So with the price of the MiniWarriors getting up there near the ThrottleBots, I am considering dropping out of the MW line and going for the TB line instead. I have the one MW that I really wanted in Rager (Huffer was my favorite G1 toy) and though I did grab Hench, and like the figure for the most part, from what I have seen so far (I canceled my preorder for Grindrod at the last second) it seems like the TBs give you better "bang for you buck" than the MWs do. My reasons for considering dropping out of the MW market is, although Gearz looks pretty great, and Beachcomber is alright, I've lost some of the excitement for this line. On the other hand, I have been very intrigued with the TB line since it has been confirmed that they will be a combiner when all are released. I'm a sucker for combiners, what can I say. Anyway, I'd like to hear other's thoughts on this subject. And, those who own both Grindrod and Hench, please weigh in on the quality and value present on both sides, since I have not actually seen Grindrod in the flesh. Also, please add on any thoughts or angles that I have not already mentioned on both lines as they relate to each other. Thanks in advance!
While I have a much stronger connection to the minibots from the days of old, there's something about Toyworld's throttlebots that appeals to me much more. They feel/look more like mini masterpieces, rather than small deluxes. My Grind Rod is in my MP/Alt display and fits in just fine in robot mode.
The Throttlebots, or at least Grindrod is superior in pretty much every catagory to the mini-warriors. With the possible exception of Rager, and then price wins. Basically the Mini-warriors were up-sized but not up engenered, and while Rager was an excellent $20 toy, Hench is kind of crappy for $50. That said I do not think I would have continued the line if it had remained at the smaller size class, it is just not something I collect and if you want a "Gears" then you have to stick with the Mini-warriors. So, I guess it comes down to how much you want a representation of certian characters in your collection, though I guess there is always this.
I own both toylines. If you need to select one, my suggestion is to go with Grind Rod. Quality and design wise, none of the existing MW matches up to Grind Rod. And the Throttlebots supposedly will combine.
Would either of you like to compare/contrast the two figs? Or expound on the virtues of one or the other?
I'm collecting both, but only because I started the MW line before they were upscaled. If I knew that that's where the line was going, I wouldn't have even started collecting MWs in the first place. The throttlebots have a good amount of engineering and detailing in their aesthetic to fit their size class, while the Mini Warriors are nothing more than undetailed, "Meh-engineered", upscaled legends figures. On the flip side, the Mini Warriors are catering to a group of toys I actually have a personal collection with, whereas the Throttlebots line doesn't. So, that's another catch.
im doing both lines but i only have rager, spray, and grindrod at the moment. ill be able to compare when i get hench and ufo from rk soon. basically i appreciate both lines for what they are and im not complaining about prices or sizes for any of them.
I like both, they are very different, but I can see what people are saying about the IGear price point.
I have to echo what's been stated by pretty much everyone else: the Toyworld Throttlebots are much better toys than Igears Miniwarriors, which are just upscaled legends. I can appreciate the simplicity of Igear's Miniwarriors, but they are too expensive for what they are. I had no problem dropping $35 for Hench because Brawn is one of my favorite (and prob a fan favorite as well) minibots. Honestly, I don't like the rest of Igear's designs (or the character's they're homaging) to pay the premium they're asking. Even given my rant above I'm still not going all in on the Throttlebots either. Aurora's (Searchlight) alt mode choice doesn't work for me, and I don't care about combining. I'll be watching to see how the rest of their Throttlebots turn out though.
I'm getting both. Love the little dudes for nostalgia reasons, I had a lot of them. I had a hard time saving my allowance up to get bigger toys when I could blow it on little dudes instead.
I am a little surprised that people are comparing a $70 figure with a $40 figure and going on like it is a surprise that the $70 figure has more engineering. That being said I am in for the whole MW line. An insider said that iGear's MW line will get to the Throttlebots so I will eventually get them in to my Classics collection. I do like the TW Throttlebots but I decided to wait til all 6 are revealed because I am not confident I will like how they are reworking the figures.
Am I the only one who only cares if the toy is a faithful updated representation of the character and not if it is a deluxe/legend/voyager/whatever? I mean really, if the character is faithful in both Alt and Bot mode and well articulated, it could transform in 3 steps for all I care. If I had to group all of my Transformers on a shelf according to deluxe/legend/voyager categories, I would probably fail miserably. Having said that, I'm collecting MWs over TBs due to my preference for characters from the 1st 3 years & Movie. I really don't have much connection after that. Although, Grind Rod does look awesome and has tempted me but I haven't pulled the trigger.
I'd really like to see the combined mode though. I think "Road Bastard" could be a great figure, and I think that's the name he should have.
It is not even that, it is the fact that the mini-warrior line was pretty clearly designed as a legends/scout sized figure and just up sized for Hench and Ufo. Here is the thing, the engineering that went in to them while excellent for a scout, is kind of lacking for a deluxe, this is not a price point issue, it is a objective measure in the design of the figures irrespective of price point. The funny bit is that I would not have purchased Hench an Ufo if they had not been up sized, there is just not a place in my collection for them.So while they would have made excellent scouts, and make sub-par deluxes, I still bought them because they are holes in my collection. That said the TW throttlebots from an outside perspective, and ignoring character models are a better design. But here is the thing you can buy all of the TW throttlebots but will still not have a Brawn. TW has done some really good work, Hedgemon and Grindrod are both well designed, and both have pretty high quality fit and finish, so likely the rest of the throttlebots ( as well as their combined mode) will be well done. The mini-warriors on the other-hand,,, well they have not, future releases may or may not be improved but, going on what has been put out so far they are objectively of a lesser quality. The thing is, that does not really matter that much. Classics Hound, from a design stand point, was a better design then say classics Galvatron. Does that mean I should just buy Hounds though? It would definatly make my Transformers 86 movie display look odd if I did. Yes.
It is. And it's too bad. Cause they're one of the best. Back on topic, this is a hard vote for me. Nostalgia wise, I go for the miniWarriors. But toywise/engineering wise, Throttlebots (based on the one that has been released so far). I feel the miniWarriors are improving with each release, and it's hard to compare the future of the Throttlebots based off the one release. I am a HUGE fan of Gears, and I'm excited to see how the other Throttlebot releases turn out, so this could be an interesting on-going competition. But right now, if I had to choose just one, I'd go for Grind Rod. He's just...amazing. So are the Mini-Warriors, but Grind Rod is on another level all together. Then again, so is his price.
I love I-gear and I am a big fan of most everything they have done thus far. I really like TW throttlebots and IG MW. The upscaling of the more recent IG MW doesn't bother me as much as how little rager and spray were.
