The Unlicensed Third Party Transformers Thread

[Chronocidal]

6 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

So Meteor's up in the air, I gather.  

Clearly, since if he'd landed, he'd be a meteorite.  

[M'Kyuun]

Ya know, having been here for as long as I have, and also knowing that the level of smart-assery is off-scale high in these parts, one would think I'd be a little more judicious in how I phrase things.

Got me good, @Chronocidal. 

[Scyla]

3 hours ago, Convectuoso said:

First of NewAge's Coneheads I take off the box

The NewAge Seekers are lit!

[Scyla]

I got MMCs Eris: Kultur last week. She is from a new line called InfiniteFinity, that gives MMCs designers more freedom than the slavish G1 MP line. She is quite ok. The biggest issue are the joints/joint tolerances.

Most movement joints are too tight while the transformation joints are not tight enough which makes her a tad bothersome to handle.

Other than that I like it quite a bit. Images and videos can’t to the treads justice. They are hard plates individually linked and move freely. 

Now make me my G1 Drift and Barricade in that line MMC. 😉
Or more fembots.

Edited June 28, 2021 by Scyla

[JB0]

1 hour ago, Scyla said:

Or more fembots.

A man after my own heart!

[Kuma Style]

9 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

So Meteor's up in the air, I gather.  

No idea of where this what read in what you  quoted but ok.

[Kuma Style]

[sh9000]

[mikeszekely]

I like how Fans Toys made enough changes to give Hoist and Trailbreaker animation-accurate visual differences beyond the head, color, and junk in their truck beds.  Too bad they'll be $200-$250 each and still sell out four minutes after preorders open.😒

[Convectuoso]

Mechanic Studios' Arcee to be manufactured by Dr. Wu

[technoblue]

12 minutes ago, Convectuoso said:

Mechanic Studios' Arcee to be manufactured by Dr. Wu

<snip>

Looking good.  I was waiting for a nice Arcee to go with their Hot Rod (MS-21 Flame Walker) and Dr. Wu has been helping with some interesting projects of late.

[M'Kyuun]

What scale is this Arcee? It takes a giant dump on Hasbro's, so if it's in deluxe scale, I'm interested. If it's legends, still looks really good, although paying leader to commander scale prices for legends sized figs becomes taxing on the wallet, and I'm trying hard not to fall into the legends pit of no return. If I had never started collecting before now, I probably, for the sake of scale, would have gone almost exclusively with legends, as the engineering on these things and the presentation is often as good, and sometimes better, than what we're getting with CHUG and MP scales, and I'm pretty enamored with the legends figs I've bought so far. But, I've been collecting now off and on since '84, with CHUG as my primary collection, so that's my main focus, and I wish third party would work in that scale again. We need someone compensating for the occasional crappy official releases.

FT's Trailbreaker looks great. I have MMC's, and I'm happy enough with it that I don't feel I need to replace it. But In both modes, I think FT captured the toon look really well, and just pulled off a really visually appealing figure. It's not shown in any of those pics, but I'm wondering if those panel seams in the hood over the front tires indicate a pop-out gimmick.

[Convectuoso]

8 minutes ago, M&#x27;Kyuun said:

What scale is this Arcee?

From what I read, seems like it's going to be 9.8cm tall

[mikeszekely]

2 minutes ago, Convectuoso said:

From what I read, seems like it's going to be 9.8cm tall

So Legends scale. Hasbro's is closer to 13-14cm, I think.

[technoblue]

Yes. IIRC, Mechanic Studios helps to design Mech Fans Toys Legends.

[M'Kyuun]

Yep legends, although a rather tall legends (almost to the top of Magic Square's Megatron's upper torso). Hasbro's Thrilling 30 Arcee is about 13cm to the tops of her car fenders in its backpack form, so at 9.8 cm, Wu's Arcee would only come up to 'nipple' level of T30. I don't have WfC close at hand, or I'd do a quick measurement, but as Mike said, I'd guess she's about 13-14 cm as well. So Wu's Arcee might fit in with CHUG if you just accept her as being really small comparatively. I've worked with adult women under 5', and I'm only 5'2" myself, so who am I to be biased against short members amongst my Cybertronian figures? If I'm being honest, though, I wish they were making her in deluxe scale- sure would be a welcome improvement over the very poorly executed WfC toy.

[Convectuoso]

I think the back pack of this version is far more acceptable than any of Hasbro's offerings

[Scyla]

1 hour ago, M&#x27;Kyuun said:.

….

FT's Trailbreaker looks great. I have MMC's, and I'm happy enough with it that I don't feel I need to replace it. But In both modes, I think FT captured the toon look really well, and just pulled off a really visually appealing figure. It's not shown in any of those pics, but I'm wondering if those panel seams in the hood over the front tires indicate a pop-out gimmick.

I will stick with MMCs Terraegis. But I’m interested im FTs version of Hoist. 

[technoblue]

I am 6'3" tall and I welcome all shapes and sizes. I think it's important to be comfortable with who you are first and foremost, but I digress. 

1 hour ago, Convectuoso said:

I think the back pack of this version is far more acceptable than any of Hasbro's offerings

As much as I like the MP, I have to agree, and it's no contest when compared to the mainline WFC version. That was a slap in the face, although the third-party upgrades helped somewhat. Anyway, speaking about third-party and add-on upgrade parts, I wanted to do something I haven't done here in a while: write a mini review.

As noted up thread, I've gone down the rabbit hole and started collecting Legends figures to replace the bulk of my mainline WFC collection. For seekers, I decided to go with Newage because of how they homage the old G1 aethetic and put their own spin on it. Here's H14 Leviathan, their version of Thundercracker:

This review isn't going to cover the entire toy but it is going to focus on a nifty add-on part which is available on eBay from multiple sellers. The rumor is that it comes from Go Better Studios, but I have no way to confirm or deny it. The eagle-eyed among you like @M'Kyuun have probably already noticed the singular fault of the Newage seekers and that is the mismatched proportions between the main wings and the tail end. Here's a photo illustrating the issue (forgive the bad lighting):

The add-on kit adds wing filler pieces that slide over the mount points on the underside of the wings. These fold down for bot mode (or for storage), but they fold up in alt mode to create a more proportionate F-15. The pieces are painted and color matched to each Newage seeker release. I've purchased a handful of these to go with each one that I own now. The quality is spot on. I've only had a single set that had a fitment issue and that was easy to fix on my own with a round file. If Legends are your thing or maybe if accurate F-15 alts are your thing, I can definitely recommend this add-on. 

 

Edited July 3, 2021 by technoblue

[technoblue]

I've also been looking at MFT's release of Octane today, MS-27 Poison. Here's a teaser in his tanker truck alt mode:

So far, I like what I see, although my copy has a minor QC issue in that the left wing ball joint sits loose in its socket. This means that the wing has a tendency to flop about when in bot mode and the 767-ish alt. I need to add something to it to help secure the joint. I have floor polish, but I was thinking of getting some Kikis or some paint reducer instead. Anyway, it's on the to-do list. Transformation is fun---not too complicated which is nice and in line with MFT's earlier Astrotrain release. As shown, this toy only has two accessories: an extra face and a single weapon. Good enough for me.

Edited July 3, 2021 by technoblue

[mikeszekely]

I don't really do Legends, but I was so impressed with MFT's Astrotrain that I pre-ordered their Octane and Blitzwing.

[technoblue]

21 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

I don't really do Legends, but I was so impressed with MFT's Astrotrain that I pre-ordered their Octane and Blitzwing.

Similar story here. I wasn't paying attention to them at first but was admiring the photos that @Convectuoso was sharing. My first Legends were from MFT and Iron Factory. I'm collecting the triple changers from MFT, including their reissued Springer, plus some movie car bots. The rest I've split between NA and Magic Square.

I've slowed down with Iron Factory since we already have nice larger scale IDW-style releases from MMC and Planet-X.

[Convectuoso]

I've been tempted to get MFT's movie autobots, but they seem too tall to be displayed next to my NewAge collection

[technoblue]

2 hours ago, Convectuoso said:

I've been tempted to get MFT's movie autobots, but they seem too tall to be displayed next to my NewAge collection

I've read that MS-21, their new Hot Rod, is supposed to be around 10cm. If true, that does seem a touch too tall for a NA collection. I don't mind having tall triple changers but the other MFT movie bots may go better with my MS Legends. On another forum, I read that MS-21 should come up around the middle of Magic Square Prime's chest. That would be very close to how the mainline Studio Series Hot Rod and Earthrise Optimus scale together in bot mode.

[M'Kyuun]

NA tend to have their own scale which is smaller than most of the other legends figs, 3P or official, which makes mix and matching problematic, depending on the figs you buy and from which companies. Magic Square seems to scale better with other legends, except NA. Too, I think more of their figs have cleaner sculpts, better engineering, more pinned joints and less ball joints than NA, although I prefer certain NA figs over MS, such as the Seekers.

Both make fun figs though in my experience.

[tekering]

4 hours ago, M&#x27;Kyuun said:

NA tend to have their own scale which is smaller than most of the other legends figs, 3P or official, which makes mix and matching problematic, depending on the figs you buy and from which companies.

And MFT's tend to be that much bigger than most of the other Legends figures as well, 3P or official, which makes mixing and matching that much MORE problematic.

Thank Primus all the third-parties at least stick to a standard scale for their Masterpiece releases.

[M'Kyuun]

37 minutes ago, tekering said:

Thank Primus all the third-parties at least stick to a standard scale for their Masterpiece releases.

Never gave it much thought, but it's true; there's nothing constraining them. Too, Hasbro and/or Takara established both MP and legends scales, so why stick religiously to the former, and yet deviate all over with the latter? I guess every company has its reasons, but it does seem odd not to stick to a universal scale,  as it makes product more marketable than not. Too big or too small, and you may put your product out of consideration , regardless of how well crafted it is, simply b/c it doesn't fit.

[Scyla]

57 minutes ago, tekering said:

And MFT's tend to be that much bigger than most of the other Legends figures as well, 3P or official, which makes mixing and matching that much MORE problematic.

Thank Primus all the third-parties at least stick to a standard scale for their Masterpiece releases.

Well, ToyWorld tried to establish a new, larger scale for their MP releases and failed. But their releases came way too late in the game and most collectors were already pot committed.

[technoblue]

I had some time to mess with Newage's version of Bumblebee today, H25 Herbie. This is an update to their previous release, which has many fans. This release, like MP-45, goes for the alt-mode penny racer look. Here he is in alt mode compared to his mainline WFC cousin.

Apologies, in advance, for the slightly mistransformed boot of Netflix/Earthrise Bee. I wasn't trying to disparage either one in these photos. I like them both and Earthrise Bee is one of the few mainline Chugs from the latest WFC waves that I'm keeping.

And here's a side shot in alt mode. Although Earthrise Bee is small, Herbie is even more so. In fact, NA Bee is smol. 

Not to give alt mode all the love, here is a photo of H25 in bot mode. It's incredible to see how much articulation this tiny Bee has built right in. Some complain that the feet are still too big in bot mode. I don't mind them. The way the feet transform do remind me more of Earthrise Bee than MP-45, and that's a good thing.  The accessories for both Newage Bee and Cliffy (not pictured) are included in the box in separate bags. Bee has his gun, a jetpack, and a spare tire to attach (it works both in bot and alt mode). Cliffy has his launcher with tripod/stand, and the alt mode skis from that one episode on sprues.

Now for the downside. H25 is part of a bundle with Newage's version of Cliffjumper only and is not sold separately. The price is right up there with the NA seekers, Galvatron, and Shockwave. Even with the complex engineering that makes for a very fun toy, paying that much for something so small could be a turn off for some.

In any case, if you can look past the price of it, or if you are so far down the Legends rabbit hole that price isn't an issue anymore (especially with Newage), then I can recommend it.

Edited July 5, 2021 by technoblue

[Convectuoso]

Thanks for that review, @technoblue

I have their previous version of Bee and don't intend to replace it, but I may get this 2-pack just to get Cliffjumper. 

[Convectuoso]

https://m.bilibili.com/video/BV1T54y1p7R6/

 

New video of MS Devastator legs

[sh9000]

 

[sh9000]

XTB Youth Version.

[mikeszekely]

I know Legends seem to be more popular in this thread; I'll have some of those for you, soon.  But for now, I got this decided not-Legends figure- MMC's Stellarus Prominon.

Star Convoy has fascinated me since I first saw images of him on the early internet.  I liked the design enough that I bought both the Generations Selects Star Convoy and a reissue G1 Star Convoy.  G1 Star Convoy is a pretty cool toy with a number of interesting accessories, but for a toy released so late in G1 it's extremely blocky and lacking in articulation.  As for Gen Selects, well... I didn't like it.

Stellarus, though, looks like he leaped right out of the Battlestars pages... well, maybe a cover or some bonus art, since the actual manga was black and white.  But I digress.  The point is, Stellarus Prominon looks like the sort of Star Convoy a fan might have always wanted.  He's big, but with more natural proportions.  The only thing I can really think of to complain about are the slits in the gold parts of his knees, and the fact that I might have preferred a bright yellow to the metallic gold.  Actually, scratch that.  I'd have also liked silver paint on the thighs and hands over the silvery-gray plastic.  However, MMC did apparently look into painting those parts and found scratching to be a problem.  I guess they didn't want to pull a Fans Toys.

Even the back is extremely clean on Stellarus.  None of the panels or smaller legs dangling of Gen Selects.  Actual legs instead of a crawler, unlike the G1 toy.  If you really compare with the G1 toy, though, you'll start to notice some things that will speak to the differences in transformation, like the truck grill on the back of his forearms and the wheels on the backs of his shoulders- the ones on his forearms are fake wheels, just for show.

Remember when I said that the G1 Star Convoy toy came with a lot of cool accessories?  Yeah, Stellarus not so much.  He just comes with this one rifle.  It strikes me as being a little more like original Prime's ion rifle than G1 Star Convoy, but that might be the silver details throwing me off.  Some shapes are a bit tweaked, but it actually has all the same details as G1 Star Convoy's.

Stellarus' head is on a ball joint that already offers some pretty great up, down, and sideways tilt, but the base is on a hinge for transformation that's still in play in robot mode, allowing him to recoil in horror or crane his neck forward.  The turrets on his shoulders can rotate, and each barrel can move horizontally independently of the other.  To my dismay, the barrels have no vertical articulation, though.  His shoulders rotate on ratchets.  They move laterally on a ratchet, but only about 45 degrees.  A ratcheted transformation hinge can give him a little extra, but not when his shoulder is rotated.  His biceps swivel  He has an elbow hinge that can bend over 90 degrees, but if that's not enough for you there's a second hinge at the top of his bicep that'll give him enough range to curl his forearm all the way to his shoulder.  His wrists swivel, and his thumb is on a ball joint.  Each finger is individually-articulated with pins at the base and two additional knuckles.  His waist swivels, and he has a bit of a ratcheted ab crunch.  His front and side hip skirts hinge out of the way so that his hips can go almost 90 degrees forward on a solid ratchet, but his butt has no such hinge and can only move backward a single click, under 45 degrees.  His hips move laterally 90 degrees, which is good, but they're also ratchets and they're some of the weakest ratchets I've seen since TFC's Superion.  Not ideal, but he hasn't fallen over on me, so we'll let it go for now.  His thighs swivel.  His knees are double-jointed, both ratcheted, and combined get a little over 90 degrees.  The lower knee ratchet, unlike his hips, is scary tight.  His toes can tilt up, his heels can tilt down, and his whole ankle can pivot up to 90 degrees.

His gun has tabs on the sides of the handles, and they just plug into slots in his palms.

Not sure if this counts as articulation or transformation, but his antennas are hinged.  They can be splayed out, as commonly depicted in the Battlestars art, or smushed against his head like the G1 toy.  Smushing is necessary for transformation.

And it's kind of an interesting transformation, simple but at times annoying, that takes a very big robot and shrinks him down to the G1 toy's size.  But a lot of the transformation is taking the silver panels that cover the "trailer" and unfurling them from his back, then tucking his head into the cavity that was vacated by those panels.  Regarding the panels, they're thin and it can be a bear to get them all tabbed in right.  Stuff will like to pop out or not line up right.  When you do get it, though, everything is solid as a rock.  As for tucking in his head, the tolerances could be better.  I had a hard time getting his head in place without scratching the crest on his forehead.

Stellarus does a much better job emulating Star Convoy's truck mode than the Generations selects version; it's got the right cab shape, the right number of wheels, and the treads at the back.  But yeah, it's not perfect and definitely one of the weaker things about this figure.  The trailer isn't very cohesive, broke up as it is by different panels, hinges, tabs, and and slots.  It doesn't overhang the cab, and the cab is much bigger than I'd like.  The soles of his feet don't have the bay doors.  Actually, his toes don't bend down, either, which is part of the G1 alt mode.

Stellarus lacks the spinning antenna of the G1 toy, but the turrets still have their articulation.  The rifle can still plug into the top of the trailer, and the handle is hinged so it has some vertical range.  All the tires and the treads are made of rubber.  The tires roll, but the treads don't really work.  MMC put little wheels just inside of the treads so Stellarus can still roll, though.

Sadly, no base mode.  At least nothing official.

Stellarus has one other problem, one that's been widely discussed in the usual places.  Unlike many other high-end figures, Stellarus' lower legs collapse over his thighs, but merely by pushing them.  There's no lock, and no button release like you'd have found on MP-10 or some of Fans Hobby's Primes.  On my copy, and apparently many others, it takes too little pressure to collapse the legs.  The right leg on mine can just barely support the weight of the figure.  I've heard it suggested that part of the problem is that the legs are collapsed in the box, and some people have said that the slider felt better after leaving the legs extended for awhile.  Not really working for me.  I don't want to ding MMC too much for this, though; they're aware of the problem and are providing replacement parts.  Indeed, The Chosen Prime sent the parts with my copy of Stellarus; I just have to find the time to perform toy surgery.

OK, so time to be real.  I'm honestly a little disappointed with Stellarus.  But a lot of that is because I really wanted this figure to excellent, like an A+, and it's more like a B, B-.  The robot mode has adequate articulation and looks amazing, but the joints are a bit inconsistent and the materials feel like a step down from what MMC usually uses.  The transformation is simple enough, but still has it's annoyances.  And the alt mode, while certainly much closer than Gen Selects, is still fairly inaccurate.  So, here's the thing.  If you don't have any attachment to the Battlestars or Star Convoy then you're not really missing anything if you pass on Stellarus.  But, if you're like me and always wanted a good Star Convoy, well, Stellarus is the best you're going to get, possible ever.

 

EDIT: I just finished installing the replacement parts in one leg.  Basically, on each side is a plastic clip with a tab that's supposed to hold up the upper leg when it's fully extended.  You have to pull the lower leg apart, remove the clips (which is kind of a pain), then before you install the replacement ones (which have slightly longer tabs) you put a small rubber ring behind them to help make sure the clips bounce back outward after the legs are collapsed for awhile.  Installing the rubber ring is easy, getting the new clip in is a pain.  But once it's all done his leg feels much more solid, and it takes a lot more force to collapse it.  I'd still have preferred a latch and button, but it definitely works.

Edited July 7, 2021 by mikeszekely

[sh9000]

I need a transforming Airwolf.