The Energon Pub

News Credits: 1 · Fri Jul 16, 2010 9:01 pm

So it seems like it's a real hit-and-miss sort of item, as far as the paint goes. Some good, some not, but all don't really have joints that lock into place. I guess it also has some fragile parts ... not really a put off for me as that seems like the sort of thing 3rd part toys have (City Commander has those leg bits and the neck and Defender has that sword).

Hh. I'm totally on the fence as to whether I'll get her at TF con this year (I'm dead certail she'll be there). Maybe I'll only know once I'm there.

Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:42 pm

Received my TRNS-01 today. paint applications on mine is decent.
I was really hoping arms were at least the size of old GI Joe arms.
- The head was difficult to turn the first few times but it did loosen up.
- Guns are removable as mentioned.
- Some retooling is required to get the pieces to fit together better.
- Figure is extremely loose
- You cannot pose the figure as drawn on the box due to the hips.

Recommendations for next revision:
- Have the front wheels fold under. They limit possibility of shoulders
- Fix the hips to add range of motion
- Change the neck to add a ball joint
- paint the face
- rubberize the rear fin
- better locking of shoulders to body.
- bigger/flatter feet (there is room under the hood.
- rear wheels retract into legs
- slightly larger
- bigger arms (they are like a 3 year old's arms on a women)
- a movable waist could be added
- tighter joints.

News Credits: 1 · Sat Jul 17, 2010 10:25 pm

I broke down and got one at TFcon. I made sure to study the ones on display VERY carefully before choosing one. The pink on the chest was a different shade than that to the rest of the figure .... or painted on much lighter, I dunno.

All in all I like it for what it is. Not Fansprojects quality, but something I'd like in my collection anyway.

News Credits: 5 · Sun Jul 18, 2010 7:33 pm

I wish they could have done something to bring out the detail on her all white face.

Tue Jul 20, 2010 9:08 am

Just received mine and the paint job is a lot cleaner than the one you have in your review. I must say the quality is fairly low for this item which can closely be described as a little better than Knock-off Quality. However, I managed to turn the head on mine half a centimeter left or right without breaking it. Hopefully it is suppose to be able to turn, but yeah... WARNING: turn head at your own risk!!!

I myself like this item, it might be a tad bit over priced because of the quality but hey nobody else gave us a G1 Arcee that comes close to TRNS-01. I can email pics of the head turning if anyone wants to see. Can't post any at the moment because I left my camera at home.

Tue Jul 20, 2010 11:39 am

Good news... my paint job was MUCH MUCH MUCH better than pictured here – 99.9% flawless.

I did have a Medic that had a light spray on one fender... but wanted to pass on the uplifting report. It sounds like while the paint apps are not perfect, they're still MUCH better than these photos for the most part.

Good luck with your own figures :KREMZEEK:

!!!

News Credits: 1 · Wed Jul 21, 2010 2:36 pm

Gauntlet101010 wrote:Aw, really? THAT'S the paint job?

My Quints actually had a similar problem. On the Scientist the tentacles were stuck together thanks tot he paint (seperated them, but there's some white showing). I was hoping that this figure would be better, but ... doesn't look like it.

Gauntlet, trust me when I tell you that the paint flumoxes on his (reviewed) Valkyrie are a fluke. I'll go so far as to say that he had the luck I usually have with recent official Has. & Tak. figures.
I got mine in last week, and while I have some of the same design flaws (tabs and notches that won't stay together in robot mode) and I wish the paint scheme could be more show accurate (not as important), my only paint issue is an unlevel spot on one of the front fenders -- as if someone manually painted over a smudge.

In scale, she's closest to one of "the Datsuns" (Prowl, Smokescreen) in car mode, and measures up best to one of the 1984-85 Autobot Cars in robot mode. This makes her the appropriate size when paired with 1986 Springer or Hot Rod (and not too bad with the Headmaster Highbrow I just got in). For more good news, she fits perfectly inside of Optimus's G1/G2 trailer, and thus will fit even better into Ultra Magnus.
If you plan to decal her (meaning give her an Autobot symbol), what works best is to get 2 Autobot symbols, place one in front of her hood scoop (on the larger portion of her hood) and second on the upper portion of her chest (below the collar). This way it looks like she only has one symbol in either mode. (The large flat surface of her chest is also a good place for a rubsign, if you want to make her look more like the other 1986-87 Autobots.)

The only thing that would make her better is if a future retooling had a Headmaster version of her large head. Though the figure would be more in scale with the 1988 HM Jrs., she doesn't need a tech spec meter, just the traditional HM neck connection.

-- Cybertronian.

Wed Jul 21, 2010 2:54 pm

While I LURVE headmasters, I hate the idea of Arcee with no neck... like some kinda hunchback neandertal femmebot. I'm definitely glad Impossible Toys went with at least ONE release as a normal, proportioned non-headmaster version.

That said... The Rebirth was dreadful. I'm trying to pretend it (and headmaster Arcee) never existed... with the help of the three Japanese box sets. :grin:

Thu Jul 22, 2010 2:14 am

When it goes on sale it'll be worth buying, she'll need an immediate repaint before display... without fail!

News Credits: 129 · Thu Jul 22, 2010 8:06 am

amcgrath929 wrote:I wish they could have done something to bring out the detail on her all white face.

You know, I did too at first. I went and looked at a lot of art for her and their way was actually how she was depicted in almost all the art I found.

News Credits: 11 · Thu Jul 22, 2010 1:30 pm

Augh, the waiting for my PoL to arrive is killing me. And it's not really because I want to find out if my Valkyrie turned out okay, it's mostly because I'm a lot more hopeful now that we know the paint issues aren't too common. I'm just excited. Waiting for delivery is the worst part.

News Credits: 1 · Sat Jul 24, 2010 7:20 am

I received my Valkyrie and Medic in the mail yesterday. I was quite amazed at how small they seemed but now that I think about it, they match up with the typical vehicle size for G1 Autobot cars.
My issues lie in how flimsy they feel, the Medic's paint job, and her right arm. the plastic has a Robotech feel to it. What I mean by that is any of you have an original Jetfire, Whirl, Roadbuster, Deluxe Insecticons, that is the kind of plastic that comes to mind. Fragile. These figures are not for playing with. They are display only.
The paint job wasn't complete. I could see spots that got missed before I even opened the box. Those missed spots looked like stress marks.
When I transformed Medic her right arm wouldn't stay swiveled out, and it would pop off when I forced it to stay put.
The first thing I told my roommate after evaluating my purchase is if these figurines were anyone but Arcee, I wouldn't have bought them. I wanted an Arcee figure ever since I saw the Third Season on TV back in the '80s. Since Hasbro would never release her I wanted to get this 3rd party attempt. I would give an overall B rating.

News Credits: 21 · Sat Jul 24, 2010 8:47 am

i recieved my arcee yesturday no problems with paint job being messy but problem i am having not noticble but my chest piece keeps popping up when i snap the right arm into place to hold more securly in order to keep chest peice in place i have to keep the right arm unattached to the chest piece so the chest piece does not pop up out of place.

are there any other problems with this figure that other members have experiacne with there own figure?

im not that impressed by it where i would want to own 2. one to glue chest in place & other keep in car mode

ps i have read read the review about this toy by seibertron member i kept this in my cart knwo what i was excepting from that review

News Credits: 668 · Sat Jul 24, 2010 2:42 pm

Unfortunately, those problems are common. Sad to say. With a bit of kitbashing skills, painting and mods are easy enough to do, but not everyone knows what they're doing, I'm one of those people who knows how to paint (some), but I couldn't mold anything if you paid me.

But, yeah, those problems are common place. Nothing locks on her, she doesn't get solid except in car mode.

News Credits: 1 · Sat Jul 24, 2010 3:02 pm

If her chest not staying in placer bugs you so much save some money and buy sticky tack and tack it in place. No need to damage a figure or to buy another.

News Credits: 402 · Updated Oct 21, 2022

merging posts

News Credits: 5 · Sat Jul 24, 2010 8:32 pm

Counterpunch wrote:
amcgrath929 wrote:I wish they could have done something to bring out the detail on her all white face.

You know, I did too at first. I went and looked at a lot of art for her and their way was actually how she was depicted in almost all the art I found.

Yeah, I'd say you are right CP. It probably even looks better in person, but some of the pictures do not do it justice.

Sat Jul 24, 2010 10:43 pm

Got mine today. Pretty disappointed. It's a lot smaller than I expected. I was expecting something around the same same as G1 Hotrod. She's probably about half that. The paint job is awful. There is a clear fingerprint on the pink paint on mine. Very flimsy. Her seats fell off and I had to glue them back on. The windshield was cloudy from some kind of residue. The figure is very top heavy and hard to balance. Absolutely not worth the $80 I paid for it. Probably not even worth $20. I can't believe some people are spending $150 + on this thing on ebay. A real disappointment for G1 collectors.

The original poster recommended this for hardcore collectors only. I respectfully disagree. It's the hardcore collector that is going to be most heart broken for this shoddy product.

Hasbro take note: there is a market for a G1 style Arcee, and we're clearly ready to paid stupid amounts for money for her. MAKE IT HAPPEN.

News Credits: 6 · Tue Jul 27, 2010 3:59 pm

I'm just so mixed up with this item I want it but I don't want to pay $70 for it, yet I already have it and it is setting in my POL waiting on Piranacon. Wondering if I should keep Arcee and Medic in there? I know I might ask BBTS to take out Medic because I would rather not have two overpriced KO's that are as described from this thread. I guess I just look forward to Fansproject quality.

I would like to hear Seibertron (Ryan's) final verdict on this piece since he has the item if he could.

Tue Jul 27, 2010 4:07 pm

Really... it's the closest thing to Arcee you're gonna get... at least for the near future. Hasbro/Takara said they have no plans to make one.

Pony up and get one. I know it hurts, but you'll regret it later if you don't.

Tue Jul 27, 2010 4:25 pm

I have one. Honestly... except for a loose ankle joint and the chest not securely attaching, it's not bad. No bad paint apps. Not that I'd be able to tell.

News Credits: 11 · Wed Jul 28, 2010 7:56 am

Jenus wrote:I'm just so mixed up with this item I want it but I don't want to pay $70 for it, yet I already have it and it is setting in my POL waiting on Piranacon. Wondering if I should keep Arcee and Medic in there? I know I might ask BBTS to take out Medic because I would rather not have two overpriced KO's that are as described from this thread. I guess I just look forward to Fansproject quality.

I would like to hear Seibertron (Ryan's) final verdict on this piece since he has the item if he could.

Tecnically I wouldn't consider them KOs because they're not based on an existing toy.

IMO I'd cancel Medic but keep Valkyrie (Arcee). If the quality turns out really poor on yours you can just return it, right? I'd just be canceling Medic because of cost, really.

News Credits: 33 · Thu Jul 29, 2010 7:23 am

Just got mine. I am incredbly happy with it.

- I had no problems with paint apps
- All my joints were tight
- My neck moves fine
- No residue on the figure

Also, the torso does latch onto the chest. You've got to make sure you've pushed the back down as far as it will go and then (holding the back in place) push the chest onto the back. At least, that's how mine worked.

I've had more problems with several of my G1 Takara reissues, which in a couple of cases cost as much this piece. Since this isn't a major toy manufacturer producing this figure and its the first transforming one they've released, I'm very impressed and happy with it.

News Credits: 11 · Thu Jul 29, 2010 9:34 am

I'm glad you're happy with yours, Amelie.

My loot showed up yesterday! I don't have enough to pay customs right now though, and I'm moving on the weekend, so I guess I have to wait until Monday.

The wait is going to be killer. I'm excited to see how mine turned out.

Fri Jul 30, 2010 5:46 am

Mine was one of the first shipments from BBTS.

Though I'm very happy to have her and love seeing her standing next to Classics Rodimus and Warbot(Springer). but I must say it's the worst quality figure I've ever spent soo much on...

Mine has some jack-offs fingerprint on her shoulder... her right arm vambrace is missing a coat of pink, and one of her car seats broke off by the third or fourth time I transformed her... This plus the already mentioned connection issues makes me very leary of ever buying a Impossibletoys product again.

Now I've fixed the seat, added a Autobot symbol(thanks to repolables) and done some general touch up painting myself, so I'm happy with her... I just hope they do better in the future...