The Energon Pub

Im looking to getting all the Henkei seekers + coneheads - they look really good for display.
But then I take a look at the Masterpiece Seekers and they just want to break my bank account

Which ones do you guys think are personally worse the money? I would love to just splash out of all 3 Masterpiece seekers - ofc I will then be missing the coneheads but thats fine. But then I look at the Henkei and think that maybe these will be just fine on my display. Please help me with any positives/negatives of each series!

Thanks

I only have the Botcon Seekers (not all of the Henkei versions) and all of the MPs. I can tell you this: the Masterpiece versions are not finished. All of the Henkei are out and thus able to be completed. Last year the G1 accurate Starscream came out and this year the Skywarp is due so logically, next year is most likely Thundercracker. Plus, no Coneheads.

It really comes down to 2 things: do you want all 6 Seekers? and can you wait a year for Thundercracker?

I'd go with the Classics. Err, Henkei.

How about quality wise? Been watching quite a few reviews on youtube and the Masterpieces seem to have some flaws. Im really just looking for the 'best for display' really. Would love to have a full collection of seekers - but again quality, looks, coolness come first so I can lose/wait for some coneheads.

Thanks

edit : I have to admit, for collection/good looks wise - im looking more at the Masterpieces. The detail seems incredible. Im talking the Takara versions here, not the Hasbro. Although I hear Starscreams color isnt quite right.

zodconvoy wrote:I only have the Botcon Seekers (not all of the Henkei versions) and all of the MPs. I can tell you this: the Masterpiece versions are not finished. All of the Henkei are out and thus able to be completed. Last year the G1 accurate Starscream came out and this year the Skywarp is due so logically, next year is most likely Thundercracker. Plus, no Coneheads.

It really comes down to 2 things: do you want all 6 Seekers? and can you wait a year for Thundercracker?

I'd go with the Classics. Err, Henkei.

And one more thing: MP Seekers take 4 times more space to display than the Henkei/Classics ones. If you've got lots of space, it's really your call. If space is tight, Henkei/Classics might be the way to go.

Space is fine atm
Quality wise, are the Masterpiece Takara Figures really 'Masterpiece'? This is my problem - the Henkei do look very good i must admit, and ofc the MP are larger and more detailed... But are they worth it?

My concern is the price for Classice/Henkei seekers. Other than starscream & ramjet, remaining members of seekers are exclusive (henkei version, i prefer henkei version).
The individual price of Henkei Thundercracker, Skywarp, Dirge etc is too high for me, as i just need to top up a little more i can get a MP version.

So i decided to get coneheads from henkei line. Remaining 3 main seekers will be in MP. Until one day Takara retool the MP mold to coneheads.

oRuin wrote:Space is fine atm
Quality wise, are the Masterpiece Takara Figures really 'Masterpiece'? This is my problem - the Henkei do look very good i must admit, and ofc the MP are larger and more detailed... But are they worth it?

You need to spend some time really looking the galleries and decide that for yourself.

I only have MP Starscream(the Takara version of the Hasbro toon accurate repaint) but it's quite a figure. I also have the second Classics Starscream with the more toon accurate look. So with that in mind, I'm not the most Seeker experienced in terms of toy ownership.

I will say that the price of an MP Seeker isn't that much more than a Henkei or Gentei Seeker considering what you get "per dollar" for an MP Seeker figure. I got my MP Starscream for $70 shipped. That can't even cover the cost and shipping of a Gentei Conehead or Skywarp/Thundercracker at the places I've looked. Now the prices for MP Skywarp and Thundercracker are going to be higher, $100+ from what I've seen in my casual searches for the figures at various online stores and eBay, but still, roughly 2 Gentei Seekers will be the same price as a single MP Seeker.

Are MP Seekers worth the price? I think so. The quality level is certainly high in my opinion. The alt and bot modes are wonderful representations of the character. They're not without some minor flaws(mainly the vehicle kibble at the hips in robot mode) but like MP Optimus Prime/Convoy and MP Megatron, the toy design is very good, the aesthetics are great, especially if you like the G1 incarnations of the characters, and the scale is a bonus. Being as large as they are, they have a nice display presence. The sculpted details on the surface of the MP figures are also wonderful.

Unlike MP OP, the MP Seekers are totally plastic so there's not the significant weight factor but I think it's a good thing. I've had the 20th Anniversary DVD Edition Optimus Prime for a couple of days and finally opened it up today. It's great and the combination of large scale and die cast weight make it an imposing figure...however it's a chore to pose well due to the weight. Weight works against such a large figure in bot mode so I think that's a consideration for those who want to get MP figures. I haven't posed Starscream extensively as I've kept it in the package for the most part due to lack of space where I live but it is a lot easier to pose for me than MP OP.

What I like about the Classic/Henkei Seekers, aside from the aesthetics, is that they're Deluxe class figures so they are easier to pose for display and don't take up as much space. I also don't worry about a Deluxe figure falling over whereas I really don't want that to happen to either of my MP figures.

Masterpiece. The Henkei ones are rather expensive for what they are, aside from Starscream. At least with the MPs you get a lot of bang for your buck. Oh how I wish I had all three.

So, in summary, MP. Unless you want to buy my Henkei Skywarp.

Thanks for all the feedback guys, i think im going to go for the full MP set of seekers. Hopefully the coneheads will get the MP treatment soon!

oRuin wrote:Thanks for all the feedback guys, i think im going to go for the full MP set of seekers. Hopefully the coneheads will get the MP treatment soon!

I think you're making the right choice. The MP seekers are great.

I took my MP Starscream out of its stasis chamber(box) earlier tonight and transformed it a few times. Good fun. Yeah, I think that there's no comparison between MP and Henkei. Both are great for their size class but MP Starscream is a Masterpiece figure and it shows.

I seriously do not see the coneheads getting the MP treatment. The mold changes and transformation change would be as much as a third of a new figure, for characters that really aren't as popular as the original three.

On the other hand, for display purposes, the MP's are outstanding. For play purposes, stick to the Classics / Henkei. And if you go Classics, get the Universse Starscream version, where he's got a more G1-ish paint job.