The Energon Pub

News Credits: 6 · Fri Oct 02, 2020 3:46 pm

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... He's ok!

Tigatron is a mixed bag for me. On the one hand I like the figure more than Blackarachnia (still the weakest in the Beast Wars MP line, to me), Because they didn't take the easy way out and he is very much a new figure in his own right. This is mostly down the Beast Mode and it's proportions. He also has a good size and weight to the figure which I think add to the positives.

But when I thought about it, the things I like most about Tigatron - in bot mode - the impressive engineering of the legs, were the same things I liked with MP Cheetor. Only bigger. Ultimately what I don't like, is the altmode kibble. The arm guards that don't tab in. The fact that I almost broke the tiger back, before having to look at the instructions. Because I assumed all the hinges move. They don't.
As a final minor niggle there are these two flaps. They ultimately reside around the shoulders of the tiger legs in bot mode. But I think something could have been done to hide them completely (mine is likely mis-transformed, it doesn't really matter) instead you just sort of tuck them in?

Ultimately though, this is a bigger Cheetor. A design I didn't really like the first time. Transforming Tigatron from his majestic Beast Mode into the bot mode with arms I don't like and a horrible backpack of kibble (not talking about the folded arms, as they are accurate). My conclusion is the same...

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7/10

On the plus side, only single use characters from now on with the Maximals.

Fri Oct 02, 2020 8:57 pm

I think 7/10 is a fair and realistic score, AllNew. I’ll be the first to admit that I am biased and easy to please on these Beast Wars MPs, and I even give Blackarachnia’s beast mode a pass because of how **** perfect her robot mode is. But Stripes here, yeah. 7/10. Which isn’t bad by any stretch, in fact I’m still almost completely satisfied with him (aside from the wrist-rocket, which is feature I was greatly anticipating. Wrist-mounted weaponry is my jam.)

News Credits: 6 · Sat Oct 03, 2020 11:14 am

In many ways he is an improvement over the Cheetor mold. No faux Beast Head in bot mode, for example. But he doesn't reinvent the wheel either. The main take home I get from Tigatron, is hope that Tarantulas will correct the errors of his mold partner in a similar vein.

My one concern is the brilliant white elements of the bot mode. Long term, direct sunlight will be an issue for him in particular. So in my view, his pros and cons leave him with the same score I gave to Cheetor. Primal is still the best of the Maximals though. I am looking forward more towards who is to come. Even Airazor, who I don't like at all.

Sat Oct 03, 2020 8:53 pm

I mean, Cheetor needed that faux beast head, for the same reason as Dinobot: the shape-change would be impossible to achieve with plastic. So I don’t see that as a detractor, just an unfortunate necessity of not having actual magic.

News Credits: 6 · Sun Oct 04, 2020 2:26 am

Nemesis Maximo wrote:I mean, Cheetor needed that faux beast head, for the same reason as Dinobot: the shape-change would be impossible to achieve with plastic. So I don’t see that as a detractor, just an unfortunate necessity of not having actual magic.

I dunno. Maybe some kind of vertical hinge on the top of the Cheetah head could have flattened it a bit for Bot Mode? It was supposed to be the actual head in the show too. By the same token, Dinobot's design (and TM Megatron) never claimed that was the actual Beast Head on the chest.

In light of Kingdom, I am really hoping Takara gives the MP line someone who doesn't feature in that line as the next MP. Terrorsaur or Tarantulas perhaps?

News Credits: 1350 · Sun Oct 04, 2020 5:42 am

Terrorsaur and Tarantulas aren't ruled out of Kingdom, we only know the retail releases, not Exclusives

News Credits: 6 · Sun Oct 04, 2020 6:14 am

True. But I do think in light of Waspinator, Starscream and Cyclonus, Terrorsaur might be replaced by a Fossiliser instead. Like Dinobot.

News Credits: 4877 · Mon Oct 05, 2020 8:59 am

ZeroWolf wrote:Terrorsaur and Tarantulas aren't ruled out of Kingdom, we only know the retail releases, not Exclusives

We've never had a new mold for a toy that goes with the mainline released as an exclusive, in these generations lines. It's always redecos and retools. And Terrorsaur needs a new mold.

I am 100% confident that Terrorsaur would not happen in the Kingdom line but he could come later. I have no clue how they will pull it off, since he by far has the most variation between both modes. He is by far the character release that interests me most for the MP line (staying on topic).

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:True. But I do think in light of Waspinator, Starscream and Cyclonus, Terrorsaur might be replaced by a Fossiliser instead. Like Dinobot.

I don't really understand that statement. If you mean in terms of spots, sure, since there will be a pterodactyl fossilizer. He doesn't replace the character though.

And I am not sure what you mean by Dinobot, he is coming as a voyager in the the Kingom line.