Found Springer at Ross. I really like the T30 version, enough that I bought Sandstorm as well, so I passed this up at its full price, but at $13 I couldn't say no. Overall, I like Siege Springer a lot more than I expected to, but holy crap the instructions are a nightmare designed to convince you to snap your toy in half several times over, especially going to chopper mode. The bar articulating the cockpit has a very strong final click, which causes confusion getting the vehicle mode ready to roll and releasing the legs for chopper mode, which makes it seem like it's supposed to move somewhere else when it's not, and the drawings don't convey the movement correctly. I've been collecting Transformers toys since before the line actually existed, when it was just GoBots in the US market and the local toy shops here in Los Angeles were importing Diaclone to keep up with demand, and I don't think I've had a more frustrating time with instructions -- not even Masterpiece. Pros: - cartoon looks - good voyager-class bot mode - nothing stands out as hollow or severely waffled in bot mode - decent articulation, even swivel wrists despite not needing them for transformation - Siege weathered paint actually looks fantastic and well-considered - lots of accessories - decent vehicle modes - accessories can combine to a super gun in a method not listed in instructions - an undocumented feature is the swords can be stored inside the backpack Cons: - tiny cockpit specifically small to accommodate the backpack hinge design, which is a shame because it obviously could have been achieved differently - weak ankles - sword-holding tabs on back are really weak - front wheels show in chopper mode - chopper front winglets are on a panel that doesn't seem to lock into proper position - hollow chopper tail - triple changer means a lot of moving parts that may not go to the mode you're aiming for, so can be confusing to transform to the uninitiated Overall, I'd say once you get to know this figure it's got a lot of good stuff going on, especially when you figure out the transformation quirks beyond the instructions it's pretty intuitive and fun. Grade: A- (B+ at full price)
I just got this one in today. I never liked Springer much as a character or a toy, and I never owned the original as a child. However, I did see the movie in the theater and always wanted a good figure of one of the main characters, but I don't like any enough to buy a masterpiece. This Springer, though, is about as close to a masterpiece as you can get. I cannot believe this thing sells for 30-40. It's complex, looks great and is very cartoon accurate. I've not even transformed it yet! This thing is way better than any other CHUG figure I've seen. I agree with everything the poster above said, pros and cons, but the cons are really minor. This is probably the first time I've bought a figure I've never really liked before, and this thing is incredible.
I also just found Springer at Ross and I agree with basically everything you said here. This is a good modern voyager and a fantastic figure for 13 bucks. Even better, I avoided the instructions from the get-go and watched a transformation vid instead. With that, I had little difficulty and even found it to be fairly intuitive and fun. My biggest personal gripes are the exposed wheels in heli mode and the battle damage (which I dislike across the whole line). I still love T30 Springer, but now I can do a dedicated Wrecker shelf around him and put Siege Springer on my 86 movie shelf.
Can anyone offer any advice about getting the right arm to peg in tighter for helicopter mode? This is where it wants to stay:
What do you mean by loose hips? I had an issue on mine where the lower legs would not snap into place at the knee, making the knee hard to bend without disengaging the lower leg from it. A drop of clear fingernail polish resolved that nicely, though.
The hips: where it pivots out and drops during helicopter mode. The swivel on it was insanely loose, I managed to rectify it by dropping krazy glue; nail polish and floor polish didnt do anything.
I know loose knees are an issue on this guy. I know the tried and true floor polish or nail polish have been tried. I've had great results with a piece of sandwich bag wrapped around the square peg that goes into the shin/lower leg. Much less frustrating than trying to coat the inside of the leg. I am sure plastic wrap would work too.
Matrix Workshop kit for ol' Springer came in and boy it makes him even more awesome. The kit is actually more expensive than what I paid for the figure, lol. But since the guns can also be used by any WFC figure I think it's still a sound purchase.
During the first transformation from car to helicopter, the gray hip peg that goes into the green of the hip just sheared off with no force when I rotated it. The other side rotated just find and then this one felt like it was rotating the same until it just dropped off...Anyone else have this happened? I had Amazon send me a new one in the hopes this was just a lemon.
Finally decided to get one, he actually feels more substantial than Earthrise Prime did. Only problem is that neither of his lower legs tab in with any degree of strength, so they bend at the shins instead of the knees . Is this a common issue? I'm wary of trying to replace him since the shop I got him from only has one more and other shops have ridiculous prices. Cya Raziel-chan
This is a very common issue. However, a few drops of clear fingernail polish on the tabs solved it for me.
It kinda bugs me that Springer's helicopter and car modes don't really look too distinct from each other, unlike other Triple Changers. Sure, it's G1 accurate technically, but how do people look past that?
Does anyone have a spare turret (the part that combines the swords to make them helicopter blades), or a line on where I can find one? I'll even take a 3D printer file for something that would do the trick if I have to. I bought one in a trading group and the seller "forgot" about that part and now "can't find it."
great articulation, great durability, great availability, pretty faithful to the G1 cartoon very satisfied with this one