The Energon Pub

When new official TFs come out there are threads discussing how great they are(n't) but that doesn't seem to happen so much with 3rd party stuff. So, know you've all had plenty of time to get your hands on the three non-Insecticons, what do you think of them? Which is the best? Which is the worst? Gripes? Best features?

I think that each subsequent release was better than the previous (Shrapnel<Bombshell<Kickback).

It's odd that if you make Shrapnel kneel he his almost the same height as when standing. His odd shoulder articulation limits arm movement somewhat and he's a parts former so he loses a few points there but he's still cool. His best feature is that you can remove the two blades from the housing and mount them on his back so it looks like he has an arm mounted cannon.

It's a real shame that you can't 'cheat' other guns for the other two in this way and finding guns they can hold is hard. So far I've found that Kickback can hold G1 Shrapnel's gun but the others can't and Bombshell can hold some 5mm guns in his right hand but not his left...

I think they can look a lot more like the Insecticons than given credit. You can put up Kickback's wings and put Bombshell's stinger forward for the look, and Shrapnel's legs and the blades on the back can approximate his head... stuff.

I've had "Kickback's" wings up for the longest time, but it just isn't the same as his G1 incarnation. I think I'll put them down sometime today. I do wish FP had kept truer to G1 for these guys. I also wouldn't mind more G1 heads from .... whichever company wants to make them.

That said I still like looking at these guys. "Kickback" is my favorite thanks to his overall look. Contemplating getting reprolabels for these guys.

There is a group making them. Heads, weapons, etc. Cost for each is around $30 for each figure. It's just an estimate right now. The group (of two?) is over at TFW.

Prime Evil wrote:There is a group making them. Heads, weapons, etc. Cost for each is around $30 for each figure. It's just an estimate right now. The group (of two?) is over at TFW.

Link?

Prime Evil wrote:There is a group making them. Heads, weapons, etc. Cost for each is around $30 for each figure. It's just an estimate right now. The group (of two?) is over at TFW.

$30 per figure? At that point they may as well add new bodies too and charge the extra $18 that FPJ priced them at for the whole damn thing! Fuggin' ridiculous.

As for the figs themselves...meh, I suppose they fill their role well enough. Although if Hasbro did them they'd probably be ripped by most, but since it was FPJ...GOLD!

If Hasbro made 'em I'd still want new heads.

And yeah, what is that link? I might be up for buying them depending on the look. Maybe PM me (I think posting a link to another forum is against the rules).

I'm actually happy FP didn't make articulated G1 Insecticons. I appreciate the effort to make relatively new characters homaging the originals. Bombshell is easily my favorite.

Gauntlet101010 wrote:If Hasbro made 'em I'd still want new heads.

And yeah, what is that link? I might be up for buying them depending on the look. Maybe PM me (I think posting a link to another forum is against the rules).

PM'd to you and Dead Metal

Kibble wrote:

Prime Evil wrote:There is a group making them. Heads, weapons, etc. Cost for each is around $30 for each figure. It's just an estimate right now. The group (of two?) is over at TFW.

$30 per figure? At that point they may as well add new bodies too and charge the extra $18 that FPJ priced them at for the whole damn thing! Fuggin' ridiculous.

I agree, I think $15 per set at best. right now it could be $90 to update these 3 guys to look like G1. Not really worth it at the moment.

Not worth it at all for me. Their Insecticons are fine for me. I like they're not identical to the G1 versions. I prefer my Classics to not be mirror versions of G1.

Damn, it's EXACTLY how I would want the Insecticons to look like. Exactly.

But $30 each is a lot. Still ...

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... icture=out
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail

I've paid more for less. You get a new head, LARGE pincers, and guns. Definitely on my wishlist. May have to wait a bit on this, though.

Yeah, I thought about the Beezleboss head after I posted that. I'm just keeping my eye on the project for now. There so much going on with 3rd party stuff that I must be picky. Getting a Goldbug outta BB is nice, I can use that as a whole new character, but getting parts to make them more G1, when I think they look good already is another. But we will see once the final product is done and how much my wallet is hating me.

RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:Not worth it at all for me. Their Insecticons are fine for me. I like they're not identical to the G1 versions. I prefer my Classics to not be mirror versions of G1.

Agreed, FansProject went to lengths to give the Insecticons a nice theme, yet make them different from the originals. I like them fine as-is.

Now re-issue them in diaclone colours please!

I was a G2 kid when I first got into transformers, and I only ever remembered the insecticons from the episode where they got sick and nearly exploded. I really don't have any significant connection to the characters as a result, and only really picked up the FP ninjas to fill space in my classics collection... that and evil robot ninja bugs are pretty damn cool.

Incidentally I found Stormbomb to be the most disappointing of the 3 personally. His poseability isn't bad, but compared to the others it feels really limited. He's the only one of the trio who I can't get into a decent kneeling pose for the life of me.

Sure, it would have been nice if they were more G1 accurate but then perhaps they'd be jumping around in much more dangerous lawsuit territory. Hasbro hasn't us many G1 accurate Classics (Ironhide, for example) so this is the best we're gonna get.

Have other people tried to make them look as G1 as possible by folding up wings etc?

I'd quite like it if Hasbro gave us scout/commander Insecticons as my Classics are split into two sizes.

Mykltron wrote:Sure, it would have been nice if they were more G1 accurate but then perhaps they'd be jumping around in much more dangerous lawsuit territory.

You know, I wonder about that. iGear has given us KOs of the MP Seeker mold and both they and Maketoys have given us Minibots. Then there's both Arcees and Nightbirds. There's a lot of other examples too ... I think perhaps the logic is wrong somehow. On paper it makes sense that Hasbro/Takara would go after people who made non-TFs that look too much like official characters, but it hasn't happened yet.

Could I get a link to those Insecticon upgrades? I was about to make new heads for them myself, or just cast the G1 heads.

Thanks!

Deja Lou wrote:Could I get a link to those Insecticon upgrades? I was about to make new heads for them myself, or just cast the G1 heads.

Thanks!

I've seen people use the actual G1 Insecticons figures and modded them to the FP ones. They look good actually. If you have the skill, I say do that instead.

PS- I pm'd you the link for the thread where the customizer used his g1 parts for upgrading. He has some tips on there there.

Dudes, where the hell did you get the idea that it's against the rules to post links to other sites and forums?
It's not. If it was, I wold have been baned over 9000 times.

What is against the rules is creating a thread/ post with the intent of advertising the other site and getting people to sing up there and spend their time there instead of here.

Here's the link P-E sent me for the garage kit.
http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/radicons- ... parts.html


I love the FP Insecticons, the only real problems I have with them is the lack of blasters and that I would have liked some more paint. Especially Kickback's torso looks kinda cheap with that yellow plastic and the actually pretty cheap bug head that hardly hides the bot-mode head.

Other than that I love them the way they are.

Dead Metal wrote:Here's the link P-E sent me for the garage kit.
http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/radicons- ... parts.html

Thanks for the link.

Also, thanks for the link. But still not needed for me.

Dead Metal wrote:Here's the link P-E sent me for the garage kit.
http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/radicons- ... parts.html

Ah 5}{!+ I've never been interested in 4th party add-ons but I had no idea these would look that good. I may have to cough up the extra dough.

I'd be all about these if the price were reasonable, but I can't see paying almost the same 3rd Party price for the head and accessories as I did for the entire 3rd Party fig. And besides, the Insecticons were kinda lame to begin with so super accuracy is somewhat optional.

Kibble wrote:I'd be all about these if the price were reasonable, but I can't see paying almost the same 3rd Party price for the head and accessories as I did for the entire 3rd Party fig. And besides, the Insecticons were kinda lame to begin with so super accuracy is somewhat optional.

Agreed. I found the Insecticons to be really forgettable during the G1 cartoon, their most memorable moments for me was when they were used for fodder during the movie.

I like them being ninjas much better, it gives them much more personality and a cooler combat role than just another con with a blaster.