The Unlicensed Third Party Transformers Thread

[anime52k8]

I need some serious help. ShowZ is getting a second run of IT01 in stock for $80 with EMS shipping soon and I need someone to slap me upside the head and tell me not to pull the trigger because I've just dumped WAY to much money into MP transformers lately and I absolutely don't need two MP-36's even though I'm REALLY tempted by all the talk about how good IT01 is and if I had a second Megs I could go to town painting Dynastron in toy colors. (please send help I need an intervention).

[mikeszekely]

I'd love to help, but I'm the guy who managed to spend $400 on TF toys when I wasn't even in the country.

[technoblue]

I canna help either. I bought MP-36, MP-36+ and IT01. I also have MMC's Reformatted Tyrantron, Maketoys Despotron (Cross Dimension-scale and MP-scale), and Generation Toy's Tyrant. Megs is that good, but yeah I have a soft spot for his Masterpiece (v2) iteration.

[Negotiator]

use that money for something else.  get a new character you don't have.

[SuperHobo]

8 hours ago, anime52k8 said:

I need some serious help. ShowZ is getting a second run of IT01 in stock for $80 with EMS shipping soon and I need someone to slap me upside the head and tell me not to pull the trigger because I've just dumped WAY to much money into MP transformers lately and I absolutely don't need two MP-36's even though I'm REALLY tempted by all the talk about how good IT01 is and if I had a second Megs I could go to town painting Dynastron in toy colors. (please send help I need an intervention).

The IT Megs is only great if you like transforming MP megatron over and over without worrying about excessive transformation. The IT Megs made me appreciate the work TT put into their transformation engineering and it's wonderful......when you proper tolerances and paint that can withstand multiple transformations. 

[anime52k8]

8 minutes ago, SuperHobo said:

The IT Megs is only great if you like transforming MP megatron over and over without worrying about excessive transformation. The IT Megs made me appreciate the work TT put into their transformation engineering and it's wonderful......when you proper tolerances and paint that can withstand multiple transformations. 

 

that's kind of what I want. I like the transformation on MP-36, but I'm getting really paranoid about paint rubs and scuffs.

BTW, I'm really curious about the leg ratchets on the IT. I know there's an extra set on the hips, but are the other ratchets any different? I feel like I just can't get the legs in a position where there isn't some sort of lean going on (I'm not even sure if this is a real thing or just my imagination).

Edited September 11, 2019 by anime52k8

[eXis10z]

On 9/7/2019 at 11:32 PM, nhyone said:

I don't know. Given what just happened to Toy World, the fact that they still went ahead says they think they are on safe grounds.

 

On 9/7/2019 at 9:27 PM, nhyone said:

So this is the toy that got Toy World into trouble...

Wait.. what happen to Toy World? I'm still waiting for that optimus. ThreeA's a little too expensive for me.

[SuperHobo]

42 minutes ago, anime52k8 said:

 

that's kind of what I want. I like the transformation on MP-36, but I'm getting really paranoid about paint rubs and scuffs.

BTW, I'm really curious about the leg ratchets on the IT. I know there's an extra set on the hips, but are the other ratchets any different? I feel like I just can't get the legs in a position where there isn't some sort of lean going on (I'm not even sure if this is a real thing or just my imagination).

Hmmm then it sounds like the IT one is for you. I hated how easy it was to scuff MP-36, I remember putting masking tape all over that guy while transforming. IT's ratchets make louder clicks and feel smoother. There's less of a lean with the IT. I think the only thing I don't like with the IT is the tolerances on the diecast feet are off a tad and my copy had a few chips on it, but at least there are in areas I can't see in either mode when completed. 

[JB0]

1 hour ago, Negotiator said:

use that money for something else.  get a new character you don't have.

Or build a small army of Reflector clones!

[anime52k8]

WAIT! PRIME NO! NOT THE FACE! OH GOD NOT THE FA~ blaagh!!!

 

 

[tekering]

Magic Square rocks.  

Love the wires under the face!  

[mikeszekely]

I mentioned spending a ton on toys despite being on vacation in Beijing, and I wish I was kidding.  Matter of fact, I was sick for a few days and resting, but I actually have more to review.  So I'm going to get started with Fansproject's Volar, their version of Swoop.

Yeah, I know, more Dinobots.  At least it's not another Grimlock, right?  Thing is, I still have ToyWorld's Dinobots, and while their versions of Snarl, Sludge, and Slag are passable enough for a Classics/Siege sort of collection their Swoop was terrible, closer to a boxy winged Soundwave than a decent Swoop.  The Hasbro version is, perhaps, the best of the Dinobots they released but rather on the short side.  Since I'd already concluded that the Fansproject Grimlock works pretty well for Siege I figured I might as well see if their Swoop was any good, too (especially when TF Source ran a sale that marked the Lost Exo Realm figures down to around $40 each).

Well, with slender limbs and a waspish waist Volar definitely has some of that anime-inspired Fansproject style going on, but what I find interesting is that if you ignore the shape of the torso he's not that far off the mark from what Hasbro ultimately gave us, including the wings that fan out on swivels instead of unfolding on hinges.  The size feels right, too.  I think my biggest complaints are that I wish his waist was a little thicker and that his upper torso was less round, so that his chest and collar were more flush with the transformation joints connecting to his shoulders.

Every version of Volar comes with the usual fair- sword with translucent red plastic, and missile launchers that double as guns.  Due partially to availability and to the fact that I prefer my Swoops blue I didn't buy the regular version of Volar, though, who would have come with a little dude who turned into some kind of weapon like Grimlock's.

Instead, he comes with a simple blue fellow, super generic, who is apparently meant to be an homage to the old Diaclone pilots.  Little Blue doesn't actually have a name that I'm aware of, and he sits somewhere between a Maketoys Headmaster and Grimlock (and presumably the other LER) weapon guys in height.  Considering that he doesn't have to make any concessions to any transformation Blue's articulation is pretty underwhelming.  His head can swivel but has no tilt.  His shoulders are ball joints that can rotate and extend about 45 degrees.  No bicep or wrist swivels.  His elbows are pinned and can only bend about 60 degrees.  No waist swivel.  His hips are ball joints that allow him to forward a little under 90 degrees, backward a little over 90 degrees, and laterally under 45 degrees.  His thighs can swivel a little on the hips, but he lacks a dedicated thigh swivel.  His knees can bend 90 degrees, and he has no foot articulation.  We won't speak of him again.

As for Volar, his head is on a ball joint with a little up, down, and sideways tilt to go with the usual rotation.  His shoulders use a ball joint for rotation, but has a dedicated hinge for a little under 90 degrees of lateral movement and a soft-ratcheted transformation joint that gives him plenty of forward butterfly, so I'd have preferred if the ball joint were just a swivel.  His biceps swivel, and his elbows bend 90 degrees.  His wrists swivel, and his fingers a pinned at the base so they can open and close like an MP carbot's.  His waist can swivel, and there seems to be a ratcheted joint inside that allows for a backbend and an ab crunch.  His hips are ratcheted universal joints that can get about 90 degrees forward and backward, but only about 45 degrees laterally.  And that 45 degrees comes from just two clicks, so he suffers from poor ratchet spacing that causes him to either stand stock straight or in a dramatic A-stance.  His thighs swivel.  His knees are double-jointed, but you can still only get about 90 degrees of bend due to dino feet in his calves.  His knees also have room to bend the wrong way without a way to really lock them in place.  His feet can tilt up and down a bit, and the front of his foot can rotate to provide a faux ankle pivot.

Volar can hold either his sword or his gun without any issues.  The handle of the gun can also fold up, and pegs can be used to attach the guns to either the front or back of teh wings while another peg on the sword allows it to be worn on either hip.

Volar's transformation is a bit unconventional, and the result is a little bit mixed.  Granted, it's immensely better than the ToyWorld boombox with wings, feet, and a head.  In fact, I do believe that Fansproject's intention was to create something a little closer to our modern understanding of a pteranodon.  However, his robot shins make for unavoidably large dino thighs.

In dino mode, Volar's head can tilt up about 45 degrees and down a fair bit.  He can look to the side a little, but his throat lacks clearance and starts forcing his torso to split.  His mouth can open.  His wings can flap forward and backward on a soft-ratcheted hinge, but only from about 45 degrees backward to 45 degrees forward.  Likewise, there's a ratcheted hinge at the "shoulder" to raise and lower the wing.  It ranges from perpendicular to the body to about 45 degrees up.  In both cases, the flapping and the raising, I wanted a bit more range, and in testing the limits I stressed some thin plastic and caused the wings to come off the joints.  Not ideal.  The wings can also rotate at the base, but that's more for transformation.  Moving along, he's got swivels at the "elbow" and "wrist" on the wings that fan the wings out.  Like other toys that have tried this articulation for wings going far enough will leave a gap between segments of wing.  You shouldn't have to, though, as I think he's got a pretty impressive wingspan if you don't open them too far.  You still have access to Volar's waist, backbend, and ab crunch.  Hip and thigh articulation are a bit limited, due to being covered by his shins.  His dino knee his hinged and can move both forward and backward, but his robot heel runs right through the middle and will often either poke through or hang out behind.  His dino feet are on ball joints, which allows them to tilt up and down or swivel in such a manner as to give him dino ankle pivots.

While you can use the peg holes on his wings for weapon storage, I think it actually works the best to put the gun/launchers into Volar's robot hands, so they sit along his back.  There's also something like tabs on his robot forearms.  Presumably they'd be a point to connect the weapon guy that comes with the standard edition of Volar, but they don't seem to work with Blue.

The articulation in Volar's ab crunch, dino legs, and wings seems meant to put Volar into a quadrupedal stance akin to what a real pteranodon might have used while on land.  Again, though, with the limits in articulation at the base of the wing, plus the limited ability to lift his dino "hands" and no wrist swivel, he just looks awkward to me.  He looks better in flight, although I wish his head could look up more.  Too bad Fansproject didn't include a flight stand.

Volar's a tougher recommend than their Grimlock was.  While I generally like Fansproject's aesthetic they made some choices here that I'm not sure panned out for either mode.  Dino articulation, especially in the wings, feels a bit too limited, and the materials feel soft and fragile in spots.  If I'd have bought Volar at full retail price back when he was first released I probably wouldn't have been happy.  However, his flaws are a bit easier to take at $40, and in light of how bad other CHUG-sized Swoops are Volar might still be your best bet if you want Siege Dinobots.  Just make sure you wait for a sale.

[JB0]

15 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

Yeah, I know, more Dinobots. 

You can never have too many robot dinosaurs.

 

I really like the attempt at a realistic pteranodon.

Edited September 12, 2019 by JB0

[Ignacio Ocamica]

On 9/10/2019 at 5:06 PM, anime52k8 said:

I need some serious help. ShowZ is getting a second run of IT01 in stock for $80 with EMS shipping soon and I need someone to slap me upside the head and tell me not to pull the trigger because I've just dumped WAY to much money into MP transformers lately and I absolutely don't need two MP-36's even though I'm REALLY tempted by all the talk about how good IT01 is and if I had a second Megs I could go to town painting Dynastron in toy colors. (please send help I need an intervention).

Resistance is futile!!! You will get the IT01.

[anime52k8]

I do want it, but a bank scare has me reconsidering my purchases. paranoia aside I like dynastron plenty enough and I'm just not comfortable spending money on a second toy just to have a backup/stunt double. maybe someday the cards will be right.  and like Negotiator said:

On 9/10/2019 at 9:30 PM, Negotiator said:

use that money for something else.  get a new character you don't have.

I don't have an Ironhide and I feel like prime could use a friend.

[nhyone]

On 9/11/2019 at 1:27 PM, eXis10z said:

Wait.. what happen to Toy World? I'm still waiting for that optimus. ThreeA's a little too expensive for me.

https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/hasbro-has-taken-legal-action-on-transformer-kos-in-china.1180249/page-14#post-17188698

IMO, Hasbro has a case here because unlicensed 3P looks too alike an official product.

Keyword being 'official product'.

G1 IP infringement? Hasbro has a long fight ahead.

Edited September 12, 2019 by nhyone
Grammar

[mikeszekely]

Just my two cents, but it was always a mistake on ToyWorld's part to scale their Prime with ThreeZero's. Not only did it put them in Hasbro's crosshairs, but I felt like they were marketing it to the wrong crowd. Like they were hoping to get people who were considering ThreeZero with "like ThreeZero but transforms!" Instead of the usual unlicensed 3P crowd who wanted it to scale with MP-10, MPM-04, or UT's Challenger. Or even ToyWorld's other movie stuff, which I think scales with Studio Series.

[M'Kyuun]

14 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

I mentioned spending a ton on toys despite being on vacation in Beijing, and I wish I was kidding.  Matter of fact, I was sick for a few days and resting, but I actually have more to review.  So I'm going to get started with Fansproject's Volar, their version of Swoop.

Yeah, I know, more Dinobots.  At least it's not another Grimlock, right?  Thing is, I still have ToyWorld's Dinobots, and while their versions of Snarl, Sludge, and Slag are passable enough for a Classics/Siege sort of collection their Swoop was terrible, closer to a boxy winged Soundwave than a decent Swoop.  The Hasbro version is, perhaps, the best of the Dinobots they released but rather on the short side.  Since I'd already concluded that the Fansproject Grimlock works pretty well for Siege I figured I might as well see if their Swoop was any good, too (especially when TF Source ran a sale that marked the Lost Exo Realm figures down to around $40 each).

Well, with slender limbs and a waspish waist Volar definitely has some of that anime-inspired Fansproject style going on, but what I find interesting is that if you ignore the shape of the torso he's not that far off the mark from what Hasbro ultimately gave us, including the wings that fan out on swivels instead of unfolding on hinges.  The size feels right, too.  I think my biggest complaints are that I wish his waist was a little thicker and that his upper torso was less round, so that his chest and collar were more flush with the transformation joints connecting to his shoulders.

Every version of Volar comes with the usual fair- sword with translucent red plastic, and missile launchers that double as guns.  Due partially to availability and to the fact that I prefer my Swoops blue I didn't buy the regular version of Volar, though, who would have come with a little dude who turned into some kind of weapon like Grimlock's.

Instead, he comes with a simple blue fellow, super generic, who is apparently meant to be an homage to the old Diaclone pilots.  Little Blue doesn't actually have a name that I'm aware of, and he sits somewhere between a Maketoys Headmaster and Grimlock (and presumably the other LER) weapon guys in height.  Considering that he doesn't have to make any concessions to any transformation Blue's articulation is pretty underwhelming.  His head can swivel but has no tilt.  His shoulders are ball joints that can rotate and extend about 45 degrees.  No bicep or wrist swivels.  His elbows are pinned and can only bend about 60 degrees.  No waist swivel.  His hips are ball joints that allow him to forward a little under 90 degrees, backward a little over 90 degrees, and laterally under 45 degrees.  His thighs can swivel a little on the hips, but he lacks a dedicated thigh swivel.  His knees can bend 90 degrees, and he has no foot articulation.  We won't speak of him again.

As for Volar, his head is on a ball joint with a little up, down, and sideways tilt to go with the usual rotation.  His shoulders use a ball joint for rotation, but has a dedicated hinge for a little under 90 degrees of lateral movement and a soft-ratcheted transformation joint that gives him plenty of forward butterfly, so I'd have preferred if the ball joint were just a swivel.  His biceps swivel, and his elbows bend 90 degrees.  His wrists swivel, and his fingers a pinned at the base so they can open and close like an MP carbot's.  His waist can swivel, and there seems to be a ratcheted joint inside that allows for a backbend and an ab crunch.  His hips are ratcheted universal joints that can get about 90 degrees forward and backward, but only about 45 degrees laterally.  And that 45 degrees comes from just two clicks, so he suffers from poor ratchet spacing that causes him to either stand stock straight or in a dramatic A-stance.  His thighs swivel.  His knees are double-jointed, but you can still only get about 90 degrees of bend due to dino feet in his calves.  His knees also have room to bend the wrong way without a way to really lock them in place.  His feet can tilt up and down a bit, and the front of his foot can rotate to provide a faux ankle pivot.

Volar can hold either his sword or his gun without any issues.  The handle of the gun can also fold up, and pegs can be used to attach the guns to either the front or back of teh wings while another peg on the sword allows it to be worn on either hip.

Volar's transformation is a bit unconventional, and the result is a little bit mixed.  Granted, it's immensely better than the ToyWorld boombox with wings, feet, and a head.  In fact, I do believe that Fansproject's intention was to create something a little closer to our modern understanding of a pteranodon.  However, his robot shins make for unavoidably large dino thighs.

In dino mode, Volar's head can tilt up about 45 degrees and down a fair bit.  He can look to the side a little, but his throat lacks clearance and starts forcing his torso to split.  His mouth can open.  His wings can flap forward and backward on a soft-ratcheted hinge, but only from about 45 degrees backward to 45 degrees forward.  Likewise, there's a ratcheted hinge at the "shoulder" to raise and lower the wing.  It ranges from perpendicular to the body to about 45 degrees up.  In both cases, the flapping and the raising, I wanted a bit more range, and in testing the limits I stressed some thin plastic and caused the wings to come off the joints.  Not ideal.  The wings can also rotate at the base, but that's more for transformation.  Moving along, he's got swivels at the "elbow" and "wrist" on the wings that fan the wings out.  Like other toys that have tried this articulation for wings going far enough will leave a gap between segments of wing.  You shouldn't have to, though, as I think he's got a pretty impressive wingspan if you don't open them too far.  You still have access to Volar's waist, backbend, and ab crunch.  Hip and thigh articulation are a bit limited, due to being covered by his shins.  His dino knee his hinged and can move both forward and backward, but his robot heel runs right through the middle and will often either poke through or hang out behind.  His dino feet are on ball joints, which allows them to tilt up and down or swivel in such a manner as to give him dino ankle pivots.

While you can use the peg holes on his wings for weapon storage, I think it actually works the best to put the gun/launchers into Volar's robot hands, so they sit along his back.  There's also something like tabs on his robot forearms.  Presumably they'd be a point to connect the weapon guy that comes with the standard edition of Volar, but they don't seem to work with Blue.

The articulation in Volar's ab crunch, dino legs, and wings seems meant to put Volar into a quadrupedal stance akin to what a real pteranodon might have used while on land.  Again, though, with the limits in articulation at the base of the wing, plus the limited ability to lift his dino "hands" and no wrist swivel, he just looks awkward to me.  He looks better in flight, although I wish his head could look up more.  Too bad Fansproject didn't include a flight stand.

Volar's a tougher recommend than their Grimlock was.  While I generally like Fansproject's aesthetic they made some choices here that I'm not sure panned out for either mode.  Dino articulation, especially in the wings, feels a bit too limited, and the materials feel soft and fragile in spots.  If I'd have bought Volar at full retail price back when he was first released I probably wouldn't have been happy.  However, his flaws are a bit easier to take at $40, and in light of how bad other CHUG-sized Swoops are Volar might still be your best bet if you want Siege Dinobots.  Just make sure you wait for a sale.

Hope you're feeling better, Mike.

Back before I finally got my hands on FT's Swoop, which none of the e-tailers of renown were carrying when I was trying to complete my Dibot collection, I gave some consideration to Volar. I like the look in bot mode, but I think his Pteranodon mode suffers a bit, more than I believed, actually, after reading your review. I'm glad I waited and found an ebay seller with a blue-chested Soar to fill out my Dibots. Like you, I just like the contrast of his blue chest to the red chests of the rest- it stands out in an eye-pleasing way, and looks nice with the overall color scheme of the character. Moreover, while I like the look of the FOC Dinobots ( the game designs were hit and miss for me, but I loved the look of their Prime and the Dinos were pretty cool looking, too), I much prefer the very G1 look of FT's Dinos across the board, and they managed to incorporate some neat mechanics in his little dino legs to give them some nice articulation, as well as his dino head and wings- just a well executed robo-Pteranodon. The only nitpicks I have with Soar are that due to an abundance of die-cast, he's very heavy for his size, but his ankles are friction joints that don't handle the weight very well, and I wish they'd designed his arms to retract into the body at more of an angle going down the body to give him a "V" shape instead of straight in giving him a boxy look. I guess it's how the G1 did it, but I don't mind a design concession if it improves the alt mode. Anyway, I'm pretty happy with Soar, with all my FT Dinos, really. 

I still think Animated Swoop is one of the best Swoop designs. His wings were way too small, but otherwise, they did a good job of giving him a more organic look, especially with the legs articulating forward like a modern bird. It looks cool, although, it doesn't seem anatomically correct based on a Google image search for Pteranodon.  I'd love to see what a good third party company could do with some of the Animated designs- still one of my favorite TF toy lines, and one I think, that still has potential. We never got an Animated Omega Supreme, and that's my favorite incarnation of the character. Since HasTak did absolutely nothing to celebrate Animated's tenth anniversary, I've been hoping a third party somewhere would seize the opportunity. Still waiting-  nuthin' but the sound of crickets.

[tekering]

33 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

I'd love to see what a good third party company could do with some of the Animated designs- still one of my favorite TF toy lines, and one I think, that still has potential.

Mech iDeas did a great job with "Bluster" and "Trench" (their Animated Huffer and Pipes), yet sales were disastrous -- five years later, and retailers still have them on clearance -- so I doubt any third-party would be willing to take on the financial risk now.

Plus, direct head-to-head competition seems to be motivating 3P character choices nowadays.  

[M'Kyuun]

Yeah, I'm aware of those figs, but I don't think they were exactly the best characters to start with. TBH, I didn't get them either. I think if more notable characters were done, it might spark interest- an improved Blitzwing, or Starscream, perhaps. Or custom Slag and Snarl within the aesthetic to round out the Dinos. I've seen some nice customs, and it makes me want them. Anyway, I guess the ship has sailed, as there don't seem to be any other folks trying to do Animated stuff. Ah well, I'm glad that G1 is still popular, and there seems to be no end to that roller coaster ride.

[Mog]

16 hours ago, anime52k8 said:

I don't have an Ironhide and I feel like prime could use a friend.

Such heroic nonsense:

[JB0]

^ The problem with being Prime's friend.

[anime52k8]

^ The problem with being ironhide

:edit:

I just noticed that getting shot in the chest makes his feet explode.

Edited September 13, 2019 by anime52k8

[M'Kyuun]

Makes perfect sense, if you're Michael Bay.

[mikeszekely]

9 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

Hope you're feeling better, Mike.

It was just a mix of a cold and jetlag, nothing serious. I've got a lingering cough, but I'm fine otherwise.

On 9/11/2019 at 7:39 PM, tekering said:

Magic Square rocks.  

When I reviewed XTB's Seaspray I looked at my other Seasprays (ToyWorld, Fans Toys, iGear, Maketoys, G1, Titans Return, Hunt for the Decepticons, and a poorly customized 2007 Storm Surge) and I realized I was missing one.  Magic Square's Surfer!  Sadly, Surfer is only available in a two-pack with Four Wheel Drive, their Legends-class Beachcomber.  I think I've already established that Beachcomber is one of my least favorites, but if that's what it takes to add a Seaspray to my collection, so be it.

Of all the Seasprays I have, the one that's been the closest in size to the G1 toy has been Maketoys'.  That is, until Surfer came along.  And wow, does Surfer ever make Maketoys' version look... dated.  Surfer's got better proportions across the board.  Now, he's probably not quite as G1 cartoony as, say, XTB's.  He doesn't have the level of folding to minimize his feet, and while I dig the yellow bits on his chest as a reference to the toy's stickers I wish they'd left the black off his chest.  Still, it's probably more cartoon accurate than anything else smaller than a Deluxe.

I might not be a huge fan of Beachcomber, but Four Wheel drive is looking pretty good.  He's even got the circles on his pelvis.  The only thing he's really missing is the colored patch on his abs.  And if you're wondering, yeah, I think this size works pretty good with New Age's Bumblebee.

The duo comes with a pair of guns.  One's like a pistol, the other looks more like a shotgun.  The instructions don't indicate who gets what, but for some reason I feel like the pistol is Surfer's, and the shotgun is Four Wheel Drive's.

Surfer's head is on a swivel, and that swivel is on a hinged plate for transformation.  You can use it to make him look up or down a little.  His shoulders are ball joints that rotate and extend 90 degrees.  He's got bicep swivels, and his hinged elbows can bend about 60 degrees.  His wrists can swivel.  His waist can swivel.  His hips are ball joints that can go 90 degrees forward, backward, or laterally.  His knees are ball joints that can bend slightly over 90 degrees and also pull double duty as thigh swivels.  His feet can bend down due to his transformation, and dedicated hinges give him 90 degrees of ankle pivot.

Four Wheel Drive's head can swivel, but it has no tilt.  His shoulders are on ball joints in his torso, which allow them to rotate and extend laterally, but there's also a pin hinge in his shoulder.  His elbows are double-jointed, with a pin hinge at the top and a ball joint at the bottom, so he can curl his arm up 180 degrees.  The ball joint doubles as a bicep swivel.  He's lacking a wrist swivel, but he does have a waist swivel.  His hips are ball joints that can go 90 degrees forward and laterally, and a little under that backward.  He has dedicated thigh swivels, and hinged knees that bend 90 degrees.  His feet can't tilt up or down, but he's got ankle pivots that go well beyond what you'd actually need (something like 180 degrees).

Either figure can hold either gun by stuffing the tiny peg handles into their tiny peg-hole fists.  The fit is pretty tight.

Surfer's alt mode is, at a glance, pretty good.  Compared to the G1 toy it's a little lower and wider, but I can live with that.

And Four Wheel Drive nails Beachcomber from the from most angles.

But neither are perfect.  The blue around the bottom of Surfer doesn't reach back far enough (or the white and yellow stick out the back too far).  Plus there's a very visible gap between his thighs that goes the whole way through his alt mode.  As for Four Wheel Drive, he's just missing some details like the seats, engine, and headlights.  Forgivable, given his diminutive size and the fact that I don't really care about Beachcomber in the first place.

Surfer's propellers can spin.  Unlike the G1 toy, he lacks any wheels.  For Wheel Drive does have wheels, and they do spin.  He rolls pretty good, actually.  Surfer's got peg holes on his robo-knees that you can use to plug in his gun.  Or Four Wheel Drive's, since I can't really find a way to store his on his vehicle mode.  I'd thought you could maybe use his visible fist holes, but his roll cage is in the way.  Oh well, he's a pacifist anyway.  Let Surfer dual wield.

Surfer isn't perfect, but I think I'm a lot more forgiving of little flaws on a tiny Legends-class figure than I would be on an MP.  And, despite his flaws, he's probably my second-favorite Seaspray that I own.  Four Wheel drive is similarly flawed but still quite competent, and to be honest I see him as a pack-in bonus anyway.  Like pretty much every other Magic Square figure I've looked at these guys get a recommend from me if you're into Legends figures.

[David Hingtgen]

1 hour ago, anime52k8 said:

:edit:

I just noticed that getting shot in the chest makes his feet explode.

Obviously Cybertronians use the same tech as Starfleet---"direct hit to lower aft cargo bay!"   ::sparks fly from conn on bridge:: 

[JB0]

42 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

The duo comes with a pair of guns.  One's like a pistol, the other looks more like a shotgun.  The instructions don't indicate who gets what, but for some reason I feel like the pistol is Surfer's, and the shotgun is Four Wheel Drive's.

Probably because the shorter gun looks like it ends in a water nozzle.

[mikeszekely]

That sale I mentioned on Fansproject's Dinobots?  I didn't stop at Grimlock and Swoop.  This is Columpio, their version of Sludge.

Hmm.  Well, while I like the blue accents, I kind of feel like there's nothing about Columpio that really jumps out and says "this is Sludge!" (aside from the dino head and neck hanging off of his back).  The head sculpt is kind of generic, and while it might just be my memory playing tricks on me in my mind Sludge is the bruiser of the group, and Columpio isn't particularly big.  In fact, with the folded-up dino legs hanging off the sides of his lower legs he's looking a little bottom heavy.  This is a case where ToyWorld's version compares favorably, or perhaps even a little better.

Columpio comes with a rifle that doesn't particularly resemble his G1 gun or missile launcher, but it does have a cool bayonet.  He's also got a sword that does more or less resemble his G1 weapon, and a... axe?  Club?  Some kind of weapon thingy.

And that weapon thingy, like the one that came with their Grimlock, turns into a little dude named named Drepan.  Drepan's head can swivel, his shoulders are on hinged ball joints for all the range you could possibly want, no biceps or wrists but he's got double-hinged elbows.  No waist swivel, ball joints at the hips that go over 90 forward and back and just under 90 laterally, ball-jointed knees bend well over 90 degrees and act as thigh swivels, no ankle pivots but his toes can bend down.  And he's got a cool little axe and shield of his own, and a brontosaurus battle mask that can cover his face.  However, Drepan is a concept that worked better on paper than in the actual execution.  In addition to having a pretty terrible weapon mode, he's got a huge handle sticking out of his back and leaving him prone to tipping backward.  No, it doesn't come off, and no, it can't fold any flatter than that.

Columpio can hold him, in either his default configuration or a slightly different sword-ish looking configuration.

Speaking of Columpio, his own head is on a ball joint with limited up/down range but decent sideways tilt in addition to the usual rotation.  His shoulders are big ball joints that rotate and move about 60 degrees laterally.  However, since the sockets are in the torso he can't really raise his arm and move it laterally at the same time.  His biceps swivel, and his elbows are actually double-jointed and can bend until his forearm collides with his shoulder.  His wrists can swivel, and his fingers are molded as a solid piece hinged at the base knuckle like an MP carbot.  His waist can swivel, and he's got a little bit of ab crunch/back bend.  His hips are friction universal joints that can go a little under 90 degrees forward, backward, or laterally.  His thighs can swivel, and his knees are double-jointed, both of them ratchets, and can bend over 90 degrees.  He technically doesn't have foot articulation, but the gold toes are on ball joints that can go up, down, or rotate to give him the appearance of standing flat-footed.

The handles on Columpio's weapons are basically round pegs, and his hands are molded to hold them, but I'm going to have to say that he doesn't hold them super great.  The tension in that knuckle pin is a little too weak to hold them tightly enough.  Columpio doesn't have the hip storage that Grimlock and Swoop did, either.  You can peg his weapons into his shoulders, though.  There's also peg holes on the insides of his wings.

Columpio's robot mode might be a little lacking, but I feel like he's making up for it in dino mode.  You've got most of the hallmarks of Sludge's dino mode- gold head, gold robo-feeties sticking up from his chrome back, that sort of stuff.  But, as with the others, I feel like Fansproject was trying to give a little more alt-mode realism, mostly in the legs and the narrower, less hump-backed body (although his tail is definitely way too short, but that's probably a constraint on a toy that still has to transform.

The real star, though, is his articulation.  Granted, his tail doesn't have any.  His back legs aren't anything special, ball jointed at the hips for rotation and minimal spread, no thigh swivel or ankle pivot, but he can bend at the knee and hip.  His front legs are his robot arms, with rotating shoulders and limited spread but now also with some butterfly motion.  His elbows can bend, and his biceps can swivel.  No front foot articulation.  But then we get to his neck.  There are six ball joints in his neck.  Each one is capable of bending, slightly more toward the "spiked" side than in the other directions.  But since they can all rotate, too, you wind up with fantastic range.  He can arch his neck back and look straight up.  He can bend down enough to bite something on the ground.  Or he can bring his neck around 90 degrees to either side.

Oh, yeah, and his jaw opens too.  If you need weapon storage in dino mode you can peg his sword or gun into either his shoulders or hips.  Plus, if you pull his robo feet out and spin them around 180 you'll open up a little spot for Drepan to sit in.  Not that he's going to sit there.  No, he's going in a baggie and into the closet.

Recommending Columpio is a little tougher than recommending Fansproject's Grimlock or Swoop.  As I noted, he doesn't have quite the same visual impact that Swoop and Grimlock did.  Plus, some of the joints on him, like the knuckle pin, the waist swivel, and the ab crunch, are really too loose.  And when you combine that with the fact that Columpio is facing tougher competition from ToyWorld than Grimlock or Swoop (to say nothing of Planet X, whom I may or may not pick up down the line) I can't honestly say that Columpio is your best choice for a Siege Sludge.  What I can say, though, is that Columpio's alt mode does make up for a lot of his robot mode shortcomings.  And if you're going to use Severo and Volar for your Siege Grimlock and Swoop the way I am then Columpio is arguably the best aesthetic match with those two.

[nhyone]

Zeta Toys has removed their full-figure reveal of Core Star on their weibo page. This is interesting times.

[captain america]

1 hour ago, nhyone said:

Zeta Toys has removed their full-figure reveal of Core Star on their weibo page. This is interesting times.

Based on the translation of the fan's conversation with Zeta that you posted on TFW2005 in conjunction with this...

I think it's fair to say that sufficient pressure was applied to sink the Core Star.

[ErikElvis]

On 9/11/2019 at 6:17 PM, anime52k8 said:

WAIT! PRIME NO! NOT THE FACE! OH GOD NOT THE FA~ blaagh!!!

 

 

Now that’s pretty cool

[mikeszekely]

1 hour ago, captain america said:

I think it's fair to say that sufficient pressure was applied to sink the Core Star.

Because some random guy in the internet said his friend heard this? That's like the modern version of "I heard from my uncle that works at Nintendo..."

Every year there's a sky-is-falling, end-of-3P story going around. I'm not getting worked up over rumors and hearsay.

[David Hingtgen]

1 hour ago, captain america said:

Based on the translation of the fan's conversation with Zeta that you posted on TFW2005 in conjunction with this...

I think it's fair to say that sufficient pressure was applied to sink the Core Star.

Well, then I'll be supporting the 3P-only stores, if it comes to that.  I don't think Baba sells HasTak stuff? 

[captain america]

2 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

Because some random guy in the internet said his friend heard this? That's like the modern version of "I heard from my uncle that works at Nintendo..."

Every year there's a sky-is-falling, end-of-3P story going around. I'm not getting worked up over rumors and hearsay.

[anime52k8]

13 hours ago, captain america said:

Based on the translation of the fan's conversation with Zeta that you posted on TFW2005 in conjunction with this...

I think it's fair to say that sufficient pressure was applied to sink the Core Star.

Lame. doubly lame because it's not going to get the official Unicron any closer to getting made. And once the crowdfunding campaign is dead and forgotten Core star will eventually resurface.

Edited September 16, 2019 by anime52k8