If I were in your shoes and had nothing, I would:

- Get the Walmart Skywarp. You can buy him for like $60 on EBay most of the time.
- Skip the Sunstorm, unless you like him for some reason.
- Get the IGear Thundercracker as getting the Takara one is impossible below $250 at least.
- For Starscream, check ebay, you maybe able to find him for $100-120 if your lucky.

The Hasbro ones will need the hip fix, but I like them better then the iGear ones because of the paint apps (panel lining and such).

I would say, definitely get the coneheads, I regret passing up on them when TFSource had them as a group buy. Other then that, the iGear ones are solid figures. The only problem I have heard is the windshield area breaking. But the Hasbro ones have their own set of problems as well.

 

You might want the Takara instructions anyway. They start in jet mode, which is the way that the iGear figures are packed. Grab them from TB or let me know if you need a scan.

 

re: purple I think people tend to have a problem with having it photograph consistently. Like before Exgraver came out there was much discussion about exactly what hue purple he would have because there seemed to be a lot of variation between pictures. I've always sort of felt that was the case with Skywarp, but really I'm just talking out of my ass because I don't have a Tak or iGear one to compare it to. I've not had a particular amount of trouble photographing purple myself (but then again I can't think of too many pics I've taken that featured a lot of it), but I feel like there's been discussion about it before. I thought you were around for it, apologies if not.

One compelling argument for iGear that I hadn't thought about before, though, is that their wing stripes all match. No other combination does so- For the Hastak versions, Skywarp has a slightly different stripe pattern from Starscream, meanwhile Thundercracker has no stripes at all. This goes for all versions of the Hastak seekers (including MP-11).

iGears all match, and they match HasTak Starscream, but the Hastak seekers all have stripes on the tailfins, while the iGear seekers have no paint apps on the tail fins at all.

 

TFSource still has the 3-pack and individuals on eBay

I picked up notRamjet and notThrust, and I'm pretty satisfied, particularly with notThrust. Some of the parts actually fit together better than mt WalMart Skywarp (my only HasTak seeker until MP-11 ships). The ball joints on the heads are a bit loose, and I had tail fins fall off of both figures (just a bad glue job, not a break; yeah it's a QC issue but it's so simple to fix I don't really care), but otherwise they're pretty well made.

I intend to stick with the HasTak MP seekers starting with MP-11, though - he'll be my first Starscream, and I might pick up an updated Skywarp and a Thundercracker when they do the inevitable repaints if the price is reasonable. iGear is just the only option for the coneheads outside of Classics.

 

yeah im a takara whore always have been

 

Is that TFSource? toy-sir?

 

TFsource - e-bay auctions ------> HERE

 

I'd rather have painted faction symbol wings so here's a query.


Can you replace the wings on the Igear MPs with the Hasbro MP wings? Do the colors and connections match? Would be really cool if they did. Mainly for Starscream in my case.

 

I don't think so, IIRC the wings are pinned and not screwed on all the seekers. Unless your ok with removing/replacing pins it'd be a ball ache....especially as that is exactly the stress point of the HasTak version that breaks the wings off if your not careful.

 

Well that sucks. If only I knew how to silk screen.

 

Why couldn't you create your own template and use spray paint to paint on the symbol?

That should be very easy to do. Also, those Reprolabel clear stickers are better then you would think. Also, I think there is some one on here that make water stickers.

 

I think, PP03T is a different shade of grey than Mp3?

 

Would it be better to buy igear starscream and the coronation add-on or just get the mp-11?

 

Ask that question again when we actually have MP-11 in-hand for a comparison.

But before that...do you prefer a cloth cape, or the plastic one, or do you care? How do you feel about the lack of paint apps on iGear's version, and the need to buy reprolabels for your factions symbols? There are other mold differences aside from the hip-kibble relocation; looking at the pictures we have, do you have a preference?

I'm going for MP-11 myself. I like the not-partsforming-nullrays and the new feet and the new head and the color scheme better. Cape gimmick is cool and allows for better representation of movie poses at the expense of flexibility, but I really don't care about the gimmick as opposed to the figure itself.

 

I have PP03T and I noticed a crack on the cockpit.I have had it on a stand the whole time I've owned it.Should I contact igear.

 

I've been contemplating this for a long time now I've been really wanting a Starscream but having too many options I really want to go the best route. I do really like the new release of the MP series with the cape and coronation crown but I dislike the fact that the cape is plastic when I've seen images of a cloth cape made by 3rd party companies. I am a G1 toy snob and I want to make sure I purchase the right one. would you suggest the new Starscream with cape and crown over the previous versions even the igear versions? I only ask because I want to make a purchase I won't regret.

 

I've been against igear in general for a good while, but after seeing MP 11's face I'm actually kind of tempted to get their versions. IF I start collecting MP's more "hardcore".

 

ill probably get thundercracer, then starscream, then skywarp, one at a time every month starting tomorrow. i dont think im going to go all the way to add the cone heads.

 

The "cloth cape" that comes with the TFC coronation gear is not cloth, it is cheap, thin vinyl. Yes, the promotional images clearly depict a cloth cape- that is not what you get.

 

that I did not know and that is a huge let-down maybe the plastic isn't lookin bad afterall =/