Yeah

 

Pronouncing it like Frodo makes the whole team better.

 

Look at Jazz, Trailbreaker, Cosmos, Sunstreaker, etc. ... in these 3P “wars” usually the laggard of the bunch is lagging behind for good reason and hardly ever superior to initial offerings, despite the advantage of time ... not a hard and fast rule, but food for thought nonetheless

 

Hell Yeah! Thank you!

 

Do you mean they're all being released at the same time, or that they're coming as a 5-pack?

I only want Vortex and Blast Off, so will be annoyed if I have to get the others as well.

 

I was about to forget about this set, but if they can pull together any type of release this year I'm all for it. I don't think Unique Toys Bruticus is something I want to fool with until I see more of this. I will say, the Onslaught in the demo video looked more like a combiner torso first serving as a robot and truck second...as long as the combiner works well and sturdy i'm good.

 

I like that too, but I hope if they're sticking with that clear plastic that the mustard colour is matched correctly to the rest of the figure and that the windshield itself is a dark, smokey translucent plastic, else you'll be able to see the asymmetry in the chest through it.

I actually feel the opposite about it - I think the feet are compromised for the combiner foot, look-wise, and I think the combiner foot looks okay. But yes, individual add-on feet would be nice but indeed defeats the purpose.

Debatable. Wait until it gets released first.

 

I say no... to an extent, Zeta's engineering is as simple as it can be (that is why they are cheap and sometimes don't look as great as a "MP" should do), unlike Assaltus where the engineering is pretty clever and complex, it has yet to prove that it works when all the figures are in combined mode though... I predict that it will not be as sturdier as what Zeta is doing, but it will work "more and less" as intended. The connections of the arm bots to the shoulders worried me a bit....

I think people who like Zeta's combiners only care only about size and look (combined mode and some of the alt-modes), which is perfectly fine!!!, but some of us want a lot more than that. I have Armageddon and I want to toss him to the recycle bin   (the alt-modes are gorgeous though).

 

I’m just gonna quote this but I might refer to other things you’ve said.

Now the reason why it’s simple is cause it works. Zeta makes combiners that have good places to lock and secure in that create strong bonds. With very strong joints containing great range. And lighter weight limbs that don’t weigh down the combined mode. It’s a strategy that works very well. Even if it’s simple. And allows them to test boundaries and make better individual figures. Which if silver arrow is a sign they’re doing very well. And I don’t think people want it just for look and size. Granted that’s what a lot people do and I don’t blame you for thinking that. But they also have great articulation that will last a while and create great posing. Which while creates good looks, that’s more about engineering.

Now with this Bruticus. Just because it’s more involved doesn’t mean it will be better. But reading through you seem to consider that option. Cause it’s a very daunting task. Like MMC did one combiner and this is far different than that.

 

Armageddon says otherwise unfortunately... Zeta's way of doing business works most of the time but it doesn't impress me at all, and clever engineering is very important to me, it's the only reason I collect, otherwise I wouldn't collect transformes at all... Thus my transformers have to go from point A to B to C with minimal partsforming or the partsforming pieces have to transform as well or serve other purposes.

I would say that the only successful mode of him is the robot mode. I find strange that without his third mode, Silver arrow still can't pull off the jet mode successfully.

Zeta is quite successful and I am glad that their fan base can get the products they want, they are the first to put giant combiners on the market, but their products are not for me, I have Armageddon and I am very disappointed.

Agree, it may not perform better than the others, but is the way that every mode transform into the others what is very impressive and important to me (I am a designer by the way) and it adds value to the figure imo.

Everyone can make a pantsformer or even make these new "torsoformers", but I can say that there is not a lot of companies (or designers) with the balls to design "fully integrated" or "all built in" combiners.

Flame Toys are making highly articulated and gorgeous figures, sacrificing the transformation (and because they are a third party company licenced by Hasbro / TT). I think people want some of those aspects on their transformers, which I think Zeta accomplish at some degree... but in the end it defeats the purpose of transformation imo.

 

See I forgot to mention this but the point I wanted to get at was that it was brilliant because of its simplicity. Like to think back when 3P combiners were all built in like TFC Devastator. And that has just aged and lost its stability. Now we just realised that if we just take those parts of the combiner and make them strong with good locking and tabs to secure all the components. We can make good combiners. Cause they’re simple. That’s what’s clever.

Well that’s cause it’s trying to minimise the robot backpack. Which has plagued nearly every silverbolt to date. Except maybe Kreo. I’m sure fanstoys will be better though.

But look yeah if you’re digging it or get what they’re doing it’s cool man.

Ohhh okay. I think I get your perspective man. It is very impressive to do it fully in one piece like this.

I just feel like it’s a step up of the G1 combiner thing with all the parts. Like if you look at constructor it just does all the same stuff but it’s collector grade. Now of course they’re making more parts for the combiners like bruticus and superion but it still feels similar. And they do offer you to use them as makeshift bases. Which is better than what hasbro did in ‘85.

 

Man Zetas bruticus individual robot modes are shit so I hope no one tries to follow that model. They might as well have made a non transforming figure. Give me this MMC version all day.

 

I don’t know for sure but seems like vortex and onslaught have been semi-finished for some time. I was referring to how some companies will release a limb bot before some others are finished being designed, seems like you’re setting yourself up for issues without having them all together before a release to ensure no adjustments are needed to the combined mode.
I can’t imagine they’d release them only as a box set though.

 

I'm just really excited for this set because the Combaticons are my favorite combiner group, and none of the other MP Combaticon offerings fit my collection. UT's came close, but stumbled and fell with the last three figures, especially Onslaught.

With this set all the prototypes we've seen so far look amazing (although I still want to see a toon chest on Onslaught), in terms of sculpt, colors, and engineering. Obviously it remains to be seen just how durable and fun the figures are in hand, but this is one set I am willing to (semi) patiently wait for.

One thing which gives me hope this will be really good: it does look like MMC is taking their time to get things right instead of rushing things. By now you'd expect Vortex and maybe even Onslaught to be released, but I suspect they're waiting for test shots of the whole team before doing so. For a combiner like this I think that'll be essential to build a quality end product.

 

This thing is so toy I love it. It has its own personality as a combiner. Plus it has lower legs/feet they I like it: without feet that look like shoes, but integrated in the lower leg figure like Devastator has. If they could however integrate the toy foot in there without it looking like a shoe too much I would love that as well.

 

thats a good point, never looked at it that way  

 

Geez, Swindle's looking good if you ask me. Hoping the quality is there, because I'll probably have to get this.

 

Does Vortex have ratchets in bot mode?

 

Yeah, you can see them in this review.pretty much fully articulated,
Including individual fingers.