Very early wip. Was originally planning to make this guy an entirely 3d printed figure but quickly became frustrated with that, then realized I could use a junker Shockwave as a base, so now it's a conversion kit. Head is mostly done, some details need to be tweaked but overall I'm happy with how it turned out. It's based on one of the DJW concept sketches from the AllSpark Almanac 2. I plan for the kit to have a new turret, thigh armor, hands and a sword. A pirate alternate for the head will also be made for those who want to go with DJW's design change, but personally I prefer the classic samurai look so that will be the focus of this project.
Update! -Samurai head: Design done, needs to be reprinted for tweaks -Pirate head alt: haven't started yet but will be included when the kit is released -Thigh armor: complete, barring any problems that might come up later -Hand: design complete, might do some tweaks before release -Arm armor: nearly complete, latest test print pictured (the small gap will be fixed for the final version) -Sword: currently in test printing -Turret: V1 has been designed, will begin test printing once sword is done
Sorry for the lack of updates, hit some roadblocks with this project but I'm back to work on it! While I keep working, here's a test of the tank mode:
Nope, just using Shockwave as a base because I had a junker one and the alt mode and proportions fit.
Sorry for the lack of updates (again)- hit some more roadblocks with this project and set it down for a bit to work on other stuff. However...
Aaaaaand done! Mostly. I'm still adding a few paint tweaks but here he is painted and assembled! In keeping with the Animated trend of 'weapons become part of the vehicle mode' and in reference to the ROTF figure, his sword and dagger become part of the guns! You can see in the above images that the smaller gun (based on his G1 toy's blaster) is mounted on his hip as a scabbard. Originally the long sword was going to slide into the gun and fold in half so the turret barrel could be raised and lowered but that unfortunately didn't work out. Still, I'm happy with this outcome! Finally, the vehicle mode. I always intended for it to be turned around compared to Shockwave, but I admit the mistransforming to make it slightly longer was to avoid paint chipping. It's less stable since the arms don't peg in, but it actually looks fine. And yes, his head just kinda sticks out the back. I wanted to prioritize his robot mode and I felt like adding a cover piece would compromise it. Just call it an Armada Megatron reference... Sorry I don't exactly have a full gallery, I don't currently have a good space to take photos (hence him just sitting on my laptop). Files for the 3D printed pieces will be uploaded soon if anyone else wants to try this!
And for anyone wishing to make their take on this guy, here are the files! Download free STL file Transformers Animated Bludgeon conversion kit for TFA Shockwave • 3D print design ・ Cults