlike Inferno's circles for sticking the stickers onto. And yet, there's no paint. Little Hot Rod will never facially be little Rodimus because I figure putting the helmet on probably destroyed the sticker that's on the back of his head. The windshield and hood stickers on Hot Rod are already showing damage, and I've transformed him twice. Victory Leo's face sticker keeps trying to peel off.

I really like these figures. They're neat, and, especially in Hot Rod's case, fairly well thought out for something that complex. They'd be perfect to put in your cubicle at work. Just hide Leo behind your paper clip dispenser.

Should you go out and buy these? Well, it depends. I got them out of curiosity. The stickers are frustrating, as are Inferno's shoulders, and Victory Leo's just uninspired. Do I regret getting them? No, but again, I was curious.

Marks out of ten for the following:


Transformation Design:
Hot Rodimus - 7, Victory Leo - 3, Inferno - 5 While Roddy's the most complex and Inferno is marred by the whole dismantling thing, Leo falling apart because you're transforming him is no fun.

Durability: 8.5 None have broken yet, and unless I step on them, they probably won't. The only one with signifigant wear/stress damage so far is Roddy, and that's down to all the stickers and the waist pivot.

Fun: Oh, sure. Ask me a hard one..... If you like putting transformable robot kits together, 9(I got spoiled by Gundam kits). After that, Roddy's a 7, Inferno's a 4, and Leo's a 2.

Aesthetics: The only one the stickers really do anything for is Roddy, and even then it's a mixed blessing. His chest looks great. His legs, not so much. Combined total of 3.

Articulation: 2. Again, spoiled by Gundam kits. But then, I get the impression these are aimed at a different market.

Gum: 2.5 Well, it's chewing gum. Practically flavorless, but you can chew it. You may wish you hadn't later, but you can chew it.

Value/Price: Well, I paid $30 for this set. Which is probably the most anybody should pay, and that includes shipping. I really like the Hot Rod kit, but the other two are.... ehhh. If you can find Roddy and all his trailer bits for less, just go with those.

Overall: 5. If I had it to do over again, I'd probably just get Roddy and the trailer bits. Inferno's kind of cool, but the stickers make him look tatty. And Leo..... poor ol' Victory Leo. You'd think they could have tweaked his design a little.
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Post by Cal »

What, you mean like pointing out that The Reverend copy and pasted a significant portion of one DOTM Legion figure into another? Or that a review is far too short for archiving? Or that another review of Universe Dinobot is redundant when it's been covered twice already? Warcry, that's called "criticism". And just so we're clear: Criticism = saying something negative about someone else's work. Call it rude if you want, but it's a perfectly acceptable form of post, and I'm tired of it being constantly undermined.

You condemn my attitude, but from my perspective, I am the MOST ethical person here, because I'm the only one who has the guts to point out flaws that need improving, instead of going along with all the yesmen posting thoughtless praise. You probably couldn't find another member who criticises reviews like I do, and that pisses me off. Do you really think I'm saying this to be spiteful? Seriously? Hell, no. I stick around because I admire the TFarchive reviews for their insight, and I've long since given up watching reviews on YouTube because they're little more than showcases of people's new toys. I don't resent the people I criticise any more than I resent you. You've written your fair share of reviews and I can appreciate that, but I criticised you earlier because I was annoyed that you claimed two reviews in February without doing anything about it. If you're too busy or have other priorities to deal with in life, fine, I can accept that. But the considerate thing to do would be to notify people here that you're unavailable so that others who would be eager to write a review on Black Shadow and Arcee know that they're free to do so. Isn't that the whole point of establishing the claims thread in the first place? To let people know which figures are available to review? In all my reviews, I only once retracted my claim to review MP-09 because Allthecoolstuff failed to deliver him, and I made sure to mention that here. I wish you'd shown the same courtesy.

Anyway, I hope you'll re-evaluate your stance on criticism. Know that I am not being unfair towards other reviews. If someone writes a good review, I tell them that - and I'm sure you must have seen me show approval - but if someone writes a poor review, I say as much. When you stop to think about it, doesn't that make my praise more meaningful that someone who praises everything?
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Post by The Reverend »

I've never reviewed a DOTM figure, much less copy-pasted part of one's review. Just saying.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

EDIT: At the world's Last Honest Man...

There's such a thing as constructive criticism, which you seem to use sparingly. Though to me the big problem isn't your criticism of reviews per se, even if that does tend to be couched in rude and arrogant language.

More importantly to me, the board has a rough demographic of 25-35. Many posters here have full-time jobs, families and various other responsibilities (including other areas of the site). Sniping at people for not having the time to review figures they've claimed (as you did up-thread, something that doesn't really gel with your self-appointed "MOST ethical person here" status) or upload reviews that have been written is not on. The first rule of Robot Review Club is "real life comes first", and the first sentence of your post yesterday is an unacceptable way to talk to voluntary contributors of this site.
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Post by inflatable dalek »

Yup, it's first and foremost fun. I don't do toy reviews, but I know I'd be annoyed if someone bemoaned me for taking six months to get onto the Titan Prime reviews, or that most of my AHM review make the same point over and over.

We want to cultivate an atmosphere where people enjoy contributing, not one where they feel like they're still at work.

Now, if someone else had come forward and said "I'd love to do a Black Shadow review, are you still on track for this or would it be OK if I had a crack?" (which is how Warcry made his claim in the first place) that would be a more than fair question and very helpful to the site if he felt that outside constraints are going to keep it from him.

Plus, February was only two months ago. No one is writing to deadline here and it's not as if he's sat on his claim for years cackling madly at denying anyone else the Black Shadow joy.
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Post by Cal »

The Reverend wrote:I've never reviewed a DOTM figure, much less copy-pasted part of one's review. Just saying.
Mea culpa, I confused you with Numbat. Soz.

inflatable dalek wrote:Plus, February was only two months ago. No one is writing to deadline here and it's not as if he's sat on his claim for years cackling madly at denying anyone else the Black Shadow joy.
Actually, we are writing to a deadline. Read the first post. It specifically says "The standard deadline for reviews is TWO WEEKS", and furthermore "please get in touch if you run into problems". I agree with Cliffjumper that most reviewers are adults -like me - and that the work is voluntary, but that didn't stop me from notifying of my retraction on MP-09 as per Denyer's instructions. If I can follow the conditions of the claims thread, why can't a member of staff? That's hardly setting an example, wouldn't you say?
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Post by inflatable dalek »

I don't think we've ever held anyone desperately to that (indeed, we can't. What would we do, stop paying people the money we don't pay them if they're late?), though yes, after two weeks would be a fair amount of time for someone else to come forward and offer to do the review, not demand to know why it hasn't been done.

Plus, even if we were to be hard task masters on this, keeping track of who has and hasn't done their reviews would not be your job. indeed, one of the people who would be responsible for this is Warcry, who presumably did keep in touch with himself over why the review was taking longer than expected.
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