Yeah it's really strange that some of the black plastic parts look better than others. I'm trying not to be too paranoid but the finish on this figure is so odd compared to other MPs that I feel like the factory messed up by either using the wrong type of black plastic on most parts or they were supposed to paint it and they didn't. Both scenarios seem highly unlikely to me because there should have been test shots etc. But after what happened with Hound I have to wonder if the factory is really screwing up when doing the full production run sometimes.

I'm getting used to the new knees and they aren't as bad as when I first used them. But I would definitely prefer a better solution.

 

Okay, I've had a few days to fiddle with Black Convoy and here are my updated thoughts...

Robot mode is a delight. The articulation is phenomenal, and proportions are great- I wish the arms were a little longer, but that's personal taste. Objectively blows MP10 out of the water for articulation. The waist is extremely wobbly even when soft locked together to minimize the range. Displays fine, but my buddy who isn't into transformers immediately picked that out when he held it for a few seconds. I do not mind the hip ratchets having a lot of play. Something unacceptable to me though is that his hands cannot securely hold his gun- this connection method has been being used for about 10 years now and that still hasn't been perfectly toleranced? In any case, his left hand holds better than the right, so my Nemesis is a lefty.

The benefit of most of the figure being unpainted is that I don't have to worry about chipping in most places where parts can collide! The black, red, and teal all play perfectly with each other, and I wish the Decepticon insignia was purple to add just another little flair, as every bit of color pops very nicely against the black. My favorite bit is the clear teal arrows in his forearms... subtle, but they add a ton of charm. For durability, the knees don't bother me much, but I am concerned at how easily the antennae on his head may break if the head gets cocked ever-so-slightly during transformation. Not sure if they can rotate like MP10, but that would be nice to avoid breakage. Too scared to try as of now  

The transformation is still wild, but it definitely has a rhythm that you get down after a few attempts... I have to set aside some time for it, but I find it enjoyable now! I can line up the tanks a bit better now thanks to the tips from @oku, @Prime of Shadows, @chchchch, and anyone else I may have missed, but they are still incredibly delicate and pop apart if I look at them the wrong way. Definitely doesn't have that nice "BRICK" feeling that MP10 has. I'm disappointed that the lack of speaker didn't allow them to come up with a cleaner way to store the blaster in truck mode- that was one of my favorite parts of MP10.

I still hate the unpainted look for the truck mode. What little color is there looks superb, and I think adding the stripe would have gone a long way. I don't mind the rubber tires either way, so long as they don't crack down the line. Despite my complaints, I really enjoy it overall- the engineering prowess on display here is nothing short of masterful, even if the backside of the truck is a little janky.

Overall, I do not regret buying the figure, and am having a blast with it, but I still think it's not worth the price of admission. Maybe $120 for this as-is, $150 for this if it was painted black, and $250-$300 for Prime with a trailer.

 

Are you sure about this? Tried it last night and it won’t tab. The folded panels have a tab that only works when the inner hinge is higher. It tabs into the panel that it’s folded against. I checked out some transformation reviews and it looks correct in the picture. Maybe they are doing it wrong? Can you upload a pic of how it supposed to be?

 

Glad I could help! My advice is to remove the head for transformation (what? Partsforming???) just to avoid taking chances. I do the same with my MP-44, and I remove the face from MP-36 to avoid possible paint chipping. I feel it’s a sensible precaution.

 

I don't think I will ever transform it again and definitely not quite like the quality or finish of this guy. But he is fine as a counterpart of my TE as I don't want the same mold.
Two evil trucks.

 

The poseability of this figure is its biggest selling point.

 

Not sure if I'm doing something wrong but my ab crunch is super loose and would never hold that pose?

 

Mine as well. Ab crunch is useless. I again blame the lack of paint. It seems to have caused all the joints to be looser.

And while I’m at it I’ll complain about the knees again. Not sure if it’s just my copy but on mine when the shins are all the way forward the knees are very loose and wobbly. 44 does not do that. It’s very stable in that position. I’m thinking the knees are looser because that locking tab has been removed and it used to help stabilize the joint as well as lock the lower joint.

 

Same on mine. Between the knees and hips, I'm surprised to see so many well posed pics in this thread. I'm guessing tolerances vary some between figures.

 

I found that my ab crunch is super loose out of the box as well but managed to increase the range it will hold by tightening the screws closest to that joint on his upper crotch.

 

Good call man, thanks. Gave this a go and it has definitely helped!

In case it's not clear for others with the issue (which it wasn't for me), it's the screws either side of the hips at the front. They didn't feel loose and needed a lot of force to tighten, but the joint now holds a pose.

 

For even more clarity, here are the screws I tightened. Be careful though, they are easy to strip and scratch up as you can see.

 

Nice! Now the ab crunch is no longer floppy. I used a JIS screwdriver.

 

not the best pictures sorry but mp49 dual wielding   need to file the gun handle down on the mp10 gun but i think it looks good

 

Nice!

Can MP-49 hold MP-10B's stock rifle, out of curiosity?

 

Don't know if this was answered but here are some photos.

 

Is MP-49 actually taller than 44, or is that just due to a difference in how you have them standing?

 

Both my 44 and 49 can hold their rifles, but only using their fingers to grip the gun as well as the slot. Is that what you meant? A lot of my MPs are like that so I was assuming that was how Takara wants you to do it. The gun cannot plug into the slot and stay there without assistance. It's not even close on mine.

I find that the axe clips on a tiny bit better on my 49 than 44 but it's most likely just tolerances. I don't think they actually changed anything.

 

Disappointed to read all the poor reviews. Looks like none of the versions (KO or official) were able to fix the knees. The naked plastic does seem less than premium. I know I might be alone but I would love to see a fully painted Stealth Nemesis Prime. Glossy black with semi-gloss black and a dark gunmetal (look at MP-44's main rifle color) paint scheme would look bad ass and be suiting for a nemesis. A nemesis painted like below would be impossible for me to resist.  

 

One screw driver and two drops of super glue.