The Energon Pub

Kibble wrote:WfC Soundwave is way better. I admit FoC is a fun figure, looks solid in bot mode, and the chest gimmick is mostly cool, but the transform is wonky, the backflap is unsightly, and the alt mode sucks. It's good for a FoC fig since the line overall is ****, but the deluxe is a better fig all around.

How is the transformation wonky?
There are figures with MUCH worse kibble than FoC Soundwave.
It's the SAME altmode.

I just feel like the Voyager is built like a truck, really solid plastic all around, ratchet joints, reminds me alot of Armada Hoist, while the Deluxe has alot of flappy parts and when it comes down to it, its all about minion interaction and the Voyager has it, while Deluxe relies on Shapeways stuff.

Blurrz wrote:I just feel like the Voyager is built like a truck, really solid plastic all around, ratchet joints, reminds me alot of Armada Hoist, while the Deluxe has alot of flappy parts and when it comes down to it, its all about minion interaction and the Voyager has it, while Deluxe relies on Shapeways stuff.

I have to agree. I was amazed by the quality. He's ridiculously light, but he's solid. I don't know where I stand on the gimmick... (more on that in a moment) and he needs the Deluxe's weapons to be fully complete (he looks great with them), but I like it. No buyer's remorse.

As for the gimmick, you either have to cut tabs out of the chest cavity, or sit the discs just right (I did find they'll go in a certain way without causing problems. It's actually easier to visually show than word it out, but making a vid is a pain.)

If you do get it right (or cut the tabs), it does actually work. Not every disc will auto transform, but when they do it's pretty awesome.

RAcast wrote:How is the transformation wonky?
There are figures with MUCH worse kibble than FoC Soundwave.
It's the SAME altmode.

Wonky transform: the FCC seems to get crammed together just enough to hold an outside form and has that funky hinged roof flap in addition. Plus the feet get half way stuffed in, but are still half exposed.

There may be other TFs with worse kibble, but we're comparing WFC to FOC, so any other figure is irrelevant.

And the alt modes are based on the same thing, but they do not look the same. WFC mostly looks like a futuristic vehicle and is pretty cohesive...while being more rectangular in dimensions, like most cars would be. FOC looks like a jacked up box with some wheels...its dimensions closer to a square.

This pic looks to best shows the differences. Different decos, but still the same mold.

Kibble wrote:

RAcast wrote:This pic looks to best shows the differences. Different decos, but still the same mold.

Yeah, that pic illustrates how much better the FoC mold is.

Soundwave/blaster SHOULD look like a box on wheels! He's a boombox! He SHOULDN'T look like a sleek, futuristic vehicle.

And to me, the looks of the alt and bot modes are FAR more important the the transformation. The figure is going to spend 99.99999% of its life just standing there, and will get transformed very rarely anyway.

GuyIncognito wrote:

Kibble wrote:

RAcast wrote:This pic looks to best shows the differences. Different decos, but still the same mold.

Yeah, that pic illustrates how much better the FoC mold is.

Soundwave/blaster SHOULD look like a box on wheels! He's a boombox! He SHOULDN'T look like a sleek, futuristic vehicle.

And to me, the looks of the alt and bot modes are FAR more important the the transformation. The figure is going to spend 99.99999% of its life just standing there, and will get transformed very rarely anyway.

Curses, you beat me to it!

And I still have no idea how the transformation is 'wonky.' It's both very fluid and very effective, with both modes being pleasantly chunky.

I admittedly don't own either of the Voyager molds, but several times I've stood in the toy isle with one in my hand and I just can't bring myself to consider it worth the money. I've got the WfC Deluxe and I'm not the biggest of fans, but I don't really have any problems with it either, so I guess I'm neutral. But with the overall sizes and materials being such a step down in my opinion these days, I'm not convinced that I should spend the money on these guys. Soundblaster at least looks real nice to me, but I'm not overly enamoured with the way the disk figures look or anything, so I'm just not real sure that buying one of these guys wouldn't just be a waste of $24 or whatever a Voyager is retailing for presently.

Autobot Genocide wrote:How do these size up next to Hegemon any body got them both for a comparison pic please .

He's awesome and as close to the original G1 thats been done in robot mode. Its a very nice and believable transition from a FOC to a G1 Soundwave. Same with Blaster. Id say to anyone get them.

I'd like to add they had them on sale at a local K-Mart for under $20. I've seen them between $17 to $25.

The disks are on sale and I just still don't have the nerve to bite on them... doesn't help that I just dropped a few hundy on one of my grails today, but are they any good? Which disk mold is the best?

Blurrz wrote:The disks are on sale and I just still don't have the nerve to bite on them... doesn't help that I just dropped a few hundy on one of my grails today, but are they any good? Which disk mold is the best?

I'm not a fan of the Ravage/Steeljaw mold, I think it's AWFUL. But the Laserbeak/Ratbat/Sundor mold is quite good, and the FRumble/Rewind/Eject mold is okay. I quite like Ramhorn as well.

All in all, I'd suggest the Eject/Ramhorn and [The Red Guy]/Ratbat two-packs, with honorable mention to Rewind/Sundor.

I'm sure you've watched reviews, but in case you're not aware, none of the molds are really posable. The bipedal mold can rotate at the shoulders and the quadrupeds can rotate their back legs. That's about it.

The winged disks look cool
cause you can pose them like they
are flying out of his chest
or the cases they come with.

Agreed on Ramhorm
Not really poseable, but his
autotransform is cool.
The Frenzy figure can at least hold
weapons

I like the disks. They are just fun
to play around with.

DISCHARGE wrote:The winged disks look cool
cause you can pose them like they
are flying out of his chest
or the cases they come with.

Agreed on Ramhorm
Not really poseable, but his
autotransform is cool.
The Frenzy figure can at least hold
weapons

I like the disks. They are just fun
to play around with.

I'd have to agree

I like the WFC version better for display purposes...but the FOC version is a better toy. It is waaaay more fun.

Alex Jones wrote:

Autobot Genocide wrote:How do these size up next to Hegemon any body got them both for a comparison pic please .

I am NOT a 3rd party guy but now I want a Hegemon just to display properly with my Soundwave.

As far as WFC Soundwave goes, he's a crap figure to me. He looks anorexic in robot mode and does not fit the G1 image of the character at all. FoC is awesome, though - my favorite Voyager figure in years, perhaps ever.

got him a few days ago. Very happy with him. Didn't even bother to transform him until today, he's that good. The gimmick is a bit pants, but the MP Casseticons are my Classics ones. This guy is a good sized Soundwave robot, and a decent vehicle. Even more eager to get my hands on the elusive Blaster re-tool now.