So, my thoughts on Inferno. We will, of course, start with a dashboard picture, because me.
Inferno, depending on personal taste, is a good looking figure. It is here that I should warn you that I am not a huge fan of the new direction that Takara is taking with trying to make Masterpiece figures look as cartoon accurate as possible. I didn't like Shockwave, and I don't really like the look of Inferno. Cartoon accurate is not what I want. I want the best possible mix of toy, cartoon, and realism that can be achieved. It is what they used to do, and what they need to do again. This will overshadow most of my feelings on this guy, but I will try and be objective. Moving on....
Inferno can look good with other figures. His lack of detail will stand out a bit, but he still works. Particularly if you have ratchet or ironhide by him to help smooth out the style transitions.
On the plus side, and this is a very large plus, he is very articulated. He can strike many a pose, and his joints are tight and solid enough to hold those poses.
He also comes with many accessories. In the first pic on the dash, you can see that he as a cartoonish grill, with a pearl coat like white plastic grill. He also comes with a chrome grill that looks more "realistic" giving Inferno more of a traditional feel. This is the grill I choose to use, though I do worry about rub off. Here are some pics.
Inferno also comes with a very unique accessory: a grill piece with clear plastic extensions that enable him to carry Red Alert (or any Lambo MP mold). You have to love the nod to the fans with this one.
Then of course, there is the much discussed "ladder magic". I don't think there is much more I can add to this conversation, so here is a simple pic. You can also see a handy dandy clip on point for his Rifle while in robot mode.
Tuck mode is okay. Nowhere near as good as some 3rd party models out there, but passable. I feel this is a bit of a step down from your standard Masterpiece alt mode, as it looks very much like the G1 toy without much updates.
Truck mode also offers 2 different options for weapon storage.
Of course, Inferno has plastic tires, instead of rubber. This alone, in my opinion, should disqualify him from a masterpiece title.
All in all, while a good figure, a nice update from the original G1, Inferno is not (in my opinion) a great Masterpiece. I sold my MMC Backdraft after reading so many good reviews about this guy, and now I have the regrets. Oh well, this figure will do. As for recommendations, is you are a Takara/Hasbro loyalist, go ahead and get this figure. If, however, you are like me, and want the best possible update and representation of a character, look at the other options that are out there.
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