SS86 Blurr is probably the weakest figure in wave 1, but what does and doesn't work on his own merits?

Vehicle Mode Pluses:

• + stable
• + looks nice and sleek from several angles
• + kinda sorta looks like it's hovering due to undercarriage being withdrawn from outer edges of vehicle design
• + whooshable

Vehicle Mode Minuses:

• - profile look kills sleekness thanks to a lot of undercarriage junk
• - back half too stubby
• - rear end gets the look wrong and has knee tops that look like feet sticking out
• - a few gaps here and there
• - underside of front end is very hollow again
• - rifle storage sticks out a country mile

Vehicle mode minuses outweigh the pluses quite a bit, but are offset a little by some charm. Still, a letdown from what it should have been, especially with other cars in the wave looking fantastic. I can forgive the lack of hidden wheels since it's a hovercar, but I get not everyone can.

Transformation Thoughts:

• a lot of the tabs are very hard to separate from their corresponding slots, someone wanted alt mode to hold together like crazy, the only tabs in robot mode even close to that strong are the lower legs
• the shoulder and outer torso reveals are interesting, bordering on clever
• last step from robot-to-vehicle can feel like a convoluted tangle but a little practice it becomes almost choreographed
• conversely, first step from vehicle-to-robot is really tough to get apart

Robot Mode Pluses:

• + well proportioned
• + great articulation and range of motion, WFC-compliant
• + has 5mm pegs in soles and shoulders
• + light-piped eyes look lively when fully activated
• + hollowness not too bad overall
• + stable
• + can balance on one foot in running pose

Robot Mode Minuses:

• - sculpting is soft
• - oversized forearm kibble that is too large in both modes to accommodate a complicated transformation gimmick that simultaneously limits wrist movement and is floppy as it doesn't clip into anything
• - nightmarish face gets the lower proportions all wrong, my girlfriend said it best when she observed it looks like a bad drag queen thanks to the overly hollow cheeks, overblown lips, and huge jaw
• - neck articulation is at the base so there's not much up/down range
• - hollow arms
• - no proper weapon storage in bot mode (can fudge it by passing the rifle through the backpack and not closing that fully, but still)
• - chest easy to accidentally rotate when handling
• - backpack easy to dislodge when handling
• - accessories both cast in white look kinda cheap, and the welder accessory is too big of a box

Robot mode minuses and pluses fight a valiant battle and it's tough to decide who wins, which isn't a great sign.

Robot Mode Additional Thought:

• the backpack actually can be removed and attached to the forearm as a shield, not clear if this was intended from the start as it uses friction without corresponding tabs, but the back fills in adequately with that hinge piece

Overall, this figure has enough charm that I can forgive its problems, but only just it really comes close to a fail thanks to the hideous face and the lousy oversized forearm kibble. I certainly couldn't recommend it to everyone, it is an acquired taste and surely the biggest loser of the SS86 first wave.

 

Along with his other 2 deluxe wavemates I found him today. At first because of various photos posted from people, I hated him a lot.

But once I got him in my own hands..., well...

You decide!



So....

Do you think I still hate him?  

 

Alt mode is nuts! Anything that looks like it's floating without the aid of a translucent flightstand is Awesome in my book.

 

Bot mode rifle storage, doesn't show up in the instructions that I could find, uses the clearance on that hinge meant for the bot head in vehicle mode, doesn't make the backpack stick out much further, and it doesn't get in the way of waist articulation:




You have to pull out the backpack to store or free it, so it's not as convenient as other bots with storage, but it works without removing anything or modding. (It does block storage of the welder which also doesn't have official storage anywhere in bot mode.)

 

I gotta add to the chorus saying he's the worst figure in SS86. Not the best figure I've bought but the most recent I've sorta regretted. My gf got all 3 deluxes for me and I feel kinda bad she spent money on Blurr, since I prefer the TR version even with his more monochromatic colorscheme.

I feel the bullet I dodged skipping ER Arcee hit me with this guy in the sense that I already had a better version for my tastes of the character in my collection. Like the ER Seeker before it, it took the same basic transformation scheme of the previous version of the character, but unlike the Seeker mold, it didn't improve anything and made worse some aspects. I feel the only real improvement is the ankle tilts. Other than that, I feel the TR Blurr wins in every other aspect. And yes, I enjoyed Blurr being a Titan Master a heck of a lot more than him being a whole bot.

 

The thing that bothers me is converting his legs to bot mode. When they're together, they're held by a post and a hook-like tab. It's really hard to separate the legs. The hook is very strong and I can't separate them with lateral force so I have to twist the legs to get the hook out. But the post prevents twisting by much. It's worrying. I could shave down the hook but then I don't know if the legs will hold together as well.

 

Ain't nothin' gonna break his stride.

 

LOVE BLURR!

Pro Tip #231:

Since his arm kibble doesn't lock in place, and become bothersome; drop a little Future polish in the hinge. This will tighten them up so they have to be intentionally moved now, and not just flop around.

Great figure, amazing presence!

 

I honestly love Blurr alot. I dont understand the idea that the titan returns version is better than this one. Maybe just the face sculpt? Because otherwise i think this one has so much better proportions and articulation and the storage for the welder behind his waist is great since i figure ill always have him holding the gun

 

I didnt think I would Like this one that much but it really is good.

 

This figure is great imo. Happily replace the Titans Return one with this one.

 

This guy is great.

 

I’d like a Nautica remold based on the Titans Return toy.

 

I just got this Blurr and really like him for the most part. His face looks even worse in person to me though. I'm thinking about shaving his chin down and putting some putty or something in his cheeks and painting it silver. Hopefully that helps.

Also, idk if i just got lucky, but the chest piece on mine stays in place really well.

 

my chest is similar. nice and tight.

 

I actually found the opposite about his face. In hand, the head is fine because it's not some close up picture and seems to have the general shape.

Anyways, I think he's pretty great and the best representation we've had of G1 Blurr. He's definitely more accurate that SS Kup. The arm kibble could have been designed better (not attached to his hand and maybe collapsable) but none of that ruins him.

 

Pros:
* Vehicle mode is decent, and kinda looks like it hovers due to how it it sits on the robot feet
* Transformation is involved but not difficult.
* Robot mode looks largely like a good match to the cartoon model, and is largely well-articulated.

Cons:
* Forearms feel rather stupidly designed, with the bulky kibble on the underside, which is tied to the wrists, fouling that potential articulation point.
* I find it difficult to tab the legs together properly as the vehicle rear.
* He's a real 'butterface'.
* The bright white parts stand out in a bad way IMO, looking cheap. a pale gray might work better IMO.

Overall:
Like Kup, this is one of those toy that make you go "It's good, but-". It doesn't have many flaws, but the ones it does have are glaring. It's more screen-accurate than the Titans Return mold, but I wouldn't necessarily say it's better, just different. It's definitely worth getting, but if you're already happy with Titans Return Blurr, you wouldn't feel too bad giving this a pass.

 

Finally opened him and Kup today. I will concur that Blurr is so far the weakest figure in both SS86 and Kingdom for me (though I have a few yet to go). It also an illustration of how small details can really bring the whole figure down. Though I don't own the TR mold, I do think this looks more screen accurate, but divorced from that TR looks like a better toy.

Robot Mode: C. Yep, very screen accurate mold aside from the arm kibble and gaunt face. I know the G1 design has the elbow projections, but its the big gap beneath the hands that bugs me. Like Blurr is wearing a blousy pirate shirt. The kibble hinders hand articulation and the soft peg doesn't hold at all on my copy's left arm. If you rotate the shoulder, the jerking caused by the soft ratchet causes the arm kibble to slowly hinge out. Honestly this would be slightly annoying if it pegged in tightly. As it is, it gets in the way and constanly moves out of place every time I handle the figure. Mileage will vary, but for me it is very frustrating. The thick neck keeps him from looking up, which would be sweet for running poses, and the arms are needlessly hollow. Lastly, for all the figures that have been given a kibble shield in WFC, how do they not give one to Blurr? The G1 toy had it, so it is very justifiable and I think would be a better accessory than the hand torch.

Hovercar Mode: A. Pretty fantastic. I don't care about the lack of wheels. Of course YMMV depending on your feelings about fantasy vehicles vs real ones.

Transformation: C Some neat things but feels more frustrating and fiddly, especially working with some hooked tabs. The plastic feels softer than normal, which I don't think helps the transformation.

Overall: C+