Got this guy today...wow. He's awesome! Can't wait for MMC's Grapple.

 

if mmc art fire is $100, i'm so getting it

 

Really hope to see their Grapple soon. Quite tempted by MT's after seeing OptimusTimeLord's pics of these together.

 

OK, so I gave it a day to think and then I transformed Backdraft last night. I still stand by my initial opinion that perceived plastic quality, and fit and finish are poorer than my other MMC figures (I don't own Shinx). There are a few places on Backdraft where things just don't tab or clip together properly. He could really have done with another phase of QC checking and tolerance adjustment. A good example is that the ladder doesn't tab into his back in robot mode. You can see the tabs and slots, but they don't fit together.

However, once I had him in 'bot mode, the character of the mould just simply won me over. Jesslyn's design just says 'Inferno' to me. I really hope she designs some more figures because she has talent! The 'toy' head is just right!
All the joints felt tight and 'good'. Nothing started to get loose, and I am a big fan of double-jointed elbows and knees, it just adds immensely to a figure.

Then I transformed him back to fire truck, and that was very fiddly. Getting everything to tab into place was a real challenge. But I persisted, and in the end, it just all clicked into place (with much head scratching), and against all odds, everything lined up and the truck became a really solidly held together mode. If you flip up the ladder and press down inside onto the black 'spine' piece, and simultaneously press underneath between the wheels in the gap onto those two tabs (the stressing on mine out of the box didn't get any worse) you can get the tabs to lock into place, pulling the back of the truck together.
Even the back lined up! Now he rolls with all 6 wheels on the ground too.
I will say I agree with others that a tab to lock the wings together in truck mode is sorely missing.

The chrome quality is poor on my version (so just like Takara in that respect!), and it's already wearing off the rear truck bumpers (robot 'toes'). Also neither of these rear chrome pieces clipped into place properly, indeed one side fell off while I was transforming him. There was moulding flash on the chrome 'hook' on the inside of the part that latches it into the rear of the truck. I used a craft knife to tidy this up, and both sides clipped more securely and flush into place when I refitted them.

So I am keeping him, at least for now, his robot mode is just so charming. But I will be watching TT's and XTB/KFC's Infernos very closely.

 

Did they finally announce it? Haha Then I can finally direct you back to my post way back in April. Google "Kojin" and it mentions a variation of the name meaning "three-way rough deity." Now note how the 3rd word in each sentence of my post was capitalized:

And note what it spells out in that sequence!   Or maybe it's just coincidence! Then again, I only have 4 posts in this thread and 3 of them are Artfire-related.  

 

Vanessa, I think you have the worst luck with QC of any TF fan I know  

 

That looks great and is similar to what I'm thinking. I'm most likely going XTb for Inferno (due to better alt mode, solid looking bot mode and a nice long ladder) but I love the idea of having Grapple as a different mould. Will wither be Maketoys or Takara for him.

XTB are in the perfect position now. If they are careful and ensure good QC, they have a chance to pick up any leftover's as well as those disappointing with the other moulds. Plus they'll go a long way toward repairing Keiths reputation.

 

It was sweet to see this post- I literally bought Wrestle last week so that he can hang out with my Backdraft when he gets here (should be Monday at this point), so seeing your pics makes me more convinced it was a good plan!  

 

Want Kojin! LOL  

 

These QC reports have me worried. Hopefully, with TCP getting theirs a bit later, some of this will be worked out....

 

MMC delayed shipping most of their units to retailers (delayed for US based retailers mostly) due to some last minute fixes. I wonder if the folks who have some sort of qc issue got one of the early copies MMC sent out before they decided to stop fix their remaining copies.

 

I guess it all depends how similar you think Inferno and Grapple should be in your head... To me they always felt different (in a similar way to Trailbreaker/Hoist, if not quite so drastic) so I think two molds works in their favour. But then I only had G1 Grapple as a kid, whereas I can imagine some toy fans who had both might want them to be the same base figure. At least my way you get to experience two different transformations! It's fascinating to compare the two different approaches to essentially the same route.

XTB's alt mode just never felt like the character for me, but I can picture their bot mode as Inferno next to a future TT Grapple. I wonder how much, if any, retooling TT will do for the Grapple bot mode?

 

 

Just got a tracking update & my package with Backdraft, Forager, and Sphynx Alt have arrived in my city. It'll be delivered tomorrow....always when I'm at work.

 

You know I had this very same thought as well. And it's very possible that it may be the case. Which if so, it's unfortunate for those who got bad one's.

 

Sorry but I can't find any photos of Backdraft next to the van brothers or mp10. Are there any comparison photos of them?

 

I was thinking this bc most of the people who have some sort of issue got theirs from UK shops which got the early copies.

 

I know this doesn't help people who do have issues, but my Backdraft is almost perfect. Just one slight plastic scuff on the side of the ladder base. Way less issues than the last 4 Takara figures I've bought.

 

Not mine- posted elsewhere here on the forum. A prototype Backdraft I believe...

 

Looks like a video still from Vangelus' review of Backdraft.

 

Yeah, that's what it looks like. It was the test shot he reviewed a while back.