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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Dec 13, 2019 18:41:07 GMT
Jet bombers can drop water to put out fires. Has one ever done so? And did it take off from a fire station or an air base? Martin
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Dec 13, 2019 18:43:55 GMT
Lorry cabs can be heroes too. But only by pulling important trailers! They do nothing for construction sites absent of trailers, which could use a construction vehicle to construct things. Optimus Prime might as well be a car if he doesn't have his trailer! Martin
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Post by Shockprowl on Dec 13, 2019 20:57:37 GMT
Martin New stuff to me this. Toys aren't... terrible... And not terrible bios either, but what's with the numbers?! Firestation, Strength: 2, Rank: 7 ?!?! Goes against my '84/'85 sensibilities that. Iron Works looks, and sounds, the best to me.
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Post by Pinwig on Dec 13, 2019 21:52:17 GMT
Ironworks has to win this. His base is so much more fun than Hothouse's. The firestation turns from a lump into another lump. It doesn't even have all the extra little bits that Greasepit has. Ironworks has a decent base, but turn it into the Comms station and it's got so much play value. Best base of the lot.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Dec 14, 2019 7:55:02 GMT
New stuff to me this. Toys aren't... terrible... And not terrible bios either, but what's with the numbers?! Firestation, Strength: 2, Rank: 7 ?!?! Goes against my '84/'85 sensibilities that. The strengths are presumably low because each is referring to one tiny seven-foot robot. On the other hand, the speed values appear to refer to the battle stations themselves. Speed 3 for Hothouse's rolling tank thing rather than the Micromaster aeroplane, a generous speed 1 for Ironworks' battle station, which doesn't have a mobile configuration. Is Ironworks' battle station the first TF toy not to have a mode that can move around on its own? The ranks may be relatively high because the Micromaster patrols and squads don't have listed ranks, and can be assumed to be lower in rank than the guys commanding transports, bases and battle stations. Martin
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Dec 14, 2019 8:07:02 GMT
Autobot Micromaster army rank structure 1989Countdown - Aerospace Commander - rank 9 Groundshaker - Field Commander - rank 8 Hothouse - long-range defence - rank 7 Erector - construction engineer - rank 6 Ironworks - communications bay - rank 6 Overload - troop transport - rank 5 Battle Patrol members - no rank Off Road Patrol members - no rank Race Car Patrol members - no rank Rescue Patrol members - no rank Decepticon Micromaster army rank structure 1989Skystalker - Interstellar Assault - rank 9 Greasepit - fuel depot - rank 7 Airwave - aerial defence - rank 6 Flattop - naval warfare - rank 6 Roughstuff - aerial defence - rank 6 Skyhopper - Aerial Assault Commander - rank 6 Air Strike Patrol members - no rank Sports Car Patrol members - no rank No rank = cannon-fodder? Martin
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The Huff
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Post by The Huff on Dec 14, 2019 8:29:44 GMT
Easy one again this week - although Ironworks is clearly the better toy/base, I vote Hothouse for nostalgia again. Another toy I remember buying in my youth. One of the most plasticy toys of G1 but still one of my favourites. It would have been better of they'd have gone the whole way and given the fire station a tank or a bulldozer.
But I guess Hasbro's plan was that we'd have to buy another set of toys to get the fire engine.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Dec 14, 2019 9:00:31 GMT
IRONWORKS. It has a windmill!!! This is an interesting point for discussion. The tech-specs don't mention a windmill. They mention "interstellar laser communicators", and its function is "communications bay", not "windmill". Then there are the instructions, which call it a "radar dish". BUT the instructions describe the radar dish as having "blades". Since when do radar dishes have blades? Radar dishes are supposed to be... dish-shaped. So what's going on here? Is he posing as a communications bay but secretly grinding corn into flour on the side? Is that what the lorry cab is for? Transporting grain and cereal products? Martin
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Post by The Doctor on Dec 14, 2019 9:20:01 GMT
Yes.
-Ralph
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Post by Llama God on Dec 14, 2019 9:25:47 GMT
High speed fire station versus attack windmill? No contest!
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Dec 14, 2019 9:28:12 GMT
Surprised no-one has commented yet on the fact that Ironworks's function is "communications bay", but Hothouse's motto is "Communication is the key that unlocks victory". A mix-up? No, because Ironworks's motto, "Strong support needs a good foundation" also fits his construction site mode. Both mottoes suit Ironworks - one suits his construction site mode, the other his communications bay mode.
Hothouse's motto should be "The hotter things get, the better I like it," so he can be part of Inferno, Hotspot and Red Hot's gang.
Martin
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Post by Fortmax2020 on Dec 14, 2019 9:43:15 GMT
I would guess the radar dish is segmented to increase its power by means of some sort of synthetic aperture technique.
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Post by blueshift on Dec 14, 2019 9:49:34 GMT
Hothouse's motto should be "The hotter things get, the better I like it," so he can be part of Inferno, Hotspot and Red Hot's gang. PHIL: "Maybe he IS Inferno, Hot Spot and Red Hot, who are all the SAME PERSON"
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Dec 14, 2019 9:49:51 GMT
I would guess the radar dish is segmented to increase its power by means of some sort of synthetic aperture technique. Of course! And transporting the cereal products? Martin
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Dec 14, 2019 9:52:40 GMT
PHIL: "Maybe he IS Inferno, Hot Spot and Red Hot, who are all the SAME PERSON" Now you're being silly. Red Hot can't be Hothouse, they were both released in the same year. Red Hot is Inferno. Hothouse's fire station is Hosehead. Hothouse himself is Lug. Martin
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Dec 14, 2019 10:01:55 GMT
Just wait for the mad theories that will abound when we get onto 1990, and the _yellow_ Micromaster combiner fire engine whose motto is "We're the coolest when things get hot."
Martin
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Post by Philip Ayres on Dec 14, 2019 10:02:17 GMT
Is Hothouse's base mode the Rescue Patrol Headquarters?
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Dec 14, 2019 10:11:27 GMT
Is Hothouse's base mode the Rescue Patrol Headquarters? A fire engine based at a fire station? That would not be unreasonable. Although one version of Countdown's box art suggests they like hanging around with him too. We've already seen that the Race Car Patrol live in Overload's trailer. Ironworks being a Powertrain clone suggests the Off Road Patrol are his family, but he lives on a construction site, which also links him to Erector. And the Battle Patrol? Groundshaker's function of Field Commander implies he has troops to command. (Assuming he's not just bossing fields around.) Martin
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Dec 14, 2019 10:17:19 GMT
A fire engine based at a fire station? That would not be unreasonable. Unlike, I might add, an A-10 Thunderbolt ground-strike plane living in a fire station. Martin
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Post by Philip Ayres on Dec 14, 2019 10:19:25 GMT
Is Hothouse's base mode the Rescue Patrol Headquarters? A fire engine based at a fire station? That would not be unreasonable. Although one version of Countdown's box art suggests they like hanging around with him too. IIRC The Japanese Countdown was sold with the Battle Patrol
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Dec 14, 2019 10:22:23 GMT
IIRC The Japanese Countdown was sold with the Battle Patrol Battle Patrol? Really? Martin
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Dec 14, 2019 10:25:27 GMT
We have yet to discuss the fact that the battle stations belonging to Hothouse and Ironworks link together.
What this thread really needs is someone who owns all these toys posting a photo each week showing Micromaster City gradually building up. So this week we need a photo of the two Autobot stations linked together. Then next week, Airwave and Greasepit should be added. And so on.
Martin
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Post by Fortmax2020 on Dec 14, 2019 11:13:58 GMT
A fire engine based at a fire station? That would not be unreasonable. Unlike, I might add, an A-10 Thunderbolt ground-strike plane living in a fire station. Martin Yesterday he was a "jet bomber". Where is the Kaptain??
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Post by Philip Ayres on Dec 14, 2019 11:16:35 GMT
IIRC The Japanese Countdown was sold with the Battle Patrol Battle Patrol? Really? Martin Rescue, Typo.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Dec 14, 2019 11:50:08 GMT
Unlike, I might add, an A-10 Thunderbolt ground-strike plane living in a fire station. Yesterday he was a "jet bomber". Where is the Kaptain?? Where's the contradiction? Dropping bombs is one of the tradtional forms of striking at things on the ground, and a plane is often jet-powered. Can't a Ferrari also be described as a sports car? Tfwiki calls it a A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-strike plane. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairchild_Republic_A-10_Thunderbolt_IIDescribed as a jet aircraft. Weapons listed include bombs. What it does not have is a ladder and places for Pugh, Pugh and Barney McGrew to hang on the outside. Martin
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Post by The Doctor on Dec 14, 2019 11:54:29 GMT
Martin is still drunk.
-Ralph
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Post by Pinwig on Dec 14, 2019 12:06:38 GMT
This is an interesting point for discussion. The tech-specs don't mention a windmill. They mention "interstellar laser communicators", and its function is "communications bay", not "windmill". Then there are the instructions, which call it a "radar dish". BUT the instructions describe the radar dish as having "blades". Since when do radar dishes have blades? It's not a windmill, it just gets called that affectionately because it resembles one. That mode is a communications station, but the radar dish isn't a fixed dish - it folds out during transformation and the 'blades' rotate into place to spread out, like you see on satellites. It's very cool.
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The Huff
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Post by The Huff on Dec 14, 2019 13:46:04 GMT
We have yet to discuss the fact that the battle stations belonging to Hothouse and Ironworks link together. What this thread really needs is someone who owns all these toys posting a photo each week showing Micromaster City gradually building up. So this week we need a photo of the two Autobot stations linked together. Then next week, Airwave and Greasepit should be added. And so on. Martin I might do this, time permitting. ..
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The Huff
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Post by The Huff on Dec 16, 2019 21:28:54 GMT
Right, here we go - a growing Micromaster City in pictures as we vote on them. But first:
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The Huff
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Post by The Huff on Dec 16, 2019 21:35:27 GMT
Longtooth seeks out Micromaster Bases using his Free Magnifying Glass! (I want to add a David Attenborough monologue for Longtooth but don't have time - if anyone more intelligent than me wants to, feel free.) And yes - the magnifying glass actually attaches to his gun so he can hold it!
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