I mean, they're looking pretty good, and they're not even that bad (Blitzwing at least has a nice robot mode). Astrotrain is more successful than Blitzwing, but then he's just changing between two similar tube shapes.
But "not that bad" isn't good enough for me to bother rewarding TT for their efforts. I'll get Overcharge as the only example of that Blitzwing (as that character is kind of meant to be rubbish) and I've gotten Galaxy Shuttle to get the Astrotrain mold (because I doubt we'll see that character get released again anytime soon).
Astrotrain is a series of tubes.
Astrotrain is not a big truck.
He'd like to be a truck.
Blitzwing's jet mode has a truck in the back for days.
But really, Takara continues to do their wonderful "basically dropper tool paint shade capture" magic on these, and both of them look really nice in the lighter show colors. I still lean a bit toward the toy shades that Hasbro tends to favor, though, and I did luckily manage to get an LG Blitzwing a while back so that's covered too.
While a cleaner Astro would have been nice, just getting a Legacy Blitzwing (the only one I lack from this trio) will be cheaper and simpler. And I may ultimately pass on that because I'm more interested in the upcoming Overcharge.
All this is just making me wish Hasbro would make a Sunstorm already. They now even have the perfect comic series subline for it. End this weird streak of never making it to regular retail and give him all the blast and flame effects.
But really, Takara continues to do their wonderful "basically dropper tool paint shade capture" magic on these, and both of them look really nice in the lighter show colors. I still lean a bit toward the toy shades that Hasbro tends to favor, though, and I did luckily manage to get an LG Blitzwing a while back so that's covered too.
While a cleaner Astro would have been nice, just getting a Legacy Blitzwing (the only one I lack from this trio) will be cheaper and simpler. And I may ultimately pass on that because I'm more interested in the upcoming Overcharge.
All this is just making me wish Hasbro would make a Sunstorm already. They now even have the perfect comic series subline for it. End this weird streak of never making it to regular retail and give him all the blast and flame effects.
This new paintjob looks nicer on the Astrotrain, but it does illustrate how much I'd prefer a Studio Series version.
This basically is a Studio Series version, since Evan Brooks has previously stated that if they ever were to do a SS86 version of astrotrain, it would most likely just be a mere redeco of this Siege mold.
He's a totally tubular dude.
I think that's what they meant?
Man, if I had known this would be released I wouldn't have gotten SS '86 Starscream.
Actually I take it back, this version doesn't come with the throne, which was the main reason I got that Starscream.
Actually I take it back, this version doesn't come with the throne, which was the main reason I got that Starscream.
I took it is them preferring a SS86 one (as in, a completely new, more show-accurate mold) over this Dramatic Capture Series one.
Yeah, the Seige Astrotrain mold is fun and a better likeness than Titans Return was, but it's still flawed and needs a redo more than, say, Springer did. Seige Astrotrain's colour values were a bit off (this version is better but still not perfect), the shuttle mode has those weird gaps and both alt modes could use more paint detailing, the figure is a bit too small/short due to the accessories, and even as someone that appreciates the Seige aesthetic, he seemed a bit too overly greebly on the details. His proportions could be a little bit more dynamic as well.
Ah. I thought it was like an SS86 Blaster thing.
But yeah, if they're going to sell him at Leader class, I wouldn't mind a Springer like update of Astrotrain that gated off the gunbox and replaced they with new tooling to improve on the altmodes and give the robot mode a bit more mass. Rather than faffing about with "this thing he had in this episode", just put that into different engineering and tooling. There's stuff they can tweak like they did with Springer's torso and shoulders that might be bigger improvements for Astrotrain. The height may be a scale chart thing, but he could use some beefing up in robot mode regardless.
I'd like the same for Blitzwing (altmode fixes mainly), but I think that's a more demanding change.
But yeah, if they're going to sell him at Leader class, I wouldn't mind a Springer like update of Astrotrain that gated off the gunbox and replaced they with new tooling to improve on the altmodes and give the robot mode a bit more mass. Rather than faffing about with "this thing he had in this episode", just put that into different engineering and tooling. There's stuff they can tweak like they did with Springer's torso and shoulders that might be bigger improvements for Astrotrain. The height may be a scale chart thing, but he could use some beefing up in robot mode regardless.
I'd like the same for Blitzwing (altmode fixes mainly), but I think that's a more demanding change.
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That's why I've stayed with the TT Titans Return version as for me the Siege has never been a worthy replacement. I hope the inevitable SS86 versions of Blitzwing and Astrotrain are good (as the SS86 Springer is what I was waiting for).
Yeah. Also, we're getting a (presumably) slightly taller SS86 Megatron next year, and at least IMO, the triple changers should not be shorter than Op and Megs (which Astrotrain/Blitz etc already are!).
As we were discussing pretenders a few pages ago, here's a look at what could be an MP Pretender one day, if Takara ever made one...
I think Takara should make Bludgeon for the T-Spark line...
I think Takara should make Bludgeon for the T-Spark line...
That looks incredibly expensive AND fragile, though. Especially those extending joint parts.
Based on the one 'modern' one we saw created in semi-recent times (Oilmaster Double Pretender shell) I'm guessing if there is a DinoKing set whoever makes it will probably just go for the two-part shell copying the original. Possibly some limb movement but I doubt it. If nothing else I expect some 3-D printed versions of that eventually.
Now if they go bigger budget, I could easily see something like Super7's Bludgeon with a pop-open torso with a core tank or the like.
One thing with Transformers, though, if you wait long enough it eventually seems to happen, whatever 'it' is, and fans will argue about if it;s any good.
Based on the one 'modern' one we saw created in semi-recent times (Oilmaster Double Pretender shell) I'm guessing if there is a DinoKing set whoever makes it will probably just go for the two-part shell copying the original. Possibly some limb movement but I doubt it. If nothing else I expect some 3-D printed versions of that eventually.
Now if they go bigger budget, I could easily see something like Super7's Bludgeon with a pop-open torso with a core tank or the like.
One thing with Transformers, though, if you wait long enough it eventually seems to happen, whatever 'it' is, and fans will argue about if it;s any good.
I don't have much of a horse in this race; Pretenders as a concept back in the day weren't really that interesting to me, and never seemed like they made it to stores in my area, anyway.
I will say this, though: watching Masterforce and Victory kinda got me used to the Pretenders' looking like their shells (or normal dudes for the Autobots in Masterforce), and while I don't really want figures that replicate the whole Pretender gimmick, I would be mildly interested in a set of figures that represented their disguised forms, as companions to regular Transformers but sold separately. Which seems like something Super7 ought to tackle, really.
(Honestly, a whole series of Transformers companion characters would not be unwelcome to me, kinda wouldn't mind a little Slizardo and Skuxxoid figure, among others...)
I will say this, though: watching Masterforce and Victory kinda got me used to the Pretenders' looking like their shells (or normal dudes for the Autobots in Masterforce), and while I don't really want figures that replicate the whole Pretender gimmick, I would be mildly interested in a set of figures that represented their disguised forms, as companions to regular Transformers but sold separately. Which seems like something Super7 ought to tackle, really.
(Honestly, a whole series of Transformers companion characters would not be unwelcome to me, kinda wouldn't mind a little Slizardo and Skuxxoid figure, among others...)