Slayback from Cybertron.CA has posted a review for X-Transbot: Apollyon.
The review is lengthy and discusses the figure in every little detail. The reviewer did not forget to include images of a prototype as well.
The following is a small extract from the review. Visit Cybertron.CA for the full review and images.
“I’m going to break this down into key points to make it simple.
- There is a lot of weight in the legs. The weight I would say is in the feet as they are almost all metal. They’re not just a single molded piece; rather they are composed of several pieces that are hinged. Yes – the feet play a role in transformation and keep Apollyon standing firmly on whatever surface he’s on.
- The feet are hinged on the top to simulate ankles. The feet can move up or down (eg keeping your heel on the ground while lifting the rest of your foot towards your shin.) He can point his toes down. He can roll his ankles, so his feet will always be firmly flat on whatever surface he’s on.
- Apollyon does not suffer from skinny leg syndrome. He has thighs and they are ball jointed at the waist. He can show you his crotch should you wish it. Apollyon’s skirt does not hinder him from doing the side splits. However the front skirt will hinder him from bringing his knee to his chest.
- Torso does twist at the waist. You can see down the waist but I don’t see this as an issue.
- Apollyon has excellent head movement, although he cannot turn his head at a full 90-degree angle so it’s looking at his shoulder. It’s more at a 45 degree angle. At that angle, he does not look up or down.
- Chest and upper torso is consistent with ‘Megatron’. He has two secret compartments in his chest. They will be a bit difficult to pop open, as they really are hidden parts.
- Arms – the figure does have bicep swivel – tightness in the forearm extension prevented me from seeing this earlier. He can flare at the shoulders.
- His hands are extremely articulated. 15 points of articulation on each hand, meaning fingers and thumb can bend.”
tgg7979
I have not transformed mine and probably won't. The only QC issue so far is the gun barrel is not straight up and down in bot mode. He looks good but is IMO too busy aesthetically to truly fit with the MP's. He's a nice try appearance wise but a near miss for me. A new official Megatron will almost definitely replace him if ever released but I may end up selling Apollyon much sooner that that.
decor1
Well, this is my first 3rd party figure, and I am thoroughly impressed! I was afraid of transforming it, since my MP5 had little tabs that broke during the first transformation, which really turned me off that figure. Apollyon is the real deal. His transformation is a little tedious (and required a mini flat head screwdriver to accomplish), but he didn't break! So now I have an amazing looking Megatron in both modes, who also holds lazerbeak!
A couple of helpful tips I used during transformation: the legs were hard to extend, so I used the screwdriver trick to help push the sliding tab and get the extension started (I saw someone mention this). The torso was also hard to extend, so instead of pulling, I opened the door where the head is stored, and pushed down on the torso from there.
Cheers, xtransbots! I know I'm lucky I got a figure without issues, but I'm glad to see they're willing to help out those who didn't. Also, got mine from tfsource, since some seem to be keeping tabs on that.
dj_convoy II
After having him for a couple of weeks, I'd put him around the same level as MMC's Cyclops; beautiful to look at but terrifying to transform. Certainly not the amazing toy some are making it out to be, definitely not a complete success. I don't regret buying it, but I'll think twice (or perhaps thrice) about Cyclonus and Scourge. Particularly with Scourge, I have to assume that with the much simpler transformation the engineering won't be as scary, but who knows.
Yeled
I used a 12mm, which is maybe a tiny bit larger than MP Soundwave's…but only slightly.
dapro
I give this figure a B because it looks aw3some. If it wasn't that fragile it would be an A.
byrnez
Everything that has been said about Apollyon is true in regards to complaints, truth be told I never expected anything more than a show accurate figure, so its issue are trivial when I look at it on the shelf displayed doing the job that MP5 failed to do and G1 original… … ..I actually bought this thing only for its gun mode and the fact that was all that was available in terms of my favorite cartoon character…so if someone can do better, please do.
crazee928
that symbol seems a little small imo.
i feel the same way, and i love complex engineering. having received him along with brawny and wardog, i can't help to compare the two companies' offerings: badcube's figures are well engineered, and the tolerances, even though exact, line up perfectly, and feels like you can manhandle it a bit without worrying. xtb, on the other hand, looks like the same level of engineering, but the execution was way sloppy where they just made the parts fit in "approximation" without really testing real-life tolerances. i've transformed apollyon twice now, and i can't get the panels to line up properly – if it IS possible to align properly, it's very unforgiving (and i'm really anal about lining things up). i knew what i was getting into when i ordered this guy, and while i don't exactly regret my purchase since he looks so bad ass (plus i wanted to support the designer), it leaves me very hesitant on ordering future xtb products again just because the upcoming characters aren't as iconic as megatron and i don't think their visual presence is enough to compensate for the dodgy quality.
Cax6ton
Agree completely. I really liked Ollie, and my customized Stax is still one of my favorite MP toys. I thought I gave XTB more leeway than most people would, and I was hoping they would pull this off, but they didn't. They just didn't.
The fit and finish of nearly every moving part is a testament to poor design choices. Everything feels like it will either break or come loose over time, and half of them are rivet pegs that couldn't be fixed if they did come loose. That shit on the inner legs is just sad. I have to commend XTB on that, it manages to get in the way in every dimension in every way possible. The arms are almost as bad, the extra parts showed their commitment to getting it wrong as many ways as possible. Stax felt like he was more solid and had more heft than this.
The transformation process is just a nightmare. Even after it's done, I'm like "Well, that's a decent gun. Now I have to transform it back. Fuck."
I understand that a Masterpiece collection desperately needs a Megatron at this point, and the overwhelming desire to have even a decent stand-in can lead us to make excuses for this. If it were any other character it would be dropped like the flaming bag of shit that it is. But since it's Megatron, the rules are different. I do have to admit that it looks good for the most part, it looks like MP megatron is supposed to, the silver paint is wonderful, and at first glance it seems cool, but as soon as you touch him you realize that something is just off about him, and the more you mess with him the more he disappoints.
I don't know what I'm going to do here. We're so very close to getting a good line of S1/1984 MP Decepticons, and despite what everyone thinks they know, I have a lot of doubt that a Takara version is inevitable. I'll probably keep this because we need it and there's no other choice, but I doubt I'll ever touch it again when there are so many other great MP figures that are a joy to both look at and to transform.
ahro23
What the hell is going on with that last pic?
byrnez
faction symbol
byrnez
Arrived today from TFsource with the rest of the stack well packaged and after reading/following Apollyon discussion thread was quite relaxed knowing to expect the worst. Opened crappy box carefully and after looking at product through window for a good 15 minutes was pleased to see it was scratch free, barrel was facing correctly and those tabs flapping around on leg were opposite halves. On removal from plastic tray my first order of business was to see if arm fell off which it didn't though did not hold pose. All fingers accounted for and on close inspection I can see the mold dents on an other wise flawless metal look chest. Being weary of damaging it I remember someone mentioning positioning the head forward which I have not yet as it is stiff, so all in due time.
Orange plug is in there, I will be careful removing this so as to not put any strain on the diecast barrel arm attachment.
This thing looks great though to transform it I would imagine I risk breaking it and MP5 or my G1 version can fill this void anyway, so display piece.
Personally I can not see why a toy producer can not just give us a solid Megatron that does not transform , but instead has opening body/chest compartments/electronics..ect as his transformation will never fit in another MP's hand and the MP miniature Megatron accessorie gun is fine for that.
Xtransbot done well I think given what cost sacrifices were made in terms of producing this, so in my opinion anyone who can do better please do.
I am happy I have this even if it is not as durable as a combinerwars Megatron, but really what MP toy is. I score this 10/10 for ambition and 7 for result.
enp27
Great looking figure and all but when you actually transform the thing a lot of flaws and QC issues pop up. So for that reason this figure goes from a 9 down to 6.8. Seriously this is great as a statute but as a transformer it sucks
Peacefrog35
Great write up. This is really a great figure. I got rid of my collection a year ago( which was also MP only) and This one is getting me back into the hobby to a degree. I don't have the interest to have 20 plus TFs, but I couldn't pass this one up and will likely restart a modest collection of MP and MP style TFs. Again, great job on the review Yeled.
Yeled
I can't tell if you're being sarcastic.
byrnez
Thanks Yeled for taking time to bring to our attention your valued review and educated opinion
Yeled
Thanks, Shiro. I'm not sure what compelled me to write that, but I felt the need to comment in some official capacity.
Shiro1
Wow. Awesome writeup Yeled, much appreciated. You and I are pretty much of the same mind in collecting: MP only, generally prefer official over 3P, getting FT Reflector over KFC in large part because of brand. If and when an official Megatron comes out, I'll decide then which is better and go with that as well.
Yeled
A Fans Toys Fanboi’s Bot Only Review/Impressions of X-Transbots’ Apollyon
Apollyon is my first non-Fans Toys third party figure. I’m a Masterpiece only collector who took the plunge into the third party world because the Dinobots are my favorite subgroup and I saw no hope of Takara ever getting to any of them outside of MP-08. Scoria was a revelation. While the shoulders were just a little loose (until FTs sent replacement parts) and the hips were not really designed to hold all that diecast in his massive legs, the figure blew me, until that time an official only collector, away. The build was top notch, the materials were in some ways superior to official, the transformation was clever, and the heft…well, let’s just say MP-08 feels like he could put on a few pounds.
So when Takara decided it need not rush to release a reboot scale and G1 cartoon aesthetic version of what is easily the second most important character in the Transformers franchise, I decided to take another plunge and purchase a Megatron for my G1 cartoon aesthetic collection. I knew of X-Transbots’ reputation for fiddly and perhaps lower quality figures, as well as its association with KFC, another company with a less than stellar rep. And yet images of Apollyon were stunning, and X-Transbots was saying all the right things about getting things right. They seemed to be planning a major push into the MP style, and with representations of Scourge, Cyclonus, Reflector and others on the way, they have a lot riding on the success of their take on the leader of the Decepticons.
What follows then is a first impression review from the perspective of someone who really has only collected official and Fans Toys figures. Does my lack of experience with the full breadth of offerings out there make me less qualified than others to write a review? Perhaps. But on the other hand maybe my limited perspective will give others a sense of from where that perspective comes. You know what my experiences are, and therefore exactly to what I’m comparing Apollyon.
Note that this is a bot only review at this time. I will likely do a part two in order to finish this review after I’ve transformed the figure, but I won’t do that for a couple days and, since this is hitting right now, I wanted to share my thoughts. In any event, I hope this will be useful to people.
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is where Apollyon shines. This figure really is pretty. It’s sitting on my mantle between MP-13 Soundwave (well, the Hasbro version) and his cassettes and my MP-11 mold Seeker trio that includes MP-11 Starcream, MP-11SW Skywarp, and Hasbro Thundercracker. He looks like he belongs. In fact in some ways, likely due to the paint, he looks more premium than my seekers and Soundwave. He scales perfectly and has a perfect amount of presence. He’s clearly the dominate personality in the display by virtue of his physical attributes and the fact that the mold, when properly posed, exudes power (more on that later). He completes a 1984 focused display. Save Reflector, the Nemesis crew is all present and accounted for. Wow.
The face sculpt…if X-Transbots got one thing right it’s the face sculpt. This is Megatron. Menace, arrogance, avarice, hunger. It’s all there. The proportions are wonderful, and while some would prefer the eyes a little larger I think we’re just getting nitpicky. I think it’s very safe to say this is the single best Megatron face sculpt we have ever had on a transforming toy. There’s really no competition.
The only quibbles I really have with the figure are that the insides of the legs are a little busy and, perhaps, the fact that his posterior is silver not black to accommodate alt mode. But no transforming figure is going to be perfect, and this one comes amazingly close.
Rating: A
Materials
My first impression out of the box was that, materials-wise, Apollyon is a step down from official Masterpiece figures. I felt a bit of a letdown because he felt less heavy than what I was expecting. To be fair I may have been subconsciously comparing him to Fans Toys Soar and Scoria, which are both very hefty figures. Apollyon isn’t nearly as heavy, so my initial reaction may have been overblown. Picking up MP-10 and Apollyon one after the other confirms they are in the same neighborhood.
Overall the figure is solid, but I think there are parts of the figure that feel lower quality. This is most noticeable in some of the smaller, more fiddly parts that hang off the legs or that combine to form the shoulders. Also the hands are extremely light, and while they are very well articulated they aren’t on par with what Fans Toys includes. The figure doesn’t feel cheap by any means, but there are definitely sections where I wish they had upgraded to a higher quality plastic.
The silver paint is shiny and smooth without being overwhelming. It seems well applied. There is just enough red and black to accent what could be a fairly monotone character design, but isn’t.
Rating: C plus/B minus
Design and Posability
Apollyon is fiddly. But maybe he has to be. He has to go from a robot, through a sideways transformation, to a hand gun. That means he’s shifting his symmetry 90 degrees and can’t take advantage of a symmetrical transformation the way a car, dinosaur, or tape deck can. So yeah, there are a lot of small parts, and when you handle him this is somewhat apparent. If you grip him in the wrong place you’re inevitably pressing on something. On the other hand he is incredibly stable and solid all things considered, and it’s not that much trouble to handle him if you focus on handling him from the chest, torso, and waist.
One thing I want to commend X-Transbots on is how menacing Apollyon is when posed. As I mentioned above, he drips power. The wide hips, about which some have complained, gives him this wide stance that makes him seem imposing and immovable. I stole a pose from a picture that I believe was taken by TFW2005 forumite TCracker (who’s pictures are always amazing) in which his hand is held out as if threatening to crush someone’s head, and it’s full of personality. It really does look like something Megatron would do.
Because there’s a lot of articulation in the joints (waist swivel, ankle tilt in just about every direction, a lot of movement in the arms and legs, fully articulated fingers, good tilt in the head, etc.) you can get a lot of excellent poses out of him. The only real limiting factor I’ve noticed is the shoulders, which are large and don’t allow a lot of movement in terms of stretching arms out to the side. But other than that I haven’t been frustrated in terms of posing him. I also love that I can move his arm cannon from the side to the top, depending on how I want to pose him. I prefer side most of the time, but sometimes it needs to be on top, and X-Transbots made that possible through a simple but clever little piece and a twist of the cannon.
Btw, the orange plug on the barrel was extremely simple to remove. I heated it with a hair dryer and pulled it off with pliers. I’ve seen the silencer plug come out easily, too, though haven’t done it myself yet. No worries there.
Rating: B
Quality Control
To be honest I’m quite impressed by the lack of issues on my figure. Like most figures I have the shallow dimples on the chest and helmet, and my shoulders (which use ball joints) were not strong enough to hold up the cannon arm when stretched to the side. But I had no scratches, the paint seems to be good, nothing was broken, and everything was included. X-Transbots (and KFC) has a less than stellar reputation, but judging by my figure and reports from others, they seem to have done a very good job on this front.
I should note that X-Transbots has included some replacement parts with the figure. This includes tighter shoulder joints that are easy to install. I only switched the right cannon arm as that was the only issue. It took two minutes, but it made things extremely tight. Too tight, really. I have to grab the whole figure securely to move the shoulder now, being careful not to mess up the shoulders themselves, which are made of several parts that split apart for transformation. I’ve worked the joint and applied a bit of lubricant and it’s getting better, and I prefer it to how it was, but people may want to try Pledge Floor Polish Finish (formerly known as Future) as an alternative.
I should also add that the replacement joints are extremely hard to remove once installed because they hold the ball joint so securely. I'm worried about popping the whole joint out and not just the ball from the socket. Not that I was going to remove it…that said I don't think I'll have the cannon arm popping out any time soon. One other warning about the replacement joint: the replacement shoulder seems to hold the arm a smidgen closer to the torso, thereby limiting the horizontal rotational movement because the shoulder/upper arm hits the torso just a little sooner than before. Of course there never was a ton of horizontal rotation to begin with, but it's a little annoying that there is less than before.
I know I’ve written a lot about the issues with the replacement joint, but understand that is only because I wanted to clearly explain the issues. Over all Q/C seems to have been handled well, and X-Transbots is saying the right things in terms of fixing case-by-case issues that always arise on mass produced figures. I think they have done a solid job and consider this a victory for them and a major step up from their previous reputation.
Rating: B
Accessories
Truth be told I’m fairly meh about the accessories. That’s not because they are bad, but just that I don’t care about them one way or the other. They will mostly stay in their box. Apollyon comes with a purple energy sword, an energy mace, a damaged panel for his chest, the pistol of betrayal, the helmet Megatron used to control the Optimus clone in an episode of the toon, the key to Alpha Sigma, and of course his alt mode extensions. They are ok, but in some ways unnecessary (other than his alt mode extensions, which I’ve not really messed with yet) and only so so. I would have done away with a few of them to make the ones they did include just a bit better. Not that they are terrible. They are what they are.
Rating: B minus
Transformation
Not covered in this review…maybe later.
Alt Mode
Not covered in this review…maybe later.
Overall
Let’s cut to the chase. At $150 (or even $165) I have no regrets adding this figure to my shelf. It looks like Megatron and fills a massive whole Takara seems content to leave. It may be the nicest looking figure on my Nemesis crew Masterpiece shelf, outshining MP-13 and the Seekers. This is a good figure.
Is it great? Maybe not. I don’t think it’s as good as MP-10 or my Fans Toys Dibots. But it looks as good as those figures. It’s really only the quality of the materials and maybe its (possibly unavoidable) fiddly nature that keeps it from being great. And even then I don’t want to overstate things…it’s close, and I’m comparing it to what I consider some of the best figures I own. It belongs on a Masterpiece shelf.
One question that a Masterpiece collector might ask is do I consider Apollyon a placeholder. In other words, would I replace it with an official figure if Takara produces their own V2 Megatron? The answer is I don’t know. I believe in preferring official to third party figures as a general rule, though I fully intend to replace MP-8 with FTs Grimlock when it’s available. I don’t feel I need an official Megatron anymore and would be perfectly content to use Apollyon in that role forever. But I also believe in supporting the main line and believe there could be things that Takara might do better. I think we’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it. I’ll probably buy an official figure to support the line and then decide which to use, depending on which looks better in the end. But Takara has to be pretty darn good to surpass this in the looks department, and the quality is good enough.
I definitely recommend Apollyon, and will keep an eye on X-Transbots as a provider of figures. Aesthetically they are really doing a nice job. On the other hand, I’m not yet ready to latch on to them as a favorite. For example, all things being equal I’m going to pick up the Fans Toys version of Reflector before I pick up X-Transbots/KFC's version due to what I imagine will be better materials and a slight preference in terms of design choices.
Overall Rating: B Plus
byrnez
TFsource has my Apollyon instock and I have shipped my stack, happy Mothers day