May Hauls!

[JediTricks]

Well, keep in mind that I said "maybe" better than Springer. When you compare the two, Springer looks really kind of streamlined, he doesn't have all this extra stuff all over him and is a hell of a good toy in all three modes. And Sandstorm does all that, but has this extra visual appeal of having all this crazy extra detailing all over him. Maybe its just the excitement over a neat new toy, maybe it's just that I've had a version of this mold for almost a year now and I've figured out all of it's tricks to getting all three modes to click into place. Or maybe its just having both of them shows just how damn good this toy design is. Like, it can be one character perfectly, and then be an entirely different one pretty damn well.

But to be more specific, Sandstorm fixes my minor issues with Springer. In the car mode, Springer looks great, but the armor bits on his back that stick up in a v-shape make the hood kind of gappy. Sandstorm doesn't have those, so that issue is gone. In Springer's helicopter mode, I can never get the rotors to spin without then running into the tailings. Obviously, not an issue with the VTOL on Sandstorm. And I feel like Springer's copter mode was the weakest of the three forms that toy can be in, while the VTOL is as exciting as the other two forms on Sandstorm.

In conclusion, this mold is amazing and I'm really happy I bought both versions and I probably could have done this in the review section but whatever.

Interesting take on it. I think you have Springer transformed into helicopter mode wrong though, the rotors don't come that close to the tails on mine - my guess is you forget to move the whole cab and roof forward when you change to copter mode.

[JediTricks]

Voyager Evasion Mode Optimus Prime - very good, even with paint minimizing. Mine has 2 small defects, a slash down the robot-mode grille, and a chest panel hinge pin shot off-angle leading to its misalignment in alt mode. Haven't decided if that's enough to exchange though.

Waiting for the next wave to appear now, saw some pics yesterday that made Strafe look incredible.

I just saw Strafe pics today, looked really simplistic in sculpt and transform, these Dinobots keep doing nothing for me unfortunately.

So it turned out that the pics I saw of Strafe were mis-identified as Deluxe when they were in fact Power Attacker. Goddamn this Hasbro packaging looking so similar. Anyway, I just saw pics of the actual Deluxe Strafe, and he does indeed look really good if you can stomach the nonsensical 2-headed pteradon mode.

[Shockwave]

Generations Whirl. Picked him up at Target today. It was a toss up between him and Rhinox and I opted for whirl on the basis that "I'm not doing Beast Wars right now." Anyway, review in the appropriate thread!

[BWprowl]

Voyager Evasion Mode Optimus Prime - very good, even with paint minimizing. Mine has 2 small defects, a slash down the robot-mode grille, and a chest panel hinge pin shot off-angle leading to its misalignment in alt mode. Haven't decided if that's enough to exchange though.

I swear you have the absolute worst luck with QC, particularly pins. Seems like every other toy you get has one off-shot.

So it turned out that the pics I saw of Strafe were mis-identified as Deluxe when they were in fact Power Attacker. Goddamn this Hasbro packaging looking so similar. Anyway, I just saw pics of the actual Deluxe Strafe, and he does indeed look really good if you can stomach the nonsensical 2-headed pteradon mode.

Indeed, I much prefer a far more sensible 1-headed mechanical fire-breathing pteranodon that turns into an alien robot.

Agree with you on the packaging though. Especially since Hasbro's Big Fucking Thing with these toys was that there's supposed to be a clear divide between the 'easy' toys for kids and the 'complex' toys for collectors, and that doesn't work at all when neither side can easily identify which ones are 'for them' and will still lead to tons of kids getting the Generations versions by mistake and being as frustrated with them as they were with the ROTF stuff that lead to this in the first place. Argh!

Anyway, I went to FanimeCon in San Jose last weekend. Really glad I went, this was one of the best ones I’ve been to. High points include killing an entire afternoon at a Kamen Rider Gaim cosplay gathering (I was dressed as Kaito) and meeting ‘Windblade’ artist Sarah Stone, who I didn’t even know was going to be there (turns out she’s a member of FanimeCon’s ‘artist pool’ that does publicity/web site art and the like)! She was very cool, got to chat about her process of doing a full, mass-release comic book for the first time, and I bought her artbook and a couple of prints (signed). Other shit I bought:

The swap meet (huger every year) yielded
TFPrime Dark Energon Wheeljack (he’s just gonna be Slicer, I need some reprolabels)
Classics Deluxe Megatron
Universe Snarl
DOTM ‘Scanning’ Legends Starscream
G2 Sideswipe
Gunsmith Cats: Bulletproof DVD
Ace Attorney Ema Skye keychain
Kamen Rider Wizard Beast ring
SIC Heisei series mini-guidebook

Then via the dealer’s hall I picked up
Kamen Rider Gaim tote bag w/zipper case
Doki Doki Precure Cure Heart keychain
Negima pins: Nodoka/Yue and Eva/Chachamaru
Durarara! ‘Dollars’ mug (this was a gift from my brother)
Reissue Powermaster Optimus Prime with Apex Armor (okay, I got it because it’s Ginrai. Watch Takara announce a Masterpiece version next month)

Also got a laser-cut acrylic Crest of Knowledge from Digimon Adventure from this guy that was selling Crests in the Artist Alley (quite the completionist, he even had Kindness and Miracles available).

All in all, very happy with it, incredibly glad I decided to go this year.

[Onslaught Six]

How much Ginrai set you back? Despite owning a legit Powermaster Prime (with part of my RID Galvy's weapon handle permanently stuck in his fist, no less!) I still want to bite the bullet, but I've been unable to see him for less than a bajillion ($250) dollars.

[BWprowl]

How much Ginrai set you back? Despite owning a legit Powermaster Prime (with part of my RID Galvy's weapon handle permanently stuck in his fist, no less!) I still want to bite the bullet, but I've been unable to see him for less than a bajillion ($250) dollars.

That's how much I'd seen him for too, and why I'd waited so long to pull the trigger as well. I got him from a booth for $100, which, looking around eBay...is about how much you could score him for, shipped. Huh.

Keep in mind, it's definitely a G1 TF. Honestly feels more Sentai-mecha than Transformer, but the combination is fun, the base mode is actually pretty decent, the combined vehicle and robot modes *look* impressive. I've studied the thing extensively in pictures before and I was still surprised by the sheer size of it. And if it's unposable, I really just like how the cab robot mode 'looks'. Ginrai's streamlined 'Optimus Prime' design is one of my favorite takes on the look.

I'd say it's worth the price tag (this is officially now the most I've ever spent on a single toy, btw, beating out the $70 I dropped on MP Grimlock), just know what you're getting into. Which if you've got PM Prime already, you probably do (though Godbomber's a bit weak on his own and it's hard to recommend the set *just* to get him. The combined God Ginrai does make up a lot though). Really, PM Prime's Super Mode is easily the weakest of the toy's three Robot Modes, which is a pity given how badass Super Ginrai looks in the show. Wish he came with another, somewhat smaller head.

EDIT: Oh, and the stickers are really nice, for what that's worth.

[JediTricks]

AOE Evolution of Strafe (TRU exclusive) - I'm not sure how I feel about this. The Swoop minicon in G1 colors is a nice extra, but dlx Strafe is both cool and chintzy in places, there are elements that are really neat but there are simplicities that are staggering. The G1 Strafe character art on the package is hilarious though.

Replacement AOE Voy Evasion OP

Generations Whirl. Picked him up at Target today. It was a toss up between him and Rhinox and I opted for whirl on the basis that "I'm not doing Beast Wars right now." Anyway, review in the appropriate thread!

Both are quality figures, so you couldn't go wrong.

I swear you have the absolute worst luck with QC, particularly pins. Seems like every other toy you get has one off-shot.

I do seem to get more than my fair share of QC disasters, although I'm not sure pins are the chief reason. I picked up a replacement at Target and will check it out, return the first one.

Indeed, I much prefer a far more sensible 1-headed mechanical fire-breathing pteranodon that turns into an alien robot.

Sorry, no, there's a reason they are dinosaurs and not random-ass fantasy dragons. The figure isn't significantly enhanced by having 2 heads, there's nothing about the character that feels justified by it.

Agree with you on the packaging though. Especially since Hasbro's Big Fucking Thing with these toys was that there's supposed to be a clear divide between the 'easy' toys for kids and the 'complex' toys for collectors, and that doesn't work at all when neither side can easily identify which ones are 'for them' and will still lead to tons of kids getting the Generations versions by mistake and being as frustrated with them as they were with the ROTF stuff that lead to this in the first place. Argh!

TRU had the AOE Generations peg (singular) surrounded on literally all 8 sides by Power Attackers. It's really, really bad. Target has less stock and already is mixing it all together.

[andersonh1]

Today's comics: Green Lantern 32 and Batman 66 meets the Green Hornet #1. Should be fun!