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Post by Toph on Sept 25, 2014 22:07:17 GMT
My copies of these four came in from BBTS, today!
I will split them up, as I don't feel that great, and am still forming opinions.
First. Jhiaxus is DAYGLO. The online pictures do absolutely nothing to show exactly how bright his orange is. He truly is full on neon dayglo orange, oh my god. He is so bright, I put him in the darkest spot in my G2 shelf, and he still looks like he's in the light.
In a really odd way, it is almost a satire deco of G2, if you took every fan who mocks G2 seriously. Or if you tried to design a g2 deco without really understanding them.
This is contrasted with 2 really bland shades of grey. Aside from the yellow in his eyes, pale grey for his face, black tailfins, and the metallic blue canopy, these are the only colors on him.
It is quite frankly one of the weirdest color schemes in a looooong time.
He is a massive remold of Starscream. Considerably more extensive than he looks. He would be amazing in his true colors. I can't believe how close he is without being an entirely new sculpt.
He's really a combination of proper Jhiaxus with IDW Jhiaxus, having blended features of both.
With a new head, or at least the Starscream head, I'd love to see this version repainted into Terrorsaur.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 26, 2014 7:32:14 GMT
I only spotted the mistake on Jhiaxus' packaging because I got him at the same time as Rattrap & Tankor. The later two pleasingly have their original Faction Symbols - Maximals and the long absent Vehicon - on the packet. Jhiaxus is a character who first appeared during G2: Surely he should have a G2 Decepticon symbol on his packaging? Dreadwing has it! |
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Post by Toph on Sept 26, 2014 9:36:31 GMT
Yeah, they put normal decepticon symbol on his package, and grey colored normal decepticon symbols on him.
Anyone have preference over the next of the four I talk about?
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Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 26, 2014 10:24:40 GMT
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Post by Toph on Sept 27, 2014 1:25:20 GMT
Wingblade is a really odd one, and not in a good way.
She's chock full of many weird decisions, both in design and execution.
First, being an entirely new character, her bio sucks. It tells us nothing of her personality. Just basically "She's excited to be an autobot, and the autobots are happy to have her!"
I don't know anything more about her than I did the day she was announced.
From a stylistic standpoint, the geisha/kabuto thing makes no sense at all. It's well sculpted, but makes no sense.
Engineering, even more odd decisions. Her vehicle mode plays absolutely NO role at all in her robot mode.
Remove all the vehicle parts, and her robot mode is not only unaffected, it's probably improved. And if it wasn't her her shins stashing on the jet's back, both modes could completely coexist if separated.
Her tab system sucks pretty hard. Nothing holds together, if tabs exist at all (her shoulders have no tabs to lock them into her torso, and her shoulders bare most of her vehicle mode, so thats considerable weight).
Overall, it's like they hired the blue moon people who thought the TFP designs were a good idea, to design her, then had the b-team turn those half baked designs into a poorly engineered prototype, and called it a day.
This is a terrible toy, all around. It's not FoC bad, but it's not hard to be better than those.
Purchase at your own risk. If you've been on the fence, go ahead and skip it.
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Post by Toph on Sept 28, 2014 0:18:21 GMT
Crosscut-
Basically, it's considerably better than skids.
While overboard on guns, it doesn't seem as wrong on him.
The new head is brilliant. His colors are very nice, and the red is that metallic shiny paint Takara loves, that i wish hasbro would use more (like the robot parts of Rattrap, Rhinox, and Waspinator).
Though I'm concerned for GPS. The plastic used is that swirly kind.
Other than my GPS fears, I think he's the best of the bunch.
Nightbeat-
As crosscut was the best, so is Nightbeat the worst.
I'll start with the good: he has a gorgeous headsculpt. Blows Funpub's out of the water.
Unfortunately, that is the one and only redeeming factor. It's all downhill from there.
First, Bumblebug is a terrible mold, and heavily flawed. I won't get into those issues here, just the nightbeat changes.
The mold does not become Nightbeat well. It looks nothing like any version of him. And the only strength it has over other, better molds that also look nothing like him (rts jazz, anyone?), is the fake chest kibble which could have been painted yellow to bring the resemblance factor up, but left blue.
But maybe that's for the best, because To be honest, he looks like a knockoff. His paint applications are sloppily applied, and inconsistent. The yellow goes from adequate, to barely covering the blue.
The blue paint on his forearms not only doesn't match the blue plastic, it looks like some sort of primer paint.
You're better off going for the Timelines Nightbeat.
Overall, crosscut is my favorite. Jhiaxus takes second place only because of the completely batty decision to color him Dayglo and dull grey.
In a distant third is Windblade, with Nightbeat being the worst thing they've done since they forced FoC Bruticus on us.
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Sept 28, 2014 19:11:33 GMT
Disappointed to hear Nightbeat isn't up to snuff as I was going to pick him up. I have Jhiaxus and yes he is BRIGHT! It's a shame he isn't in G2 colours as he would be spot on. Great toy, my only grumble the hands don't lock into place when in robot mode, but that's a minor gripe.
Andy
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Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 28, 2014 19:20:31 GMT
I like Nightbeat. You can see for yourself on Friday.
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Sept 28, 2014 19:24:30 GMT
Cool, if I like him I will just whack an order in at Kapow.
Andy
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Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 28, 2014 19:37:52 GMT
A yellow chest would help, but is easily customisable. He does need a proper gun though! And, as I said elsewhere, I'm willing to bet we'll see a Siren repaint down the line as well as the existing Million Publishing Go Shooter |
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Post by Bogatan on Sept 28, 2014 20:25:55 GMT
It's a shame they went to the effort of Nightbeat and go shooter now when in only a few months a whole set of stunticons with non vehicle chests would have been available to choose from.
And we could have had a whole New Headmasters combiner with Nightbeat, Siren, Goshooter, Minerva and Hosehead (assuming Hotspot gets made)
Having said that the Bumblebee mould isn't as bad as I expected it to be before getting it, but in a line that has produced Waspinator Rattrap, Armada Starscream, it is sadly on the Tankor side of the range. Goshooter looks great.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 28, 2014 21:20:24 GMT
Tankor's robot is good. The vehicle wang's chung.
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Sept 28, 2014 21:58:12 GMT
Tankor's robot is good. The vehicle wang's chung. Shame, mind you Tank Drone from Beast Machines was always going to take some beating. Andy |
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Post by Bogatan on Oct 17, 2014 18:52:14 GMT
Have to agree with Phil, Nightbeat is great. To say I was underwhelmed by Bumblebee is serious understatment, but as not Bee the mould just works. He does need some more yellow on the chest, but otherwise it all works. The shoulder is still a bit odd, but now I want Siren, Goshooter Minerva and I'll have to track down a Carzap too.
Jhiaxus is also great, but if I take away the fact it is Jhixaus and is insanely orange I have to admit it isn't quite as good as Armada Starscream. I like the little extra articulation of the wings in robot mode.
Haven't opened Crosscut yet, but did get a reissue Skids and to my surprise I'm liking the mould more than expected. Most of the weapons fold away for a slightly more G1 looking version.
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