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Inspired by my recent MP Discussion Thread, we're 5 movies in so I think a movie-verse toy discussion thread would be a good idea. And my motives are kinda selfish too, because after skipping ROTF and DOTM almost entirely I welcome the opinions and knowledge that others might have of the lines I ignored.

So lets talk people!

I'll kick things off:
What's the definitive Ratchet figure/mold?

It's odd, I bought everything from the first movie line, accept for Ratchet. I just didn't like the green.... and I had planned to eventually get some exclusive shiny one (looked it up, Best Buy apparently). He never had a "Premium" release like his cohorts, so he was on the hit list but I guess he just forgot or moved on.

Should I still hunt it down, or are there better options?

IIRC, 2007 Ratchet is a bit crap. The ROTF deluxe is supposed to be pretty good though.

When it comes to Ratchet (by lesser extent Ironhide), the lack of sense of scale really works against finding *the* toy to represent him. Among the current offerings of the Voyager and two Deluxes, I'd have to say the DotM Deluxe wins out in the overall looks and functionality department. The RotF Deluxe is good as a "side story" form, especially when paired up with any version of the RotF Lockdown mold. The Voyager is just too boxy.

If you need a recommendation on alternate decos, look no further than the Specialist Ratchet redeco of DotM. Not only is it different from the obligatory white Rescue Ratchet redecos, that one calls back to his originally planned deco for the first movie.

That said, I'm fully expecting Ratchet to get the MP treatment one of these days.

I think the Bayverse line in general suffers from 1 main characteristic and that is that there is little to no middle ground when it comes to the figures. They're either great or total crap, with the majority leaning towards crap.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:When it comes to Ratchet (by lesser extent Ironhide), the lack of sense of scale really works against finding *the* toy to represent him.
If you need a recommendation on alternate decos, look no further than the Specialist Ratchet redeco of DotM.

See, I'm automatically drawn away from the Deluxe mold(s?) due to their size. I think I gotta go with the Voyager for that reason alone. And looks wise, I think he looks fine.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:That said, I'm fully expecting Ratchet to get the MP treatment one of these days.

Yeah, but the addition of the MP line didn't stop me from collecting C/G or G1

shajaki wrote:I'll kick things off:
What's the definitive Ratchet figure/mold?

It's odd, I bought everything from the first movie line, accept for Ratchet. I just didn't like the green.... and I had planned to eventually get some exclusive shiny one (looked it up, Best Buy apparently). He never had a "Premium" release like his cohorts, so he was on the hit list but I guess he just forgot or moved on.

Should I still hunt it down, or are there better options?

THe Voyager mold in my opinion is fairly decent figure. Yes he's boxy and has a couple flaws, but the transformation is interesting, and the automorph does not get in the way unlike other figures.

His only major flaw for me, are his hands, they are just 4 pronged claws that can't actually hold a weapon, and his actual arm mounted weapon is rather pointless. Beyond that he's actually an o.k figure. His Hummer alt mode is actually very nicely sculpted.

He's been repainted several times including the Best Buy Premium version so should not be too hard to track down.

Probably Night Ops Ratchet has the better looking paint scheme.

Desert Tracker


Night Ops


Premium


Regular

Huh. I'm pretty surprised that in 10 years... there isn't a movie Ratchet that isn't (without question) better than the first mold. And that I'ma still have to hunt down the Best Buy exclusive I slacked on, again, 10 years ago.

That Night Ops though, is nice enough for me to ignore screen accuracy and get for just because'z. Thanks OC

shajaki wrote:Huh. I'm pretty surprised that in 10 years... there isn't a movie Ratchet that isn't (without question) better than the first mold. And that I'ma still have to hunt down the Best Buy exclusive I slacked on, again, 10 years ago.

That Night Ops though, is nice enough for me to ignore screen accuracy and get for just because'z. Thanks OC

Unlike Prime and Bee, he hasn't gotten any new figures outside of the original Voyager and the subsequent Deluxe for ROTF.

Tons of repaints for each, down to the most recent Movie the Best line from Takara which made the deluxe mold available again in a better paint job.

But unlike Ironhide that got a great retool with lots of weaponry, and a leader class figure, Ratchet has been mostly forgotten even though he is the only character from the first movie outside of Bee and Prime to show up in every movie up to Age of Extinction.

Rodimus Prime wrote:I think the Bayverse line in general suffers from 1 main characteristic and that is that there is little to no middle ground when it comes to the figures. They're either great or total crap, with the majority leaning towards crap.

This has ways been my biggest gripe. Some bayverse figures are amazing, and a couple have high places of honor in my collection, but the vast majority are crappie and easily ignored. There are never any figures in the lines that are "just good enough" to pick up and have fun.

The deluxe DOTM Ratchet is a real nice figure. The ROTF one has an altered alt mode, so it's not as screen accurate. Never had the voyager versiosn, but I really like my deluxe. He's poseable and fun. And looks great beside the deluxe Ironhide from whichever line it was. One of the post rotf ones.

Hey, finally, a thread of the main toys i collect!

As for Ratchet, I have the ROTF deluxe, the spring loaded attachment to the gun annoyed me to no end. I can't get all that kibble to fold for alt mode too.
Robot mode looks okay though.

You know, the other week, I took my Blackout down of the shelf and started playing around with him. I'd forgotten how much fun he is in both modes.

Great comments guys

How about Ironhide? Definitive version? All I have is the Premium '07 Voyager. His chest is kind of annoying (loose) but otherwise he seems great. How have the later molds been?

Depends on what you are looking for in an Ironhide.

The original 2007 mould is pretty good.

The Leader Class version offers lights and sounds and a closer look to the movie since he's not lanky like the voyager mould.

Personally I like the Recon Retool with the extra guns and hardware.



But Leader Class Ironhide is also pretty cool.

Only have the deluxe I mentioned. That's a real nice figure. Good posing, solid robot and alt modes, lots of character. But for scale lovers he may not work and his chest bonnet doesn't always click in fully unless you get it juuuuuuuuusst right.


I've heard good things about the DOTM voyager.

I own the leader class version and even with the blue jeans he's a beautiful figure. I even got the FWI upgrade and he looks pretty cool on the shelf. He is also decent in truck mode though the transformation is a bit annoying. I also had a voyager which I sold when I got the leader. The voyager was pretty good but paled in comparison to the leader.

Recon Ironhide, from what I understand, is a fantastic toy. As is the Leader but he's out of scale with everything. The DOTM Voyager looks cool, but from what I've heard he has useless arms. He does come with a neat gun though.

Black Hat wrote:Recon Ironhide, from what I understand, is a fantastic toy. As is the Leader but he's out of scale with everything. The DOTM Voyager looks cool, but from what I've heard he has useless arms. He does come with a neat gun though.

Is that the mold used for Movie The Best? His arms did look strangely short....

Long Haul's been chilling in the back of my display for so long; pulled him out to serve as Onslaught since making a toy of him seems not to be on Hasbro's priorities.

Reminded me how much fun i had with Long Haul, totally love this figure.

shajaki wrote:

Black Hat wrote:Recon Ironhide, from what I understand, is a fantastic toy. As is the Leader but he's out of scale with everything. The DOTM Voyager looks cool, but from what I've heard he has useless arms. He does come with a neat gun though.

Is that the mold used for Movie The Best? His arms did look strangely short....

Movie The Best uses the Deluxe molds for Ironhide, and Ratchet for that matter. Optimus Prime, Starscream, Shockwave and Soundwave are the only Voyagers in the line.

I swear I have that guy in yellow...

shajaki wrote:I swear I have that guy in yellow...

long haul? That would be Payload, the yellow repaint.

Insurgent wrote:

shajaki wrote:I swear I have that guy in yellow...

long haul? That would be Payload, the yellow repaint.

Could also double as minor character Canopy, if you don't mind him having an obviously evil head

Rodimus Prime wrote:I think the Bayverse line in general suffers from 1 main characteristic and that is that there is little to no middle ground when it comes to the figures. They're either great or total crap, with the majority leaning towards crap.

Oddly, most of the non-movie bayverse line figures I've had have tended to lean toward great, but that could just be me choosing the right figures. Bludgeon (and Banzitron), Seaspray, Powerglide, Ransack, they're good enough they could work as non-bayformers more or less. RTS Fallback (recolor of bayBrawn) is okay too.