I am going to refloat this thread since I am interested in an Armada Leader Optimus Prime.

The final battle version has the same problem?

 

Not news to me... Mine's left ear in super-mode broke off...

 

Does it look like it has gold plastic? No? There's your answer.

 

How brilliant you are BAH!

Did you see the pics of the thread? can you see that from here? how do you now there are not GP?

Amazing...

 

I still have my original Armada Optimus Prime still MISB in my closet. I guess I better check it and make sure nothing is rattling around in there. Bad thing, is IF I ever decided to sell it MISB, I'd be concerned whoever bought it would suffer the GPS issue which would suck for both parties.

 

I have no idea what you're trying to say. You're using English words, but I literally cannot draw your meaning from them.

If you're asking how I know that a figure without gold plastic doesn't have Gold Plastic Syndrome, then...huh.

 

Most likely, it will break in time.

I have the final Battle version and have already had to put a hairdryer on it to remove stressmarks on the elbow joint. (And can already see new ones.)

The problem is not GPS. It's a joint that has to deal with a lot of stress when rotating the elbow, a necessity when transforming him. It's a badly designed joint. They should've made it a ratchet joint, but instead went with a system of resistance: you have to force an angular piece of plastic when rotating. This causes stress and because they drilled a hole for the pin, it will break.

If it was true GPS, then the parts would crumble to dust. All pictures I've seen show it breaking, not crumbling. You can also see in the pics of the first post that the goldcolored plastic has parts that are whitened because of the stress the joint is under.


But I would still recommend the Final Battle version. Finally an Optimus who isn't the old boring red/grey/blue.

 

No, the final battle version does not have Gold Plastic Syndrome. Personally, I think you're better off with just getting the deluxe "Bendy" Optimus Prime.

 

Bought another Armada Prime... arm broke off after 2 seconds.

 

That's the one I have, and Its freaking flawless...hmm...

 

So I know this is a pretty old thread but I recently busted my old Armada Primes out and then someone told me their normal US version broke. I recently obtained the Takara version giving me three versions of the mold (normal US, Powerlinx US, and normal Takara). I've had the normal US version since I was a kid (I grew up during Armada and got that Prime all the way back in 2002). It's seen quite a bit of play, transformation, and overall usage (including being Jetfired and Overloaded).
It has seen absolutely no breakage, gold parts or otherwise.
Here's one thing I DID notice though; The normal US version with the gold plastic feels like the fist covers are very tightly on there; in other words they are difficult to slide up and down (though it's much more noticible on the left fist which seems to be the one the OP has broken.) Niether my Takara varient nor my Powerlinx Prime have that; the fist covers are tight but still slide up and down rather smoothly. While the plastic is golden and matches in color to GPS prone plastic, it does not seem swirly.
My point is that I don't think this is GPS even though it's gold plastic. Maybe it's only mine that's like that but I think it has to do with how you have to slide the cover up and down and that excessive tightness.
And in case it wasn't obvious, the Takara version replaced all the gold plastic and most of the gold paint with yellow (matching both the show and the catalog we got here in the US). Powerlinx Prime also has absolutely no gold plastic (it's all replaced by red/maroon plastic.) If anyone happens to look at this thread again I hope this helps you.....somehow.

 

Oh that stinks. Sorry to hear that.

 

I have a Canada Armada version. Prolly the same as the US. Has the gold elbows. No stress marks. No issues. Transformed many times. Hoping it stays that way.

 

Exactly the same just happened to me today

 

Exactly how common are these stress fractures? I have been interested in picking up a Prime, but I am still a bit wary, as a complete one is still pricey.
Sorry about reviving this thread, I just noticed its age.

 

Mines still ok thankfully

 

Mines MISB and it's going to stay there.

 

I actually bought a replacement arm for mine. I just took him out of storage and transformed him aaaaaand it broke again. Goddamnit.

I wonder if the Takara version suffers from the same problem.

I doubt that makes any difference. I wasn't having any issues either until it just came clean off. Didn't even hear a snap. It was just suddenly in two pieces.

 

The Micron Legend version used yellow plastic in lieu of gold plastic to be accurate to the animation. So I would thiiiiiiink they would still be okay after all this time.

Course, they also go for a pretty penny.

 

I just opened mine last week after being MISB since I bought it back in 2002. lol. I transformed it and had not issues. Now Ill have to check it out when I get home.