Hell yes

 

Awesome shots. That first one especially is just superb.

 

Titans Return Sixshot for today.

 

I completely agree, there's a nice sense of dynamism in this photo. @Space Skeletor , good composition there!

 

Shiny Stomp is my Tuesday bot.

 

Worth the wait. 10/10

 

Action shot!

 

Doctor, doctor, give me the news,
I've got a bad case of lovin' you.

 

Sandstorm was the handsome guy that just stood around behind Springer. He sort of featured in that one neat story in the UK comics,'Firebug', but even then he wasn't exactly all that memorable. I never got to see much of season 3, but I realise he got a some good episodes in that alongside Octane. If you weren't in the Movie or the Rebirth then I probably never saw you. I'm sorry. Blame UK terrestrial telly. nevertheless I always liked Sandstorm. He looked cool and he was a bitching looking dune buggy!

I think this guy is the best of the G1 Autobot Triplechangers. That's maybe not saying much, considering the pasting I gave Springer and Broadside, but that doesn't mean Sandstorm isn't an excellent little G1 'bot. He's a bit like Astrotrain, in that he's only spoiled by his stumpy arms. Everything else I really, really like. It's funny that they felt they needed to change it, because his facesculpt is very cool. Well, as cool as a near flat plate on the back of a engine block could possibly be. Either way it's got some real character. Arms aside he has good proportions and I'm always a sucker for the Wheeljack/Sunstreaker style chest.

I love the dune buggy mode. It's goofy as all hell and if I'd actually owned this as a kid I'd assume my affection was based on childhood nostalgia. But Sandstorm was one of the first 'new to me' toys that I got when I started collecting again, so when I first saw him it was with the icy, dispassionate objectivity of an adult...that played with toys. It does a great job of being a much simplified version of the dune buggy, with it's elongated front, and little wheels at the front, big wheels at the back, and chromed engine. Even the tail rotor blade made some sense hanging off the back there.

Living by the coast of Scotland, Sandstorm's 'copter mode was always a lot more relatable than your Whirl's or your Vortex's. I used to see similar sort of search & rescue Helicopters flying by or at naval base open days. It endeared me to him. I often imagined what it'd be like if Transformers were in Fife, Like what if my Dad's silver Rover 216 was Bluestreak? So seeing a 'bot that turned into something I'd seen locally was way, way, way cool! While it's miles away from the real world accuracy of the Diaclone designs it still does a good, if very simplified job of looking like a real vehicle. Especially if you ignore the goofier bits like the bright orange blades. It's worth noting that both vehicle modes work quite independently of each other. With all triple changes there's always this feeling that it's vehicle A in vehicle B drag. These two modes really don't betray each other too much.

Thrilling 30 Sandstorm, as a fairly straight retool of Springer, works so much better than it has any right to!. For all the shared parts and tooling with Springer he manages to look like his own bot. I've already raved about how good Springer was in the first place so rather than treading old ground I'll try and focus on what makes this guy his own thing. The colour scheme works fantastically. That rich mustardy yellow with the orange highlights is really quite tasteful. The rotorblade/wheels and the tail fin give him a unique silhouette and his facesculpt has a haunted look under that greco roman style helmet

It's in his vehicle modes that he really shines, and mainly through those massive back wheels. A simple tweak that makes him his own thing! In 'dune buggy' mode he looks much ehavier and well armoured than Springer's excellent car mode. There's some real economy in how they've made the two different cars distinct. His legs fold in and fill out the bulk under the massive rear wheels and the tail fin section folds over the roof to act like some sort of reinforced roll cage. A wee change at the front lights and we're off. It also works better than Springer in Helicopter mode. the buggy headlights just seem to integrate that little bit better and the two massive side rotors remind of one of the aerial hunter/killers from Terminator. It's a very, very cool look. I know it's just two big tires but I totally buy that they're rotorblades. Good work!

 

movie deluxe Camshaft--for some reason, I love the lens heads from the first movie line. And Camshaft has that sweet, sweet all spark blue  

 

Going with Godbomber today!



All the best
Maz

 

ID Toys are selling wave 5 deluxe as individual figures right now! Just ordered myself a Windblade. Misfire was already out of stock :'(

Although apparently that's because scalpers were buying multiples so I may check again tomorrow morning as ID said they would be amending stock levels or something  

 

This big fella. Not the most posable thing in the world but looks absolutely stunning with the Maketoys upgrade kit.

IMG_1641 by Kevin Gorman, on Flickr

Love that headsculpt too

IMG_1628 by Kevin Gorman, on Flickr

 

So hard to choose...





I think Trypticon edges the others out though  

 

A taste of treats to come eh @barry? And now for me also with Windblade in the post.  

But no Misfire @DaftRaider?

 

Eh, maybe eventually. But I was more about the new mold of Windblade, and completing the twins before getting a repaint of Triggerhappy.

 

Exiting times! Apparently I should get the three deluxes tomorrow. I'm going to have such a good time this weekend. My poor girlfriend won't be able to use the living room!

 

I have Misfire jealousy!