The Unlicensed Third Party Transformers Thread

[spanner]

MPP-10 is such a beast!!

[mikeszekely]

After sitting on the fence between Gravity Builder and Constructor, I caved today and ordered ToyWorld's not-Scrapper and not-Mixmaster. I had to have Scrapper because he's my favorite Constructicon, went with not-Mixmaster to get free shipping and figured I'd work from the ground up. Next month I'll do not-Long Haul and not-Hook, wait another month, then do not-Bonecrusher and not-Scavenger.

I was starting to get interested in TFC's Poseidon, but I've decided to do Devy first and wait for some reviews.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

MPP-10 is such a beast!!

Could you put next to some other MPs? I wanna see how the carbots look with him.

[dizman]

Did they make a Nemesis color version of MPP-10? BTW that Macross the First VF-1 looks great!

[David Hingtgen]

There's a TON of Devastators, but Poseidon is the only Piranacon. Easy choice IMHO. (Assuming you like Piranacon----he's far less popular, thus far fewer versions

Abominus is also lower-tier popularity-wise, but above the Seacons! MMC's Abominus is only slightly past the rumor stage though. TFC could easily have an Abominus out before MMC does.

[mikeszekely]

There's a TON of Devastators, but Poseidon is the only Piranacon. Easy choice IMHO. (Assuming you like Piranacon----he's far less popular, thus far fewer versions

Abominus is also lower-tier popularity-wise, but above the Seacons! MMC's Abominus is only slightly past the rumor stage though. TFC could easily have an Abominus out before MMC does.

There ARE a ton of Devastators, which made choosing one a little bit of a challenge. For me, it boils down like:

CW Devy: aesthetically ok but hollow bots with limited articulation, ok combined mode from the front.

TFC Hercules: sub-par bots, so-so combined mode.

Maketoys Green Giant: awful bots, very good combined mode

GT Gravity Builder: Mostly ok bots, minus Bonecrusher, good combined mode.

TW Constructor: Excellent bots, ok combined mode that is, at least, better than CW Devy.

Herc is out because early TFC quality is kind of meh. Maketoys is out because I don't like the individual bots. Hasbro is out because they're hollow, and Scrapper doesn't even have elbows. It really came down to GT and TW, and like I said GT is looking better combined but TW's individual bots blow GT's out of the water.

As for Poseidon, getting Devy will complete my 3P combiners that were in the American G1 cartoon... plus he's a week or two away from being totally available, and I've seen enough reviews for the first four to have a sense of what I'm getting into. With Poseidon, even though TFSource and BBTS are saying April (whoops, already missed that one) or May for Mentarazor and Cyberjaw I'm betting we won't see them until 3rd quarter at the earliest. I think Big Bite will probably be coming out soon, but I'm still not thinking before June. If I keep buying in pairs to save on shipping, and if the reviews are ok, I'll start on him in August as long as at least two are available by then. I might be done for the year after Poseidon, since he completes the US G1 combiners until Fansproject releases their Monstructor repaints of their Dinoking guys. The only exception I'd make is if someone discounts the TW Throttlebot combiner for under $300 around Black Friday. Then, in 2017, I'll start with Hades (assuming Poseidon is done) before looking again at the Dinobot combiners, hope Monstructor is ready, and close it out with the Throttlebots if I haven't already bought them, all the while crossing my fingers and hoping that no one else releases some other Japanese combiner I've never heard of but will naturally want. And I'm definitely hoping that no one releases a better version of a combiner I already have before I'm caught up. So far I still think I prefer M3 to the Transformission one that's coming, and even a drawing of Hotspot doesn't have me thinking MMC will release any new combiners before 2018. I think the only one I might have to worry about is Superion.

[slaginpit]

Just having some fun

There ARE a ton of Devastators, which made choosing one a little bit of a challenge. For me, it boils down like:

CW Devy: aesthetically ok but hollow bots with limited articulation, ok combined mode from the front.

TFC Hercules: sub-par bots, so-so combined mode.

Maketoys Green Giant: awful bots, very good combined mode

GT Gravity Builder: Mostly ok bots, minus Bonecrusher, good combined mode.

TW Constructor: Excellent bots, ok combined mode that is, at least, better than CW Devy.

Herc is out because early TFC quality is kind of meh. Maketoys is out because I don't like the individual bots. Hasbro is out because they're hollow, and Scrapper doesn't even have elbows. It really came down to GT and TW, and like I said GT is looking better combined but TW's individual bots blow GT's out of the water.

As for Poseidon, getting Devy will complete my 3P combiners that were in the American G1 cartoon... plus he's a week or two away from being totally available, and I've seen enough reviews for the first four to have a sense of what I'm getting into. With Poseidon, even though TFSource and BBTS are saying April (whoops, already missed that one) or May for Mentarazor and Cyberjaw I'm betting we won't see them until 3rd quarter at the earliest. I think Big Bite will probably be coming out soon, but I'm still not thinking before June. If I keep buying in pairs to save on shipping, and if the reviews are ok, I'll start on him in August as long as at least two are available by then. I might be done for the year after Poseidon, since he completes the US G1 combiners until Fansproject releases their Monstructor repaints of their Dinoking guys. The only exception I'd make is if someone discounts the TW Throttlebot combiner for under $300 around Black Friday. Then, in 2017, I'll start with Hades (assuming Poseidon is done) before looking again at the Dinobot combiners, hope Monstructor is ready, and close it out with the Throttlebots if I haven't already bought them, all the while crossing my fingers and hoping that no one else releases some other Japanese combiner I've never heard of but will naturally want. And I'm definitely hoping that no one releases a better version of a combiner I already have before I'm caught up. So far I still think I prefer M3 to the Transformission one that's coming, and even a drawing of Hotspot doesn't have me thinking MMC will release any new combiners before 2018. I think the only one I might have to worry about is Superion.

Personally I think TFC is the best because it is essentially a perfect combinor. The treads forming the arms is a great feature. Of course if you want the G1 Look you can go for the Add ons

[technoblue]

Those are some nice pictures, slaginpit. I really like the outdoors shot. But I can't tell...what are you posing your Transformers on in the yard?

RE: MMC's Seraphicus Prominon R-11 (Nova Prime)

This one was a long time coming. I sold my Maketoys HyperNovae when I first learned that MMC was going to add this character to their Reformatted line. The prototype looked impressive back in the day. I didn't know that it was going to be delayed for a dog's age or that it was going to be sold in two parts (figure plus armor). This first review focuses on the core figure only. I'll post an update later that is specific to the trailer and the armor parts.

The Seraphicus core bot follows the same standard set by other MMC releases. He is a single figure and he is packaged in bot mode ready to pose out of the gate. The core bot includes all of the instructions (even those for the armor), a matrix, and only two additional accessories: a couple of frosted semi-translucent swords. You can see in the picture above that my sword is not pegged in correctly. Paik4Life has a good tutorial on how to do it, in case you haven't seen his review yet and are wondering if it is possible.

The paint apps on the Seraphicus core bot are quite nice (dare I say, excellent?), albeit the pallet is straight forward. There is white, there is dark (almost TARDIS) blue, and there are quite a few accent colors throughout (light blue, gunmetal, silver, and some translucent bits). Around the head I was surprised by a very keen turquoise, as well. Something to watch out for with this paint scheme is paint bleed/rub. I noticed certain tight areas where the blue was rubbing over onto the white. It isn't a big deal for me, but it is something to keep in mind.

Articulation-wise, i don't think Seraphicus will leave anyone wanting much in his core form. His arms have bicep and forearm swivels, double-jointed elbows, wrist articulation, and individually articulated fingers. There are shoulder pads/pauldrons that you can maneuver about. His legs have thigh swivels, and sufficient foot articulation. There are good ratchets in the hips and knees (with impressive backward and okay forward range). His head is on a ball joint that also has a swivel of sorts for full on motion. The downside of this neck joint is that it can look odd from certain angles.

Transforming Seraphicus to his alt sneaker...*cough* *cough* to his Cybertronian alt mode takes a bit of patience. The legs fold up nicely, and are easy to tab into place. It's the torso that is the meat of the puzzle. the arms, especially, involve some creative turns and bends in order to tab them in correctly and get things looking smooth. My advice: if the wheels of the future truck don't all roll on a flat surface, then something isn't right.

But the arms aren't the worst of it. The most nerve wracking part of the transformation is tabbing in the backpack, which also happens to be the top of the alt mode truck. The tolerances here are tight and this last step is the most fiddly. The good news, if you are careful and stick with it, is that you get a cool thing. And yes, I think Slag digs it.

MMC has done an interesting thing with this release, especially since the Nova Prime armor is available separately. Personally, I think the core bot has a lot of value on its own and I would recommend it, even after acknowledging the fiddly steps when transforming Seraphicus to alt mode. If you are already collecting transformers from MMC's Reformatted line, then this core bot is a must have.

Edited May 22, 2016 by technoblue

[JB0]

Since when does Drift turn into a spacetruck? Did he get ahold of the Matrix when we weren't looking?

[mikeszekely]

Since when does Drift Peg turn into a spacetruck? Did he get ahold of the Matrix when we weren't looking?

Fixed.

You can see in the picture above that my sword is not pegged in correctly. Paik4Life has a good tutorial on how to do it, in case you haven't seen his review yet and are wondering if it is possible.

Without watching the video, just guessing based on other MMC figures I have, does it boil down to sliding it down into the groove in the hand, then turning it into place?

[technoblue]

Since when does Drift turn into a spacetruck? Did he get ahold of the Matrix when we weren't looking?

Another Hot Rod imminent?

Without watching the video, just guessing based on other MMC figures I have, does it boil down to sliding it down into the groove in the hand, then turning it into place?

Yeah. That's it. I took the pictures without even thinking that there was an issue because the hands were holding the swords fair enough for my tastes. It wasn't until I went back and reviewed some videos on the transformation to alt mode that I noticed that I did the weapons wrong.

[JB0]

Fixed.

Trufax: I still instinctively consider the character "Peg". But I just couldn't see Peg becoming a Prime.

He WOULD, however, write his self-insert fanfic character, Drift, as becoming a Prime.

IDW: This one is free. Make Drift a Prime. It is the story arc we want.

[mikeszekely]

Another Hot Rod imminent?

Yeah. That's it. I took the pictures without even thinking that there was an issue because the hands were holding the swords fair enough for my tastes. It wasn't until I went back and reviewed some videos on the transformation to alt mode that I noticed that I did the weapons wrong.

I figured as much, because there was a lot of discussion about how to get the Feral Cons to hold their weapons back in the day.

Trufax: I still instinctively consider the character "Peg". But I just couldn't see Peg becoming a Prime.

He WOULD, however, write his self-insert fanfic character, Drift, as becoming a Prime.

IDW: This one is free. Make Drift a Prime. It is the story arc we want.

I'd buy it. I'd buy all the variant covers if the story turns out to be Peg's daydream.

[Scyla]

Since when does Drift turn into a spacetruck? Did he get ahold of the Matrix when we weren't looking?

If this is not Drift-y enough for you, you could always go Beta:

[anime52k8]

that looks legitimately worse than the old deluxe.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

SOOO close. So close.

[technoblue]

SOOO close. So close.

Yeah. It's nice, but Jazz really ought to be a Porsche with racing trim.

that looks legitimately worse than the old deluxe.

I like how Beta is a nod to Alex Milne's interpretation of Drift from MtMtE. It fits in with the aesthetic that MMC is using for their other Reformatted bots.

For me, it works rather well.

[mikeszekely]

Yeah. It's nice, but Jazz really ought to be a Porsche with racing trim.

Missing sarcasm tag?

I like GT's Jazz a lot. Good proportions, nice colors, updated Porsche alt mode. I'm not sure how it fits into most collections, though. It's supposed to be MP-sized, but MP collectors seem likely to complain that it's not a 1975 Porsche 935/76. Meanwhile, CHUG collectors who are likely the most cool with a more modern Jazz are probably going to think GT's Jazz is too big.

I like how Beta is a nod to Alex Milne's interpretation of Drift from MtMtE. It fits in with the aesthetic that MMC is using for their other Reformatted bots.

For me, it works rather well.

I think Beta's robot mode isn't bad, but seems more Drift mini-series than MTMTE. Makes sense, though. Isn't Alpha supposed to be his buddy Wing from the same series?

Really don't like the alt mode, though.

Also, eBay is weird. I've seen people get into bidding wars over stuff that was overpriced to begin with, but somehow I won a new Function X-0 Code for $60 by being the only one to bid. Am I wrong for thinking $60's a good price? The description definitely said new and complete, and the seller has 100% positive feedback on around 2000 sales, so...

Edited May 22, 2016 by mikeszekely

[anime52k8]

Yeah. It's nice, but Jazz really ought to be a Porsche with racing trim.

*insert not sure if trolling meme here*

It's a *slightly* genericized 991GT3 which is a factory racing trim.

anyways, while I would like a Jazz with a 935/76 alt mode, I'm not put off by giving him a modern 911 alt mode either. more I'm bothered by how toy like it looks in pictures so far. one thing I like about the current mp autobot cars is how they all look like really good scale model cars in alt mode.

[Dio]

Also, eBay is weird. I've seen people get into bidding wars over stuff that was overpriced to begin with, but somehow I won a new Function X-0 Code for $60 by being the only one to bid. Am I wrong for thinking $60's a good price? The description definitely said new and complete, and the seller has 100% positive feedback on around 2000 sales, so...

X-0 might be a little on the low-demand side by collector standards at this point, since Maketoys Cupola fits the popular MP scale, and the Titans Return deluxe Chromedome is on the horizon for CHUG fans. I think I remember the original price being around $60-ish, so I'd say you probably got a fair deal.

[technoblue]

Missing sarcasm tag?

*insert not sure if trolling meme here*

Guilty as charged.

I was laying it on thick with irony and hyperbole, but I'm also not a fan of the updated movie look. You can add me to the group that is waiting for a nice 935 alt mode that evokes more from the classic Stefan Adami Martini trim. It doesn't have to be perfection, just close enough. The silver/grey base on Generation Toy's version is off to my eyes. All the better if it works for you.

I think Beta's robot mode isn't bad, but seems more Drift mini-series than MTMTE. Makes sense, though. Isn't Alpha supposed to be his buddy Wing from the same series?

Really don't like the alt mode, though.

You could be right. I'm not familiar with all of IDW, but the alt mode reminds me of what I remember from MtMtE.

Edit: Time for something completely different. Someone fashioned a new face for FansToys' Sever (Snarl) and is selling it on Taobao. Here's the discussion on TFW: Replacement Face for Sever

And...I don't know. I'm not put off by it, but I'm not wowed by it, either.

On a related note, buying the Planet X dinos set off an unstoppable crazy train of dinobot nostalgia for me. I was content to pick up one or two of GigaPower's dinos, but the one or two dinos that matter to me are missing from that line (Sludge and Swoop). FansToys released both, and that is causing me to rethink my MP dinobot strategy. Decisions...decisions...

Edited May 23, 2016 by technoblue

[mikeszekely]

X-0 might be a little on the low-demand side by collector standards at this point, since Maketoys Cupola fits the popular MP scale, and the Titans Return deluxe Chromedome is on the horizon for CHUG fans. I think I remember the original price being around $60-ish, so I'd say you probably got a fair deal.

It was the cheapest Code I've seen, and most of the others are the original X-1 version. X-0 is around $90-$100 at BBTS/TFS. I thought $60 was a pretty good deal. I'm just a little nervous because no one else bid.

[technoblue]

It was the cheapest Code I've seen, and most of the others are the original X-1 version. X-0 is around $90-$100 at BBTS/TFS. I thought $60 was a pretty good deal. I'm just a little nervous because no one else bid.

To me, that price seems like a good deal for FansProject's G1 repaint of X1. Not that you need extra reassurance, but there you have it. As to why no one else bid? I think Dio hit all the high points. You may have also lucked out with impeccable timing for the end of the auction. Even with ebay, there are times when that kind of coincidence will work in your favor.

[JB0]

If this is not Drift-y enough for you, you could always go Beta:

Objectively, that car is ugly as sin.

Subjectively, my inner child is just screaming "wow, that's an AWESOME SPACE CAR I NEED IT"

[sh9000]

Nice looking CHUG style Jazz.

[technoblue]

It looks like GT is going for a pearlescent white for Jazz after all:

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-3rd-party-discussion/1054199-generation-toy-jazz-j4zz-49.html?s=c859d2b4545f06b37315a6015de9a41b#post13626066

Props to ph4zed at TFW for the digital render. And...I'm okay with that. To me, it looks closer to IDW Jazz, whereas the other seemed to be a mix and match of multiple Jazzy things. On a totally different note, for those who like SD-sized 'formers, Master Made released some images of the Apollo test shot (Omega Supreme):

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-3rd-party-discussion/1044143-master-made-apollo-sdt-03-omega-supreme-15.html?s=c859d2b4545f06b37315a6015de9a41b#post13625233

Can't wait for the painted prototype.

Edited May 23, 2016 by technoblue

[anime52k8]

daw that's such a cute little murder bot.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

GT's offering looks great, but I really miss that box spoiler on Jazz.

As for toys I actually own, I had time to relax and got some toys out of storage:

[Swoosh]

Finally all arrived!!!

[mikeszekely]

I'm looking forward to getting mine... starting with the two I ordered last Wednesday that TFSource hasn't even shipped yet. I get that smaller operations don't have the manpower to get everything out same-day, but if they don't ship by this Wednesday then screw free shipping, they're not getting my business anymore.

Hey Swoosh, are you GRAW at TFW2005?

[Swoosh]

I'm looking forward to getting mine... starting with the two I ordered last Wednesday that TFSource hasn't even shipped yet. I get that smaller operations don't have the manpower to get everything out same-day, but if they don't ship by this Wednesday then screw free shipping, they're not getting my business anymore.

Hey Swoosh, are you GRAW at TFW2005?

Yes, GRAW is my user name in all toys forum except here

Edited May 24, 2016 by Swoosh

[anime52k8]

I'm waiting on BBTS still. they didn't charge me til friday and I had PW on so it'll ship with some MP's I already payed for...

I feel like I've been snipped though...

[mikeszekely]

I'm waiting on BBTS still. they didn't charge me til friday and I had PW on so it'll ship with some MP's I already payed for...

I feel like I've been snipped though...

At least you didn't pay Wednesday in a ship-it-now order that is still waiting to be shipped.

[big F]

Finally all arrived!!!

Your pictures make me want to buy one

[Scyla]

Review of MakeToys Vulcan and Guardia:

I'm not agreeing with Bobby Skullfaces assessment of the 3rd party scene. While it might be true that Masterpiece alike toys are selling better than other stuff I think the reimagening of Transformers characters like Guardia is what they should do. The Masterpiece craze might be over someday so I think going the route of own design would lead to a more stable and loyal customer base.

Sadly I think I'm in the minority here.