Santa Prime is coming to town ? 2023 Advent

[wervenom]

December 9 - Good Smile Company Cyclion Type Lavender

Posted 4/17/23.

11,695 likes

Technically not a transformer as far as the lore goes but she is a transforming robot so?

Initially when I saw this figure I was impressed from the promotional pics and I'm pretty sure those pics came out just after BFB Nicee and honestly thought the two of them would complement one another. I didn't pre-order her at the time and really glad I didn't. For what you would get she wasn't worth the price IMO (nor was the full price listed) and there really wasn't a lot of details regarding her. Now when the full price was announced with all the specs I couldn't justify the price and after watching the reviews I REALLY couldn't justify it. I don't really recall when but was on FB and saw a friend randomly posting pics and didn't realize they were technically part of a sales list so I reached out to him to see what's up. For that I give special thanks to Plastic Spark Photography for hooking me up and with a price I can genuinely live with. Near as I can figure Cyclion will be the last for my "re-imagined" female Autobot MP shelf. She isn't particularly tall but her over all aesthetic should fit in very well.

Technically I don't even know her name so I am guessing it is Cyclion and after reaching out to PSP I decided to watch a review, not that there are many out there. Had I paid the full asking price when she was released I definitely would have been pissed. As nice as she looks, the simplest of articulation that you would expect nowadays simply isn't there which is extremely disappointing.

Before putting her through her paces on the table I decided to transform her straight to bike mode and removed the hands. I would rather have removed the wrist but since it doesn't pop out easily I didn't bother. Nothing is really well hidden with the exception of her face so you can easily see all the bot mode parts in bike mode. I don't recall where I had read it or heard about it but I do recall someone saying the transformation being difficult and I have to say that is completely wrong. I don't think I've ever come across an easier transformation since the G1 Battle chargers and Jump starters. She's as complicated as an 80's Go-Bot to be honest. I doubt I have a figure that would actually fit on her in bike mode but I would think something in the 4 to 5 inch range would work, maybe one of the Unrustable chest minions or something.

The paint work is simply outstanding and the use of the translucent parts gives the figure a great flow and she has some really nice interior detail behind the chest. Accessories are "basic", 3 sets of hands, 2 swords that are utilized in the bike mode and if you are so inclined you can turn the head around and give her a "masked" look, something more befitting a "battle" mode. One thing that bothers me about the bot mode is the halves of the rear wheel that stick out of the back of her legs. To me they are genuine eyesores and fortunately are pegged in and can be removed. It's a tight fit but it can be done with a little force.

Now that she has "type lavender" in her name I am curious if they will make more as I thought I saw three other colours allegedly to have been released? Did she do well in sales, was she a bomb? Near as I can figure she pretty much sold out everywhere and is only available on the secondary market. Tell me what you think.

[wervenom]

December 10 - Generation Toy GT-11D Darknight

Posted 4/10/23.

11,900 likes

I will say this figure has been haunting me for quite some time as I had it on my watch list for at least 3 months. The original figure was interesting but not enough to catch my eye but after the glory of Thunderking (and a fair amount of points with ShowZ) I had to get it. He's shiny so that may have had something to do with it as well. He comes packed in beast mode so at least I don't have to do a lot of transforming but I do have a complaint regarding the access to the battery compartment. It is such a PITA to access, very tight fit to get the batteries in and once I managed that, the activation switch broke off. With it being so small it was quite the pain to locate and try and get back in. I'd say it took 30 minutes and eventually had to use gorilla glue just to get it to stay and ultimately not worth it for the payoff. If you don't use the blast effect it may be worth it but either the LED isn't strong enough or the blast effect isn't translucent enough. Some of the joints are scary tight so had to loosen a few screws just to get them to move, the rear bull legs specifically. Also it does say special limited edition yet there is no indication as to how many have been produced so is it legit limited or just something they slapped on the box.

As for the figure itself, it's gorgeous in either mode and even if it didn't come from BW, that is where it will be displayed. Now I do know where it comes from but I'll be honest I'm not fully aware of the story behind Generation Toy & the T-Beast designers and would hope that it has been worked out. For some reason I thought it had die-cast but I made a mistake when I read the description of metal paint so my bad there but all good in the end.

In beast mode there is a bit of articulation but I wish the head had side to side movement. There was a pose I wanted to pull off but couldn't as a result. The red eyes and tampo's look good and the gold just really pops on this guy. Transformation to bot mode isn't bad with the exception of getting the horns into the stomach cavity and behind the chest. There are definitely clearance issues and I was legit scared I was going to snap them for the way they have to be forced in.

Bot mode looks just as impressive as the beast but again I was hoping for a bit more articulation in certain areas. The thigh swivel is limited in a narrow "A" stance but you can get a bit more if widened. Double jointed elbows limited by the mold so you only get pretty much 90 degrees. Beyond that you get some really decent movement. Great ab crunch but the joint there seems a bit loose. The blast effects are nice and you get an additional face. The one I got had the smiling face attached so switched it out for the more serious one and that was just as much a pain as the battery compartment. I had to pull the whole head apart to swap them so not sure if I did something wrong with that but it seems more trouble than it is worth.

Overall I think he's a decent figure and no regrets in having purchased it and I can justify his presence in the shelf. After all, if a certain Decepticon can be granted amnesty and be rebuilt into a Predacon then I see no reason to have an Autobot be rebuilt into a Maximal.

[wervenom]

December 11 - Fans Hobby Master Builder MB-16 Lightning Eagle

Posted 12/21/22.

11,905 likes

Now I have run into a bit of a problem which I didn?t conceive
when I first thought of this. What happens when you sell a figure that qualifies for the list? Well you do what you can.

I've wanted this guy for a while but he wasn't high on my priority list. As I have Power Baser and use to have the black version of it, I wasn't really expecting anything new other than the deco. Another reason that I didn't rush was that I bought the MMC version of Thunder Clash long before Fans Hobby had announced one. Had I known I most likely would have passed on the MMC but all good, I don't mind having both and I'll make a team out of them anyway.

So as for the figure as I said nothing new in terms of surprises but I did notice that the core robot seems to have looser joints than his predecessors especially at the knees. I did what I could to tighten them but it didn't last long but since it will be displayed in "combined" form they shouldn't matter that much.

My only other gripe if you could call it that is the chest plate constantly falling off in any of the 3 modes. Beyond that it really is a spectacular looking figure and dig the look of the missile launchers but they can pack quite a punch. They put a hell of a spring in there, as a couple of times (despite being in the locked position) they flew pretty far across the room. Shame he didn't come with a Matrix like the other versions but with all the colour this guy has, he's flashy enough lol.

[wervenom]

December 12 - TransArt BWM-08 Metal Spider Queen

Posted 7/21/23.

11,945 likes

Definitely mixed feelings on this one for sure. I have read a lot of comments regarding this figure before she arrived and sad to say I agree with a good chunk of them. The magnet is very weak for the chest and I could only move 4 of the spider legs out of the package so the other 4 I'll heat up before moving them (which would have been done before you actually read this). The paint work is superb and I honestly don't have any issues with the face sculpt as I have seen a few others not like it.

Now before I get into any of my thoughts on her now that I have finished editing my gallery I will say one thing that I think is an absolute MUST! Heat the spider legs before you do anything with them and I mean anything, whether you use a hair dryer, hot water or whatever method you think is best. I have watched 3 separate reviews and all 3 of the reviewers broke them in one way or another whether it be cracks or straight up breaks. Please I cannot stress this enough, heat them up before you try and manipulate them so you don't get pissed off that they broke.

I don't know how many figures TransArt has released but I think I have them all and genuinely believed each one get better that the last with the exception of this one. TM Megs is my favourite but Rattrap was the best built IMO. It's not that BA isn't good, just way too many horror stories about QC and YMMV. Since I did heat the legs up I will be honest and say I have no other issues that I have either seen or read about with the exception of the weak magnet. Overall this is a truly stunning looking figure some really good articulation in certain areas, not so much in others. There really should have been a wrist joint of some kind. She does have balance issues and that needs some work for certain poses but even with the backpack on I was able to get her to stand without the use of the stand and really only needed it for certain poses like her being off the ground entirely.

Transformation is alright and again so long as you are careful and don't man-handle her by forcing things where you don't feel comfortable. I wanted to see the videos only because I have seen/read some people turn the waist and others didn't. I went with the waist turn since that was supposed to have the read end close up better and not scratch the gold bikini but I can't say for sure if it really makes a difference. You may have to loosen some screws since she squeaks a lot but that is your call.

Beast mode is nothing short of spectacular for paint, workmanship and detail. At one point I did have the original toy but sold it as it really didn't work for me. Pretty sure I sold her when I bought the official MP as the size difference was just horrendous. I only bring that up because the beast mode detail on that was amazing as well if memory serves and I don't think I was doing photography then since I can't seem to find any pics of her. Regardless this is a true beauty to behold. I do wish that they included a Transmetal driver accessory since it was technically included on the artwork on the box but so goes life.

In closing and if you are into Beast Wars then I would say she is worth having despite only being in the last few episodes. The only thing I can say is what I have said before if you choose to get it as she can be a fragile beauty.

[wervenom]

December 13 - BingoToys BT-02 Windgirl

Posted 11/11/22.

12,602 likes

I was looking at the package and thought BT-02, who was BT-01? For a minute I thought this was Big Firebird releasing under another name so I looked it up. Upon seeing it was a Bumblebee movie Shockwave that seemed to be quite the change going from that to IDW verse. Anyway, I messed with her a bit before getting her on the table and transformed her to alt mode. Honestly, I wasn't fond of the altmode in the first promotional pics but it doesn?t look that bad in hand. I don't seem to have any tolerance issues at the moment so that's a plus. The bow doesn?t seem to stay in that well so I'll get some polish on that just to firm it up. Having her arrive was a bit scary as my tracking wouldn't update at all but as it turns out I was sent the incorrect one so once I had the proper one it was all good.

The stand isn't particularly good so I'll try a few different setups I've seen through various review videos and most likely won't even use it once she is in the display. The paint and details on the figure are pretty impressive. Since I transformed her first before the shoot, I tried two different configurations for the stand and several of the jet mode. For jet mode I would go with the way EmGo shows as that seems to be the most stable but let?s face facts, the stand is garbage as far as I'm concerned.

Robot mode is something else altogether and I like it all. Well I take that back cause this bow is pissing me off something fierce. Glue time. Anyway some shots will appear without it and others will so take it for what it is. There are any number of different configurations for the wings and weapon storage. And the last shot with all the girls together is how she will be permanently displayed on the shelf.

Articulation for the most part is decent but I?m not fond of the ankles. Backwards, forwards are workable but the tilt is funny. You can work with it but her being back heavy you have to watch how far you are willing to push it. If they had made the back of her thigh on the inside, you would have been able to get a little backwards leg motion as opposed to what is virtually nonexistent. I'm still convinced that Bingo Toys is either affiliated with Big Firebird or just got their hands on Nicee because the hands, leg joints, etc. are eerily uncanny in the similarities. The heart hands I didn't bother using save for one shot. I don't know who it is but they have a tag of @23cmg in the shot and it was so interesting I had to try it as I have never had a TF that could cross their legs before and amazingly she can (something I can't do at my age lol).

[wervenom]

December 14 - CDL-02 ALT Elita One

Posted 4/7/23.

13,426 likes

Nothing new to see here, move along lol. Just another addition to my female MP TF shelf (and I use the term loosely). Just waiting to see if I can acquire 1 more for that shelf to de done and then concentrate on the Decepticon shelf. Colours (among other things) are definitely off from a G1 perspective but let's face facts, she really doesn't share much at all with the character model. Seems to match more the WFC line for colouring and a bit disappointed with her only coming with one face and to be completely honest I'm not a fan of it for this character but so goes life.

One thing to note and I'm sure I've said it before, there is/has been a lot of varying opinions regarding this mold in particular and how she is photographed. I don't do the NSFW pics, it's just not my thing.

[wervenom]

December 15 - Megatron H.I.S.S. Tank

Posted 6/22/23.

14,375 likes

Sold this a couple days ago but grateful it didn't sell before the advent so I could at least get pics.

So I have had my eye on this for a while but never got around to pulling the trigger. My son and I went to see Across The Spider-Verse so took a quick trip into GameStop after since I had some gift cards and this was the only thing worth picking up.

To be fair I really didn't expect much out of him but he is a lot bigger than I was expecting. Articulation is definitely weak but workable and then there is the Baroness. I definitely wanted her to scale with Cobra Commander from one of the previous crossover's I had purchased but man did they do a number on her face. If they had simply left her face all one colour instead of lightening up the skin around her eyes she would have looked better.

As for Megs, he's big, bulky, hollow and a back pack the size of New York but given what they were going for I guess that is understandable. I definitely like the overall look if it although no clue where I?m going to put him but wherever he goes, Cobra Commander and Baroness are going with him.

[wervenom]

December 16 - MakeToys MTRM-06 Contact Shot Factory Direct Issue

Posted 9/1/23.

14,687 likes

I never bought this the first time around and probably should have but honestly Make Toys just pissed me off (as I'm sure it did many others) at the time. It's not that I had an issue with Targetmasters, I just wanted them to finish the Headmasters first before I jumped into another line. Now I know there is some debate over its status. Is it a KO, is it a reissue? From what I've read it's both which is really confusing. Apparently (and I genuinely don't know) is that the factory that owns or has possession of the actual mold is producing the figure, not MakeToys themselves. Unusual situation to say the least.

Now before I did anything with him, I just pulled him out to do a quick inspection. Seems I have a couple of stress marks, maybe a weird mark from the mold injection, I really can't say but he feels solid enough as it doesn't feel like bad or thin plastic. Just after I ordered it, I was given to understand that it didn't come with the alternate head or extra faces but that isn't the case as everything from the original release was in there so I'm good.
Now I will shoot with both heads and all faces but when it comes to display, I am going with the Japanese animation model as I prefer it to the North American look.

So, I did check out a comparison review between the original vs this "reissue" and one of the things mentioned was loose ankles on both versions. I didn't seem to have that issue as he stood fine and never fell over so not sure what that's about. My screaming face with the eyes seems to be missing the blue and I can't transfer one to the other so I shot that as is and apparently, I seem to be missing knee caps. It isn't noticeable until you actually bend the leg so I can live with it but will contact aftermarket support to see what can be done. Beyond a few cosmetic blemishes I don't see this being any different from the original.

EDIT: Now that more people are receiving them and posting pics there are 4 main observations, 3 noticed by others and 1 myself. I'm sure they are or will be more but I'll stick with whatever I have learned up to the time of this post:

1) The eyes. From TFW2005 it was mentioned that the eyes have more of a purplish tinge on the original as opposed to the straight blue on this one.

2) The flames in alt mode. From TFW2005 the flames are sharper on original than this release

3) The knees. As mentioned above I thought it was just my copy but as I see pics going up it would seem that every single one has the same hole in the knee.

4) The canopy on the original is smoked vs this one being clear.
Now it can be argued or pointed out that the reds are different between the two but not having an original in hand I can't say so I have to take the word of collectors that have both and can see the difference.

To say the least no one should be in any danger of buying this on the secondary market and being duped into thinking it is the original release.

I won't go into a full "review" seeing how old it is and it's been a long time since I?ve handled a MakeToys product but it seems like a good figure. Decent articulation for its age, love how the ankles work, poses well. Transformation can be a bit finicky at certain times but pretty straightforward so all good. IMHO definitely worth the price of admission.

[wervenom]

December 17 - Cang-Toys CT-Chiyou-06 Hugerhino

Posted 1/24/23.

15,721 likes

Another small problem only because he's in combined mode and I have no plans on ripping it apart lol.

At long last the team is complete with the arrival of Huge Rhino. His colours really pop and love the light piping for the eyes, just a shame it gets hidden quite a bit with the rhino head behind the bot head. At the point that I actually shot him (which is at least two months ago at this point) there was only one review up and it wasn't in English so had to the best I could. The transformation portion was pretty thorough so I give the reviewer credit for that. I was reading through one of the larger forums out there and seems like some people were having a disagreement over the orientation of beast mode front legs. I just looked at both the prototype pics and actual Rhino's to make sure I had them oriented the correct way. My biggest concerns (which aren't anything major) are one, I honestly can't fit the entire team in either beast or bot mode in front of the background I choose. (I may switch that up since they are all currently on bot mode and will have to transform them back to beast before I can hit combined mode) and two, I seem to have a lot of extra parts left over from the weapon assemblies and have no clue where they belong yet. (Note I figured out but will discuss that when I hit combined mode).

Anyway with this guy and most of the team looking as good as they do, it now bugs me how plain Ferocious (Rampage) looks. Either way there honestly isn't much more I can say about Huge Rhino (not that I said much) but I do hope you enjoy the pics

[wervenom]

December 18 - MMC R42C D-Zef Continuum

Posted 12/28/22.

16,153 likes

Well, I will say this character has become necessary but I wasn't sure as to which company I would buy from tbh either MMC or XTB. I had both the IDW and G1 versions on my list and then MMC came up with the PO for theirs and I jumped on that at the time. I know the height on this is wrong for MP scale but I felt this was the better options for various reasons.

1) I bought the TFCon Toronto exclusive Lion & Eagle boosts
2) He looks phenomenal
3) Given XTB's inconsistencies among various figures I've not been disappointed with MMC products. I?m not an MMC for life kind of dude but XTB/KFC have let more down more often
4) I have the patience of a 2-year-old when it comes to my collection and seeing how I bought the TFC Hades improved version recently I "needed" a Deathsaurus right away.

The bot mode looks really nice, great details, no issues with colours and the articulation is pretty good. Ankle tilt could have been a bit more for wide legged dynamic posing but I would say that would be my only nitpick and very minor at that. Wings are very impressive for detail and gradient colouring and you will need to put them on as they are separate pieces in the box. I went with the alternate face pretty quickly as I like the smirk and it is a tight fit. I had to use a spudger to get the first one off and gently push the smirking face on. The weaponry is nice, particularly the sword with all the engraving done on it. The mace attachment for the weapon is hit and miss for me. Part of me wanted a "poseable" chain like what came with MP-36 and the other part is fine with how it is. I would have loved to give the mace a whipping type action in pics but such is life. When attached to the gun I had a so-so time trying to get the mace part tabbed in past his fingers where it didn't take much to knock it loose and then of course there is the chain again. I guess I could have shortened it for the rifle but choose just to wrap it around instead as best I could. As for the breast animals I can't say much as I had seen them before but I do like the details on them and Lion Breast in particular. Transformation is pretty straight forward but I did scratch the fingers on the right hand trying to get it into the cavity.

Now for Space Chicken, this has to be one of the funniest alt modes I?ve ever come across and have been laughing at it for years. Here is the current emperor of destruction of the Decepticons and he turns into a robot chicken (or whatever he is supposed to be) so honestly not very intimidating when you think about it but I gotta give the figure credit. It looks good in this mode as well. With his chest being, well chicken chest, I could have tried to leave the breast animals on it but didn't bother, I just wish there was a way it could have been filled out more. Ankles again are limited but granted there could have been more tilt that I was willing to go. Articulation is great on the neck, arms, etc. Legs are ok and love that you can split the wings as it can make him look a bit more menacing depending on the pose.

In closing definitely worth the purchase and no regrets.