That blue groove really pops!

 

I like it a lot better. More than I thought I would. It's a small difference in all around size but it did make a significant difference. This should've been the head used all along. It visually seems to fit the body more than the 1st release. Visually the robot mode silhouette looks more balanced with this head. Small difference but arguably huge effect.

The thigh swivels on mine are tighter than the red version from wave 1. Colors grew on me. Ratchet on the left shoulder is takes significantly more force to move than the right, hope this doesn't become a problem over time. Overall I'm pretty happy with this figure but I'm wondering if Takara will repaint it with Motormaster's chest as Star Convoy.

 

Seeing this makes me want The White one a bit less...

 

Y'know, with a little bit of paint and some wings this guy could make an awesome Nova Prime if you use the Ultra Prime head! Hoping there'll be an upgrade kit or at least some Reprolabels!

 

Reprolabels, is doing a Thunderclash, Ultra Magnus, and Nova Prime set. Renderform is looking at doing a Thunderclash head, and two different companies are doing upgrade sets to turn him fully into Nova Prime.

 

Wow in hand he is very gorgeous! White & gold just give him this presence that the other versions of the mold haven't compared to. Then I see the Reprolabels to make him into either Thunderclash, Nova Prime, or Ultra Magnus but I'll pass on those. This is my Super Saiyan Optimus Prime!

 

This configuration looks beautiful:

 

I LOVE this random combiner mash-up of G1 goodness!

 

Robot Mode: Battle Core Optimus Prime is a white repaint of the earlier Combiner Wars Optimus Prime, who came in the traditional red and blue. The head is a new sculpt, though, which according to Hasbro was influenced by Star Convoy, but which kind of reminded me more of Prowl, actually. I had this fan canon ready in my head where Prowl began to influence Optimus after they combined, making him a puppet much like he did Kup in the pages of the IDW comics, but apparently that was just a strange idea of mine. Anyway, BC Prime is mostly white with some grey and several golden highlights. Looks nice overall, though a bit plain.

Despite being a rather bulky guy, Optimus is nicely articulated and has no problems pulling off poses. He has quite a rucksack on him (inside of which the head of the combiner is hidden), but it doesn’t affect his balance. He comes with two rifles, one of them resembling the classic Optimus rifle, the other looking a bit like an engine with a long exhaust pipe. He can either wield them separately or combined into one long rifle. So overall, a nice robot mode. A bit boring, certainly, with the mostly white coloring obscuring quite a few sculpted details, but bottom line: not bad.

Alternate Mode: Optimus transforms into the familiar cab-over-engine semi truck that serves as his alternate mode in roughly 75 percent of all cases (gorillas and long-nosed trucks making up most of the rest). The truck is mostly white with grey parts and golden stripes at the sides, featuring a decent amount of detail work. Some of it gets lost for lack of color distinction (such as the side view mirrors, for example), but overall it’s a pretty decent truck.

It’s only from the back that the truck doesn’t look that good, as the bulky panels hiding the combiner head are jutting out from the back of the cabin and, at least on mine, don’t close properly in this mode. Plus the combiner’s hip plate is also visible here. Not a completely bad thing, but somewhat sticking out. Finally, the only way to store the weapons is to plug them into the back, which looks... well, not that good. So overall a decent truck mode, but far from the best Optimus truck ever.

Combiner Mode: Battle Core Optimus forms the torso of the Optimus Maximus combiner, whom I’ll review separately. I didn’t originally intend to get the other members of that team, hence the pics above with Optimus using the Protectobots as limbs, but I’ve since reconsidered.

Remarks: It was a given that there would be a new Optimus Prime figure as part of the Combiner Wars and that he would be a combiner torso, so no surprise there. It was a bit of a surprise, though, when Hasbro almost immediately brought out a second, mostly white Optimus Prime figure using that same mold, and that this guy would be the official torso of the Optimus Maximus combiner, not the familiar red-and-blue Optimus from the first wave of CW toys. Optimus in the comics has remained red-and-blue when he combined the one and only time, so it really looks like this figure here served no other purpose than to put yet another Optimus toy on the shelves.

The real purpose of this toy, though, only became apparent after Reprolabels brought out not just one but three different sets of upgrade stickers for this guy, enabling you to turn him into either a white Ultra Magnus, a Nova Prime, or (as I have chosen to do, see below) Thunderclash. That’s my reason for buying him, anyway, and the only way I can recommend him over the red-and-blue version. So if you’re looking for a combining Optimus, take the red-and-blue one. If you want Thunderclash, Nova Prime or Ultra Magnus to combine, though, get this one here and buy the reprolabels.

Rating: C+ (as Optimus Prime)

THUNDERCLASH BONUS REVIEW:



Remarks: This toy was meant to be Thunderclash. It’s just lacking the appropriate amount of insane 90s funkadelic stickers, which can easily be remedied. Add lots of color here and you have Thunderclash, the uber-competent, uber-good, uber-nice Autobot leader from the Turbomasters era. Okay, the head doesn’t really look like Thunderclash much, but Renderform is already on that and my new Thunderclash-head is preordered. Will add pics once it’s here. So bottom line: you need this toy to turn it into Thunderclash. Because he’s Thunderclash and he’s the bestest, the greatest, and you need him! Don’t question it, just get your BC Prime, your stickers, and preorder at Renderform. Join the Thunderclash Academy for the Heroic Arts, Class of 2016.

Rating: B+ (as Thunderclash)


Source; Transformers Universe!

 

Any sign of anyone producing a combined mode Ultra Magnus head for this yet?

 

I think Jonbonhamatron is but not sure.

 

My battle core OP has an issue with the right leg combiner port. In combined mode, it holds any deluxe as a leg very loosely. The other leg has to be slightly in front to keep the combined robot up. Is there anyway to alleviate the issue? Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

 

Prelude: Optimus Maximus is the combined form of Optimus Prime, Mirage, Sunstreaker, Prowl, Ironhide, and (optionally) Rodimus, all of whom I have already reviewed individually. Quick explanation for the odd assortment of pictures for this review. I got Battle Core Optimus first and originally didn’t intend to get the limbs. Then three of them turned up at a local store and I bought them anyway. Lacking Prowl, I substituted Streetwise at first, because I was gung-ho about applying the Thunderclash stickers to Prime. Then Prowl turned up and I redid some of the pics with the now Thunderclash-labeled Optimus (and extra-flamey Rodimus, too). Hope that explains it.

Combined Mode: Optimus Maximus uses Battle Core Optimus Prime as his torso and the four other robots as limbs. Being that all four of the limb-bots are cars, it doesn’t really make much of a difference in what order you use them, all of them work equally well as arms and legs. The resulting robot is big and wide, looking very nice. There are three different ways to configure the chest of the combiner. Leave it closed, open it up, and attach Rodimus to the opened chest. Each version looks a bit different and I can’t really say which of them I like best. What I do know, though, is that Rodimus doesn’t really attach all that well and threatens to fall off all the time.

Optimus Maximus can use any of the individual weapons of his team members. The normal robot fists from Battle Core Prime sit behind his shoulders, giving you the option of attaching two guns as shoulder guns here (I love shoulder guns) and the rest can be wielded or attached all over his body. I’m still not a big fan of the tiny little combiner feet (Perfect Effect set is preordered), but the combiner fists work very well in my opinion. Bottom line: A beautiful and powerful-looking combiner. No flaws worth mentioning apart from the Rodimus thing.

Remarks: Optimus Maximus only combined a single time in the IDW comics when Prowl used the Enigma of Combination to forcibly merge with the others to put an end to an ongoing combiner rampage. Optimus Maximus is a sort-of homage, though, to the G1 cartoon episode “Masquerade”, where a group of Autobots masqueraded as the Stunticons (including combining into Menasor) in order to foil a Decepticon plot. Okay, only Optimus and Mirage were part of that operation back then, but still. Fitting then that Optimus Maximus uses the exact same molds as Combiner Wars Menasor.

Personally I like Optimus Maximus very much. Sure, he lacks the appeal of being one of the classic G1 combiners, but his role in the IDW comics and his cool look make up for that, at least for me. So bottom line: definitely worth getting. Of course you can just as easily use the classic red-and-blue Combiner Wars Optimus as the torso if you want.

Rating: B+

Source: Transformers-Universe.com

 

question, on the main ion rifle, there is a part on the bottom that sorta looks like an ammo clip but is oddly shaped and looks like it should fit onto something....any ideas what the purpose is?

 

Yep...In the "hidden features" thread someone figured out it pops ontop of the smoke stack.

 

I've done that but it looks kinda dopey...wasn't sure if there was more or not. Thanks for the reply!

 

I finally saw him in at Target, glad I passed on white/gray/gold Prime with the Prowl-like head

 

With Deluxe Groove in hand I finally finished my White Knight Optimus Prime using Battle Core as the torso.

 

That White Knight is badass!!!!

 

Well I avoided buying this...thing, because it is truly hideous!! The only reason its made it through my door is because of the SND X-Mortis Upgrade Kit. I've needed a nice looking Nova Prime. However, even with that kit, I have much work to do.