Studio Series discussion

[The Mighty Mollusk]

Saw this today on BBTS. Not Studio Series, but since the thread's about movie toys, it's as good a place as any.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Scalpel Figure

BigBadToyStore has a massive selection of toys (like action figures, statues, and collectibles) from Marvel, DC Comics, Transformers, Star Wars, Movies, TV Shows, and More

www.bigbadtoystore.com

 

[The Phazer]

So, SDCC reveals -

Core Novakane (Freezer with a new hat)
Core ROTB Exo suit (I like it! Nice drone mode)
Core 86 Frenzy (Red) (Not a surprise but solid)
Deluxe ROTB Nightbird (ehhh, this looks worse than the mainline version to me but maybe better pictures will help)
Voyager Ratchet (Fantastic)
Commander Magnus (Also fantastic, I think they did a great job here).

Not a painted window in sight. They were so full of jive with Brawn.

 

[Superomegaprime]

Magnus looks like they are reusing the Kingdom/siege gun, thou it will be intersting to see how he actually transforms, because this will be the second time offically that a G1 Magnus gets to be a car transporter that can actually transport cars, the last one was Combiner wars and before that it was RID2001 Magnus, the kingdom/siege wasn't very good at doing that!

 

[Donocropolis]

Magnus looks like they are reusing the Kingdom/siege gun, thou it will be intersting to see how he actually transforms, because this will be the second time offically that a G1 Magnus gets to be a car transporter that can actually transport cars, the last one was Combiner wars and before that it was RID2001 Magnus, the kingdom/siege wasn't very good at doing that!

The Kingdom mold was good at having an inner robot, which I found an acceptable trade.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

Ultra Magnus looks great. But I don't care. Inner robot or no sale. I'm out.

 

[PrimalxConvoy]

So, SDCC reveals -

Core Novakane (Freezer with a new hat)
Core ROTB Exo suit (I like it! Nice drone mode)
Core 86 Frenzy (Red) (Not a surprise but solid)
Deluxe ROTB Nightbird (ehhh, this looks worse than the mainline version to me but maybe better pictures will help)
Voyager Ratchet (Fantastic)
Commander Magnus (Also fantastic, I think they did a great job here).

Not a painted window in sight. They were so full of jive with Brawn.

Not even remotely interested in Nota-Magnus without the white Prime. Easy pass.

 

[Sciflyer]

I like Magnus enough to get him. I don't mind that he doesn't have a separate, smaller, white Optimus (after all, this is a Studio Series release, and he did not have that feature in the '86 Movie). I've got the Kingdom version and Classics if I really get itchy to display him like that.

 

[Gizmoboy]

I am totally happy with my Siege Magnus. He's a close enough representation to Ultra Magnus for me that I don't plan on getting another. I'm not surprised at SS's lack of inner bot as other's have pointed out. I'm not disappointed in it or anything, I just don't need it.

 

[PrimalxConvoy]

I am totally happy with my Siege Magnus. He's a close enough representation to Ultra Magnus for me that I don't plan on getting another. I'm not surprised at SS's lack of inner bot as other's have pointed out. I'm not disappointed in it or anything, I just don't need it.

I'll be sticking with my OSKO Siege Magnus too. It's the closest thing to a "passable" and "official" CHUG Magnus.

I suppose one day, Hasbro will make one that's fully decent, but not today...

 

[Lobjob]

I do not need that Magnus but he is beautiful. I will probably grab him. I have a bunch of Optimuses, might as well go all in on Magnus too.

 

[lastmaximal]

I'm in for Magnus, despite my traditional preference for having the inner robot. Kinda bummed that we didn't get a similar "smaller robot and super mode" as we've gotten for Armada Prime; this seems like it would've been doable at this price point (and frankly I thought that was the point of putting it here). But ehh. He looks good, and ended up better than the WFC one (but then, low bar), so... fine.

Ratchet I'm waffling on, as I might yet get an upgrade kit to let the Earthrise/Galactic Odyssey one's shield become a repair sled and call it a day.

Nightbird I like the look of, but as with the Beast Weaponizer Arcee, that backpack is going to be annoying. Maybe there's a step the toy photographer/renderer missed where the panels with the winglets fold down? I'd have taken the mainline Deluxe with the beige/bronze replaced with gunmetal. (shrug) I wonder if I can just paint one up.

Exosuit Noah I can take or leave, but maybe there's a repurposing that can be done there thanks to the jet mode.

 

[unluckiness]

Maybe if Magnus had come out earlier. Stege Magnus has its issues but this doesn't do anything significantly better to warrant a rebuy.

I'm sitting ROTB out completely due to the clusterhug of its toyline.

 

[Sabrblade]

It's not like Hasbro and Takara haven't already given us four "inner robot included" Ultra Magnus options for us to pick from in the last five years, those being Siege, Netflix, Premium Finish, and Kingdom.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

It's not the same, and you know it.

 

[Shadewing]

Considering all the Trailer-less Magnii we've gotten, I think its absolutely the same.

 

[Andrusi]

What's a Magnius?

 

[wonko the sane?]

What's a Magnius?

About $350 and 4 hours of labour at the mechanic.

 

[Glitch]

I'll stick to my Combiner Wars Ultra Magnus and Siege Delta Magnus thank you very much.

 

[Stepwise]

What's a Magnius?

Nuttin.' What's a Magnius wit you?

 

[Steevy Maximus]

I’m with the broader consensus here: Commander Ultra Magnus is very nice, but it doesn’t do anything (short of extra paint and extra accessories) appreciably better than the Kingdom one I already have. Same is true of Ratchet, I already have the Siege (love the Cybertronian “geebles“ ) AND Earthrise versions, the Voyager doesn’t really do much better.

The Studio Core series offers some nifty things. I appreciate they did Noah in his exosuit, but I think I might have preferred a non-transforming figure with accessories compared to the odd jet mode they ended up giving him. Novakane is just a modified Freezer, but I’ll probably end up with both as Unicron Battlemasters.
Nightbird? I feel she has the same issues as Studio Series Mirage: in trying to keep these figures “complex and articulation” we’re ending up with messy figures that fail on multiple fronts. Like with Mirage, aside from the plastic choices, the Core Deluxe is “good enough” (from a design standpoint) and doesn’t look nearly as frustrating. Damn near ALL of the Studio Series RotB toys fall into this trap where they are trying to keep up the “Collector Standards” and end up with gangly messes or overdesigned clumps that fail to capture “the feel” of the film‘s designs.