By way of Toyworld.com.hk, we have some scans of the December edition of Figure King magazine. The headlines here are that the decos of the Japanese Armada Starscream and Mini-Con Team are now revealed. The Mini-Cons are largely unaltered from their US releases – Starscream however has a black cockpit, thinner red stripes on the trim of his wings, additional off-white detailing on his boots and red feet, among other changes. Generally the changes make him more closely resemble the animation model of Transformers Armada Starscream.
Along with the coverage we previously reported on of the new Transformers Cloud Optimus Prime and Megatron, there is some coverage of the December Japanese Generations series releases Sandstorm and the Legends Class Megatron, Starscream, Chop Shop and Waspinator four pack.
Rounding it all off is a look at Masterpiece Smokescreen, and a look at the Kabaya Gum DX Wave 2 set of Overlord and Road Caesar – with the Brainmasters and Powermasters seemingly being intact in spite of the reduced sizes of the kits!
Murasame
I'm so glad I pre-ordered the japanese Starscream. It's those little nuances that usually make the Takara releases better than their Hasbro counterparts. I wonder how their Skids will look.
mizuki088
The mini Ceaser and Lord looks promising. (Mini Fort max is the best.)
Stepper
The Kabaya Overlord kit look very promising.
NemiMonkey
Except it emulates G2 Prime when you placed that large sound box on his back.
I can't decide which Armada Starscream I like better. I'm about ready to say screw it and call Takara's Stormjet and be done with it.
PoweredConvoy
1. Since they're appear in the comic their color scheme is based on that.
4. They didn't get Beast Hunters so they're not going to make one. That is at least until that show airs in Japan.
Randy
power3921
I'm gonna have to get the japanese Armada Starscream. It's my favorite version of the character, I need to have the best version.
Type-R
Yes. The pics from the Hasbro Korea site and these magazine scans seem to show Smokescreen having attachment arms instead of the tubular cannons. The show accurate launchers don't appear to store in vehicle mode, only the attachment arms do.
The launchers can however, as seen in stock photos, attach to the edge of the windshield via the ports used for the wipers. Smokescreen doesn't have wipers unlike Streak and Prowl.
Pharoid
No kidding I am not sure who's head is on TW Orion buts it's not Optimus.
Pharoid
Wow I love Showa Era that's all I focus on I am super happy this completes my Showa Era figuarts. But aren't most of us buying our childhoods…
adambman
Saying that I'm up for anything on that least page at least wouldn't be too amiss. I've already had a pair of MP-19s on preorder for awhile, using AE for the first time. It's cool to see a little more of how MP Smokescreen's shoulder weapons work.
I've thought of building up an order, maybe through RK, fleshed out with November and December's Hasbro Generations figures. To that I've thought of adding TG Sandstorm, perhaps Magnificus and the upcoming Legends pair. A few of TG Deluxe figures that I like won't be too far behind really, so there's a bit of indecision about hedging my bets or waiting to at least see some video reviews of the next Hasbro wave and some Takara counterparts.
In any case I'm now a bit more curious as to why we haven't seen TG Skids yet and when that might change.
Lbsammills51
I'm very glad I preordered the Japanese version sight unseen now. I was hoping it would be more accurate/better looking and this time it's paid off.
That and Zero are on its way to me now from AmiAmi. ZX is one of the only Showa Rider designs that does anything for me.
Going back to previous micron teams, especially three-packs during the Unicron Trilogy, many of those had similar or the exact same plastic colors/decos, so these three not being dramatically different is hardly a surprise.
As for reusing them….um, this is Takara. OF COURSE they're going to reuse these sooner or later. They milk the hell out of microns (much to my pleasure, and my wallet's displeasure).
Slimshadow457
Armada Screamer-fan-girl-squeak in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…
But seriously that thing looks AMAZING.
RedAlert Rescue
1) They should have repainted the minicons rather than leave them so simiar – or at least repaint them at a later stage.
2) Optimus' might look better with a red paint ap partially applied to the air dam otherwise it just looks nonsensical not to mention it's slightly amusing that even Takara don't seem aware there's a far better looking way of attaching his gan to his back than like they do it – that way only makes sense if he's firing it past his face – otherwise it's better doubly upsidedown (guns and backpack) looks better too.
3) The Go swords on the pussy cat don't really work.
4) where the heck if the TF Go Blue Smokesreen repaint then ? (That needs making stat!) Hopefully it will be added to a future update along with choo choo prime and not simply forgotten about.
Yggdrasil
Armada Screamer is a DEFINITE improvement! Getting that one for sure!
Incepticon
Cloud *and* Legends Megatron both sportin' grey, black & red paint decos with tank alt modes… I'm liking where this might be going. Come on, Legends Game design!
JohnRedcorn
The Voyager Classic Prime mold is still a great mold (imo, better than TW Orion) but the color scheme I am not down for.
Cyclonus79
Yeah there's def some sort of different attachment points going on with Smokescreens shoulder cannons. I'm assuming they gotta be small enough to fit through the hood area when in vehicle mode.
Pharoid
Figuarts Kamen Rider ZX!
I like the smaller tank Megatron (not Bludgeon) I wish they would go that way with the next MP.
PoweredConvoy
It's a blue attachment point, but not the same tube line shoulder cannons of the others. They would have showed that ability, the cannons Smokescreen comes with are likely detachable and peg or plug into the blue attachment points. But he doesn't have Streak & Prowl's built-in cannons.
Randy