Top 5 Best Combiner Components (Limbs / Torsos) from Transformers Combiner Wars and Unite Warriors
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Top 5 Best Combiner Components (Limbs / Torsos) from Combiner Wars and Unite Warriors
Let's face it, Combiner Wars brought in a new golden era for Transformers fans. The G1 combiners were brought back in a bold new way with toys that were stylish, well articulated and had fun conversions. It kept the nice G1 tradition of Scramble City where you had bigger bots which became torsos (this time with the Combiner head being integrated within the toy rather than an add on) and the smaller bots could become either an arm or a leg to fit to the torso. And you could mix and match them as you please. Not only did we get several of the original G1 combiners but we also got some new characters (hello Alpha Bravo) and new versions of classic characters which could now also combine. With Power of the Primes right around the corner and bringing back the combiner concept and compatibility, I wanted to have a quick look back on the combiner components (limbs and torsos) we got under the Combiner Wars and Unite Warriors line (that latter one is the Takara line where these same toys were released). The way I did it is I broke it down to the different molds used in the lines and separated them by their idiosyncratic body molds. So pretty much I looked at all the different molds, not counting the head, and these are my top 5.
5. Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Dragstrip Gallery/Mirage
This was the first Combiner component I held in this line and I knew then and there that this line would kick ass. It had a similar engineering and quality to one of my favourite toys of all time, Cybertron Hotshot. It's an efficient design that maximizes distinction between vehicle and robot mode while reusing the same parts to thus has no extraneous kibble. With the 10 plus years since Hot Shot the engineering advancements mean we get that smart transformation with the added bonus that the figure combines. As a combining component, this mold has the cool ability to alter it's length so you could give your combiner longer legs if you would like. It's also awesome that this time around it is Dragstip who is the main use of the mold with Mirage being secondary (unlike the previous classics rendition of these characters). And I just really love Hasbro's take on Dragstrip's face.
Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Dragstrip (Drag Strip) Gallery
Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Mirage Gallery
Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Dragstrip (Drag Strip) Gallery
Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Dragstrip (Drag Strip) Gallery
Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Menasor Gallery
4. Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Onslaught
This toys had a lot going against it. The character already had a wonderful classics toy (which still holds up) and it was based the Hotpsot mold with seemingly not enough retooling since it still had the emergency lights. And I had really found Hot Spot to feel cheap with that squishy plastic and pieces popping off. But man, this Onslaught answered the call and gave us an incredible new rendition of the character, faithful to his G1 self, with a sleeker physique than the previous Universe toy, but with some new additions such as a better looking military truck mode than his very long and flat G1 self. The torso transformation is just as good and inventive as Hot Spot's but he feels far more solid. You also have the choice of how to finalize the torso transformation to give it different looks and I personally really love the colour Hasbro chose for the Bruticus head.
Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Onslaught Gallery
Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Bruticus Gallery
3. Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Air Raid/Unite Warriors Curse Armada Thrust/Guy Hawk
In a very G1 fashion, all the combiner jets transform pretty much the same way (and the same way as Offroad and First Aid). But the Air Raid mold mixes things up by having the wings swing around. This small extra brings a lot since it adds to the ways you can distinguish this limb from others depending on the combination you want. It also adds a step to the transformation and makes for a cooler looking backpack. And I don't know if it's this mold that makes the characters that use it look so good or vice versa but the best looking combiner components end up using it. Like Guy hawk in Liokaiser, easily the best individual Liokaiser figure, and Armada thrust, a toy which the Takara designers and whoever chooses the deco poured their hearts into. That deco is incredible and the headsculpts on both Guy Hawk and Thrust are some of the best in a line filled with awesome headsculpts.
Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Air Raid Gallery
Transformers Unite Warriors Curse Armada Thrust Gallery
Transformers Unite Warriors Curse Armada Thrust Gallery
2. Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Swindle/Hound
The Rook mold was good and I feel the Swindle/Hound retool just takes it up a notch. It ends up with a more manageable backpack which means these end up looking better as arms than the initial mold (and they still look great as legs). I love the sculpting work too, which is more minute than one may assume. They even sculpt in a steering wheel. Plus, we finally have standard hands to go with this fun mold, so we can get all the standard posing with weapons. I also really love how this works so well for both Swindle and Hound and it allows you to add a shoulder mounted gun to further distinguish Hound from Swindle, aside from the terrific headsculpts of course. This was always a solid mold and now we get two awesome G1 characters with it in a great jeep alt mode.
Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Swindle Gallery
Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Hound Gallery
Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Swindle Gallery
Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Hound Gallery
Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Hound Gallery
1. Transformers Generations Combiner Wars/Unite Warriors Cyclonus
I will admit, I did not pick this mold up at first. I had Silverbolt and while it was an amazing torso, I didn't care for a retool, especially one that wasn't originally a scramble city combiner. But then things changed. Firstly, I really got into the goal of this line which was to bring back a G1 concept but for a new audience. There were no restrictions (not that there ever were) and the point was to have fun. So this was a torso which begged for you to have fun and come up with your own combinations. What really sold me was when Takara, who was usually very G1 oriented, used this torso as an opportunity to show just how much fun one could have and gave us the most bat shit crazy combiner yet, Grand Galvatron (a Galvatron II combiner made from Zombies and Roller ?!). When I finally picked him up, I fell in love. Cyclonus, in both version (which I own) is a thing of beauty. His alt mode is the closest we have ever gotten to his spaceship mode and does look better than the previous Universe one. The alt mode just has so much style, it oozes sexy! He feels super sturdy too. I love the detachable wing tips that become daggers and while the whole robot under a jet didn't look great for Silverbolt, I didn't mind it as much for a cybertronian vehicle where the robot wasn't trying to conceal itself. And we also finally got a voyager Cylonus which works great in anyone's Lost Light or G1 Season 3, or Movie collection. And might I remind you, this is based on the best Combiner Wars torso mold. The combined mode looks amazing with a great headsculpt (better looking than the next Galvatron we got) and a fun transformation. All around a great use of the best torso mold inspiring us all to find our inner child and have fun with combiners. I can't ask for more.
Transformers Unite Warriors Tactician Cyclonus Gallery
Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Cyclonus Gallery
Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Cyclonus Gallery
Transformers Unite Warriors Tactician Cyclonus Gallery
Transformers Unite Warriors Grand Galvatron Gallery
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Posted by TimothyR on August 25th, 2017 @ 10:47pm CDT
I'd choose alpha bravo over that thing any day, and I quite dislike alpha bravo. I mean, dragstrip is supposed to be an arm but fails miserably at it.
Posted by Albatross250 on August 25th, 2017 @ 10:50pm CDT
CYCLONUS WILL BE ALWAYS #1
Yes i have him, he's quite fun, now waiting for PoTP so i can get some Hands and Feet
Posted by Albatross250 on August 25th, 2017 @ 10:55pm CDT
Posted by RiddlerJ on August 25th, 2017 @ 11:03pm CDT
Posted by Nexus Knight on August 25th, 2017 @ 11:16pm CDT
Posted by Autobot Roadburn on August 25th, 2017 @ 11:20pm CDT
Posted by Bronzewolf on August 25th, 2017 @ 11:22pm CDT
Deluxe Groove??
Sky Lynx???
Posted by DestronMirage22 on August 25th, 2017 @ 11:25pm CDT
Now, a figure that I don't see talked about much is CW Wheeljack. That's a fantastic figure right there. He's pretty much the ultimate CHUG Wheeljack. He turns into an almost exact Lancia Stratos Turbo, his weapon is really cool, his HFG integration makes for a cool looking silhouette, and his chest piece is animation accurate (it just stays on his chest and doesn't cover half his body like the G1 toy and the previous Generations figure.) All that's missing is his shoulder-cannon thing, which you can easily pick up from Toyhax or Shapeways.
RiddlerJ wrote:It's a shame it's only limited to the limbs and torsos since Shockwave deserves a spot on the list.
Agreed. That amazing little figure deserves more recognition than it gets. It's a new mold that's incredibly accurate to how Shockwave's appeared in various mediums, he's got his original alt-mode, and he can be held by Bruticus and USED AS A GUN. He's perfect!
Posted by DecepticonFinishline on August 25th, 2017 @ 11:45pm CDT
I do concede, however, the the Onslaught AND Bruticus face sculpts were better. Otherwise, I prefer Hot Spot in every other aspect.
Otherwise...
I think I would put the Dead End mold on here. Probably instead of Swindle/Hound. I know it was used all-to-hell-and-back. But it IS a good transformer.
Alpha Bravo mold, for sure. ONLY downside of that mold is the offset combiner-hinge-ratchets. HUGE bummer for arm-coptors.
Also, I thought the Offroad mold was quite good.
Posted by the_neptrix on August 26th, 2017 @ 12:44am CDT
Posted by Rodimus Prime on August 26th, 2017 @ 12:58am CDT
My list:
5. Combiner Wars Blades (headsculpt)
4. Combiner Wars First Aid (headsculpt)
3. Combiner Wars Fireflight (mold and color scheme)
2. Combiner Wars Onslaught (transformation)
1. Unite Warriors Silverbolt (color scheme and transformation)
Honorable mention: Unite Warriors Cyclonus (color scheme and transformation)
And yes, the legends class figures should get their own list.
Posted by kurthy on August 26th, 2017 @ 1:12am CDT
Tell me I'm missing something, where is Rook?
1. Rook
2. Swindle
3. Air Raid
4. Cyclonus
5. UW Blast off UW Groove
Seriously, how did Rook not make the list??? I don't care if Swindle is already there. HULK HANDS!!
P.s. don't boot me
Posted by Burn on August 26th, 2017 @ 5:11am CDT
Bronzewolf wrote:Alpha Bravo?
He sucks. This list validates that.
Even though this list lacked Rook.
Let see the G1 version of this list ...
Posted by Targetmaster Kup on August 26th, 2017 @ 6:26am CDT
Posted by Evil Eye on August 26th, 2017 @ 8:41am CDT
My personal list would probably be...
5: Dragstrip (For the reasons you mentioned)
4: Any fixed version of the helicopter mold (The transformation is simple but effective, the vehicle mode actually works pretty well and the robot mode is fun)
3: UW Megaempress (Hilarious concept, amazing execution, and a really solid mold anyway)
2: CW Rook (Best HFG integration of the line in both vehicle and robot mode, and a really solid toy)
1: UW Nosecone (Everything that made Rook amazing, plus even more 5mm madness! Also, drill)
Honourable mentions: UW Flowspade (Looks amazing and is fun to play with, but not quite top 5 material), UW Trickdiamond (Sweet vehicle mode, nice colours, robot mode looks great but isn't the best to pose), UW Strafe (Great design let down by the poorly done neck), CW Skydive (substandard jet mode but IMO great robot mode, works amazing as a Seeker with appropriate Shapeways bits).
Posted by Noideaforaname on August 26th, 2017 @ 9:32am CDT
CW was just really boring to me. Cars and jets and little else, plus all the robot modes looking the same...
Posted by Rated X on August 26th, 2017 @ 9:54am CDT
But remember Swindle is a retool of Rook so technically the mold did make the list, just in a better form. Actually the best use of the mold is Nosecone.
Posted by Evil Eye on August 26th, 2017 @ 10:01am CDT
Posted by Kurona on August 26th, 2017 @ 10:20am CDT
Onslaught is out of this world good. What amazes me is that as an update to the original toy, he manages to integrate the kibble and keep the same transformation (even down to the combiner head coming over the robot head)... and yet he's a retool; AND Hot Spot also was an update of his original toy's transformation with all the kibble integrated! That's next level mold sharing right there and you can see the genius that would come to envelop Titans Return's mold sharing.
I feel Rook's backpack actually makes him a better arm than Swindle, as it gives any Combiner wearing him like that an awesome shoulder armour pauldron thing. It especially works well for Defensor since as his name implies, his whole thing is beating up Getaway defence
Posted by ExciKaiser on August 26th, 2017 @ 12:08pm CDT
Thay all suffer from the undercarriage issue where you can see 90% of the bot.
We tolerate it because they're combiners limbs, but that doesn't made them a great mold.
I personally would have put dead End mold instead.
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on August 26th, 2017 @ 1:15pm CDT
My list though:
5) Hot Spot - while maybe not the best torso toy, he is the most fun to me. The ladder kibble does not bother me, he has some pretty great colors, and his ladder can be used by titan masters, so he is a functional figure that crosses figure lines. He also forms the best looking torso to me, with the head and chest and colors killing it. He is a great torso and the most fun to me.
4) Trailbreaker - This mold deserves a spot on the list, but the new tooling and HFG made this mold more fun than others (also separate from First Aid due to massive tooling differences). He has a forcefield pincer hand, and the black on this guy is rich and looks pretty awesome as an arm. He made the mold worth it, and while it was the 4th use, it feels like the best of the plain truck guys, and better than a lot of figures (he had feet, which why Dead End isn't here).
3) Air Raid/Strafe/Guyhawk - My favorite aerialbot mold. Yes the robot and jet kibble are very obvious, but it still looks good, and the swinging wings makes for some better kibble placement. Guyhawk looks the best paint wise of the uses, Strafe has some awesome tooling that I love and a nice head, and Air Raid was the first and a close second compared to Guyhawk
2) First Aid - Really great mold here, and it was not bland either. The massive tooling differences, such as a brand new vehicle mold, was great and it looked really sporty but still emergency vehicle-y. He also makes the best leg of any figure, and his arm mode is nice and bulky. Looks like he will hurt when he hits you.
1) Rook - Best figure of the entire line, honestly. He was suitably new and creative, and aside from Roller in UW, he was a rare mold in CW that was not straight repainted/new headed into a new character. Swindle/Nosecone were extensively retooled, so he remained relatively unique. The head was great, the colors meshed beautifully, and the alt mode was awesome. One of the rare alt modes with HFG integration that looked good. Also, he is hands down the best arm mold. Legs not so much, but everything else more than makes up for that.
Dragstrip is honorable mention because his leg-gineering is a bit wonky. he has a habit of his thighs falling back into his lower legs. And he is a bit thin for a great looking limb.
Silverbolt is honorable mention too. Scattershot did the mold the best justice in my opinion, but his thighs are just a bit too skinny and combiner leany to beat out Hot Spot
Posted by william-james88 on August 26th, 2017 @ 2:54pm CDT
Nik Hero wrote:Someone actually liked that horrible color choice that Hasbro made for Bruticus' head? How is that even possible? It's wrong for the original toy and the cartoon alike!
I know, its better than both!
ExciKaiser wrote:Don't really agree on AirRaid or any other aerialbot.
Thay all suffer from the undercarriage issue where you can see 90% of the bot.
We tolerate it because they're combiners limbs, but that doesn't made them a great mold.
I tolerate it and adore it for the awesome bot mode it gives us. How does this not look good?
As for Rook, I knew there were lots of Rook fans out there, and I am thankful you are all here to say all the great things I couldnt say. Thats because I am not as big a fan of his. I just dont like hands. Takara's Strafe/Blastoff proves that you dont need to compromise fist holes (which I find to be essential) with the added front hole. But instead we get a toy that can only hold a weapon as if he is Cyborg, turning his hand into stuff. Fun for a while, but it wears out for me and it limits you greatly to fun poses and what weapons you can give him (they need to have pegs in their butts or else they plug in weird). This is a perfect example to an invasive gimmick and he results in being a toy I simply dont pose with others. UW nosecone is not all that great either. Its a fun and smart retool for sure, but it doesnt fix the hand problem, and has a really plain altmode with nothing covering the hands. The big drill at the front blinds us from how there is nothing else to this alt mode, behind it on the top, just bot parts with his arms completely uncovered. Plus he ends up with a really wonky looking back in bot mode. In the end, while I dont dislike him and value him for what he is, there are other toys I much preffer in this line.
As for Deadend, he totally fails as a combiner arm for always splitting. I would never recomend him for the purpose of combining and thats what this list is to me, recomending awesome toys. He is not terrible, but there are many toys in this line better than him. He also stands for everything wrong with this line by being the poster child for all the retools and repaints. He himself is actually a "pretool" since that alt mode is really Wildrider's. Plus, it looks like his feet are cut off. Here is a variation of that mold next to chromedome:
And I wouldnt recomend skylynx over any of these either. I do like his torso, I think it looks great but he has major flaws. Not only is he so much less of what his original toy was, but that plastic in his wings feels so off. It's Hasbro seeing how much little plastic they can leave on a toy before he falls apart. And there is no inventive sculpting to disguise the hollowness, its just cheese grater slits. He also starts this thing with the designers sculpting fake hinges onto him which is bonkers and frustrating.
The helicopter molds I have all have the exosed hands in vehicle mode. Plus the smaller pieces that make the nose always pop off for me. I have also heard of breakage for this mold. I am also not a fan of how the rotors go all willy nilly in arm mode.
As for Offroad/Trailbreaker or First Aid, I actually really love those guys. A lot. And I debated in putting those or the jet mold since they share a similar transformation. But in the end I went for the jet since Armada Thrust and Guy Hawk are just too awesome to ignore.
Anyways, those were my opinions if anyone wondered why some didnt make the list. But you know what, what matters more is knowing what your favourites are so I thank you all for those wonderful lists you shared
Posted by kurthy on August 26th, 2017 @ 3:07pm CDT
ExciKaiser wrote:Don't really agree on AirRaid or any other aerialbot.
Thay all suffer from the undercarriage issue where you can see 90% of the bot.
We tolerate it because they're combiners limbs, but that doesn't made them a great mold.
I personally would have put dead End mold instead.
Hastak does need to make some significant improvements on their jet modes. Most of them don't make much of an attempt beyond a jet backpack. They're not even trying to hide the arms anymore. At least try to do something like powerglide where the arms form engines or whatever is under the wings of a warthog. That at least was hiding them in plain sight.
Posted by william-james88 on August 26th, 2017 @ 3:18pm CDT
kurthy wrote:ExciKaiser wrote:Don't really agree on AirRaid or any other aerialbot.
Thay all suffer from the undercarriage issue where you can see 90% of the bot.
We tolerate it because they're combiners limbs, but that doesn't made them a great mold.
I personally would have put dead End mold instead.
Hastak does need to make some significant improvements on their jet modes. Most of them don't make much of an attempt beyond a jet backpack. They're not even trying to hide the arms anymore. At least try to do something like powerglide where the arms form engines or whatever is under the wings of a warthog. That at least was hiding them in plain sight.
I can totally agree on hasbro needing to improve their jets. My list of best jet toys (coming out eventually) has nothing past 2012. I didnt mind it in Combiner Wars too much since, like with Silverbolt, it was in line with their G1 toys. Its a lazy reason, I agree, but still a reason and I dont mind getting behind it if the toy does still combine. Its when the toy doesnt have to deal with such a gimick and still comes out simple that I cringe a bit.
Oh wait, I take it back, there have been 2 jets that arent just the bot under it: RID Starscream and Voyager TLK megatron.
Posted by Sarahthecutevixen on August 26th, 2017 @ 3:46pm CDT
Posted by SureShot18 on August 26th, 2017 @ 4:16pm CDT
Here's my list, which only includes the ones I own:
5.CW Onslaught
I wasn't sure what to put here but Onslaught is really good. The torso is incredibly solid and the robot mode is pretty fantastic. However the vehicle mode is iffy and he isn't as fun to mess with as the deluxes.
4.CW Vortex
A good mold with colors that pop which makes for a really fun sorta-generic Decepticon soldier.
3.UW Strafe
Pretty great figure all around. Probably the least hampered by the gimmick out of any of them. The only issue is that he is a bit fiddly compared to his compatriots.
2.CW Prowl
Way better than the Universe version in my opinion. The deco looks great on the standard but fantastic Streetwise mold. And that headsulpt alone almost makes it my favorite one of the bunch. So good.
1.CW Rook
We all know what makes the mold good to a certain point. I for one dig the knuckle holes, they make for pretty good blasters. But normal fist holes like Strafe would have been ideal. I also have Swindle and Nosecone but neither of them are as fun or look as good as Rook. They're still great though.
So yeah that's my thoughts.
Posted by Master Force Skyfire on August 26th, 2017 @ 6:26pm CDT
Top Five CW Combiner Torsos
5. Hot Spot/ Pyra Magna: They stay together better as torsos than Sky Lynx or Motormaster, but are otherwise average. Defensor and Victorion tend to lean forward without PE feet.
4. Optimus Prime: The proportions are wonky, but Ultra Prime's shoulders stay together mostly fine and it stands better than Menasor.
3. Onslaught: The best version of the Hot Spot mold, since, as Bruticus's torso, the shoulders actually secure in place, but Bruticus still tends to lean forward without PE feet.
2. Cyclonus: Would be as good as Silverbolt except it doesn't hide Cyclonus's head as well in Galvatronus torso mode and Cyclonus's chest door won't stay closed. I'm not crazy about the part-forming tail stabilizers/ daggers.
1. Silverbolt/ Scattershot: The best CW torso, IMO, with the best proportions. Stands just fine in Superion/ Computron mode, and the shoulders don't come apart when I try to move the arms.
Top Five CW Combiner Limbs
5. Dragstrip/ Mirage: A simple, easy Indy car robot that works well as an arm, not so much as a leg due to the exposed head.
4. Alpha Bravo/ Blades/ Vortex/ Stormclash/ Skyburst: Works well as an arm or a leg when paired with itself or another aircraft, once you secure the rotors in place between the tail stabilizers.
3. Offroad/ First Aid/ Ironhide: Good chunky arm, decent leg when paired with itself. I think First Aid is the best of this lot and wish we'd gotten a mianstream release of Ratchet in that mold.
2. Rook/ Hound/ Swindle: Best ground vehicle mold, through Swindle and Hound improve on Rook by having less backpack and standard fistholes. Good as an arm or a leg.
1. Air Raid/ Skydive/ Strafe: Best CW limb mold, IMHO. Works great as an arm or a leg, especially when paired with itself or another aircraft.
Posted by Kurona on August 26th, 2017 @ 7:35pm CDT
As for Dead End not working as an arm... that's a QC problem not consistent across all versions. I admit my Dustup very frustratingly does not stay together at all and my Streetwise has a bit of trouble too, but my Prowl is incredibly solid and stays together much tighter than... I think all of my CW limbs. So I can't hold this against the mold.
Posted by Zeedust on August 26th, 2017 @ 7:54pm CDT
Bronzewolf wrote:Sky Lynx???
Sky Lynx is fun, but to me there's one flaw that keeps him off the list: his feet. They make it very hard to pose him, and even getting him to just stand normally sometimes doesn't work, and his back feet slip out from under him a little in a way that leaves his toes pointing up and him standing on his ankles rather than his feet.
DestronMirage22 wrote:Now, a figure that I don't see talked about much is CW Wheeljack. That's a fantastic figure right there. He's pretty much the ultimate CHUG Wheeljack.
He's got a sword, so I can't help but think of him as being at least partly Prime Wheeljack. Since Prime Wheeljack was awesome, I see no downside to this.
Nik Hero wrote:Someone actually liked that horrible color choice that Hasbro made for Bruticus' head? How is that even possible? It's wrong for the original you and the cartoon alike!
Maybe he likes it on its own merits. A shocking concept, I admit.
Posted by kurthy on August 26th, 2017 @ 10:04pm CDT
Kurona wrote:Kinda disagree on a few things there WJ. I wouldn't say the loss of hand pegs on Rook are a problem -- it just makes him different and stand out from the rest, giving a unique style of play. Naturally the line between that and a negative is fairly blurry and subjective so your mileage may vary, but I don't find it a problem.
As for Dead End not working as an arm... that's a QC problem not consistent across all versions. I admit my Dustup very frustratingly does not stay together at all and my Streetwise has a bit of trouble too, but my Prowl is incredibly solid and stays together much tighter than... I think all of my CW limbs. So I can't hold this against the mold.
I haven't had such luck with the mold. I've got every CW version of the mold including the G2. Even got blue bluestreak. I don't have any of the takara versions of the mold or 3up or Tigatron. I can't think of a single one that the legs stay together in arm mode. That's at least 10 that I can quickly think of so that's 12 of 13 that don't work as intended between the 2 of us. I'll hold that against the mold.
Posted by william-james88 on August 26th, 2017 @ 10:49pm CDT
Kurona wrote:As for Dead End not working as an arm... that's a QC problem not consistent across all versions. I admit my Dustup very frustratingly does not stay together at all and my Streetwise has a bit of trouble too, but my Prowl is incredibly solid and stays together much tighter than... I think all of my CW limbs. So I can't hold this against the mold.
We are looking at specific molds here in this list because just looking at the base mold in general wouldnt really give much diversity. So I was really looking at Dead End when answering that question and that is the toy/character that people keep bringing up. And Dead End splitting is a problem with that specific mold in a widespread fashion. There is a problem with the engineering and the pegs that hold it together, something is lacking somewhere. So it goes beyond QC and I 100% hold it against that specific mold.
Burn wrote:Let see the G1 version of this list ...
The next 2 lists are all combiner related and G1 will be featured. Though I found it tough to think of a list just like this one for G1 where its the components. They are all very similar to me and I couldnt tell you what I like of G1 first aid over G1 dragstrip for instance. If you are willing and can do a list of the top 5 scramble city g1 components then my hats off to you and we can feature it as one of these lists
Rodimus Prime wrote:Wow, no Protectobots at all?
If I had to pick one of them it would be First Aid.
Master Force Skyfire wrote:1. Air Raid/ Skydive/ Strafe: Best CW limb mold, IMHO. Works great as an arm or a leg, especially when paired with itself or another aircraft.
WOOHOO glad to meet a fellow believer
Posted by Burn on August 26th, 2017 @ 11:42pm CDT
william-james88 wrote:If you are willing and can do a list of the top 5 scramble city g1 components then my hats off to you and we can feature it as one of these lists
No thanks, this is your trip, wouldn't want to tread on it.
Posted by shajaki on August 27th, 2017 @ 1:30pm CDT
The Rook mold, more specifically UW Roller and UW Swindle. Nothing against Rook, but the Roller paint apps are just so premium feeling. And Swindle is easily better than Hasbro's. More apps, crisp, with more details picked out.
Streetwise, both of 'em. Best car mold, and they wear it better than the rest!
CW Air-raid and CW Strafe. I love the deco on Hasbro's AR, and the mold itself. And Strafe is an excellent retool and has a great head sculpt. I wish he was snow white like Takara's Strafe though.
CW Vortex. He's just brilliant. Toy accurate take on the deco is lovingly eye catching, and he looks properly evil. He's probably my favorite out of the entire UW/CW endeavor.
Out of the torso's, I gotta go UW Onslaught. From a technical standpoint, I adore this mold due to the chest piece locking everything together, which I feel makes him the most solid torso of all. His deco is fantastic, but he narrowly beat out G2slaught. His lack of proper G2 insignias and needing more of that purple camo are the clinchers.
Dezarus is an honorable mention. He's be my number one torso if he were only stable
Posted by Optimum Supreme on August 27th, 2017 @ 5:40pm CDT
Not on the list I really like are trailbreaker and ironhide (much better than the CHUG deluxes). Rook's not bad but limb Groove is a lot better. Quickslinger is awesome, almost makes up for that pile of dung alpha bravo. I dig Optimus but that screw up on the hip gears hurts it a lot. I like him better as just OP, he seems a big beefy brawler OP, but UP is cool too. I'm going to cheat and count Blackjack as "torso", I love that guy because without him Menasor is just WRONG. UP can do with out Rodimus, but Menasor has to have a car on his chest!
Posted by Stormtalon on August 28th, 2017 @ 8:39am CDT
Honorable Mentions:
Since this is strictly limbs and torsos, I'll leave off Shockwave and Powerglide/Viper.
5 - Dragstrip
I felt like I was getting my money's worth and that encouraged me to continue through the line.
4 - Cyclonus/Silverbolt
I liked the stratojet. Not quiet a Concorde, but you can see where it got its start. I wished we had a Decepticon jet group for Cyclonus to command.
3 - Offroad
Reason 1: Ironhide, Reason 2: Trailbreaker, Reason 3: Apple Jack (That last one may be the fan mod in my head.)
2 - Alpha Bravo
I think every fan knew as soon as we saw Alpha Bravo, he was just a pre-deco for Blades and Vortex to come later. I remember him warming the shelf when others like Air Raid and Drag Stripe were snapped up. But he is the best Aerialbot. As a helicopter, he couldn't use the crutch of the plane backpack like the others. And he gave us a taste of what Blades and Vortex would be like; something to look forward to.
1 - Sky Lynx
The only one that made me rush to the store and buy it before they were gone. Part of my love is the change of pace it offered by the end of the Combiner Wars run. Having growing sick of the remolds (Seriously you could make a combiner of only the Dead End sports car clones) This new mold was a need gulp of fresh air. I love the update. I played with the G1 Sky lynx and it is underwhelming. Both halves are simple (Rescue Bot simple) transformations. CW Sky Lynx is a challenge and a delight. And an Autobot dragon the size and scale of Prime BH: Predaking means dragon fights are on.
Posted by Rysquad on August 29th, 2017 @ 5:24pm CDT
Offroad, First Aid, Rook, Streetwise, Ironhide, Prowl, Swindle, Battle Core Optimus Prime, Onslaught, Sky Lynx, G2 Air Raid, G2 Firefly, G2 Powerglide, G2 Quickslinger, G2 Silverbolt, G2 Skydive, G2 Blackjack, G2 Brake-Neck, G2 Breakdown, G2 Dead End, G2 Decepticon Dragstrip, G2 Motormaster, Lighsteed, Strafe, Fellbat.
I keep the G2 Superion and G2 Menasor together since they're complete (thanks Ross/TJ Maxx).
Battle Core Optimus Prime was a gift because my family knows what an Ultra Magnus fanboy I am (Hello white Optimus Prime). I use Rook, Streetwise, First Aid, and Prowl as white limbs.
Onslaught and Sky Lynx were super cheap at Ross so I picked them up anyway.
I need one more limb to complete my own Sky Reign combiner with "red" bots (currently Sky Lynx, Strafe, Ironhide, Lightsteed) that will probably end up being Smokescreen.
I need one more limb to complete my own Bruticus combiner (currently Onslaught, Swindle, Offroad, Fellbat) which will probably be someone else from Bruticus or Liokaiser.
I don't know when I'll ever complete those though since Titans Return has a more fun play pattern for me and my son, IMO.
My Top 5:
5. Strafe: because he's based on the Skydive mold but beyond a simple repaint.
4. First Aid: in this list because the trucks seem to be more stable limbs than any of the cars and it just makes me wish Ratchet or even Medix got proper US retail releases.
3. Offroad: maybe because he's a new team member.
2. Rook: just because of how unique the toy is with the fists in robot mode and the available ports in vehicle mode.
1. Sky Lynx: he's awesome as a torso and even though his feet suck in Lynx mode, he's just different compared to all of the other Voyagers.
Posted by blackeyedprime on August 30th, 2017 @ 2:21pm CDT
A) 4 ugly screws showing on the front of robot mode
B)his overly visible grey chest connector piece
C)As Mirage there is no way of flipping the front of the car down for a torso to use the figure the other way around due to his arms being backwards with out customising.
He does fit nicely as a limb with out any bits protruding compared to some of the others though.
Deluxe Groove is really nice in robot mode with the light piping and that it can be used in other (unofficial)ways as a gun/chest piece etc and the twin guns with transparent plastic on an accessory is a nice touch and makes them look decorative on a combined form too.
I'm really not a fan of the swindle (especially as hound) mold either with the arms being kibble from most angles in vehicle limb mode even if they are not protruding and the the windshield nearly always falls off during transformation on mine from what I remember.
Posted by william-james88 on August 30th, 2017 @ 2:49pm CDT
blackeyedprime wrote:really don't see how dragstrip makes this list, as much as I'm a fan of F1 transformers because of:
A) 4 ugly screws showing on the front of robot mode
B)his overly visible grey chest connector piece
C)As Mirage there is no way of flipping the front of the car down for a torso to use the figure the other way around due to his arms being backwards with out customising.
He does fit nicely as a limb with out any bits protruding compared to some of the others though.
Well at least for the C part, its why Dragstrip is the main dude defining this mold. Mirage is just a redeco and didnt really go into my train of thought. I was mainly thinking of Drastrip. And the grey chest connector piece is visible on most bots so they all suffer from it in some way or another (unless they are replaced by fake kibble, which also loses points in a different way).
Deluxe Groove is really nice in robot mode with the light piping and that it can be used in other (unofficial)ways as a gun/chest piece etc and the twin guns with transparent plastic on an accessory is a nice touch and makes them look decorative on a combined form too.
Yeah in robot mode he is cool, aside from the pretty large backpack. But in motorcycle mode there is no effort to hide the arms/hands unlike the Swindle/hound molds which at least has a roof covering that part
Posted by Sarahthecutevixen on August 30th, 2017 @ 2:56pm CDT
not sure which one is my favorite to be honest
Posted by blackeyedprime on August 30th, 2017 @ 3:59pm CDT
william-james88 wrote:Well at least for the C part, its why Dragstrip is the main dude defining this mold. Mirage is just a redeco and didnt really go into my train of thought. I was mainly thinking of Drastrip. And the grey chest connector piece is visible on most bots so they all suffer from it in some way or another (unless they are replaced by fake kibble, which also loses points in a different way).
Combiner wars Prowl managed to hide it so it would have been nice to have a flip down silver chest part some how or even making the grey part being bright silver (if it's going to be noticeable might as well go all in )to be suggestive of the G1 toy but with the the 4 screws I don't think it would have helped either way. He was my first CW figure and was committed to storage in wait of the other stunticons to be a limb (which never happened)where as hiw wave mates aerial bots were good enough in robot mode to stay on display.
Yeah in robot mode he is cool, aside from the pretty large backpack. But in motorcycle mode there is no effort to hide the arms/hands unlike the Swindle/hound molds which at least has a roof covering that part
Swindle just isn't even any resemblance of a Jeep or even any earthly vehicle to me, I think CW first aid with a slight remold to look like animated Swindle vehicle would have been a better choice in the long run (bar making classics hound a CW figure some how )
Posted by noctorro on August 31st, 2017 @ 5:38am CDT
I tried to flip Dragstrip's body, so that he has his hoody as chestplate. Looks better than the connecter, but the arms look silly reversed.
My favorite Combiner Wars figure is Dead End, I just like the G1 character and he looks very good. Depressing down to earth, average soldier guy.
Second is Wild Rider (that afterwards released guy), almost the same but his head is awesome.
I like Takara United Warriors Blastoff... 's head. I only like the head, Takara messed up, his robot mode is silly. Bought the Hasbro version of him to switch the heads and... completely different balljoint Might have to slice off Hasbro one's head and 3d print a new balljoint, put on the Takara head... way to much work.
G1 Blastoff is one of my favorite Transformers ever.
Agree with Onslaught, face looks amazing, altmode is good. For me nostalgia, he was the only combiner leader I had as a kid.
I like Rook, I even bought 3 of the same WeiJang oversized KO voyager sized versions as generic enemy army builder. For reasons.
I don't like his headsculpt, not my thing.
Victorion is underway, decided to get her because I need as many fembots as possible and it's a fembot combiner.
Reason why I didn't get it as soon as she hit online shops is, I don't like the color. It's terrible, lavender, fading sub colors.
If it was hard red with solid green or army green, would've been better. Megatronia has a way to high contrast.
And they didn't use good molds.
Concluding, Combiner Wars is my favorite line. I love combiners, I love Transformers all being about the same size. I love army builders. It's amazing this stuff. Titans Return is also amazing with the little dudes, excellent figures. Hasbro is on an epic win rampage for the past years. I don't even mind 3 step changers, Transformers RID, movie mess. Combiner Wars/Titans return make up for everything and more.
(well, gonna be a Victorion pre-review preview offtopic thing now)
So offtopic from here on out (sorry, I'm one of the biggest Slowpoke's out there, just started collecting Exo Squad):
What my choice for Victorion would be:
1. Team Leader is good, good choice.
2. Combiner Wars Groove (the deluxe one) And fix her up with a Transformers Prime Arcee headsculpt. Slender some parts up a little to make her a bit more ladylike and your done.
3. Combiner Wars Rook mold. Sorry but I want a big girl on the team. Slender the arms up a bit, maybe thicken up the hips if possible. Give her a pretty chubby face and a decent boob-plate (I think there's space for that)
4. Combiner Wars Firefly, slick jet already slender. Fix a way to get a chest panel on there for curves. Change the wings and cockpit a bit and make her War For Cybertron Slipstream (love that character in Escalation!!!)
5. Dead End mold, G1 Arcee her a bit up or First Aid mold and make her a female medic. But for the love of Primus, fix the front of that vehicle to make it a van and not a jeep thing.
Colorwise... Blue, red, orange and pink or something, I don't know. Victorion is to monotone with bland shades, Megatronia is too black/contrast.
That's that.
Reminds me, I also need to get Megatronia -_-
Posted by Kurona on August 31st, 2017 @ 6:48am CDT
Posted by Evil Eye on August 31st, 2017 @ 7:09am CDT
In terms of the molds I would have picked, I'm honestly OK with what we got. That said I reckon Flowspade/Dustup is the weak link in the set, by virtue of the fact that outside of the chestplate and hands she looks very, very manly. The headsculpt doesn't help, I will say. Still, despite my initial disappointment when the set was announced (and believe me, I'm still irritated that the new norm for fembots seems to be retools of males- the girls deserve their own molds!) I am pleased to say I was mostly wrong about them.
On topic, I will say Skydive is an underrated mold. His jet mode is a bit questionable, but the robot mode looks great IMO. Also he makes a truly excellent Seeker with Shapeways bits:
Posted by william-james88 on August 31st, 2017 @ 9:18am CDT
blackeyedprime wrote:william-james88 wrote:Well at least for the C part, its why Dragstrip is the main dude defining this mold. Mirage is just a redeco and didnt really go into my train of thought. I was mainly thinking of Drastrip. And the grey chest connector piece is visible on most bots so they all suffer from it in some way or another (unless they are replaced by fake kibble, which also loses points in a different way).
Combiner wars Prowl managed to hide it so it would have been nice to have a flip down silver chest part some how or even making the grey part being bright silver (if it's going to be noticeable might as well go all in )to be suggestive of the G1 toy but with the the 4 screws I don't think it would have helped either way.
The problem with Prowl is that he loses points for fake kibble. That flap always feels like a cheap way to reproduce a look and while it ends up better than the likes of PRID Cliffjumper and DOTM Voyager Sentinel Prime it's still within that range, especially since POTP Jazz proves that you can still have the actual front of the car become the chest and still be a combiner. I actually wish, like Seibertron himself, that Prowl was redone to be more like the Jazz mold. The dead end mold also has the feet chopped off look while Dragstip uses the spoiler to make the feet which I always found clever in a simple way.
Posted by RodimusPrimeUkraine1 on May 19th, 2022 @ 10:45am CDT