check my post number 357, I've got pics using two of the three energon figures. and then a green tank is, well, a green tank.

 

I got my Crossfire boys last week. I already had City Commander and Defender, and got the G3 Trailer in the same shipment. Those toys are all outstanding, but these two... there are no words. Absolutely amazing!

The only (very minor) gripes I have are that Explorer's hips and ankles are a bit loose. But that's fixable with some clear nail polish.

There were several times when I was first fiddling with them when I thought, "Y'know, it would have been nice if FP had made it so this part could-- oh, wait, they did!" Just incredibly well thought-out. I can safely say that I'll be on board for every product FP makes from now on. (Still kicking myself a bit for skipping Crossfire 1.)

Oh, and I don't have the RotF Combaticons. Mine are combined with the Energon guys, and I love the way it looks. Very G1-ish. Heck, even the enhanced vehicle modes still look good despite the color mishmash.

 

sorry to see that happen to you dude, but, may i know what kind of maneuver caused that? first thing i do with my tfs is check out the joints and determine the proper maneuver for transformation to avoid breakage (i dont use instructions).

 

i totally just ignored the g1 color scheme and used tank blast off and helicopter swindle for the bruticus combo. it is aesthetically pleasing to my eye. also popped those two arms from the ball sockets on the helicopter.

i also like posing him wielding 2 bad-ass pistols more so than 2 shotguns. makes superion feel less inadequate.

 

Ah, now that I look at a combined pic of G1 Bruticus, I understand why I never noticed Vortex's purple. The his chest plate isn't that visable in arm mode. But the Superlink/Energon heli has WAY more noticable purple in it's arm mode. Yeha, I think I'll head to Zellers tonight and pick up a set of ROTF to mix and match.

 

You can see some tabs on the broken part and slots on the shoulders... they fit VERY snugly ("tight" isn't the word I really want to use), enough that it does take a little force to pull em out. Well, I guess I had really gotten em in there good, cause it took a little more oomph to get em out, and I guess I accidentally pulled out too much, rather than out-and-up along the hinge like I should have. The piece just fell right off - no snaps, no breaking sounds (other than my heart!  ), almost like it was supposed to - till I looked at it. The clips that hold it in place are pretty small, and I'm pretty stupid for not being more careful, I know. But! If my folly can save someone else's Munitioner, then... it's OK.

I got a reply from BBTS saying they're sending a replacement part. Holy cow. Didn't even request a return (which I would have been more than happy to provide). I'm wondering if they're sending just a part, or a replacement figure... if they do replace the whole figure, man... I take back anything I may have said in griping about them. I'll be more than happy to pay a little bit extra for my toys from them just to pay for customer "insurance."

 

Good lord! why did you pull on it so hard? You ripped that off completely... not sure what BBTS is going to do for you. No offense but you broke that yourself 

 

That's the thing, I didn't pull THAT hard.   It was harder than necessary. If they told me, "Sucks to be you, you did that your own dumb self," well, they'd be right. You're right, I know it, and I'm still kicking myself, because I KNOW better.

 

i completely Understand, it happens to everyone but the bright side is...

You don't have to pay scalper prices for it since BBTS/tfsource still have them instock. That sucks but i'm sure someone in the Junkion will snatch up that broken Swindle from you.

 

think of it this way, now you have an excuse to double arm your already heavily armed bruticus

 

I'm sure BBTS will replace that for you. The toy shouldn't have broken that easily.

 

He already said they were sending him a replacement part.

 

Mine have shipped from BBTS and I can't wait! Squee!

More importantly, Soundwave3k has some custom heads for the remaining combaticons that are looking quite nifty. He has a sales thread which shows them off here--->http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/commissioner-listing-feedback/324477-custom-onslaught-brawl-vortex-heads-complete-your-fp-bruticus-upgrade.html

 

Someone paid attention to one of my posts?

I got an email saying they were sending a replacement part. I'm still in partial disbelief that they'd replace the figure itself, though - that's at least half to 75% of the package! That's a lot of expensive product to just say "We'll replace it" without asking for a return.

I may have gotten a bum set, too. The pinky finger on the hand that plugs into Vortex (sorry, Explorer) is very loose, and I've got stress marks on the knuckle joint (not the ball joint, that's OK). Now that one, I didn't do anything to.

 

Thats cool of BBTS to replace the part, instead of forcing you to buy another one. Sucks about Vortex, the only problem my toy had was loose joints that I fixed with nail polish.

 

yeah mine came in yesterday so i have been literally drooling all over these guys, now i took over 30 photos of this badboy so i will post my faves:












overall one of the happiest (and for now is the most expensive) purchases transformer-wise i have ever made......swindle is pure LOVE, explorer only a tad bit less since he is fiddly, but man, double SHOTGUN, your argument is now INVALID

 

Posted in the other thread about mine. Got the set Tuesday and spent the night messing with them. Really great figures, and no stress marks or breaks anywhere that I looked (still following along with everyone else in case they have an issue and I can compare mine, but all good so far).

I had a hard time snapping the Bruticus head'n'plate in place--same as some others that had posted. Then I realized that the upper portion that fits on top as the j-hook snaps underneath had some plastic spur on it. Once I cleaned that up, it clicked right in. (anyone having issues might want to check that mini "upper ramp" that juts out at the top/end of the panel)

Only other QC thing was one of the back-end rifles had its pump-handle on backwards (had two with the 'peg' facing the same way) Thankfully it's a clipped-in piece. Simple matter of pulling it off and reversing it.

I was VERY surprised with how solid "Swindle" is. He was the first I opened, and he feels extremely close in quality to the other basic figures. Yeah, you can tell the plastic is different, thinner, etc. But his overall weight and mechanics are just solid. So much so that when I opened up "Blast Off" he felt a bit loose and lighter. I think if I'd opened him up first, it would have played to my expectations exactly, so I blame Swindle for setting me up.   Still, both are great figures. (Oh, and no stress marks near his nosecone hinge anywhere--again someone made a warning about that with theirs).

I did have some fitting issues with some of the parts on Barricade. Perhaps because this set was designed more around the actual Target-based Bruticus set (and who knows how mold-degradation may have changed it). I had issues with his backpack/double-cannon fitting on his arm spots. It works, but it keeps popping off the left socket. Another issue is the waist plate. It isn't very secure behind the double-cannon, and it has no place to lock down (that I can see?) in launch platform mode. It does fit nice and tight when all combined...but I notice the Minicon ports on Barricade's knees REALLY get in the way. I'm debating if I'm going to chop those off or not--it would definitely help. (after I posted this, someone mentioned turning Barricade's legs sideways to get the ports out of the way. It actually works rather nicely)

The guns are amazing. I had so much fun fitting and mixing them up with the team. Only ones I don't really care for are the rocket packs for Blackout/Vortex. They work, but it's a bit meh. (Too big/bulky maybe?) Definitely awesome as connector pieces (and it is a great way of making them functional in all modes).

Only other issue (and just my circumstance) is Barricade's colors not matching, since--again--this is more designed around the Bruticus set. Not so bad in "Colossus" mode, but it shows in Onslaught-mode and platform-mode.

I know this all sounds kinda bashy; I'm really just going pro/con on stuff. Overall it's a great set, and I'm VERY happy I caved and picked this up. I'm going to be pulling off "Brawl's" head and seeing if I can make a repro/sculpt or something that looks more G1. (Blackout is going to be left as-is, just because I've always liked his entire look. And the purple versus blue doesn't bother me one bit.) I know some have done some repro heads already, but I really want to see what I can create. Should be fun!

 

to renidragon,

good to know you're getting a replacement. i'm sure you'll be more careful this time. though them pieces are worth the price, they are still pricey.

but i kinda get what happened. sometimes, it's not so much as 'how hard' the force you applied on the joint that breaks them but also how you applied it. sometimes a little force with the wrong maneuver can go a long (bad) way.

peace!

 

Ouch... that's my nightmare right there. As much as I LOVE these figures, I have to say that both of them still have a few spots where, when I really LOOK at the joint construction, it terrifies me. There is something very brittle-feeling about this plastic, and some of those more delicate clips and hinges seem like they could go very easily.

Another mild disappointment is the way the weapons are not as modular as they could have been. Some of the accessories just don't fit so well, or cannot be swapped to other members of the team. Munitioner and Explorer themselves have a pitiful carrying capacity, especially in vehicle mode. The giant sniper rifle also really doesn't fit very well in Barricade's hand... the stock is longer than his damn arm. As well, I'm disappointed there seems to be no proper way to connect the double cannons to Barricade's back in robot mode, for a "classic" Onslaught look.

That said, I encourage anyone who has found some alternative transformations or equipment combinations, to please post them. I'm sure there are a few possibilities out there that nobody's noticed yet.

zmog

 

tragic but it doesn't look like it has too much of an impact on the toy due to the tabs for holding it in place for vehicle/combined mode, and a Swindle without a backpack, some people don't like partsformers though.