The Energon Pub

I collect transformers and looking to start collecting masterpiece TF. I heard some good things like they look awesome and some bad things like price and they break easily when transform alot! I would like also to buy both Optimus ( mp-10) and rodimus prime (version 2) and a good bargain, that will be really sweet! Any info is helpful!

Depends on what you want to do with them. In my case, kept them in robot mode except for MP-01. Transformed him twice and got all the paint chipped despite being careful. Same with his Megatron mini accessory.........broke apart.

In MP-05 Megatron's case, too true with the cosmic rust and his brittleness that I kept him in robot mode.

MP Starscream is sturdier but still with the same risks.

Honorable mention to MP-08 Grimlock......tough as nails.

MP-10 has it's share of QC flaws too.

With the exception of Starcream, all my MPs are by Takara/Tomy, but don't let this deter you from getting any one of 'em. Pricey yes? But worth the pain, sweat and tears!

Starscream (and its repaints) suffer from breakage at the wing transformation joints. Other than that I've transformed all my MPs a lot and had no problems. My MP shelf is certainly a sight to behold and I've spent a lot of time transforming and posing them.

I agree with what fenrir72 said.

MP figs are made more for displaying than casual playing. With better detail and complexity comes greater fragility, but that's how collector's items are supposed to be.

MP-10 has its own QC problems, and I've had aesthetic problems with both of the OP's I exchanged at the hobby store. If you're buying from a physical store, make sure to check for flaws like accidental paint smudges and unpainted areas that might be hidden in bot mode. The alt mode on mine had unpainted parts on the sides of the truck's front that are stored inside the bot mode's body.

I can't say much about Rodimus since I don't own him, but it seems that his alt mode is rather hard to transform properly, and there are certain issues with his legs [can't remember what, though.]

Hope this helps.

One more thing, I can't make an input on Rodimus because I don't own one.

SKYWARPED_128 wrote:I agree with what fenrir72 said.

MP figs are made more for displaying than casual playing. With better detail and complexity comes greater fragility, but that's how collector's items are supposed to be.

MP-10 has its own QC problems, and I've had aesthetic problems with both of the OP's I exchanged at the hobby store. If you're buying from a physical store, make sure to check for flaws like accidental paint smudges and unpainted areas that might be hidden in bot mode. The alt mode on mine had unpainted parts on the sides of the truck's front that are stored inside the bot mode's body.

I can't say much about Rodimus since I don't own him, but it seems that his alt mode is rather hard to transform properly, and there are certain issues with his legs [can't remember what, though.]

Hope this helps.

I disagree. Considering the price of these things ALL the QC issues are inexcuseable. I want to be careful with TF's, I don't want te be FORCED to be careful.

There are QC issues too with Yamato's 1/ 60 Macross Valkyries which more or less approximates MP class. So without sounding like Tomy's yes man, QCs seems to be the norm of the "subcontracting" policies of such multinational firms (and yes........I really hate it too (QC issues and fragility)

I have 20'th OP, MP Starscream, MP Megatron, and MP Grimlock.

That 20'th OP is positively indestructible compared to the rest, and the only MP style figure I would ever consider letting a younger TF fan mess around with. He's got a simpler transform, far simpler than Megatron, but is still the absolute image of Optimus Prime in his most classic form.

Screamer and Megs, both the initial run Takara versions, scare me to transform. They're extremely fragile, with bits and pieces that have to line up with practically ZERO tolerances or they don't connect well - but I also think both are otherwise absolutely awesome.

Grimlock... ahh, Grimlock. About the size of an Ultra class figure, he not only transforms more "safely" than Screamer and Megs, he also does so far more cartoon accurately. He's not as simple as Prime, but included a few bits and pieces I will probably never use (as it's the Takara version, I'm talking about the apron and the tray full of drinks). But of all of them, if I take an MP down off the shelf, it's usually Grimmy.


I do not have Rodimus... and nor do I want him.

If you have the money, get them. They are awesome as display pieces. They are the highlight of my collection. I don't transform them very often (or at all in some cases). They just sit on the top shelf, looking awesome.

RhA wrote:

SKYWARPED_128 wrote:I agree with what fenrir72 said.

MP figs are made more for displaying than casual playing. With better detail and complexity comes greater fragility, but that's how collector's items are supposed to be.

MP-10 has its own QC problems, and I've had aesthetic problems with both of the OP's I exchanged at the hobby store. If you're buying from a physical store, make sure to check for flaws like accidental paint smudges and unpainted areas that might be hidden in bot mode. The alt mode on mine had unpainted parts on the sides of the truck's front that are stored inside the bot mode's body.

I can't say much about Rodimus since I don't own him, but it seems that his alt mode is rather hard to transform properly, and there are certain issues with his legs [can't remember what, though.]

Hope this helps.

I disagree. Considering the price of these things ALL the QC issues are inexcuseable. I want to be careful with TF's, I don't want te be FORCED to be careful.

I'm pretty sure I said fragility comes with being a collector's item, not QC issues. Those are two different matters.

Bad QC is inexcusable no matter the price, because it's a defective item.

I agree that fragility, if possible, should be avoided in the designs, but depending on the figure, it's sometimes unavoidable. In MP Megatron's case, either the alt mode or the bot mode had to make some sacrifices. The bot mode's legs had to be thinned in order to be proportionate to the gun mode, and various kibble like the trigger had to be hidden.

fenrir72 wrote:There are QC issues too with Yamato's 1/ 60 Macross Valkyries which more or less approximates MP class. So without sounding like Tomy's yes man, QCs seems to be the norm of the "subcontracting" policies of such multinational firms (and yes........I really hate it too (QC issues and fragility)

Ah, a fellow Macross collector.

Seems that the main cause of the V2 VF-1's "explodium" shoulder hinges was the result of ill-trained workers who forced the hinge pins in the wrong way. The design was fragile to start with, and the workers' ineptitude compounded the matter.

All that seems to be in the past now, as Yamato's switched to a more experienced AND more expensive line of factories. As one would expect, the price of their newer Valks has been driven up, but with less complaints of QC issues and non design-related problems.

I have Rodimus, Starscream and Grimlock, all 3 hasbro versions.

I'm actually not impressed with Rodimus. His car mode doesn't feel very solid, it invovles lots of panels sliding around, and it just just feel as sleek as it could have been. His robot mode is really nice though. That's where it shines, it comes with great extra features. So, for me, it became a large action figure, less of a transformer. Still it's a pretty good one. So as action figures go, I'd recommend it, as transformers go, I would not.

Here's the ones I own, and my reviews of them:

MP-01 LAST SHOT Optimus Prime: He's HUGE and HEAVY. Diecast everywhere, big like a supreme class, is fun and easy to transform, and the robot mode is PERFECT. His only fault is a vehicle mode that is rather meh... If you have 150$ to spend, get it. He's worth it and he's pretty sturdy, unless you have ham-hands.





Masterpiece Starscream (G1 colors): So far, my favorite MP figure. I don't understand what are your "breakage" issues with him. He feel solid and sturdy. Only some top fins pop-off in transformation and they pop right back in. The jet mode is 100% perfect, but the robot mode have them annoying wing-flaps on his hips. But just pop them off from the ball-joint and attach them to his legs and voila, a perfect robot mode! Transformation is intuitive and fun.
Masterpiece Starscream Ghost Version: Same as above, but clear.
I love them both so much, I invested a small fortune to display them properly:

MP seekers are fun and great. Get any versions. They are worth it a lot. They ARE the ones I transformed multiple times without troubles.



MP Rodimus (Hasbro). He's a bad figure. He look nice in robot mode but that's it. He's fiddly and complicated to transform. I'm always affraid to break something. His hands are badly designed wich make him holding his weapons a near impossible task. His vehicle mode look unfinished because the panels don't want to allign properly. Get Rodimus only if you find him cheap in store.



I don't know if that one count, but I'll include him anyway:
Costco Exclusive GOLD leader Spec-Ops Bumblebee: Perfect robot? Check. Perfect vehicle? Check. Fun transformation? Check. Loaded with light-and-sounds? Check and check. He have a very nice metallic finish compared to the regular version. He also come with a legend Mudflap and a VERY SHINY legend GOLDEN Bumblebee! That's a 70$ well spendt here.


"Movie Masterpiece" of them exist, but if you don't want to spend 100$ extra for a shiny paint job, these figures are just perfect and fun:
HftD Leader Starscream, DotM Leader Sentinel Prime, DotM Leader Ironhide. Some like RotF or HftD Leader Optimus Prime (also Buster and Wingblade) but he's a bitch to transform.

I personnaly am a little miffed at the price point of MP's but i'm glad they exist.

I've only purchased Grimlock and Rodimus. Rodimus is still in his box for a rainy day. I don't know why i haven't opened him yet but whatever.

The only thing that bothers me with the line is the repetitiveness of it. Too much dependence on the reuse of the seeker and OP molds. Actually, let me correct myself....too many repaints or re-engineering to the OP mold. I'm really bored of OP. He's oversaturated every toyline in the past 5 years.

I don't like the seeker mold one bit. Grimmy is spectacular though. I would say to buy a couple but the pickins are slim character wise as far as i'm concerned. But ya gotta strike when the iron's hot. If you wait to buy one because of indecision when it's at retail on BBTS or whatever then they get to be way out of hand price wise on the second hand market i.e Ebay.

They are awesome display pieces if you have the cash. I have Takara OP, Starscream (cartoon and movie) and Skywarp and IGear Coneheads and Sunstorm, and TRU Grimlock and Rodimus. Im more of a display and look at TFer than a playing with TFer so I cant totally comment on the strengths/fragility of them too much but Prime and Grimlock are the sturdier of the bunch. I really like the scale of the seekers and coneheads and they are super detailed. Plus they come with stands than make them easier to display.

I also have takara Thundercracker but I can decide if I want to open him. Usually its a no brainer, but I think Ill just leave him sealed and hope they may a re-issue with the new seeker mold.

I only own Grimlock, MP-01 Prime, and 3 of MP Rodimus, with Black Rodimus on the way. So far, I have to agree with what others said, MP-01 is the simplest, Grimlock is the toughest and most accurate, and Rodimus has to be handled carefully and takes a lot of time and patience to transform. I don't own any of the Seeker molds, but Sunstorm will change that.

I've got the Japanese anime-colored Starscream / Dr. Arkeville, MP-4 Convoy (w/ trailer), MP-5 Megatron / Kremzeek and MP-9 Rodimus Convoy.

I used to own the MP-6 Skywarp, but I had to sell it. I did notice that the plastic on the MP-6 Skywarp (especially on the wings) is not as strong as the later Wal-Mart / Japanese anime-colored Starscream mold, which has absolutely no problems, plastic-wise.

I really recommend Convoy, Starscream and Megatron the most. The Japanese Rodimus Convoy is great, if you don't mind the price point and the notorious QC issues of the 1st version, that is. His winnebago mode is just freakin' awesome!!! Robot modes are very nice too.

I find Rodimus Convoy easy to transform, now that I've had the toy for a while now, but I can easily see why folks have had problems with the figure.