Depends on whether you want the combined mode to work, as it's hard to get the best of both worlds when the design is so out there in terms of practicality. It's easy to see that wherever they made sacrifices on the figures, it was for the combined mode, which is how most people are gonna display the set.

Don't get me wrong: the characters are so interesting, I'd totally buy a set that is accurately scaled but doesn't combine. It would give them room to refine the designs so that Mixmaster doesn't have a cab on his back and Scavenger gets to (if it's even possible) have correctly sized wheels. Unfortunately, as the main selling point of the Constructicons in any continuity is Devastator, I can't imagine we'll get that in the near future, if ever.

 

Didn't they just show Split next to MPM Prime then people lost their shit assuming they were ALL going to be that scale? I don't recall any actual "advertising" that promised that, although you can correct me if I'm wrong. Plus as @RZ500 said them being MPM scale is neither desirable nor practical.

 

Most sites that sells preorders uses the term mpm scale not for just Mixmaster but for others as well. I don't mean vehicle scale of course, i know it is not practical or possible, but apart from Scavenger, this is the biggest Constructicon. They should make him at least bigger than MPM Prime.

 

By "right size' do you mean that Desastator isn't MPM scale or isn't even in scale with it's own on-screen proportions or individual components? Probably all are true.
An MPM scaled Devastator would be around 1 metre tall so it's quite safe to assume that it's never going to happen. Supposedly we're getting a 50cm combined Devy from DS- which in itself is still a hell of a lot of toy- and, although I don't collect the line, I think that makes it pretty suitable for SS scale.
However, I don't think this was made to compete with SS as this project was underway well before SS Devy was announced- as evidenced by the fact the individual bots seem to have been strongly influenced by the ROTF figures. If they hadn't already designed their figures then there's no doubt that they'd be using the SS figures as a starting point instead and it's possible that they are no tweaking aspects of their designs in response to the SS designs.

So, ultimately, I think this one is intended as a high end, standalone collector's piece which has the capacity to stand in with either MPM or SS collections. It's large enough to tower over all MPMs while still remaining at a manageable size, weight and affordable price point.
The combined mode is definitely the primary focus which is why individual vehicles don't even seem to scale with each other and why the bot modes have certain compromises which would otherwise be unforgivable decisions.

I really think anyone expecting or even wanting an true MPM scaled Devastator must not quite grasp just how much plastic that would be. I'd say, take a look at an average office desk chair, add some limbs, a big ugly face and a pair of dangling wrecking balls and then look for a spot amongst your collection where that could fit. Also, set 2 grand aside because I don't think it could be done for much less- unless it's just a massively upscaled SS mold with no paint- but without any structural amendments, it likely wouldn't hold together.

 

I just had to make a comparative illustration of an mpm scaled Devastator to fully visualise it. I went with 1:30 scale as that seems to make the most sense and is largely agreeable and easy to comprehend so 30 bot feet = 30 toy centimetres.

There's your typical 6 foot male point of reference, an mpm scaled devastator (Upscaled DS) at 103cm to the top of the mixing tank, then the actual 50cm DS Devy we should be getting and an obligatory 28cm Prime- I'm sure one of the many 3p versions must hit that mark.

I'm not saying that metre tall bulky hunk of junk wouldn't be cool to own- it's just so very very impractical. We'll be lucky if the one we're actually getting can stand unsupported.

 

Couldn't have put it better myself. I find it hilarious that it's virtually impossible to have the individual robots scale to the combined mode that they comprise. Maybe one day...

 

Now I really want that.

 

I don't have the space or money for a Devastator that big... but would I get it anyways? AB-SO-F**KIN-LUTELY!



*UPON GOOD QC CONFIRMATION*

 

Isn't FT Fort Max about that big too? Now I definitely get the fact that combiners will be /much/ more complex and hard to get it to hold the weight up of a bunch of combiners (which by nature tends to be more solid than single bot), but man, wouldn't that be cool... 1m tall devvie LOL

 

I am wondering how OSKO Studio Series will be? They are defnitely making them big judging from Rampage.

 

Yeah that FM should be even taller than this hypothetical Devy but it’s essentially a stack of vertical blocks which can utilise sealed, rigid joints designed for supporting its own weight.
The posture And physical proportions of Devastator combined with (pun) the fact he needs to be compromised of multiple triple changing figures makes him a bit of an engineering nightmare. There’s just so much mid-section mass but he doesn’t technically need to be able to stand on two legs if a minimum of three is what’s necessary to keep him intact. Even if a huge Devastator was made as a single piece figure I reckon it would still be tricky.

I think the sturdiest/ most reasonable hope would be for one similar to the 2009 figure which simply turns from vehicles to combiner.

I however will simply be content with DS Devy. Might get a couple SS figures to paint up and make a diorama out of the whole thing.

 

I would be willing to give up the robot modes to have a stable combined mode that big. Go all out with the vehicles and the combined mode articulation, poseability, detail, accessories, etc. I want him to hold my MPM toys in his hands and devour them in his vortex.

 

I would not object to that either.

I imagine Takara will make MPM Constructicons at some point without the ability to combine, with everyone in scale. It's a shame, because the one bot that seems to be the problem is arguably the coolest-designed out of all of them---Scavenger. Those wheels, man. They just don't translate into toy form without sacrifices. And if they want the individual to be accurate in both modes, that sacrifice is the combiner.

Makes me wonder what would happen if they made another robot for the torso. We've already (kind of) established that the Constructicons can combine with different components. To be honest, my dream scenario would be for DS (or someone else) to make a set and keep expanding on it. Give us a different interchangeable torso, different arms or legs, a different face for if Mixmaster didn't get the heads-up---so many cool possibilities for an interchangeable gestalt and different construction vehicles. It's never going to happen. But a guy can dream.

 

I did the math with Devil Saviour split's combine mode and Devil Saviour troublemaker's product images to find troublemaker's average height. Compared to studio series 49 bumblebee, devil saviour troublemaker looks to be about an inch too small from studio series in combiner mode, but i'm pretty sure devil saviour's mixmaster, scrapper, and rampage scale with mpm in robot mode and devil saviour's scavenger, scrapmetal, long haul and hightower scale with studio series in robot mode, their alt modes scale or are pretty close to studio series, so troublemaker probably scales best with studio series . All in all, bayverse devastator has wonky proportions and devil saviour did the best they could, it looks cool, and I'm totally going to get him.

 

If this ends up being shorter than studio series, I’m going to be pretty grumpy.

 

to be fair would also be an impressive feat for DS :-D

 

it probably won't make much of a difference.

it would also be the only feat for DS

 

I've been trying to get Split in truck mode for over an hour now, and still not done yet. Terrible.

The quality seems fine though, that's a plus.

 

I still haven’t transformed mine. The vehicle mode does look brilliant on all the pics and vids I’ve watched but I’m not really bothered about vehicle mode. He’s gonna stay in bot mode till the whole cast is assembled and then I’ll probably have to spend a week combining them.

 

I'm just hoping the other members are more easy to transform. I've seen 2 movies from the excavator and dumptruck (not good with names) and they don't seem too terrible.