The Energon Pub

News Credits: 1452 · Sun Dec 04, 2011 8:36 pm

Crazy for a third party figure to be one of my grails, but Shadow Scyther is something I'll keep hunting down for a long time.

News Credits: 1 · Sun Dec 04, 2011 8:56 pm

I'm gonna say City Commander. Not because it's their best achievement in terms of technology (I think Protector surpasses CC), but it's the first time a 3rd party figure really blew my socks off. It also really completed an official figure, which is somethign I dig. Classics Magnus has a space for a trailer, a hitch, and everyone knows he's just naked without his clothes on. There's just soemthign about taking a figure that's been done by Hasbro and just ... complting it.

Oh and you're missing their trailer for Classics Prime. Not that it's likely to be anyone's favorite, but still...

Sun Dec 04, 2011 9:02 pm

I voted for Protector because i'm a huge 1986 G-1 Rodimus Prime fan. also it's a great design sculpt & idea format i'd like hasbro & takara to use. imagine rodimus getting trailer/armor at mass release hasbro store prices,that'll be cool.

News Credits: 5 · Sun Dec 04, 2011 9:52 pm

I had to vote Defender. While City Commander was an excellent and much needed upgrade, it was a no brainer. Not saying the engineering isn't top notch, it just seems like someone was bound to do one eventually, you know? The Bruticus upgrades performed a freaking miracle polishing that turd into gold and it would have been my choice if not for Defender. With that, Fansprojects showed Hasbro they were wrong. They tried their level best with Astrotrain and Octane (Tankor) and just threw their hands in the air and gave up on triplechangers. Repainting Evac was the laziest thing I think they have ever done. I know their official stance on it is "Botcon Springer gave those who want it a landmode option and this is the helicopter" but we all know that was just them having given up. Fansproject proved it not only was possible but it could even be better than G1 by having both altmodes being more distinct.

City Commander's the sundae.
Crossfire 2 is the whipped cream.
Defender is the cherry on top.

News Credits: 8 · Sun Dec 04, 2011 10:31 pm

I have everything they have ever sold and all of it to this day still blows me away but!
Nothing quite like City commander. I still mess with this kit almost everyday and still find things I love about it. In terms of being their best work, I cant think of any of their works that come close to it

News Credits: 11 · Mon Dec 05, 2011 1:04 pm

They're all pretty amazing but the one I am still most impressed with to this day is the Bruticus upgrades. It really did turn that sub-par combiner into a work of art. City Commander and Protector really do get gold star as well, I just love the Bruticus set so much. Defender is a bit more flawed, but I do love all the ones I own.

Mon Dec 05, 2011 6:23 pm

Defender for me. It's... gorgeous. It is Springer.

Mon Dec 05, 2011 7:23 pm

my vote went to the 3,4,5 causality figures. with springer a close second
the g3 trailer is a wonderful addon to prime and works perfectly as my classics prime trailer but hes not very posable 8-}

cc and all his versions were good except for the bfg that was always awkard to pose him with.
protector was a great improvement on cc in that all of the pieces had a place in both modes although posing him is a bit of a pain.
warbot was a great standalone piece except for the standing issues
munitioner/explorer are great as long as youve got the other combaticons and even then those three brought down the whole a notch.
warcry/flameblast although nice were just repaints to me.
the insecticons were great in that they combined the posability of munitioner/explorer, the well incorporated components/weapons of protector/defender and the beautiful update of city commander.

so for me they are the best weve seen so far.

Mon Dec 05, 2011 11:31 pm

Bruticus add-on. Hands down.

Now if theyt make this rumored Stunticon set, I may have to take it back...........depending

News Credits: 3 · Mon Dec 05, 2011 11:41 pm

City Commander is probably what got me started on 3rd Party products and spending ridiculous amounts on figures outside of the Masterpiece line...which at the time were 'only' $100, but I think the Bruticus upgrade is probably their most impressive work. Both figures are potentially the most impressive scout class figures ever released and the set makes a decent combiner amazing.

News Credits: 3 · Mon Dec 05, 2011 11:47 pm

I voted for Bruticus, and I do stand by that upgrades sheer awesomeness, but City Commander was my first love. Like many here it started my love for the 3rd party.

News Credits: 11 · Tue Dec 06, 2011 12:15 pm

In honor of this thread I trasformed my Bruticus into vehicle modes last night. Tonight, individual robot modes!

Tue Dec 06, 2011 12:16 pm

i also voted for the bruticus upgrade, but i had a tough time choosing between so many awesome things

yes, i love fansproject, and i can't wait for their next project :grin:

News Credits: 668 · Tue Dec 06, 2011 12:33 pm

I went with Warbot Defender. Here's why:

Up to that point, their work was impressive, but it was mere upgrades for existing figures. Almost anyone in their line of work can do that if they have the resources. Heck, we've seen impressive garage kits people do on their free weekends.

By no means am I knocking their previous efforts, I mean City Commander took a somewhat lackluster Prime mold and made it something special, or the Superion upgrade for example.

Then...came along Warbot Defender. Not only was it an homage to Springer, a character/toy that has had the short end of the stick for a very long time, but it proved they could go beyond snap on armor. They made a fully realized figure, with an original design, incredible complexity and still pay homage to a character/toy that seemingly didn't deserve it.

I'd say Warbot Defender broke the mold, really. Their Insecticons still wow people, even though there's some design flaws. If they fine tune their work and fix their design problems, I'd imagine their next "original" mold figure should be a jawdropper. Whatever it may be. If there ever is a next time.

Munitioner and Explorer almost took the first place, because they were two new molds plus accessories upgrading others, but Warbot Defender deserves recognition and respect because it was their first foray into a full fledged figure. It showed what they're capable of and lead the way to Munitioner, Explorer and the Insecticons.

Wed Dec 07, 2011 12:32 am

Shadow Scythe is just my kind of robot. It looks like a hearse & it's got an inspired back story. Gonna look great next to MakeToy's Fa11en.

News Credits: 60 · Wed Dec 07, 2011 12:47 am

Not Springer, Not UM and Binaltech Optimus Prime gas can

News Credits: 15 · Wed Dec 07, 2011 12:22 pm

City Commander is excellent. I like Protector too though its not quite as good.

Buuuut, I just love the Insecticons. They are one great looking set. They are at home, I am at work and I miss them! They look very nice standing on the shiny black glass stand of my Samsung tele. Mmmmmm, shiny black glass.