TFC Toys - Project Ares (Predaking) Mega Thread

Discussion in 'Transformers 3rd Party Discussion' started by Trailbreaker77, Jun 4, 2013.

  1. alex1984

    alex1984 Well-Known Member

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    So, shortly following my recent experience with Prometheus, I decided I might as well complete my line-up with Ares. After having handled him and seen him in person, it was both satisfying and disappointing.

    He definitely hits a lot of the right notes in terms of proportions. The colours were a bit gaudy and saturated, but fitting for the character. The alt modes and individual robot modes are very expressive, too.

    However, things start to fall apart (both figuratively and literally) in combined mode, and his flaws start to show. The upper body was very impressive, and the joints support the weight very well. The problem is in the lower legs and hips. First off, props to TFC for giving him nice strong ratchets in the knees. A chain's only as strong as the weakest link, and those connector pegs that rotate out from Nemean's legs all but nullifies those nice strong ratchets on Headstrong and Tantrum. It's disappointing that in their 3rd outing in the combiner game, they still haven't figure that out (good thing they finally did on Prometheus, though). The weak sideways ratchet on the combined mode hips did not help this figure either.

    It's quite a shame as I think there are definitely areas where I actually prefer this to Rex, but due to some glaring faults in their engineering, I feel that Ares fell short in this race. :( 
     
  2. Scaleface

    Scaleface Well-Known Member

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    I had been trying to find images of the Ares combiners using their PCC ports, and I came acrosss a review on Youtube where they put Phobus together with Maketoys Chaos limbs.


    [​IMG]
     

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  3. Scaleface

    Scaleface Well-Known Member

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    I just realized, this teaser which came out before the TFC Ares...

    [​IMG]

    The reason why the silhouettes are so hard to make out, is because they have Maketoys Missile Launcher add-ons!

    [​IMG]
     
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  4. wingheaven7

    wingheaven7 Well-Known Member

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    I'm pretty sure that none of those silhouettes have add on parts. It's more likely that these sillouettes are based on the extremely stylized line art tease but blackened out.

    Completely forgot these guys can do that btw. Really wish TFC made something to go with those ports. So much wasted potential.
     
  5. GPTF01

    GPTF01 Well-Known Member

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    yeah that would of been a great use of an add on
     
  6. alex1984

    alex1984 Well-Known Member

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    The Legions of Ares!
     
  7. LuciferX10

    LuciferX10 Well-Known Member

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    Wait, so why did you sell him in the first place just to buy him again so soon??
     
  8. toneroni

    toneroni Well-Known Member

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    Why is he so wobbly? Any fixes? Fairly new Ares owner
     
  9. XxsnipersnakexX

    XxsnipersnakexX the G1 prick

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    I still love mine
     

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  10. idkwdya

    idkwdya Nicks_Plastic_Shelf

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    Still loving mine as well. Thought about selling him recently but after getting him off the shelf. That isn't happening.

    [​IMG]
     
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  11. idkwdya

    idkwdya Nicks_Plastic_Shelf

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    Sadly that is typical for the older TFC Combiners. Not really any fixes unless you want to tighten some joints with floor polish. Just have to know where the weak joints are and pose it accordingly. Sense the combined mode joints are all hex connections. There really isn't much that can be done...
     
  12. Scaleface

    Scaleface Well-Known Member

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    Funny the TFC Toy weibo page posted this image commenting that Titans Return Wolfwire looks like a simplified version of their Phlogeus (with a wink and a laugh).

    They are similar, but then again it's a basic transformation on either of them.

    [​IMG]
     

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  13. alex1984

    alex1984 Well-Known Member

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    I recently bought a broken Nemean off eBay in hopes of it having tighter joints than mine, and I'd use it exclusively for torso mode. Well, turns out the sideways ratchet on that copy was even weaker than mine (and almost non-existent), so much for that :( .

    Anyhow, I've been reorganizing my room and my shelf, and finally made room to display this guy! While he is a pain to pose, he's still got a great presence. Showing some appreciation for these underrated gems!

    20161106_102041_resized.jpg
     
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  14. Dio

    Dio Well-Known Member

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    You know, some small brace pieces to lock Nemean's leg combiner joints straight, and a pair of clips to hold the leg-bots' feet together (pinching the combiner foot clips in place), and it would completely fix this gestalt. Simple parts, but I lack the means to mock them up myself...
     
  15. CodeXCDM

    CodeXCDM Well-Known Member

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    .........Is it really silly of me to *only* want these bots to serve as PCC commanders? Damn I wish there would have been a follow-up to the Iron Army... in particular, a bestial set to go with their Ares....

    Also is there any gallery out there with really good pictures of the various guys using PCC limbs? This seems to be all I can find out there. Saw maybe two more relevant images off google, and that was it.
     
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  16. xueyue2

    xueyue2 Well-Known Member

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    I read long time ago that TFC tiny Devastator (wrong name, but u know what I mean) project will use the PCC connector, not sure if it's true or not.
     
  17. CodeXCDM

    CodeXCDM Well-Known Member

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    Neat. It'd be awkward on these guys, but would work nicely with a PCC Steamhammer, if anyone has it.

    [​IMG]
     
  18. theosteve

    theosteve Well-Known Member

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    That's not silly. It was a clever idea of TFC to incorporate the connectors. I'd be interested, if more more varieties of PCC sets had been produced and were more readily available. It's a pity only MT gave PCC stuff a try.
     
  19. CodeXCDM

    CodeXCDM Well-Known Member

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    Well apparently it was not popular. I mean TFC did make the Iron Army bots, teased a Core Bot for the sets as a follow-up... then left it as is. The Mobine series from MT had some recognition, but namely because one bot was The Fallen, a character that had only two toys made for him at that point... A clunky Titanium figure, and a fugly movieverse figure.

    Since I hadn't been buying anything 3rd Party in like, two years almost... I apparently also missed out on HerQules, that SD-sized Devastator (mentioned a few comments ago) that did, in fact, sport PCC connectors.

    TBH, I kind of want to see if I can get him now... if only to put on Sledge, who is a quirky little wannabe Constructicon... and a nifty torso. (I'd love the Buildmaster colors, but um... couldn't buy BOTH the HerQules set AND this guy together. Bah.)
     
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2016
  20. Max Tower

    Max Tower Well-Known Member

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    Is there a way to Mount the large cannon on the animal modes that I am not seeing The toys are covered in holes and yet there is not a suitable way to get the large gun on the lion or eagle modes that I can see ?

    Also the way the lion has holes in his mane strongly suggests to me that there was an intention to make an upgrade kit intentionall perhaps to give better individual weapons to the team members too ?

    There seems no way to mopunt that gun it's very odd to me.

    What with home casting and printing being more common now did anyone ever made some apgrade pieces for this set at all - such as some parts to hold the feet together more strongly or some individual weapons or a pile of screw covers ?

    - Just though I'd look the thread up and ask this as it's a subject that comes up in newer TFC threads and perhaps if people buy their newer stuff they might want to source a Ares too - so it's potentially relevent to ask again !