SDCC 2015 Exclusive Transformers Generations : Combiner Hunters Arcee - Pictorial Review

Continuing with Combiner Hunters set, now we'll proceed with Arcee. Sorry as I don't have Windblade right now, hopefully will manage to find he in near future.

Just like Chromia, Arcee didn't come with the large sword and also missing her two guns which I'm not sure whether that's how she's supposed to be or not.

Let's continue.

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The approach for Arcee's paint scheme is different compared to Chromia. While the latter comes with metallic paint job (on certain parts) and flame/tribal tattoo, Arcee comes in normal black and pink paint scheme.

SDCC 2015 Exclusive Transformers Generations : Combiner Hunters Chromia - Pictorial Review

Mid of the year, a great time for unknown exclusives. After [supposedly] Botcon 2015 Black Skids review, we will continue with another figure who was at first, thought to be another Botcon exclusive but turn out to be part of a 3-pack Combiner Hunters set, available at San Diego Comic Con 2015. Let us first start with Chromia. However, just to make clear, mine doesn't come with the big sword (as in promo pictures) nor can I confirmed that the paint scheme is final. 

Pic Credit : Web

Again, the review will be short as it's a repaint of a figure I reviewed before. The review for normal version of Chromia can be found here.

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EHobby Exclusive Generations Magnificus - Pictorial Review

Transformers revisiting their root is nothing new. Releasing a figure in pre-transformers color can be traced back even during G1 time till now, from Diaclone Ultra Magnus (Pre-Ultra Magnus) to TFTM All Spark Power Fracture (GoBots Crasher) and even Fansproject DIA Commander.

Pic Credit : Web

Another example of that is G1 Magnificus, an exclusive redeco of G1 Perceptor release by eHobby.

Pic Credit : Web

A former Mebion's Decepticon military counsul, he was ousted by his foes, surviving on instinct which later become powerful fighiting skills, as he was sent into pit-fighting arenas, teamed with Ga'mede. In Dreamwave Generation 1 continuity, Magnificus is part of the same cloning program, by Shockwave, that produced Sunstorm.

TFCC 2013 Breakdown - Pictorial Review

It's been awhile since I went back to my hometown, took a day off on Monday just so that me and my wife could spend considerable amount of time at my parent's house. Comes back to the office today with a parcel awaiting me

There are 7 TFCC 2013 figures which are Scourge, Slipstream, Jackpot, Circuit, Breakdown and Ultra Mammoth with only 2 figures on my list, Scourge ( too expensive on secondary market nowaday) and Breakdown with Depthcharge being the freebie

Pic Credit : Web

First of all, this will just be a short review as the character had already been posted in Fansproject Causality CA-09 Car Crash and the figure is actually the 9th variant of the mold (Universe Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Generations Red Alert, Henkei Lambor, Sunstreaker, Red Alert, TFCC Punch-Counterpunch and G2 Breakdown from 2010's G2 Redux boxset)

In Package

Breakdown comes packaged in a box as opposed to simple baggie as most TFCC figures used to be.

Breakdown comes with a biocard/character card and an instruction sheet. Really like the phrase "If I'm so paranoid, then how come everyone IS watching me?"

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The first thing that I noticed was Breakdown is actually off white rather than white he was showed in stock pictures

I really like the color scheme though it does seems a bit...'minimal'. However, paint apps are nicely done with next-to-none smudges

Comes with a rubsign on top of the roof. This however, I think could've been applied better

Comparison Shots

Side by side comparison with G2 Breakdown from 2010's G2:Redux Boxset

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Honestly, there's a lot of repaint that failed. Lots and lots of them. But this Breakdown works, to me at least

Quality wise, Breakdown is tight and solid despite being the 9th variant of the mold.

In case you missed it, the head mold is a new mold, first used for G2 Breakdown in 2010.

Back in 2008, this mold was considered to be a great figure with awesome articulations compared to some of the Classics and Universe 2.0 releases. And it really this, even with today's standard

Comparison Shots

Having both side by side, suddenly fell in love with them, haha

I'm guessing Breakdown will be the only figure for TFCC 2013 that I will get for now considering how crazy Scourge's (and most RTS Laser Prime molds) price right now

Oh well!

Botcon 2013 The Rainmakers - Pictorial Review

Last year, Takara released their MP11-S, Sunstorm and then Hasbro announced their MP Acid Storm as TRU Exclusive and it got me thinking, will there be official CHURGs Rainmakers? Why not, we already have Universe Acid Storm.

Since the start of CHURGs, Seekers and/or Coneheads will always released (at least once) in the line, nothing new about that. Classics - Starscream, Skywarp, Ramjet, Henkei - Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker, Ramjet, Thrust, Dirge, Ghost Starscream, Universe 2.0 - Starscream, Acid Storm, Generations - Thundercracker, Thrust, Dirge and United - The Aces and The Elite Sets. They even had Botcon releases which are 2007's Games of Deception for Thundercracker, Dirge and Thrust then 2011's Shattered Glass Thundercracker while from TFCC, 2011's G2 Ramjet. 

Up to that point, there's been 26 variants of the Seekers/Coneheads mold (I thought of them as the same, using the same base) released and with the start of Generations 3.0, I thought to myself, "Yeap, they are coming" and they did. They release an official version of The Rainmakers....as Botcon 2013's figures...and I wept.

The Rainmakers (mentioned by Bluestreak) are Megatron secret forced on Cybertron which have a special ability of creating an Acid Rain that can damage the circuitry of the Autobots but no...not human... (see G1's Divide and Counquer )

Pic Credit : Web

Presenting, the 27th - 29th used of the mold

Botcon 2013 Machine Wars Mirage - Pictorial Review

Botcon 2013 is behind me, leaving me nothing other than utterly...broke! Of all the figures that are on my list, I manage to secure 5 out of 7 and walk out alive. This review is for 2013's Machine Wars Mirage

A little back story, Machine Wars : Transformers was released in 1997 as an attempt to bring back Transformers in vehicular mode with mostly well known characters (with new design but of pre-existing molds) to succeed its predecessor, the Beast Wars. A sub-continuity, only one wave of figures totaling in 12 characters, was produced

A former member of affluent Cybertron society, Mirage isn't like most of the Autobots. Being among the top of the hierarchical chain, the war was the last thing he'd ever hoped for to happen. But it did and Mirage had to choose side which wasn't easy, being with a group of commoners he couldn't really understand.

Sir Mirage, if you will
Pic Credit : Web

Machine Wars Mirage transforms into a green-ish and white Ligier JS39 F1 race car. The mold was originally design of Generations 2 Mirage which explain it having a head sculpt similar to his G1 form.

A flipchanger, like Animated's Activators

Now for the best part...

Botcon 2013.....

It truly is a sad moment for me, being in Malaysia while Botcon is held in the land far-far away....how I wish to bought all those stuff... Damn It!

This year's Botcon set has been revealed with more and more figures surfaced...on Ebay... Let us start with the main set

The theme of Botcon 2013 is Machine Wars, the weird time (lol), with Termination Set featuring 5 figures in total

Termination Set
Pic Source : Duh, the Net, I'm not there, REMEMBER?!!

Pic Credit : Web

The box consist of 5 figures of Machine Wars characters which are [from left], Strika (Generations Warpath mold), Megaplex (TF:Prime Skyquake/Dreadwing mold), Obsidian (HFTD Highbrow mold), Skywarp (HFTD Dirge mold) and Hoist (Generations Kup mold)

Moving on, aside from the set, few other figures for Botcon 2013 would be

- Sandstorm (DOTM Sky Hammer mold) and Electron (Generations Kup mold) as 2-pack Souvenir

Pic Credit : Botcon Official Page

- Mirage (Classics Mirage mold) and Thundercracker (HFTD Dirge mold as 2-pack Souvenir

Pic Credit : Botcon Official Page

- Generations Warpath mold for Assembled Class Kit Figure

Pic Credit : Botcon Official Page

- Starscream (HFTD Terradive mold)(far left)

Pic Credit : Botcon Official Page

Last but not least (at least as of now)

- The Rainmakers, Sunstorm, Bitstream and Hotlink (Classics Starscream mold)

Pic Credit : Botcon Official Page

This year Botcon really made me cry, too many focused on the Classics/Henkei/United/Reveal The Shield/Generations (CHURGs) line.

As of now, here's my new list :-

- Botcon 2013 Hoist
- Botcon 2013 Strika
- Botcon 2013  Electron
- Botcon 2013 Mirage
- Botcon 2013 Rainmakers

These are not much BUT when you include 3 Metroplexes (Generations, Takara and Conventions), TFC Uranos, TFC Ares, Generations and United....

Expensive year indeed.....