LG40 Astrotrain Series – Legends Size/class - Voyager New/remould/redeco - Redeco of TR Astrotrain Released here – No Approximate Retail Price - $40 Approximate Size - 18cm Allegiance - Decepticon Alt-mode – Space Shuttle/Cybertronian Train Main Features/Gimmicks – Headmaster partner Main Colours – Dark Grey, Purple Main Accessories – gun, larger gun, Head Master Space Shuttle Mode Quite flat but certainly a nicely shaped shuttle. There are several options as to where you can place the guns, either on the sides or on the top (I go for the sides personally). Astrotrain’s Headmaster can sit in either the little cockpit at the back between the tailfins or can sit in one of the gun turrets on the side. They have at least coloured the windows of the cockpit, something that the Sentinel Prime figure was sorely lacking and from photos I’ve seen the TR version of Astrotrain suffers from this as well. Train Mode Looks like a Cybertronian train of some kind because I don’t think we have trains like this on earth, even in Japan. Like the shuttle version, the train’s windows have added colour here in order to highlight them and the gun ports on the top of the train have been coloured differently to the section (Astrotrains robot arms) that they protrude from. That and the overall colour scheme make this a far superior looking train to Sentinel Prime who looked like a bright red and orange stick. Robot Mode I think probably the best looking official Astrotrain toy we have ever had! Good articulation on all extremities, nicely poseable and a good paint job. I like how both his hand guns can join together to become one long rifle much like the G1 toy was sporting. He is of course a Headmaster and his Headmaster partner (whose name is actually Head Master - very original eh!) can come off and be replaced with any other Headmaster. A great gimmick for little kids and my son loves it, but for myself as a grown up fan I just want Astrotrain himself. Overall This is a great Astrotrain! Yes the shuttle mode is a tiny bit flat and bland and the train mode is a bit alien in appearance but taken as a whole all three modes work and work well. We needed a Voyager-sized Astrotrain for the Generations lineup and the Tak/Tom version with the cartoon-homaging paintjob is far better than the Titans Return version in my opinion. and I heartily recommend this figure to all fans of great characters who get stuck carrying their mates around all day. For an more in-depth review as well as lots of comparison photos, please read my blog review of LG40 Astrotrain HERE!
Can't wait for mine. While I wish the shuttle was a spaceshuttle and not a cybertronian one, I think the train mode is really an upgrade from old fashioned steam locomotive to a modern diesel engine with a big battle station mounted on top. Just hope there are no tunnels, but he still can transform to shuttle mode and fly over every tunnel that may come in his way. Or just blast the tunnels to smithereens.
Unfortunately the shuttle's painted windows are spectacularly visible in train mode. I left my LG-40 MISB and I will end up reselling it. Now, if TT announced their upcoming triple changers, maybe...
I am quite meh on this guy. I actually still like my Henkei one better. HasTak really needs to do away with the current hip ratchets.
After receiving him today, I can confirm, they grey is brighter than in initial pics, but not as bright as in others. The in-box pic here captures the colors nicely as they are naturally.
Nice pictures and reviews! I saw this an one of my import stores and I was so tempted to pick it up but I can't accept that the character is a HM - especially at the price point. If TakaraTomy/Hasbro made him like Ginrai and Sixshot, where the Titan Master need not be removed during the transformation gimmick, I would have picked it up.
I opened mine yesterday and played with him while watching TV. He's really cool and I love that these have such intuitive transformation, that I don't need instructions
