The Energon Pub

News Credits: 335 · by **Down_Shift** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 9:58 am

Of course, the day I pick up my Masterpiece Megatron it just had to be Friday the 13th. Which started out great by the way.

There was a small con in Toronto last night (and throughout the rest of this weekend) and I was asked by a friend who runs a booth there to come down. He said he had something for me and that I needed to come down. I'm in the final steps of a big move so I'm really busy, but I thought I could use a break. I didn't think much of what it could be, but I went anyways, Toronto's fun. When I got to his store to pick up some passes, there was a note for me from the boss saying "Thanks for all your help" attached to a Masterpiece Megatron! I was a little awstruck so I called his cell to see if he was on crack or dying or something. I hjust had to figure out why he would flat out give me MP-05 for free. He told me it's because I help out when he orders TFs for his store and other little side jobs. I didn't want to except this lavish gift, but as a sign of good friendship I couldn't refuse. So after a light little bit of browsing and chit-chat I cheerfully busted out a massive back flip of happiness and went on my merry way back home (3 hours)

When I got home I was so pumped to open this bad boy up but was shot down with horror as megatron was broken in the box! I had heard that his arm and leg kibble came off easily enough so that didn't bother me, but then I noticed a little silver tab laying in the bottom of the insert that looked like it was probably important. Of course it was, it turned out to be one of the tabs that connects the trigger to the bottom of the torso. The second, and in my opinion, the larger problem was the red pannel that lifts up to hide the foot on his right leg. The brackets were already stress bent and ready to fall off the hinges. I was fully prepared to pay for this thing, so I'm going to take back the broke ass one and buy a new one. (I think he only has like 3 left.) I appreciate the gift, but I can't in good concious let him pay for two MP-05s.

Does anyone else have a horror story they would like to share? I'm still depressed about it and am currently engourging myself on a tub of Hokey Pokey ice cream... and I'm lactose intollerent. Well not intollerent, I just won't put up with lactoses bull_shift.

News Credits: 15 · by **Ravage XK** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 12:05 pm

When I took my Megs out of his box one of his shoulder pieces stayed in the box. I didnt notice for about 20 mins and then I swore a bit before I saw the ball joint.

More of a scary tale than your horror story.

News Credits: 335 · by **Down_Shift** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 12:11 pm

Ravage XK wrote:When I took my Megs out of his box one of his shoulder pieces stayed in the box. I didnt notice for about 20 mins and then I swore a bit before I saw the ball joint.

More of a scary tale than your horror story.

Both of mine plus the two hip pads were detached in the box. It's a pretty good scare to the system though isn't it.

by **soundwavegt** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 12:22 pm

Down_Shift wrote:Of course, the day I pick up my Masterpiece Megatron it just had to be Friday the 13th. Which started out great by the way.

There was a small con in Toronto last night (and throughout the rest of this weekend) and I was asked by a friend who runs a booth there to come down. He said he had something for me and that I needed to come down. I'm in the final steps of a big move so I'm really busy, but I thought I could use a break. I didn't think much of what it could be, but I went anyways, Toronto's fun. When I got to his store to pick up some passes, there was a note for me from the boss saying "Thanks for all your help" attached to a Masterpiece Megatron! I was a little awstruck so I called his cell to see if he was on crack or dying or something. I hjust had to figure out why he would flat out give me MP-05 for free. He told me it's because I help out when he orders TFs for his store and other little side jobs. I didn't want to except this lavish gift, but as a sign of good friendship I couldn't refuse. So after a light little bit of browsing and chit-chat I cheerfully busted out a massive back flip of happiness and went on my merry way back home (3 hours)

When I got home I was so pumped to open this bad boy up but was shot down with horror as megatron was broken in the box! I had heard that his arm and leg kibble came off easily enough so that didn't bother me, but then I noticed a little silver tab laying in the bottom of the insert that looked like it was probably important. Of course it was, it turned out to be one of the tabs that connects the trigger to the bottom of the torso. The second, and in my opinion, the larger problem was the red pannel that lifts up to hide the foot on his right leg. The brackets were already stress bent and ready to fall off the hinges. I was fully prepared to pay for this thing, so I'm going to take back the broke ass one and buy a new one. (I think he only has like 3 left.) I appreciate the gift, but I can't in good concious let him pay for two MP-05s.

Does anyone else have a horror story they would like to share? I'm still depressed about it and am currently engourging myself on a tub of Hokey Pokey ice cream... and I'm lactose intollerent. Well not intollerent, I just won't put up with lactoses bull_shift.

Unlucky, mate. perhaps there is some truth in those old myths about Friday the 13th.

by 009* » Sat Apr 14, 2007 12:22 pm

I heard from the tfw2005 forums that the ratchet joints in MP Megatron's arms might overstress and break the plastic rings in his shoulders or forearms, ala the "bad knee" problem the MP Convoy mold has. I've taken the springs out of mine, so he's safe, although he probably can't hold his cannon up on his own any more.

News Credits: 335 · by **Down_Shift** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 1:54 pm

009* wrote:I heard from the tfw2005 forums that the ratchet joints in MP Megatron's arms might overstress and break the plastic rings in his shoulders or forearms, ala the "bad knee" problem the MP Convoy mold has. I've taken the springs out of mine, so he's safe, although he probably can't hold his cannon up on his own any more.

I didn't see a problem with the ratchet joints themselves, but I did worry about ripping the arm clean off when I was trying to transform it.

by **Syclone** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 3:41 pm

word. those arms are a bitch

by **TENIME_art** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 3:50 pm

soundwavegt wrote:perhaps there is some truth in those old myths about Friday the 13th.

I didn't believe it before, but everything that could've gone wrong yesterday did.

I still don't have an MP Megs. Is that enough of a horror story?

by **Ericus Prime** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 4:21 pm

TENIME_art wrote:
I still don't have an MP Megs. Is that enough of a horror story?

Yep,I guess, I would be horrified

by **ShockwaveUK** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 4:42 pm

I can't Transform him. After 21 years there is finally a TF that has bested me.

News Credits: 335 · by **Down_Shift** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 4:45 pm

shockwaveuk wrote:I can't Transform him. After 21 years there is finally a TF that has bested me.

In threory, that is a good thing. To me at least.

by **ShockwaveUK** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 4:46 pm

Down_Shift wrote:
shockwaveuk wrote:I can't Transform him. After 21 years there is finally a TF that has bested me.

In threory, that is a good thing. To me at least.

Not when I've spent over £70 on it and it's sitting half transformed on the shelf because I just can't be arsed with it. :-(

News Credits: 12 · by **Crumplezone** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 5:23 pm

When I got mine out of the box. Not only was the right shoulder plate off, very scary untill you see the ball joint but the left shoulder was not locked into place and flopped around alot. Took me ages to get the right leverage to lock it in. As well as studying the instruction to make sure I was aplying presure in the right way.

Now I'm rather concerned if I try to change him to his alt mode he may brake so i've left him in robot mode for now.

News Credits: 1082 · by **Tigertrack** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 5:46 pm

shockwaveuk wrote:I can't Transform him. After 21 years there is finally a TF that has bested me.

He is a pain, no doubt, and I could only get him to a gerwalk mode (legged gun), cause I could not figure out what to do with the farkin' hips. I could turn the legs into gun handles, knew how it was supposed to go, just could not finish the slaggin' thing because I did think I would break something. The hips didn't seem like they should do anything else, but they must...go...together...somehow....

Also, I know how you feel about those shoulder joints, after seeing pics of one that basically blew up when it was trying to be transformed, it's scary, especially when experiencing how tough they are first hand.

Bot mode is the way to display.

News Credits: 335 · by **Down_Shift** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 6:00 pm

tigertracks 24 wrote:
shockwaveuk wrote:I can't Transform him. After 21 years there is finally a TF that has bested me.

He is a pain, no doubt, and I could only get him to a gerwalk mode (legged gun), cause I could not figure out what to do with the farkin' hips. I could turn the legs into gun handles, knew how it was supposed to go, just could not finish the slaggin' thing because I did think I would break something. The hips didn't seem like they should do anything else, but they must...go...together...somehow....

Also, I know how you feel about those shoulder joints, after seeing pics of one that basically blew up when it was trying to be transformed, it's scary, especially when experiencing how tough they are first hand.

Bot mode is the way to display.

Yeah, the legs were an incredable pain. I did transform it for shits and giggles and it was infuriating. There's alot of sliding, swivling and shifting to get the legs to collapes together.

News Credits: 15 · by **Ravage XK** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 6:12 pm

Its a work of genius, evil genius. Im sure the instructions are missing a few steps on the legs. It does all work out though. Those big joints at the top of the legs unfold which helps a lot when you are trying to figure out how the heck you are supposed to collapse the legs in on themselves to form the handle.

Getting him back to bot mode without the instructions is also a lot of fun. Bet you will forget one crucial move which will prevent you from connecting the hips back to the torso. I got quite annoyed at that point.

by **Ericus Prime** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 6:18 pm

tigertracks 24 wrote:
shockwaveuk wrote:I can't Transform him. After 21 years there is finally a TF that has bested me.

He is a pain, no doubt, and I could only get him to a gerwalk mode (legged gun), cause I could not figure out what to do with the farkin' hips. I could turn the legs into gun handles, knew how it was supposed to go, just could not finish the slaggin' thing because I did think I would break something. The hips didn't seem like they should do anything else, but they must...go...together...somehow....

Also, I know how you feel about those shoulder joints, after seeing pics of one that basically blew up when it was trying to be transformed, it's scary, especially when experiencing how tough they are first hand.

Bot mode is the way to display.

I posted some links to videos in YouTube with a guy showing how to transform Megs to gun mode, there in the "MP Megs, do you have yours?" topic. Page 6, just scroll down and you'll see it. Hopefully.

News Credits: 2 · by **TFBuyer** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 6:51 pm

I remember way back when Alts were somewhat new, someone on here made a statement about Alt. Grimlock. Something to the effect of: "His transformation, particularly the waist, was designed by either a genius or a madman."

That person should be made to transform MP-05 Megs back and forth 1800 times a day. It's scary.

News Credits: 10 · by **Lapse Of Reason** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 6:51 pm

It took me about 45 minutes to an hour to transform MP Megs to gun mode the first time. I spent 1/2 the time trying to get the arms lined up right - they seemed off by about a mm or two. I finally got it. I resorted to looking at the instructions for a few of the steps, mostly out of fear I would do something wrong and actually break it. It takes a bit of "massaging", but Megs is very sturdy in gun mode once you get it right.

MP Megatron is an absolutely amazing piece of toy engineering. Unfortunately, the frailty of many of the parts will probably affect it's durability. This is not one to transform over and over again (much like Starscream). Prime is built better.

MP Megatron would be much better had Takara/Tomy used a more durable plastic, especially in the joints. It also has the "alternator syndrome" of parts that detach way too easily.

News Credits: 3600 · by **Seibertron** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 8:36 pm

009* wrote:I heard from the tfw2005 forums that the ratchet joints in MP Megatron's arms might overstress and break the plastic rings in his shoulders or forearms, ala the "bad knee" problem the MP Convoy mold has. I've taken the springs out of mine, so he's safe, although he probably can't hold his cannon up on his own any more.

And some people on another website were mocking me because I bought two so that I don't have to transform MP Megatron due to all of these quality problems and because he's a bitch to transform. I personally prefer Transformers that I can transform in about a minute.

by **TENIME_art** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 8:40 pm

I just noticed you live in Chicago, nice.

I don't even have one, and if TFSource gets back to me on their "waiting list", I'll only be able to afford one. I'm getting kinda scared, though. I don't want to spend $100 on something that could possibly break...

News Credits: 15 · by **Ravage XK** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 2:02 am

Lapse Of Reason wrote: Prime is built better.

I guess its down to the shapes they have to start with. Primes alt mode is basically a block with his legs sticking out whereas Megs needs to be more complicated to remain true to his alt mode, no room of odd looking bulges or bumps here.

by **Daxmajor** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 8:11 am

Lapse Of Reason wrote:It took me about 45 minutes to an hour to transform MP Megs to gun mode the first time. I spent 1/2 the time trying to get the arms lined up right - they seemed off by about a mm or two. I finally got it.

I just got my MP-05 and although I've gotten him into gun mode, I cannot get his arms to fit together properly -- both arm back bit seems to outright refuse to stay flush with the forearms. Am I missing something? It's driving me nuts. :-x

by **Syclone** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 2:18 pm

you have to push really hard.

i've only transformed mine into gun mode. i got him last weekend and thats how he's sat on the shelf haha. i intend to transform him back shortly, give me something to do while im watching nascar haha.

anyway, yeah, those arms SUCK!!! you just gotta push on them really hard. scary hard, just like when transforming starscream and you want to get his back piece to sit flush.

i have this feeling (hope) that the initial transformation is just hard because its new and the paint is sticky. i could be wrong though, i guess i'll find out this afternoon.