Yeah this is one of those figures I want to get but there's too much other stuff I'd rather buy first.

 

Finally opened this guy up. I like that he has a lot of "extras" but I'm surprised at how the instructions don't even hint at them (and they do a pretty poor job really explaining how to transform him as well... they either completely miss the little yellow tabs holding his rear treads/arms in place in tank mode, or they redesigned that later).

I don't think they mention that the shoulder cannon has a rear piece that can slide up to attach both guns (though they do mention that the "grenade" can become a scope). They also don't mention that the knife can fit into either gun, or that the "grenade" can attach to the barrel.

Speaking of those little yellow tabs that keep the rear treads in place... there are obviously two positions for them, one making them flat, one making them elevated. Is there some alt mode that I'm missing? It looks kinda dumb with just the rear elevated in that way. Also is there a cool way to display the clear "missile bays" behind the arms? I thought they might flip up over the arms but they don't go up that far...

 

This guy came in my POL today. I love him! Big , chunky , an armed to the teeth. This is how I want all my bots to be. Good job Toy World. Your on my 3rd party map now.

 

How does this guy feel in hand? Does he feel solid or hollow? Is the plastic on the level of a FP release or closer to MMC's plastic?

 

Hardbone is a solid Transformer that feels like good quality. I didn't even need the instructions to transform him, which I like.

It does have some minor flaws:

- Headmaster doesn't fit in cockpit unless it's in "head" mode.
- The removable side canon hinge is irritatingly loose and is a tight fit into the peg holes on either side of his shoulder during the transformation stage.
- The Headmaster really serves no real purpose for the figure. It's just a removable head...but I don't care....I never cared for the tech spec chest gimmick anyway.

Overall, it's a great figure and fits in nicely with the Classics aesthetic. I've put Autobot logos on him and he looks great, especially in robot mode. I already preordered the others in production along with Chromedome. Make them all, I say!

 

Headmaster in "head" mode? Mine sits just fine. The big cannon is a bit hard to put on mine.

 

Holy crap. I fiddled with it to try to make him fit in the cockpit but just gave up because it just wouldn't close all the way. I'll give it another shot. Thanks.

 

You have to bend the knees a bit to have him sit in the seat.

 

lack of pics killing me

next to function x-1 please

 

*facepalm*

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/trans...ion-2013-rules-first-post-25.html#post8969206

3rd-party Headmasters | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Masterpiece scale - a photo on Flickriver

 

I believe the idea is to have both the front and rear sets of tracks at a forty-five degree angle, creating a kind of elevated tank mode similar to the alternate modes of Human Alliance Thunderhead and IDW Guzzle. In the instance of the front tracks, the angle can be achieved by simply rotating them on Hardbone's existing hip joints.

 

Is there still a high occurrence of loose joints on this guy or does it seem like the tolerances are okay for the most part? I really like this figure, but still kinda "meh" on buying him or not

 

Grrr... why hasn't TFSource gotten these in already??

 

For the most part mine was fine. No better or worse then a typical release of a standard figure.

 

I really dig this figure, though I despise the cute innuendo name they gave him.

Only gripes I have are the loose bicep areas (both the rotation, and the extension from the shoulder area. It's a bit strange as well because everything else on the figure is well thought out, and locks together well.

The big shoulder cannon has a very loose pin (well because its just a smooth pin really). So the cannon tends to flop about rather easily. Certainly not a big issue, but one worth noting.

The pilot looks nothing like the G1 pilot, . Instead toyworld went with a "mini-me" version of Hardbone itself. FP Code's pilot is an homage to the original G1 Stylor, so I was personally hoping for a Duros rendition here. No dice. Now I wasn't happy about this, at first - but having the figure in hand and seeing all of the intricate mold detailing on the pilot himself, I am impressed. The sculpting on the pilot is very crisp and detailed. The knees look odd because the ball joint is visible from the back, and the front - but what are you going to do.

This figure scales well with Code, and the pilots are nearly the same height (stylor is taller, amusingly enough). If an updated headmaster line is what you seek, then be sure not to miss out on Hardbone.

 

So has anyone painted the head in G1 colors yet? Haven't seen anything online, but I think it would drastically improve the overall look. *patiently waiting for mine to arrive*

 

Not yet. On the bright side, I have found out that you can disassemble his head easily enough. The grey head / backpack portion is attached to the back of the smaller figure with a couple of pegs (no glue), and similarly the transparent yellow visor is pegged into the head / backpack. A small precision flat-head screwdriver should be enough to pry these pieces apart, considerably facilitating any repainting.

 

That is good news! I was hoping it would be an easy procedure like that. Thanks for the heads up, now I really can't wait lol

 

Just got this beast in today! I'll post my thoughts and maybe a few pics tomorrow. But overall... holy crap is he big! Surprised no one else has been posting about him lately....

 

Collectin mine on monday.he looks good.voyager size etc from video. But I saw the headmaster tend to 'get out of shape' easily.i wish some1 would make a better headmaster for him. Any1 knows where I can stick some symbols on him?