Pipes is so bad. I bought him for completions sake but fuck. Im not sure what I expected BC to do with him and remain true to the source, he's just a turd character. Maybe somehow have the cab collapse back to front and some paint.....Huffer is fantastic though.

 

Yeah I’m torn on getting him. Like you I want him to fill the “hole on the shelf” but I’m not a huge fan of the character. What are your thoughts on the actual figure?

 

I think it's made well enough but the lack of paint and finish stand out way more on him than Huff. From a side profile he is almost unbearable to look at. Problem is if you are like me and a hole in the cast would be an ocd nightmare what choice and or odds of someone else doing him is there? In the end he's good enough to have to avoid that.

 

if i do get piper i will be painting the white plastic

 

OK I'll bite, where is the Pipes with the pure blue on the back of the cab.

 

Never understood the hate for some BC transformations ... it's like ppl ran with a narrative and completely lost touch of reality ... SunSurge and Wardog (minus shoulders) are really easy transformations in my mind ... more steps than TT/not as elegant as official ... but no where the "aww hell na" degree of difficulty others seem to imply ...

 

I think they tend to get a bad rep too but part of it is because somewhere in that transformation, you just know you're going to get this "remains of a shredded car" look where everything is on hinges and just a big floppy pile of shit. It's classic BC for most of their figures and they sorta did that to themselves. That said, I really didn't think Sunsurge was THAT hard...just lots of pieces but it all went somewhere neatly and made sense.

 

There are no sliders on Sunsurge right? ... I do like the intuitive ease of the Huff 2.0 transformation, but the over-reliance on sliders does feel a bit like a cheat and more to the point definitely non-nostalgic ... I think after collecting for awhile, it's taken me time to appreciate just how much the transformation process itself feeds into the nostalgia factor, speaking as someone who was too young to directly recall the G1 transformations ... it's kinda like "smell" memory I guess ...

 

QC-wise I can only talk about mine, which I believe is a v2 and has no problems. His roll cage is a little fiddly but nothing serious.

 

Come on now you have to admit that Wardog's crazy shoulder gear rearrangement is a tad complex.

But I do give Wardog full marks for transformation anyway, unlike say Grump.

 

Was able to get the set off TB for $93 shipped as part of my stash. Take that Ebay!

 

Mate, I assure you that my dislike of Badcube transformations has got nothing to do with following any kind of pre-determined narrative. I just don't like them. And it's not about difficulty, it's about enjoyment. Huff v2 is easily their best transformation, probably followed by Sunsurge. But Wardog? Hell on fucking earth. Whoever thought that effectively dissembling and reassembling those shoulders was an acceptable transformation step is a madman. It's among the least fun things I've ever done.

 

I finally got a chance to look over my Huff 2.0. I never owned the original, but this is my 5th BadCube figure.

PROS

• Looks very close, but also improves Huffer's look from the G1 cartoon
• Super easy and fun transformation. Pretty clever how a few of the steps work such as the compressing cab and leg compartments
• Nice paint (mostly) where it is applied. I'm not bother at all with the orange color now that I have it in hand
• Loads of articulation which gives tons of personality

CONS

• The paint on the feet could have used another coat or 2. It seems the left foot isn't as bad as the right

Not many cons with this guy. However, for the premium costs BadCube charges for their figures, something like not enough paint on the feet leaves me a tad sour. It's not terrible, but I may end up emailing them to ask them for a replacement foot. Overall, BadCube did a great job with Huff 2.0. I ate a lot of crow after looking down on him just because of the choice of color plastic used, but I definitely recommend him.

 

A con would be the obvious change in the cab design.

 

Only if you don't like it

 

I like this Pipes. It is a good design based off the toon style, but with enough detail to not stand out as poorly animated.

With Pipes, there isn't much of a middle ground. Big white thing behind his head white face under helmet white arms, make this obviously toon inspired, but I don't feel it lacks in quality or detail.

The only complaint I have is really the lower back extension that holds the cab in place. That is ridiculous.

My Stax had a good run, but I don't think I need them both. XT could probably take another swing at a Pipes and knock it outta the park now too. They seem to have improved since.

EDIT: Other than the white arms and the white piece behind the head, it is perfect as a toon version with the swapped head. I think I am going to swap heads and use the toy head for a bit.  

 

Kind of how I felt about Downbeat to be honest.

I've been watching reviews on this guy as they come out but none of the ones I've watched have really talked about the change in cab aesthetic. Feels like that should be a bigger topic of conversation.

 

Agreed. BC dropped the ball there.

 

I'm busy with work and will still be away when Huff is delivered. Good thing I have a lot to keep me busy because i am getting really anxious lol.

 

This guy is solid. Fun, quick transformation. I used to have the Cubex Huff and there is no comparison between the two, this is a better made figure. Just wish they had given us a toy head.