Third party toy discussion (stuff that's been released)

Figures, collectables, customs and collecting.
User avatar
Knightdramon
Protoform
Posts: 3621
Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2004 7:15 pm
Location: York, UK

Post by Knightdramon »

Got my replacement Kaon/Anarchus from Kapow this evening.

My first impressions did not change; he's a great figure with some flaws.

He feels substantial; thankfully it seems that so far only Cynicus feels...flimsy and that's probably due to his design. Every other figure from MMC is bulkier and made of firmer, sturdier plastics.

Scorpion mode seems a bit forced, but neither of his other modes suffer--besides his spider drone, the only other addition to his design to accommodate this is the flip out heels.

Chair mode is spiffy and a first for a transformers figure. Every single part of the chair seat is adjustable to accommodate all sort of figure sizes, though something bigger than a small voyager will struggle to look convincing.

His locking points are OK---the gun stays between his arms and aligns his ball jointed waist and torso. The legs are a bit whatever with their multitude of non locking joints, and rely on his toes to make the scariest ever tab on the sides of the chair seat. My advice would be to gently tab them just for guidance; do not fully tab them in as there are reports of breakage.

80% of his alt mode is comprised of his backpack, unfolded. The rest of him does not do much, with the only real transformation being on his lower legs.

Robot mode is bigger than you'd think--Kaon is a large voyager. He has all the articulation you'd expect with the exception of a thigh swivel. His legs only swivel from down below the knee, so his articulation is stupidly compromised. Arms have a double elbow joint and ball jointed wrists with a good range of motion. The arms are sculpted and painted in a way so as to not break the illusion of a perfectly symmetrical arm---the joints are slightly lower than you'd expect.

Head is on a generous dual joint---the platform it is on freely rotates up and down, and the actual head is on a ball joint. His expression is a tad too happy for my liking, but by no means bad.

He can't grip his gun very well; something is off with the tolerance between the hand space and the thickness of the grip.

His weakest point, even ignoring the lack of leg swivels, is his balance point. He has absolutely huge feet but virtually no heel support unless you flip the tiny scorpion claw extra joint, so a proper convincing pose without that or leg swivels is a bit of a challenge. The thick and heavy backpack does not help in this regard.

Even with the shortcomings, he is a vast improvement over Cynicus. 2 down, 3 to go.
Few stuff in the UK to trade/sell. Measly sales thread.
User avatar
Denyer
Posts: 33028
Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2000 4:00 am
Location: Perfidious Albion
Contact:

Post by Denyer »

People are starting to get the Wei Jiang oversized and re-engineered Evasion Prime... properly excited for this one. It's a thing of beauty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vH7P6nDby0
User avatar
numbat
Posts: 2507
Joined: Fri Dec 09, 2005 11:07 am
Location: Scotland, UK

Post by numbat »

That is rather impressive - where can you get those and how much do they cost?

New sale thread added with a range of Transformers including Masterpiece, Botcon, CHUG, RID, Movies etc.

Looking for MP-11T Thundercracker and MP-9 Rodimus v2 (Takara version with as few QC issues as possible).


Check out my new sale thread now!

Also items on eBay.
User avatar
Clay
Posts: 7209
Joined: Mon May 24, 2004 2:19 am
Location: Murray, KY

Post by Clay »

Now that looks neat.

The guy doing the review talks way too much, though.
User avatar
Denyer
Posts: 33028
Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2000 4:00 am
Location: Perfidious Albion
Contact:

Post by Denyer »

Haven't got sound on... usually best not to with YouTube reviews.
numbat wrote:That is rather impressive - where can you get those and how much do they cost?
Will PM details (and suggest same to anyone else about links with stuff like this).
Cliffjumper
Posts: 32206
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2001 5:00 am

Post by Cliffjumper »

My Christ that's gorgeous; the original is a masterpiece in sheer design and concept terms but that really is something else. Their Hound is also worth a look.
User avatar
numbat
Posts: 2507
Joined: Fri Dec 09, 2005 11:07 am
Location: Scotland, UK

Post by numbat »

Came across these photos and realised I'd intended to post pictures of Iron Factory EX-11 Evil Lord (not-Overlord). So here they are...

Just Overlord...

Image

Overlord with WST Optimus Prime.

Image

Overlord taking on Takara Metroplex (he is a really good size for this!)

Image

Overlord's alt modes.

Image

Overlord's alt modes with WST Prime for scale.

Image

Overlord's base mode with WST Prime for scale.

Image

So Iron Factory's Overlord gives lots of options really - he displays well alongside WST figures if you want G1 sort of scale, goes well up against Titan Metroplex and although I've not taken any photos, is a nice scale alongside THS-01 and THS-02 (probably more IDW-esque scale-wise).

I'd thoroughly recommend him, with the caveat that I had to carefully bend the clip which attaches the jet front to his back to be less tight (it's very thin plastic and will almost certainly snap if you don't address this carefully - it's not needed for the jet or robot modes really [unless you want to store it on his back] but is essential for base mode).

If he came with alternative hands, he'd be a match for THS figures.

New sale thread added with a range of Transformers including Masterpiece, Botcon, CHUG, RID, Movies etc.

Looking for MP-11T Thundercracker and MP-9 Rodimus v2 (Takara version with as few QC issues as possible).


Check out my new sale thread now!

Also items on eBay.
User avatar
Denyer
Posts: 33028
Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2000 4:00 am
Location: Perfidious Albion
Contact:

Post by Denyer »

numbat wrote:Overlord taking on Takara Metroplex (he is a really good size for this!)
Yep!

This is what I ended up with... I think Infinitor scales well as well, as a battlestation to Plex's city mode.

Image
http://i.imgur.com/BbCDJfR.jpg
User avatar
Denyer
Posts: 33028
Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2000 4:00 am
Location: Perfidious Albion
Contact:

Post by Denyer »

Boldforms Lonewolf is an odd one... voyager-ish alt mode, MP scale robot, intended to combine with CW deluxes, part of the back of the truck detaches and does nothing, etc, but it's a nice homage to the original. These five (Skywarp just visible at back of shot) are the counterparts to the FT/MP dinos for me.

Image
http://i.imgur.com/lGloCQU.jpg
Cliffjumper
Posts: 32206
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2001 5:00 am

Post by Cliffjumper »

I like the way he takes cues from the original toy but, y'know, is good. The animation model for Motormaster's waaaay too boring.
User avatar
numbat
Posts: 2507
Joined: Fri Dec 09, 2005 11:07 am
Location: Scotland, UK

Post by numbat »

Yeah, Lonewolf is tempting. Combiner Wars Motormaster is fun, but by, you know, being Optimus Prime he kinda loses a lot of what makes him him... How does Combiner Wars Menasor look with Lonewolf as the torso?

New sale thread added with a range of Transformers including Masterpiece, Botcon, CHUG, RID, Movies etc.

Looking for MP-11T Thundercracker and MP-9 Rodimus v2 (Takara version with as few QC issues as possible).


Check out my new sale thread now!

Also items on eBay.
User avatar
Denyer
Posts: 33028
Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2000 4:00 am
Location: Perfidious Albion
Contact:

Post by Denyer »

Chunky (a lot more mass to the torso) and more in-scale with the cars;

http://masterforceuk.blogspot.co.uk/201 ... eview.html

Menasor's head is the back of MM's, which is clever.
Cliffjumper wrote:I like the way he takes cues from the original toy but, y'know, is good. The animation model for Motormaster's waaaay too boring.
Mmm. I have inexplicably fond memories of the toy (which a friend had) -- the truck mode, at least. Also watched War Dawn and the surrounding details a lot as a kid which is probably part of it.

As the review linked notes, it's as if they gave up at some point and said "f*ck it, put the last couple of panels on tiny stalks and the back doesn't need to do anything despite this obvious opportunity to fold it up into a shield..."
User avatar
Skyquake87
Protoform
Posts: 3983
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2010 9:34 am

Post by Skyquake87 »

"A spectacular but floppy combined form." That doesn't seem so much of an improvement from the spectacular but floppy combined form I've already got with Hasbro's effort.

That's probably the best 3P review I've ever read. Much more even handed and less oblivious to the 'trial and error' process that you have to pay for with 3P companies.

Can't say I like the robot mode for Motormaster on that - it looks weirdly like a shrunken down Menasor. I think the torso mode looks really good, and the truck mode is okay, yet it doesn't feel quite right for those chunky CW designs.
User avatar
numbat
Posts: 2507
Joined: Fri Dec 09, 2005 11:07 am
Location: Scotland, UK

Post by numbat »

Skyquake87 wrote:Can't say I like the robot mode for Motormaster on that - it looks weirdly like a shrunken down Menasor. I think the torso mode looks really good, and the truck mode is okay, yet it doesn't feel quite right for those chunky CW designs.
I always thought that about his G1 look...

I actually think it looks pretty neat. Not so sold on the price tag though. Reduced to £89.99 is still quite pricey even for a Voyager size 3P figure...

Review is good though - I like how it shows the niggles and good points. It's not just 3P reviews which are tending towards saying everything is great - I think it's a high-end thing. Makes it very hard to make judgements though...

New sale thread added with a range of Transformers including Masterpiece, Botcon, CHUG, RID, Movies etc.

Looking for MP-11T Thundercracker and MP-9 Rodimus v2 (Takara version with as few QC issues as possible).


Check out my new sale thread now!

Also items on eBay.
User avatar
Denyer
Posts: 33028
Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2000 4:00 am
Location: Perfidious Albion
Contact:

Post by Denyer »

Yeah, this was less second hand and still felt borderline. It's not a voyager size figure but also not fully up to the standard of the stuff it's next to (decent construction, more the half-arsing of some of the design).
Skyquake87 wrote:I think the torso mode looks really good, and the truck mode is okay, yet it doesn't feel quite right for those chunky CW designs.
None of it really fits with CW from pics seen -- it's an original toy style MM.
User avatar
Brendocon 2.0
Posts: 1545
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 9:06 pm
Location: UK

Post by Brendocon 2.0 »

Recently got my mits on FansToys take on the first two Insecticons.

My feelings are mixed. Think I prefer the Badcube versions robot modes, really not a fan of the bundle of bug legs hanging off the back of these guys.

Bombshell's really heavy for his size. Die cast's nice, but I think they went a bit crazy here. It's got proper "use to bludgeon an attacker" heft to it. Wicked articulated, with a far more straightforward transformation than Badcube's, but the BC version had the "grey in robot mode, purple weevil" mechanism to work in.

Shrapnel's a lot better in the weight stakes, but the robot arms don't seem to secure too well in beetle mode. Again, mad level of articulation. Again straightforward transformation.

Joints are really stiff on both of them, perhaps a bit much so for this size of toy/level of transformation. This sort of thing works well for their Dinobots as those things are massive and it feels secure, but on something this size it's just awkward.

I like the way they've given optional opaque/translucent chest pieces to switch out as desired.

Overall they're alright. Pros and cons either way, as with the Badcube set, so if you're looking for Insecticons and you like the look of these guys, I'd say go for it. They're not my favourites so far, but they're gonna be stuck in bug mode anyway, so it's all good.

I may have bought two of each. I may be buying two of their Kickbacks. I will probably also be getting the MMC set when that rolls round. I might buy another Badcube value pack. I seem to be army building a plague of Insecticons. I may have a problem.
User avatar
Denyer
Posts: 33028
Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2000 4:00 am
Location: Perfidious Albion
Contact:

Post by Denyer »

Did you do the FP ones? Even the bootlegs (which I assume mine are, given the price) aren't bad, and I found someone doing extra resin bits for the antennae on Shrappers and Bombshell.

Image
http://i.imgur.com/Acz2EWI.jpg
User avatar
numbat
Posts: 2507
Joined: Fri Dec 09, 2005 11:07 am
Location: Scotland, UK

Post by numbat »

Clay asked for a photo comparison of Iron Factory IF-EX11 Evil Lord (Overlord) with the Classics Seeker mould, so a snapped a shot with Generations Dirge (easiest Seeker to hand) with my phone.

If you're interested, it's on Twitter (easier to upload to on my phone than PhotoBucket):

https://twitter.com/ChrisCathrine/statu ... 2499773444

Evil Lord is shorter, but he is the heavier of the two, despite not having any diecast. I'd still say that these would be the equals of the THS style figures, if only they also had a selection of interchangeable hands. Even without this, Evil Lord is awesome.

New sale thread added with a range of Transformers including Masterpiece, Botcon, CHUG, RID, Movies etc.

Looking for MP-11T Thundercracker and MP-9 Rodimus v2 (Takara version with as few QC issues as possible).


Check out my new sale thread now!

Also items on eBay.
User avatar
Denyer
Posts: 33028
Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2000 4:00 am
Location: Perfidious Albion
Contact:

Post by Denyer »

Got a discounted Swamper to add to the Skullcruncher army... not bad. A bit LEGO-ish but it provides more options; took me a minute to work out that the hands are removable so they can be switched to have the more retro torso configuration.

Annoyingly the hands are a fraction smaller than 5mm so there are now slight stress marks on the back of one of them... and the hinged piece holding the beast head is an obvious point of failure, and the sideways hip ratchet splays far too much on the first notch.

Those are relatively minor things, though. It's huge, substantial and more of a toy than most 3P stuff, but better quality than the official Leader class stuff it's now at the same price point as.

The beast mode's more Barney than a croc or alligator...
User avatar
Denyer
Posts: 33028
Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2000 4:00 am
Location: Perfidious Albion
Contact:

Post by Denyer »

Post Reply