I hate creating a thread like this, but I searched and all the Sixshot comparisons seem like they're pre-Hydra, and I feel like if I post this question in the Hydra thread and the Hanzo thread I'll get two different answers. So here we are. So I was reading a store newsletter and saw that DX9's Hanzo is getting kind of cheap. Like $105-$110 cheap. But before I mashed the "buy" button I figured I'd check on Fans Toys' Hydra, and it's $140-$150 at the same stores, which really isn't that much more in the grand scheme of things (especially given that other big FT figures like Roadking and Maverick are going for more). Now I'm on the fence. Near as I can tell, Hydra's got that premium Fans Toys look and is generally more G1 accurate across his various modes, but like many FT products he seems like a "set it and forget it" sort of piece that's not particularly fun to handle. Hanzo's bot mode looks perfectly fine and he seems like the more fun figure to mess with, but I'm hearing he's got some issues with his shoulders. So I'll ask you guys, especially those of you with both, which do you like better for an MP Sixshot? Leave a comment and tell me why.
There was a fair amount of conversation about this in the Hydra thread post-release, as people who have both shared their thoughts on the matter. tl;dr: It depends on what you want. If you want something to transform and pose in dramatic ninja ways, DX9 Hanzo. If you want a sharp-looking shelf display piece, FT Hydra. If you care about the alt modes, well, neither one is perfect, but possibly Hydra looks better in many of them, although the transformation to get there is probably less fun than Hanzo just going by the manufacturer's history. If you prefer a distinctly blue or green SixShot, Hanzo. If you like an in-between color that leans bluish and is more metallic looking, Hydra.
Hydra for display. Hydra's a pain to transform, his arms take a ton of force to pry away from his chest. Transformation to Wolf mode not recommended, there's a clip that can easily be broken. I've taken him to each of his modes at least twice and can say they're all nice, but he's staying in bot mode because I just feel like one of these days I'm going to push on his arms in the wrong way and snap them off. The legs are poorly designed. Other than that, I love him. Hanzo looks alright in the photos I've seen, but I don't own him so I can't speak for it one way or the other.
Same as every time with fanstoys Vs anyone. Fanstoys for display, DX9 for a transformer. Hanzo is built brilliantly, very solid. Not the diecast tight joint feeling you will get from fanstoys but as good as any other 3rd party but he is much better to transform and handle.
I think that's the thing that keeps bringing drawing me back to Hydra. That color, with that lovely metallic sheen, just looks so right to me. But that might be the the dealbreaker. I like to handle my figures. I get fidgety if my hands aren't doing something, so sometimes while watching TV or something I'll grab a figure and start messing with it. I know some people don't like Fans Hobby because they take some liberties when it comes to G1 accuracy, but they wind up being some of my favorite figures because they're solid and fun to mess with. Most of the time. But sometimes FT really nails it. I mean, I know FT doesn't really have competition there yet, but I love how they pulled of Motormaster and Jetfire. And Grenadier is more fun to mess with than the other Bombshells (shame I couldn't say that about the other two). Or sometimes the competition isn't all that playable. I wound up picking up Quietus, who's kind of a pain to mess with, because Eligos is also a pain and doesn't look as nice. I'll be honest, I've messed with all GCreation's dinobots and Ultra Maxmas, and they might be the one company that can give FT a run for their money in taking the fun out of transforming a figure. I don't know if Fuuma is an improvement for them or not, but I've been conditioned to avoid GCreation's stuff. Besides, isn't Fuuma supposed to be more IDW? As much as I loved pre-reboot IDW I'm limiting my collecting habits to mostly G1 MPs.
Fuuma is "easy" to transform and is the most posable of the bunch (also the biggest and the most expensive)... But he is a "IDW MP" like the rest of the Gcreation stuff.
Fuuma is very IDW, greebly, the polar opposite of Hydra's G1 toon aesthetic. Their materials also aren't as break-proof durable as some others tend to be. You would likely be happiest with a Hanzo in your hands.
I'm the same way, but can say I like Hydra enough that he's my one exception. He looks better than every other option, but the other options are all probably better in terms of transformation. Articulation-wise he's fine in bot mode, the ankle tilt is super limited but he can strike a decent pose. He can be messed with, just don't plan on transforming him super often.
i can only comment on the first run of hanzo and mine was less than good right out of the box it was dirty , scratched , loose joints , screw tightened too far so it popped through the grill... but all these were fixed i think on the next run my hydra i really like but have not transformed it but in looks for me it beats hanzo
That would be over paying. You can get him all day on ebay new and used for 70-80$ shipped. I know because I bought mine about a month ago for 67$. He's got shoulder issues, but I was able to fix mine easily with nail polish. Other than the shoulder droop he's incredibly solid, though his swords feel cheap to me. His transformations are fluid and fun and his ankles nail the articulation a big bot needs, unlike some other versions. Both figures have hit and miss alt modes and both have some less than stellar aspects. I think Hanzo's shoulders are an easy fix, while Hydras feet you just have to live with. Hydra clearly has the more premium look but DX9 nailed the fun factor, and for the price you can't go wrong with Hanzo.
I have hanzo and have 0 regrets. He looks great in almost all modes (none of these are perfect) and is just solid and fun to transform. I have the blue 1 and he looks great with my headmasters cast on the shelf.
I only own Hydra but I love him. He looks fantastic. The transformations really aren’t that tough either. I enjoy transforming him. The only area that kinda sucks is getting the lower legs transformed for wolf mode, but it’s worth it because that’s his best alt mode.
*DING*DING*DING.!!!!! HERE ARE YOU'RE 20 PTS!! Yea Fumma from the "World Heroes" fighting game made by SNK/Neo-Geo. I spent so much money on that game as a kid lol. As someone said above though Fumma by GCreations is more IDW but my preferred 6Shot.
Hydra is a shelf queen, like so many of FT’s products. It looks great, not fun. That said, Hanzo isn’t a huge upgrade in terms of fun. I’m still waiting for the prefect sixshot.
