Yeah I didn't even want to approach the topic of why it's being defended. I'm creeped out.

 

And abs and lips and everything else about TF aesthetics that aren't strictly "robotic".

 

I went to a forbidden other forum looking for TF leaks a month or so ago, and there was a fairly long thread bemoaning the loss of T30's curvier sculpting. It was not OK. I was not OK...

I have T30 and ER Arcee, I think between the paint and the more integrated transformation I enjoy T30 a lot more as an Arcee figure. (Weirdly I really liked the Elita-1, but still don't care for the ER Arcee) I am very much looking forward to the SS86 Arcee, I like the paint and the more movie style hips and legs. I think of all the official Arcee figs she winds up being the closest to what I would want her to be, besides the MP maybe.

 

This will look good next to other SS86 figures. I need to offload Kingdom and TF30 Arcee now, still sealed in their boxes.

 

Weird that Evan says the head was retooled. Looks exactly the same as the T30 to me. It’s the biggest drawback on this figure, along with the overly long shins, for me.

 

I'm finding this more appealing than I did previously.

Things I ponder:
* The neck panel sits a bit lower, making 86 Arcee look like she's cringing, or shrugging.
* The backpack stuff isn't particularly larger than T30, but kinda gives off that impression as it's more "big slab" than "backpack with Victorian dress bustle".
* I blame whoever did the animation color model, and made Arcee's legs/thighs white but the rounded fenders of the car pink. If they matched maybe we'd have a little more T30-style incorporation of the legs into altmode instead of all the 'cover it with a car shell' of ER, MP, and SS86.
* It's neat how each Arcee gets a small articulation bump over the previous version, this one gaining waist and ab crunchies.
* The underside shot gives the impression that Arcee's ass is sticking out the back of the car mode, which I hope isn't someone's fetish.  
* Not digging the hollowed inners of the legs, but I'll bet the 3rd party gap fillers are already on the drawing board.

This appears to be one of those toys whose truth will come from actually having it in hand. To me it looks good to excellent in places, ugly in other places, but possibly one of the fun versions to play/fiddle with. How well that goes will affect my impression of the rest.

 

I feel similar. I got Legends T30 Arcee & Netflix Elita-1 and loved both. Never interested enough to get ER Arcee. SS86 Arcee got the body proportions/shape mostly right, like the MP ver. (Except the boosted up Victorian chest though, ER Arcee did that far better to me)

 

Might be in the minority here, but I still think Earthrise Arcee has the best proportions and silhouette. It only has a lousy transformation and a plain looking altmode(which they could've fixed with a little paint)

 

Looks alright. Might grab one if I come across it in stores, but it's certainly not up high on my priority list.

 

You're not alone. When Evan states:

Gets me all...

...in that it seems quite a lot of re-engineering for what was purportedly a small budget, I honestly think the ER getting an articulation tweak, and reshelling her car mode (perhaps redacting or altering the sprung detachment mechanism for a cleaner, less panel lined look, making the "hoverboard" a better shield) would be less work than has gone on here, like an Ab crunch? Putting a waist AND an ab crunch on a figure that had neither before was cheaper than styling out ER's already straight off the screen car shell? What gives?

It makes me wonder, could it actually be the material budget? Looking at ER & T30 side-by-side it looks a bit like, barring T30's ton o' gear, the ER just looks a smidge more substantial to my eye, just a smidge taller and fuller figured.
Unfortunately I don't have a set of scales that'd do the job of weighing both, sans weapons, to prove that theory.
Or maybe the ER has a higher parts count?

 

I think the design was coming from the direction that they preferred T30's sleeker alt-mode. A lot of Earthrise's "engineering" relies on the fact that the car mode is quite a bit chunkier than it should be. The way the legs fold up in particular essentially leaves them as 1.5 "layers" worth of thickness. rather than everything being arranged on a single plane like the T30 and MP designs.

 

I think the backpack on the original T30 still looks best, but those articulation upgrades are tempting. Really seems to combine the best of both Generations Arcees.

 

Yeah, if you're looking at Dery's model sheet I could see that exactitude to car mode being a core reason but if one looks at the actual film itself, in particular the "Dare To Be Stupid" Junkion Encounter sequence, the ER car mode is IMO more accurate to her final appearance in the film itself than T30's.

It's the typical flaw of a "Pure Dery" design, in that Hasbro have to try and make a figure of a character whose transformation is more "Turbo Teen" than notionally "realistic" engineering.
That's why ultimately I can let ER's "shellforming" slide, there's really no other way to do the ridiculous mass & form shifting in an actual IRL plastic figure.

 

Looking at the undersides of the SS86, T30 and ER, looks like as far as being a Transformer:

T30 > SS86 > ER

My biggest gripe about the T30 was always the hips and thighs, however, it's that aspect of that mold that makes it a better transformer because it's integrated into alt mode rather than hidden away. SS86 has the alt front as chest just like the T30. ER has neither and also has the dubious reputation of being able to excise the alt mode entirely without affecting the bot.

 

Well, at least SS86 Arcee looks good, at least her hips aren't exaggerated, though I am concerned about the waist, the cut is too low and that can break the sculpt of of the figure.

Everything else looks good the paint apps look clean the articulation is good, and the sculpting is perfect.

Though I see a gap in the vehicle mode at the top on the sides, that's gonna be an issue, though I think that third party companies are going to make some addon kits for the figure in the future once the figure is released.

And can we talk about the pic with the legs being out of the vehicle mode for a Gerwalk mode? Its hilarious, but it's also leagues better than MP-52's Gerwalk mode because it doesn't have kibble hanging out.

 

I did not realize it is a modified thrilling 30 Arcee. I assumed it's a repainted Earthrise Arcee. Some weeks ago I had the feeling it might be a repainted Thrilling 30 Arcee. But having it compared to my Legends Arcee, I like those colors better. But if the new mold is better, I could just paint in the missing detail.
Hm, so is the mold really better?

 

Honestly for the budget and this being a deluxe, Takara did a great job with what they could do.

 

Love it! Lolol

 

I can definitely see why (and agree) the non-die hard G1 would prefer the ER version over T30/SS86 for proportions & sihouette. But as a "movie Arcee", ER is not the best of the version that look closest to that.

Like I said, I got T30 Arcee, Netflix Elita-1, preordered SS86 Arcee. I also got Chromia & Moonracer. I'm missing quit a few fembots still. I'll definately redeco T30 into another fembot and waiting to ER Arcee on clearance to repaint into yet another fembot to slowly complete the team. my wish is add variety into each fembots, no "two-of-the-same" mold except headsculpt. ER Arcee is different enough from Netflix Elita-1 because of the shoulders & torso, in addition to the head.

 

The only critique I had with the Thrilling 30 Arcee was her squared hand slots allowing her to carry just her own weapons. So all I want to know is are her hand slots round so I can put other weapons?