Hey guys, been a while since I’ve posted. Thought this would be as good a place as any to share this…I’ve started, for the first time, collecting Transformers toys. This is kind of a long story in and of itself. I’ve always been a huge TF fan since I was a kid in the 80’s, but I never really went in on the toys as an adult collector.. I was more in it for the fiction, despite the official lore often underselling the characters and concept quite a bit in my view (which is another story).

I missed out on the Masterpiece line completely, for example, though I was aware of them and thought a lot of the figures looked really cool. But I wanted something a bit less pricey and easier to actually transform and pose without worrying about breaking (more on this bit later, lol). If I could go back I would have definitely started getting neo-G1 toys back during Titans Return, but as it was I ended up starting with Earthrise. Earthrise Starscream, to be exact.

He was a cool toy, despite some flaws, and I had fun with him. I meant this to be the start, but it didn’t last. This was during the pandemic days, and while I liked the toy I felt like I couldn’t justify continuing with my uncertain financial situation at the time, family obligations, etc. My original plan was to follow up with that Thundercracker/Skywarp 2-pack and just stop there, but of course they were rare and expensive even then and I didn’t have a Target near me. There were a few times I’d stop at Wal-Mart for something or another and find myself with a Snapdragon or Wheeljack or Hotlink in my hands (three figures I’d love to have now)…and just put them back. I couldn’t do it. I even kind of justified it to myself that, if I bought them, I’d be taking a toy off the shelf some kid could play with and enjoy, and grow to love the brand like I did. I even thought about selling off my Earthrise Starscream at one point, since he was just sitting in my closet.

But I would always find myself watching toy reviews on Youtube, or looking at pictures of them on Instagram, or even reading reviews of them here from you guys. I never jumped in, because I didn’t really have anything to say. But that pull was there. Then I was at Wal-Mart again for something or another a few months ago, and I meandered into the toy aisle. I saw Dragstrip and Kickback and Hauler and Skids and SS 86 Blurr…and again I just left them there. And I was really tempted on that Hauler too. Again, kicking myself for some of these.

I’m not sure what exactly compelled me to finally do so, but I went back to Wal-Mart early last week. I think I was looking for Shrapnel (is he out yet?), still bummed about not grabbing Kickback. Aisle was mostly cleaned out, besides a lot of pegwarming Earthrise and Bayformers stuff. But I did find a Studio Series 86 Ironhide. Again I said to myself, do I really want to do this? Am I staring down a slippery slope here? But in the end…well f**k it, I picked up Ironhide. I left behind a Studio Series 86 Arcee, and Legacy Elita-1. I thought about getting Arcee too, but I cheaped out.

Went back days later to grab Arcee after all. She was gone. So I grabbed Elita, the only other G1 character in sight. Then I went on a bit of a scavenger hunt. I stopped at my local Walgreens, hoping to find an exclusive like Minerva or something. My Walgreens sucks. Not only no exclusives, but no TFs at all. Completely cleaned out. But it was still kind of fun seeing what I could find. I know I could order a bunch of them online (and I’m sure I will eventually), but I also like the thrill of the hunt.

Just today, I stopped at my Wal-Mart again, and this time there was another Arcee (who I had wanted over Elita). Grabbed her, and my collection has gone from 1 to a whopping 4 in less than two weeks. What have I done? What have I become? :P

So, quick and dirty review for all 4 toys. Won’t be anything you guys don’t already know, but it might be entertaining to read a fresh “outsider” perspective. Especially since I am NOT good at transforming these things, at all. :P

STARSCREAM
He’s old news, but a nice jet and a nice bot. I know the Earthrise seeker mode is flawed and an update of an old classics toy, but to me it still looks better than the Siege version. The tetrajet mode on those is cool, but their robot mode always looks off to me in a way I can’t place. Anyway, I remember when I got him, almost 3 years ago now, that I was arrogant enough to assume I could transform him without looking at the instructions. Yet, he’s a lot easier to transform for me today than my 3 new Autobots. Maybe it’s just my copy, but his chest doesn’t tab into place very well for his jet mode, and his left side wing has a real hard time being made flush as a jet.

IRONHIDE
Looks really cool as a bot, his van mode is nice too but I can’t get all the panels to line up flush. I’m terrified of breaking him actually. I transformed him a few times, got it out of my system, and now I think I’ll probably mostly leave him in robot mode. I’ll very probably get the inevitable Ratchet when he comes out, but I think I would have been just as happy with their Earthrise versions if I had them instead. Those seem a lot easier to actually transform and play with. I can see why they call this guy a mini-Masterpiece; the way his feet expand out to be the whole back end of the van mode is pretty clever. But I can’t believe not only how complicated he is but how fragile he feels. It makes me feel a little better about not buying “kids toys” for myself, because there’s no way 6 year old me wouldn’t break this thing. 42 year old me certainly almost did!

ELITA-1
This is actually my favorite figure of my tiny collection, by far. Naturally, she was also the one I was the least enthused about going in, so there’s some egg on my face now. I love her bot mode. It’s far superior to her (let’s be honest) kind of shitty Sunbow character model, as well as previous Elita toys like the Arcee headswap (nice bot, but not Elita) or that combiner jet thing from a few years back. Great posability, and I love her giant blue guns. This gal’s packing heat. Plus I can actually almost transform her without her feeling like she’ll break in my hands (though I did snap a leg panel off that folds out for the back of the car, luckily was able to re-attach it). And I figured her out without cheating and looking at the instructions! I don’t use the fake head for her alt mode roof, I think it’s a little silly looking personally. Instead, I mount one of her giant guns up there and another on the back left side. She looks good.

ARCEE
The worst of the 4. Always had a soft spot for the character so I couldn’t pass her up, but the toy has some issues. For one, she feels like she’s going to break in at least 3 separate places every time I try to transform her. Even following along on a Youtube video, I couldn’t do it and I have yet to fully transform her. I don’t want to push my luck, so I’ll just leave her in bot mode. Also, she seems to have a hard time holding her gun. Maybe it’s just my copy, I don’t know. And, her right arm falls off at the elbow. Clearly I need to get a Decepticon who carries a sword so I can make some fun scenes with this. She looks good enough in bot mode, but looking at them side by side I think the bot mode for the much-mocked shellformer Earthrise version might actually look just a little better. That one has better colors and less skinny legs. (sorry, I like my robot women thicc, what can I say). And I’ve already established I won’t be transforming this thing so the shellforming and car-surfboard of her predecessor would not have bothered me. Like with Ironhide, I would have been happy enough with the previous version if I had her, but this is fine too.

My current want list is a lot of the ones I saw in person and passed on, just for closure’s sake. I’d definitely like to get SS 86 Hot Rod and Jazz, Earthrise Wheeljack, at least one Datsun and one Lambo (the Sideswipe-style mold, not crazy about Sunstreaker’s) and some more Decepticons to keep Starscream company. Of course I’d also like the big ticket names like Prime, Megatron, Soundwave, Bee etc but I’m afraid to look at aftermarket prices and end up getting gouged. I kind of like the idea of starting out now though and building from scratch. It’s like playing a video game on hard mode…fun in its own way. A few upcoming figures I’m interested in are Beachcomber, Shrapnel, either Cloudcover or that Dirge re-issue, and Axelgrease (I think she looks cool). I promised myself I wouldn’t go all completionist here, so a variety of different molds and old and new characters in the G1 spirit is enough for me. Probably. Well, maybe. I’ve even thought about maybe starting another IG account for my TFs if I get enough of them. One of my other hobbies is photography and there are a lot of cool TF toy pages out there. We’ll see I guess.

Anyway, thanks for reading my pseudo-blog entry! Curious to hear thoughts from you guys.

On Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at 9:47:32 PM UTC-4, Sky Raider wrote:
> Hey guys, been a while since I’ve posted. Thought this would be as good a place as any to share this…I’ve started, for the first time, collecting Transformers toys. This is kind of a long story in and of itself. I’ve always been a huge TF fan since I was a kid in the 80’s, but I never really went in on the toys as an adult collector. I was more in it for the fiction, despite the official lore often underselling the characters and concept quite a bit in my view (which is another story).
>
> I missed out on the Masterpiece line completely, for example, though I was aware of them and thought a lot of the figures looked really cool. But I wanted something a bit less pricey and easier to actually transform and pose without worrying about breaking (more on this bit later, lol). If I could go back I would have definitely started getting neo-G1 toys back during Titans Return, but as it was I ended up starting with Earthrise. Earthrise Starscream, to be exact.
>
> He was a cool toy, despite some flaws, and I had fun with him. I meant this to be the start, but it didn’t last. This was during the pandemic days, and while I liked the toy I felt like I couldn’t justify continuing with my uncertain financial situation at the time, family obligations, etc. My original plan was to follow up with that Thundercracker/Skywarp 2-pack and just stop there, but of course they were rare and expensive even then and I didn’t have a Target near me. There were a few times I’d stop at Wal-Mart for something or another and find myself with a Snapdragon or Wheeljack or Hotlink in my hands (three figures I’d love to have now)…and just put them back. I couldn’t do it.. I even kind of justified it to myself that, if I bought them, I’d be taking a toy off the shelf some kid could play with and enjoy, and grow to love the brand like I did. I even thought about selling off my Earthrise Starscream at one point, since he was just sitting in my closet.
>
> But I would always find myself watching toy reviews on Youtube, or looking at pictures of them on Instagram, or even reading reviews of them here from you guys. I never jumped in, because I didn’t really have anything to say. But that pull was there. Then I was at Wal-Mart again for something or another a few months ago, and I meandered into the toy aisle. I saw Dragstrip and Kickback and Hauler and Skids and SS 86 Blurr…and again I just left them there. And I was really tempted on that Hauler too. Again, kicking myself for some of these.
>
> I’m not sure what exactly compelled me to finally do so, but I went back to Wal-Mart early last week. I think I was looking for Shrapnel (is he out yet?), still bummed about not grabbing Kickback. Aisle was mostly cleaned out, besides a lot of pegwarming Earthrise and Bayformers stuff. But I did find a Studio Series 86 Ironhide. Again I said to myself, do I really want to do this? Am I staring down a slippery slope here? But in the end…well f**k it, I picked up Ironhide. I left behind a Studio Series 86 Arcee, and Legacy Elita-1. I thought about getting Arcee too, but I cheaped out.
>
> Went back days later to grab Arcee after all. She was gone. So I grabbed Elita, the only other G1 character in sight. Then I went on a bit of a scavenger hunt. I stopped at my local Walgreens, hoping to find an exclusive like Minerva or something. My Walgreens sucks. Not only no exclusives, but no TFs at all. Completely cleaned out. But it was still kind of fun seeing what I could find. I know I could order a bunch of them online (and I’m sure I will eventually), but I also like the thrill of the hunt.
>
> Just today, I stopped at my Wal-Mart again, and this time there was another Arcee (who I had wanted over Elita). Grabbed her, and my collection has gone from 1 to a whopping 4 in less than two weeks. What have I done? What have I become? :P
>
> So, quick and dirty review for all 4 toys. Won’t be anything you guys don’t already know, but it might be entertaining to read a fresh “outsider” perspective. Especially since I am NOT good at transforming these things, at all. :P

I hear you - I always loved the lore but never cared much for the toys after childhood, but the one-two punch of the pandemic (too much time on my hands home alone) and the great G1 tributes of the WfC line sucked me right in.. If we've learned anything from Covid, it's that life is short...buy all the toys.

>
> STARSCREAM
> He’s old news, but a nice jet and a nice bot. I know the Earthrise seeker mode is flawed and an update of an old classics toy, but to me it still looks better than the Siege version. The tetrajet mode on those is cool, but their robot mode always looks off to me in a way I can’t place. Anyway, I remember when I got him, almost 3 years ago now, that I was arrogant enough to assume I could transform him without looking at the instructions. Yet, he’s a lot easier to transform for me today than my 3 new Autobots. Maybe it’s just my copy, but his chest doesn’t tab into place very well for his jet mode, and his left side wing has a real hard time being made flush as a jet.
>
> IRONHIDE
> Looks really cool as a bot, his van mode is nice too but I can’t get all the panels to line up flush. I’m terrified of breaking him actually. I transformed him a few times, got it out of my system, and now I think I’ll probably mostly leave him in robot mode. I’ll very probably get the inevitable Ratchet when he comes out, but I think I would have been just as happy with their Earthrise versions if I had them instead. Those seem a lot easier to actually transform and play with. I can see why they call this guy a mini-Masterpiece; the way his feet expand out to be the whole back end of the van mode is pretty clever. But I can’t believe not only how complicated he is but how fragile he feels. It makes me feel a little better about not buying “kids toys” for myself, because there’s no way 6 year old me wouldn’t break this thing. 42 year old me certainly almost did!
>
> ELITA-1
> This is actually my favorite figure of my tiny collection, by far. Naturally, she was also the one I was the least enthused about going in, so there’s some egg on my face now. I love her bot mode. It’s far superior to her (let’s be honest) kind of shitty Sunbow character model, as well as previous Elita toys like the Arcee headswap (nice bot, but not Elita) or that combiner jet thing from a few years back. Great posability, and I love her giant blue guns. This gal’s packing heat. Plus I can actually almost transform her without her feeling like she’ll break in my hands (though I did snap a leg panel off that folds out for the back of the car, luckily was able to re-attach it). And I figured her out without cheating and looking at the instructions! I don’t use the fake head for her alt mode roof, I think it’s a little silly looking personally. Instead, I mount one of her giant guns up there and another on the back left side. She looks good.
>
> ARCEE
> The worst of the 4. Always had a soft spot for the character so I couldn’t pass her up, but the toy has some issues. For one, she feels like she’s going to break in at least 3 separate places every time I try to transform her. Even following along on a Youtube video, I couldn’t do it and I have yet to fully transform her. I don’t want to push my luck, so I’ll just leave her in bot mode. Also, she seems to have a hard time holding her gun. Maybe it’s just my copy, I don’t know. And, her right arm falls off at the elbow. Clearly I need to get a Decepticon who carries a sword so I can make some fun scenes with this. She looks good enough in bot mode, but looking at them side by side I think the bot mode for the much-mocked shellformer Earthrise version might actually look just a little better. That one has better colors and less skinny legs. (sorry, I like my robot women thicc, what can I say). And I’ve already established I won’t be transforming this thing so the shellforming and car-surfboard of her predecessor would not have bothered me. Like with Ironhide, I would have been happy enough with the previous version if I had her, but this is fine too.
>
> My current want list is a lot of the ones I saw in person and passed on, just for closure’s sake. I’d definitely like to get SS 86 Hot Rod and Jazz, Earthrise Wheeljack, at least one Datsun and one Lambo (the Sideswipe-style mold, not crazy about Sunstreaker’s) and some more Decepticons to keep Starscream company. Of course I’d also like the big ticket names like Prime, Megatron, Soundwave, Bee etc but I’m afraid to look at aftermarket prices and end up getting gouged. I kind of like the idea of starting out now though and building from scratch. It’s like playing a video game on hard mode…fun in its own way. A few upcoming figures I’m interested in are Beachcomber, Shrapnel, either Cloudcover or that Dirge re-issue, and Axelgrease (I think she looks cool). I promised myself I wouldn’t go all completionist here, so a variety of different molds and old and new characters in the G1 spirit is enough for me. Probably. Well, maybe.

Hasbro's done such a great job with CHUG-scale that they've scared off the competition. 4P (aka high quality knockoffs superior to the original) companies have mostly steered clear of CHUG except for the Bayverse SS line (likely due to the popularity of the Bay movies in Asia). 3P companies mostly specialize in Legends class (smaller) or MP-scale bots; if you don't mind differences in scale, there are any number of incredible representations of the G1 bots out there - probably better bang for the buck compared to aftermarket prices for Hasbro product. That said, I'd venture to say that the WfC trilogy (along with its sister SS86 line and Legacy) has been a high watermark for the brand, and it's hard to imagine superior product coming along in the future.

On Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at 7:47:32 PM UTC-6, Sky Raider wrote:

> Hey guys, been a while since I’ve posted.

Nice to see a familiar face! Glad to see you back.

> I couldn’t do it. I even kind of justified it to myself that, if I bought them, I’d be taking a toy off the shelf some kid could play with and enjoy

Unless you're gobbling up every Transformers toy at every local store, you're probably not depriving any youngsters. It's noble of you to think of the children, but remember, Hasbro manufactures these things by the hundreds of thousands. You're a very small drop in the bucket.
> And I was really tempted on that Hauler too. Again, kicking myself for some of these.

The good news is, it does take a long time for most neo-G1 toys to significantly appreciate in value on the secondary market. There are exceptions for hard-to-find toys (like store exclusives), but typically you can find loose, complete toys, or even still in the packaging, for close to retail pricing on eBay a year or two after they've been released, sometimes longer.

> I think I was looking for Shrapnel (is he out yet?)

I haven't seen him at retail myself yet. The ones I own, I ordered online. I have too many. I should send you one.

> But it was still kind of fun seeing what I could find. I know I could order a bunch of them online (and I’m sure I will eventually), but I also like the thrill of the hunt.

People used to talk about the thrill of the hunt here on ATT back during its heyday. I wonder if I've just become too bitter and jaded, but I find a great sense of relief in being able to pre-order the stuff I need. Then I don't have to worry about trying to make time for toy runs, only for that bitter disappointment when I come up empty-handed. But, I've also been collecting a bit longer than you.

> my collection has gone from 1 to a whopping 4 in less than two weeks. What have I done? What have I become? :P

You monster!

> STARSCREAM
> He’s old news, but a nice jet and a nice bot. I know the Earthrise seeker mode is flawed and an update of an old classics toy, but to me it still looks better than the Siege version. The tetrajet mode on those is cool, but their robot mode always looks off to me in a way I can’t place. Anyway, I remember when I got him, almost 3 years ago now, that I was arrogant enough to assume I could transform him without looking at the instructions. Yet, he’s a lot easier to transform for me today than my 3 new Autobots. Maybe it’s just my copy, but his chest doesn’t tab into place very well for his jet mode, and his left side wing has a real hard time being made flush as a jet.

Yeah, they made some minor concessions to his robot design for Siege. The robot cockpit and chest are both too flat, I think. The Earthrise toy is much better. I think it's my favorite Starscream toy. I don't hate the Classics version—why reinvent the wheel if you don't have to?

> IRONHIDE
> Looks really cool as a bot, his van mode is nice too but I can’t get all the panels to line up flush. I’m terrified of breaking him actually. I transformed him a few times, got it out of my system, and now I think I’ll probably mostly leave him in robot mode. I’ll very probably get the inevitable Ratchet when he comes out, but I think I would have been just as happy with their Earthrise versions if I had them instead.

The biggest problem I had with the Earthrise version was that half his van mode pops off and turns into a shield. He was a rejiggered version of the Siege toy, and I guess there was only so much they could do to Earthrise him up. I bought a bunch of third-party add-on parts to try to improve the Earthrise version, but he still never quite got there. I'm much happier with the Studio Series version, personally. And, yes, looking forward to Ratchet!

> ELITA-1
> This is actually my favorite figure of my tiny collection, by far. Naturally, she was also the one I was the least enthused about going in, so there’s some egg on my face now. I love her bot mode. It’s far superior to her (let’s be honest) kind of shitty Sunbow character model, as well as previous Elita toys like the Arcee headswap (nice bot, but not Elita) or that combiner jet thing from a few years back.

It's the best Elita toy we've gotten, for sure. Since you like her so much, I won't say anything negative. I'm glad you're happy with her!
> ARCEE
> The worst of the 4. Always had a soft spot for the character so I couldn’t pass her up, but the toy has some issues. For one, she feels like she’s going to break in at least 3 separate places every time I try to transform her. Even following along on a Youtube video, I couldn’t do it and I have yet to fully transform her. I don’t want to push my luck, so I’ll just leave her in bot mode. Also, she seems to have a hard time holding her gun. Maybe it’s just my copy, I don’t know. And, her right arm falls off at the elbow. Clearly I need to get a Decepticon who carries a sword so I can make some fun scenes with this. She looks good enough in bot mode, but looking at them side by side I think the bot mode for the much-mocked shellformer Earthrise version might actually look just a little better. That one has better colors and less skinny legs. (sorry, I like my robot women thicc, what can I say). And I’ve already established I won’t be transforming this thing so the shellforming and car-surfboard of her predecessor would not have bothered me.

Earthrise Arcee has a great robot mode, but the trade-off is that half her car mode pops off and turns into a surfboard. Earthrise went through this brief stint where they were experimenting with "partsformer" designs (like Ironhide) and the fandom as a whole seemed to strongly dislike it. They considered it cheating for some reason (OMEGA SUPREME HAS ENTERED THE CHAT). So, for Studio Series Arcee, they tried to fix that and make her a proper Transformer again. I think it's awesome that she got a do-over so quickly after Earthrise, since there have been times where characters were stuck with a lousy toy for many years before they got a chance at a replacement.

> My current want list is a lot of the ones I saw in person and passed on, just for closure’s sake. I’d definitely like to get SS 86 Hot Rod and Jazz, Earthrise Wheeljack, at least one Datsun and one Lambo (the Sideswipe-style mold, not crazy about Sunstreaker’s) and some more Decepticons to keep Starscream company. Of course I’d also like the big ticket names like Prime, Megatron, Soundwave, Bee etc but I’m afraid to look at aftermarket prices and end up getting gouged.

Earthrise Wheeljack got a package refresh for Kingdom, so there should be plenty of him to go around on the secondary market. Hot Rod and Jazz are both excellent toys (but I worry about Jazz's windshield being fragile... some things haven't changed since G1, it seems). Hot Rod was supposed to get a Walmart-exclusive Velocitron version that never surfaced, so it's possible he'll still hit the market again in the future. The Lambo mold was produced numerous times, so you will have lots of choices.

Walmart had an exclusivity contract for Netflix Soundwave and Netflix Bumblebee, but I believe those have expired so we might see the toys get a re-release in some capacity. You can get Legacy Soundwave right now, but he's a redeco of Siege Soundwave so he turns into a weird spaceship thing. I guess it all comes down to how badly you want him to be able to turn into a tape deck. The robot mode is great, honestly. There are Studio Series versions of both Prime and Megatron coming out in the near future.

> A few upcoming figures I’m interested in are Beachcomber, Shrapnel, either Cloudcover or that Dirge re-issue, and Axelgrease (I think she looks cool). I promised myself I wouldn’t go all completionist here, so a variety of different molds and old and new characters in the G1 spirit is enough for me.

Reading your fresh and excited take as a new collector is awesome. I hope you enjoy the journey! Yeah, don't be a completist. I went down that road for a while, sometimes buying toys I hated just so I could own them, and that's no way to live. Buy what you love!

Zob (why, yes, I do happen to love all four G1 Minispy styles in all three different color schemes, why do you ask?)

Codigo Postal wrote:

>I hear you - I always loved the lore but never cared much for the toys after childhood, but the one-two punch of the pandemic (too much time on my hands home alone) and the great G1 tributes of the WfC line sucked me right in. If we've learned anything from Covid, it's that life is short...buy all the toys.

Bingo. This is EXACTLY what pulled me in.

Zobovor wrote:

>The good news is, it does take a long time for most neo-G1 toys to significantly appreciate in value on the secondary market. There are exceptions for hard-to-find toys (like store exclusives), but typically you can find loose, complete toys, or even still in the packaging, for close to retail pricing on eBay a year or two after they've been released, sometimes longer.

Good to know! I'll definitely have to go back for at least a few of them.

>People used to talk about the thrill of the hunt here on ATT back during its heyday. I wonder if I've just become too bitter and jaded, but I find a great sense of relief in being able to pre-order the stuff I need. Then I don't have to worry about trying to make time for toy runs, only for that bitter disappointment when I come up empty-handed. But, I've also been collecting a bit longer than you.

Part of the "hunt" thing for me so far is that I end up just buying what's there. Elita-1 wasn't necessarily high on my priority list to get, but I picked her up because she was all they had that day. And I'm glad I did because now she's my favorite.

>Reading your fresh and excited take as a new collector is awesome. I hope you enjoy the journey! Yeah, don't be a completist. I went down that road for a while, sometimes buying toys I hated just so I could own them, and that's no way to live. Buy what you love!

Yeah, having a complete collection for something like Transformers is insanity. For example, take a look at the seekers, my favorite sub-group. For the Earthrise-style version you have the original 6, Sandstorm, G2 Ramjet, and now Cloudcover (and I think I read somewhere Nacelle is coming too?). Than for the tetrajet version, you have the original 3 again, the Rainmakers, Red Wing, Hotlink, and if you really want to go all in, Shattered Glass Starscream and the "Sparkless Seeker". That is a LOT of jets. (Sparkless Seeker especially is taking it too far..."hey kids, who wants to play with a corpse?") And yet, there ARE people who have all of the above figures. I know because I've seen the pictures of it. And most alarmingly, they DO look pretty cool all together on a big table. I'm glad someone else went through with that though, so that we'll never have to!

Speaking of pictures...took a few pics of the gang, almost all of them from today. I don't think they're necessarily Instagram-worthy, but maybe I'm wrong? I don't know, you guys let me know what you think. Hope you enjoy them!

First, some fun with incomplete transformations:

https://i.imgur.com/pXqs9kG.jpg
Arcee's little known Gerwalk mode.

https://i.imgur.com/3RuqGV1.jpg
Ironhide channeling his original G1 toy.

https://i.imgur.com/pE1rN8W.jpg
"How dare you mock my ridiculously long neck Megatron!"

These next two I took a few days ago. I've gotten (slightly) better at transforming them since then.
https://i.imgur.com/9Iqbcte.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/rxTkTrc.jpg

Random poses. Still finding Arcee does not stand easily.
https://i.imgur.com/yBAK3oX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/dUNYFI9.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/d94hZAb.jpg

Starscream, on the other hand, balances very well. 2 angles of the same shot.
https://i.imgur.com/5lN5fmS.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/zxpYoqP.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/cQu5E1x.jpg
"My fellow Autobots. As your new leader I...wait a second."

https://i.imgur.com/1Plp6D6.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/xKU6WCq.jpg
Autobots have Starscream surrounded. Will he go quietly?

https://i.imgur.com/hXfw3aK.jpg
Arcee has a bad day.

https://i.imgur.com/STU5DxX.jpg
"Such heroic nonsense..."

https://i.imgur.com/jsOgobr.jpg
Elita avenges her fallen comrades.

It's probably evident from the pictures but, I had WAY too much making these. :P

> It's probably evident from the pictures but, I had WAY too much making these. :P

*Too much fun.

> Yeah, having a complete collection for something like Transformers is insanity. For example, take a look at the seekers, my favorite sub-group. For the Earthrise-style version you have the original 6, Sandstorm, G2 Ramjet, and now Cloudcover (and I think I read somewhere Nacelle is coming too?). Than for the tetrajet version, you have the original 3 again, the Rainmakers, Red Wing, Hotlink, and if you really want to go all in, Shattered Glass Starscream and the "Sparkless Seeker". That is a LOT of jets. (Sparkless Seeker especially is taking it too far..."hey kids, who wants to play with a corpse?")

"Hey kids, who wants to play with an "Alternate Universe Earthrise Optimus Prime?" Relive that magical moment when his spark leaves the mortal coil for parts unknown, scarring a generation of kids, to say nothing of Daniel Witwicky!"

> Speaking of pictures...took a few pics of the gang, almost all of them from today. I don't think they're necessarily Instagram-worthy, but maybe I'm wrong? I don't know, you guys let me know what you think. Hope you enjoy them!

Great pictures! Clearly taken by someone who had a lot of fun with them, which is the often overlooked point of spending our money and time on these great toys.

On Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at 8:21:01 PM UTC-6, Sky Raider wrote:

> It's probably evident from the pictures but, I had WAY too much fun making these. :P

I had way too much fun clicking the links. I was giggling like an idiot at work, and I think several customers were looking at me with a "bombastic side-eye," as my daughter would say.

Zob

Thanks for the feedback guys! You may have noticed I told a little self-contained story in those last 5 pics. Dare I say, I can weave a tighter and more coherent canon than a lot of current comic writers and Netflix producers.... And yes, I also tried to capture the essence of the fun I was having. It's good clean fun, a kind that's often fleeting in this world. Good for the soul, I'd say. By popular demand, here's a few more I took, all from today.

https://i.imgur.com/9SsV5tc.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/NTsVhJj.jpg
Ironhide takes out the trash!

https://i.imgur.com/9t8JCPF.jpg
But turnabout is fair play.

https://i.imgur.com/V8Xt4Uf.jpg
Conehead.

https://i.imgur.com/r5T3Pxz.jpg
Arcee's derpface still kind of bothers me.

https://i.imgur.com/MKrpNoK.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/etg94oE.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ykDMYEC.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/fhNJTqa.jpg
On the other hand, I still can't get over how photogenic Elita-1 is. So many cool poses. Does this girl ever take a bad picture?

https://i.imgur.com/EsvSnfm.jpg
Now for something completely different: Ironhide as the overly comfortable naked old man omnipresent in every gym locker room. I used a napkin for his towel, lol.

https://i.imgur.com/Aq3ReUY.jpg
Starscream shields his eyes in disgust and terror. The fact Transformers are naked anyway just makes this gag funnier to me.

https://i.imgur.com/175rpyZ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/EMFOt0H.jpg
Determined not to be upstaged by the Sweeps' ability to poke their heads out in alt mode, this is the best Starscream could come up with. He's not very aerodynamic.

https://i.imgur.com/VnpSXMb.jpg
"No sign of any Decepticons hiding out in this airfield Elita!"

https://i.imgur.com/jjFNWFY.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/k7xSgoX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3Pqyrro.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/4DpS2pM.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Cg9SCHG.jpg
Alt mode battle. Believe it or not I actually tried to put a bit of effort in this. Note that Elita is trying to track Starscream with her side-mounted turret(s), and I rotated a few of these pics around to simulate the disorientation and speed you'd get from a camera view following a jet's perspective. Just insert your Vince DiCola battle theme of choice.

https://i.imgur.com/T4DkU4b.jpg
And finally...Arcee dabs. Is that still a thing?

Enjoy! And I think based on what you guys told me that I probably will make an Instagram for my figures, so I'll definitely post it when I get it up and running.

On Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 8:39:21 PM UTC-4, Sky Raider wrote:
> Thanks for the feedback guys! You may have noticed I told a little self-contained story in those last 5 pics. Dare I say, I can weave a tighter and more coherent canon than a lot of current comic writers and Netflix producers...

I tried rewatching the Netflix series and gave up before I got through a full episode. Even at 1.25 speed, the show drags. G1 was created under tight deadlines and with commercial intent, and they still crafted memorable stories that have sustained the brand for nearly 40 years. In retrospect, it's amazing.

> https://i.imgur.com/EsvSnfm.jpg
> Now for something completely different: Ironhide as the overly comfortable naked old man omnipresent in every gym locker room. I used a napkin for his towel, lol.

My eyes!

>
> https://i.imgur.com/Aq3ReUY.jpg
> Starscream shields his eyes in disgust and terror. The fact Transformers are naked anyway just makes this gag funnier to me.

Will never look at Transformers in the same way again...or the scene where Optimus recharges Elita, and groans her name.

>
> https://i.imgur.com/T4DkU4b.jpg
> And finally...Arcee dabs. Is that still a thing?

If anyone can bring it back, it's Arcee!

>
> Enjoy! And I think based on what you guys told me that I probably will make an Instagram for my figures, so I'll definitely post it when I get it up and running.

Very cool!

On Friday, April 21, 2023 at 6:47:41 AM UTC-7, Codigo Postal wrote:
> On Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 8:39:21 PM UTC-4, Sky Raider wrote:
> > Thanks for the feedback guys! You may have noticed I told a little self-contained story in those last 5 pics. Dare I say, I can weave a tighter and more coherent canon than a lot of current comic writers and Netflix producers...
> I tried rewatching the Netflix series and gave up before I got through a full episode. Even at 1.25 speed, the show drags. G1 was created under tight deadlines and with commercial intent, and they still crafted memorable stories that have sustained the brand for nearly 40 years. In retrospect, it's amazing.
> > https://i.imgur.com/EsvSnfm.jpg
> > Now for something completely different: Ironhide as the overly comfortable naked old man omnipresent in every gym locker room. I used a napkin for his towel, lol.
> My eyes!
> >
> > https://i.imgur.com/Aq3ReUY.jpg
> > Starscream shields his eyes in disgust and terror. The fact Transformers are naked anyway just makes this gag funnier to me.
> Will never look at Transformers in the same way again...or the scene where Optimus recharges Elita, and groans her name.
> >
> > https://i.imgur.com/T4DkU4b.jpg
> > And finally...Arcee dabs. Is that still a thing?
> If anyone can bring it back, it's Arcee!
> >
> > Enjoy! And I think based on what you guys told me that I probably will make an Instagram for my figures, so I'll definitely post it when I get it up and running.
> Very cool!

I love everything about this post: appreciating the lore in different ways, experiencing different elements of the hobby, and making the most of life in this unpredictable time. Buy all the cool things. Do what makes you happy!

And - welcome back, Sky Raider!

Hope everyone is doing well.

JB

So, Arcee has been growing on me. I'm getting much better at posing her. I find the trick is to externally rotate her legs to give her a more "penguin-footed" stance. Otherwise she just tips over. Took a lot of patience to get some of these shots. But hey, I had a big crush on the character when I was six, so here we are.

https://i.imgur.com/r4oOnJd.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/2X6qBhy.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/t263sqj.jpg

Also getting much better at transforming Ironhide and getting his panels to line up flush. Still having a bit of trouble closing up those top 2 panels on his van roof, between his torso and his arms. Since I can't close them anyway I've been experimenting with just mounting one of his guns up there as swivelling turret. Might actually be a bit more toon-accurate, since I don't think I remember him ever duel-weilding like Ratchet in the movie. His van mode is actually really nice and has some decent weight to it.

https://i.imgur.com/9AbtOPU.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/VgKDcZX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/v01faHo.jpg

Speaking of Ironhide's guns, I find Arcee holds them better than she holds her own. Because of course she does. Not only that, she holds Starscream's guns pretty well too!

https://i.imgur.com/F5PsRNX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/qndL3y1.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/LUinqLP.jpg

Oh yeah and one more thing....new bots! Reviews and more pics coming up soon.

https://i.imgur.com/gXB5DSE.jpg

On Monday, April 24, 2023 at 1:20:48 PM UTC-4, Sky Raider wrote:

> Oh yeah and one more thing....new bots! Reviews and more pics coming up soon.
>
> https://i.imgur.com/gXB5DSE.jpg

So, yesterday I took a field trip to a different Walmart the next town over, since mine is pretty much cleaned out. To my shock and delight, I saw pretty much the whole lineup of what I looked up afterwards to learn is Legacy Wave 1 from last year. I saw all these guys at my Walmart some time ago and left them all there, before I decided to start collecting. There were a ton of all of them there too, just pegwarming. So, somewhat impulsively maybe, I grabbed one of each. I set out to get one, maybe two figures if they had any that day so I might have to start doing a better job picking and choosing here.

Also met a pretty cool guy there who was also shopping in the aisle, a big biker looking dude. He saw Kickback in my hand, said he's a great figure, and we just started talking shop for like 5 minutes. That's actually the first time I've encountered another fan in the wild. He said he started during covid also, like at least a few people here. So Ken in the unlikely event you're reading this, that was me yesterday. Nice meeting you!

Now, the bots!

KICKBACK

I had the G1 as a kid (lost to the ages of course) so I had to get this guy.. Very posable, love how the colors on him really pop. Kickback always seemed underpowered to me compared to Shrapnel and Bombshell so I've always head-canoned him as a sort of hand to hand fighting expert and serial killer to make him more interesting, so I think his energon-blade weapons are very fitting.

DRAGSTRIP

Nice car, nice bot. Not much else to add. I know I've opened an ugly door for myself here by getting a Stunticon, because now there's a greater than zero chance I'll want to track down the whole team. Not that I have a place right now to keep a Menasor mind you...or any of my collection really. The fact that he can be split in two for his combined mode means Dragstrip will die a lot in the pictures below. Nothing personal buddy.

SKIDS

I know Skids has his fans here (both as a toy and as a character) so I hope no one is offended when I say I probably could have lived without him. I had just a pang of buyer's remorse last night. Not because he's bad, because he's not. He's a nice blue and a nice, chunky figure. But because there are so many higher priority characters and molds I could get, and to me Skids is barely any more of a character than his recolors like Burnout and Crosscut are. In fact, they had Burnout at the store, and I nearly grabbed her instead. Points in her favor are she's rarer, and she was actually $5 cheaper. I went with Skids because I needed another male Autobot, and I don't have anyone blue yet. If I didn't grab Kickback, I probably would have gotten Burnout, but I figured a blue and a black bot might be better than 2 black ones. Speaking of Spedia 500 figures, they also had Blurr. I passed on him too because I'd rather hold out for the classic movie Blurr if I get him than his comics look. (Now if they had Clampdown or Hauler, I would've grabbed them instantly.)

You guys will be happy to know though that after messing around with Skids, I did warm up to him quite a bit. I had a bit planned out where the Autobots take him prisoner because they don't recognize him. It's still coming. But first I had a bit of a scare transforming him. Somehow his head got turned askew under the hood in vehicle mode, and when I folded the hood back down his head popped clean off! I got it back on no with no lasting damage. But of course, I had to make a fun photoshoot out of it. So prisoner Skids is tabled for another day.

https://i.imgur.com/qJgTNgG.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/hDsp02p.jpg
Since I don't have a Kup (yet), his good buddy Ironhide offered to fill in to re-create this classic scene from the Movie.

https://i.imgur.com/U6utbQH.jpg
Don't know what compelled me to pose Dragstrip like this, other than the fact that he can. You can see that nice purple and black on his guns really nicely here.

https://i.imgur.com/XoWecRV.jpg
Dragstrip should've known better than to trust an Insecticon!

https://i.imgur.com/XSLJnhs.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/8ywCy5N.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/j4NDcB5.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3Cg8AEs.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/pnFIiuv.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YZvMGSt.jpg
Arcee takes on Kickback and Dragstrip.

https://i.imgur.com/LgCBLlM.jpg
Go ahead Skids, say the line that made you such a pop culture icon to millions of children in the 80's!

https://i.imgur.com/ms4D1Lu.jpg
Alas, poor Skids. I knew him well.

https://i.imgur.com/oPStcyD.jpg
"Robotic insecticide this, buddy!"

https://i.imgur.com/PVFhCt2.jpg
Kickback collects a trophy from each Autobot he kills. He even scalped Elita-1. That bastard!

On Monday, April 24, 2023 at 3:08:24 PM UTC-6, Sky Raider wrote:

> KICKBACK
>
> I had the G1 as a kid (lost to the ages of course) so I had to get this guy. Very posable, love how the colors on him really pop. Kickback always seemed underpowered to me compared to Shrapnel and Bombshell so I've always head-canoned him as a sort of hand to hand fighting expert and serial killer to make him more interesting, so I think his energon-blade weapons are very fitting.

No kidding. Shrapnel can control electricity and Bombshell can control your mind, but Kickback can... put a tiny hole in a door with his feet.

I love the new version of him. It's basically the G1 toy, but bigger and better. We've needed good Insecticons for a while. They did smaller ones a few years ago, but they were rather unsatisfying.
> DRAGSTRIP
>
> Nice car, nice bot. Not much else to add. I know I've opened an ugly door for myself here by getting a Stunticon, because now there's a greater than zero chance I'll want to track down the whole team. Not that I have a place right now to keep a Menasor mind you...or any of my collection really. The fact that he can be split in two for his combined mode means Dragstrip will die a lot in the pictures below. Nothing personal buddy.

Dead End does the same thing. You will probably have to go out of your way to make Menasor happen, since Motormaster seems to be sold out most places now. There were reports of the toy's grey pieces yellowing badly. I saw it with my own eyes. It wasn't pretty. Hopefully they'll press his molds into service a second time so you will have a decent shot at getting him.

> SKIDS
>
> I know Skids has his fans here (both as a toy and as a character) so I hope no one is offended when I say I probably could have lived without him. I had just a pang of buyer's remorse last night. Not because he's bad, because he's not. He's a nice blue and a nice, chunky figure. But because there are so many higher priority characters and molds I could get,

Skids is *technically* a media character inasmuch as he's in a couple of episodes of the cartoon show, but he's certainly not an important character by any means. You are not required to love him. I'm happy with him, certainly, but I'm committed to building a large collection of media characters in a way that it sounds like you probably are not. And that's fine!

Zob (gatekeeper-at-large)

On Monday, April 24, 2023 at 7:24:40 PM UTC-4, Zobovor wrote:

> Skids is *technically* a media character inasmuch as he's in a couple of episodes of the cartoon show, but he's certainly not an important character by any means. You are not required to love him. I'm happy with him, certainly, but I'm committed to building a large collection of media characters in a way that it sounds like you probably are not. And that's fine!
>
>
> Zob (gatekeeper-at-large)

Oh I've come around to him, I'm pretty happy with all my figures actually (though I STILL can't/won't transform Arcee). My only thing when buying him was thinking that was money I could've spent on one of the higher priority/"sexier" Lambo or Datsun bots, but I'll have to do some backtracking to get those guys. And if I was gonna go back and get a Skids eventually anyway, it's just as well that I got him when I saw him. The regret of not getting him when I had the chance would probably be worse.

You bring up an interesting point about media characters though. Because the question now is: which media? Because we're at a stage in the franchise where almost everybody has been a media character at this point, even the recolors or ex-Diaclone bots. For example, I was a pretty big fan of IDW's second neo-G1 comic continuity, the one that launched in 2019. Skids actually wasn't seen in that comic at all, though I have no doubt he eventually would have been if IDW didn't go under and the comic run was cut short. But, Burnout and Crosscut both actually were, along with my other 6 figures of course. So if my priority was to assemble cast members from my favorite TF comic and not the cartoon (not saying that it was), then his recolors would be the higher priority accquisitions. (And Burnout had more lines in the comic than Skids had in the cartoon, not that it's a high bar.) For me, it honestly mostly comes down to which mold looks best in which colors, and the total balance of the collection and what I'm going for.

Back to the mold though, I do like it. I've seen pictures of the MP version which is a lot more svelte, but honestly I appreciate that Skids (or whoever) is a bit of a chunker. Gives a bit of a diversity to the body types in my collection. And from pictures, I honestly think Crosscut is the one that stands out to me the most. I like the stainless steel look, and his much-mocked red tires are actually endearingly hideous to me. He looks like a clown car. So if I came across (heh) Crosscut in the wild, I'm not sure I could say no to him.

Oh yeah, and my new TF IG page is up. So if any of you guys are on insta, feel free to give a look and a follow!
https://www.instagram.com/sky_raider80/

On Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 11:06:02 AM UTC-4, Sky Raider wrote:
> On Monday, April 24, 2023 at 7:24:40 PM UTC-4, Zobovor wrote:
>
> > Skids is *technically* a media character inasmuch as he's in a couple of episodes of the cartoon show, but he's certainly not an important character by any means. You are not required to love him. I'm happy with him, certainly, but I'm committed to building a large collection of media characters in a way that it sounds like you probably are not. And that's fine!
> >
> >
> > Zob (gatekeeper-at-large)
> Oh I've come around to him, I'm pretty happy with all my figures actually (though I STILL can't/won't transform Arcee). My only thing when buying him was thinking that was money I could've spent on one of the higher priority/"sexier" Lambo or Datsun bots, but I'll have to do some backtracking to get those guys. And if I was gonna go back and get a Skids eventually anyway, it's just as well that I got him when I saw him. The regret of not getting him when I had the chance would probably be worse.
>
> You bring up an interesting point about media characters though. Because the question now is: which media? Because we're at a stage in the franchise where almost everybody has been a media character at this point, even the recolors or ex-Diaclone bots. For example, I was a pretty big fan of IDW's second neo-G1 comic continuity, the one that launched in 2019. Skids actually wasn't seen in that comic at all, though I have no doubt he eventually would have been if IDW didn't go under and the comic run was cut short. But, Burnout and Crosscut both actually were, along with my other 6 figures of course. So if my priority was to assemble cast members from my favorite TF comic and not the cartoon (not saying that it was), then his recolors would be the higher priority accquisitions. (And Burnout had more lines in the comic than Skids had in the cartoon, not that it's a high bar.) For me, it honestly mostly comes down to which mold looks best in which colors, and the total balance of the collection and what I'm going for.
>
> Back to the mold though, I do like it. I've seen pictures of the MP version which is a lot more svelte, but honestly I appreciate that Skids (or whoever) is a bit of a chunker. Gives a bit of a diversity to the body types in my collection. And from pictures, I honestly think Crosscut is the one that stands out to me the most. I like the stainless steel look, and his much-mocked red tires are actually endearingly hideous to me. He looks like a clown car. So if I came across (heh) Crosscut in the wild, I'm not sure I could say no to him.
>
> Oh yeah, and my new TF IG page is up. So if any of you guys are on insta, feel free to give a look and a follow!
> https://www.instagram.com/sky_raider80/

IG page looks great! Inspired me to break out ol' Coronation Starscream from storage. Just a fantastically realized bot - probably the best version of Starscream to date, in my opinion, and I couldn't be happier with him.

If you haven't picked up Legacy G2 Laser Optimus Prime, I'd highly recommend. Running around $45 on Amazon, which is a great deal IMHO. Fandom in general seems (un)fairly unenthusiastic about him, but never having experienced the original, I personally think he's an amazing bot, well articulated with a satisfyingly intuitive transformation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CcjlrfMNL8).

Possibly the only flaw with the bot are the dead eyes, but there are stickers for that, and the trailer as well (https://www.ebay.com/itm/284956375266). The trailer does feel a bit cheaply made, as well as sparse on weaponry, but adding a Weaponizer or two (https://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Generations-Selects-WFC-GS04-Powerdasher/dp/B07Y28RY4W/) works wonders. Having had no prior interest in the mold, I'm now planning to get Velocitron Scourge as well as Toxitron too.

On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 1:45:43 PM UTC-4, Codigo Postal wrote:

> IG page looks great! Inspired me to break out ol' Coronation Starscream from storage. Just a fantastically realized bot - probably the best version of Starscream to date, in my opinion, and I couldn't be happier with him.

Thanks!! And if I didn't already have Earthrise Starscream I would definitely get the coronation version. He seems to be shelfwarm at my Walmart for some reason.

> If you haven't picked up Legacy G2 Laser Optimus Prime, I'd highly recommend. Running around $45 on Amazon, which is a great deal IMHO. Fandom in general seems (un)fairly unenthusiastic about him, but never having experienced the original, I personally think he's an amazing bot, well articulated with a satisfyingly intuitive transformation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CcjlrfMNL8).

That is a great looking figure. I think Toxitron or Scourge would actually be my first choices for that mold, especially Toxitron. I'm finding I have a bit of a soft spot for oldball bots.

Over the last few weeks I picked up Sludge and a Shockwave. Sludge is pretty awesome...I gasped at the size of him when pulling him out of the box. Unfortunately I have not been able to fully transform him yet. Those exploding legs trip me up every time. I'll do it one of these days, I swear. He's super cool just in robot mode though.

My Shockwave, somewhat unfortunately, was an impulse buy just from today. He's the Cyber Battalion Shockwave from Walgreens. I guess he's not terrible, but I really have to be less impulsive and start vetting these figures better. I've read a lot of people complaining about how his knees don't bend, and while it's a flaw, I could overlook it. What I really can't overlook is how airy and cheap he feels, and he has those awful hollow lower legs. While a nice looking robot, he still looks (and definitely feels) like he's coming from a different series. He's simply not very fun to play with.

The other thing that bothers me about him, and I admit this is a me-problem and probably a strange thing to complain about, is that he's simply too big. He doesn't look like he scales very well with the rest of my collection. He towers over Starscream and he looks a little too big next to Sludge. If I had a Megatron to scale him against I might feel better about this, but as it is my gut tells me he's a little too big. I should have skipped and held out for a Siege version.

So I'll see if he grows on me, but impulse buying is a good lesson to learn from. At least he was only $19. But $19 is like *checks notes* a third of a tank of gas nowadays, and I've probably spent too much money on these things in a short time already. So I might end up selling him...if anyone here is interested, let me know...

On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 7:27:36 PM UTC-5, Sky Raider wrote:
> On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 1:45:43 PM UTC-4, Codigo Postal wrote:
>
> > IG page looks great! Inspired me to break out ol' Coronation Starscream from storage. Just a fantastically realized bot - probably the best version of Starscream to date, in my opinion, and I couldn't be happier with him.
> Thanks!! And if I didn't already have Earthrise Starscream I would definitely get the coronation version. He seems to be shelfwarm at my Walmart for some reason.
> > If you haven't picked up Legacy G2 Laser Optimus Prime, I'd highly recommend. Running around $45 on Amazon, which is a great deal IMHO. Fandom in general seems (un)fairly unenthusiastic about him, but never having experienced the original, I personally think he's an amazing bot, well articulated with a satisfyingly intuitive transformation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CcjlrfMNL8).
> That is a great looking figure. I think Toxitron or Scourge would actually be my first choices for that mold, especially Toxitron. I'm finding I have a bit of a soft spot for oldball bots.
>
> Over the last few weeks I picked up Sludge and a Shockwave. Sludge is pretty awesome...I gasped at the size of him when pulling him out of the box. Unfortunately I have not been able to fully transform him yet. Those exploding legs trip me up every time. I'll do it one of these days, I swear. He's super cool just in robot mode though.
>
> My Shockwave, somewhat unfortunately, was an impulse buy just from today. He's the Cyber Battalion Shockwave from Walgreens. I guess he's not terrible, but I really have to be less impulsive and start vetting these figures better. I've read a lot of people complaining about how his knees don't bend, and while it's a flaw, I could overlook it. What I really can't overlook is how airy and cheap he feels, and he has those awful hollow lower legs. While a nice looking robot, he still looks (and definitely feels) like he's coming from a different series. He's simply not very fun to play with.
>
> The other thing that bothers me about him, and I admit this is a me-problem and probably a strange thing to complain about, is that he's simply too big. He doesn't look like he scales very well with the rest of my collection. He towers over Starscream and he looks a little too big next to Sludge. If I had a Megatron to scale him against I might feel better about this, but as it is my gut tells me he's a little too big. I should have skipped and held out for a Siege version.
>
> So I'll see if he grows on me, but impulse buying is a good lesson to learn from. At least he was only $19. But $19 is like *checks notes* a third of a tank of gas nowadays, and I've probably spent too much money on these things in a short time already. So I might end up selling him...if anyone here is interested, let me know...

If you look around online you can probably find Siege Shockwave on clearance for 30-40 and think he's a great bot
I'd also look for Studio 86 Jazz and Hot rod, those shelfwarmed a bit and might still be around, but were objectively great bots
I likes Studio Kup and Blurr also but they're not quite the sae level as Jazz and Hot Rod from that line.
If you can find a Kingdom Wheeljack or Warpath they're really good
And if you get into the tiny bots Core Class Bomb Burst is one of my favorites

On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 8:54:01 PM UTC-4, Irrellius Spamticon wrote:

> If you look around online you can probably find Siege Shockwave on clearance for 30-40 and think he's a great bot
> I'd also look for Studio 86 Jazz and Hot rod, those shelfwarmed a bit and might still be around, but were objectively great bots
> I likes Studio Kup and Blurr also but they're not quite the sae level as Jazz and Hot Rod from that line.
> If you can find a Kingdom Wheeljack or Warpath they're really good
> And if you get into the tiny bots Core Class Bomb Burst is one of my favorites

Good to know about Siege Shockwave! Yeah, he looks like a lot of fun and I'm pretty attached to that character model after his run in the last comic. And he also has the "hose" that I forgot to mention my Walgreens Shockwave is missing. That's a pretty iconic detail.

Really? Hot Rod and Jazz shelfwarmed? There's no accounting for taste I guess, I thought they'd be two of the most in-demand figures. Might be good news for me though. I'd like Blurr and Kup too, although Kup looks just a bit off in a way I can't place. A bit too much of an "old man" face I think. Wheeljack is very high on my want list. I do like Pretenders so I'll keep an eye out for those little Core class bots also.

On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 6:27:36 PM UTC-6, Sky Raider wrote:

> My Shockwave, somewhat unfortunately, was an impulse buy just from today. He's the Cyber Battalion Shockwave from Walgreens. I guess he's not terrible, but I really have to be less impulsive and start vetting these figures better. I've read a lot of people complaining about how his knees don't bend, and while it's a flaw, I could overlook it. What I really can't overlook is how airy and cheap he feels, and he has those awful hollow lower legs. While a nice looking robot, he still looks (and definitely feels) like he's coming from a different series. He's simply not very fun to play with.

I kind of loved the Cyber Battalion toy, honestly. There was just something very Shockwavey about him that the Siege toy didn't quite manage. The knee thing didn't bother me greatly, though I know some enterprising fans came up with some 3D-printed parts you could add to give him proper articulation. But, Cyber Battalion was a budget toy line, much like Cyberverse, and it showed.

I mean, Siege Shockwave was a Voyager-sized toy they sold for $50, and he came with some extra arms and a surfboard. I put off buying him for a long time, just on principle. He's not one of my favorite toys. I don't hate him, but I sure don't love him.

> The other thing that bothers me about him, and I admit this is a me-problem and probably a strange thing to complain about, is that he's simply too big. He doesn't look like he scales very well with the rest of my collection. He towers over Starscream and he looks a little too big next to Sludge. If I had a Megatron to scale him against I might feel better about this, but as it is my gut tells me he's a little too big. I should have skipped and held out for a Siege version.

No, you're right. He doesn't fit into the current Siege-Earthrise-Kingdom-Legacy scale (hereby forever known as SEKL). But, the G1 Shockwave toy was a monster compared to all the other 1984 Decepticons, so in some ways it makes sense for Shockers to be slightly oversized, in a meta sort of way. Also, he usually hangs out on Cybertron all by himself anyway, so how often is he really going to be standing right next to the other Decepticons?

Zob (if you're not sure about a toy, just ask us here and we'll tell you how to spend your money!)

On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 8:27:36 PM UTC-4, Sky Raider wrote:
> On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 1:45:43 PM UTC-4, Codigo Postal wrote:
>
> > IG page looks great! Inspired me to break out ol' Coronation Starscream from storage. Just a fantastically realized bot - probably the best version of Starscream to date, in my opinion, and I couldn't be happier with him.
> Thanks!! And if I didn't already have Earthrise Starscream I would definitely get the coronation version. He seems to be shelfwarm at my Walmart for some reason.
> > If you haven't picked up Legacy G2 Laser Optimus Prime, I'd highly recommend. Running around $45 on Amazon, which is a great deal IMHO. Fandom in general seems (un)fairly unenthusiastic about him, but never having experienced the original, I personally think he's an amazing bot, well articulated with a satisfyingly intuitive transformation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CcjlrfMNL8).
> That is a great looking figure. I think Toxitron or Scourge would actually be my first choices for that mold, especially Toxitron. I'm finding I have a bit of a soft spot for oldball bots.
>
> Over the last few weeks I picked up Sludge and a Shockwave. Sludge is pretty awesome...I gasped at the size of him when pulling him out of the box. Unfortunately I have not been able to fully transform him yet. Those exploding legs trip me up every time. I'll do it one of these days, I swear. He's super cool just in robot mode though.

I might have to reevaluate Sludge based on some of the more positive comments here. SS86 Grimlock was adequate, but somehow gave me less joy than the far, far less accurate PotP version. After getting Slag and finding him strangely dull, I cancelled my Sludge preorder and haven't looked back. Might have to rethink that...

>
> My Shockwave, somewhat unfortunately, was an impulse buy just from today. He's the Cyber Battalion Shockwave from Walgreens. I guess he's not terrible, but I really have to be less impulsive and start vetting these figures better. I've read a lot of people complaining about how his knees don't bend, and while it's a flaw, I could overlook it. What I really can't overlook is how airy and cheap he feels, and he has those awful hollow lower legs. While a nice looking robot, he still looks (and definitely feels) like he's coming from a different series. He's simply not very fun to play with.

I have to say, I rather like my Cyber Battalion Shockwave. Can't deny the cheap plastic, garbage alt mode, and terrible articulation, but somehow, he just feels like Shockwave to me.

On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 10:58:52 PM UTC-4, Zobovor wrote:
> On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 6:27:36 PM UTC-6, Sky Raider wrote:
>

>
> Zob (if you're not sure about a toy, just ask us here and we'll tell you how to spend your money!)

Where are folks finding Siege Shockwave for 30-40? I never found one, but am waffling between picking up the Galactic Man Generations Select repaint (currently around 35 on Amazon), or a KO MP Shockwave (for ~45).

Or I might just get both of them, but that would take the fun out of making a decision. Thoughts from the ATT gallery? Galactic Man, KO MP, both, or neither?

(Let's assume money doesn't matter, or rather, that I'm terrible with money and would rather have plastic robots than food).

On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 8:09:26 PM UTC-7, Codigo Postal wrote:
> On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 10:58:52 PM UTC-4, Zobovor wrote:
> > On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 6:27:36 PM UTC-6, Sky Raider wrote:
> >
>
> >
> > Zob (if you're not sure about a toy, just ask us here and we'll tell you how to spend your money!)
> Where are folks finding Siege Shockwave for 30-40? I never found one, but am waffling between picking up the Galactic Man Generations Select repaint (currently around 35 on Amazon), or a KO MP Shockwave (for ~45).
>
> Or I might just get both of them, but that would take the fun out of making a decision. Thoughts from the ATT gallery? Galactic Man, KO MP, both, or neither?
>
> (Let's assume money doesn't matter, or rather, that I'm terrible with money and would rather have plastic robots than food).

For what it's worth, I have the KO MP Shockwave, and love it. Nice weight and heft, the proportions are solid, and it's not nearly as challenging to work with as the MP Megatron. Worth the investment, to me. I found him for $55 CAD at Cherry Bomb Toys, in Victoria, back in the fall.

JB

On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 10:09:26 PM UTC-5, Codigo Postal wrote:
> On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 10:58:52 PM UTC-4, Zobovor wrote:
> > On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 6:27:36 PM UTC-6, Sky Raider wrote:
> >
>
> >
> > Zob (if you're not sure about a toy, just ask us here and we'll tell you how to spend your money!)
> Where are folks finding Siege Shockwave for 30-40? I never found one, but am waffling between picking up the Galactic Man Generations Select repaint (currently around 35 on Amazon), or a KO MP Shockwave (for ~45).
>
> Or I might just get both of them, but that would take the fun out of making a decision. Thoughts from the ATT gallery? Galactic Man, KO MP, both, or neither?
>
> (Let's assume money doesn't matter, or rather, that I'm terrible with money and would rather have plastic robots than food).

I'm not a fan of the original MP colors, but MP isn't expensive, just ugly to me. I got both Siege Shockwave and Galactic man and really like Galactic Man even if he's not quite the exact colors as his G1 self.Of course I have a little history with Galactic Man, I found one in an antique mall in the early 90s and thought he was Shockwave because he matched the Marvel Comic #5 cover I had.

On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 8:03:49 PM UTC-5, Sky Raider wrote:
> On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 8:54:01 PM UTC-4, Irrellius Spamticon wrote:
>
> > If you look around online you can probably find Siege Shockwave on clearance for 30-40 and think he's a great bot
> > I'd also look for Studio 86 Jazz and Hot rod, those shelfwarmed a bit and might still be around, but were objectively great bots
> > I likes Studio Kup and Blurr also but they're not quite the sae level as Jazz and Hot Rod from that line.
> > If you can find a Kingdom Wheeljack or Warpath they're really good
> > And if you get into the tiny bots Core Class Bomb Burst is one of my favorites
> Good to know about Siege Shockwave! Yeah, he looks like a lot of fun and I'm pretty attached to that character model after his run in the last comic.. And he also has the "hose" that I forgot to mention my Walgreens Shockwave is missing. That's a pretty iconic detail.
>
> Really? Hot Rod and Jazz shelfwarmed? There's no accounting for taste I guess, I thought they'd be two of the most in-demand figures. Might be good news for me though. I'd like Blurr and Kup too, although Kup looks just a bit off in a way I can't place. A bit too much of an "old man" face I think. Wheeljack is very high on my want list. I do like Pretenders so I'll keep an eye out for those little Core class bots also.

Hot Rod was in 3 case assortments, 2 waves of window box and a wave of windowless, and Jazz was in 2 waves as well. They shelfwarmed because the market got flooded. Wheeljack was in both Earthrise and Kingdom, and was plentiful but then suddenly was gone.

Sometimes I forget that people on message boards are not local and don't have the 10+ non-chain stores that sell transformers I have access to.

On Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 10:25:07 AM UTC-4, Irrellius Spamticon wrote:
> On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 8:03:49 PM UTC-5, Sky Raider wrote:
> > On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 8:54:01 PM UTC-4, Irrellius Spamticon wrote:
> >
> > > If you look around online you can probably find Siege Shockwave on clearance for 30-40 and think he's a great bot
> > > I'd also look for Studio 86 Jazz and Hot rod, those shelfwarmed a bit and might still be around, but were objectively great bots
> > > I likes Studio Kup and Blurr also but they're not quite the sae level as Jazz and Hot Rod from that line.
> > > If you can find a Kingdom Wheeljack or Warpath they're really good
> > > And if you get into the tiny bots Core Class Bomb Burst is one of my favorites
> > Good to know about Siege Shockwave! Yeah, he looks like a lot of fun and I'm pretty attached to that character model after his run in the last comic. And he also has the "hose" that I forgot to mention my Walgreens Shockwave is missing. That's a pretty iconic detail.
> >
> > Really? Hot Rod and Jazz shelfwarmed? There's no accounting for taste I guess, I thought they'd be two of the most in-demand figures. Might be good news for me though. I'd like Blurr and Kup too, although Kup looks just a bit off in a way I can't place. A bit too much of an "old man" face I think. Wheeljack is very high on my want list. I do like Pretenders so I'll keep an eye out for those little Core class bots also.
> Hot Rod was in 3 case assortments, 2 waves of window box and a wave of windowless, and Jazz was in 2 waves as well. They shelfwarmed because the market got flooded. Wheeljack was in both Earthrise and Kingdom, and was plentiful but then suddenly was gone.
>
> Sometimes I forget that people on message boards are not local and don't have the 10+ non-chain stores that sell transformers I have access to.

Thanks Joseph, and thanks Irrellius. You've convinced me - just placed orders for both the KO MP, and Gen Selects Galactic Man!