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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    If they do just a cassette pack, that'd be great. But then I'd probably want Soundwave to use with them. It's a vicious circle.
  2. M'Kyuun
    Thanks, Kuma. I appreciate the encouragement. Good pose with Prime.
  3. M'Kyuun
    Not that I can see. True, but I do like that Unicron's arms fold and form a decent chunk of the equator on the planet's backside like in the movie. But that the remaining 90 percent of his transformation is shell-forming, especially after seeing Zeta's, is a bit disheartening. I'm not a fan of shell-forming b/c it's essentially a cheat, the result of which is usually large unsightly stuff hanging off the bot mode. Unicron and MP Arcee prove the point. That said, I don't know if we'll ever get a better official Unicron toy in my lifetime, so I bit the bullet. No regrets thus far, but, for the exuberant price, that thing better be completely free of issues, lazy shell-forming engineering notwithstanding. I own MMC's Azalea, and from what I'm seeing of MP Arcee, I already own the superior toy.
  4. M'Kyuun
    Not sure if I'm going to bite on the NA Soundwave, but I appreciate the info. I prob would go for two cassettes, anyways, as they're the main reason I'd buy Soundwave. Love me some TF cassettes. I really want that Ravage. As far as the stabs tucking into the legs on NA's Seekers, I prefer that to their hanging off the ankles. I think it's absolutely brilliant how they fold and fill that space nigh seamlessly. It's just good engineering for which I think the bit of colored panel is a negligible price to pay. Of course, YMMV. I'm not sure I understand what you're referring to concerning the shin vents. They're a little too wide, IMO, and they're broken up to accommodate the main landing gear (a worthy sacrifice, IMO), but otherwise they have the approximate shaping correct. If anything, they're missing the actual vent detail on the bottom. But I'm glad they're at least sculpted three dimensionally like the original toys, rather just being flat trapezoids painted on. That was one of my few complaints with the Maketoys Seeker. Those vents, along with detail in general, have become the legacy of Sunbow. Kuma- thanks for the compliment on my photos above! Hopefully the humor outshone my lack of talent.
  5. M'Kyuun
    My thinking is about the same regarding high end figures; I'd rather not use stickers, and quite honestly, when I'm shelling $100 or more for a figure, I expect paint and/or tampo to complete the deco. On 3P TFs, I'll put a faction sticker on, but that's about it. Even as I say that, the majority of my 3P TFs don't have them. I simply don't like applying them. I wish I was a better painter, as I'd probably add details like tail lights and such that Hasbro often ignores on mainline figures. I seldom buy Toyhax labels unless there's a figure that can really benefit from them. MMC's Jaguar comes to mind. The thing about Toyhax is they often come with a lot of what I consider superfluous labels on a sheet, and I'd just rather not pay for them. I haven't done waterslides in years; they have the benefit of being really thin and more forgiving in their application, but like Skyla said, they become brittle and flake over time. I've never messed with dry rub. I wish I knew somebody in my area that was skilled with painting and decaling. I'd toss a few ducats their way from time to time to spruce up some of the more needy figures. Looking at Mike's paint and decal job on Earthrise Prime, I'm definitely feeling inspired to do something similar. I wish Hasbro had done a better job of it right out of the box.
  6. M'Kyuun
    Third party TFs and LEGO, my other hobby, both oft require stickers to complete the look. Even after all these years, I'm still hit & miss on the application- some days I'm dead on, and some days I can't put one on straight to save my life. But at all times, I find having to affix them to be a major PITA. So I strongly empathize with you, Kuma. It's one of the reasons I'm so glad that Bandai is liberal with their tampo, sometimes to excess. But it beats having a completely plain Jane look like Arcadia- looking at you, YF-19. They didn't even print the intake warnings, which should be a minimal print. Got my New Age Seekers today, and they are glorious. I wish Skywarp, my fave of the three, had come with a neutral expression head as well as his yelling face. He's perpetually locked in a scream, and I'm not crazy about that. All three come with a mini Megatron in gun mode, two sets of fixed pose hands (pointing, and palm up, fingers splayed), their shoulder weapons, two bomb looking weapons for fighter mode, two sets of blast effect parts, and a stand. Instead of the Megatron gun, a secondary head for each with a different expression would have been cool, but whatever. On to the good stuff. The transformation is nothing short of ingenious. It's amazing to me that folks keep finding new ways to transform the old F-15 into the G1 Seekers, and New Age created a novel system that delivers an interesting, fun, and effective transformation that results in an extremely well-articulated bot mode that looks like it stepped out of the cartoon. It's a brilliant design, an observation only amplified by it's size (about 4" to the tops of the intake ramps in bot mode). For those unaware, or curious, the jet exhaust augmenters, which form the heels, are die-cast. The metal on mine is very shiny, so it's either highly polished or painted in a gloss coat of some sort. Realistically, it should look ashy and carbon streaked, but on such a tiny figure, I kinda dig the shininess. Other than screws/pins, that's the only metal I detect. The paint, where applied, on mine is done well. The only negative I have, which can be remedied with a screwdriver, is the tightness of the calf blocks, which need to rotate 180 degrees to position the tail stabilizers during transformation. The stabs are on a ball joint, and I had to pop them off in order to rotate those blocks on each of them. Handling these guys only drives home the inadequacies of the voyager scaled Earthrise Starscream figure, and makes me wish third party would start doing CHUG scale again, especially where the official toys beggar a superior replacement. Whether you're a legends collector or not, I'd recommend these guys; they look fantastic, they're just plain fun to pose or transform, and their small size makes them convenient for display. I'm no Kuma, but I did a quick and dirty little setup to show these guys off.
  7. M'Kyuun
    Quoting tekering: "Takara has been sacrificing the robot mode for the sake of the alt. mode since before they were called Transformers." Kinda the nature of the beast with current technologies. If we ever develop shapeshifting materials at a cheap cost, I could see that revolutionizing this hobby. But as long as these are subject to practical mechanical transformations, there's always going to be a give and take relationship between modes. There's definitely a lack of consistency from figure to figure across lines, though- some are fantastic, some are good (they get the job done), and some are very poor. My observation is that when Takara was designing the Diaclone and Micro-change lines, the focus was on what we call an alt mode today, and to them the bot mode was the 'alt mode', as that was the gimmick. Over time, with better tech and techniques applied to these toys, our mindset has changed 180, where many of us feel the bot mode should be the primary, with concessions as necessary applied to the alt mode. That's been my mindset ever since I picked up Prowl, my first Transformer, back in '84 and discovered that the box art was a lie and the toy within was a brick. I'm a true believer in the "Robots in Disguise" catchphrase: make the bot mode the primary focus, and then craft the best possible alt mode within that limitation. As far as G1 Arcee goes, she's always going to be, at least in part, a shell-former. Her designers did her no favors so far as practicality is concerned (much like the Bayformers). However, we've already seen two arguably better translations, via MMC and Fans Toys, in terms of aesthetics and condensing her car mode into her shoulder pods. We know it can be done better, which makes Takara's attempt a bit disappointing. I've seen arguments concerning the toy's curviness compared to the boxier artwork, and to me, that's likely another artifact of simplification for repetition of cell drawings. Personally, I think she looks better curvy. It's subjective. Those huge messy pods, though, are a little harder to alibi. The cut of the chestplate is hard to ignore, too; had they given it a more gradual angle extending up to the shoulders, I think it would have made a markedly better difference. As it is, b/c of the abrupt cut, she looks saggy and unnatural. How Takara could look at this as a final mold against the current competition, I don't know.
  8. M'Kyuun
    If you don't already have the regular version, I can attest she's a good figure. With more pics of the official MP circulating, I think MMC did a better job overall. Just my $.02. I'm not too crazy about the proto colors, but if you like it, then good for you. Hope she's issue free and you get a lot of enjoyment from her. Out of context, that sounds all kinds of wrong.
  9. M'Kyuun
    Toyhax is probably the best known third party sticker producer.
  10. M'Kyuun
    New pics of MP Arcee are up on TFW2005. The face looks better than the first pics we saw, but everything else is pretty much the same. The chest I think I could live with, but I have to wonder if they couldn't have tried a little harder to compress that backpack. Rather unsightly. Her feet look weird, too. The 'I just moseyed into the saloon for a drink' pose isn't the most flattering.
  11. M'Kyuun
    I agree, but only if Dave Filoni is at least lead writer. I saw another interview where he expressed his reluctance to direct live action at this point, although he's learning a lot from working with Jon Favreau. From all the positive vibe that surrounds The Mandalorian, they sound like a good team, and I wouldn't balk if they chose to collaborate on a live action Ahsoka movie or series. Anyway, I wasn't crazy about her character after seeing the feature length Clone Wars movie, and probably still lukewarm after the first season or so, but as they developed her character over the years in Clone Wars, and then in Rebels, I've come 180 on my thinking. She's become an essential part of the story, which really shows the merits of good writing/acting to give her import and presence. I hope her story's not over yet, whether it be live action or animation. She's become too interesting to retire.
  12. M'Kyuun
    I just got my New Age Megatron today; I bought the three-Seeker pack and it shipped at the same time, but for some reason didn't come today. Fed Ex says tomorrow, so hopefully, I'll have 'em in hand then. But Megatron is really an ingenious little figure, with a transformation that's very reminiscent of the G1 toy, just more complex (many more moving parts, and a very G1 animation accurate bot mode). To compare it to MP is rather apt, especially at legends scale. I find myself wishing it were voyager scale instead, as it'd make for a great G1 Megs for the CHUG shelf. We all know we're never going to get another pistol alt here in the States unless the gun laws as they apply to toys are greatly eased. History indicates the opposite is more likely. As for the Seekers, I watched vids of both New Age's and Magic Square's Seekers, and ultimately went with the NA. TBH, I think the intakes are more real world F-15 accurate on the MS, but as a total package, the New Age design cinched it. I do have to say that MS's Megatron looks pretty sweet from the proto pics, cleaner in bot mode than NA's, and I may snag one of those, too, if reviews are positive. According to ShowZ, there are two options for MS' Soundwave, as a cheaper option comes with one cassette, and the slightly more expensive version comes with two (about a $4 difference), although the promo pic shows Rumble, Frenzy, Laserbeak, Ravage, Ratbat, and that weird repair droid cassette that one of the third parties came up with years ago (KFC, I think). ShowZ says they don't know which cassette(s) is/are coming with either version, so that gives me pause. I'd be pissed if I got that stupid repair droid thing instead of one of the canon cassettes. I want that Ravage, so I'm hoping they'll sell these things separately or in two-packs- something like that.
  13. M'Kyuun
    I'm assuming you're talking about the black bits at the forward tip of the canopy. AFAIK, there are no parts in the palette currently whose shape would allow for a seamless continuation of the canopy's curvature, let alone in clear. The canopy is a new piece, but quite reminiscent of this cone , so I can see the potential for it's showing up in future rocket sets. TBH, I never noticed the front of that thing until you mentioned it, Dobber. It's not the most elegant solution, but it doesn't really bother me, either. I'm not getting the set, as I've always seen the A-Wing as a rather uninteresting design. I have a number of the System sets, including the dark green one from 2019, so I'm good. It might be a good parts set, but I haven't even looked to see if there's an inventory posted yet. I've been wishing for years that they'd make an inverted boat stud that could round off the tip of a 4x4 cone. Something like that would fix your issue, I think.
  14. M'Kyuun
    Even when F-16 Fighting Falcon became the official name, Viper stuck around and became the unofficial nickname for the F-16. The name "Viper" is even officially used for the Joe Bill Dreyden "Semper Viper" award, which is awarded for excellent airmanship by F-16 pilots. While I have no way to confirm or deny, all of this sounds legit to me. I can definitely attest to attitudes of the higher ups and their concern with public image. I can also understand the analogy of the Colonial Viper, since the F-16 must have seemed a rather futuristic aircraft when it was introduced. Battlestar Galactica also presented a romanticized and heroic view of fighter pilots, so a lot young pilots at the time likely made that association. It was the Top Gun of the late 70's. As to the name 'Lawn dart', I'd use it, still do from time to time, without any real malice intended, regardless of its pejorative origin. Truth be told, my admiration of the F-16 was one of the reasons I joined the Air Force. Ironically, I never got to work on them, as in the USAF, crew chiefs do all the hydraulic maintenance on fighters, with an occasional assist from backshop. Backshop is staffed with specifically trained hydraulic technicians, which is what I was. In that capacity, I had the rare opportunity to work on the F-15 as an Airman or Airman First Class (A1C). Beyond that infrequent bit of experience at my first base, my only other experience with a fighter was, IIRC, trying to reattach a hard-to-reach cannon plug on an F-18 transient that landed at Fairchild AFB. I'm a short little guy with T-Rex arms, and I just didn't have the reach, so someone else was the hero that day. But it was cool to get up and personal with a Navy fighter, and I love the F-18, so it was cool.
  15. M'Kyuun
    As a mecha show coming from Kawamori and Satelite, I'm surprised there are no toys or models to be found. The show itself didn't really grab me (I have yet to finish it after getting about 2/3 through it nearly two years ago), but kawamori's mecha designs were cool, and I wouldn't mind having some DX versions from Bandai.
  16. M'Kyuun
    Guilty! That unfortunate moniker was earned from the high rate of crashes in its early days from mechanical issues, flameouts, or pilot error. Fly-by-wire's great until there's a computer glitch or a crossed wire. In an inherently unstable aircraft, the pilot's completely dependent on it to maintain control. Similar issues cropped up with the F-114. Pilot's in the early days called it the "Wobbly Goblin".
  17. M'Kyuun
    Wasn't aware of a finale, so thanks for the heads up.
  18. M'Kyuun
    I can understand why- it's fragile and finnicky for sure. But I wanted that particular model of the Delta Plus specifically b/c it had perfect transformation. I happened to see it in WR mode in a display at my local Hobbytown, and asked about it. Once I found out what it was from one of the employees, I did a little research and settled on the MG. No regerts. I think it's lovely in both modes. I have the transforming VF-25 model from Bandai, but I only completed about a third of it. I have a terrible track record of starting models and never finishing them. I also have a VF-19, which I started and never finished. Toys definitely appeal to me more, especially in the transforming realm, but at the time I bought the VF-25 model, Bandai had only released their first DX toy at that time, and I thought it was terrible. The model was more accurate, especially in the hip placement in B-mode. Typically, I started it, and but didn't finish, and then Bandai came out with V2 of the VF-25 which fixed all that was wrong with the DX, and the model basically got shelved. Not sure why I'm like that, TBH. I thoroughly enjoy the assembly process. With the quality fit of the parts these days, there's an immense sense of satisfaction in putting them together. What I don't like is all the trimming and sanding to try and eliminate sprue marks. It's a necessary evil that takes a lot of time, but worth the time it takes to minimize their appearance. I'm not the best at it, admittedly, but I try. I avoid painting as much as possible, as I paint by hand, and I've little talent for it. I relegate painting to detail work only, which is why I'm such a fan of how the Bandai models use dual molded parts or layering of different colored parts in assemblies thus eschewing the necessity of painting. If they sold these things pre-trimmed, and all you had to do was assemble, that'd be fantastic.
  19. M'Kyuun
    I worked heavies most of my career, so most of the fighter jargon was over my head. The vid with the Spanish pilot was funny, though. I did a full 20 in aircraft maintenance, and was stationed on a base with F-16s for a few years, and never once heard them called 'vipers'. Anybody shed some light on where the nickname originated? Funny how much fighter pilots like to pick on the A-10. Different roles to play, and nothing does the job like the Warthog. The F-35 is supposed to replace them, but, um, no.
  20. M'Kyuun
    Yeah, in terms of features, this outshines all previous AT-AT sets. The skinny legs and lack of printing on the leg joints are the only detractors. The original AT-AT, 4483, is still the best, IMHO, for creating a balanced look and having those printed dishes. The upper joint, where it connects to the body, should be slightly greater in diameter than the knee joints, but on the last few AT-ATs, they've used the 4-wide dishes for both. The original set got it right in that regard- 6 wide at the body, and 4 wide at the knees, not to mention the legs were 4 stud wide plates rather than the three-wide LEGO's been using of late. As I said, a little modding of the legs and it'll be right as rain.
  21. M'Kyuun
    In regards to LEGO's Saturn V and Cobi's, due to the differing parts and techniques they use, both are unique building experiences with little in common. Cobi's is very much a studs up stacking build, whereas the majority of LEGO's was heavy use of SNOT building techniques. The latter is one of the coolest LEGO sets I have ever built, and I've built quite a few. Cobi: https://www.amazon.com/COBI-S-T-E-M-Collection-Saturn-V/dp/B079K7KLL2 LEGO: https://bricktasticblog.com/blog/21309-nasa-apollo-saturn-v-review/
  22. M'Kyuun
    I was thinking the same thing throughout the whole season, but especially through the last three parts. Just incredible storytelling, and all the VAs slipped back into their roles seamlessly. I wish they'd put Filoni in charge of the last three numbered episodes; I think we would have gotten a very coherent and fitting end to the Skywalker Saga instead of the convoluted mess it turned out to be. He certainly understands how to tell an engaging story within the Star Wars universe. The production value was impressive for this last season, especially for the last three eps. It didn't have as strong an emotional impact for me as the end of Rebels, but it still struck a chord, especially that particular touching scene with the Clones, which made Order 66 all the more jarring, even though you know it's coming. I kinda wondered if that was Ray Park- the moves were so on point. Ray's still incredible. Kudos to Lauren Mary Kim for providing a perfect physical foil as Ahsoka's mocap stunt woman. It's definitely worth the few minutes to watch the vid of them creating the fight scene. Overall, a great arc to cap off an excellent series, and finish that part of Ahsoka's story before we see her reappearance in Rebels. Thank you, Dave Filoni and Company, for making me want to continue the story in a galaxy far, far away.
  23. M'Kyuun
    I never really had much interest in Cobi before, but the turn of the conversation made me curious. Looks like they've got the license to do Top Gun: Maverick sets. I didn't realize they were a Polish company; TBH, I figured they were Chinese, or Japanese. Regardless, they make some nice looking kits, and the prices are really reasonable, especially when looking at the prices on some LEGO stuff. If they ever did a YF-23 or a Horton 229, I think I'd bite. Coming back around to LEGO, looks like the rumor was true; there's an AT-AT set coming this summer. It took them 20 years, but they finally made an AT-AT than can accommodate not only two drivers, but also Gen Veers, within the head. The legs are terribly skinny and disproportionate, though. Might have to mod those when I get a copy or three.
  24. M'Kyuun
    I'm a G1 fan, having grown up with it from the beginning, but, honestly, I wish and I hope they create something new for this movie- a whole new cast from the top. I don't mind references to Prime, Megatron, and their respective gangs, but give the kids of this generation their own story to carry forward, rather than recycling one that's 30+ years old. It would serve to enrichen the overall Transformers universe, and give us new toys. Time to move on. TBH, my nostalgia for G1 runs rather shallow, i.e. first season. I like the '86 movie, too, but it's certainly not without its faults, the greatest of which is how casually they dispatched half of the G1 Autobots, killed Prime, and turned Megatron into a weird space cannon, all in the name of merchandising. I realize they're a toy company, but it tells me that Hasbro had no connection to these characters they'd created; their animation properties were advertisements, pure and simple. Not a knock, just how it is. I don't think they ever imagined that it'd still be one of their best selling properties of all time thirty-some years down the road, and when some of the old-timers behind the scenes wax warm and fuzzy about the show and these characters, I take it with a heaping cup of cynicism, no sugar please. It's cool that they pander to the fanbase, which has kept them in business churning out these wonderful toys all these years, as well as merchandise and media of every kind. I appreciate that they appreciate the passion of the fans, especially since some of those fans grew up and now work for them (a lot like LEGO in that respect). I've always been in it primarily for the toys, although I retain an undying love for the first season, as that's where they established the core characters and set a tone that was more mature than the rest of the series would enjoy. It kinda devolved into silliness thereafter, and I became disheartened with the show, so I never really forged a passion for anything else G1. Thus, without the heavy anchor of nostalgia weighing me down, I'm ready for a new continuity. I'd still love to see it set on Earth, just maybe another 100 years in the future, or in a different part of the world, or even set in the Eighties, but operating independently of Prime and Megatron, similar to how the Insecticons had operated on their own for untold years. I like the idea that little groups of these crafty Cybertronians could have been living among us for centuries without detection, adapting and changing their alts to suit their environment and the emerging technologies of their host planet. I think there are plenty of stories to tell. I don't read the comics, but I know peripherally that some of them have touched on these themes, and I think it's fertile ground for a new story to be told, and this is a perfect opportunity to tell it. And, more importantly, a perfect opportunity to crank out new toys! Edit: A day after writing this rambling diatribe, I read the blurb on TFW where it clearly states that this is going to be a G1 prequel set entirely on Cybertron. That doesn't really get me excited, as the history between OP and Megs and their war has pretty much been told. Where they've been doesn't interest me as much as the legacy of the events of the '86 film, or just a whole new continuity. Regardless, looks like we're getting a prequel.
  25. M'Kyuun
    Finished the MG Delta Plus yesterday, and transformed it to Waverider today. What a chore that transformation is, and the directions aren't the best. I wish they'd used actual photos instead of illustrations. I kept referring to the box photos to sort it out, and eventually got it together. I eschewed the little add-on stabilizer bits, opting for perfect transformation. It's a little fiddlier, I imagine, but the joints are all tight, and it maintains well enough to pick it up and swoosh it. I couldn't get either of the forward canards to rotate out- just too tight a swivel, and they give you no fingernail indent. Overall, though, I'm quite pleased with it. I've watched a number of reviews of it, with the majority opinion being that it's trash. Not my assessment at all; on the contrary, for a transforming model at that scale (1/100), I think the engineering works well, and the sculpting is beautiful. It's only hampered by the fact that it is a model first and foremost, and so there's an element of fragility there that must be observed and respected. This was only about the fourth Gundam model I've ever fully assembled (still have a partially built F91 laying around somewhere that I bought in '91- need to finish that guy), and I'm always blown away by the fit and sculpting of these things. If they keep making them this good, this Gundam stuff might just catch on.
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