Legend class figures are some of the smallest figures that Hasbro makes. Sometimes they’re called Legion figures. Since they’re so small, I put them all in one box, regardless of which series they came from. This way it’s easy for me to find them. They are all super easy to transform. I usually don’t buy them, but they can be a fun distraction every now and then. So I was kind of surprised when I took them all out and see that I have this many. Guess they add up like everything else.

From left to right:
Back row: Vehicon, Motorbreath, Thundercracker, Megatron
Middle row: Dualor, Warpath, Trailcutter, Gold Bumblebee, Beachcomber, Prowl
Front row: Wheelie, Optimus Prime, Hoist, Bumblebee, Brawn, Bluestreak

Some random thoughts in bullet points:

• I recommend all of these, except Vehicon and Dualor. Deluxe Vehicon is way better, both FE and RID. Dualor is just a waste of space.
• As of this writing, 4 of these are readily available: Thundercracker, Motorbreath, Hoist, and Bluestreak. Get to your Toys R Us store if you want them.
• For a lot of these figs, I’ve only seen them once. They include: Optimus Prime, Wheelie, yellow Bumblebee, Brawn, Beachcomber, Warpath, and Dualor. It’s safe to say they’re rare.
• The only one I would say is not that rare is Gold Bumblebee, though I think I’ve only seen him like 3 or 4 times.
• As a G1 purist, I would say the must gets are Wheelie, both Bumblebees, Brawn, Warpath, and Beachcomber. Their small size accurately reflects how they were in G1. Though it’s worth noting that Warpath and Bumblebee have more impressive Deluxe versions too.
• For the time being, I would also get Trailcutter and Hoist, just because these are the only way to get CHUG representations of the characters. I’m still holding out hope that Hasbro will give us Deluxe versions of these guys. Then the Autobot cars from the first 2 seasons would be CHUG complete in Deluxe or larger (sans Skids, but I don’t care much for Skids).
• Prime, Megs, Thundercracker, Prowl, and Bluestreak are all good figs. But their larger counterparts in CHUG are way better. And as Legend they make no sense scale wise. So only get them if you’re hardcore or a completest.
• Conspicuously missing is Cosmos. He’s super rare.

Bluestreak: Hoist, it’s your turn to mow the lawn.
Hoist: No way dude! I did it last week.

Legend figures… Transform and Roll Out.

I’m procrastinating way too much, but today I’m finally getting to the robot mode review of Masterpiece Sideswipe. The alt mode review appears here. But before I go any further, let me just say this now: I am impressed with MP Sideswipe! IMPRESSED! Just go out and get one now. Don’t even waste time reading the rest of this review. But if you like to know why I like this figure so much, I will explain why.

First things first though. There are some things I need to re-state or correct from the alt mode review, so let me do them now. First, I mentioned that the tires are made of rubber, but they are actually high quality plastic. The paint job on them is so good though, and something about the material of that plastic makes them feel like rubber if you are not paying careful attention. I would’ve liked to see them use real rubber, but this works too.

Another thing I mentioned in the alt mode review is that there are other pieces besides the tires that will rub the surface. After transforming Sideswipe to robot mode and back, I find this to be less of an issue. You will still need to line up everything just right, but it’s not too tough to position everything so there’s enough bottom clearance.

The last thing I want to point out about the alt mode is you can attach the missile launcher on the car if you want. The gun can then be attached to the side of the launcher. Sideswipe is now ready for some serious drive-by. I think he looks better in alt mode without it, but it’s nice to see the toy designers account for the weapons. There is a swivel joint mechanism for the missile launcher attachment, so you can angle the whole thing up or down if you wanted to.

OK, now on to the robot mode. Check out Sideswipe in all his G1 robot glory.

Now is that Sideswipe or is that Sideswipe? This is the ultimate interpretation of G1 Sideswipe. Masterpiece figures are known for detail and show accuracy and this figure certainly does not disappoint. The designers of this figure must have looked at G1 cartoon screenshots over and over, and came up with a figure that captures Sideswipe’s look down to the last detail. They say life imitates art and vice versa. In this case, it’s toy imitating cartoon imitating toy. G1 Sideswipe’s cartoon appearance, though based on the G1 figure, is way more enhanced than what the toy was really capable of. Masterpiece toy designers have made that interpretation a reality.

Detail on this figure is nothing short of amazing. Take a look at Sideswipe’s face. That is pure G1. I thought the face mold on the Generations figure was good, but this blows it out of the water. This has got to be one of the most show accurate face molds I have ever seen, on any TF. Paint job on the face is also a nice silver, good to see that Takara wasn’t afraid to splurge for this figure. The chest is your typical Sideswipe car hood. That is probably the most iconic thing about Sideswipe’s robot mode, so they be crazy if they changed it.

I really like the look of Sideswipe’s limbs. Again, it’s as if the toy designers reproduced his cartoon appearance exactly. I won’t describe it too much. Just look at the pics. Same goes for the lower abdomen and hips area. I’m amazed at how faithfully they can get Sideswipe to look while the figure still transforms.

Speaking of transformation, the overall transforming schema is fairly similar to G1 (hood becomes chest, rear of car form the legs, arms at the sides, etc). But they made some heavy improvements to how everything is implemented. Hood of the car still folds down to form the chest (no surprise here). But the top of the head folds back in alt mode, like it’s sliced off. This allows for more room to store the head, since the alt mode is so flat. The arms are still tucked to the sides of the car, like G1. But they are angled more inwards, and the door pieces don’t account for as much of the robot mode, resulting in less kibble for the arms. The biggest transformation difference from G1 is probably in the legs. In G1 you simply pull them out. For the MP, the mechanism is much more complex. In fact, in the instructions, most of it devotes to how the legs are transformed. MP Sideswipe’s legs use more of a rotate-at-the-knees mechanism that we’ve seen used heavily in G1, like G1 Windcharger or Gears. However there are other pieces at the legs that needs to be transformed as well, resulting in a refreshing take on a familiar scheme.

Overall, this transformation is one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. MP figures usually don’t disappoint in terms of the transforming mechanism. However, often times, the transformation is complex to the point where it takes the fun out of playing it as a toy (think MP Megatron or MP Rodimus). Sideswipe do not share that problem. The transformation of this figure is challenging enough to be worthy of MP, but at the same time still fun when played with as a toy. In my opinion, Takara has achieved the perfect balance of transformation complexity and fun in MP Sideswipe. This is very rarely done in the world of TFs. And let’s not forget, this is a figure that looks good in both modes. Usually figures that look this good does not transform. So when you consider a transforming mechanism that is ingenious yet intuitive, coupled with a alt mode that Lamborghini felt confident in branding its logo, and with a super show accurate robot mode added in for good measure, you realize what a gem you have on your hands.

Poseability of the figure also does not disappoint. He’s got moving joints just about everywhere: head/neck, shoulder, elbows, hips, knees, feet, and hands. He’s capable of some really good poses. And for once, I like how the hands are implemented on MP. Usually for MP, they try to make articulation down to the fingers. I know there are fans out there that enjoy that feature, but I’m not one of them. Usually too much finger articulation translates to poor holding of weapons by the figure, so I’m glad Takara chose a simpler mechanism here. The non-thumb fingers will move as one piece, but that’s about it. In my opinion, that’s enough.

Articulation would mean nothing without proper construction. I’m glad to report that MP Sideswipe has no construction issues whatsoever. All joints will move like you expect them to, nothing too tight and nothing too loose. In alt mode everything comes together nicely, and in robot mode he’s able to hold poses without problems of any kind. I wish all TFs were this well built.

Here’s a shot of the back of Sideswipe. As you can see, he’s really kibble free. Some might argue there’s a bit of kibble on the back, but in my opinion this is nothing to complain about.

Now for some extra gimmicks on this figure. He comes with pile drivers that you can attach in robot mode. Just flip the hands back into the forearms and attach them. We saw him do this in one episode. Very show accurate, though why someone like Sideswipe would have pile drivers is beyond me. Also, the missile launcher can be attached on either the right or left shoulder. I stuck it on the left since that’s how he had them on the show. In robot mode the missile launcher can be angled up or down, just like alt mode.

Here are some size comparison shots. Sideswipe scales well with the newer MPs. I also placed them next to some CHUG figures, so those of you who only has CHUG can see how he compares.

Sideswipe: Hey Grimlock, I got the MP treatment just like you did.
Grimlock: Me Grimlock still look better!

MP Sideswipe is good value. I got mine for about $75 shipped from Japan. That’s actually quite reasonable these days for a figure of this quality. Also, MP Sideswipe is not a figure that will take up a lot of space on your shelf. In the alt mode review I mentioned he comes in a really small box, a good thing in my opinion. When MPs started getting smaller, I was complaining like everyone else. But now I’m beginning to see the value. It keeps the cost of the figure down, and if you have a large collection like me, the smaller size benefits in being a space saver.

To sum up, this is a figure that must be purchased. If you call yourself a TransFan, then do not hesitate to add this piece to your collection. It is rare to come across a TF of such high quality. I seriously detect no weaknesses in this figure. Hands down, this is my favorite new figure for 2012. I know there’s still about a month and a half left of the year, but right now I can’t imagine anything topping this. Takara has really outdone themselves. MP Sideswipe is TF perfection.

Now I must go pre-order MP Red Alert somewhere. Transform and Roll Out!

This past summer, rumors began to surface of the next wave of Masterpiece Transformers that Takara will produce. I’m always excited to hear of new MPs, and the characters that Takara chose to do this time certainly did not disappoint. I don’t remember who came first, but it was announced that they will do Sideswipe, Red Alert, and Soundwave. Actually, I’m guessing Sideswipe must have came first since that’s the only one I pre-ordered.

On Thursday when I got home, I see a mail pickup slip left at the front door. Lo and behold, it was for MP Sideswipe! I didn’t have time to go pick it up til Saturday. And today, here are some pics of the box and his alt mode.

I did not know that Takara obtained rights from Lamborghini to make this figure. Bravo! The Lambo logo is shown proudly on the front of the package. It was too bad that they could not secure Lambo rights when they did Binaltechs and Alternators, but I’m happy they worked out something now.

Also from the back of the box, it’s clear that this figure is made to scale with the new MPs, like MP-10 Optimus Prime. Looks like the alt mode will go into the Prime trailer just fine, and in bot mode he comes up to about Prime’s lower abdomen. Very cool. I still have not opened MP-10 (don’t even know what the heck I’m waiting for), but after I transform Sideswipe, that will be my next priority.

This has got to be the smallest box ever produced for a MP! Actually, I think that’s a good thing, since space is always an issue when you got as many TFs as I do. Anyway, check it out next to RTS Jazz.

Sideswipe comes in clear plastic like all MPs. Pic below shows him in the package.

I wasted no time taking this guy out. This is pure G1 Sideswipe! If there are any hardcore G1-ers out there that actually have complaints about Sideswipe not appearing G1 enough, they need to be shot. Check out some pics below.

Paint job on this figure is superb. I don’t detect any die-cast pieces, which is a shame. But the paint job is so good that some pieces look die cast. He is mostly in his iconic red. On the hood, the Autobot emblem is painted on. It’s rare to see such a large faction emblem painted on any TF, but in this case it works and it looks great. And right below the Autobot symbol, there is the Lamborghini badge. Very cool. Headlights are made of clear plastic.

At the rear of the vehicle, the taillights are all painted. There are also the words “Lamborghini Countach” written in what I’m assuming is the official Lamborghini font for this vehicle. Windows appear to be clear black plastic. Side mirrors are painted black as well. On my figure I don’t detect any paint splatters for goofs.

Like all other MPs, the tires area made of rubber. I wish they would make the tires of all TF figures out of rubber, but that’s probably too much to ask for.

Functionally, in alt mode, the figure feels like one cohesive unit. I don’t detect any dangling pieces, or parts that easily come apart from anything else. Sideswipe is robust and solid to say the least.

Below is a pic of the MP next to Generations Sideswipe.

The MP is slightly bigger. Initially, I was worried that this MP would be deluxe size. But now that I see he’s bigger, I feel slightly more justified in paying what I did (about $75, shipped from Japan).

Now I do have one small complaint. This seems to be the trend with many of the new premium car Transformers, and it’s that there’s too much stuff underneath the vehicle. Place Sideswipe on a flat surface, and the large black pieces near the rear will make contact with the surface. In my opinion, the tires should be the only thing touching the ground, but for this figure it’s simply not so. Masterpiece Rodimus has this problem, many of the Human Alliance figures has this problem, and MP Sideswipe also shares this problem. Here’s a pic of the bottom of the figure in alt mode.

I have not transformed this figure at all. Let’s see if this problem will go away when I transform him back from robot mode. But even so, don’t let this small gripe distract you from buying the figure if you’re eyeing one. He’s got way too many positives to warrant a purchase.

I’m gonna transform him real soon. Look for a follow up review on his robot mode. Transform and Roll Out!

EDIT 11/18/2012:
Click here for review of the robot mode.

When it rains, it pours. Like Cybertron Acid Rain! Or Hurricane Sandy. October was a downpour full of Transformers, I was finding newly released figures multiples times per week. This will be a long post. Prepare yourself.

• Generations GDO Swerve, toysrus.com, $14.99
• Generations GDO Springer, Toys R Us, $14.99
• Generations GDO Wheelie, Toys R Us, $14.99
• Generations GDO Cliffjumper, toysrus.com $14.99

• Generations GDO Brawl, Toys R Us, $9.99
• Generations GDO Laserbeak, toysrus.com $9.99

• Transformers Prime Rumble, Walmart, $15.47

• Transformers Prime Airachnid, Target, $15.49

• Transformers Prime First Edition Terroron Cliffjumper, Toys R Us, $14.99
• Transformers Prime First Edition Vehicon, Toys R Us, $14.99

• Transformers Prime Voyager Dreadwing, Target, $21.99

• Transformers Prime Kup, Walmart, $15.47
• Transformers Prime Vehicon, Walmart, $15.47

• Generations Fall of Cybertron Onslaught, hasbrotoyshop.com, $14.99
• Generations Fall of Cybertron Blastoff, hasbrotoyshop.com, $14.99
• Generations Fall of Cybertron Vortex, hasbrotoyshop.com, $14.99
• Generations Fall of Cybertron Swindle, hasbrotoyshop.com, $14.99
• Generations Fall of Cybertron Brawl, hasbrotoyshop.com, $14.99

• Generations Ultimate Gift Set (Jazz, Combat Hero Optimus Prime, Motorbreath, Thundercracker), hasbrotoyshop.com, $29.99

• Generations GDO legend Silverstreak, Toys R Us, $5.99
• Generations GDO legend Thundercracker, Toys R Us, $5.99

Whew! That’s a lot of TFs! I knew October was gonna be special, when back in this post I said October is off to a great start. 24 TFs for the month. That’s gotta be a new single month record, even for me. 7 figures came out of TF Prime, and the other 17 all belong to Generations. And out of the 17 Generations, 5 are Fall of Cybertron, and the rest GDO. I guess this month more than makes up for the last few months, where I found virtually nothing in the stores.

Out of the 24 figs, 13 are repaints of molds I already have. Still, Hasbro made them different enough for me to want them. They sure know how to keep me interested.

Notice I bought the little legend GDO Thundercracker twice. First came with the Ultimate Gift set from hasbrotoyshop.com, and the second was a standalone purchase at Toys R Us. I guess I could’ve left the the 2nd one on the shelf, but these little guys are rare finds so I couldn’t help myself.

But yeah, so many TFs in such a short span. I’m barely able to process it all. The pic below shows the only figures that I opened so far. And believe me I plan to open them all (except for the 2nd Thundercracker).

I recommend all these figures that I opened. Well, maybe except for Airachnid. Her robot mode is pretty crappy. But the heli mode is cool and she is a rare fig, so there are still some reasons to get one.

Today is also Halloween. So I thought I do a shot of all my orange TFs with a stuff pumpkin that I have. Check it out below.

And speaking of orange, here’s a plug for a totally unrelated topic: San Francisco Giants are world champions! As a sports fan living in the SF Bay Area, it’s something I must mention. Their colors are orange and black, very fitting for Halloween. Coincidentally, the victory parade is also on this day. It will be crazy in the city! I wanted to take a pic of my orange TFs with some Giants memorabilia, but can’t find any. Earlier in the year I went to a Giants game, and I got a Brian Wilson gnome as a stadium give-away. I sold it on eBay for $50, which I’ve come to regret now for 3 reasons: 1) It’s a great piece to take a pic with my orange TFs, 2) Now that Giants are world champs, it’s probably worth way more than $50, and 3) It’s a great memento to keep around for a championship year. Though Brian Wilson has made no contribution to this championship run since he’s been hurt since May, so maybe it’s not a big deal.

Happy Halloween everyone! Transform and Roll Out!

Quick post on some of the TFs I have out displayed at the moment. I happen to have a bunch of Decepticon jets out in the open, for various reasons. So I put them together, as a not-so-gentle reminder to the Autobots that they will have a very tough time winning the battle in the skies.

This kinda feels like a rag tag bunch of Decepticon jets put together for no reason. Masterpiece Thundercracker and DOTM Hatchet was bought just last month, that’s why they’re still out and about. BTW, MP Thundercracker is pure awesomeness! I dug out MP Skywarp so the two MPs can be displayed together.

Earlier this month I bought GDO Laserbeak. I went into the Mindwipe and Laserbeak combination back in this post. I tried it too with Sunspot, that’s why these 3 figures are appear here. I also tried combining Sunspot with Strafe (not pictured), and that just looks plain weird.

In the middle of all the action is Airachnid. She would enjoy being the center of attention. I was lucky enough to find this figure earlier in the month. I like her helicopter mode, but her robot form leaves a lot to be desired.

Perhaps I need to dig out a Starscream to lead them all into battle. Or not. Starscream’s track record as a field commander is questionable at best.

Transform and Roll Out.

When people mention Transformers, my first thought always go to G1 and its derivatives (CHUG, MP, Binaltechs). Very often, it actually takes a sec or two for me to realize they mean Transformers of the Michael Bay variety. Movie TFs will forever be secondary priority for me, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any good figures from this line. In fact, one of my favorite figs from the past few years in any TF line is ROTF voyager Mindwipe. I don’t think Mindwipe made an appearance in the movies, but he’s an excellent figure that every TransFan should pick up. He’s a good update of the G1 Headmaster character for the modern era. The fact that he transforms into a stealth bomber is very fitting, and his color scheme certainly doesn’t disappoint those of us that can still recall the G1 character.

Some months ago, I stumbled upon a listing on Amazon for this G2 Dreadwind & Smokescreen Set. I’m aware of the Strafe repaint, but I did not know about this one. Anyway, at first glance this blue repaint didn’t seem all that cool. But upon closer inspection, I see that there’s a drone sitting on top of Dreadwind. Looking even closer, I see that the drone is actually a repaint of Sunspot! I bought Sunspot when I went to BotCon 2011. Sunspot is not a bad figure. But I had no idea that these 2 figures can be combined like that. I’m not sure if Hasbro advertised this feature anywhere.

So then I did come quick Googling and found that there was a Scout figure called Skystalker that was released at the time Mindwipe was released. I have seen Skystalker in the stores, but back then I paid little to no attention to Scout figures. Which is shame because Skystalker is now worth big bucks. Skystalker’s color scheme is designed to match well with that of Mindwipe’s, and the two combined looks pretty awesome. Lots of fans apparently knew about this combination gimmick. I guess I missed out for not paying attention.

I mentioned in my last post that I bought a bunch of GDO figures, including Laserbeak. Laserbeak is a repaint of Skystalker/Sunspot. Laserbeak arrived this week, so I thought it’s time to dig out Mindwipe and try this combo for myself. But first let’s see how this looks with Sunspot.

I got mixed feelings about this particular combo. I kinda like the black and white contrast, but it does look weird. Still, I now verified first hand that this can be done. Now I’m wondering if there are other figures out there meant to do this sort of thing.

But now let’s see how it looks with Laserbeak.

Much better in my opinion. The black on the 2 figures match real well. The red on Laserbeak is also a good match for Mindwipe’s cockpit. All in all I like this look quite a bit.

If you’re wondering how this is done, take a look at the pic below. There are pegs on the bottom of Laserbeak that are designed to go into holes on the top of Mindwipe.

I guess the Laserbeak mold is designed to perch on Mindwipe’s shoulder in robot mode, but I think it looks kinda goofy.

Below is a proposed Mindwipe and Laserbeak combination in robot mode. Some fan came up with this, I can’t take credit. The result is pretty cool, though it looks quite freaky too. Like some kind of Gerwalk/Alien thing. Definitely resembles something Michael Bay could cook up.

That’s all for now. Lots more TFs to come! Transform and Roll Out!

October is starting off right! Today I visited my local Toys R Us store and found me some GDO figures. These went up on toysrus.com last week. When I found out, Springer and Wheelie were already sold out. I did manage to order Swerve and Cliffjumper, but I was starting to worry that I missed out on the rest. This week they’re not even listed on the website anymore. So I was super happy when I saw them in store! Check out the pics I took on my phone.

I really like the look of the GDO packaging. The Chinese writing really adds that extra something. All these figures are repaints, but the Deluxe figures all have new head molds. The new paint schemes on some of the Scout figures look quite good as well. So even though I have every single one of these molds, I still wanted most of these. For a long time they were Asia only, and I’m glad TRU is able to bring them out here as exclusives.

For the Deluxe size figures, Wheelie appears to be the most rare. On the website, he was the first to be sold out, and in store there was only 1 of him and 2 or 3 of the rest. Same goes for Brawl of the Scout figures.

Anyway, I left the store with Brawl, Wheelie, and Springer (most bottom pic above, taken in the trunk of my car). Like I said, I got Swerve and Cliffjumper already. In that same order I also got Laserbeak. This means the only ones I decided against were Dead End and Sandstorm. I’m not too impressed with that Dead End mold (I have Oil Slick). And I already have 2 of the Sandstorm mold (as Dune Runner and Beachcomber).

It’s a good feeling to finally find some new TFs. That hasn’t happened for some time. Now I’m hoping to find some GDO Voyagers, and the US version of MP Optimus.

What does GDO stand for anyway? Girl’s Day Out? Garage Door Opener? We may never know. But know this… head to Toys R Us now before they disappear! Transform and Roll Out!

In the past I have assembled all my Optimus Prime figures for a group photo. Similarly, the leader of the Decepticons deserves a group shot of his own, and that’s what I’m doing today. I dug out all my Megatron figures, scattered across shelves and closets, and combined them for one pic. If all these Megatron really joined forces, they would take over the world, if not the universe. That’s of course if they don’t start fighting among themselves.

With the exception of the Masterpiece (MP-05) and Classic Ultimate Battle 2-Pack, all my Megatrons are in alt modes. They appear in the pics below.

From left to right:
Top shelf: Titanium (GIJoe vs TF), Titanium (War Within), Generations Deluxe (War For Cybertron), Reveal the Shield Legend G1, Classic Voyager, TF Prime Voyager, TF United Voyager, DOTM Voyager, Hegemon
Bottom shelf: TF Animated Leader, TF Animated Voyager

Below is a pic of my unopened Megatrons.

Alternity (top left), Japanese G1 Re-issue (bottom left), Encore G1 Re-issue (right)

Two of my Megatrons are in storage, so I’ll just use pics that I took before.

Masterpiece MP-05 (the gun, duh)

Classic Deluxe G2, in the Ultimate Battle 2-Pack, top left

Some random thoughts as I look at all these Megatrons:
• I only have one Megatron from the Movie-verse. That tells you how much I like Bay’s re-imaging of the character. I only got the DOTM Voyager version because the toy itself is kinda cool. And that cape gimmick is unseen in the TF World.
• Most of these figures are pretty good, if not exceptional. The only one that I would not recommend is the TF Animated Voyager Megatron. This is one of those figs that I wish I could take back to the store, if I didn’t buy him online. Both alt and robot modes are weak, and there are constructions issues galore. Get any of the other Megs on here before this one.
• The Titanium GIJoe vs TF Megatron is also not that great, but his tank mode looks cool. And he’s quite heavy, something sorely lacking in today’s TFs. And for those reasons, I put him above the TFA Voyager.
• I can’t say which is my favorite Megatron on here. The MP is just a brilliant piece in TF engineering. Same goes for Hegemon. The TF Prime Voyager, TF Animated Leader, and WFC Deluxe are all very impressive figures. These are probably my top 5. Hard to put a rank on them, though.
• As for having multiples, I got 2 of the TF Animated Leader, 2 of the Japanese G1 Re-issue, 2 of the MP, and 2 of the RtS Legend fig. I got a 2nd TFA Leader fig because TRU was clearing them out one time for $20. As for the Japanese Re-issue, I was forced to buy 2. You can see the $130 price tag in the pic, which is for 2. I got this set from a dealer at AX. I figure at $65 per Meg, it’s still a good price. I got 2 MPs purely for the purpose of selling one later. I don’t even know if the MP has gone up in price. The RtS Legend Megs was only found at discount stores, for $3.99. First time was at Marshalls, and then some months later at Tuesday Morning.
• The most difficult of these to transform is without a doubt the MP, which I mentioned in this post (BTW, that post seriously needs an update).
• And speaking of transformation, maybe one day I’ll transform them all into robot mode and make another post. No time for that today.

Here are links to my other collection posts:
Optimus Prime
More Optimus Prime
Cliffjumper
Ratchet

Long Live Megatron! Transform and Roll Out!

July is another semi-productive month as far as TF shopping goes. What sort of goodies did I acquire? Open your optic sensors and behold!

• TF Prime Cyberverse Dreadwing, Walmart, $9.47

• Hegemon, eBay, $99.99 shipped

• Generations FOC Shockwave, TRU, $14.99

• TF Prime Weaponizer Optimus Prime, Kmart, $29.99

• TF Prime FE Cliffjumper, eBay, $33.90 shipped

That’s 5 TFs for the month. 3 from TF Prime, 1 from Generations (Fall of Cybertron), and 1 third party product.

I have written enough about Shockwave in this post and in this post, so I won’t repeat my Shockwave hunting adventures again. I have since opened the figure though, and let me tell you, he’s awesome! He’s definitely worth reviewing. I may do one if I find the time.

Dreadwing is OK. I was quite impressed with Cyberverse Ironhide, so I gave Dreadwing a shot, even though Cyberverse figs normally aren’t my cup of Energon. Both of Dreadwing’s modes look pretty good. But he’s got this problem with the alt mode where the feet don’t line up right. His legs also fall off a lot during transformation. I’m waiting for the Voyager version of this figure.

I finally got to opening the Japanese-only zombie Cliffjumper last month, and I was very impressed with the figure. FE CJ is way better than the mediocre RID CJ that Hasbro saw fit to stick with us here in the States. So I had to track down a regular non-zombie FE version of Cliffjumper. I checked eBay, and prices for this figure is actually reasonable in the low $30s. When Gemini and I went to Wondercon, we only saw one dealer have this figure, and they wanted $50! One guy on eBay now had it at $33.90, and I wasted no time to get one. He arrived sometime last week. I’ve yet to open this figure, but I already know how the mold is from zombie CJ. Another addition to my Cliffjumper collection.

I opened TF Prime Weaponizer Optimus. I think in robot mode he actually looks pretty cool. I like the shoulder cannon gimmick, and I find myself playing with it often when I’m bored. He’s also got enough weapon ports that you can stick a lot of ordnance on him. So when you have him hold a rifle in each hand, and got the shoulder cannons going, and all tricked out with weapons from other TFs, he looks like he’s ready to kick some serious Decepticon ass! Totally worthy of the name Weaponizer. He does have a bulky back, and his legs are hollow in the rear, which can be a turn off for many. I haven’t transformed this figure yet. I’ll reserve final thoughts til I do.

And that leaves Hegemon. This is a third party product from new comer ToyWorld. I didn’t know how this figure would turn out, but all my doubts are put to rest after I got him. Hegemon is an amazing interpretation of the famous Decepticon leader. In my opinion, this is tied with MP-5 for being the best looking G1 Megatron made. I’m actually a little tempted to give the honor to Hegemon, since the legs look better. In gun mode he also looks perfect, and comes with all attachments (unlike the MP). Hegemon is also easier to transform than the MP, though I wouldn’t call the transformation easy when compared to your average TFs. Construction wise, he’s a little delicate so you have to be careful. But overall he’s an excellent update of Megatron for your CHUG line.

On a separate but related note, I was not able to secure a order of the SDCC exclusive FOC G1-colored Bruticus. I watched HTS for weeks, and they sell out as soon as the figure goes up. Looks like I’ll have to pay some markup if I really want the item. Total bummer. But I could have a lot of TFs next month, since I got so much stuff on pre-order. Until then… Transform and Roll Out!

Shock to the system! It looks like the fear I mentioned in my last post was quite unfounded. I went to a different TRU today and found me some Fall of Cybertron Shockwaves!

There were only 6 FOC figures total, but 3 of them were Shockwave! Totally shocking! I never thought I would see him outnumber the 2 Primes and 1 Jazz that were there. But whatever. I’m happy to find some before my pre-order arrives. I grabbed 2 of them, one for me and one for my buddy Gemini. Left 1 Shockwave on the shelve for another lucky TransFan.

I will have another Shockwave when my order from TFS arrives. Earlier in the year I mentioned I stopped buying multiples of the same figure. Guess there goes that rule. Oh well. I have a feeling Shockwave will have some good value later on. Might be a good idea to keep more than 1 around.

“Clarity of thought before rashness of action.” Go Shockwave! Transform and Roll Out.