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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 30, 2015 18:45:41 GMT
Yes you did. You even admitted to it.
Andy
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 30, 2015 18:46:06 GMT
Lies. Lies!
-Ralph
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 30, 2015 18:49:49 GMT
Conversation:
Andy - you forgot AOE Prime when you were here last time.
Ralph - so I did.
Andy - you almost didn't get his weapon I noticed that you put his shotgun with the Energon Grimlock reissue. He really suited that.
Ralph - I know. More than Optimus.
The End.
Andy
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 30, 2015 18:54:04 GMT
I have no memory of this.
-Ralph
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 30, 2015 18:54:54 GMT
How convenient.
Andy
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 30, 2015 18:56:40 GMT
No honestly I genuinely have no memory of this. Was I drunk?
-Ralph
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 30, 2015 18:57:49 GMT
Think we'd started on the Jack and coke by that point after the STV Edinburgh ordeal.
Andy
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 30, 2015 18:58:51 GMT
That explains it then.
-Ralph
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 30, 2015 19:02:10 GMT
Yes, but the shotgun had been placed in his hands when you were here before christmas. Although you were drinking then, as we all were.
Andy
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 30, 2015 19:04:54 GMT
That also explains it.
-Ralph
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Post by legios on Feb 4, 2015 8:48:57 GMT
Week 91: TF Swords & Hand Weapons
Bubbling under: “The Transformers” Megatron’s sword: A very oddly shaped weapon this is. Unfeasibly wide in places and seemingly built more for aesthetics than for practical combat value, I like to imagine it is some sort of “honour sword” of a fallen city-state that Megs totes around as a reminder of some past victory . Similarly, reissue Megatron’s flail is quite fun – a fairly rare weapon in Transformers and somehow appropriate to later media’s depictions of Megatron rising from the commoner ranks. HFTD Terradive’s spear/trident – pole-arms are pretty rare in Transformers and this is not only a really good spear, but if can be unfolded into a fairly decent trident as well. Energon Strongarm’s Axe: lovely double-handed axe, which adds a bit of character to Strongarm in his choice of a fairly straightforward and unsophisticated but highly effective weapon.
5. “The Transformers” Grimlock Energo-sword: The Dinobots had to get on this list somewhere or other, just by dint of being the most prevalent users of practical melee weapons in the first couple of years of Transformers. Grimlock’s sword is great, the slightly odd reverse taper is visually interesting. I also like the description of it as an Energo-sword, hinting that it uses some undefined high-tech method to increase its ability to penetrate a Transformer’s armour, rather than strictly relying on pure brute force.
4. Beast Wars II Galvatron’s Hatchets: Lovely little weapons, and another taste of the usual. We have seen plenty of axes before, but these seem to be much more similar to hatchets, and therefore to weaponised tools than axes designed for fighting. They are a fantastic visual as well, fitting in very nicely with the aesthetics of Galvatron’s humanoid mode as well as stowing away neatly as tail bards in his drill tank/dracochicken mode.
3. Beast Wars Neo Big Convoy’s Tonfa: I love these, and I love the way they are implemented on the toy. Big Convoy is mostly known for toting around the Big Cannon, but if anyone is foolish enough to think “quick, get in close where he can’t use that gun” he can just flick out the tonfa and go toe-to-toe in melee. The way he has them stowed “up his sleeves” is great fun as well. Interesting to see him choose what are fundamentally defensively-oriented weapons as well – sure they have an offensive capability, but fundamentally they are meant to even the playing field when facing a sword-wielding opponent without a sword of ones own. Whether intentional or not it feels like a nice character statement.
2. Darkmount’s Pick: This works really well on two levels. Firstly its aesthetics make a nice tribute to Straxus’ axe from the comics, with the clawed end and the long haft. Secondly it is a resoundingly practical weapon to bring to a fight involving machines with, presumably, strong armour protecting them. The military pick was the “concentrated force” end of the armour penetration/blunt-force trauma continumn in Earth’s medieval period, opposing the mace/morningstar/flail approach at the other end. It feels like a really good, simple weapon for Straxus to be swinging around – sheer brute force as opposed to the clever technologies of energo- and thermal swords.
1. Laser Rod Prime/ CR Black Convoy’s blade: A fantastic, very traditional-looking, sword. Nicely proportioned and a good design – the guard on it is extremely nice. The transparent version from Laser Rod Prime has a lovely look of a mysterious artifact with its crystal-like appearance, whilst Black Convoy’s version really does look like it might be made of his congealed rage.
Karl
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 4, 2015 12:13:36 GMT
As an aside, back in the day when I was a lad I tended to latch on to the info that was always included in the Tech Specs on the packaging about what the robot weapons did and how powerful they were. Sometimes the weapon would even have a specific name! This was why (to this day) I did not like swapping weapons between different toys as the story info on the packaging pretty much made me identify each weapon accessory with the character they originally came with.
Something that has been a bit lost in other TF toy lines. I don't like interchangeable weapons. Optimus Prime's rifle (for example) is a lot less special if other characters can hold it.
-Ralph
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Post by Shockprowl on Feb 4, 2015 17:48:36 GMT
I know exactly what you mean, 'Doc. A character's weapon and what it does is part of who that character is!
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 4, 2015 18:12:54 GMT
Imagine someone else wielding Blaster's Electro Scrambler or Megatron's fusion canon!
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 4, 2015 18:36:48 GMT
While this is true what's to stop them using extra Arms Micron and Minicon weapons?
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Post by Benn on Feb 4, 2015 19:17:18 GMT
Starscream used the fusion cannon once. In a dream.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 4, 2015 19:34:32 GMT
Rumble/Frenzy carried it in the movie
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Post by Shockprowl on Feb 4, 2015 19:50:36 GMT
Brawn managed to grab Megatron's cannon in one episode (Fire on the Mountain?). So, yes, it's good as a gag, but swaps is a no no in generally presentation terms.
And Minicon weapons etc are fine.
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Post by legios on Feb 4, 2015 21:47:30 GMT
Now I always looked at it as a child, and still as an adult, that they are able to use any weapon they pick up but over the years of conflict they have developed strong preferences and stick as much as possible with what they are most comfortable with (like real-life shooters, you get folk who swear by Colt .45s and others who'd never swap their 9mm Glock for one). So Grimlock could grab a Thermal sword which was lying around but he doesn't like them and will always grab an energo-sword if there is one available.
Megatron's fusion cannon I've always thought of as an exception - I always figured it was some sort of portable support weapon, meant to be fired from a fixed mount or a tripod - and that Megatron toting it around on his arm is like Roadblock firing a .50 Browning from the hip, proof of just how badass he is.
Karl
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 4, 2015 22:00:50 GMT
While this is true what's to stop them using extra Arms Micron and Minicon weapons? No no no! They only go with certain characters! -Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 4, 2015 22:09:12 GMT
Even the ones that come in packets by them selves?
who holds the Star Saber? The Requim Blaster?
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 5, 2015 8:16:17 GMT
Hot Shot holds the Star Saber.
-Ralph
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Post by legios on Feb 5, 2015 9:03:02 GMT
Meant to say this in my previous post but forgot to include it:-
I can see your point Ralph, even if my own mind doesn't work that way, there is a long tradition of heroes having signature weapons - Hercules had his club which no-one else was strong enough to lift, many knightly characters in medieval tales had named swords - heck, even Julius Caesar had Crocrea Mors - so I can see the logic of "this weapon belongs to this person". I have a more pragmatic and utilitarian outlook on it, but I can see where you are coming from.
Karl
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 5, 2015 13:00:18 GMT
Indeed. If any character could wield any weapon then wouldn't the toys have come with the same generic guns or swords rather than each one having individual weapons? The fiction of the tech specs highlighted the weapons specific to the characters. For me the whole toy package/fiction was screaming (for example): Optimus Prime comes with his own special gun. It does...etc etc.
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 6, 2015 7:54:13 GMT
Week 92: 2005 ToysNo, we're not talking toys that were in the movie ;-) Your top 5 toys that came out in 2005 please. See www.tfu.info/year/05index.htm for help but we're talking the latter half of Energon, the first part of Cybertron and all of Galaxy Force here plus some other releases like the Alternators.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 6, 2015 19:11:45 GMT
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Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 12, 2015 12:18:09 GMT
2005 not popular then?
Thursday Tease: this character was originally scheduled to appear here in the latter part of last year until it was bumped down the schedule due to a new release of this character. But has the new version set the world alight for you enough to get a place in this week's top 5?
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 12, 2015 12:39:43 GMT
All I know is my gut says: "maybe".
-Ralph
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Post by Shockprowl on Feb 12, 2015 13:47:02 GMT
Jetfire?
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Post by legios on Feb 12, 2015 14:12:54 GMT
Week 92: 2005 Toys
Bubbling Under: DVD Excilion - It is nice and all, but it is a little too "on the nose" a Hot Rod homage for me to like it as much as the original. Noizemaze - lovely piece of design, looks extremely mean in humanoid mode and the odd "shuttlecraft" like look of the alt-mode works really well. Superion Maximus: By far my favourite of the Superlink/Energon Combiners. The individual members are great fun - two Warthog-bots whose facial expressions somehow make them look just a little too enthusiastic about the close air support role, two F-16XL inspired 'bots whose design shares some of the straight-lined aesthetic of the Legioss, and a rather fun leader-bot charged with keeping that lot in order. The combined mode I think looks great, the gangly and mismatched look kind of works for it. Wouldn't have bought the after-market upgrade parts for it if I didn't like it already.
5. Galaxy Force Dreadrock: Wonderfully chunky 'bot. Great headsculpt - reminds me of the first Patlabor movie's Type Zero, alt-mode is fantastic - we don't get enough chunky cargo aircraft in Transformers, and the fact that the tail section reminds me of the rather nice-looking tankers in the animated "Yukikaze" adaptation is just icing on the cake. The guns are great as well, with the missiles taken out and them tagged under the wing they feel like hose-and-drogue pods. Some clever design in the transformation. Job's a good'un.
4.Vanguard Squadron Firstgunner Another of Galaxy Forces detours into more unusual real-world inspiration for alt-modes. The resulting vehicle mode has a wonderful heft and solidity to it. The humanoid mode keeps that same aesthetic, and bolsters it with lovely gimmicks like the "it's a missile, honest" concealed cannon, and the forearm mounting weapon pod with the switchable implements for holding and hitting. Great toy.
3.Galaxy Force Exillion: Lovely supercar alt-mode, feels very top of the line with all the curves in the design, love the flip-out spoiler as well - kinda fun having a bottle-cap gimmick that isn't a hidden weapon. The humanoid mode is fantastically playable, with a simple and effective transformation design and some wonderful retro features to the design. (Made a fantastic repaint as Getaway as well)
2.Vanguard Squadron Backgild: Lovely toy - decently poseable arms in humanoid mode. A great, characterful sculpt (I love the "Robot wearing NVG's" look, not that they are doing him much good on top of his head...). The forearm mounted support missile pods look superb, and his alt-mode is just marvellous. The pop-out cannons on his arms are great - love the way they are designed so that it looks like he has handgrips for them (seriously, mate, just wire them into your onboard fire-control!).
1.Galaxy Force Exigeyser: Real-world Alt-mode, fantastic looking humanoid mode which is great fun to play with. A missile-banks gimmick that puts the GBP Armour's Itano Circus to shame... And unlike most of the other blade wielding Transformers, has a rather pragmatic combat knife up his sleeve "just in case". Fantastic toy, absolutely fantastic.
Karl
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