The Energon Pub

All these 3p Astrotrains have their ups n downs

Machine Boys Transportation Captain - good robot & train modes(it even has this bit at the back that opens up like Rodimus Primes trailer) + it comes with a number of accessories(including a satellite)

But!

the Space Shuttle mode looks too square & short! unlike Evila Star's that looks a lot better of a Shuttle design

Evila Star - good train/robot modes & an excellent Space Shuttle mode

although some of the transformations can be a bit fiddly, with parts or panels not wanting to stay in properly(without popping back out) in Shuttle/Robot mode there's no way to secure the trains pistons from freely moving about, no other accessories apart from a metal train track, 2 guns & some weird visor, oh & the biggest flaw of all....a lack of paint apps on the figure!(especially in Shuttle & Robot modes)

Chigurh - good robot & train modes(although the train looks very long)

AGAIN it's the Shuttle design that let's this down, as it's too short and dumpy and too square looking as well, as for accessories....probably similar to that of Evila Star

& finally...the WST.....great looking robot/train & shuttle modes, transformation is very simple, only comes with one gun(no train track or other accessories) but the upside is....that it does come with stickers! so it's not as bland looking in it's various modes, as the other figures do.

one nitpick that transcends across all or most of the figure's....is that they suffer from floppy wings(Space Shuttle modes especially) & that's even after pegging and securing them(on the one's that can).

Stuartmaximus wrote:one nitpick that transcends across all or most of the figure's....is that they suffer from floppy wings(Space Shuttle modes especially) & that's even after pegging and securing them(on the one's that can).

Yeah, I really hate those floppy wings on my Evila Star, plus they keep drooping in robot mode uurrgh. I thougth 3 p was supposed to be a saving grace, but none of them can make a perfect astrotrain.

Bumblebee21 wrote:Wait for fanstoys

That could take years! They've started more projects than they can keep up with right now.

william-james88 wrote:

Stuartmaximus wrote:one nitpick that transcends across all or most of the figure's....is that they suffer from floppy wings(Space Shuttle modes especially) & that's even after pegging and securing them(on the one's that can).

Yeah, I really hate those floppy wings on my Evila Star, plus they keep drooping in robot mode uurrgh. I thougth 3 p was supposed to be a saving grace, but none of them can make a perfect astrotrain.

Yeah, I'm inclined to agree. Astrotrain is a tough one to get right. Assuming there's no huge flaws with it I'm going Hasbro for Astrotrain (yes, me, the third party snob, is actively choosing Hasbro over 3P efforts. Shock! Horror!) mainly because I adore his space cruiser and armoured train modes. Chigurh is just too big (Bigurh?) for my collection, looks odd and has obtrusive partsforming, Evila Star LOOKS good (at least in alt modes) but is a fiddly nightmare to transform, not helped by his awful tolerances (shout out to Bobby Skullface's review, as I could have easily wasted money on that thing) and Fancy Cell's Transportation Captain, whilst it looks good, has very little information about it available and as such I'm wary. For an MP collection I'd wait for FansToys or Maketoys to have a stab at him. For a CHUG collection though? HasTak actually wins for once.

Mykltron wrote:

Bumblebee21 wrote:Wait for fanstoys

That could take years! They've started more projects than they can keep up with right now.

But they kinda finish them