Post by Shockprowl on Dec 18, 2014 18:31:22 GMT
Badcube's Brawny from their 'Old Timer' series of Masterpiece styled mini-Autobots.
Brawn! My joint first Transformers, great nostalgic buzz going on here. And a Masterpiece Brawn at that! But is it really a 'Masterpiece'? Let's see...
PACKAGING: Absolutely top quality. Lots going on, really professionally done. The instruction booklet is full of interesting info and concept art. Brawny comes packed really well inside. You get Brawny, fuel-tank gun, drill attachment, and spare tire. I thought he came with a G1 toy accurate extra face? Maybe I imagined that. 'Cos there aint one. Which is a shame.
QC: Spot on folks. I can't find a single poorly applied paint app at all. His colour scheme is fairly bland overall, but then so was the original G1 toy. Colour-wise he perfectly duplicates the G1 toy. All joints are tight and in full working order. And the quality of plastic is very good indeed. Feels as good as official MPs. Strong and dense, just like Brawn!
ACCESSORIES: His little handgun is nice, transforming well from a fuel-tank. Drill is alot of fun. No G1 toy face thought sadly. I can live without that, but it's a pity there isn't one. It looks like his face section can be changed, and I could have sworn that he came with an extra face, but may be I was confused with another figure.
VEHICLE MODE: Stunning. Lovely attention to detail in the headlights, door handles etc. Again, bland colour scheme, but what do you want from a green Landrovery type vehicle? It perfectly scales with the other Autobot MP Cars. The drill is a fun add-on with a surprising amount of play-value. And the vehicle mode doesn't suffer from being an 'Updated formerly stubby G1 vehicle mode', like, in my opinion, MP Bumblebee does. It's a great looking vehicle.
ROBOT MODE: He's got some bulk about him that's for sure! I'd been worried he looked too stocky in photos... but no! No, sportsfans he looks perfect. He is very stocky, but in the plastic it really suits the character. I think they've got him spot on. Joints are tight, the face/head sculpt is OUTSTANING. He holds his gun well (the larger canon comes with his mold partner which I don't have. This would have been fun for Brawny to wield but I can live without it). His legs are hollow from the back, and his backpack section hangs a bit untidily, but I find I can except those things- no toy's perfect, right? Brawny has a really effective and beefy robot mode. MP styling is spot on. He's got a presence about him in robot mode. He has the mass of your MP Prowl, Sideswipe or Wheeljack, but squatter. He looks strong. I'm very pleased.....
except.....
MAJOR PROBLEM ALERT!
I'm sorry but Brawny has one pretty major design flaw, cyber-chaps. It's big. it's a huge disappointment, and I'm puzzeled as to how this otherwise fantastically designed toy can have such a gaff. When you transform him, his legs are attached to a piece that I call the 'under crotch'. It swings up and attaches to his body under his waist, to form the full crotch area. The problem is, this 'under crotch' section DOES NOT tab in, slot in, or otherwise firmly attach to Brawny's body. This means that every time you try to pose his legs this section comes away from his body. The joint is tight and well made, but I fear it will weaken with play. For display purposes it wont matter that much, but play-wise, it's a big problem. Ahhhhhhh. Dear oh dear. Almost a disaster really. One can work round it, but one shouldn't have to.
OVERALL: Is it a Masterpiece? With design flaw? Just. Without it? Definitely. Is he worth the money? As a MP and/or Brawn fan- YES. Other fans- YES! He's a lovely, well put together, good quality, modern representation of a great character, who always adds a fun dimension to any group of Autobots. It's just... the under crotch problem.... What a shame. Badcube very nearly done a Quakewave here (although Quakey doesn't have hollow legs from the rear...), but this big design flaw spoils an otherwise outstanding and fun figure.
But! Not all dome and gloom cyber-chumbs! We're not likely to get an official MP Brawn any time soon. So this figure fits that role perfectly. Well done overall, Badcube, I have ordered their Huff on the back of Brawny's success. I wonder who they'll do next in their 'Old Timer' series?
Ian.
EDIT: The 'under crotch' section is metal by the way.
Brawn! My joint first Transformers, great nostalgic buzz going on here. And a Masterpiece Brawn at that! But is it really a 'Masterpiece'? Let's see...
PACKAGING: Absolutely top quality. Lots going on, really professionally done. The instruction booklet is full of interesting info and concept art. Brawny comes packed really well inside. You get Brawny, fuel-tank gun, drill attachment, and spare tire. I thought he came with a G1 toy accurate extra face? Maybe I imagined that. 'Cos there aint one. Which is a shame.
QC: Spot on folks. I can't find a single poorly applied paint app at all. His colour scheme is fairly bland overall, but then so was the original G1 toy. Colour-wise he perfectly duplicates the G1 toy. All joints are tight and in full working order. And the quality of plastic is very good indeed. Feels as good as official MPs. Strong and dense, just like Brawn!
ACCESSORIES: His little handgun is nice, transforming well from a fuel-tank. Drill is alot of fun. No G1 toy face thought sadly. I can live without that, but it's a pity there isn't one. It looks like his face section can be changed, and I could have sworn that he came with an extra face, but may be I was confused with another figure.
VEHICLE MODE: Stunning. Lovely attention to detail in the headlights, door handles etc. Again, bland colour scheme, but what do you want from a green Landrovery type vehicle? It perfectly scales with the other Autobot MP Cars. The drill is a fun add-on with a surprising amount of play-value. And the vehicle mode doesn't suffer from being an 'Updated formerly stubby G1 vehicle mode', like, in my opinion, MP Bumblebee does. It's a great looking vehicle.
ROBOT MODE: He's got some bulk about him that's for sure! I'd been worried he looked too stocky in photos... but no! No, sportsfans he looks perfect. He is very stocky, but in the plastic it really suits the character. I think they've got him spot on. Joints are tight, the face/head sculpt is OUTSTANING. He holds his gun well (the larger canon comes with his mold partner which I don't have. This would have been fun for Brawny to wield but I can live without it). His legs are hollow from the back, and his backpack section hangs a bit untidily, but I find I can except those things- no toy's perfect, right? Brawny has a really effective and beefy robot mode. MP styling is spot on. He's got a presence about him in robot mode. He has the mass of your MP Prowl, Sideswipe or Wheeljack, but squatter. He looks strong. I'm very pleased.....
except.....
MAJOR PROBLEM ALERT!
I'm sorry but Brawny has one pretty major design flaw, cyber-chaps. It's big. it's a huge disappointment, and I'm puzzeled as to how this otherwise fantastically designed toy can have such a gaff. When you transform him, his legs are attached to a piece that I call the 'under crotch'. It swings up and attaches to his body under his waist, to form the full crotch area. The problem is, this 'under crotch' section DOES NOT tab in, slot in, or otherwise firmly attach to Brawny's body. This means that every time you try to pose his legs this section comes away from his body. The joint is tight and well made, but I fear it will weaken with play. For display purposes it wont matter that much, but play-wise, it's a big problem. Ahhhhhhh. Dear oh dear. Almost a disaster really. One can work round it, but one shouldn't have to.
OVERALL: Is it a Masterpiece? With design flaw? Just. Without it? Definitely. Is he worth the money? As a MP and/or Brawn fan- YES. Other fans- YES! He's a lovely, well put together, good quality, modern representation of a great character, who always adds a fun dimension to any group of Autobots. It's just... the under crotch problem.... What a shame. Badcube very nearly done a Quakewave here (although Quakey doesn't have hollow legs from the rear...), but this big design flaw spoils an otherwise outstanding and fun figure.
But! Not all dome and gloom cyber-chumbs! We're not likely to get an official MP Brawn any time soon. So this figure fits that role perfectly. Well done overall, Badcube, I have ordered their Huff on the back of Brawny's success. I wonder who they'll do next in their 'Old Timer' series?
Ian.
EDIT: The 'under crotch' section is metal by the way.
