Combiner Wars

[Shockwave]

And there's all the Decepticon logos on him.

[Onslaught Six]

Cyclonus. You guys are not going to like him.

Of course not. That's why I didn't buy him.

I mean, it doesn't help that he's not really a good representation of Cyclonus, either. I preordered my Hot Spot from Amazon instead of BBTS. It'll take longer to get here, but whatever.

[andersonh1]

I enjoy comparisons between the original and new version. This is a pretty faithful update, with some details changed here and there along with the better transformation that leaves more articulation, but it's clearly the same character. There's some nice detailing on the headlights and wheels for the auto mode. I do wonder how well the hinges that attach the legs to the lower legs/back of the car will hold up long term.

[JediTricks]

Nice photos! On the leg transformation hinge, I see you have the same issue I had, that one leg won't lock in. When I investigated further, it actually can lock in but requires understanding the tab and slot dynamic on the side of the joint, and how it works easily on one side and the other has to be ever so slightly angled into it. Once that happens though, this joint should last as well as any other.


So I got Rook and First Aid recently, but now I think I'm going to pass on Hot Spot and Streetwise. I think Streetwise looks good, but they announced that Prowl figure that I'd rather have. And I've never been blown away by Hot Spot, it looks ok but nothing exciting to me, and now we're getting that mold twice more with Onslaught and the Victorion torso. But I have Groove too, and was intending to swap Alpha Bravo in for Blades (whose face design really doesn't work for me) since I just can't mentally make him work with Superion (he's my favorite mold of that bunch, but still doesn't make enough sense there). Even talking it out in this paragraph I'm not sure if I'll get Streetwise and Hot Spot or not.

Thoughts?

[andersonh1]

And, some G1 and Combiner Wars Motormaster comparisons:




And Menasor comparisons. The two Aerialbots were apparently conscripted into service as arms. A fate worse than death, I'm sure.


And just because, here's my G1 Stunticon set. All accessories stored in the box so they don't get lost. I've had all of these since I was a kid, and they're generally in decent shape still, after all these years.

[andersonh1]

Nice photos! On the leg transformation hinge, I see you have the same issue I had, that one leg won't lock in. When I investigated further, it actually can lock in but requires understanding the tab and slot dynamic on the side of the joint, and how it works easily on one side and the other has to be ever so slightly angled into it. Once that happens though, this joint should last as well as any other.

There's something to be said for the simplicity of the older Transformers, though of course articulation was terrible back then. I guess it's a trade off.

So I got Rook and First Aid recently, but now I think I'm going to pass on Hot Spot and Streetwise. I think Streetwise looks good, but they announced that Prowl figure that I'd rather have. And I've never been blown away by Hot Spot, it looks ok but nothing exciting to me, and now we're getting that mold twice more with Onslaught and the Victorion torso. But I have Groove too, and was intending to swap Alpha Bravo in for Blades (whose face design really doesn't work for me) since I just can't mentally make him work with Superion (he's my favorite mold of that bunch, but still doesn't make enough sense there). Even talking it out in this paragraph I'm not sure if I'll get Streetwise and Hot Spot or not.

Thoughts?

I think I'd have a hard time resisting the whole set once I got started on it.

[Shockwave]

Nice photos! On the leg transformation hinge, I see you have the same issue I had, that one leg won't lock in. When I investigated further, it actually can lock in but requires understanding the tab and slot dynamic on the side of the joint, and how it works easily on one side and the other has to be ever so slightly angled into it. Once that happens though, this joint should last as well as any other.


So I got Rook and First Aid recently, but now I think I'm going to pass on Hot Spot and Streetwise. I think Streetwise looks good, but they announced that Prowl figure that I'd rather have. And I've never been blown away by Hot Spot, it looks ok but nothing exciting to me, and now we're getting that mold twice more with Onslaught and the Victorion torso. But I have Groove too, and was intending to swap Alpha Bravo in for Blades (whose face design really doesn't work for me) since I just can't mentally make him work with Superion (he's my favorite mold of that bunch, but still doesn't make enough sense there). Even talking it out in this paragraph I'm not sure if I'll get Streetwise and Hot Spot or not.

Thoughts?

I guess the real question is whether or not you want to have a complete Defensor or if you just want to cherry pick the individual bots and don't care about owning the combiner. Personally, of all the G1 merge groups, Defensor was always my least favorite. But, out of the CW groups, he really is the best one. Hot Spot doesn't look that great in photos, but once you have him, he's great. They really did a lot with this figure, the ladder in alt mode alone is endlessly variable and he's the only center piece so far that really works well in all three modes. Alt mode is great, bot mode is great and as a torso he's sturdy but not to spindly or squat like either Superion or Menasor. As for the limbs, I can see using Alpha Bravo instead of Blades, it makes sense so I guess that's personal preference as for whether you want the copter limb to look geewunny or not. Streetwise. Yeah, I guess I could see swapping out Prowl, but... I dunno. When I think Prowl I just don't think "combiner" or "Defensor". I think Streetwise works better there partially because his blue and white colors go better with Defensor. I will say this: I do not regret buying any of the CW figures so far. And that's made something this year that hasn't happened for me in a while. In recent years, I've often bought figures and then later regretted it for one reason or another, so it's nice that Hasbro is finally putting out figures that I'm actually happy with.

[Onslaught Six]

I cannot cherry pick a combiner. Thus far, the two that I've opened really have been half-great and half-dud; Superion is a great gestalt and the torso mode is amazing, but the individual robots are boring as hell and too samey. Menasor though is a shit-ass giant robot with barely usable legs and no good weapon (screw the sword, it works better for Megatron) but the individual limb robots smash the Aerialbots out of the sky. Defensor is the first one that looks truly like he's great in all modes. Despite STILL not having Hot Spot (what the fuck, Amazon??) I am tempted as hell to open the Aerialbot limbs.

[JediTricks]

I cannot say I like Defensor much, he's not interesting to me as a character and his look is meh. But i kinda like how Hot Spot looks as a torso. I think I'm going to end up getting Hot Spot but waiting for Prowl to come out instead of getting Streetwise (unless I find him on sale locally).


I already posted my first impression thoughts about SDCC Dev in the june hauls thread, but I'll say this: I put Superion next to him and it's ridiculous how big Dev is, he's the real combiner monster, they made an excellent choice making him a Titan-class: he's roughly twice as tall as Superion, and obviously much heavier and bulkier, yet at least as stable and poseable. Every other combiner team not only is built around scramble-city but as seen, their molds can be re-purposed into more figures, but not the Constructicons, they are one-and-done molds. Also, some of the simplicity melts away when put next to other CW figures who are also somewhat simple, not all of the simplicity but some - the heads are really tough, as are the chintzy little elbows.

[Sparky Prime]

I finally found Air Raid today, so my Superion is finally completed (unless I get "Quickslinger" when he's eventually released but I'm undecided). Can't believe how hard the second wave (save for Silverbolt and Motormaster) has been to find.