Hey, what's going on everybody. Welcome to a new edition of #justanotherpictorialreview. Pretty close up to Hulkbuster, I know. But I found a gap and the next days will be rather busy, so as usual...video review will come soon, but for now...make way for Fans Hobby's awesome version of a Masterpiece Powermaster Optimus Prime; Power Baser. Packaging is very basic, but is nevertheless high quality and protects everything just fine. We got a heavy duty cardboard box showing nice, high quality images of Power Baser in all of his modes,... ... ...with simple red sides featuring the logo. Of course the backside features explanations and details on all of his modes, but it's nothing we haven't seen already. Little bit of switching up needed for the out of the box view. Of course Power Baser comes in truck mode, but the picture just would've been way too wide, so we'll handle truck mode in the next pictures. Aside from Power Baser though, which has ALL the parts for powermaster-mode built in, he comes with nice instructions, a collector card and a pre-order bonus was a nice chromed and sapphire-gem featuring Matrix... ...which is housed in a nice jewelry casket. Nice riffled surface, shiny and sturdy plastic really make this a nice pre-order exclusive. Furthermore the casket's sleeve has a nice cut out for the matrix symbol on the drawer... ...and the matrix itself is nicely held in a circular foam cut out. The matrix itself is what you expect, gorgeously chromed though and outfitted with a beautiful sapphire gem and even though there's no place in Power Baser, the Matrix fits all currently sized MPs with matrix cavities. Let's get to the truck, cause this thing is a piece of beauty. We got chromed rims, a chromed grill, and smokestacks bumber and sharp details on the cab throughout,... ...with nice tech details behind the windows which are translucent blue tinted. The trailer doesn't disappoint either, with Ginrai having a place on the front of the cab, OR on the trailer making for a cleaner cab front. The Trailer continues with sharp line work AND paint, pistons... ...and the feet and transformation joints work beautifully in the overall sculpt work. While we're at the truck mode: let's compare. Fans Hobby managed take the design and make it their own, yet keeping the classic elements alive, like Ginrai attaching to the cab, silver stripe, blue windows and arms folding to the back, yet also introducing more classic Prime elements, like making the cab a 6-wheeler. Overall proportions to the full truck though, are almost identical, but just seeing it upgraded in masterpiece style is a sight to behold. Let us transition from truck, over Ginrai to basemode, alright? Ginrai on this set looks absolutely beautiful and features good articulation and detail which of course improves greatly from the original, but side by side we sure see many classic elements... ...and he fits his seat of base mode's guns just fine. Said Ginrai makes for great pictures besides Power Baser's "Powermaster" mode. Close up we get so much details from this guy and even a place for an Autobot insignia. What I especially enjoy on this is the colossal sense of scale Power Baser gives us, when Ginrai is leaning beside him, with the huge shin piston and wheels. And like I said before, he fits the base mode just fine, speaking of which: The base mode works, but isn't my favorite. The peg holes on top of the arms work, but it's a little shaky and not the best fit and especially side by side you see that compromises needed to be made... ...like Ginrai, the robot not very well fitting behind the guns in base mode, since Super Ginrai's head is positioned there. The flaps which made the ways up to the base were also seemingly not possible anymore, or the bases front. I still enjoy the original, but let's not forget: the original seemed to be made for base, Power Baser follows the mp-approach of truck and bot and THAT works... ...and boy: do those 2 bot modes work. The smaller features great articulation all around. We got rockers in the feet, transformation-wise toe tilt,... ...wide range for the thighs, ab crunch,... single-jointed elbow which gives us the full range though... ...but let's not forget the tampos, blue tinted botmode windows with tech details and beautiful gem-like eyes on him. Both headsculpts are gorgeous and lifelike. All weapons, if you should ask, fit in his hands too, thx to the familiar rail system. The black blasters can even be split apart and become smaller firearms for this bot specifically and the barrels become dual stationary guns for the base. Side by side with the original it works very well. Proportions were mostly kept. Look at the fists ending almost at the same hight as the original: on waist level. So many elements that have been kept, yet improved upon and brought into the 21st century, like the blue windows now showing inner tech. Upper backside is almost identical and only the lower gave it away: The combination to Powermaster/Super Ginrai is a good bit and a good bit of this are the red panels , which work as covers and attachment for Power Baser`s head. Here we also see the 2 additional wheel, but I for myself...love a good comparison and it works so well. But let´s take a look at the true star of this set: Super Ginrai, so: MASTERFORCE! TRANSFORM! GOD ON! DOUBLE ON! And here we got him: Super Ginrai, or more commonly know to the western hemisphere: Powermaster Optimus Prime. He features an absolutely insane presence on any shelf and just yesterday I took him out of my Detolf to look at him. I just love all the chrome and how everything plays together, like the collapsed truck bits that blink through his final form... ...although there is a bit of a downside. The flaps on top of his cap endure quite the bit of stress and if you don´t collaps it exactly as instructed by Fans Hobby, there could be breakage. I for my part already encountered stress marks, so please be on the lookout. Looking at the articulation we can´t ignore that he is a bulky bot, but the double jointed elbows work very well and around the protruding backpieces of the guns can be very well worked around. A-stances and more general action poses are no problem at all due to the humongus heelspur, rocker and thigh articulation... ...and balancing him is a real joy. He holds many poses and the waist flaps help to hide the joints a good bit. Unfortunately due to his mass I wasn´t able to get him into running poses, but only marginally so. Put more work into it and I believe it will work though. Side by side again the upper parts are almost identical and old and new are a great team... ...although of course Power Baser dwarfs the old one and looks way more premium,... ...but toy lovers of old, that played with the original (which is why my is that yellow), like myselfjust can´t get enough of figures like this. Another piece which features insane shelf presence for quite some time now of course is Mastermind Creations Carnifex AKA IDW G1 Overlord... ...and until Fans Hobby have finished their Godbomber and Overlord, those 2 are made for each other.
"I myself am prepared for death should the worst happen."- Giga I hope you enjoyed this review...as always and if you want to purchase him yourself now: I believe many retailers still carry him. Expect me to review the companion pieces Fans Hobby´s Tank and Double Evil, once I have them. Good day, everyone.
