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Scyla

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  1. Scyla
    I'm more interested in M&Ms, SDFs and VF-11s.
  2. Scyla
    Video review of MMCs OX REmix Jaguar: He looks awesome. I love that they are packaging him as an actual cassette. Witch paper inlay and all. What I don't like is the missing printing that MP Jaguar has. I understand that they would detract from jaguar-mode but the cassette alone looks a tad plain.
  3. Scyla
    I think what he meant that Kawamori gave Bandai a hard time because they expected to reuse the YF-30 with minimal changes for Macross Delta. Luckily for us (well at least for me) Kawamori changed his mind and heavily redesigned the YF-30 so that we (I) can enjoy more variety on the shelfs. I think Bandai wasn't too happy about that since they had to design a whole new Valkyrie.
  4. Scyla
    I hope for you that Lupin the Third doesn't notice your sarcastic remark!
  5. Scyla

    Bandai DX VF-31

    Scyla replied to UN Spacy's topic in Toys

    I think the VF-31 shown are still glued together hand painted prototypes maybe the paint masters for the DX toys. I could imagine that the VF-31E and VF-31C are released later (like the RVF-25 and VF-25G) and that is why they haven't shown a prototype. Especially Mirages Valkyrie looks like it will be exactly the same as the VF-31J other than the head turret so no need to rush it and saturate the market. The S and F have the benefit of having a cool tattoo to differentiate them from the others (tramp stamp?) and the J is the main character Valkyries so I can easily see why the are prioritized. Another thing could be that Messer or Ardo get killed early in the show and Hayate inherits their Valkyrie so another reason to get them out first. I can't see the main character of the show piloting a VF-31E and Mirage seems to be a major character so no need to hurry with the C releases since the fans will buy it anyway.
  6. Scyla
    I think the problem with the 3rd party toys is that there are so many releases that it is hard not to go on a buying frenzy. In the beginning it was fairly easy to buy a majority of what was released. So you could buy anything you had an interest in. Now a massive amount of cash would be needed to keep up with all the toys that getting released. Especially if there are like three or four versions to choose from like Ironhide. I tried to keep up with the Masterpiece releases as it started with FTs Quakewave because who don't want a complete G1 shelf of that stuff but I quickly learned that this is not financially viable if you have other interests like food and shelter (and DX Macross toys) so I started to be highly decisive with what to order. First my interest in other masterpiece-ish lines from companies other than FansToys where gone than after they started to release a bigillion toys I said I only complete their Dinobots and nothing else. Now I'm basically down to buy stuff that MMC releases and I pick and choose toys from FP/MT that I like and sometimes single toys from other companies. Especially if they release a toy inspired by either Shockwave, Nemesis Prime, Cliffjumber, Skywarp, Galvatron or Cyclonus. What I'm trying to say is that I slipped fairly easy into a mindset to buy anything that looks remotely cool. When the first images of Ordin showed up I was all hyped especially since he looked so similar in style to Feral Rex. After the review of Troll I was certain that I have to have him but after seeing reviews of the other members I realized that this is not for me. Now I'm only ordering stuff that have to fit my collector collection habits. That doesn't mean that the toy has to be perfect but it has to tickle my fancy. Feral Rex does, Ordin doesn't. Collector habits be damned.
  7. Scyla

    Bandai DX VF-31

    Scyla replied to UN Spacy's topic in Toys

    I think it would be fairly easy to collapse the radome so it has at least a rectangular top surface area (like snapping it in half) and have the other parts slide into the rest of the dome so that they don't scrape on the ground while the VF-31E sits on its landing gears. It won't look like a perfect fish finger but I think that has to be expected.
  8. Scyla
    I ordered the Armada Starscream Super Mode from HLJ because I didn't want to miss out on the mold. I would much rather have a Armada Skywarp but since the TFCC is doing him (I think) as the freebie for the next subscription service I don't know how easy he will be to come by. It is a plus that I'm drawn to transformers with red faces (looking at you Tracks) and I prefer the Starscream head to the Skywarp one. I also preordered Sprung (Springer) because I want to experience a triple changer and Bruticus since I don't have any CW/UW toys yet (with the exception being Cyclonus) and I think Bruticus gives a good idea what all the molds are like. Maybe I pick up a jet, a sportscar and a pickup truck down the line.
  9. Scyla
    No they shouldn't because than I would have to ask myself if it was worth buying the first release. In addition would never ever buy an Arcaida product again because I would wait for a release that includes them.
  10. Scyla
    Mike I'm hoping you enjoy Sigfried. Ordin is just not for me. Regarding the FP/MT combiners (as far as I know they are designed by the same guy) goes you have to have very specific fetishes to like them. Every piece has some kind of flaw that makes them unbearable for some. They are by no means better or worse than other combiners. Howerver I think they represent better what an independent toy company can bring to the table compared to companies like TFC, Warbotron or UT. They offer a unique style that is very super robot inspired. They pull of some engineering tricks that you can't have with retail toys and they have a high quality feel to them when holding them in hands or moving the joints. They also pose all extremely well. And the limbs are great little toys that are mostly unaffected by fact that they are triple changers. In addition they pull it off in a very small scale. For example their Nosecone is super fun to transform and awesome to play with the underslung guns, the drill bit you can attach as a weapon and he looks great with the combination of dense, matte plastic and the translucent bits. Also that monocle! He is super posable with double jointed knees and elbows. Since most of the pros match up with my own preferences in transforming robots I'm happy with them and I prefer them over other offerings. As I said they also have massive flaws. Stuff like the fact that Quantrons head just hangs on the back of Metal Storm or the weird hip panels on Diesel or the fact that Ryu-Ohs head doesn't lock into place are major cons. Just be aware of what your getting into. I really have to make a strong case for the PlanetX Dinobots. I thought that Dinobots should combine since I was a kid (they are five color coded robots they have to right?) so I like the idea of a Dino combiner. However since I saw peaughs reviews I'm turned off by Toyworlds offering. Especially the combined mode and their Grimlocks torso-mode are off-putting to me. Sadly my Dinobot budget is locked up in FTs offerings but I'm regretting it partly because the PlanetX stuff caters more to my preferences. But since I'm 3/5 in I feel that I can't back out. They are no bad toys and I'm a massive fan of the G1 Dinobots but the PlanetX stuff is just something different. Especially since I played FoC in my Christmas holiday.
  11. Scyla
    In my opinion many of the reviewers are too positive to most of the toys. It is true that you can find some merit in every piece but I want to know the bad spots so I know what I'm up to. For example Perfect Effect Leonidas has many areas that are prone to breaking. I want to know this because I have so many toys that I'm unable to play with all of them on a regular basis. So I'm ok with a toy that looks good on the shelf so a toy that is absolutely worthless to some collector might fit my bill. Optibotimus is clearly the worst in that regard and after watching his videos for a long time I decided not to watch any of his stuff again because he sounds like a salesperson trying to convince you to buy the toy all the time. This is especially problematic since he is heavily backed by toy stores and I personally can't stand his attitude. What I want is a fair assessment of a toy. If it is crap say so. In addition it is important to me that the reviewer puts the toy into perspective with other pieces of the same toyline/style so you get an idea where it stands in the global ecosystem so to speak. I feel that this is something that happens not enough. Humor is especially hard to pull of since everyone has a different understanding of what is funny. Regarding the combiner hand-foot-guns. I think you have to take into account that not only designers have input but also salespersons, PR-guys and even stakeholders. One article about a poor child unable to combine his favorite toy because he lost a foot and the toy can't stand on one alone and some higher-ups in the company are going to be mad. During Botcon Hasbro representatives said time and time again that it is unfeasible to do mainline combiners. Now I think to pull it off they had to convince the guys in charge with several clever ways to make it work. For example all the toys in the line can be part of a combiner (yes even Wheeljack) massive reuse of engineering.parts and molds and the usage of feet for hands and weapons. You can see with Victorion that they can go a different route but I think Victorion is a very special case. Now why Takara couldn't include new feed and hands I assume they have a budget for new stuff in their releases and opted for new toys rather than better looking hands and feet. Maybe they don't want to upset Hasbro because releasing new molds can be beneficial for Hasbro since they have more stuff to release (see the G2 box sets). Having new feet and hands might upset the fan base in areas where Hasbro is releasing the mainline. On the other hand I don't understand why they don't sell color coded hand/foot replacement sets through some a HasTak exclusive store is beyond me. Maybe the 15-20% (IIRC) sales through collectors are not enough to warrant something like this. To be crystal clear here this goes only for the mainline. The collector focused Masterpiece line has no excuse for shortcomings of any type.
  12. Scyla
    Clear Images of UW Bruticus: http://news.tfw2005.com/2016/02/09/new-clear-images-uw-07-bruticus-309274
  13. Scyla
    Other reviewers besides the two you mentioned: I like Vangelus purely because his reviews are informative and entertaining beyond the actual toy. Bobby Skullface seems to be quite harsh (which is a good thing soemtimes) but recently his reviews seem a bit rushed. Rocket Punch Army and OptimusPrimeSG are also good sources (I wish someone would give the latter an HD camera). Veef from MW does Transformers reviews over at CollectionDX (mostly Masterpiece stuff). Paik4Life is very thorough in his reviews which means they are quite long since he covers transformations in both directions. Baltmatrix' reviews on the other hand are usually pretty short if you don't want to wast time. Jenius also has some Transformers Masterpiece reviews up and they are of the usual high quality but he doesn't seem to do them anymore. If you have trouble transforming something I would check out Breauxman since he shows the transformation in all its details (this tab goes there) Then there is TJOmega who covers mostly stuff from his TF archieve. Other than that there are Emgo who tries to be funny and Kuma Style Reviews. The latter gives you a really short overview of the toy. I usually pick and choose between them depending in which figure I'm interested and what topics need to be covered. For example I really needed some input on FansProject Diesels transformation so Breauxman was my reviewer of choice (thanks David Hingtgen for the recommendation). You see there is plenty of stuff to check out till your daughter attends college.
  14. Scyla
    I could see Arcadia doing a limited reissue of the VF-0D after the YF-19. Especially if there is some merit to jenius' comment that Bandai has now some of the Macross licenses formerly hold by Arcadia. I don't see it for the VF-0A since this release is shelf warming. Maybe if they can convince their customer base that the hip issue is fixed. On the other hand maybe they overestimated the demand for the VF-0A after the D was selling out. So who knows.
  15. Scyla

    Bandai Sv-262 DX valk

    Scyla replied to seti88's topic in Toys

    April 20, 2067
  16. Scyla
    It boggled my mind why the newer Masterpiece don't have an abdomen anymore. Sure MP Lambor has a wide chest but the designer was mindful enough to sculpt a lower abdomen so that he has a waistline. Ironhide and Hot Rodimus are missing that. On the other hand when I look in the mirror I can see where Ironhides proportions come from.
  17. Scyla
    VF-0S in Battroid-Mode with RA, VF-0A in Fighter-Mode with Ghost Booster and VF-0D in Gerwalk-Mode. Don't use the stickers!!! Problems solved!
  18. Scyla
    Because a foot tall robot-doll that stares at you with a LED lit eye during the night isn't scary enough.
  19. Scyla

    Bandai Sv-262 DX valk

    Scyla replied to seti88's topic in Toys

    I'm sorry I thought he meant the cowled head turret of the YF-21/VF-22 I'm not a fan of those. I got it mixed up because there was an attempt by a fan to create an SV-262 Battroid-Mode from the way the craft looks in Fighter-Mode which had a cowled head. I like the design of the VF-14 head turret.
  20. Scyla

    Bandai Sv-262 DX valk

    Scyla replied to seti88's topic in Toys

    No Space Popes cowled head turrets please. The Gerwalk-Mode looks similar to the VF-171 (i.e. a tad boring). I'd liked a more radical design. Maybe having the legs on top of the wing area and doing a 180 flip into Gerwalk-Mode with the cockpit hanging on the underside of the craft.
  21. Scyla
    The fact that the limbs just dangle around without any place to go is one of main points I dislike on combiners (the other one would be staring at crotches and thigh gaps in the limbs). I prefer if the arms are integrated into the shape of the shoulder but even if they just hang out on the side of the toy disguise the hands and let them peg in solidly. I think their Hun-Gurr is not good because of the proportions of the twin heads. They look to wide in beast-mode and not thick enough in combined-mode. In robot-mode it is also not very appealing to me. Why I think the weapons are weak looking I could not tell you exactly why I feel that way. It is probably a combination of general looks the way they can combine. I think Feral Rex did it the best and all other combiners have to be measured against it. While the chest shield is accurate to the G1 toy I don't think that this is a boon to Ordin. Engineering has changed over the last 30 years so I think they should include as many parts as possible. Having the threads as forearms was one of the successes of TFCs Hercules I think. I'm not one that is for G1 accuracy when it comes to Transformers toys especially if they have a different style like Ordin and Feral Rex. Arguments can be made in case of a Masterpiece-style toy but it can go too far there also (see MP Ironhides legs). So if they can pull some clever engineering tricks to turn a white robot into a maroon torso I'm all for it. Clever engineering and design is king when it comes to transforming toys in my opinion. Slavish G1 design is at the bottom of my list. If it doesn't look good don't do it. For combine mode I feel that the proportions are not right in certain parts. Plus looking at the way the toy behalves while handled. How everything looks combined and where parts of the robots go are not to my liking. I think UT saw the success of Feral Rex and tried to ape the style but couldn't pull it off correctly. In addition the fact that Blot looked so great spoiled the whole toy for me once it was clear that the other members weren't up to par. I personally like the Maketoys/Fansproject combiners because I dig the style and the engineering tricks (Diesel and Sonic Drill are great feats of engineering IMHO). They have massive shortcomings though. Stuff like Blindfires arms in arm-mode the weird l-shaped sled on Metalstorms back, the thigh-gaps on M³, the non-transformation of Kar Krash and T-Bone in leg-mode. The list goes on and on. At the moment I'm looking for a good deal on Green Giant and box sets of FPs Monstructor and MT Defensor. Like I said engineering is highly important so I can tolerate certain parts if they manage to wow me with the joints/transformation. The FP Dinoking/Monstructor looks weak in that department but I like the Monstructor colors and it would fit in well with the other combiners I have so I'm a hypocrite there I guess. The fact that Fans Projects Downforce is not available comes from the fact that many collectors broke the windshield part during transformation and ordered a replacement unit from the retailers. So your best bet is ebay and maybe some lesser known stores might still have stock. I bought my M³ two years ago from TFSource but during my search I found a store where they still had all five members but I don't recall their name. If you are in a combiner craze I would look at the early IDW inspired Menasor that was posted a few pages back in this thread especially since the CW version has a weak center part. Since it is from a newcomer I would wait for reviews first if they are able to release it. TFC is in the middle of releasing Liokaiser and have announced King Posidon but they are TFC so I'm not a fan. If it doesn't have to be a combiner I would check out Planet Xs FoC Dinobots. I think they fit really well with mainline toys. All the Dinobot combiners seem to have some sort of problem with their design so going for a combiner team might not be ideal. Other stuff I would recommend is Warden and the Fans Project Function X line especially if you like hand candy.
  22. Scyla
    Check out Masterpiece Hot Rodimus: It seems to be pretty cool, but he continues the trend of weird shaped torsos. Why is the chest/bonnet so straight? I don't know maybe this is a fetish of the new designer. Looks promising so far.
  23. Scyla
    I think what you are seeing on the underside of the wings are the armor for the manipulators and the forearm shields. I don't know if you can fit extending landing gear into there so my money is on an opening panel on the side of the legs much like the YF-19/VF-19 as shown in the image above.
  24. Scyla
    I have to chime in on Ordin. I think it is awful especially after the first member was so promising. The transformations on the limbs are terrible. Some arms don't have places to peg into, the weapons are weak and Hun-Gurr looks terrible in all modes. I don't like the parts-formery stuff for the chest and all around the combined mode is not as striking. I agree that Unique Toys made an valiant effort to recreate the style of Feral Rex but in my opinion they failed. I guess if you are only going for their Hun-Gurr than it might be worth checking out otherwise I wouldn't touch it. IIRC Hun-Gurss leg ratchets are prone to breaking. UT put in replacement parts but they are often missing from the box. There are other toys in the third party realm that I would look at first before thinking about Ordin. If you really are going for it do some more research for it. There are plenty of reviews out there for him so you get a better idea what you're up to. I'll be waiting on a MMC Abominus and King Posidon (that might never happen).
  25. Scyla

    Bandai Sv-262 DX valk

    Scyla replied to seti88's topic in Toys

    I thought they meant winter 2016/2017.
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