Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2014 22:08:39 GMT
I tend to get carried away taking photos of my new goodies but I figured this trio was probably worth a bit of feedback on as they're still available and haven't been reviewed here yet. Welcome to the first shoot in the 'Energon Cave'
For your money you're getting 3 figures replete with weapons and accessories. The characters are: Blockade (Chop Shop), Plunder (Ransack) and Teardown (Barrage). They're about the size of Classics Deluxe figures but have Fansproject's characteristic chunkiness to them, making them quite broad. Over the course of the photo session I came to notice that they seem to mass-shift bigger when transformed into their insect alt modes. You'll see what I mean in the photos.
There's nothing special about the packaging and the instructions are on individual pieces of paper for each toy. It could be a wasted opportunity but you have to bear in mind that these were supposed to be a special 'gift set' with the originals (purple Insecticons) being sold as individuals. It's not uncommon to see re-paints or special limited versions given only the base packaging treatment so I wasn't too bothered. Tucked inside was a small bag marked as a Christmas gift from TFsource.com and Fansproject. In this bag was a second set of guns. at first glance, this seems a bit pump but in fact, they're a really good addition as the first FP Insecticons were billed as 'ninja-esque' and came with shuriken, kusari and sais. These weapons now give you the chance to arm them as their original G1 inspirations were equipped. Happy.
First up, we'll take a lookChop Shop Blockade. I'm glad that he turned out to be solid, dense and dynamic as he was my key reason for buying the set. He strikes a happy balance between chunkiness and articulation and can be granted a range of poses in robot mode. His mandibles can be attached to his wrist, allowing for a choppy hand-to-hand look and his rifle has a sort of dirty AK look about it. Color-wise, he is just a deep enough maroon to look organic and this is complemented by the orange parts. the white striping doesn't really need to be there but it does lend a degree of depth, breaking up his outline. The detail on his face is a good representation of G1 Chop Shop and the admittedly small size just accentuates the bulk of his body. I really like him and would go so far as to say it's a better use of the Shrapnel Thundershred mold.
His alt mode, as previous alluded to, is quite wide but forms a convincing robotic stag beetle although it wouldn't have hurt to maybe put some sort of sensory organ where the face would be. I know it might not be accurate but the form loses definition without something there, becoming a bunch of joins.
Next up we'll take a look atRansack Plunder, a figure I wasn't that sold on until I started photoing him. Turns out he loves the camera! The Kickback Backfiery sold he's based on was my least favourite of the initial three FP Insecticons so I didn't expect much from this guy but as soon as the flash hit those translucent wings, oh my...
Things did, however, turn to rat shit when I tried to transform him. 'Unintuitive' doesn't even come close. He is without doubt the most fiddly, backwards, overly complicated transforming toy I have played with in a long while. Even having gone through the same drama with Backfiery a few weeks ago, I still had to consult the instructions after ten minutes of failure (measured by how many times some ball joint popped off in my hand). With instructions in hand, it still took me a further five minutes to transform. Here's a shot I took of him mid-transformation looking like some hideous robotic nightmare from 'The Fly III':
Finally, after all the faff, I got him to his grasshopper alt mode, which, like the other Insecticons, isn't especially articulate or exciting unless you have a real taste for insect physiology. In my amateur opinion, I feel his hind legs are too dense and the wings don't really know where to sit. I may be overly prejudiced because by the time I'd gotten him into this mode, I was ready to swat the ****ing thing.
He looks much creepier head-on:
Last, and by most means, least, we haveBarrage Teardown. Although he's be a really nice figure in his own right, it's glaringly obvious that this mold was meant for Bombshell Stormbomb. It's the least fitting of this pack to their G1 counterparts, although the head sculpt is pretty good. His density also means he suffers with the most limited articulation. Finally, I find his colour scheme, although accurate, quite dull - it reminds me of a really bad Christmas quiche from my childhood. As if it weren't bad enough, I tried a Decepticon logo on his chest and it merely clashed with the white lines underneath it. I fully intend to remove it, apply white paint, then put one back but in these photos it's the icing on a fairly bland cake.
His alt mode would be good if it weren't for the inappropriate use of a gun piece that comes from a gun clearly meant for Barrage. He still looks recognisable and I don't mean to knock him so much but if the other two are 9 and 8 out of 10 respectively, this guy is probably a 7. Still good, but overshadowed (oh, and his transformation is also a bitch with stuff needing to be poked in places and stuff getting jammed and fears of breakage etc...).
I already have FP's version of Kickback and two KOs of their versions of Bombshell and Shrapnel. It was a bit of a step to shell out for these but overall, I'm glad I did. Moreover, having seen what the proper molds of Bombshell and Shrapnel resemble, I'm on the lookout to get proper versions of them now too. It was my drive to create the Mayhem Attack Squad that first got me looking at these figures and subsequent purchases of FP toys convinced me they were a line worth getting. They are a great little set and do very well to be so different from one another in their colours, character but most noticeably, their transformations. If you want a challenge and would like to see a few design quirks that you don't see very often, then you'll be well impressed I think. yes, they're expensive but third party figures always come in at a higher price point. Once you get them in your hand though, you won't feel ripped off like you might with, say, a Unique Toys or Keith's Fantasy Club toy.
Well, that's it. I'll leave you with a few pictures showing what happened, later that day, back at the energon refinery...
Steve Sifu 師傅
STATS
For your money you're getting 3 figures replete with weapons and accessories. The characters are: Blockade (Chop Shop), Plunder (Ransack) and Teardown (Barrage). They're about the size of Classics Deluxe figures but have Fansproject's characteristic chunkiness to them, making them quite broad. Over the course of the photo session I came to notice that they seem to mass-shift bigger when transformed into their insect alt modes. You'll see what I mean in the photos.
PRELIMINARIES
There's nothing special about the packaging and the instructions are on individual pieces of paper for each toy. It could be a wasted opportunity but you have to bear in mind that these were supposed to be a special 'gift set' with the originals (purple Insecticons) being sold as individuals. It's not uncommon to see re-paints or special limited versions given only the base packaging treatment so I wasn't too bothered. Tucked inside was a small bag marked as a Christmas gift from TFsource.com and Fansproject. In this bag was a second set of guns. at first glance, this seems a bit pump but in fact, they're a really good addition as the first FP Insecticons were billed as 'ninja-esque' and came with shuriken, kusari and sais. These weapons now give you the chance to arm them as their original G1 inspirations were equipped. Happy.
REVIEW
First up, we'll take a look
"Can I steal this?"
His alt mode, as previous alluded to, is quite wide but forms a convincing robotic stag beetle although it wouldn't have hurt to maybe put some sort of sensory organ where the face would be. I know it might not be accurate but the form loses definition without something there, becoming a bunch of joins.
Next up we'll take a look at
... wait for it...
Fiery Ninja Insect Wing Swords!
Out came the ninja weaponry from Backfiery.
Things did, however, turn to rat shit when I tried to transform him. 'Unintuitive' doesn't even come close. He is without doubt the most fiddly, backwards, overly complicated transforming toy I have played with in a long while. Even having gone through the same drama with Backfiery a few weeks ago, I still had to consult the instructions after ten minutes of failure (measured by how many times some ball joint popped off in my hand). With instructions in hand, it still took me a further five minutes to transform. Here's a shot I took of him mid-transformation looking like some hideous robotic nightmare from 'The Fly III':
Finally, after all the faff, I got him to his grasshopper alt mode, which, like the other Insecticons, isn't especially articulate or exciting unless you have a real taste for insect physiology. In my amateur opinion, I feel his hind legs are too dense and the wings don't really know where to sit. I may be overly prejudiced because by the time I'd gotten him into this mode, I was ready to swat the ****ing thing.
He looks much creepier head-on:
Last, and by most means, least, we have
His alt mode would be good if it weren't for the inappropriate use of a gun piece that comes from a gun clearly meant for Barrage. He still looks recognisable and I don't mean to knock him so much but if the other two are 9 and 8 out of 10 respectively, this guy is probably a 7. Still good, but overshadowed (oh, and his transformation is also a bitch with stuff needing to be poked in places and stuff getting jammed and fears of breakage etc...).
SUMMARY
I already have FP's version of Kickback and two KOs of their versions of Bombshell and Shrapnel. It was a bit of a step to shell out for these but overall, I'm glad I did. Moreover, having seen what the proper molds of Bombshell and Shrapnel resemble, I'm on the lookout to get proper versions of them now too. It was my drive to create the Mayhem Attack Squad that first got me looking at these figures and subsequent purchases of FP toys convinced me they were a line worth getting. They are a great little set and do very well to be so different from one another in their colours, character but most noticeably, their transformations. If you want a challenge and would like to see a few design quirks that you don't see very often, then you'll be well impressed I think. yes, they're expensive but third party figures always come in at a higher price point. Once you get them in your hand though, you won't feel ripped off like you might with, say, a Unique Toys or Keith's Fantasy Club toy.
Well, that's it. I'll leave you with a few pictures showing what happened, later that day, back at the energon refinery...
Steve Sifu 師傅
