February of 2015 was all deluxe figs from Combiner Wars. In fact, the 4 figs below are all from the same wave.

• Combiner Wars Firefly, Toys R Us, $16.99

• Combiner Wars Skydive, Target, $14.24

• Combiner Wars Alpha Bravo, Target, $14.24

• Combiner Wars Dragstrip, Target, $14.24

Firefly here is obviously Fireflight. Hasbro usually only changes names for trademark reasons. If anything, I would have thought that Firefly is a trademarked term. But a quick Google for Fireflight leads me to some rock band, so I guess they took that name. In any case, Firefly is the red and white F-4 Phantom from G1 that forms Superion’s right arm. This Firefly figure is not bad. Kinda simple to transform, but comes together as a jet nicely. Proportions in robot mode is also not half bad. Skydive is very similar to Firefly. Transformation wise, they share the same scheme. Skydive is remolded slightly to look more like a F-16. Firefly feels more robust out of the two, but that may just be the ones I own. Overall, these 2 are fun to play with. They are toys that you can just pick up and play. All the deluxe CW figs can form an arm or a leg. In limb mode, Firefly and Skydive adequately does the job. I plan to do another post about the CW combined forms, so I’ll go into more detail then.

Alpha Bravo is not an Aerialbot from G1. In fact, he does not have any origin in G1. They totally made up this figure for Combiner Wars. Hasbro would later more appropriately repaint this figure into Blades and Vortex. But for now, we get Alpha Bravo. I’m guessing this is just a ploy to sell more figs. Alpha Bravo is not a bad fig. I like both the robot mode and alt mode. His transformation is mechanically a bit more impressive than Firefly or Skydive. I like the toy, but you can pass on this fig if you’re a G1 purist. Hasbro would later release Air Raid in the next wave, and Slingshot (released as Quickslinger) would come later as an Amazon exclusive. So don’t feel like you have to get Alpha Bravo just to complete Superion. Unless you’re a completist.

Last in the wave is Dragstrip. I don’t know why Hasbro decided to release 3 Aerialbots and 1 Stunticon. CW is targeted after G1 Fanboys who want everything 80s accurate. They should have just released all 4 Aerialbots in this wave (and replace Alpha Bravo with Slingshot). Regardless, we get Dragstrip now. He’s pretty cool. The figure feels solid, and transformation from alt mode to robot mode is enjoyable. I like the F1 alt mode, and the robot mode ain’t too shabby. A very playable figure.

So that’s it for Feb of 2015. 4 figs from Combiner Wars. A pretty light month in terms of TF purchases.

Transform and Roll Out.

Much like this previous post from about a year ago, today let’s take a look at some CHUG Autobots from G1 Season 3.

CHUG is an acronym for Classics Henkei Universe Generations. These are all terms that Hasbro or Takara has used to label various Transformers lines that represent a modern update of classic G1 characters. I have also seen some fans refer to them collectively as G3, since it follows G1 and G2. Whatever you call it, they are all modern toy interpretation of Generation 1, though not necessarily in their exact G1 forms.

All characters below are regulars in G1 Season 3. Though they may have had their origins well before that.

I chose these 5, mostly because I have them handy. Let’s look at each of them in detail, in the order of release.

Rodimus, Reveal the Shield, 2011
If you are talking about G1 Season 3, you must include Rodimus. He is the leader of the Autobots for most of the season. Sure, he never lived up to Optimus Prime, but those are big shoes to fill for anyone. Originally in 1986, his name was Hot Rod. And he would become Rodimus Prime after receiving the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. For licensing reasons, Hasbro could not use the name Hot Rod nowadays. So now the Hot Rod incarnation of this character goes simply by Rodimus. The first version of this particular figure came out all the way back in 2006. That Rodimus was one of only 6 figures first released for the Classics line. I have that figure too, but he’s stuck in a box somewhere in the back of the closet. So I am using this Reveal the Shield version instead, only because he was easier to get to. This figure was released in 2011 as part of a 2-pack with Cyclonus. He’s more cartoon color accurate than the initial version, though I’m not sure that’s a good thing here. This figure still holds up well today. The alt mode is nice and sleek while being G1 accurate, and the robot mode is robust with nice poseability. Transformation is also well engineered. In my opinion, this is still the definitive CHUG Rodimus even 10 years later. But he might be due for another upgrade soon. We’ll see what Hasbro does.

Springer, Generations Thrilling 30, 2013
I know I have written about this Springer back in this post. If you read that post, I mention that I was so excited to open this fig that I didn’t even stop to take pics of it in the box. This Springer is one of the best figs that Hasbro has ever produced! That’s a strong statement coming from me. I have limited space for displaying figs. So usually what happens is I display a new figure for a while, then it goes into some storage somewhere. I acquired this Springer back in May of 2013. And almost 3 years later today, I have continuously displayed this on some shelf, never going back into a box! That should tell you how much I like this fig. This figure is hands down the best triple changer that Hasbro has ever made. All 3 modes look good. Transformation is complex enough to satisfy the true fan, while being not overly complex to reduce any fun factor. As of this writing, he’s still very affordable on Amazon. So get one if you don’t have one yet. This mold was later re-worked slightly to be Sandstorm. That fig is good too.

Arcee, Generations Thrilling 30, 2014
This Arcee figure was mentioned in the very last post. I acquired the fig in 2015, but I believe her release was in 2014. Regardless, she is the definitive CHUG Arcee. Mostly because this is the only CHUG Arcee released. As the most famous female Autobot in the history of TF, you would think Hasbro would want to do this figure well before 2015. But better late than never. This Arcee figure is a worthy rendition of the character. I like the alt mode. It well represents the sporty future/Cybertronian car that she transforms into in G1. In robot mode she’s got some back kibble. And transformation wise, she’s a bit of a shell-former. But I can overlook it because I do understand the challenges of making Arcee. Most other TF characters that appear in G1 are toy-first, meaning the designs are based on an existing toy. Arcee is the opposite of that. She was created for the 1986 G1 Movie, and toy makers are now doing a figure based on that design. Overall I am happy with this figure. Not perfect, but pretty solid.

Corelock (aka Grimlock), ToyWorld, 2015
Dinobots are forever favorites among the G1 fandom. By the time Season 3 rolled around, all 5 Dinobots are still kicking butt and taking names. But the only one that made regular appearances in the season is Grimlock. In Season 3, he talks more then ever before, in his classic Grimlock speech. And much like when I made the post for Season 1 Autobots, I am using the ToyWorld version of Grimlock. As a 3rd party, ToyWorld cannot officially call him Grimlock. So he is listed as Corelock (and sometimes Grimshell). Of all the Grimlock toys that I own, this one is hands down my favorite (and I own a lot). In T-Rex mode and robot mode, Corelock captures the G1 look down to the last detail. Transformation follows the tried and true G1 formula for Grimlock, but there are enough engineering differences here to make this figure feel modern. Construction is solid and robust. He is the perfect size for CHUG too. Hasbro has made some CHUG dinos, but scale wise they feel too small. Corelock displays well next to other CHUG Autobots, as you can see in the pics. Large enough to be CHUG, but not so large as the 3rd Party MP dinos. (A sidebar: the FansToys MP style G1 Dinos are awesome figures, which I must write about in a future post.) He can also combine with the other ToyWorld Dinos to form a giant robot. G1 Dinos never did this, so I won’t go into this too much. I know what you’re thinking: how does he compare with MP Grimlock? That is a very tough comparison. I really like that figure too. But I feel Corelock edge him out just a little as the better Dino, only because Corelock is more playable than MP Grimlock. Overall, Corelock gets my highest recommendation. If you need a Grimlock in your CHUG lineup, look no further.

Ultra Magnus, Combiner Wars, 2015
Last but not least, there is Ultra Magnus. I love Ultra Magnus. He never got enough credit as a member in the Autobot leadership hierarchy. Always the 2nd in command, but consistently available to make leadership decisions and fight in tough battles when the Primes are not around. Sure, no one was gonna take the place of Optimus (and rightfully so), but he should have got his chance instead of Rodimus (like Optimus instructed). As a toy, this character never got much love until perhaps the late 2000s. Before that, he was ALWAYS a repaint of the Optimus Prime toy. G1 was nice enough to give him a different trailer at least, so in robot mode he appears completely different. These days, UM always rightfully get his own figure (including a nice MP figure). This Combiner Wars figure is the first full-fledged Ultra Magnus that we get in the CHUG line that is NOT a repaint of Optimus Prime. And boy did they do a good job here. Personally, this is my favorite UM figure of all time, surpassing even the MP. He is Leader class size, like he should be. He looks great in robot mode. One of my complaints about the MP UM fig is that he’s too blocky. CW UM does not have that problem. He appears exactly like he does in the show. In truck mode he looks great too. Some might complain that the cab is a bit small, but if that scales right, UM would be way too big in robot mode. Transformation follows the standard UM formula, but in this case it’s not a bad thing. The cab and trailer is integrated into one when he transforms. He also comes with a Mini-Con, which I don’t really care for. As for this writing, he is lower than MSRP on Amazon. He is released as part of the Combiner Wars lineup, but he doesn’t really combine with anything. Gets your now if you don’t have one already. No true TransFan can live without this UM in their collection.

Below is a pic of the figs in alt mode.

Season 3 Autobots… Transform and Roll Out!

OK, I am now finally getting back to documenting my monthly purchases. I swear to Primus I will finish this and catch up to where I am currently. Might take many posts, but it shall be done!

• Robots in Disguise Grimlock, Toys R Us, $16.99

• Generations Thrilling 30 Arcee and Chromia, tfsource.com, $31.99

• Combiner Wars Optimus Prime, amazon.com, $24.99

• Combiner Wars Silverbolt, amazon.com, $24.99

• Combiner Wars Thundercracker, amazon.com, $10.99

• Combiner Wars Powerglide, amazon.com, $10.99

• Combiner Wars Windcharger, amazon.com, $10.99

• Combiner Wars Bombshell, amazon.com, $10.99

• Toyworld TW-H04 Infinitor, tfsource.com, $114.95

• Microblaze Creations MBC002 Military Titans, tfsource.com, $109.95

• Masterpiece Ultra Magnus, hlj.com, $122.77

• Masterpiece Bumble, hlj.com, $44.26.

Here are the stats breakdown for the month:

• 1 fig from Robots in Disguise
• 2 figs from Generations Thrilling 30
• 6 figs from Combiner Wars
• 2 Masterpiece figs
• 2 Third Party figs

First up is RiD Grimlock. I think this was my first figure from the Robots in Disguise line. RiD figures as a whole seems cheap and simplistic. But this is Grimlock, so I gave it a shot. I dunno… he’s not bad, but not great either. Fun to play with for a while, but very forgettable once the fig is put away. I don’t think too highly of the RiD line, and this figure doesn’t do anything to change that perception.

Arcee and Chromia are the last of the Generations Thrilling 30 figs that I would buy. I still don’t know where this Thrilling 30 tag comes from… I am guessing maybe it’s the 30th anniversary of TF. Whatever the reason, I have enjoyed figs from this line. Arcee was one that I waited for. We finally get a good CHUG representation of everybody’s favorite female Autobot in her G1 stylings. Alt mode for Arcee looks awesome. Robot mode wise, she’s got some kibble on the back, but nothing I can’t live with. Transformation wise she’s a bit of a shell-former, which again deals with the back kibble. But I think I’m just so happy to get an official CHUG Arcee that I’m willing to overlook these minor shortcomings. Chromia is an excellent figure. I believe Chromia is a minor remold of Transformers Prime Arcee. In robot mode they look very similar, but Hasbro did enough modifications to the alt mode to make Chromia feel like a brand new figure. She looks like those bikes out of Tron. Very very cool! I actually enjoyed playing Chromia more so than Arcee. But I am glad I have both TF fembots in my collection.

OK – Now on to Combiner Wars! This is a series that I have looked forward to for some time. Combiner Wars officially kicked off in January of 2015. CW is a G1-inspired subline in the TF Generations line of figures. The gimmick here is that one voyager sized figure and 4 deluxe sized figures can combine to form a giant robot. Much like the combiners from G1, the toy limb components can be mixed with any bodies in any combination (like Scramble City). Third parties have been doing combiners for quite some time now. So I guess it’s about time Hasbro got on this trend and make some money off their own properties, instead of letting third parties hog all the action.

I wasn’t able to find any deluxe sized figs this month, but I was able to get 2 voyager figs and 4 legends figs in CW. These won’t combine obviously, but I like all these characters so I bought them all.

To start things off, we get CW Optimus Prime. Yes friends, they made OP into a combiner. Not technically G1-esque, but whatever. They are also using this mold as Motormaster (which I will go into in future posts), so this is more of a way for me to check out the mold. The robot mode is kinda blocky. Truck mode is not bad. I’m personally not too impressed with this mold in combiner body form. There is a problem with the hips of the figure. But between robot and truck modes, the construction is solid and robust. So for me, the CW OP fig is just ok.

Next in the line is CW Silverbolt. The famous G1 Aerialbot leader is finally getting a modern upgrade! Yeah, there was an Ultra Class figure released around 2008 (and later repainted into Skyfall). But that figure did not combine, so he was never a true Silverbolt in my opinion. The CW Silverbolt is a G1 homage through and through. In both jet and robot modes, he looks accurate to his G1 self. Transformation may be a tad simple for mature collector, but is still leaps and bounds more involved than the Ultra Class figure (which in my opinion was one of the simplest figures ever made, especially considering something of this size). In combined body mode, this figure really shines. The body mode looks good, is G1-accurate, and provides good mechanics as the center of a giant robot. He connects easily to other limb components, and mechanically well-serves the weight distribution challenges of a combiner. I guess one can always say that the jet mode has too much bulk on the underside, but all combiner jets in this history of TF has had that problem. Overall Silverbolt is a great figure. No wonder this figure is repainted into Cyclonus and Scattershot later.

CW Thundercracker is just a repaint of Thrilling 30 Starscream, while CW Windcharger is a repaint of Thrilling 30 Tailgate. So I won’t go into them too much.

CW Powerglide is a fun little figure. Both robot and jet modes are nice, and transformation feels adequate for a figure of this size. Powerglide is another figure where Hasbro has released an Ultra Class version. But true G1 enthusiasts will always think of Powerglide as a Mini-Bot, and so a legend class fig is much more appropriate. CW Bombshell is another welcome addition to this line. We already got Skrapnel (Shrapnel), so having Bombshell is a must (now I’m hoping they do Kickback). This Bombshell is a terrific figure in my opinion. Both modes are fun to play with. He comes together really nice in the beetle mode. Bombshell is my favorite Insecticon, so I am glad to see Hasbro give him a proper modern rendition.

Now onto the 3rd party purchases for the month. I still have not opened Military Titans as of this writing in April of 2016 (shame on me), so I won’t go into him. I did open ToyWorld Infinitor. This is an homage to Fortress Maximus, but a much more smaller and playable version. I never had the pleasure of the G1 Fort Max toy. There are re-issues out there, but he’s a huge piece that would take up way too much space for me. In the G1 cartoons, Fort Max is a city-size robot (like Metroplex). However in the comics, Fort Max is a large but ordinary size Autobot. I think that is what Infinitor is going for. Regardless, Infinitor is a solid, well-built figure. I can’t say for certain since I never had the G1 toy, but Infinitor feels essentially like G1 Fort Max shrunken down to playable size. He’s very blocky, like you would expect. The Headmaster gimmick is alive and well on Infinitor. He’s got the robot mode, a space cruiser mode, and 2 different city modes (though admittedly the 2 city modes look and feel similar). Overall I think this figure is ok. Get him if you like Fort Max, but not a must have in my opinion.

Finally, we are getting to the Masterpieces for the month. First up is MP Ultra Magnus, a figure that many fans have praised over and over. Some even go so far as to suggest that this should win figure of the year. Overall I think MP Ultra Magnus is pretty good. The alt mode could not be more G1. He scales well with other MPs in this mode. Transformation to robot mode uses the familiar scheme, but there are enough differences in the engineering to make him MP worthy. The robot mode of this figure is where I’m not as impressed. He’s still too blocky for me, and I was really hoping those brilliant Takara engineers could produce a robot mode that is more true to the G1 cartoon UM aesthetic. I hold MPs to a higher standard. Maybe figs like the MP-10 Optimus Prime set the bar too high, and I was expecting too much. Nevertheless, MP Ultra Magnus is a figure that is worthy of your collection. He’s not perfect in my opinion, but still something you should consider if you collect MPs or if you’re a fan of Ultra Magnus.

And last but not least, there is MP Bumblebee. This is a figure that gets no complaints from me whatsoever. We finally have in our hands the ultimate version of Bumblebee in all his G1 glory. The VW bug is nothing short of accurate. Transformation to robot is pure genius. And in robot mode, he looks like he jumped straight out of the G1 cartoon. Takara gave us another MP perfection in Bumblebee. He’s very well built and have amazing poseability. Oh, he also comes with Spike in his Exo-Suit, as seen in the 1986 G1 movie. This Spike figure is not bad, but I got this for Bumblebee, which is what I play with most of the time. If you could buy only one figure that I listed here for this month, get Bumblebee. You will not be disappointed.

That was a lot of TFs for one month. Things will slow down a bit after this. Til next time… Transform and Roll Out!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone had a good 2015 and is looking forward to 2016.

A bit of sad news to start the new year though… Michael Bay is back for Transformers 5. 🙁 Can’t say I’m surprised, though still not happy.

About a year ago, I ranted about how I want a new director for TF5. I proposed Justin Lin back in that post, which some of you might have snickered at when you read it. Well now he’s off to doing the next Star Trek! So there! I knew he had potential. But anyways, Bay said he would be done after 3. And now he’s back for 5?!!! WTF?!!!

I’ll let some tweets tell it like it is.

I remember back when all the Michael Bay & Transformers 4 headlines ALSO said it was his "final" one… #Transformers5

— Jordan Maison (@JordanMaison) January 5, 2016

Michael Bay will return for TRANSFORMERS 5.

"Yay!" said no one. pic.twitter.com/6ezv1n3kll

— Jake Hamilton (@JakesTakes) January 4, 2016

https://twitter.com/deni_carson/status/684229507482451968

I really wish he wouldn't. #Transformers5 https://t.co/hoP1SYCRja

— Andie Unson (@AndieUnson) January 5, 2016

Transform and Roll Out.

Happy Holidays! Today I am documenting all the TFs acquired back in Dec of 2014. I fully realize that’s one whole year ago. I know… I’m getting behind on my blogging. It’s just so hard to find the time. I am beginning to think I should make more frequent blog writing my new years resolution. But that’s a story for another day. Here are the TFs for the last month of 2014.

• Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Prowl, Walgreens, $7.74

• MakeToys M-F-B, BBTS.com, $12.99
• DX9 004 Armor Set, BBTS.com, $44.99

• Generations Thrilling 30 Brainstorm, BBTS.com, $26.99

TF Prime Beast Hunters Prowl is a repeat purchase. I got one back in June of 2014. The one this month was a random find at Walgreens. He’s rare, he was only $7.74, so I figured why not. I kept him unopened all this time. Maybe he will be worth something someday.

The DX9 004 Armor is for Age of Extinction Evasion Mode Optimus Prime. That figure is one of the first figs I got from the AoE line, and one of the best from that line. When I heard of a armor upgrade that would make him more like Powermaster Optimue Prime from the fifth toy season of G1, I was immediately intrigued. I never heard of DX9 at the time, but I looked at enough pics online to take a chance on this set. I am happy I bought the set. With the armor attached, the figure feels way more G1 like. I especially like the head mold. There are some tolerance issues though. The feet pieces are way too tight. You will need to either sand down the pegs on the feet pieces, or make the feet holes bigger on the figure. I only tried this upgrade set in robot mode. These same pieces also can attach in alt mode, but I didn’t try it.

The MFB from MakeToys is acronym for My First Blaster. I am told this weapon for Swerve makes an appearance in the comics by IDW. I won’t comment anymore as I’m no authority on the IDW-verse of TFs. The weapon itself is pretty cool. Be aware it does require some assembling. I’m a terrible model builder, so I already broke off one piece when assembling this. Also, this weapon is designed to go with MakeToys Trash-Talk, or their version of Swerve. This weapon will not operate with the official Hasbro Generations 30 version of Swerve (coincidentally also purchased in June of 2014). I bought it thinking that it would. The pegs are not the same size. Should have done my research first.

Last but not least, there is Generations Thrilling 30 Brainstorm. I first saw this at BotCon 2014. I could not believe my eyes when I saw this. I mean… if Hasbro was gonna venture into Headmasters, that opens up a whole world of possibilities on what they are willing to re-make in this modern era. I’m salivating just thinking about it! Anyways, Brainstorm is an excellent figure. He’s fairly simple in transformation, but in my opinion that’s a good thing. Modern TFs are so darn complicated sometimes that I just want something I can pick up and play. Brainstorm fits that bill. If I have the figure handy, I can sit there and transform him back and forth repeatedly, like I did all my TFs when I was a kid. Both modes look nice. As a voyager figure, he’s bigger than some of the third party Brainstorms that have been produced (such as Smart Robin). Oh, by the way, there are two versions of this figure. I got the fixed version, code 42791. Click here for more detail.

OK, that does it for the figs in 2014. Now I can move onto 2015… in 2016. I know… I suck. But I will get this done and get up to date like I used to be. Transform and Roll Out!

It seems like forever since I wrote any entries in this blog. Finding the time to do so has been extremely difficult. Today I took the day off from work to take care of some personal business, which turned out to be faster than expected. This left we with some extra time that I’ll devote to my TF blog.

Here are the purchases for November of 2014.

• Generations Thrilling 30 Cosmos and Payload, Target, $9.49

• Age of Extinction Snarl, Target, $14.24

• Age of Extinction Hot Shot, Target, $14.24

• Fall of Cybertron Air Raid, amazon.com, $17.80

• Masterpiece Wheeljack, hlj.com, $49.10

Cosmos is a figure I wanted for some time now. Back around either 2009 or 2010, Hasbro made some legend size figures as remakes of G1 Minibots in the Classic 2.0 lineup. I managed to find them all, except for Cosmos. He was the rarest one of the bunch, and scalpers wasted no time jacking up his price to around $50. No way I’m paying those prices for a tiny legend figure. So when I heard of this Cosmos, I had to get it. I never had the Classic 2.0 figure, but I’m willing to bet this Generations Cosmos is better in every way. The Generations figure is slightly larger, transformation is quite remarkable for a toy of this size, and he looks all around better than his Classic 2.0 counterpart in both modes. At around $10 he also comes with Mini-Con Payload. All in all a very nice deal for the price.

I believe this should be the last of the Age of Extinction figures in my collection. AoE figures as a whole is a sorry lot. Hot Shot is a testament to that sentiment. I was told repeatedly not to buy AoE Crosshairs. Hot Shot is a exact repaint of the mold, and now I know why. His robot mode is awful. There’s so much kibble hanging off the back it’s ridiculous. Even the slick car mode won’t save this atrocious figure. I bought Hot Shot because he reminds me so much of Tracks. I’m willing to bet that’s what Hasbro was counting on, and I fell for it head first. There are some bright spots in the AoE lineup (such as Evasion Mode Optimus Prime, Hound, and Drift), and Snarl is one of them. This is one of the better Dinobot figures out of AoE. I like the Dino mode, I like the robot mode, and transformation is fun. I don’t much care for the neon transparent green, but the mold itself is well engineered. There’s probably some kind of convention exclusive out there that has this figure repainted in G1 colors. That would make this fig even better.

I have written about this Japanese Air Raid, nearly a year ago. I can’t believe I’m so behind on documenting the Transformers for every month. Anyways, this Air Raid was bought during Black Friday weekend of that year. The Japanese version is much more closer to G1 colors than the US version. And getting a Japanese deluxe size figure for only $17 is a steal, so getting this was a no-brainer. Though I will say that the construction of this figure doesn’t seem to be as sturdy as the US figure.

Last but not least, there is Masterpiece Wheeljack. This is a figure that deserves the Masterpiece label. Takara set the var very high when they released Masterpiece Sideswipe. I am completely satisfied with that figure. The 2nd mold they released was for Prowl/Streak/Smokescreen. That figure is nice too, though not as good as Sideswipe in my opinion. Wheeljack is the third mold in this series. Takara managed to capture all the things they did right with Sideswipe when they produced Wheeljack. Transformation is ingenious, and construction is solid. The alt mode is something Lancia felt very comfortable in putting their logo on, and the robot mode is G1 show accurate perfection. Great poseability and great playability. This piece is every bit as good as MP Sidewsipe. Do not call yourself a true TransFan if MP Wheeljack is missing from your collection.

More to come soon… Transform and Roll Out!

Generations Thrilling 30 Roadbuster is a figure I have looked forward to for some time. Third parties have made their versions of this character, which are good. However I really don’t feel like paying third party prices for everything. Hasbro must have saw a good opportunity here and delivered what I wanted.

This official Roadbuster is a nice fig. Some fans have complained about his simplistic transformation, but I like the fact that you can easily pick up and play with the figure. Both modes look nice. Poseability in robot mode is great. Vehicle mode is robust and solid. He also comes with weaspons galore. He comes with 6 weapons! You read that right… six! These weapons can be arranged in many different configurations. That’s even more playability for you.

However, Roadbuster is kind of plain in his looks. This is because Hasbro has provided decals for you to put on, just like the old days of G1. Here’s a pic of him without the decals.

Below is a similar pic of him with the decals applied. Check it out!

The decals really add that extra something. The extra details add more life to the character.

However I should point out I did not apply all the decals. These were not the best decals. They were badly cut, and many of them could not be placed where they’re supposed to go without some custom trimming. Some decals simply cannot fit into the space designated. The instructions were also inadequate as far as showing where they need to go. It feels like perhaps these decals were a after thought.

I put on as many as I can. Below are more pics of Roadbuster with the decals.

Go Roadbuster! Transform and Roll Out!

It’s been a while since I did a post about what’s on my shelf. So I’m doing one today.

Same pic, different angle.

From left to right

Lower shelf: Thrilling 30 Rhinox, Thrilling 30 Rattrap, Mastermind Creations Felisaber

I especially like the three gestalts on the top shelf. Feral Rex and Giant have been featured elsewhere before in this blog so I won’t go into detail again. Combiner Wars Menasor is Hasbro’s official update of the Stunticons in combined form. Compared to Fans Project’s Intimidator, Menasor has it’s pros and cons. Individually I like the Hasbro figures better. They are larger, sturdier, easier to transform, and more fun to play with. However in combined form, FP has the better looking Menasor. Intimidator also stays together better than Combiner Wars Menasor, as the Hasbro figure feels like it could quickly fall apart. However I should point out that the Hasbro figures feel more like a true combiner. The leg components are not simply adding on top of Motormaster’s legs, like in FP’s offering.

Poor Rattrap and Rhinox. They are the only good guys here. Technically they are not Autobots, so I don’t have a single Autobot in this post. Decepticons forever!

Transform and Roll Out.

October always seem to be a busy month in terms of TF activity. In October of 2012, I set a personal record for most TFs purchases in a month. This month I may have set another new record, of a related but slightly different category. So sit back, relax, and enjoy. This will be a long post.

• Age of Extinction Drift, Toys R Us, $24.99

• Age of Extinction Optimus Prime Evolution 2-Pack, Toys R Us, $44.99

• MakeToys Quantron, tfsource.com, $399.99

• Generations Thrilling 30 Jetfire, bbts.com, $46.99

• Fans Toys Scoria, bbts.com, $199.99

• Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Cyberverse Optimus Prime, bbts.com, $4.99

• Skrapnel with Reflector and Tailgate with Groundbuster, bbts.com, $21.99

• Nemesis Prime with Spinister and Cliffjumper with Suppressor, bbts.com, $21.99

• Generations Thrilling 30 Waspinator, Skids, Goldfire, Dreadwing, bbts.com, $59.99

• Generations Thrilling 30 Crosscut, Nightbeat, Windblade, Jhiaxus, bbts.com, $59.99

Age of Extinction Voyager Drift is a repaint of Skyhammer from Dark of the Moon. It appears they keep using this mold for Movie-verse figs. Skyhammer is one of my favorite figs from DotM, so I had to have this Drift. The figure is exactly the same, other than the head mold, the blue paint scheme, and the swords. Drift’s swords are kinda cool. He can use them separately in each hand, or have them combine into one huge sword.

I bought the Optimue Prime Evolution 2-Pack purely for the repaint of the Classic Prime mold. I love that figure, and this shiny new paint had my attention. The other Prime figure here is a repaint of Evasion Mode Optimus Prime from Age of Extinction. In retrospect, Evasion Mode Prime is one of the only few good figures from TF4, so I’m glad I have this repaint. I did not open this 2-Pack. The collector in me will probably just hold on to this as mint.

When I first head of MakeToys Quantron, I already made up in my mind that I had to have it. Quantron is an homage to the Technobots of G1, my favorite Autobot combiner team to come out of that era. Sure the Aerialbots are the most famous, but I think the Technobots are the coolest. I still remember buying Afterburner, my first fig from this awesome team. I loved his futuritic motorcycle mode. MakeToys Quantron wasn’t cheap. And I’m ashamed to say that as of this writing I still have not had the chance to play with this at all. I barely opened the box a few weeks ago to inspect the contents. Life as a working adult is way too hectic, and all of you reading should rue the day when you don’t have the time to immediately enjoy a $400 toy. But I promise to get to Quantron soon. All reviews I have seen gave it high marks. I know I will not be disappointed.

I have repeatedly mention how cool Generations 30 Jetfire is elsewhere in this blog, so I won’t do it again. Just know that he is awesomeness manifested in physical form. Go out and get yours now.

Masterpiece scale Dinobots is something that many 3rd parties are jumping into lately. These figures are usually $200 each… not cheap by any means. They all look pretty nice. But if I’m to get one, I want to go with a 3rd party that I trust. And so comes Scoria by Fans Toys. I was thoroughly impressed with Quakewave, so I had to give their interpretation of Slag a shot. Scoria does not disappoint. In robot mode he’s big and beefy. Construction is solid, and the transformation to dino feels familiar and refreshing at the same time. Scoria looks awesome in dino mode. I wish I have some pics handy to show him off. Maybe I will in a separate blog post.

I got TF Prime Beast Wars Optimus Prime purely because he was on sale at BBTS. I saw the fig quite frequently on the racks at stores like Walmart and Target and have always wondered if he’s any good. He’s not. A required purchase this ain’t. I already wasted too much time writing about this figure.

Nemesis Prime and Cliffjumper are just repaints of Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, respectively. So I won’t talk about them too much. Skrapnel (or Shrapnel) is a cool little G1 Insecticon. This is probably the first time in a long time that Hasbro has made a G1 looking Insecticon. Tailgate is using a mold that will be repainted into Windcharger. This mold is ok. I got this to have a distinct mold for Tailgate, because I think the Reveal the Shield Windcharger is a much better mold and that will be my Windcharger.

The remaining deluxe Generations Thrilling 30 figures I’ll just quickly mention. Goldfire, Nightbeat, Dreadwing, and Jhiaxus are repaints of a figure in the same lineup. I really like Jhiaxus though. I’m liking the color scheme, and Hasbro reworked the mold to be different enough that it feels like a distinct figure. Windblade is a brand new mold. She looks pretty cool in both modes, but the figure itself is kinda flimsy. Waspinator is very cool! This is probably the coolest Waspinator that Hasbro has ever made. I like the wing gimmick. Skids and Crosscut are repaints of each other, though this mold is the first time we’re getting them. I was really looking forward to Skids, since many reviews praised the figure. The car mode is nice, but the robot mode has some poseability issues. There’s so much going on in robot mode that all the features start to block on itself. Still, all the weapons on Skids (and Crosscut) does make for a nice looking figure, when you can get them to pose the way you want.

Ok… that was a lot of figs! 27 total by my count. 23 if you don’t count the Mini-Cons of the Generations Thrilling 30 legends figs. My previous record for single TFs in a month is 24, so this month does surpass that if Mini-Cons are included as separate figures. However there’s one thing that this month sets a record for… and that’s the amount spent! Adding all these up, the total TF spending this month comes to a whopping $885.90! Ouch. That’s a bit much by anyone’s standard. Quantron and Scoria accounts for $600 by themselves alone. I really need to start selling off whatever I don’t play with anymore. Time to list more stuff in my Sales Section.

October is the last month of extravagant TF spending for 2014. Things will die down for the rest of the year.

Oh, one more thing, at the end of Oct 2014 I took another pic of my orange TFs. Check it out.

More to come… Transform and Roll Out!

It seems like every 3rd party out there today wants a piece of independent Masterpiece Autobot action. Not long after my last post about a 3rd party Masterpice not Jazz, Fans Toys is now doing their version of Masterpiece not Hound called Willy. Check out pics below.

Pics look nice. Hopefully we will get some color pics soon. As of this writing, I have two figs from Fans Toys (Quakewave and Scoria) and I can certainly attest to the high quality of these two. If this trend continues, FT not Hound should be a solid piece.

Transform and Roll Out.