So I've been looking into possibly getting some of the CD upgrades for my 2010 Predaking. I've seen some reviews that praise and some that trash the various upgrade sets. These sets are pricey, a bit too much IMO but they do make the King look pretty badass.  

My question to you guys is this:

What are the best and the worst CD Predaking upgrades in your opinion?

 

For their prices, none are good. They really are "CRAZY"  

 

They're all good imo except the last one (thighs). There's not enough friction to hold the left leg in when you lift Predaking. Should have had ratchets in both directions are the hip too. But on display, the whole thing looks amazing.

 

For the price you could get one of the three new Predakings coming out, possibly two. Besides that the Crazy Devy upgrades have the potential to seriously harm your 2010 Predaking so I'd say it may be better to just pass on it.

 

The thighs are getting a Shapeways upgrade from someone, aren't they?

The wing extentions break Divebomb's wings if you don't replace them with CD's replacement set. And the feet scratch up the legs, don't they?

 

Wings: won't be damaged if you replace them with the ones provided by CD... and they don't BREAK, they just scratch them if you rush to install them on the original wings AFAIK... I've read about people installing them on the original wings no problem
Feet: no issues here, only heard of one guy having that problem, the guy who first reviewed them

 

I have them all. For the price, none are worth it. You're much better off investing into Feral Rex.

 

I was considering the wings, cannons and sword. The head is tempting but I don't think I can swing it right now.

The sword I'm about 90% sold on as the original one is kind of pathetic. The wings and cannons go hand in hand. The cannons need the wings to look right as they're so large and the wings look out of place if they're the only body part that large. I think the stock wings are way too small more so than the CD ones are too large. I'd use the CD supplied smaller wings, I wouldn't risk damaging the stock ones.

The footplates I'm impartial to, the hands I'm passing on. The mane I don't care for since my Predaking has the mane stickers on it already.

Tough decision.

 

I've already got the first 2 parts preordered. Maybe you're right though. Keep Predaking stock and have Rex be the centerpiece.

 

Heads up, the cannons really don't stay on worth a damn. A heavy breath and it all comes down.

 

Cannons stay on perfectly fine here.

 

Good to know. I'm starting to sway away from getting the upgrades except maybe just the sword.

 

If you want a *G1* Predaking loking as majestic as possible, then they're TOTALLY worth it.

The hips, as has been mentioned, are the only really flawed part, they clearly gutted some functionality for cost, and it REALLY hurts, but everything else (including the much-maligned wings) is great.

In my experience most of the detractors, especially the "OMG It Breaks Da Wings!" sky-is-falling crowd, haven't actually purchased the items. Even the original reviewer who was aghast that his precious vintage given-by-his-grandma Divebomb was RUINED FOREVER, appears, in hindsight, to have been incorrectly installing the wings in the first place, and the replacement spacer-fix they released with the actual production run DEFINITELY works without any problem.

My only criticism of the CD PK bits are:

The thighs, as mentioned above.
The lion-mane bits detatch a hair too easily, which gets frustrating, but DAMN they look good.
The mis-matched gold-chrome-and-gold-paint Sword/Sword-Hilt combo.

But those are quibbles. He's glorious all kitted up!

D/L

 

There's a chromed version of the sword, that one kinda went under the radar.

 

echotransformer makes a different set to do the leg/thigh extensions. You'll have to paint yourself though.

 

My suggestion would be to keep your G1 reissue for those times that you wish to enjoy Predaking "as he was," and use the money you were going to spend on CD upgrades to buy Feral Rex instead. Speaking from experience, as I have owned the CD Predaking upgrades.

 

Good choices, but I would also recommend the foot plates as well.  

 

Here's an idea: Buy MMC's FERAL REX instead of wasting the same amount of money ruining a G1 Predaking.

 

Or buy both...  

 

I am buying Feral Rex as well