The Energon Pub

[Targetmaster Kup]

Great article. I love stuff like this. I agree on some of these. We got Blast Off in hand and decided Hasbro's was better. My son liked Brawl's head on Hasbro's better too. We both loved Takara's Onslaught and Vortex. As for Swindle, we thought we were going to go with Takara's, but once we got it hand, we preferred Hasbro's. As such, we are now selling 3 of the 5 Combaticons in Takara's Unite Warriors boxed set of Bruticus.

Here are the links of anyone is interested in buying them.

Blast Off: http://www.ebay.com/itm/131873733333

Swindle: http://www.ebay.com/itm/131873746127

Brawl: http://www.ebay.com/itm/131873741062

[Evil Eye]

Nice review! I must admit, feet aside, I do like the LOOK of the Brutici quite a lot. The CW toy looks pretty good (and if Blast Off was a new jet mold instead of just a redeco of Slingshot I'd say it'd be perfect), the UW version looks great (though I really prefer the silver chest plate, and I hear the QC is wonky as hell) and the G2 version is a hell of a Dudicus. Wrong faction symbols aside.

Anyway, here's my opinion on the individual robots (aesthetically at least).

Onslaught: UW wins hands down. That blue is just sexy as hell. The vehicle mode looks a bit weird with the brown chestplate though. CW 'Slaught isn't bad but he's a little...washed out? And the G2 version, as much as I love G2, is just too yellow. He needs more purple to break up the cheesiness.

Vortex: They all look great, though UW gets a bit of an edge for the 4-bladed rotor. Surprisingly, I find G2 Vortex to be the most aesthetically pleasing colour wise.

Brawl: G2 Brawl clearly went to the same camouflage school as G2 Megatron, and he looks a bit...loud for my liking. UW and CW are much the same but I prefer UW for the little things, like the head, darker treads and gunmetal thighs.

Swindle: UW and CW Swindle both look superb- it's a tie for them. The real winner IMO is G2 Swindle. I love G2 Swindles in general, and this is no exception. Could do with a tad more purple but regardless, he's awesome. That tomato red is just on the money.

Blast Off: CW looks...boring. Even aside from the fact he's a straight redeco of Slingshot, he's just dull. UW has a really nice deco, even if it isn't accurate, but I find the mold disappointing. He looks off in some way. G2 Blast Off though...It ain't Blast Off, but it's certainly good looking. His Harrier-esque jet mode combined with the colour scheme reminds me of an Arctic Harrier. Honestly I'd buy him on his own if he were available separately. Question is, what to call him? Avalanche? Ice-Up? Snowblind?

EDIT: For those wondering, this is an Arctic Harrier.

[CommanderShadowmus]

That Best of the Best image...

You got it the other way around... Takara's Vortex looks SO MUCH cooler than that clownish mess Hasbro gave us!

[galvatron00]

Look at you Shaj, getting a front page review in your own collection thread!! One day, I shall do the same

Still awesome that you have all three, to my zero.

[shajaki]

Thanks again for the article. This is fantastic!

Thanks boss

If they had used a darker brown like the original toy or Hasbro's Blast Off, I'd be way more excited about him.

Hopefully like Slingshot, Dead-end, and Groove, Uncle Hasby will give us that Takara mold Blast-Off. And IF they do, just maybe he'll be proper colors.

I agree that UW Blast-Off looks better in-hand as his chest looks disproportionately huge in pictures.

I had actually become a little panicked when I saw later pics of Blast-Off and that gut. but totally, in had it's no biggie.

I really want to pull the trigger on a CW G2 Bruticus set, as that was the first combiner I ever had, but I really wanted a proper representation of Vortex and Blast-Off. In addition, I don't feel there are enough purple camouflage splotches on the figures, especially on some bot modes, and I'm puzzled over the lack of G2 Decepticon symbols.

While I'm confident about seeing a separate release of Takara-Off, I'm afraid these Hasbro G2 sets are all we'll see to represent these variations. And yeah, my only two complaints about him are that he could have used more purple all over, and the G1 symbols. But if I'm being honest, while initially enraged about the G1 symbols, I all but forgot about them in hand. That Bruti chest plate just melts me

Brawl: UW for the little things, like the head, darker treads and gunmetal thighs.

Yeah, that is something I meant to note in the review. UW Brawl does have a handful of small details (like gunmetal paint as opposed to flat grey) that set him apart nicely.

Blast Off: UW has a really nice deco, even if it isn't accurate, but I find the mold disappointing. He looks off in some way.

And that's just it, he might LOOK off, but trust me, QC aside he's nice in hand

G2 Blast Off though...It ain't Blast Off, but it's certainly good looking. His Harrier-esque jet mode combined with the colour scheme reminds me of an Arctic Harrier. Honestly I'd buy him on his own if he were available separately. Question is, what to call him? Avalanche? Ice-Up? Snowblind?
EDIT: For those wondering, this is an Arctic Harrier.
*snip*

I like the way you think, and those names are awesome

Look at you Shaj, getting a front page review in your own collection thread!! One day, I shall do the same

Yeah, I wasn't sure where to put it since it featured 3 figures from two lines. Next time I'll probably just make it it's own thread

[shajaki]

Thanks to everyone else for the kind words

[Evil Eye]

Brawl: UW for the little things, like the head, darker treads and gunmetal thighs.

Yeah, that is something I meant to note in the review. UW Brawl does have a handful of small details (like gunmetal paint as opposed to flat grey) that set him apart nicely.

Oh, it's paint is it? Awesome! I assumed it was just bare plastic.

Blast Off: UW has a really nice deco, even if it isn't accurate, but I find the mold disappointing. He looks off in some way.

And that's just it, he might LOOK off, but trust me, QC aside he's nice in hand

Alas, it's the QC that put me off CW/UW. Still, glad to hear you like him.

You know, it's occurred to me. Nobody ever seems to know what to do with Blast Off's nosecone. On the FP and Warbotron versions it just sits on the back, and with the UW figure it folds up...giving him man-tits. If they aren't going to make the arms out of the nosecone (which I can understand, as it might not work so well in combined mode) why not have the nosecone split in half and form Gunbuster-esque shoulder pylons? Not G1 accurate...but then UW Blast Off isn't anyway.

G2 Blast Off though...It ain't Blast Off, but it's certainly good looking. His Harrier-esque jet mode combined with the colour scheme reminds me of an Arctic Harrier. Honestly I'd buy him on his own if he were available separately. Question is, what to call him? Avalanche? Ice-Up? Snowblind?
EDIT: For those wondering, this is an Arctic Harrier.
*snip*

I like the way you think, and those names are awesome

Heh heh, thank you very much! I suppose with a bit of mental gymnastics he could also make a serviceable Flattop.

[BATTLEMASTER IIC]

I agree that the best part of G2 Bruticus is that chest plate. I absolutely love the way it looks.

[shajaki]

Brutici hijinks aside, it's time to get to my recent hauls.



Dready. He's neat. I like him. Average jetformer with a nice deco. Not much to say, other than for Lena prices I recommend him.



Hypery Surgery Prime. I wasn't interested to begin with, but felt obligated because I have the other two big TAV Primes. He's kinda fun, but wholly disappointing. In normal mode, my copy has prematurely popping wings, which is really annoying.



Revealing Super Mode (or whatever) is neat, and that face mask looks bad-frickin-ass. But that awesome mask is stuck, stock straight. And that's just where my negatives start. His forearms.... FALL OFF. Where his forearms peg in, there's no stopper! I was testing his posability and tried to turn his arm there (no forearm swivel BTW, which is super weak) and it fell off. And while they are secure enough to stay on during a shake test, they do fall off easily. His paint apps in bot mode are pretty nice, but in truck mode he is seriously lacking. And then there's the cab backpack...





Uhhh.... who designed this? Why on earth could this not collapse, or AT VERY LEAST not lie flush against his back? Nothing about this figure upsets me more than this. Upon opening him, that cab piece was not attached to him. And at first I didn't attach it the obvious way because I thought "What? No way it goes on like that. That's horrible", but sadly that's how it goes.

So my rant comes to a close with this, only buy him if:
1) He's domestic for you, on a shelf, and on sale.
2) You're just THAT BIG a fan of the show.
or 3) You're a kid or its for your kid. Because like I said, it is kinda fun.

MOVING ON!



My first MP KO. He has some visual flaws, but looks the part.
Would I ever buy another one? Not a friggin chance. Maybe I'm spoiled with legit MP's, but no way would I pay this price again (around 300 CAD shipped) for something of this quality. He's solid enough to pose and such, but there's enough loose parts (and janky scary parts) to stop me from ever making a purchase like this again. A 20-30 dollar CHMS Seeker? Sure. But not this.

I do really like the bronzish color of his eyes though.

[Evil Eye]

Dreadwing looks pretty neat. I don't know about you but somehow I can see that mold making a good Starscream with a new head and a paintjob. The "peacock feathers" seem fittingly flamboyant/thematic for him.

I'm sorry to hear that Prime is a washout. I must admit the only figures from the RID line I've been buying have been the very small ones (Legion Strongarm and 3 Mini-Cons) and whilst they're fun to mess with they do feel noticeably cheaper than previous efforts (which for £7 a pop is outrageous). The bigger figures have all looked unbearably flimsy and crude for my liking.

And whilst obviously I'm not happy to hear that your MP Ultra Magnus was a QC riddled mess, I can't help but feel a little bit relieved that you've been converted away from KO MPs. Not least of all because I know how wonky they can be. Still, I will agree he certainly LOOKS the part.

[shajaki]

I'm sorry to hear that Prime is a washout. The bigger figures have all looked unbearably flimsy and crude for my liking.

By bigger do you mean anything Warrior and up? There's next to nothing when you go bigger (three Prime's and a Grim?) and the Warrior class has been quite solid. Fun toys

And whilst obviously I'm not happy to hear that your MP Ultra Magnus was a QC riddled mess, I can't help but feel a little bit relieved that you've been converted away from KO MPs.

And I very quickly have to eat my words. Obviously I need to see more (production samples and video reviews) but if they make MP11 Rainmakers, Welcoming Committee, and Purple Clones, I'm probably going to buy them.

[Evil Eye]

I'm sorry to hear that Prime is a washout. The bigger figures have all looked unbearably flimsy and crude for my liking.

By bigger do you mean anything Warrior and up? There's next to nothing when you go bigger (three Prime's and a Grim?) and the Warrior class has been quite solid. Fun toys

Yeah I was talking about Warriors specifically. I was going to pick up Strongarm but the big ol' hollow legs really put me off. I suppose I can't complain too much as I own Rook and love him, but somehow it seems far more...egregious on Strongarm. Perhaps because the lower legs are proportionally bigger and thus have more "empty space" in them. I dunno, if I do buy Strongarm I'll be customizing her. A lot.

And whilst obviously I'm not happy to hear that your MP Ultra Magnus was a QC riddled mess, I can't help but feel a little bit relieved that you've been converted away from KO MPs.

And I very quickly have to eat my words. Obviously I need to see more (production samples and video reviews) but if they make MP11 Rainmakers, Welcoming Committee, and Purple Clones, I'm probably going to buy them.

Noooooooooooo!

In all seriousness, either wait for reviews or just buy one to begin with to test the quality. If it's good, buy the rest (and look disdainfully at them every so often). If it's crap, well, don't buy them.

[shajaki]

Yeah I was talking about Warriors specifically. I was going to pick up Strongarm but the big ol' hollow legs really put me off. I suppose I can't complain too much as I own Rook and love him, but somehow it seems far more...egregious on Strongarm. Perhaps because the lower legs are proportionally bigger and thus have more "empty space" in them. I dunno, if I do buy Strongarm I'll be customizing her. A lot.

Well, if there is a weak spot in the RID Warrior Class, is was Wave 1. But that's not to say Strongarm is bad at all, I rather liked her. But the line does get better as it progresses. Honestly the only ones I don't like are Grimlock and Steeljaw, everything else has been top notch.

In all seriousness, either wait for reviews or just buy one to begin with to test the quality. If it's good, buy the rest (and look disdainfully at them every so often). If it's crap, well, don't buy them.

Don't worry, I don't usually buy 3P or KO's without extensive research.

[Evil Eye]

Yeah I was talking about Warriors specifically. I was going to pick up Strongarm but the big ol' hollow legs really put me off. I suppose I can't complain too much as I own Rook and love him, but somehow it seems far more...egregious on Strongarm. Perhaps because the lower legs are proportionally bigger and thus have more "empty space" in them. I dunno, if I do buy Strongarm I'll be customizing her. A lot.

Well, if there is a weak spot in the RID Warrior Class, is was Wave 1. But that's not to say Strongarm is bad at all, I rather liked her. But the line does get better as it progresses. Honestly the only ones I don't like are Grimlock and Steeljaw, everything else has been top notch.

Thanks for the info! There are definitely Warriors I quite fancy (notably Fracture, Scorponok and Quillfire) but they...don't actually seem to be out in my country, as per the boring usual. To eBay I go, I suppose. I also quite like the look of one step Springload if only because a Warrior is unlikely and I can hardly turn down a Pepecon.
>SLAGGING NORMIES! REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

I'd totally be down for a mainline Generations/3P Strongarm though.

In all seriousness, either wait for reviews or just buy one to begin with to test the quality. If it's good, buy the rest (and look disdainfully at them every so often). If it's crap, well, don't buy them.

Don't worry, I don't usually buy 3P or KO's without extensive research.

Good man, good man. Personally though I'd wait to see if Maketoys goes through with their MP Seeker mold and see what variants they do. Their MP-alikes have all been superb thus far, and whilst the MP Seeker mold is a good one it does have its flaws (notably the wibbly-wobbly pec/shoulder assemblies) probably from its age.

Then again I am an unabashed Maketoys fanboy (despite owning a whopping 3 of their products, soon to be 5 when Vulcan and Himed arrive) so don't listen to me too much.

[shajaki]

Thanks for the info! There are definitely Warriors I quite fancy (notably Fracture, Scorponok and Quillfire) but they...don't actually seem to be out in my country, as per the boring usual. To eBay I go, I suppose.

Question: If you're only option is to buy online, then why not just go the extra mile and import some Takara TAV's? I bet the price will end up being practically the same.

Good man, good man. Personally though I'd wait to see if Maketoys goes through with their MP Seeker mold and see what variants they do.

I have a hard enough time buying 3P MP's worrying about Takara coming out with the real deal, so I'm not in the market for characters they've actually given us. And didn't MT make them taller for some reason?

[Evil Eye]

Thanks for the info! There are definitely Warriors I quite fancy (notably Fracture, Scorponok and Quillfire) but they...don't actually seem to be out in my country, as per the boring usual. To eBay I go, I suppose.

Question: If you're only option is to buy online, then why not just go the extra mile and import some Takara TAV's? I bet the price will end up being practically the same.

That's a good idea. I may very well do that. To Mandarake! (Once I'm collecting again anyway)

Good man, good man. Personally though I'd wait to see if Maketoys goes through with their MP Seeker mold and see what variants they do.

I have a hard enough time buying 3P MP's worrying about Takara coming out with the real deal, so I'm not in the market for characters they've actually given us. And didn't MT make them taller for some reason?

Nah, that was ToyWorld. But I totally get you on that.

[shajaki]

Update from Jaki-Land. I quit watching How I Met Your Mother. Start of season 8 (so I'm almost done) but I've just had enough. And I've never quit a show like this. Barney ends it with that awesome stripper girl for Robin? And just before that, Ted professes his love for Robin AGAIN and without reason? Before he did that there was no build up or pining going on. So that was it for me. *click*

What have I been watching then? This wonderful piece of television:



It's as if Steven Spielberg circa 70-80's made a TV show. Kinda reminiscent of ET, or Super 8. If you think it's anywhere near your alley, give it a shot

[D-Maximal_Primal]

I appreciated the Brutici review. I am loving the G2 set and kinda wish I would have bought it instead of the retail one

[shajaki]

I appreciated the Brutici review. I am loving the G2 set and kinda wish I would have bought it instead of the retail one

Thanks D! But no worries, like I said each set has its ups and downs so you can't really go wrong

So today, for a nifty price from a local fella, I nabbed me a TFCC Ramjet!

[galvatron00]

You quit HIMYM?! So close to finished!!

Stranger Things. The way Stranger was written I thought it was a prequel show to "Dr. Strange"

Hey, I have that Ramjet! Still in the original box unopened!! The box they shipped it to me in that is. Which is where he will stay. As I have no need for him.

[Evil Eye]

Ramjet is looking neat as hell. Any chance you'll get Skywarp?

[shajaki]

You quit HIMYM?! So close to finished!!

What can I say, it struck a nerve

Stranger Things. The way Stranger was written I thought it was a prequel show to "Dr. Strange"

I know! I thought the same thing

Hey, I have that Ramjet! Still in the original box unopened!! The box they shipped it to me in that is. Which is where he will stay. As I have no need for him.

Wut
Why you have toy and no open?

Ramjet is looking neat as hell. Any chance you'll get Skywarp?

Heck yeah I will!

[galvatron00]

You quit HIMYM?! So close to finished!!

What can I say, it struck a nerve

Schmosby. He can't quit Robin. Ever.

Stranger Things. The way Stranger was written I thought it was a prequel show to "Dr. Strange"

I know! I thought the same thing

It's a shame it isn't

Hey, I have that Ramjet! Still in the original box unopened!! The box they shipped it to me in that is. Which is where he will stay. As I have no need for him.

Wut
Why you have toy and no open?

Right?! I just wasn't a fan of him, and got him for free from the TFCC..well not for free but I didn't pay for this year as I was a member in time for the figure cut off. So basically, last year's subscription paid for Lio Convoy (which Cobotron has) and Ramjet (which I don't want).

[no-one]

You quit HIMYM?! So close to finished!!

What can I say, it struck a nerve

Schmosby. He can't quit Robin. Ever.

Yeah, he's a schmuck. The ending really annoyed me.

I have no problem walking from a show or even a movie. I'll stop watching a movie even if there is only fifteen minutes left. So I get it and honestly at some point HIMYM was beating a dead horse. Probably drug on two or three seasons too long.

Hey, I have that Ramjet! Still in the original box unopened!! The box they shipped it to me in that is. Which is where he will stay. As I have no need for him.

Wut
Why you have toy and no open?

I have a bad habit of having things and not opening them as well. I also like to save things for a rainy day or a toy drought, which ever comes first. (still got about 4 toys from my last BBTS order I haven't opened yet) I'm just rarely in that much of a hurry. Hell I had TR Blurr for over a week before I popped the blister.

[Cobotron]

Weird! I was out of the loop on noties til Cary's post.

I like that head sculpt on Ramjet.

I'm looking for a new show. I'll give that one a try. I've already talked y'alls ear off about Vikings, but another show I started that is turning out pretty good is Penny Dreadful. It's like League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with vampires, and Eva Green is nice . . . in a sexual way.