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Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 2:59 pm
by william-james88
shajaki wrote:crosscuts a headmaster?
i thought the basis for crosscut was that he's a repurposed diaclone version of skids?


Woops, I confused him with Nightbeat for a second. I guess there isnt much left to preffering Skids over him then.

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 4:07 pm
by Cobotron
On Crosscut - as far as I know the only pre-Gen version of him is the Diaclone one that was never even released in Norf Murca.
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But I'm no expert. Is there a Headmaster by this name?
Will - sorry yours gave you such trouble :-( . I got my Skids late in the game and the hip situation had been sorted. Also my panels lock together, with a lot of polite coaxing.



@Va'al - I believe he has been mentioned, a lot. I hear a lot of folks give praise to this Jazz.
Not a movie fan, so I never really bothered to look him up in the galleries. Thanks for throwing up those pics. He looks like a real tight package. I see what everyone is talking about.

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 5:23 pm
by shajaki
fyi, a "G1" crosscut was released as an E-hobby exclusive.

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Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 10:49 pm
by william-james88
Cobotron wrote:On Crosscut - as far as I know the only pre-Gen version of him is the Diaclone one that was never even released in Norf Murca.

But I'm no expert. Is there a Headmaster by this name?
Will - sorry yours gave you such trouble :-( . I got my Skids late in the game and the hip situation had been sorted. Also my panels lock together, with a lot of polite coaxing.



@Va'al - I believe he has been mentioned, a lot. I hear a lot of folks give praise to this Jazz.
Not a movie fan, so I never really bothered to look him up in the galleries. Thanks for throwing up those pics. He looks like a real tight package. I see what everyone is talking about.


Oh great, you make one mistake and its all over the news. Cobotron, like I wrote, I was mistaken.

I did not know G1 too well when I first read the reviews of the Generations Nightbeat and Crosscut figres on bwtf.com (my favourite site for written reviews). And he had written the following in conclusion to each figure:

Crosscut: Crosscut is an awesome redeco/retool. He's one of the prime examples of how to pull off a homage, redeco and retool all in one figure. I was very happy to see how many deco points there were in vehicle mode and the new head sculpt is stellar. Highly recommended!

Nightbeat: Nightbeat is a fantastic redeco and retool. I still find myself surprised that this is already the third head sculpt used on the figure and I'm so glad the designers didn't try to pass off Bumblebee's head as Nightbeat's (especially given how important a head design is to a former Headmaster character). The deco is beautiful and it's a fun toy to play with. My only wish would've been for this to be an actual Headmaster but that would've likely required a Voyager Class scale figure (but one can hope y'know?). Recommended!

I had read these reviews one after another and since I knew none of these characters, it was all a blur, I just remembered that one of them was originally a headmaster. And I thought it was Crosscut. I was mistaken.

I have learnt more of G1 toys since and I am quite fond of them since that initial series really focused on the robots in disguise motif with having beautiful alt modes that looked like real toy cars (but transform!!!!!!). And I like their aesthetic and craftsmanship. I just wish there was more posability.
But I never did go back to figure out who was the headmaster of the two.

Anyways, glad to know they fixed the panneling on skids later and that you suffered no hardships.

Also, Human Alliance Jazz is quite something in terms of engineering and design. He is quite screen accurate but unlike Sentinel Prime or ROTF Optimus, he is actually easy and intuitive to transform. It is crazy how he completely changes into what you see on the screen (or damn close to it) in a few fluid steps. And there is no cheating of any kind and full alt mode integration. His feet are the car seats!

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Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 11:12 pm
by shajaki
william-james88 wrote:Also, Human Alliance Jazz is quite something in terms of engineering and design. He is quite screen accurate but unlike Sentinel Prime or ROTF Optimus, he is actually easy and intuitive to transform. It is crazy how he completely changes into what you see on the screen (or damn close to it) in a few fluid steps. And there is no cheating of any kind and full alt mode integration. His feet are the car seats!

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i really honestly dont know why i passed on the human alliance figures. that jazz does look pretty kickass. maybe ill have to do an ebay search....

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Tue Dec 23, 2014 9:24 am
by Cobotron
william-james88 wrote:Oh great, you make one mistake and its all over the news. Cobotron, like I wrote, I was mistaken.

I had read these reviews one after another and since I knew none of these characters, it was all a blur, I just remembered that one of them was originally a headmaster. And I thought it was Crosscut. I was mistaken.

EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT, WILLIAM-JAMES MAKES A HUGE MISTAKE!!!!
:lol: Just messin'. I honestly didn't see your post when I hit Reply. Must have been the page break.
But really, you know there are no mistakes allowed in the forums. :lol:
In fact, I just alerted the Mods.

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Tue Dec 23, 2014 10:22 am
by william-james88
shajaki wrote:i really honestly dont know why i passed on the human alliance figures. that jazz does look pretty kickass. maybe ill have to do an ebay search....


To be fair, these were not very easy to get or greatly promoted. Human Alliance Jazz and Bumblebee were available but the others were distributed quite sparsely and now command high prices in light of that.

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Tue Dec 23, 2014 6:23 pm
by ZeroWolf
Right here we go, ZeroWolf so top picks of the Unicron Trilogy.

Let's kick off with armada shall we?

In 3rd place we have Tidal Wave. Large, imposing and gives the impression of the lumbering giant. His alt mode(s) have impressive details and his working plane lift allows for fun poses. His original deco is nice and sinister though I personally have his energon redeco which goes great with Armada Galvatron

2nd Demolisher.

This was an easy pick. I'm gutted that I had to part with him but at the time it was necessary. His tank mode is compact and looks threatening with its four missiles and machine gun hands. In robot mode his head sculpt gives a lot of personality and all his weapons are available to him, his transformation is more complicated than at first glance. Plus he also becomes an artillery post for any minicon able to fit in the small seat at his back, it doesn't stop there either as he is able to launch his minicon partner from his crotch (unfortunate placing I know) in vehicle mode.

Honorary Mentions

Megatron- Megs always works best as a tank and this mild certainly proves it, a lot of play features add to him.

Jetfire- he's a space shuttle, what's not to love. His robot mode is sturdy and I love how he interacts with overload in vehicle mode. Due to his combination with prime though he does suffer from 'long legged mac daddy' syndrome but he's a load of fun still.

Unicron- have I gone mad you may ask? Probably but while he is fantastic there is a few niggles with him mainly his planet mode. Now excuse me while I run from his heralds...They'll be mad their boss hasn't made my top spot.

1st place...Deluxe Optimus Prime (yeah I'm not doing the no prime rule, there is some duds out there with his name on). So why this prime? Or bendy prime to his fans? It's what you can do with him, he's got the best articulation in the line in my opinion, both modes are great representations of his cartoon character model. Yes, he can't combine but that's no big loss as super prime is a bit of a brick...

Next up Energon!

3rd place- Rodimus

A fantastic update for the character, real fun transformation and doesn't look too bad as the top half of a duo powerlink especially with someone like inferno so the colour schemes complement each other.

2nd place- Starscream

I love this toy and it's weapons if they made more of this mold I will jump on them. The mold detailing and the deco really capture his 'ghostly' attributes.

Special Redco Award- Black Unicron

This is a work of art and the colours really suit him. So what he's not G1 accurate? No one should miss out on him unless they've already got him or don't have the room.

Honorary mention- all the omnicons, battle ravage and cruel lock.

These are how scouts should be done, great little figures in their own right and help buff up the bigger bots with extra fire power.

Omega supreme-

I personally love this over his g1 name sake. Yes he has a simple transformation scheme but two things. Frist) he has two heads, one of which is a headmaster Secondly) SYMMETRICAL DOCKING!!! (cue transformation scene) As a King of Braves GaoGaiGar fan it's a real treat to see that OS used this transformation.

1st place- Divebomb (who else?)

My love for this mold can't be stressed enough. Right down to his energon feathers that come out as you transform him. You owe it to yourselves to at least look this guy over if you don't already have him (and if you do, are you sure you don't want a flock of them to swoop down on the Autobots? )

Cybertron, the one that gave me the biggest trouble.

3rd place - Scattershot

You may of noticed that I like scouts and scattershot is no exception! Not much to say but he's an excellent

2nd place - primus

The ying to Unicrons yang. A full planet mode this time round with supports so it can be displayed, maybe with Unicron looming over him, ready to slam his hand down like the movie. In robot mode he has all the grandeur attributed to a god. He is however let down by the designers trying to shove in a third mode when he doesn't need it (plus it's half way point to robot mode anyway)

Honorary Mentions

Megatron- or more specifically Galvatron as I love his colour scheme, a lot more cohesive then Megs.

Metroplex- his size changing gimmick is a lot of fun for something so simple as just unfolding his legs and rotating his chest. Plus who wouldn't want an axe that big? The addition of that fact that prime can hold it adds to his allure.

Hot shot- a great mold that holds to get in all modes even better in hot rod colours ;)

1st place - there was really only one contender...Leader Optimus Prime.

With a show accurate deco (or at least close to it), lots of little details (movable face plate and a big detail in a removable matrix) mark him out as one of the best leaders we've ever gotten. I love him to pieces, now I just need a Galvatron to give him a REAL fight...

Join me next time for classics and beyond. ..and one of my favourite lines, Animated ;)

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Tue Dec 23, 2014 7:46 pm
by Cobotron
BRAVO! :APPLAUSE: :APPLAUSE: :APPLAUSE:
I can hardly wait for the next episode.
Divebomb for president!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Wed Dec 24, 2014 2:35 pm
by Evil Eye
Armada Demolishor is a toy I'd really like to see get an update. Fantastic design, cool vehicle mode and one of my favourite Decepticon headsculpts ever, let down by slightly subpar articulation (or so I gather from what I've seen of him; I don't actually own him).

"Bendy" Prime is a really underrated figure in my opinion, and one I'd love to own. There's been a few Deluxe Optimus Primes, the best known being the RTS "Laser" Prime, but the Armada Supercon figure started the trend and still holds up well today IMO. I find the idea of a Deluxe Prime a bit odd as there's no scale he really works in (in a Classics display he should be at least Voyager size, if not bigger, and Deluxe is too big for Legends scale- plus there's the presence of the current Generations Legends prime, which is perfectly sufficient) but I really want an excuse to get him- he's just so cool, and really poseable to boot. I just wish somebody would make him an in-scale (and not hampered by the super mode gimmick) trailer for him....MakeToys, get on it!

On that note, I'd like to nominate Armada Optimus Prime for the Coolest Prime Trailer Ever award. The old faithful G1 trailer design will always be awesome, but there's something just so cool about the Armada version with all its chunks, vents, bulky bits and that cannon over the cab. Granted the toy version turns into a rather lacklustre base mode and an awful set of "trousers of power" for the super mode, but the actual trailer mode is awesome- if they'd left out the super mode and focussed on having a better base mode, or alternatively thrown out the base mode and made the Super Mode legs actually articulated, then it would be perfect.

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Wed Dec 24, 2014 2:58 pm
by Cobotron
Fellas?
Is this the deluxe who is referred to as "Bendy Prime"?
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I've never heard him called that. Love this guy.

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Wed Dec 24, 2014 2:59 pm
by Evil Eye
That's the guy.

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Wed Dec 24, 2014 3:02 pm
by Jelze Bunnycat
Cobotron wrote:Fellas?
Is this the deluxe who is referred to as "Bendy Prime"?
Image
I've never heard him called that. Love this guy.


You bet. Compared to the rest of the Armada line (and some other toys) he's a contortionist! :lol:

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Wed Dec 24, 2014 3:05 pm
by Evil Eye
That pose is just perfect. He looks like he's going "COME AT ME, BRO".

(Note to self: make homage to Armada Optimus Prime on FoC...)

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Wed Dec 24, 2014 3:09 pm
by -Kanrabat-
I own G1 Red Alert (vintage, no weapons) for a while now. I keep transforming back and forth at work. So, I finally took the plunge and got a commemorative G1 Sideswipe. I nominate G1 Sideswipe as one of the best G1 toy ever. Here's a quick rundown as thw whys:

-- Perfect and accurate vehicle mode. Cant go wrong with the Lamborghini Countach!

-- Diecast at the right place, meaning the lower legs for maximum stability.

-- Fun and easy to transform.

-- Legs are locked, but the arms have sufficient articulations to compensate.

-- Excellent proportions for the bot mode.

There is absolutely nothing to nitpick about this mold. And it's one of the earliest transforming toy ever!

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Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 1:34 am
by SkyWarpt
I'm giving a nod to Cybertron tonight. Voyager Evac! Alt mode is sleek and no kibble in bot mode. To be honest I really like a lot of the Voyager/Ultra molds from the Cyberton line. I love the extra attention to detail in the sculpting on Scourge and Vector Prime.

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 11:41 pm
by william-james88
SkyWarpt wrote:I'm giving a nod to Cybertron tonight. Voyager Evac! Alt mode is sleek and no kibble in bot mode. To be honest I really like a lot of the Voyager/Ultra molds from the Cyberton line. I love the extra attention to detail in the sculpting on Scourge and Vector Prime.


Yeah, Vector Prime and Scourge are amazing. Their sculpt makes them look like TF Royalty!

But what do you think of Crumplezone, WingSabre and Cybertron Defense Red Alert (all Voyager/Ultra molds)? They didnt get as much acclamation than the rest.

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Fri Jan 16, 2015 4:32 am
by -Kanrabat-
william-james88 wrote:
SkyWarpt wrote:I'm giving a nod to Cybertron tonight. Voyager Evac! Alt mode is sleek and no kibble in bot mode. To be honest I really like a lot of the Voyager/Ultra molds from the Cyberton line. I love the extra attention to detail in the sculpting on Scourge and Vector Prime.


Yeah, Vector Prime and Scourge are amazing. Their sculpt makes them look like TF Royalty!

But what do you think of Crumplezone, WingSabre and Cybertron Defense Red Alert (all Voyager/Ultra molds)? They didnt get as much acclamation than the rest.


I personally find Defence Red Alert AMAZING. Great modes, powerful looking bot, and fun to transform. I love it so much that I took a second one to make a little custom .

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Fri Jan 16, 2015 8:41 am
by Cobotron
-Kanrabat- wrote:
william-james88 wrote:
SkyWarpt wrote:I'm giving a nod to Cybertron tonight. Voyager Evac! Alt mode is sleek and no kibble in bot mode. To be honest I really like a lot of the Voyager/Ultra molds from the Cyberton line. I love the extra attention to detail in the sculpting on Scourge and Vector Prime.


Yeah, Vector Prime and Scourge are amazing. Their sculpt makes them look like TF Royalty!

But what do you think of Crumplezone, WingSabre and Cybertron Defense Red Alert (all Voyager/Ultra molds)? They didnt get as much acclamation than the rest.


I personally find Defence Red Alert AMAZING. Great modes, powerful looking bot, and fun to transform. I love it so much that I took a second one to make a little custom .

Great custom. Love the funky chicken mode! :lol:

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Fri Jan 16, 2015 8:57 am
by SkyWarpt
-Kanrabat- wrote:
william-james88 wrote:
SkyWarpt wrote:I'm giving a nod to Cybertron tonight. Voyager Evac! Alt mode is sleek and no kibble in bot mode. To be honest I really like a lot of the Voyager/Ultra molds from the Cyberton line. I love the extra attention to detail in the sculpting on Scourge and Vector Prime.


Yeah, Vector Prime and Scourge are amazing. Their sculpt makes them look like TF Royalty!

But what do you think of Crumplezone, WingSabre and Cybertron Defense Red Alert (all Voyager/Ultra molds)? They didnt get as much acclamation than the rest.


I personally find Defence Red Alert AMAZING. Great modes, powerful looking bot, and fun to transform. I love it so much that I took a second one to make a little custom .

Agreed, on the custom! I had Countdown, great mold (although I remember pinching myself on him), still a very stout figure. Wasn't big on Crumplezone so I passed. Never got the Wingsabre though I did want him for OP suit...did get Leobreaker. In fact that mold is one of the few repraints I did buy so OP wouldn't look like he had Herbes Pawlsy, plus it was a good deal aftermarket. Leo Prime ended up costing me around $6 w/shipping. Not sure if mine is KO or not as there is no sound box.

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Fri Jan 16, 2015 9:38 am
by Jelze Bunnycat
SkyWarpt wrote:Never got the Wingsabre though I did want him for OP suit...did get Leobreaker. In fact that mold is one of the few repraints I did buy so OP wouldn't look like he had Herbes Pawlsy, plus it was a good deal aftermarket. Leo Prime ended up costing me around $6 w/shipping. Not sure if mine is KO or not as there is no sound box.


The Universe repaints of Leobreaker and Vector Prime had their soundboxes removed, probably to cut costs and to keep electronics in the Ultra price point.

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Sat Jan 17, 2015 6:13 am
by ZeroWolf
I've been tempted to get another Leo prime to give op a double claw beast mode.

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Sat Jan 17, 2015 8:16 am
by Prime Riblet
shajaki wrote:
william-james88 wrote:Also, Human Alliance Jazz is quite something in terms of engineering and design. He is quite screen accurate but unlike Sentinel Prime or ROTF Optimus, he is actually easy and intuitive to transform. It is crazy how he completely changes into what you see on the screen (or damn close to it) in a few fluid steps. And there is no cheating of any kind and full alt mode integration. His feet are the car seats!

Image

Image
i really honestly dont know why i passed on the human alliance figures. that jazz does look pretty kickass. maybe ill have to do an ebay search....


I think you owe it to yourself to get HA Jazz. I like the heck out of Barricade as well. I have Bumblebee and Sideswipe also, but I could live without them in my collection. I have zero experience with the DotM HA figures. I really would like to get HA Soundwave, but it seems like people want an arm and a leg for him, so I'll pass. I didn't really care for the Wreckers when I saw them in package at the store.

You MUST get Jazz.

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Sat Jan 17, 2015 10:46 am
by shajaki
well... there is that asia reissue with soundwave and barricade coming out... thatd be a good place to start!

Re: what is the best transformers toy in terms of design

PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 8:14 am
by Prime Riblet
Actually, it's not a very good place to start. I already have Barricade, so I refuse to buy a two-pack just for Soundwave for $150. As far as Soundwave goes, like I mentioned, I don't think I need to be spending an arm and a leg for him. However, if you want to buy my HA Barricade loose with no box for $100, then that would change things up quite a lot....... :P