It's possible that there was some unforeseen reaction there. Bandai started changing how they approached plastic usage in their Gunpla several years ago when they realized that their prescribed paints were actually making the plastic brittle, causing kits to fail. And people have experienced Tamiya panel liner paints eating through styrene plastic as well.

 

What?! Even the Gundam pen liner eats through plastic?

On a sidenote on the plastic, the matte style of paint is different from the other MPs. I don't think the one on BW Megs and Dinobot is matte type. So Hound might be technically the first matte TF. MP screamer is like all mold and no paint except for some details. Maybe Takara should have gone for the green molded plastic and ditch the paint like the original Diaclone?

 

I’m curious, what was the fan/collector response to that and how did Bandai handle things? Also, was it just one particular model or more widespread across the line?

 

I think the Gundam Markers were fine. It was the Mr. Hobby brand paints that had some adverse effect on ABS plastic, which is when they shifted to Polystyrene frames for MG Gundams, and phased out the pre-built inner frames for the RG line.

I have no clue, as I never really followed the issue directly. I only found out about it after the fact.

I think the first really noticeable evidence for the shift came with the MG Sinanju Animation version kit. The original Ver. KA release had an ABS inner frame. The Animation version changed that out for Polystyrene plastic.

 

Well..... forget what I said earlier about transforming it not causing breakage. I don’t recommend transformation. I pushed my luck and it broke.

As others have already said, the break was very strange and there was no warning. The plastic at the break point looks super shiny. Almost translucent.

Anyone have any idea how to get that pin out?? The part the pin is still in seems to be cracked now as well. So if I pull the pin out it may break the other piece. The damn pin is pushed into a blind hole so you can’t just push it out from the other side.

I really hope they fix this figure for the re-release because I really love it aside from the chocolate plastic.

 

Oh no!  

 

Sorry to see this, buddy.  


Takara? Your fans are waiting for some positive action from you on this.

 

Give them 2 years for the re-issue. I computed the date based on how long Sunstreaker got one.

 

Go longer than that if ever. MP9 just got the fix last year for the reissue that was like what, 9 years after the making even though it is a much simpler problem than this one? This problem is one of a structural material that used for the whole figure. Even if they somehow change the plastic mix for the whole figure, there is no telling if the design is going to be able to take the new plastic mix, etc.

 

Hate to see this happen to you... Your overall optimism about the figure has been helpful in keeping things a little more balanced in this crappy situation.

That said, whenever I see anyone in this topic say the breakages have nothing to do with transformation, I wince. Mine broke during my first (and still only) transformation. Out of ~45 MPs, this is my only instance of breakage. The one tailgate door just sheared away from the hinge with total ease. No undue force, no loud snap, nothing, it just fell off cleanly as I pushed it up to where it would have rested inside what would become a foot. And, so far, leaving it stand in bot mode for about 6 weeks or so now, it hasn't developed any cracks that I can see. Just that one break (that can't be seen in bot mode) for now.

As much as it may drive people who like to determine cause/figure out patterns/solve problems/etc. nuts, I don't think we can either definitively blame any one thing or completely rule any one thing out as factors in the overall issues with this release. Not yet anyway. I'm not seeing any discernible pattern besides a general trend of cracks/breaks having a relatively high occurrence. And that it likely has something to do with the plastic in some way. There's also obviously more susceptible points on the figure for breakage to occur, but it's not as isolated a problem as, say, Optimus V3's knees. We're seeing cracks and breaks in new places quite often with Hound. General problems, with variation. Nothing as clean as: to avoid cracks/breaks, just do this/don't do this. If only we had it that figured out by now...

I'm no engineer. Not in the slightest. So I could easily be way off here, and won't take any offense to more informed challenges to my claim. But I'm just not seeing any concrete causation. Again, yet. As of right now, all I see is dodgy plastic turning this release into a crapshoot, and the odds of "losing" are pretty high, at least compared with most other MP releases. People need to be aware of this situation if they pick up Hound, and they really should apply more care than usual with the figure; although, sadly, even that cannot guarantee a problem-free Hound.

I really want this to be a low-point in the MP line (in terms of QC) that we never see again.   I think the next few new mold releases will give us an indication on where TT's priorities are at these days. Which will determine my priority for continuing to collect the MP line. I've not lost hope yet, for sure, but for me, TT need to regain some of my lost confidence if they want me to feel as excited for the MP line as I had for the last several years. Here's hoping.  

 

 

Takara will probably just put out a reissue and call it done. The ones who bought that piece of <insert here what you prefer> will never see their problem addressed or their money back I fear. Especially if their Hound was smart enough to crack after the period in which a return was possible.
This is unexcusable and I feel sorry for everyone is experiencing that.
I just hope that, from now on, the hyperboles about how much takara is better than everyone else and accusations of sausage fingers are finally over. Some rationality helps sometimes, even if that means being a bit less excited about something you are supposed to love or being a listener to someone who is a bit more critical than you about those toys from the company that is also the inventor of transformers and that did some awesome things in the past years.

 

 


It seems you made some incorrect assumptions about where I was coming from, and possibly read too much into my statement.

 

But, Takara does make the best sausage fingers. I'm not sure why this is still up for debate?!  

But in all seriousness, even if the next release is an absolute homerun, and has no QC issues, will this stop the hyperboles of the haters ("cheap, underdetailed, overpriced, etc") ? Probably not.

 

Ok purchased

 

I think that the cheap talk may. I think that most of us think that TT make the best MP figs...it's just that their recent track record has been mixed at best. Do I think that they are capable of releasing a near perfect figure...yes....do I think that they have the will to...no. So long as they focus on cutting costs on production/materials, they will continue to have issues with their releases.

 

I’m going to attempt to fix it. But even if I can’t, at least it will still look ok in bot mode on the shelf because that part ends up inside anyway. Deep sigh!

 

In fact, MP Hound is targeted to sausage finger users

 

Haha, for sure. It was mostly a tongue in cheek response to those who make the over the top comments. Generally the haters who are gonna comment no matter what.

 

It sucks but yeah, at least he'll look fine in bot mode.
Once they reissue him, you'll get the chance to return him. I imagine that's what a lot of people will do.

 

Didn't they do something like that with Rodimus V2?