Combiner Wars

The modern comics universe has had such a different take on G1, one that's significantly represented by the Generations toys, so they share a forum. A modern take on a Real Cybertronian Hero. Currently starring Generations toys, IDW "The Transformers" comics, MTMTE, TF vs GI Joe, and Windblade. Oh wait, and now Skybound, wheee!
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Onslaught Six
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Re: Combiner Wars

Post by Onslaught Six »

I'll say this: With the greater number of things you buy online, there's more chances for you to get stuff without a hitch. Also, maybe try living in a place that isn't a ghetto, apparently. :D
Eh? The legs *should* peg together in robot mode. There are pegs on the backs of the knee joints that go into slots inside the back leg panels. You've gotta manually line the joints up a bit to get them in there, but they work.
It turns out trying to fiddle with toys that are inherently puzzles after being up for nearly 24 hours is a bad idea for doing so coherently! I thought there was something I was missing with the back of the knees, so now that I see how it works, it makes sense.
BWprowl wrote:The internet having this many different words to describe nerdy folks is akin to the whole eskimos/ice situation, I would presume.
People spend so much time worrying about whether a figure is "mint" or not that they never stop to consider other flavours.
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Sparky Prime
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Re: Combiner Wars

Post by Sparky Prime »

Hasbro has officially revealed Titan Devastator. Got to say, I think it's a very impressive looking figure.
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Shockwave
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Re: Combiner Wars

Post by Shockwave »

Love the box art.
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JediTricks
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Re: Combiner Wars

Post by JediTricks »

I'm more impressed with Defensor than I am Devastator, and it's due to the figures making up the character. Devastator looks pretty good as a combined bot, better than Defensor, but the Protectobots look like more satisfying figures overall while the Constructicons look remarkably simple for such big things. I may get both, I may get neither, but I suspect I'll end up getting the Protectobots and not the Constructicons.
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See, that one's a camcorder, that one's a camera, that one's a phone, and they're doing "Speak no evil, See no evil, Hear no evil", get it?
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Dominic
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Re: Combiner Wars

Post by Dominic »

I am definitely liking the Protectobots over-all. Hotspot's vehicle mode is not the best. And, I cannot figure out why the named the new member "Rook". It is definitely not a riff on the G2 character. Nothing about it evokes the 3H character. (The former was one of Jhiaxus' subordinates. The latter was a reporter. Neither are "first responder" types.) There is nothing bird-like about Rook. Maybe it is a question of "big heavy robot/vehicle" evoking "big chess piece"?

If I can get the Aerialbots easily enough, I might also go for the Protectobots. (I am going to be pissed if I cannot get all of the Aerialbots easily though.)



Now, here is my "question that will lead to 3 pages of discussion":

Why all the hate for Devastator? Yes, the figures have obvious (and easily avoided) flaws. But, that has been a problem for TF figures for the last 2 or 3 years now. "Scrapper needs elbows." Yes, and plenty of other toys have less articulation than they should have. This is less a robust defense of the Constructicons/Devastator than it is a question of me not getting why the complaints seem to focused on those figures rather than so many others.
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Re: Combiner Wars

Post by Shockwave »

I dunno, I'm still pretty excited for Devastator. At first I was a little put off by the lack of articulation in the bot modes, but I have to assume that it's because of necessary design for the combined form. Scrapper can't have elbows. If he does, Devastator folds like a cheap suit. This was already a problem with G1 Devastator and Scrapper didn't have elbows then either and I can only imagine that it would be way worse with something this much bigger and heavier. The merged form seems to have decent articulation though, much like Superion. Limited articulation (in some ways) for the individual bots, but the merge form has more then the parts. I'm also pretty excited for Defensor and I'm interested to see what they do with Bruticus (cause we all know that's going to happen) and Galvatronus.
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Re: Combiner Wars

Post by BWprowl »

Dominic wrote:And, I cannot figure out why the named the new member "Rook". It is definitely not a riff on the G2 character. Nothing about it evokes the 3H character. (The former was one of Jhiaxus' subordinates. The latter was a reporter. Neither are "first responder" types.) There is nothing bird-like about Rook. Maybe it is a question of "big heavy robot/vehicle" evoking "big chess piece"?
'Rook' is one of those names Hasbro has that they just kinda slap on whoever, like 'Swerve' or 'Snarl'. Don't think too much about it.
If I can get the Aerialbots easily enough, I might also go for the Protectobots. (I am going to be pissed if I cannot get all of the Aerialbots easily though.)
I would strongly suggest just updating your e-mail and taking the hunt online.
Now, here is my "question that will lead to 3 pages of discussion":

Why all the hate for Devastator? Yes, the figures have obvious (and easily avoided) flaws. But, that has been a problem for TF figures for the last 2 or 3 years now. "Scrapper needs elbows." Yes, and plenty of other toys have less articulation than they should have. This is less a robust defense of the Constructicons/Devastator than it is a question of me not getting why the complaints seem to focused on those figures rather than so many others.
I'm (somewhat surprised at) not seeing much 'hate' for the figure. Mostly just a lot of misgivings and being unsure about it, which is understandable given the asking price and (moreso, I think) all the fucking hype leading up to the reveal. As anderson did point out, there are actual, engineering-based reasons for the individual components to look as light and simple as they do. I even understand Scrapper's lack of elbows, for the reason Shockles pointed out, being that *the entire toy* rests on Scrapper's arms, so elbows that could bend out would be a MAJOR failing point were they there. Which leads to what I've come to understand about the toy: Devastator is clearly the 'main event', with the ability to split into the individual transforming components being more of an additional gimmick that helps sell it. Devastator himself looks incredible, he's solid, detailed, fully articulated on his own (he has *ankle tilts* for fuck's sake), and compellingly huge as a major selling point (you see the pic of him next to G1 Devastator? Holy crap.). They definitely put a lot of work into ALSO letting him separate into the individual robots and ALSO having those transform, but each one is clearly working within the constraint of "Mostly contribute to Devastator being awesome". And I think within the confines of that, people are happy with the toy. The majority of fans who buy it are gonna leave it combined on top of a shelf most of the time, and it'll serve that purpose well. For those of us that want to pull it off and pull it apart and fiddle with all the components, it'll work well that way too, even if one guy doesn't have bending elbows.

Anyway, doubling back to what I started with here, not sure where you're getting 'hate' for Devastator, I'm seeing WAY less hate for him than I did over, say, the Aerialbots when they were first revealed.

I will argue that missing elbows is a *much* bigger deal than, say, no wrist swivels. It'll be a long time before I consider wrists anything more than a luxury articulation point, but no elbows is akin to no knees, it limits the figure way more than wrists ever would. And to Hasbro's marginal credit, they did give Scrapper lateral elbow swivels, so he'll have some movement there, at least. And damn, does he still look nice as a big new Scrapper.

Also liking that the only 'extra' components used for combination appear to be Scavenger and Bonecrusher's guns/hands.
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Onslaught Six
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Re: Combiner Wars

Post by Onslaught Six »

I will say that Scrapper looks like he's got swivels in his elbows, at least??

Prowl is right, they learned a big lesson from FOC Bruticus, which was "make the combined form awesome and work backwards from there."
BWprowl wrote:The internet having this many different words to describe nerdy folks is akin to the whole eskimos/ice situation, I would presume.
People spend so much time worrying about whether a figure is "mint" or not that they never stop to consider other flavours.
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Re: Combiner Wars

Post by Shockwave »

Ok, so review time:

Optimus Prime: I was planning on replacing my Classics Prime with this one as my stand in "G1-ish" Prime, but after actually getting it in hand, I think I'll keep Classics Prime. They're really that different. CW Prime's bot mode is pretty decent, for the most part, he's got the same level of articulation as Classics Prime, but the hip joints are on ratchets that lock at certain places. And those places are at a different angle than the "ankles" that the feet are at. With the legs together he looks fairly decent, stands tall enough, etc, but if you pose him at all, you get the squat, stocky look that we saw in early pics. Alt mode is pretty straight forward, it's the typical Optimus Prime-esque flat nose semi. I do like that the guns plug into the back and look like an engine. They also combine to form a much longer gun, supposedly the weapon for "Ultra Prime". Merged mode Prime is where this mold falls apart. The chest is the worst part, being either visibly hollow or just wid open with nothing in the middle. This is why I was speculating about a possible Blackjack repaint so that there would be something to fill in that space. Without it just looks odd. Also, the Autobot logos on the shoulders are stickers while the one on top of alt mode is tampo'ed. weird.

Overall, I would really only recommend this is you don't already have an Optimus at this scale or are a REALLY huge fan of the "Masquerade" episode from G1. Otherwise, I think there are better Prime toys out there.

Superion: I'm going to review the combined form first and then the individual bots and it should also be obviously noted that I have Drag Strip filling in as the fifth limb, but I don't foresee that making much of a difference. Superion is actually pretty decent. Good paint apps, great articulation, certainly better than previous combiners (I don't have the WFC Bruticus so I can't really compare that one). The merged form is based on the G1 cartoon model with the faceplate instead of the mouth. I kind of wish that was optional since I always liked the face better but hey, I'm just glad I have this at this scale with this detail. The only complaint I have with the combined mode is the head spikes. They're made of rubber and on mine they're bent back a little. This would have worked better with a harder normal plastic. I might actually mold hard plastic versions of these just to correct it. The other thing I noticed is that the hand/foot pieces for each limb are actually different from each other. Alpha Bravo has what look like chain guns on the end while Skydive has missiles and Fireflight has what look like cannons. I actually like that they did this because it allows for some level of uniformity while still keeping the accessories for each bot individual.

Overall, I would definitely recommend getting Superion if you can get all of them and afford it. With great paint, detail articulation and even appropriately sized (the merge form is about Leader size), Superion looks and feels like the giant powerhouse that he's meant to be.
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Re: Combiner Wars

Post by Shockwave »

More terminal reviewocity! Up next: Silverbolt!

Silverbolt: I kind of have to preface this by saying that all of the Arialbots have roughly the same thing going on: arms at the side of jet mode and robokibble underneath. For some reason though, it seems worse on Silverbolt. I can't help thinking that this particular jet was a poor choice for the character, even originally. Almost every version (except Beast Wars) of SB has basically been a robot with what looks roughly like a Concorde glued to the top of it. And CW version is no exception. What I will say is that at least all of the merge parts were incorporated into the toy itself, there's no parts-forming for the torso mode like other versions, so that's an up side. My copy seems well painted and I didn't see any problems with tolerances or whatnot, also everything has specific places that lock together in the various modes. Silverbolt's bot mode is obviously based on the G1 Toon model and seems to pull it off pretty well. He's got decent enough articulation, but lacks wrist or ankle joints, but I suspect that is due to the requirements of the combined form rather than Hasbro just being cheap. At least that's the feel I got from it. Silverbolt's gun is a two part gun and both parts have several places that can store in alt mode, either on top or underneath. The only problem I've noticed so far is that the gun seems loose when in either Silverbolt's or Superion's fists. It almost works better without the wing part attached (see pics. There will totally be pics).

Overall, I like Silverbolt, and I think this is a good one to get if you don't already have the Universe version, but the gimmick of actually being able to combine is going to be the real selling point on this one. I honestly think that without it, it would probably be a toss up between this and the Universe version.

Skydive: Skydive as we all know is the grey and black Arialbot. The one thing I do like about the different limb bots is that, while much of the engineering is similar, they all still manage to have different transforms that make them unique and different. One other thing I like about Skydive is that his head isn't just a block like the were back in G1. Not using the heads as the combiner pegs really freed Hasbro up to give us more diversity in limb bot head shapes and it really shows here. One thing to be careful of is the wings, they are only attached with very small pegs and will pop off easily. If they do, just pop them back on. One interesting thing about the transformation is that the arm/shoulder/wings are all on one joint that rotates toward the back of the jet. Didn't see that coming. Also, decent articulation with the again lack of wrists and ankles, but honestly, in fiddling with them, I don't feel like anything is lacking as a result. I also think that for most of the combiners this will be a thing out of necessity of the combination. I also like that on Skydive there is a weapon hole on the top of the alt mode for the weapon mode fist/foot. Makes it look a lot better there than where it winds up on Fireflight.

Overall, I would recommend Skydive and even most of the limb bots, period. They are fun toys unto themselves and they have the extra gimmick of combination. So far Hasbro is off to a good start with Combiner Wars. I promise that I am not being paid for sucking Hasbro's dick right now.

From here on out, I'm going to focus mainly on the differences between the remaining limb bots mostly just so I don't bore the living shit out of you guys. And also because for the most part, they are still pretty similar.

Firefly/Fireflight: The TF Legends game just had an event featuring this character but his card has him named as Fireflight rather than Firefly. Whatever. The red and white jet guy. Legs are the same as the other three Aerialbot limbs, open, fold over, rotate yadda yadda yadda. The shoulders on this one are on a piece that rotates down toward the back of the jet, but it is just the arms, not the wings too like on Skydive. Also, he has no weapon hole either on top or in the middle bottom so the merge fist in weapon mode basically has to peg into the back of the jet mode. And it doesn't really do that great a job of it. Other than that, he's pretty much up to snuff with the other limbs and still highly recommended.

Alpha Bravo: Not sure if I reviewed him yet, but if I did, I didn't yet have the others to compare it to. So here goes: AB is really the best of the Aerialbots. The reason is the alt mode. He's the only one that doesn't look like a robot was stuck under a... something. In fact, even the arms on his sides look fine because they are largely obscured by the rockets on said arms. Also, he has a weapon hole in the middle underside of his alt mode, allowing the foot weapon to act as a weapon/landing gear for AB. And he's really the one that this looks best on. The front of the copter mode actually transforms similar to Classics Astrotrain, which is different from the other limbs. If you skip any of the rest and only wind up getting one Aerialbot, make it this one.

Drag Strip: Here's where things start to get different. He has the same arms folding back thing that Firefly has, and the combiner peg in the chest, but the similarties end there. His head isn't actually attached to the peg like the other limbs and the legs work differently, telescoping out rather than the open, fold, rotate thing. Also, the back of the car flips up to become his feet. The front of the car flips and rotates and pegs into the front and the head rests there in merge mode. So, some interesting engineering going on here, definitely interested to see what the other Stunticons have going on. Again Highly recommended.

Over all, I certainly think the CW figures are worth their price and I'm glad I didn't go all in for this feeling like I should have spent my money on something else like I often do. I plan to take pics of these from several different angles and post them here so you can see first hand some of the things I've mentioned and hopefully this will help you guys decide if you're in or not.
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