POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

[inflatable dalek]

Highbrow!

https://twitter.com/InflatableDalek/sta ... 6198757377

As you'd expect from TR it's lighter than a Areo Light, but it's just a fun recreation of what is probably my favourite original Headmaster.

Plus, as I saw Sir Roger Moore on my birthday as well I got to do a joke!

https://twitter.com/InflatableDalek/sta ... 3726375936

That is literally Highbrow humour.

[Thunderwave]

TR Brainstorm: A solid remold of Blurr. I finally tracked down the bugger at a Walgreens two hours from my house when I stopped in on a whim to see if they had him. Now I just need Chromedome and I'll have the principle 4 that are available as deluxes. I love the shade of green they picked for him and the tamographs are just boss.

[HeavyArms]

TR Chromedome & Blurr - Bought Chromedome for $10 less than retail from Target to make the most out of the catalogue error they had created in their system. Blurr was bought from Big W on discount but was not as big.

TR Laserbeak - Also bought from Target but not as cheaply.

[Warcry]

I grabbed TR Apeface last night, on sale for a few dollars off the regular price.

The mini-Apeface toy is super cute, but it doesn't really do much but transform. I like it, but it's the size of a Minicon and nowhere near as complex. Just a couple more joints would make a world of difference.

Spasma is a great head (I've always loved Apeface's, er, face design) but unfortunately he doesn't really go with any of the bodies I've got and I'm not about to buy that POS Galvatron for him to wear.

So I'm not sure how I actually feel about this. It's cute and provides a neat (if not super-useful) alternate head, but I don't think it was really worth what I paid for it, let alone the insane full retail price. These things keep flying off the shelves where I live and I find it hard to see why.

[Tantrum]

TR Alpha Trion, Apeface, Brawn, and Brainstorm.

Brawn's head mode is a great representation of the character, but doesn't go well with most of the bodies I have. His accessory isn't great either.

I agree with Warcry about Apeface needing more joints. Just neck and elbows would've made a world of difference. He makes a good alternate head for Alpha Trion.

Alpha Trion's beast mode isn't particularly well articulated, either. Maybe Weirdwolf spoiled me. He does have a horn on his forehead for some reason, so I like to imagine him doing Princess Unikitty lines from the LEGO Movie. "Business, business, numbers...is this working?"

AT's ship mode is alright. You can tell it's meant to be Broadside's aircraft carrier, not really a space craft, and it is big enough to land Apeface or Nightbeat's accessories on. The bot mode is fun. My biggest gripe is that the horns to bulk out the head won't stay down during transformation. Once I get him into lion mode, they stay down, but that usually involves pushing them down several times.

Brainstorm's bot mode is excellent. His jet mode has an OK shape. But, the beige back end and teal/grey front make him look like a mismatched pair of those G1 micromasters that form the front or back end of a vehicle.

[glazios]

Been on a bit of a bender lately, and I think it's starting to show...

• FansProject CA-03 Thundershred
• FP CA-05 Backfiery
• FP Warbot Steelcore
• FP Warbot Revolver
• FP Warbot Recoiler
• FP Warbot Riftshot
• UW Computron
• TFC Hercules
• MMC Hexatron Continuum
• TR Hardhead
• TR Wheelie
• Backed the "Unrustable Ba$tards" Kickstarter

This, since August. Am I the only one thinking I might need to, y'know, slow down a bit? Not sure my savings account knows if it's coming or going, any more...

[Denyer]

TR wave 3 deluxes. Only opened the cars so far. Getaway in particular doesn't feel very deluxe and really needs to have more paint in his future. I think that's the ex-RID / Autobot bad guys side of the MTMTE shelf done.

Is there something with Hot Rod's gun I'm missing? It joins together but has no peg to hold underneath and apparently no way of attaching it to the roof, which really misses a trick by not having a 5mm port. Firebolt can sit in but doesn't seem to attach to it, and there's those stupid fins underneath. How did this shit get past any kind of design review process?

edit: Ah, the fins go in the bonnet. Well, that's something, even if looks crap versus having something on the roof.

[HeavyArms]

TR Highbrow & Xort, Mindwipe & Vorath, Wolfwire & Monxo - Was able to buy the latter two at a $10 discount due to technical issue, the former at non-technical issue discount. I'm thinking that maybe the beast-formers have been looking better than the vehicle based ones.

[electro girl]

Numbat sent me a Gen Skids. He's neato.

[inflatable dalek]

Fortress Maximus! For £55 after my staff discount, clubcard vouchers and extra ten pound refund for Tesco direct ****ing it up.

"Next Day Pick Up" turned into four days, with it vanishing in the meantime and the people on the other end of the phone giving contradictory stories as to where it had gone and ultimately refunding me the money. Which meant when he did arrive in store he was very nearly sent straight back as that's what's normal for refunded Direct items, luckily the day staff (and all the ones in store I actually dealt with were bang on the money and didn't deserve to have to handle the mistakes of idiots who don't have to deal with customers) were on top of things enough to stop that. Who knew working there had its perks.

Whilst he was missing someone had a real good go at tearing holes in the box, in a way that looked suspiciously like someone had been trying to get a good look inside to see if it was worth keeping for themselves.

Considering that when I was looking into this I was told a lot of stuff has gone missing lately, I'd heartily recommend not using this service, three for two offers or cheap prices regardless. Especially if you want it to arrive in reasonable condition as a present/to keep the box for later resale.

That aside, Max is a good fun toy. yes, his alternate modes are in the grand tradition of the City Bot 9ie, the robot laying down. I'd say Starship Bruce is the best of the two options), but the robot is fantastic. Shame such a fun large scale kids toy isn't getting support by the media aimed at kids, he's light enough and simple enough to be great for any 8 year old but none of them will give a ****.

https://twitter.com/InflatableDalek/sta ... 9486107648

https://twitter.com/InflatableDalek/sta ... 0534880256

https://twitter.com/InflatableDalek/sta ... 4912143360

[ganon578]

CW G2 Menasor gift set from TJ Maxx at $40 USD. Didn't really need anything new and I don't have any soft spots for G2, but I'm a sucker for the CW line. And 6 figs for that price, I couldn't pass up as I don't own any of the CW G1 versions.

Menasor is really good fun, as has been the CW line for me so far. The colors should be horrid, but I find the neon 1990's vibe to be enjoyable.

I think the retool versions of Wildrider and Dead-End work better as Prowl, since the two former figures' chest plates rub on the ground a bit in car mode. And I'm not a fan of the pipe/club weapons. The Breakdown mold is OK, but I'm glad I don't have any other versions of it. It's kind of chunky, and so far it's one of my least favorite from the CW line. I really like Dragstrip though. Good mold, good colors. Motormaster is nothing special, but I like him just fine. And Blackjack is just sort of... there. I like the original CW version, and I really wish they had colored BJ differently to make him stand out on the chest. And he doesn't peg in well to Motormaster, which is a shame.

Overall though, very solid for $40.

[Brendocon 2.0]

I has teh Masterpiece Inferno.

I like. Nice and big and bulky without being a brick. Some really "oh, that's clever" steps in the transformation without being ridiculously complicated along the way. Simple, but inventive with it. Tidying away the ladder is great.

Joint tolerances seem right, after oscillating wildly with Ironhide and Ratchet. Though the forearm covers could do with closing neater.

Main niggle is still the legs - they're just plain and bland. And this is the same deal as with Ironhide and Ratchet, in that that's how the animation model is... so... yeah. Just one of those things.

Doesn't quite have the metric ****tonne of accessories that the Boxvan Brothers came with, but there's still a fair amount of fun stuff here. And it's nice to have the option to swap out the grill and arm-nozzle between chrome and plain white.

So yeah, thumbs up.

[Warcry]

Main niggle is still the legs - they're just plain and bland. And this is the same deal as with Ironhide and Ratchet, in that that's how the animation model is... so... yeah. Just one of those things.

This is a big problem with where the line is headed, IMO. Older MP cars work a lot harder to make sure that they don't have these big, bland areas where the animation model didn't have any details. For example, MP Prowl has extra lines on his shoulders, some extra detail lines on his crotch, toy-based wordmarks on his door-wings and makes no attempt to hide the wheels in his feet, all things that differ from the animation model and all things that make for a much more interesting toy. The last year or two's figures don't do that as much, putting a higher priority on animation accuracy. And most of them are much worse for it because the G1 models, on their own, are boring as hell.

I don't say this often, but the official MP Inferno looks like ass compared to every single one of the third-party versions I've seen.

[Brendocon 2.0]

I don't say this often, but the official MP Inferno looks like ass compared to every single one of the third-party versions I've seen.

I wouldn't go quite that far, I think the official one has done a better job on the spacing of the box round his head and stuff like that, while I think it's the only one that managed to engineer a way for the ladder to disappear completely.

But the legs are pretty unforgivable. Whether it's partially a cost thing, I don't know, but we've got wheel arches on the chest that nudge back a few milimeters for aesthetics, and big discs in the thighs that just shift inwards a little bit... neither of which are in any way necessary... so there's parts budget being used there when it doesn't strictly need to be.

There's moulded detail on the forearms and the front of the shoulders... but just absolutely nothing whatsoever on the legs beyond where joints and flaps move. There's sculpted panelling on the side/back of the vehicle, which becomes the underside of his feet. So his soles are the most detailed bit of his legs...

Just a solitary black panel on the top of his thigh as a nod to the toy would have broken it up a little. It's just a bit sad. He's got four different faces when I think most people would have been happy with a bit more detailing on the actual toy instead.

Buuuut... as I said with Ironhide, it's one of those things that you know about before you buy it, as it can't be hidden in promo pics. Whereas Tracks... well, we've covered Tracks.

Think he'll just have to stand behind Red Alert and Smokescreen. :/

[Skyquake87]

Platinum Edition Combiner Wars Liokaiser

Might not have gotten an Abominus, but this'll do! The set brings nothing new to the table (save for some new heads) being the latest set of repaints of the same few moulds Hasbro have trotted out ad nauseum for Combiner Wars, but they do look funky!

Dezarus is an effective repaint of Sky Lynx, but I'd have preferred the red and white had been dropped from the palette as they're a bit off putting. Despite being an evil SL, the colours do enough to evoke the original's angry chicken alt mode.

Guyhawk is a hilarious explosion of PINK with rather oddly shaped peanut head. The black is a bit too strong to sit with the pink,but other than that he's spot on. Love that they've doubled up on the twin barrelled weapons which look funky plugged into his forearms.

Fellbat makes much better use of the podgy Skydive mould, looking a lot more regal and smart. Love the bat ears that fold out of the head. Nice colouring on the wings and I like the missiles being picked out in red.

Ironbison and Drillhorn both rock the Brawl mould, which I still really like, despite the silly waist and the restricted arm movement. These two having slightly smaller heads (complete with fold out tuning forks and rhino horn respectively) make them look a little more in proportion and give the tank mould the bruiser appearance it deserves (Brawl's head being slightly bigger did make him look a bit squat). Minor problem getting Drillhorn's drill to set in place in alt mode, butI suspect that's jsut me.

Ion Scythe is a Kinder Surprise toy passing itself off as a legit Transformer. I think its one of the Arms Micron things. Just not one of the good ones. It turns from some UAV looking thing into a barbecue fork.

LioKaiser himself is an impressive beastie. Knowing how the Sky Lynx mould doesn't fit so well with the bulkier car limbs I was surprised at how well the tanks work as legs for him. The jets do sterling work as arms and there's a nice new robot head atop those mighty shoulders which basically removes the lower jaw of the Lynx and stuffs in a robot face instead. Good work. The only improvement I would make would be to have the gestalt hands and Guyhawk's weapons done up in the same off white as the tank boys hand/foot guns.

Generally very impressed to have some of the more exotic figures of the Transformers heritage dusted down without being some awful Botcon thing that's out of reach. Good work, Hasbro!

[Cyberstrike nTo]

I just got Titans Return Alpha Trion, Astrotrain, Mindwipe, Wirewolf, and Brawn I haven't open them yet, been busy.

[Tetsuro]

Armada Air Defense Team!

I know I was supposed to drop every TF line except G1 and maybe MP, but at less than four bucks, I decided to only make the minimum bid and won anyway. If I ever do sell my Armada toys, I can bundle this lot with Hot Shot or something.

Too bad I don't have any toys with light-up fists currently unboxed and with batteries installed to see if it's any good with this lot.

[HeavyArms]

Titans Return Fortress Maximus - I finally payed off my lay-by for the big guy this past Thursday and when I pulled him out of the box I really noticed just how big he really is, I mean holy hell.

[Warcry]

I wasn't really planning to get TR Astrotrain, but he was on sale for less than a Deluxe so I figured I'd give him a try. And it's a nice figure, but I'm still trying to figure out whether I like him better than Sentinel or not.

The colour scheme is more sane, obviously. Sentinel looks good in robot mode but his alt-modes are just eye-searing. Astrotrain is kind of the opposite -- the colour layouts work great in ship and battle-train modes, and make them far more exciting to look at than Sentinel's. But his robot mode is kind of boring in comparison. And even though Sentinel's TM pulls it off fine, Astrotrain winds up being a bit of a pinhead with the way his head sculpt is done. So this time around I actually do want to use those spring-loaded head-towers even though it cramps his articulation a bit. Since the head (or rather, the face -- I'm pretty sure the TM body is the same) is the only sculpting difference, so it's really up to the colours to differentiate the two, and I'd say they do a good job.

Unfortunately, the designers and the deco artists seemed to be working at cross-purposes to each other and it really hurts the likeness. The mold is based pretty heavily on Astrotrain's bulky, blocky animation model (unlike the Classics figure, which was heavily toy-based). But the colours draw more from the toy, and the end product doesn't look much like either. And while I'm usually a fan of G1 toy accuracy over cartoon accuracy, this is a figure that really needed to be painted up in a dark grey with minimal purple highlights, not off-white with tons of purple and black. Combined with alt-modes that only have the vaguest of resemblance to an actual space shuttle or train locomotive, and what you have is a very nice figure that just doesn't look anything like the character it's meant to be.

QC-wise, Astrotrain's joints are looser than my Sentinel, which hurts a bit for poseability but makes it a bit easier to pop all the folding panels together in his vehicle modes, so I'd say it's about a wash.

In a vacuum, I do think this is a better-looking figure than Sentinel was. But because it's not as Astrotrainy as I'd have liked it to be, it's hard to say I actually enjoy it more than I do Big Orange.

[ganon578]

In a stroke of good luck, I was out at a Ross store and came across the Platinum Edition Dinobots set. This is the one with the grey/silver/black/red decos with G1 styled heads, for $45 (originally $150?). I didn't really want to buy any more TFs just yet, but I couldn't pass it up. In the set are Grimlock, Sludge, Slag, Snarl, and Swoop.

I haven't opened them yet, but hot damn I like the way they look. Some could say that the molds don't look right since the Movie aesthetic and G1 heads don't match. I'm not one of those people since these turn into dinosaurs, and they're just so cool looking that I'm willing to turn a blind eye. The only thing I can't quite figure out is Swoop's slightly darker red coloration. All the others have a brighter red that matches between figs, but not Swoop. It's... odd. But not a deal-breaker.

I'm really happy to have a full set of Dinobots in this deco, as I never had any as a kid and coveted them. Can't wait to open them!