The Unlicensed Third Party Transformers Thread

[mikeszekely]

4 hours ago, slaginpit said:

Hey Mike Z

Can $$ are crap. Is that TFC Commander Prime worth the money?

I think he's pushing it at US store prices (something like $180?), but he's a blast for the $155 I paid at ShowZ's store.  It's not perfect, and if you're used to the premium finish you might get on a Fans Toys figure TFC isn't doing that.  But if you want a fun, chunky, heavy Prime that's jun to mess around with I say go for it.  For me he jumped ahead of Challenger and is up there with Gigapower's Graviter and DX9's Gabriel for my favorite TF figures this year.

[Atheonyirh]

I'm absolutely loving my TFC STC and got him on 11/11 day at Show.Z for $145 shipped.

[Atheonyirh]

Looks like Set C of Jinbao's OSKO of Gravity Builder is coming into stock at the various export sellers and the chinese video reviews are pouring in. Can't wait to finally have my full set of these guys.

[Kuma Style]

[Kuma Style]

Planet X Star Saber is really impressing the heck out of me visually. I think Flametoys is finally going to be given a legitimate run for its money by a transforming piece. 

[Tking22]

Damn, there's another %15 off toys and games Ebay coupon today, I said I wouldn't, but now I may have to pull the trigger on Striker Manus....

[Kuma Style]

35 minutes ago, Tking22 said:

Damn, there's another %15 off toys and games Ebay coupon today, I said I wouldn't, but now I may have to pull the trigger on Striker Manus....

Just making sure that you're aware of the upcoming metallic repaint of Striker Manus? A good deal is a good deal but just making sure.

[Tking22]

54 minutes ago, Kuma Style said:

Just making sure that you're aware of the upcoming metallic repaint of Striker Manus? A good deal is a good deal but just making sure.

Damn I didn't know that was a thing, thank you sir. That said, I am REALLY feeling the Nemesis version in particular, Prime always looked good in black.

[Kuma Style]

11 minutes ago, Tking22 said:

Damn I didn't know that was a thing, thank you sir. That said, I am REALLY feeling the Nemesis version in particular, Prime always looked good in black.

Honestly I think that Noir really caarriedtje mold better as well. It's a very imposing and mean stylization so the colors really embody it.

[Tking22]

1 hour ago, Kuma Style said:

Honestly I think that Noir really caarriedtje mold better as well. It's a very imposing and mean stylization so the colors really embody it.

Ordered a Striker Manus Noir/Nemesis off Ebay, now the wait :).

[Kuma Style]

Striker Manus or Striker Noir? And hell yea,  man. I have two of each waiting for the sky wings to use as armor. My copies are supposed to ship out next week so we'll see.

[Tking22]

54 minutes ago, Kuma Style said:

Striker Manus or Striker Noir? And hell yea,  man. I have two of each waiting for the sky wings to use as armor. My copies are supposed to ship out next week so we'll see.

My bad, Striker Noir, I didn't even notice they dropped the Manus for Noir for that release. I'm excited, I can admit I'm not too familiar with this version of Convoy/Prime, but it looks like a damn fun and well made toy that has received a ton of praise, I'm excited, it'll be here in time for Christmas too.

[Kuma Style]

1 hour ago, Tking22 said:

My bad, Striker Noir, I didn't even notice they dropped the Manus for Noir for that release. I'm excited, I can admit I'm not too familiar with this version of Convoy/Prime, but it looks like a damn fun and well made toy that has received a ton of praise, I'm excited, it'll be here in time for Christmas too.

Nice! Really looking forward to your thoughts. I completely forgot about all of the weapons that go with them all as well (every figure in the line can hold each other's weapons which is amazing.)

[valhary]

I'm stuck with fanshobby not let stop making amazing stuff

[M'Kyuun]

For those interested in Magic Square's take on MP Optimus, they've posted a stop-motion short: https://tformers.com/magic-square-not-optimus-prime-stop-motion-animation-is-a-masterpiece/34541/news.html

I wish toy companies here in the West should advertise their figures like this- so much more dynamic and life-like than seeing a kid 'flying' the figure through the air or putting (often slamming) the figure down on the ground in a single pose.

[RavenHawk]

5 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

For those interested in Magic Square's take on MP Optimus, they've posted a stop-motion short: https://tformers.com/magic-square-not-optimus-prime-stop-motion-animation-is-a-masterpiece/34541/news.html

I wish toy companies here in the West should advertise their figures like this- so much more dynamic and life-like than seeing a kid 'flying' the figure through the air or putting (often slamming) the figure down on the ground in a single pose.

Saw this further down that same page:

https://tformers.com/iron-warrior-color-optimus-prime-new-megatron-ultra-magnus-wfc-prime-jet-prime-brawl-reveals/34532/news.html

First I heard about it. Love me some Transformers Prime. I think it was seriously underrated.

[Kuma Style]

[Dobber]

Wow that looks great! Which figure is that?

Chris

[Kuma Style]

It's Rioter Despotron from MakeToys.

 

 

 

[mikeszekely]

I want that Ruination/Baldigus, I'm just having trouble justifying it.

[Kuma Style]

[Kuma Style]

[mikeszekely]

*sigh*

I don't collect Legends stuff, and I'm trying to limit my MP stuff to geewunny stuff.  But I do have IF's Bruticus, and I do want that Ruination/Baldigus... and if I'm being totally honest, I'd also go for G2 Bruticus

Battle Gaia

and the '03 Walmart-exclusive arctic camo Ruination. 

A line has to be drawn somewhere, though, so no '04 Universe Ruination desert camo...

 

 

...ok, you got me.  I'll take the desert camo too.

[Tking22]

Looks like MakeToys Coneheads and wing fillers for the original three seekers are up for pre-order. The Coneheads look good, much better then the awful Takara ones, but I really don't like the Coneheads, I've always thought they were kind of lame, so a pass for me. That said, they come with a "bonus", which is each one comes with one wing filler set for one of the original seekers, I just went ahead and pre-ordered the wing fillers for each seeker separately, at only about $10 per set, I can do that all day, they look good.

[slaginpit]

 

[slaginpit]

Im glad I ordered my BM version It seems its VERY gappy in the neck region. I might just get this for the DINO mode

[Kuma Style]

15 hours ago, Tking22 said:

Looks like MakeToys Coneheads and wing fillers for the original three seekers are up for pre-order. The Coneheads look good, much better then the awful Takara ones, but I really don't like the Coneheads, I've always thought they were kind of lame, so a pass for me. That said, they come with a "bonus", which is each one comes with one wing filler set for one of the original seekers, I just went ahead and pre-ordered the wing fillers for each seeker separately, at only about $10 per set, I can do that all day, they look good.

The Coneheads certainly look good but I'm well past jumping on MP-scale stuff just because. Glad that they gave everyone a chance to get the wing fillers on their own!

--------------------------------------

Review for Iron Factory's Catastrophe is up:
 

 

[Mechapilot77]

wing fillers for $10...worth it totally.  i just don't like their fb post about them claiming someone else designed them and now they are making them available.  everyone knows the old prototype pictures show either solid wings or more likely (knowing what any engineer knows about molding and wall thicknesses etc.) wings that have filler pieces in them already (it would never have been designed for injection mold with such an irregular thickness in a flat area compared to rest of part that a one piece design aka no fillers would require) .  thats my last rant on that item before i cave and complete my meteor (which will consists of the base figure, aftermaket shin vents, aftermarket intake details and these wing fillers).  i just wish they'd admit what they did instead of making up this story.  smh

[M'Kyuun]

I agree in the sense that this should have been a fix from the start; however, that's water under the bridge. I ordered Skycrow a while back, as Skywarp's color scheme has always been my favorite of the G1 seekers. Yesterday I PO'd their version of Thrust, as he's always been my favorite of that trio, and as luck would have it, he's going to be packaged with the wing fillers for Skycrow. So, win, win.

Edited December 19, 2018 by M'Kyuun

[mikeszekely]

3 hours ago, Mechapilot77 said:

wing fillers for $10...worth it totally.  i just don't like their fb post about them claiming someone else designed them and now they are making them available.  everyone knows the old prototype pictures show either solid wings or more likely (knowing what any engineer knows about molding and wall thicknesses etc.) wings that have filler pieces in them already (it would never have been designed for injection mold with such an irregular thickness in a flat area compared to rest of part that a one piece design aka no fillers would require) .  thats my last rant on that item before i cave and complete my meteor (which will consists of the base figure, aftermaket shin vents, aftermarket intake details and these wing fillers).  i just wish they'd admit what they did instead of making up this story.  smh

As I heard it, on the resin prototype the wings were a solid piece.  And I guess MT didn't know what any engineer knows, because apparently when they tried making them in plastic they warped, so MT went with the hollowed back/underside (so it's quite possible that someone else did indeed design them).  Now, in a perfect world, would MT have devised a solution that filled the wings before the Meteor mold went to retail?  Maybe... but how much would it have driven up the cost?  Speculation here, but I think MT took a beating on Despotron since MP-36 was announced, and I think MT was very concerned with releasing Meteor at a price low enough to tempt people who already owned Starscream and friends.  If Meteor had been $10-20 more expensive, would you have bought him?  I think some people definitely would have, but I think some people wouldn't have.  Some people were already saying that, especially spread out over three to six Seekers, it was already too much.  Likewise, while some people complained (loudly) about the wings others (myself included) just plain didn't care that they were hollow.

Anyway, way I see it, for everyone this bothered, and for everyone that said they would have paid more to get the wings filled, this is their chance to put their money where their mouths are.  Me personally, I'm not buying them (or jream's upgrades, which are nice for the people that want them but aren't actually cartoon accurate).  Like I said, I just don't feel like they're necessary.  Now, it looks like they're also including them with the Coneheads.  If I buy their Coneheads then sure, I'll use the ones that come with them.  But I already have the ToyWorld Coneheads, so I'm not sure if I'm in for MT's.

[Kuma Style]

Got the full article and gallery up for this one too at a whopping 50 pics (well... that's significantly large for me, anyways.) http://kumastyledesigns.com/iron-factory-catastrophe-review/

This one is a direct repaint of the originally released War Giant and all accessories are the same sans additional non-transforming Bridge Watcher (Shockwave) blaster. The article is kept pretty short and sweet because of this and here are some pics from the gallery:

 

 

[tekering]

I had no interest in combining my set -- no use for a combiner at such a small scale -- but damned if you haven't convinced me to give it a go, TJ!  

[Kuma Style]

22 minutes ago, tekering said:

I had no interest in combining my set -- no use for a combiner at such a small scale -- but damned if you haven't convinced me to give it a go, TJ!  

Well thanks, man! I'll tell you I may UN combine my original set just to have both robot and combined displayed but they take up so much less space this way and can actually be SEEN over all of the other IF stuff on those shelves. It's crazy how that samey height makes it all blend.

[mikeszekely]

38 minutes ago, tekering said:

I had no interest in combining my set -- no use for a combiner at such a small scale -- but damned if you haven't convinced me to give it a go, TJ!  

I was honestly kind of unimpressed with the individual War Giant bots.... I'm not really sold on the whole Legends thing.  But the combined mode is my favorite Bruticus (and I have five of them).  I'm actually hoping IF does more combiners this size.  ToyWorld/Zeta's might have that shelf presence, but the smaller guys are so much more fun to pose and mess around with.

[David Hingtgen]

Can Brawl be flipped around (turret in back), for a "proper" Ruination combined mode?