The Devastation continues!
This week we devastate my high opinion of this set!
This week we devastate my high opinion of this set!
So for part two of Room 113 Devastation we're going to talk about, I'll just come right out and say it, the worst figure of the bunch.
Mixmaster.
Mixmaster.
Mixmaster transforms from a "front-discharge cement mixer" to a robot. He also froms Devastators left leg. He's molded in the usual Constructicon green and purple's and he's got a splash of paint apps spread over his 3 modes.
The core of the problems I have with this figure lie in the concrete mixer mode.
Mixmaster has (for the most part) always been a "normal" cement truck. By normal I mean, cab at the front mixing barrel behind it. Even the movie version of Mixmaster was in this style.
Now for some reason who ever designed this version of Mixmaster decided to swap him to a front-discharge. It's weird, the other five Constructicons were designed with their G1 vehicles modes firmly in mind but Mixmaster wasn't.
Mixmaster has (for the most part) always been a "normal" cement truck. By normal I mean, cab at the front mixing barrel behind it. Even the movie version of Mixmaster was in this style.
Now for some reason who ever designed this version of Mixmaster decided to swap him to a front-discharge. It's weird, the other five Constructicons were designed with their G1 vehicles modes firmly in mind but Mixmaster wasn't.
Thankfully there is something you can do if you share the problem I have.
Your most basic option is to turn the truck around but as you can see from the picture it's not the best option. It's not designed to be a cab, it's an engine block. It just happens to have two purple vents that kinda look like windows.
You can buy a third party add on set that gives you a replacement cab to slot over the engine block to give him that G1 look. Great.
Unless you don't want to buy all off the bits that come with it.
I don't. I don't need the fancy hands, or a "Prowlastator" head, leg panels, shoulder enlargements and the other gubbins that come with the add on sets, I just want the cab.
The other solution is to wait for the (Fiendish) Dr Wu replacement figure.
So bunch of gubbins I don't want or a compeltely new figure. Frustration!
I don't want to make this seem like a whining session but why didn't someone just release the cab by itself?
Sorry that was, for the most part, just about me venting. Urgh.
Your most basic option is to turn the truck around but as you can see from the picture it's not the best option. It's not designed to be a cab, it's an engine block. It just happens to have two purple vents that kinda look like windows.
You can buy a third party add on set that gives you a replacement cab to slot over the engine block to give him that G1 look. Great.
Unless you don't want to buy all off the bits that come with it.
I don't. I don't need the fancy hands, or a "Prowlastator" head, leg panels, shoulder enlargements and the other gubbins that come with the add on sets, I just want the cab.
The other solution is to wait for the (Fiendish) Dr Wu replacement figure.
So bunch of gubbins I don't want or a compeltely new figure. Frustration!
I don't want to make this seem like a whining session but why didn't someone just release the cab by itself?
Sorry that was, for the most part, just about me venting. Urgh.
Robot mode isn't free from issues either. It's a relativly simple transformation and it gives you an average figure. The lower body is decently articulated, ankle tilts etc but when we get to the upper body we struggle a bit. The chest is sculpted well and has some nice paint work on it. The head is nicely sculpted and they managed to transfer over the "guns above his head" look that I like. Despite the box around his head it's got enough clearance to get very limited head articualtion. The arms are where I have problems. It can be summed up easily. The forearms are to short and the upper arms are to long.
Use yourself as an example. Stand up. Drop your arms to your side, where do your elbows sit? around the bottom of your ribcage right? And then your hands sit around your hips right?
Not Mixmaster, his elbows sit next to the niddle of his stomach and his hands sit just below his hips. It makes for such a weird set of arms. Looking at the figure I'm not sure what you could've done to make them more natural but it feels like it could be something that could've been done.
Lastly I want to mention the cement mixer barrel and where it sits in robot mode.
Not Mixmaster, his elbows sit next to the niddle of his stomach and his hands sit just below his hips. It makes for such a weird set of arms. Looking at the figure I'm not sure what you could've done to make them more natural but it feels like it could be something that could've been done.
Lastly I want to mention the cement mixer barrel and where it sits in robot mode.
He's basically got a "Waspinator" ass. I don't honestly know what they could've done to prevent it with all of the other things it has to do but it really doesn't bother me that much.
I usually arm him with the center piece of Devastator's chest. I like to think of it as a portable chemical lab/sprayer. It's an OK weapon but it's obvious it's part of a chest plate.
In closing Mixmaster isn't an awful figure but he is severely flawed, some of it couldn't be avoided but I feel some of it, the arms and the cab, could've been done better. I'm willing to forgive a lot with the individual robot modes in this boxset, a lot of little things have had to be sacrificed for the "greater good" of the combined Devastator mode but it does mean some of them suffer for it, Mixmaster really suffers. He's easily the weakest of the bunch, if he was a general release figure I'd be really hesitant to buy him at full price and even then I'd probably only do it to finish a set off.
Next week I review the biggest member of the team. Wont you join me for some sideways elbow action?
I usually arm him with the center piece of Devastator's chest. I like to think of it as a portable chemical lab/sprayer. It's an OK weapon but it's obvious it's part of a chest plate.
In closing Mixmaster isn't an awful figure but he is severely flawed, some of it couldn't be avoided but I feel some of it, the arms and the cab, could've been done better. I'm willing to forgive a lot with the individual robot modes in this boxset, a lot of little things have had to be sacrificed for the "greater good" of the combined Devastator mode but it does mean some of them suffer for it, Mixmaster really suffers. He's easily the weakest of the bunch, if he was a general release figure I'd be really hesitant to buy him at full price and even then I'd probably only do it to finish a set off.
Next week I review the biggest member of the team. Wont you join me for some sideways elbow action?
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.
