WFC Siege Astrotrain

Discussion in 'Transformers Feedback & Reviews' started by openchallenge, Nov 12, 2019.

  1. LoserBroadside

    LoserBroadside Your ship just came in.

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2002
    Posts:
    7,295
    Trophy Points:
    337
    Likes:
    +5,049
    Ebay:
    Twitter:
    The train mode seems to be based on a model similar to this one:

    http://pluspng.com/img-png/steam-train-png-hd-train-png-1005.png

    I wonder if the narrow wheels in the front were meant to evoke how the front wheels on some steam engines sat on the inside of the rails while the larger wheels sat on the outsides. But the difference is gauge got exaggerated due to the needs of the transformation. Kinda like these:

    https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/SAR_Class_3R_1464_(4-8-2).jpg

    http://www.virginiaandtruckee.com/locomotive/images/Locomotive 18.jpg

    http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/kitson/kitson1.jpg
     
    • Like Like x 5
  2. feral prime

    feral prime Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2002
    Posts:
    1,266
    News Credits:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    267
    Likes:
    +238
    Just got my Astrotrain today and opened him up and fiddled around with it. It’s ..... ok. Where people complained about Shockwave being at leader price, I ignored the complaints. Here, I feel like it was 50 dollars wasted. I don’t find nothing exciting about this figure. The modes are eh and that launch pad for the shuttle..... woof.
    Another thing with it is weren’t they going with pretty accurate robot modes to the cartoon? Why the hell doesn’t his tailfin split and lay on his chest?!?! And the cherry on top of my gripes is his left wheel panel on backside is severely loose and it’s floppy so it doesn’t really have any stiffness like the other side. All in all, it’s astrotrain and I’ll keep him on the shelf but he’s the most boring figure out of the whole Siege line for myself.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  3. Hobbes-timus Prime

    Hobbes-timus Prime Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2007
    Posts:
    4,959
    News Credits:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    342
    Likes:
    +7,856
    Because Astrotrain didn't have that detail in the cartoon.

    I think he looks great. I'm a little bummed that he needs his shoes to stand equal with Blitzwing, but really it's fine.
     
    • Like Like x 4
  4. Mondochuk

    Mondochuk Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2004
    Posts:
    2,161
    News Credits:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    312
    Location:
    PA, USA
    Likes:
    +1,726
    I'm wondering this myself and came to check out if anyone had a fix for it or any ideas yet.
    I already tightened up the under-wing train wheels that rotate so they wouldn't flop around quite so much, but I can't figure out what's keeping that one panel (that is made up of his platform shoes) from laying flat in the launch pad mode.

    Could it be the back part of the black hinge that folds down? Is there too much plastic there and it needs a bit shaved off so it doesn't hit the gray molded "rails"?
    This:
    IMG_3834.jpg

    It's not like we haven't seen that before - Skytread and Slamdance tank parts, I'm looking at you...
     
    • Like Like x 1
  5. LoserBroadside

    LoserBroadside Your ship just came in.

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2002
    Posts:
    7,295
    Trophy Points:
    337
    Likes:
    +5,049
    Ebay:
    Twitter:
    Can you transform it into the train mode without folding out the mini front bit of the train?
     
  6. GoLion

    GoLion Banned

    Joined:
    Nov 7, 2014
    Posts:
    8,912
    News Credits:
    6
    Trophy Points:
    242
    Likes:
    +5,767
    I've seen this guy once at a specialty shop in my area, and twice at regular retail. I just can't pull the trigger on the figure.
     
  7. llamatron

    llamatron OFFICIAL MMC REP TFW2005 Supporter

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2002
    Posts:
    9,732
    News Credits:
    10
    Trophy Points:
    367
    Likes:
    +2,928
    Instagram:
    Thanks for pics. Robot looks great, but yikes the mixing of gauges on the train axles would drive me nuts.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  8. Avon

    Avon Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2004
    Posts:
    3,248
    News Credits:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    312
    Likes:
    +11,782
    Am I right in thinking this guy has side to side ankle tilt, but not front to back? Ta!
     
  9. MidnightBliss

    MidnightBliss Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2008
    Posts:
    5,148
    News Credits:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    337
    Likes:
    +1,951
    Size be damned. I really like this Astrotrain. Very reminiscent of G1. I really like how the colors change from alt mode to alt mode. grey shuttle to purple train is awesome. He is taking the spot of my 2nd favorite Astrotrain. Right next to G1.
     
    • Like Like x 7
  10. Dachande

    Dachande MULTI-QUOTE- USE IT. Super Mod

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2008
    Posts:
    52,184
    News Credits:
    21
    Trophy Points:
    467
    Location:
    South Central PA
    Likes:
    +144,038
    If they do a new Blitzwing in Earth Rise I'm sure they'll scale well together. Same with Octane.

    Picked up Astrotrain from the LCBS for a nice price, and seriously couldn't be more pleased.
    While I do kind of wish he were a bit taller, he is a massively heavy bot. I was actually surprised by how heavy this one is. There is a LOT of mass there.

    Transformation is actually pretty fun, and the alt modes are perfectly fine with me. The shuttle gets some getting used to, but isn't nearly as terrible as some people made it out to be.

    The train is, well, a train. Not much going on there, but I do appreciate that it has wheels that actually roll and aren't fake.

    As with many figures, the bot mode is where he shines. Wonderful articulation, superb details and slathered in paint.

    The added train car/launch pad is a nice bonus, but honestly, I probably won't use it until Scorpinok is released. I do like all the added guns, though. Great way to kit out other figures

    I can understand people taking issue with the price point, but I have yet to get a Siege Leader that I felt wasn't worth the asking price.

    Overall, the TR version is a good representation of the character. This one IS Astrotrain.
     
    • Like Like x 10
  11. gbm

    gbm Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2012
    Posts:
    9,466
    Trophy Points:
    287
    Location:
    New Jersey
    Likes:
    +19,398
    Sweet.
    This is on my Christmas list.
     
    • Like Like x 3
  12. Megasquared

    Megasquared Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2015
    Posts:
    3,908
    News Credits:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    222
    Likes:
    +9,830
    I just finished messing with Astrotrain. The extra pieces I could have done without if meant the toy was at a voyager price point. They don't add much to the other modes. Though I do like how you can store all of the weapons inside the box. I do wonder if the leader price was due to all the moving parts because he is way more complex than Apeface. I did enjoy transforming it into the different modes but while the robot mode looks good the vehicle mode feels unfinished.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  13. Shin Densetsu

    Shin Densetsu I WILL DESTROY YOU Content Contributor Veteran

    Joined:
    Jul 30, 2003
    Posts:
    52,145
    News Credits:
    33
    Trophy Points:
    442
    Likes:
    +52,675
    Looking forward to getting this despite my reservations on price. Hearing that it's hefty is a pleasant surprise. To me, this nails the look of Astrotrain moreso than the LG and Henkei versions before it. Keeping those still, especially since the Henkei version is close in size to the original. LG and Henkei choochoo will be my Astroforce.
    Complexity can definitely play a factor especially if there are more small pieces needing to be tooled(smaller parts are more expensive to tool).
     
    • Like Like x 3
  14. Astrotrain52

    Astrotrain52 Banned

    Joined:
    May 22, 2008
    Posts:
    3,927
    News Credits:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    262
    Likes:
    +2,861
    Got him yesterday. Probably in my top 3 Siege figures

    I do wish he was a Commander to rival Jetfire. The triple changing gimmick with Earth-like vehicle modes would have been better served with a higher budget of plastic and transformation engineering to pull from. That, or forgoing the tender compartment in favor of more plastic into the figure proper.

    While we have a more “in scale” robot mode (which is very short, even for a “modern” Leader figure), the vehicle modes looks glaringly small.

    As is he’s still good, but the front of the locomotive is glaringly out of proportion with the rest of the train mode, and the shuttle looks like it’s stuck inside a tissue box. Not big complaints, but you can’t finagle Earth-like vehicle modes as a triple changer on this scale. It’s not like Springer where you can push and pull a couple tabs and plop a rotor on top
     
    • Like Like x 5
  15. Greeman

    Greeman Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2011
    Posts:
    2,233
    News Credits:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    262
    Likes:
    +2,906
    Just got him, love him, but I'm having an issue with his landing-pad. The panel that the boot pieces attaches to, the two-pronged part? I can't get it to fold flush when trying to flatten it out. Anyone else have this problem or a way to fix it?
     
    • Like Like x 3
  16. Dachande

    Dachande MULTI-QUOTE- USE IT. Super Mod

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2008
    Posts:
    52,184
    News Credits:
    21
    Trophy Points:
    467
    Location:
    South Central PA
    Likes:
    +144,038
    It was just mentioned in post 44 on this page.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  17. Mondochuk

    Mondochuk Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2004
    Posts:
    2,161
    News Credits:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    312
    Location:
    PA, USA
    Likes:
    +1,726
    Hey! That's my post! :-D
    Yeah, I found another Astrotrain today since mine had some wonky hip-armor issues where it seems to be miss-molded.
    I haven't opened it yet, but I'll see if it's got the same issue.
    I haven't devoted any more time to figuring out what's going on, just no time unfortunately.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  18. Greeman

    Greeman Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2011
    Posts:
    2,233
    News Credits:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    262
    Likes:
    +2,906
    Ah, I see. I (rather crudely) tried to scrape some plastic away on the hinge part to see if that made it less uncooperative. Not sure it helped at all
     
  19. LoserBroadside

    LoserBroadside Your ship just came in.

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2002
    Posts:
    7,295
    Trophy Points:
    337
    Likes:
    +5,049
    Ebay:
    Twitter:
    Grumble grumble. I was supposed to have Astrotrain in yesterday. But after it never showed up, Wal-Mart admitted that they sold me my pre-order back in Oct 6th without making sure they would have enough in stock when they came in, and never bothered to tell me that it didn't ship, despite sending me tracking info and an arrival date. Fortunately Amazon came through just now. Soooooo I have to wait until Christmas for it. I FEEL LIKE A REAL CRANKCASE
     
  20. Greeman

    Greeman Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2011
    Posts:
    2,233
    News Credits:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    262
    Likes:
    +2,906
    Still no idea how to fix that hinge. Until someone with actual knowhow really gives it a look over I'm stumped.