After the Devastation of Room 113 it's time to go back to normal reviews, So what shall I cover this week? More Combiner Wars of course!
So this week I'll be covering something of an oddity.
It's an Optimus Prime repaint, done in white, that isn't Ultra Magnus.
He is....
It's an Optimus Prime repaint, done in white, that isn't Ultra Magnus.
He is....
Battle Core Optimus Prime!
Not recognizing the name? Me either. As far as I'm aware there isn't any reference here. It's just a new name with a (kind of) new scheme.
B.C Prime transforms from a white truck to a robot, he also turns into a Combiner Wars torso. He's molded in white and grey plastic with a splash of gold and blue paint apps.
Not recognizing the name? Me either. As far as I'm aware there isn't any reference here. It's just a new name with a (kind of) new scheme.
B.C Prime transforms from a white truck to a robot, he also turns into a Combiner Wars torso. He's molded in white and grey plastic with a splash of gold and blue paint apps.
In his truck mode BC Prime has a decent amount of bulk, it's a relatively bigger cab than what we're used to but it never feels like it's to big. It does however have a large panel that really doesn't make much sense for a truck cab. It's one of the few things on the truck that is obviously for another mode, more on that later.
BC Prime does have a trailer hitch but the only purpose it serves is that it lets you peg one of his guns in there, or both if you combine them. Just behind that is better weapon storage. The way the guns peg in and how they're sculpted it makes it look like he's got an engine block mounted on the back.
It would work if not for the gun barrels poking out of the back of them.
BC Prime does have a trailer hitch but the only purpose it serves is that it lets you peg one of his guns in there, or both if you combine them. Just behind that is better weapon storage. The way the guns peg in and how they're sculpted it makes it look like he's got an engine block mounted on the back.
It would work if not for the gun barrels poking out of the back of them.
Something else that stands out in truck mode is the large areas of "un-paintable plastic". The sides of the windshield, the side windows and the roof sections over the windshield. These large grey areas ruin the look, it's OK when they're sections that don't stand out to much (think CW Prowl's elbow joints, if you ignore the paint apps being squeezed onto the fore arms). It's made worse by the fact that the blue of the wind shield and the white of the body just suddenly ends. I hope Hasbro moves away from this un-paintable plastic or works harder at using it in places where it's not so noticeable.
Transforming B.C Prime into robot mode is simple but it can be a bit tricky to get it started. You have to un-clip the front of the cab and mine is super tight (it was tight at the time of writing this review the clips have loosened up pretty well now), once it's split though everything else works just fine.
When you look at this version of Prime you may notice something compared to the "normal" Combiner Wars Prime, he has a completely redesigned head based on "Star Convoy". It's a nice touch especially since I hated the original head.
The new head's got enough sculpting hints there to have an Optimus look without it being Optimus, so if you were so inclined you could make him into another Prime with a paint job or a good set of labels.
I'll be honest robot mode isn't overly exciting, it does achieve that standard Prime look, he has the chest windows (not the trucks windows though, secret windows! Power Master Prime style!) and the vents on the leg.
B.C Prime also came with some updated hips but why does he need that?
The Wave 1 Prime and Wave 2 Motormaster have an issue where the hip ratchet "clicks" aren't in the right place. Both figures have their feet sculpted for "A" stance posing but the hip ratchets do not allow you to position the legs in such a way that they will stand properly with the feet.
Thankfully B.C Prime and the Wave 4 Motormaster (as well as any Unite Warriors release using either of the molds) have had the ratchets fixed.
His arms feel a little "wrong". I can't quite put my finger on it but it feels like there's something wrong with them. It's not a bad thing, they just don't feel right. They do seem a bit long which might be the problem but I can't quite put my finger on it.
He has nice articulation, it's nothing amazing, no ankle tilts or wrist joints but I've been able to pose B.C Prime pretty much how I've wanted to so far without much hassle.
When you look at this version of Prime you may notice something compared to the "normal" Combiner Wars Prime, he has a completely redesigned head based on "Star Convoy". It's a nice touch especially since I hated the original head.
The new head's got enough sculpting hints there to have an Optimus look without it being Optimus, so if you were so inclined you could make him into another Prime with a paint job or a good set of labels.
I'll be honest robot mode isn't overly exciting, it does achieve that standard Prime look, he has the chest windows (not the trucks windows though, secret windows! Power Master Prime style!) and the vents on the leg.
B.C Prime also came with some updated hips but why does he need that?
The Wave 1 Prime and Wave 2 Motormaster have an issue where the hip ratchet "clicks" aren't in the right place. Both figures have their feet sculpted for "A" stance posing but the hip ratchets do not allow you to position the legs in such a way that they will stand properly with the feet.
Thankfully B.C Prime and the Wave 4 Motormaster (as well as any Unite Warriors release using either of the molds) have had the ratchets fixed.
His arms feel a little "wrong". I can't quite put my finger on it but it feels like there's something wrong with them. It's not a bad thing, they just don't feel right. They do seem a bit long which might be the problem but I can't quite put my finger on it.
He has nice articulation, it's nothing amazing, no ankle tilts or wrist joints but I've been able to pose B.C Prime pretty much how I've wanted to so far without much hassle.
B.C Prime comes with two guns, one gun is pretty much your standard Optimus rifle. It's got some extra engine bits sculpted on there but it retains that Ion blaster look.
The secondary gun really isn't up to much, it's basically just a barrel extension with a gun handle.
The two guns clip together to form a longer gun, you can use it in robot mode but it's way to big for him though, it's predominantly designed for use with his combined mode.
Each gun has a peg hole that you can peg additional weapons onto them. It doesn't always work well but have a play around with it see what you can do.
Of course you could plug Powerglide or Viper in there, I'd tell you what that's like but both of mine are back in England unfortunately.
The secondary gun really isn't up to much, it's basically just a barrel extension with a gun handle.
The two guns clip together to form a longer gun, you can use it in robot mode but it's way to big for him though, it's predominantly designed for use with his combined mode.
Each gun has a peg hole that you can peg additional weapons onto them. It doesn't always work well but have a play around with it see what you can do.
Of course you could plug Powerglide or Viper in there, I'd tell you what that's like but both of mine are back in England unfortunately.
Since this is the first torso I've reviewed I'd like to talk a little about the connection ports.
Whoever designed these needs a big fat raise. These things are great, as much as I love the PCC line the connections can be a bit hit and miss, the Fall Of Cybertron Combaticon connections where a step up but they where far from perfect, overly tight, had to connect and disconnect, there was even some horror stories of them breaking.
These new joints connect and disconnect easily but they hold in really well, even when they are a bit tight, they just slide out.
A spring hold a little panel down to grip the block on the limb enough so you can move the arm/leg but they let go easily enough when you want to slide it off. These connections are awesome!
The only real downside to the system is that on the bulk of the Deluxes it's REALLY obvious that there is a combiner piece in their torso. I hope it's a system they stick with for any future combiner releases.
Whoever designed these needs a big fat raise. These things are great, as much as I love the PCC line the connections can be a bit hit and miss, the Fall Of Cybertron Combaticon connections where a step up but they where far from perfect, overly tight, had to connect and disconnect, there was even some horror stories of them breaking.
These new joints connect and disconnect easily but they hold in really well, even when they are a bit tight, they just slide out.
A spring hold a little panel down to grip the block on the limb enough so you can move the arm/leg but they let go easily enough when you want to slide it off. These connections are awesome!
The only real downside to the system is that on the bulk of the Deluxes it's REALLY obvious that there is a combiner piece in their torso. I hope it's a system they stick with for any future combiner releases.
The torso does some good things and some not so good things. The bright side is the things I don't like can be fixed.
Transforming him into torso mode is easy enough from either mode, but it's a bit easier from robot mode.
Torso mode isn't anything you've not seen before. The legs become thighs, the arms fold up and expose the connection ports and you put the robot mode head away and swing out the combined head. Nothing to exciting like I said.
Transforming him into torso mode is easy enough from either mode, but it's a bit easier from robot mode.
Torso mode isn't anything you've not seen before. The legs become thighs, the arms fold up and expose the connection ports and you put the robot mode head away and swing out the combined head. Nothing to exciting like I said.
You do have a couple of options for how you want your Prime's chest to be you can leave the chest closed giving him a very barrel chested look (I apologize for not taking any photos of this, the photos were taken before the review was written and by the time I'd written this it was to late) or you can open it up revealing a very Energon Optimus looking chest set up. Personally I leave it open there is some nice detail sculpted in there and you open up the chest to swing the head out any way.
Having the chest open allows you to peg Legends class Rodimus onto (sorry no term fits better here) his nipples. I'm passing on getting a Rodimus but I do own a Blackjack, it's exactly the same when it comes to attaching him apart from the look.
I've had to modify my Prime slightly as the pegs were just a little to wide to hold Blackjack, it's a case of just trimming down some of the extra peg thickness. Google it and you'll see what I mean.
The chest is where I have a problem. When it's open you basically have two big white expanses with a chunk of un-paintable plastic in the center. It's so very dull in there, you'll want to peg a Rodimus on there just to hide it, maybe that was Hasbro's plan all along.
The rest of it is OK, the legs are a little plain, they maybe could've done with a few paint touches, the hands are left out on display but you can work with those, they can hold the limb bots weapons or his own guns up there, shoulder mounted weapons!
For the photos you see here I've used Ironhide and Swindle for the legs and Mirage and Prowl as arms, this isn't my usual combination, at the time of writing these were the only four limbs I had with me.
In closing Battle Core Prime is a good update on the Wave 1 figure but he lacks something, he is very plain, he feels more like a filler Prime. The limbs from Wave 4 were always supposed to go with the red Optimus, B.C Prime just feels like a way to release the mold again for those that missed the Wave 1 Prime.
I'll be honest here, I never bought Battle Core Prime to have a white Prime.
I was all for passing on him until Reprolabels stepped in and all of a sudden he became a blank canvas that I had to get.
Find out why next week.
I've had to modify my Prime slightly as the pegs were just a little to wide to hold Blackjack, it's a case of just trimming down some of the extra peg thickness. Google it and you'll see what I mean.
The chest is where I have a problem. When it's open you basically have two big white expanses with a chunk of un-paintable plastic in the center. It's so very dull in there, you'll want to peg a Rodimus on there just to hide it, maybe that was Hasbro's plan all along.
The rest of it is OK, the legs are a little plain, they maybe could've done with a few paint touches, the hands are left out on display but you can work with those, they can hold the limb bots weapons or his own guns up there, shoulder mounted weapons!
For the photos you see here I've used Ironhide and Swindle for the legs and Mirage and Prowl as arms, this isn't my usual combination, at the time of writing these were the only four limbs I had with me.
In closing Battle Core Prime is a good update on the Wave 1 figure but he lacks something, he is very plain, he feels more like a filler Prime. The limbs from Wave 4 were always supposed to go with the red Optimus, B.C Prime just feels like a way to release the mold again for those that missed the Wave 1 Prime.
I'll be honest here, I never bought Battle Core Prime to have a white Prime.
I was all for passing on him until Reprolabels stepped in and all of a sudden he became a blank canvas that I had to get.
Find out why next week.
Stu "Darkageis" Murray is a founding member of The Old Oilhouse, a lifelong transformers nut and collector of Sentai and Kamen rider in most of it's forms.
He sometimes takes epic trips and tells tales of these sagas often.
When not watching people in spandex fight each other he paints miniatures, go HERE to take a look
He sometimes takes epic trips and tells tales of these sagas often.
When not watching people in spandex fight each other he paints miniatures, go HERE to take a look
