Post by Optimal Megatron on Jan 3, 2023 19:58:22 GMT -5
So third party TF toys are an industry at this point, and it kind of bemuses me how they went from where I wouldn't really consider them due to expense to just basically the ability to offer some things that (I thought) I'd never see in a mainline. I figured I'd give a track record of my experiences that folks might find interesting or amusing.
Perfect Effect:
The gateway drug. I got several add-ons here for combiners during Combiner Wars, including ones that greatly improved CW Menasor and Battle Prime's combined modes. They were an evolution of things we saw very early on in the 3P space, like those upgrade kits to turn Classics Ultra Magnus and Hot Rod into a full City Commander and Rodimus Prime. However, that wasn't where it ended.
Beast Gorira (Optimal Optimus) and Beast Doragon (TM2 Megatron) are really just... BIG pieces. Solid build quality and plastic feel, die-cast where needed but not just for the metal. Fun transformations that are only a little finicky rather than the panel-panic of some 3rd party lines. Both of these have since had returns that arrived after I got them, with PotP Optimal Optimus (who's...okay, but I feel the evolution gimmick and parts count hurt him) and Legacy TM2 Megatron (a very solid toy even if his face isn't 100% show accurate and some tricky pegging problems here and there). Beast Gorira is just far and away the Superior OpOp, but I don't mind my Legacy TM2 and Beast Doragon existing side by side, since PE went with a purely machine design for him, which is aesthetically different from the biomechanical look on Legacy Megatron.
Fans Hobby:
The guys that really made me go "okay, that's cool bro, but that's enough". I got the Machine Wars Power Baser equivalent because I liked the Powermaster Prime setup but didn't want one when I had TR PMOP, as well as Magnus Prime from the 5-pack. I still avoided double dipping entirely, though I did eventually get Fireguts Powerbaser which was God Ginrai with BURNING JUSTICE, and despite being more massive, is just generally a more stable toy than the official HasTak God Ginrai when combined. However, these guys have made their niche Masterpiece scale designs, and while they have amazing presence, you need *space* for these behemoths. Their Minerva (which I don't own) is roughly between Voyager and Leader size. Their big BIG boys get even larger. God Ginrai is roughly half a head shorter than a Titan in full combined form. They're great toys, but they'll swallow space like a black hole. Also, their transformations, while doable, do start getting more complex over time, being reminiscent of the median complexity MP toys.
Planet X:
I got Kadmos (IDW Star Saber) almost entirely because I wanted that aesthetic over a pure G1-with-elbows look, and that's what I got. He's a solid toy and he transforms well, though I will note Planet X REALLY goes hard in on the die-cast, so he's heavy and their corners aren't rounded on some wing pieces, so he can poke you a bit more. A pretty toy, and definitely what I signed up for, but if you just wanted G1, the Haslab was definitely more play value (at the time. PX has done a Leo Convoy since though the two together outprice Haslab Victory Saber by a good deal).
Mastermind Creations:
These guys have gotten more of my money than I'd like to admit. And at the time, I thought I wasn't going to get most of the things I've gotten from them. In order, and you can laugh.
- Cybertron Override (Nitro)
- IDW Whirl (Turben)
- Tarn (Kultur)
- IDW Deathsaurus (D-Zef)
- IDW Overlord (Carnifex)
- Star Convoy (Stellarus Prominion)
- IDW Stormbringer Optimus (Optus Prominion)
Their overall styling is pretty thick plastic with some die-cast here and there. Their corners are rounded so I don't stab myself. The detail and paint is often amazing, and they have a definite niche in IDW MTMTE style Milne art designs. I'm still waiting for their reissue of Titanika and Oberon (Beast Machines Strika and Obsidian), even if they have had some stinkers here and there (Their IDW Cyclonus and its retool into Lockdown are notoriously prone to floppiness). Overall, these are generally scaled to what you'd expect. Deathsaurus is a Leader, Tarn is a more Titans Return sized Voyager, Overlord is taller than Haslab Victory Saber. I haven't messed with one of their smaller offerings that's below deluxe size yet, but I haven't had a toy that I've been disappointed with yet. And critically, most of them are very easy to TRANSFORM. Tarn takes about three minutes tops (fittingly) and I'd say the most complex is Overlord due to his Duocon setup, or just the one spot where they had to be clever with Deathsaurus and have his kaiju head slip inside his robot torso. Overall, they're probably the company I'd recommend most alongside Perfect Effect, and they have a lot of obscure stuff which is why I ended up getting them, with a leaning towards IDW designs (you can get a full DJD including the Pet through them)
Also, random mention of Dr. Wu's Sword Dancer 3rd Party Slam Dance. Compatible with Kingdom Blaster, good jet, good tank, good combo robot. The only thing they aren't is in any way a recognizable cassette, but being a "storage mode" is about all that actual Eject with Blaster was good for either, so.
Perfect Effect:
The gateway drug. I got several add-ons here for combiners during Combiner Wars, including ones that greatly improved CW Menasor and Battle Prime's combined modes. They were an evolution of things we saw very early on in the 3P space, like those upgrade kits to turn Classics Ultra Magnus and Hot Rod into a full City Commander and Rodimus Prime. However, that wasn't where it ended.
Beast Gorira (Optimal Optimus) and Beast Doragon (TM2 Megatron) are really just... BIG pieces. Solid build quality and plastic feel, die-cast where needed but not just for the metal. Fun transformations that are only a little finicky rather than the panel-panic of some 3rd party lines. Both of these have since had returns that arrived after I got them, with PotP Optimal Optimus (who's...okay, but I feel the evolution gimmick and parts count hurt him) and Legacy TM2 Megatron (a very solid toy even if his face isn't 100% show accurate and some tricky pegging problems here and there). Beast Gorira is just far and away the Superior OpOp, but I don't mind my Legacy TM2 and Beast Doragon existing side by side, since PE went with a purely machine design for him, which is aesthetically different from the biomechanical look on Legacy Megatron.
Fans Hobby:
The guys that really made me go "okay, that's cool bro, but that's enough". I got the Machine Wars Power Baser equivalent because I liked the Powermaster Prime setup but didn't want one when I had TR PMOP, as well as Magnus Prime from the 5-pack. I still avoided double dipping entirely, though I did eventually get Fireguts Powerbaser which was God Ginrai with BURNING JUSTICE, and despite being more massive, is just generally a more stable toy than the official HasTak God Ginrai when combined. However, these guys have made their niche Masterpiece scale designs, and while they have amazing presence, you need *space* for these behemoths. Their Minerva (which I don't own) is roughly between Voyager and Leader size. Their big BIG boys get even larger. God Ginrai is roughly half a head shorter than a Titan in full combined form. They're great toys, but they'll swallow space like a black hole. Also, their transformations, while doable, do start getting more complex over time, being reminiscent of the median complexity MP toys.
Planet X:
I got Kadmos (IDW Star Saber) almost entirely because I wanted that aesthetic over a pure G1-with-elbows look, and that's what I got. He's a solid toy and he transforms well, though I will note Planet X REALLY goes hard in on the die-cast, so he's heavy and their corners aren't rounded on some wing pieces, so he can poke you a bit more. A pretty toy, and definitely what I signed up for, but if you just wanted G1, the Haslab was definitely more play value (at the time. PX has done a Leo Convoy since though the two together outprice Haslab Victory Saber by a good deal).
Mastermind Creations:
These guys have gotten more of my money than I'd like to admit. And at the time, I thought I wasn't going to get most of the things I've gotten from them. In order, and you can laugh.
- Cybertron Override (Nitro)
- IDW Whirl (Turben)
- Tarn (Kultur)
- IDW Deathsaurus (D-Zef)
- IDW Overlord (Carnifex)
- Star Convoy (Stellarus Prominion)
- IDW Stormbringer Optimus (Optus Prominion)
Their overall styling is pretty thick plastic with some die-cast here and there. Their corners are rounded so I don't stab myself. The detail and paint is often amazing, and they have a definite niche in IDW MTMTE style Milne art designs. I'm still waiting for their reissue of Titanika and Oberon (Beast Machines Strika and Obsidian), even if they have had some stinkers here and there (Their IDW Cyclonus and its retool into Lockdown are notoriously prone to floppiness). Overall, these are generally scaled to what you'd expect. Deathsaurus is a Leader, Tarn is a more Titans Return sized Voyager, Overlord is taller than Haslab Victory Saber. I haven't messed with one of their smaller offerings that's below deluxe size yet, but I haven't had a toy that I've been disappointed with yet. And critically, most of them are very easy to TRANSFORM. Tarn takes about three minutes tops (fittingly) and I'd say the most complex is Overlord due to his Duocon setup, or just the one spot where they had to be clever with Deathsaurus and have his kaiju head slip inside his robot torso. Overall, they're probably the company I'd recommend most alongside Perfect Effect, and they have a lot of obscure stuff which is why I ended up getting them, with a leaning towards IDW designs (you can get a full DJD including the Pet through them)
Also, random mention of Dr. Wu's Sword Dancer 3rd Party Slam Dance. Compatible with Kingdom Blaster, good jet, good tank, good combo robot. The only thing they aren't is in any way a recognizable cassette, but being a "storage mode" is about all that actual Eject with Blaster was good for either, so.