Difficult Transformers to transform

[Raider]

I know there are a few of us who like to keep their Transformers in nice minty condition and to consider removing them from the box is a blasphemy. I on the other hand love opening mine up, giving them a good transform and then proudly displaying them.

I also like the challenge of transforming them without looking at instructions. I was wondering if anyone else does this and if so what you have found to be the most challenging over the years to transform without looking at the instructions?

For me I come back to MP-03 Starscream and Mp-05 Megs. They took a lot of fiddling to get them correct. I seemed to have a lot of difficulty with Starscream's cockpit for some reason.

[GoktimusPrime]

Binaltech/Alternators Grimlock and Wheeljack. Such counter-intuitive transformations. :(

[Paulbot]

ROTF Mixmaster - what a nightmare. The instructions do nothing!

[Sky Shadow]

I agree with Binaltech Grimlock. Also, Tripedacus and RiD Ultra Magnus/Omega Prime. All these toys were the heights of insanity when they came out. Most of the Binaltech/Alternity toys are just awful to transform because they're designed to be so accurate in car mode that the transformations are compromised by panels, have fewer tolerances than they should, and die-cast bits drop like rain.

[Raider]

Binaltech/Alternators Grimlock and Wheeljack. Such counter-intuitive transformations. :(

I hadn't thought about Binaltechs, its been so long since I transformed them that they have been in robot mode for around 10 years!

[Sinnertwin]

if it helps, there should be a little tab just above his butt which then tabs into a slot on the base of the cockpit when you slide it down. I find it a bit tricky sometimes to get them to sit flush

[Trent]

Binaltech/Alternators Grimlock and Wheeljack. Such counter-intuitive transformations. :(

Binaltech Grimlock makes me feel like I'm 10 years old again playing the Battletoads speeder level on my SNES :mad:

[Kapryiath]

alternator's grimlock is the only figure i own that i actually dislike transforming its a royal pita
mp05 megatron is pretty up there for fidly too but i really enjoy the transformation

RotF optimus ( the one that combines with jetfire) can be fidly getting him to alt mode

[GoktimusPrime]

The other BTs are tricky, but reasonably intuitive (Meister and Overdrive are good examples of this). The problem w/ BT/Alt Grimlock is that it's so counter-intuitive and fiddly. Fiddly/tricky's not so bad if it's still intuitive, because often one step leads to another. With counter-intuitive toys, you hit a point where you scream, "But I've done everything, what more do you want from me you sadistic son of a glitch?!" :p I have both BT and ALT Grimlock -- I have BT Wheeljack, and I used to own a ALT Wheeljack... and neither the BT nor ALT version is better than the other in terms of transformation. The softer plastic on the Alternators makes some parts easier, but then flimsier and more difficult than the BTs in other parts. Both versions of those toys are just butt-hurts to transform. :( Transforming both BT and ALT Grimlock back and forth to take these comparison pics (http://otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=2482&page=11) was extremely time consuming. :rolleyes: In fact, now that I have both versions, I've decided to leave BT Grimlock in car mode and ALT Grimlock in robot mode and never transform either ever again! :p <shudder>

I also never transform MP Megatron either. I mean, I transformed him a few times when I first got him, but not since then. If I want to see G1 Megatron in gun mode, then I'll transform my G1 Megatron! (who, quite frankly, looks better in gun mode anyway IMO).

Big Convoy is another big pain in the Astrotrain to transform too. A lot of the Beast Wars Neo figures are surprisingly tricky, even Basic Class figures like Break and Dead End can be quite challenging. It's funny that Sky Shadow mentioned Tripredacus, because I find him to be not so bad, but I have more difficulty with Magnaboss. <shrugs> :o


RotF optimus ( the one that combines with jetfire) can be fidly getting him to alt mode
ROTF Leader Optimus Prime is another example of tricky, but intuitive and fun. It's the two red "rib" protrusions are a pain on that toy. Thankfully the Dark of the Moon retool (Jetwing Optimus Prime) significantly reduced them, making the toy much easier and more fun to transform. ;)

[SkyWarp91]

ROTF Deluxe Mudflap or Deluxe Skids, I feel like I'm going to snap them one day if I ever tried to transform them again.

[5FDP]

I found AoE one-step changer Grimlock challenging :o (I'm not kidding either... thought I was gonna break it).

[UltraMarginal]

I would say that the hardest to transform for me has to be FOTF Voyager mixmaster. that toy was complex.

I still don't understand everyone's problem with BT wheeljack. apart from the wheely forearms one of my favourite BT's.

[UltraMac]

Sentinel Prime DotM.. its the only one i have ever almost broke... I find the mp-11's okish... helps that i have so many repaints of the same mold..

But i did not like MP Grimlocks transformation... feels clunky and cheap

[Sky Shadow]

Sentinel Prime DotM.

The Leader class version is an awful toy to transform, definitely.

[klystron]

Urgh, Alternators Wheeljack. So hard I sold it. Despite how good it looked in both modes.
Of my current collection, WFC Bumblebee and I don't get alone well during transformation.

Magmatron is a bit fiddly too.

[GoktimusPrime]

I personally didn't even think that Alternators Wheeljack looked that good. I also ended up offloading my ALT Wheeljack, but not before I snapped this side-by-side comparison pic w/ BT Wheeljack:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/wheeljack_altbt.jpg
Aside from the obvious plastic v. metal, other notable differences include:
Alternator;
* Grey decos on face/head
* Uncoloured black eyes
* Grey engine/weapon (not pictured)
* Additional black accents on forearms
Binaltech;
* Silver decos on face/head
* Blue eyes
* Chrome engine/weapon

[Paulbot]

I'm just trying to transform Voyager Ironhide from the first movie back into truck mode and remembering why I've not done this in 6 years. It's all so simple except for that last bit with the waist that I can never remember how to do.

[The Scream Man]

Most of the really hard ones to transform I have gotten rid of. I remember a lot of the Alternators being super fiddly. Of the stuff I still have... Animated Prowl is a a pain in the ass. The Classics Prowl mold is OK except that door/front of the hood bit that I usually just take off to transform.

[CyberiusPrime]

In my opinion, MP Sunstorm, as my copy didnt come with instructions :(
I've had to look at Youtube Clips :(

[Bidoofdude]

In my opinion, MP Sunstorm, as my copy didnt come with instructions :(
I've had to look at Youtube Clips :(

I had quite a bit of trouble with my Thundercracker at first, because he had the MP-3 instructions, even though they're generally similar.

[MayzaPrime]

ROTF Leader Optimus
ALT Wheeljack
MP Rodimus (all modes)

[drifand]

Rid convoy with Magnus combine.

[ILikeSoundwave]

I would like to add Generations SkyByte, especially the first time, took me almost 45 minutes.:o

[CoRDS]

can we count 3rd party stuff? if so make toys giant type 61. if you want to transform this guy, put it in your calendar

[DELTAprime]

This question comes up from time to time and I always answer MP-5 Megatron is the worst difficulty IMO. It doesn't help that I feel like I'm going to break him just by picking him up.

[SharkyMcShark]

Generally the more complex the better for my money, although there is a line.

ROTF Leader Prime and Mixmaster were for me on the right side of that line. All three MP Starscreams were as well (original MP, 2012 update, and the movie masterpiece).

ROTF Skids was not. MP Hot Rod was also not the right side of that - it wasn't massively complex but it was too fiddly, and not particularly intuitive. I've heard a lot of negativity along similar lines about the Alt Grimlock/Wheeljack mold.