So in this final part I'll be talking about all of the bigger Combiner Wars figures.
Maybe this time we can answer the question.
Is bigger better?
Maybe this time we can answer the question.
Is bigger better?
Without bodies where would the limbs go?
In a pile I guess?
Our choice of Voyager molds comprised of
-Silverbolt/Cyclonus/Scattershot
-OptimusPrime/Motormaster/Battlecore Prime
-Hot Spot/Onslaught
-Sky Lynx
9 characters with only 4 molds.
so just like before just under half of the molds were reused and only Sky Lynx didn't get a separate retail release (Yes I know about Liokaiser, remember this list is ignoring box sets and he's not even been released yet!)
HIGHS
(In no particular order)
In a pile I guess?
Our choice of Voyager molds comprised of
-Silverbolt/Cyclonus/Scattershot
-OptimusPrime/Motormaster/Battlecore Prime
-Hot Spot/Onslaught
-Sky Lynx
9 characters with only 4 molds.
so just like before just under half of the molds were reused and only Sky Lynx didn't get a separate retail release (Yes I know about Liokaiser, remember this list is ignoring box sets and he's not even been released yet!)
HIGHS
(In no particular order)
Strangely not Ultra Magnus.
I've called him a blank palette previously but Battle Core Prime is exactly that, the only reason I picked him up is because of Toyhax/Reprolabels, It's funny but if they hadn't done that Nova Prime upgrade I wouldn't have gotten him and I wouldn't have got the extra limbs I needed to finish him off. Ahh well.
On his own B.C Prime should've been a low, with an upgrade set he really jumps up. Sales of B.C Prime had to go up when those labels where announced.
On his own B.C Prime should've been a low, with an upgrade set he really jumps up. Sales of B.C Prime had to go up when those labels where announced.
Fireballs and cannonballs!
Hot Spot/Onslaught is a bit of a mix. In their vehicle and robot modes they are great figures and they both do some great tricks to turn into torsos. However.... both of mine cannot/will not stand up straight with all of the limbs attached. The weight of the arms pulls the torso forward so you have to "click" the hips one click backwards to maintain balance. This mean neither my Defensor nor my Bruticus can stand up straight. It's not enough to ruin the figures, you've still got some excellent robots there. It's a shame Onslaught doesn't come with a rifle of his own, he needs those back guns so I leave him unarmed just like Brawl.
Hot Spot takes the lead if only because he has his own weapons and the way the ladder wraps around the body to get the Defensor head in the right place is just awesome. Plus the guns look like Hot Spot guns, yes I know that doesn't make much sense but they fit for him not for Onslaught, I would've been happy with some straight barrel boom boom!
Hot Spot takes the lead if only because he has his own weapons and the way the ladder wraps around the body to get the Defensor head in the right place is just awesome. Plus the guns look like Hot Spot guns, yes I know that doesn't make much sense but they fit for him not for Onslaught, I would've been happy with some straight barrel boom boom!
Bask in his glory. SO much glory!
Sky Lynx might still have the slight benefit of "New toy syndrome" but I find it hard to find problems with him. Yes you can argue that he doesn't have a separate lynx or bird mode but he doesn't need them (I'm sorry those fan modes I've seen trying to give him those are awful, I've tried them and they are terrible), face it how often do you see Sky Lynx in those separate modes any way? Especially in the modern comics, IDW Sky Lynx doesn't separate!
ignoring the lack of split I have to say one thing about this figure for sure. Who in the hell thought we'd get a Sky Lynx? Much less a Sky Lynx that was a combiner torso. I'm sure I'm using a line from Thew's review there but it's bloody true!
My main reaction at the announcement of a CW Sky Lynx was "WHAT?!" in a great sense of amazement. He's a great figure and it's nice to have something different in the line. One last thing. Torso mode... GOLDEN KITTEH RAWR FACE!!
ignoring the lack of split I have to say one thing about this figure for sure. Who in the hell thought we'd get a Sky Lynx? Much less a Sky Lynx that was a combiner torso. I'm sure I'm using a line from Thew's review there but it's bloody true!
My main reaction at the announcement of a CW Sky Lynx was "WHAT?!" in a great sense of amazement. He's a great figure and it's nice to have something different in the line. One last thing. Torso mode... GOLDEN KITTEH RAWR FACE!!
It's like the Odd Couple but they're jets.
This may be a surprise to you but I honestly think the best Voyager in Combiner Wars might just be the first one I got, Silverbolt.
Yes he has the usual Silverbolt problem of his jet mode has a chunk of robot underneath but what Transformers jet doesn't have some robot mess under it? It's the robot mode and the transformation to torso that win him the top spot.
Robot mode is good and solid with a minimal amount of jet kibble on his back, it's got decent posability and he looks great.
Transforming him into torso mode is to put it politely, amazing. most of the CW Voyagers do the same old trick of the legs become the torso legs, not here. Silverbolt does a full 180 degree spin with his arms becoming the legs and his legs becoming the chest. It blew me away the first time I did it and I even remember taking it to resident Old Oilhouse President for Life Grufflock's place and he to was impressed. Wave 1 set a high point that for me didn't really get matched. Don't get me wrong I like the other Voyagers but nothings come up to Silverbolts level. Not even his remolds.
Cyclonus isn't bad, he's a weird one though that's for sure, plus Galvatron is a torso?! I'd have grabbed him but the Unite Warriors set is such an interesting mix.
LOWS
Yes he has the usual Silverbolt problem of his jet mode has a chunk of robot underneath but what Transformers jet doesn't have some robot mess under it? It's the robot mode and the transformation to torso that win him the top spot.
Robot mode is good and solid with a minimal amount of jet kibble on his back, it's got decent posability and he looks great.
Transforming him into torso mode is to put it politely, amazing. most of the CW Voyagers do the same old trick of the legs become the torso legs, not here. Silverbolt does a full 180 degree spin with his arms becoming the legs and his legs becoming the chest. It blew me away the first time I did it and I even remember taking it to resident Old Oilhouse President for Life Grufflock's place and he to was impressed. Wave 1 set a high point that for me didn't really get matched. Don't get me wrong I like the other Voyagers but nothings come up to Silverbolts level. Not even his remolds.
Cyclonus isn't bad, he's a weird one though that's for sure, plus Galvatron is a torso?! I'd have grabbed him but the Unite Warriors set is such an interesting mix.
LOWS
Doomed from day one.
Silverbolt remolds is where I'm starting, oh Scattershot you never stood a chance did you?
Anyone who listened to Welcome to Kimia will already know some of the issues I have with the figure. For a Scattershot/Computron (sorry Betatron, sheesh) he looks a lot like Silverbolt/Superion. Even with all of the new pieces added to the vehicle mode he still has passenger plane windows running down the main body. Ok you can claim it's a cooling system for the the giant gun that sits at the front of the vehicle but it still loks like passenger windows to me. He does have a new robot mode head, however, the new head doesn't do enough to differentiate between Silverbolt and Scattershot. Sure the torso does the same neat trick of flipping over but he looks EXACTLY like Superion. Sure they don't share all of the same colours but it's that head and chest. It's Superions head with a slight change to the paint scheme and the exact same sodding chest! The closest to a change you get is the "nose". On Superion it matches his face plate. On Betatron (I still hate that name!) the nose section matches the rest of the head. I'm pretty sure that the head is painted that gun metal black and molded in the reddish brown from the rest of the toy. If they'd have left it it would've looked far superior.
It's a bad repaint but people still wanted it but it was about to get worse.
People started to ask about Technobot limbs.
At first Hasbro said they weren't going to do Technobot limbs and then after awhile we saw leaked artwork, prototype pictures and then a full reveal of a forth coming Computron boxset.
I know I wasn't going to talk about the boxsets but I feel I have to here. They changed the colours on the head and he looks better, it's still a Superion head but it's the right colours for a Computron head. He comes with limbs but they are awful, bad repaints and some remolding but not enough to turn me, I going with the Unite Warriors version, better limbs, better remolding on Scattershot, just better all round, the only downside compared to the Hasbro version is the lack of Scrounge.
Any and all interest in buying this guy went from low to negative. I'm glad I passed on him. (Well at least until I get hold of the Unite Warriors version!).
Anyone who listened to Welcome to Kimia will already know some of the issues I have with the figure. For a Scattershot/Computron (sorry Betatron, sheesh) he looks a lot like Silverbolt/Superion. Even with all of the new pieces added to the vehicle mode he still has passenger plane windows running down the main body. Ok you can claim it's a cooling system for the the giant gun that sits at the front of the vehicle but it still loks like passenger windows to me. He does have a new robot mode head, however, the new head doesn't do enough to differentiate between Silverbolt and Scattershot. Sure the torso does the same neat trick of flipping over but he looks EXACTLY like Superion. Sure they don't share all of the same colours but it's that head and chest. It's Superions head with a slight change to the paint scheme and the exact same sodding chest! The closest to a change you get is the "nose". On Superion it matches his face plate. On Betatron (I still hate that name!) the nose section matches the rest of the head. I'm pretty sure that the head is painted that gun metal black and molded in the reddish brown from the rest of the toy. If they'd have left it it would've looked far superior.
It's a bad repaint but people still wanted it but it was about to get worse.
People started to ask about Technobot limbs.
At first Hasbro said they weren't going to do Technobot limbs and then after awhile we saw leaked artwork, prototype pictures and then a full reveal of a forth coming Computron boxset.
I know I wasn't going to talk about the boxsets but I feel I have to here. They changed the colours on the head and he looks better, it's still a Superion head but it's the right colours for a Computron head. He comes with limbs but they are awful, bad repaints and some remolding but not enough to turn me, I going with the Unite Warriors version, better limbs, better remolding on Scattershot, just better all round, the only downside compared to the Hasbro version is the lack of Scrounge.
Any and all interest in buying this guy went from low to negative. I'm glad I passed on him. (Well at least until I get hold of the Unite Warriors version!).
Kings of the road?
Optimus/Motormaster.
I've messed with both of these molds and I have to say if you got the first releases of these two you REALLY NEED the hip replacements. Ignoring the bad hip ratchets Motormaster certainly isn't terrible he has a lot going for him, if you got the Wave 4 release or the Unite Warriors version of him then you where good to go.
Optimus never felt right and it's all because of the small robot head. Look at it, it's all curved and small and weird lookin'! Thankfully B.C Prime has a better head.
The torso modes chest is to blank as well. Yes Battle Core has the same problems but as I've said before I would've never bought that figure without the Toyhax/Reprolabel set being released. Sure you can buy the labels for him but I still don't think the Optimus version is worth it.
LEADER CLASS
We also got Leader class figures in the Combiner Wars line, they didn't combine with anybody though. They were more a case of slap the name on to avoid confusion for retailers.
Here's the break down of the leader molds.
- Megatron/Armada megatron
- Thundercracker/Starscream/Skywarp
- Ultra magnus
Yep 6 characters and 4 of those were repaints/remolds. Yeesh!
I'll not be talking about the Seeker contribution to the line as I never handled any of them. I've messed about with the Jetfire that they're based on, he's a good figure but those 3 are kinda obvious remolds. Slightly surprising though. I never saw a Leader class seeker coming let along all 3 of them. Quick note if you include the Legends class repaints from Generations there was FIVE seekers released in the CW line. 2 each for Skywarp and Thundercracker!
HIGHS
I've messed with both of these molds and I have to say if you got the first releases of these two you REALLY NEED the hip replacements. Ignoring the bad hip ratchets Motormaster certainly isn't terrible he has a lot going for him, if you got the Wave 4 release or the Unite Warriors version of him then you where good to go.
Optimus never felt right and it's all because of the small robot head. Look at it, it's all curved and small and weird lookin'! Thankfully B.C Prime has a better head.
The torso modes chest is to blank as well. Yes Battle Core has the same problems but as I've said before I would've never bought that figure without the Toyhax/Reprolabel set being released. Sure you can buy the labels for him but I still don't think the Optimus version is worth it.
LEADER CLASS
We also got Leader class figures in the Combiner Wars line, they didn't combine with anybody though. They were more a case of slap the name on to avoid confusion for retailers.
Here's the break down of the leader molds.
- Megatron/Armada megatron
- Thundercracker/Starscream/Skywarp
- Ultra magnus
Yep 6 characters and 4 of those were repaints/remolds. Yeesh!
I'll not be talking about the Seeker contribution to the line as I never handled any of them. I've messed about with the Jetfire that they're based on, he's a good figure but those 3 are kinda obvious remolds. Slightly surprising though. I never saw a Leader class seeker coming let along all 3 of them. Quick note if you include the Legends class repaints from Generations there was FIVE seekers released in the CW line. 2 each for Skywarp and Thundercracker!
HIGHS
Not pictured tiny robot with awesome moustache.
Ultra Magnus.
I've already written a review on this figure and my opinion hasn't changed much since I wrote it. He was one of the first figures I bought upon arriving in the states after seeing the news of him landing in the UK (on the very day I flew out no less) and I was not disapointed.
Now I fully admit since getting him the "hollowness " of the figure is starting to show and I'm having serious doubts about picking up the remold, Power master Prime, in the Titans Return line.
I still like him I'm just more aware of his flaws now.
LOWS
I've already written a review on this figure and my opinion hasn't changed much since I wrote it. He was one of the first figures I bought upon arriving in the states after seeing the news of him landing in the UK (on the very day I flew out no less) and I was not disapointed.
Now I fully admit since getting him the "hollowness " of the figure is starting to show and I'm having serious doubts about picking up the remold, Power master Prime, in the Titans Return line.
I still like him I'm just more aware of his flaws now.
LOWS
Megatron and his remold.... Megatron!
Armada Megatron..
This isn't a bad figure, as much as I've put it on the "lows" part of the list he certainly isn't awful. He's just not great. Part of that might be the fact he was released at the same time as the G1 Megatron. Why didn't they space them out a bit?
The original Armada Megatron, despite his brick like qualities, is a great figure and I wont be getting rid of mine.
As for the normal Megatron, he's not a bad figure but I don't think he does enough good things to make me want him and at this point I REALLY want a new Megatron, I've had the classics "Nerf gun" Megatron for what feels like forever now and nothings come close to being good enough since then. Hopefully the Titans Return version will be good and I'll get one there.
Also let's not forget that as a leader class he's very big compared to some of the other figures. I like my Megatron to be big but not that big. He should be about Voyager size in my opinion, makes him more imposing. The giant Decepticons controlled by a large but not huge guy fits well in my head. Think of it like this, doesn't Megatron look meaner when you know he can take "Decepticon X" apart even if "Decepticon X" is a giant of a monster? Hell yes he does!
TITAN CLASS
This isn't a bad figure, as much as I've put it on the "lows" part of the list he certainly isn't awful. He's just not great. Part of that might be the fact he was released at the same time as the G1 Megatron. Why didn't they space them out a bit?
The original Armada Megatron, despite his brick like qualities, is a great figure and I wont be getting rid of mine.
As for the normal Megatron, he's not a bad figure but I don't think he does enough good things to make me want him and at this point I REALLY want a new Megatron, I've had the classics "Nerf gun" Megatron for what feels like forever now and nothings come close to being good enough since then. Hopefully the Titans Return version will be good and I'll get one there.
Also let's not forget that as a leader class he's very big compared to some of the other figures. I like my Megatron to be big but not that big. He should be about Voyager size in my opinion, makes him more imposing. The giant Decepticons controlled by a large but not huge guy fits well in my head. Think of it like this, doesn't Megatron look meaner when you know he can take "Decepticon X" apart even if "Decepticon X" is a giant of a monster? Hell yes he does!
TITAN CLASS
He's a big 'un!
Devastator, made up of Scrapper, Mixmaster, Long Haul, Hook, Bonecrusher and Scavenger
The titan class stayed around for Combiner Wars and I'm really glad it did, sure the Devastator box set has it's issues, the individual robots do suffer from the fact they were budgeted into a combiner box set but on a whole it's amazing, There is a very good reason why he was my top Transformer of 2015.
Titan class stuff is here to stay it seems and I'm already excited for 2016's Fortress Maximus.
So here's where I give my overall thoughts on the line and you'd be forgiven for thinking I'm just going to gush about it for the next umpteen paragraphs.
Well you'd be almost correct.
Combiner Wars was great in that it gave us affordable combiners so we weren't stuck with expensive third party stuff as our only options. With the limitations Hasbro/Takara had in place, both in safety and budget, they did a good job on the line overall but I'll be honest I am burnt out right now.
When I got Bruticus I 'd already had three of the molds he was made up of. I should've been more excited for him than I was.
There is so much repetition in the line that it kills a lot of the excitement for me, I understand why they did it, If there had been more individual molds in the line I think we'd have lost a wave or two just because of the budgets they had to work with.
i certainly don't hate the line because of it and I'd be happy to see a return to it for the Seacons, Terrorcons ETC but I need some time off from it.
If there are no combiners in Titans Return I will be a happy man.
The need to buy every figure in a wave will feel a lot more like a choice again with out a combiner to build. Sure there are figures which I really want, all seven of the "classic" Headmasters for instance, but if I miss them it's not like I'll have a Combiner missing an arm.
Another thing that I was disapointed in was the one sidedness of the line, there was a lot more Autobots than Decepticons in the line, we got four full Autobots (Superion, Defensor, Optimus Maximus and Sky Reign) compared to 3 Decepticons (Menasor, Bruticus and Devastator), that doesn't feel right, the Decepticons have always had more combiners and I like it that way, it fits with the more war like nature of the 'Cons. Sure I shouldn't complain to much, good guys sell better and if they'd done more Decepticons we wouldn't have had Sky Lynx but wouldn't it have been awesome to have the Seacons and Terrorcons show up? yes they'd share a lot of the same molds but it'd have been a nice break from trucks, cars, jets and helicopters.
I feel a special mention to Hasbro UK/Europe is needed here.
Skipping Wave 2 was an utterly abysmal idea if only because of the split up of the teams connected to it. Yes I know it was revealed that the factory split up the waves for production but why wouldn't they, knowing it had happened, do something about the missing Wave?
It did seem like they almost did the same with the Combaticon wave but it looks like they came to their senses on that one. Way to many Superions have a #lonliestStunticon attached to them instead of Air Raid.
A quick mention about Unite Warriors before I go.
They are nice sets, wish they'd released them as individual figures though. I still want a Quickslinger/Slingshot to go with my Superion (let's not talk about May madness, the wounds are still fresh in my mind right now and I got a Groove! Imagine those people who didn't!) and it'd make life easier to chip away at the sets rather than a big one time purchase.
I haven't got anything from UW yet but I am planning on picking up the far superior Computron
and the wonderfully insane "Haunt leader Galvatron", he has a ghost arm! it's madness! Oh and the Grand Scourge as I love me a good nemesis repaint.
I better wrap this up, in short I don't hate Combiner Wars I just need some time away from it.
I see it's weaknesses but it's strengths compensate for them.
As of the time of writing this article I have five full combiners, my Superion and Defensor are still back in England and I miss them. It'd be great to be able to display all of my Combiner Wars stuff but for now, bring on the Titans!
Editorial:-
I honestly don't know if I'll be doing any more reviews after this, I'm placing Room 113 back in to hiatus until further notice. Maybe with the start of Titans Return I'll feel inspired again but we'll have to wait and see.
If this is the final Room 113 I'd like to thank everyone who read these articles and put up with my text based ramblings.
The titan class stayed around for Combiner Wars and I'm really glad it did, sure the Devastator box set has it's issues, the individual robots do suffer from the fact they were budgeted into a combiner box set but on a whole it's amazing, There is a very good reason why he was my top Transformer of 2015.
Titan class stuff is here to stay it seems and I'm already excited for 2016's Fortress Maximus.
So here's where I give my overall thoughts on the line and you'd be forgiven for thinking I'm just going to gush about it for the next umpteen paragraphs.
Well you'd be almost correct.
Combiner Wars was great in that it gave us affordable combiners so we weren't stuck with expensive third party stuff as our only options. With the limitations Hasbro/Takara had in place, both in safety and budget, they did a good job on the line overall but I'll be honest I am burnt out right now.
When I got Bruticus I 'd already had three of the molds he was made up of. I should've been more excited for him than I was.
There is so much repetition in the line that it kills a lot of the excitement for me, I understand why they did it, If there had been more individual molds in the line I think we'd have lost a wave or two just because of the budgets they had to work with.
i certainly don't hate the line because of it and I'd be happy to see a return to it for the Seacons, Terrorcons ETC but I need some time off from it.
If there are no combiners in Titans Return I will be a happy man.
The need to buy every figure in a wave will feel a lot more like a choice again with out a combiner to build. Sure there are figures which I really want, all seven of the "classic" Headmasters for instance, but if I miss them it's not like I'll have a Combiner missing an arm.
Another thing that I was disapointed in was the one sidedness of the line, there was a lot more Autobots than Decepticons in the line, we got four full Autobots (Superion, Defensor, Optimus Maximus and Sky Reign) compared to 3 Decepticons (Menasor, Bruticus and Devastator), that doesn't feel right, the Decepticons have always had more combiners and I like it that way, it fits with the more war like nature of the 'Cons. Sure I shouldn't complain to much, good guys sell better and if they'd done more Decepticons we wouldn't have had Sky Lynx but wouldn't it have been awesome to have the Seacons and Terrorcons show up? yes they'd share a lot of the same molds but it'd have been a nice break from trucks, cars, jets and helicopters.
I feel a special mention to Hasbro UK/Europe is needed here.
Skipping Wave 2 was an utterly abysmal idea if only because of the split up of the teams connected to it. Yes I know it was revealed that the factory split up the waves for production but why wouldn't they, knowing it had happened, do something about the missing Wave?
It did seem like they almost did the same with the Combaticon wave but it looks like they came to their senses on that one. Way to many Superions have a #lonliestStunticon attached to them instead of Air Raid.
A quick mention about Unite Warriors before I go.
They are nice sets, wish they'd released them as individual figures though. I still want a Quickslinger/Slingshot to go with my Superion (let's not talk about May madness, the wounds are still fresh in my mind right now and I got a Groove! Imagine those people who didn't!) and it'd make life easier to chip away at the sets rather than a big one time purchase.
I haven't got anything from UW yet but I am planning on picking up the far superior Computron
and the wonderfully insane "Haunt leader Galvatron", he has a ghost arm! it's madness! Oh and the Grand Scourge as I love me a good nemesis repaint.
I better wrap this up, in short I don't hate Combiner Wars I just need some time away from it.
I see it's weaknesses but it's strengths compensate for them.
As of the time of writing this article I have five full combiners, my Superion and Defensor are still back in England and I miss them. It'd be great to be able to display all of my Combiner Wars stuff but for now, bring on the Titans!
Editorial:-
I honestly don't know if I'll be doing any more reviews after this, I'm placing Room 113 back in to hiatus until further notice. Maybe with the start of Titans Return I'll feel inspired again but we'll have to wait and see.
If this is the final Room 113 I'd like to thank everyone who read these articles and put up with my text based ramblings.
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.
