Toy Review - WfC: Siege Springer

[doublespy]

Series - Generations
Sub-line - Siege
Hypo-line - War for Cybertron
Size/class - Voyager
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 3
Released here - Amazon AU
Approximate Retail Price - $49

It didn't seem that ago that we got the Thrilling 30 Springer but that figure is already 6 years old. I loved it so much and was so certain that Hasbro would not make a G1-inspired Springer in the main lines. Yet here we are, a gorgeously G1 Springer.

CAR MODE:

I absolutely adored this design back in the day; the very best of what is now called "retro-futuristic". This car mode stays mostly true to the G1 design, but also converts some of the curves into harder edges so aesthetically it fits in the line. I wish they even further with the G1 accuracy, to have the back wheels half covered with rotor details so in copter it doesn't have wheels for tail rotor, but it's really just a personal preference. And what they've done really works here to give the car a very sleek look. This is also has one of the best battle damage paint apps in the line imho. Nothing's overly done and what's there really helps give a weathered metal texture.

https://i.imgur.com/AQJyp7Xh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Kn9Hdlkh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/yam7r5Ch.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/3YlUXj9h.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/qlYiZjTh.jpg

HELICOPTER MODE

Again just like the car mode, this is so lovingly G1 inspired yet still has the Siege Cybertronian hyper detail military vibe. The wings have a notch to fit the tab on one of the guns which is a really nice touch; and this is where you know the guns are designed to attach to the wings, which also help to partially cover the front tires. The Thrilling 30 rotor blades also this very nicely.

https://i.imgur.com/rkdMX9Lh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/1sQOvs7h.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/xXEg3e2h.jpg

TFTM Autobot crew looking good here.

https://i.imgur.com/uWM5q9Oh.jpg


TRANSFORMATION:

I've handled quite a few 3rd party MP style G1 Springers, and personally, this $30 USD toy does less than all of those but achieves something amazing that rivals the best of them. I especially love the leg transformation: simple yet creates the majority of the visual difference between the car and the chopper. If TT ever gets around to doing an MP Springer, the engineering is half way done here.

'BOT MODE:

Visually, I have nothing to fault this figure. Okay maybe the thighs can stand to be a bit bulkier and understand it's a compromise to get the chopper proportions right. Other than this, really I've got nothing. It's 10/10. Although mine has a little paint chip on the face, it's still a no brainer to me that the head sculpt absolutely DESTROYS all of the 3d party attempts so far. Some of the 3rd party ones you look at them and might go: yeah that looks like Springer. I look at this one and go: this IS Springer.

All of the weapons have a spot to go on the back but the tabs for the swords are on the loose side.

And the one thing that worried me before I open Springer up was the ankles, and yeah, the front to back riveted joint is on the loose side. I suspect it may be the hole tolerance is designed a bit too loose, rather than a manufacturing issue. The good news however, is that because of the way the feet are shaped they stop the figure from falling down so your Springer may have weak ankles and he won't shelf dive easily.


https://i.imgur.com/jLz4IDDh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/3kJ5mMZh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/FUEHU4Nh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/VmiYweQl.jpg

Articulation is per Siege's high standards. It's amazing how much extra you can do with a simple joint like wrist swivel. As long as you pay attention to the figure's center of gravity and use those ankle tilts, the loose ankles generally don't cause any problem.

https://i.imgur.com/MHQjbzjh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/OravmBdh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ROOxWtGh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ZAKTCffh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/hwX2HFXh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/2jdsta9h.jpg

OVERALL:

The crown jewel of Siege so far imho. I still love my Thrilling 30 Springer but the Siege Springer beats it on almost every front (aesthetics, engineering, and tactile feeling).

This will no doubt end up on a lot of people's top figure of the year list.

[GoktimusPrime]

https://i.ibb.co/rvmWYLg/SIEGE-Springer01.jpg

I personally still prefer Generations Springer over Siege. Siege Springer is great in terms of looking so much like the G1 cartoon model, and the dual guns and swords is pretty neat. But some things about Gen Springer that I still prefer include:

* Generally better looking robot and vehicle modes. If G1 likeness is your thing then Siege is for you, but as someone who isn't particularly fussed about "sH0w aKkUrAcY" I'd rather go with which toy just looks better to me. I prefer the look of Nick Roche's design and the car and helicopter modes are more detailed and feel more grounded in reality to me. Siege Springer's vehicle look very 80s scifi, and I get it, that's the whole point. So it really depends on your personal tastes as to which style you prefer.

* The glossy lolly green on Siege Springer looks cheap to me. Reminds me of the Encore Constructicons. I prefer the more matted colours on Generations Springer. Also absolutely not a fan of the try-hard "battle damage" (I've never been a fan of this). The chest damage should be easy enough to rub off although I imagine that you'd need to be careful when working near the painted yellow part (I would advise masking it beforehand). The problematic area are the yellow parts of the shoulders where it's battle damage painted on top of yellow paint. It might be better to try to match that yellow with model paint and just paint over it, but of course, this incurs greater expense to the end buyer on top of the initial purchase of the figure. :(

* The loose ankles. Sure, there are ways to pose the toy to avoid balance issues, but the user shouldn't have to be so overly cautious. I find that this not only potentially limits the number of dynamic poses, but what about during actual play (the core function of any toy)? :confused:

https://i.ibb.co/Wxfp1rV/temp.jpg

I think that Siege is still a pretty nice figure in its own right but overall I still prefer the Thrilling 30 Generations toy. As far as T30 Springer's concerned, the only thing I'm not massively fond of is how the vertical stabilisers and rear shoulder panels never lock into place. Aside from that I still really love T30 Springer and as such I personally don't feel that Siege Springer supersedes that toy to the point that I feel the need to get it. I'm happy to just stick with my T30 Springer.

When I look at a new toy of an existing character I evaluate what new things that toy brings to the table. And in all fairness, Siege Springer does bring some new things to the game such as being the most show-like G1 Springer toy and the dual weapons. I do appreciate them trying to introduce new things that T30 and certainly G1 Springer didn't do. Whether this level of novelty is enough to warrant someone to want to buy Siege Springer may vary depending on how impressed you are by them. It's not enough to persuade me personally but Siege Springer is still a very nice toy in its own right. If you don't already own a CHUG Springer then this will be a worthy addition to your collection. :)

[Maruten]

Love this guy, the T30 mold is great but this to me is just so much more Springer.

[Gehirn]

Love this guy, the T30 mold is great but this to me is just so much more Springer.

My opinion too. It just has all the looks of springer.

[GoktimusPrime]

Love this guy, the T30 mold is great but this to me is just so much more Springer.

My opinion too. It just has all the looks of springer.
This is certainly the most similar to the G1 cartoon model, for sure. Although in relative terms, T30 Springer is the most accurate to its source material (IDW Springer). Let's compare...
https://i.ibb.co/c8mLLyL/SIEGE-Springer00.jpg
* In 1986 Springer was presumably co-developed by HasTak with Sunbow. The Marvel Comic model is based on an earlier design for Springer, the Sunbow model is a later refinement of that model, and the G1 toy is the final product. This toy was limited from being concurrently designed when TFTM was being produced plus, ya know, being the 80s. ;)
* Siege Springer is clearly based on Sunbow Springer but we can see notable differences. It does a very good job in that when you look at the toy your brain immediately recognises it as Sunbow Springer.
* Thrilling 30 Springer is a near-perfect realisation of IDW Springer. It's almost as if Springer jumped out of the comic books and became a real boy^toy.

If I were to rate these 3 toys from most to least like their respective canonical models, I would go:
1. T30
2. Siege
3. G1

[doublespy]

Although in relative terms, T30 Springer is the most accurate to its source material (IDW Springer).

Very debatable.

T30 Springer has a respectable 'bot mode but the other two modes are completely different if you want to talk about accuracy to source material.

http://i.imgur.com/qFP1s.jpg

Siege Springer manages to be very close in all 3 modes.

https://i.redd.it/ux3k2r9xrvh21.jpg

Even if you compare 'bot mode only, T30 Springer gets the small details right but the proportions are too lanky compared to Nick Roche's Springer, wheres Siege Springer nails the American footballer build of G1 Springer.

[GoktimusPrime]

T30 Springer has a respectable 'bot mode but the other two modes are completely different if you want to talk about accuracy to source material.

(snip)

Siege Springer manages to be very close in all 3 modes.
Fair point. I do think that Siege Springer is as cartoon accurate as you can make a Springer toy on a Voyager budget. :)
I personally still prefer T30 Springer, but admittedly I'm fairly indifferent to the whole cartoon-likeness thing. But hey, if that's your thing then Siege Springer has you covered. :cool:


Even if you compare 'bot mode only, T30 Springer gets the small details right but the proportions are too lanky compared to Nick Roche's Springer, wheres Siege Springer nails the American footballer build of G1 Springer.
The most noticeable deviation from Roche's Springer model to me are the lower legs which are thinner than the comic model. Otherwise he's fairly close to the proportion of that model IMO.

Does anyone else think that Siege Springer would've looked nicer if his hands were the same colour as his thighs? Not necessarily a deal-breaker per se, but just sayin' (cartoon likeness aside it would be nice to break up the lolly green)

[hYpNoS]

My only issue with mine other than the looseness is mine's face is very off...something I hate about painted faces other than silver is when there is a mistake its VERY bad, in mine's case its rough and splotchy, from a distance it looks like he has a scar under his eye like he's been slashed months ago, unclose its too much paint unevenly applied in some places, other than that, very happy with mine

I must say though goktimus the idea of painting his hands sounds like something pre-merger takara would have done since it doesn't really impeded transformation, but seeing the work on his face makes me wonder if that is such a good idea...

[GoktimusPrime]

Had another fiddle with Siege Springer today...
https://i.ibb.co/TvNnQvq/SIEGE-Springer02.jpgOops, I had the swords facing backwards
I noticed that the chopper blades are prone to flying off when I spin the rotor. The battle damage is annoying and unfortunately is applied to even more painted areas than I initially noticed. Getting rid of this will require painting over some of the affected areas rather than just straight off paint-stripping with rubbing alcohol. :( I do appreciate the solidity of this toy - everything locks into place quite well. I also like how the chopper blades have good clearance from the tail - there's no risk of the blades clipping. :)
https://i.ibb.co/M1MP2SD/SIEGE-Springer03.jpgAah, swords oriented correctly

[Ravagecat]

One of my Favourite Siege toys to Date - I personally like the battle damage as it makes him look war-tired

Pics on my Instagram Robot (https://www.instagram.com/p/B0Yk-n0Ae9x/), Car (https://www.instagram.com/p/B0ZvdmsAaTs/), Helo (https://www.instagram.com/p/B0av4N0gilc/)
Enjoy :cool:

[neomoz]

Yeah the battle damage makes him look like he's got better things to do than die tonight. ;)

I like mine, the transformation is a little tricky sometimes snapping in the arms while lining them up, but I like his alt modes, they're pretty true to the original G1 cartoon/toy.

My only complaint is the knee area, seems to come undone when you try an pose him. Besides that he's a solid toy.

[M-bot]

I was expecting Siege Springer to supplant T30 in terms of favouritism, if not in my '86 movie verse shelf - he's certainly more robust looking, and much more the vision of Springer from my youth. But alas, I still find the T30 figure just a little more elegant.

Siege Springer is a more simplified transformation - in a good way, not dumbed down as such, more like he's not complicated for the sake of being complicated. I'm not keen on the battle damage paint apps, they wash out the colours way too much. And I probably would have liked him just a tad bigger.

Still a very cool toy though!

[dirge]

I feel like I'm going against the grain here, but I'll take the previous version over the one. Yeah the Siege toy is really following the animation model, but the car is too boxy for me and - this is the real killer - I hate the splashes of battle damage all over it. I've already gone and removed that stuff from my Ultra Magnus & Flywheels... but I can see removing it from the (painted) yellow shoulders will be impossible.

Each to their own & the OP review is good, but yeah, this one ain't for me.

[GoktimusPrime]

The battle damage is my biggest criticism of this toy and of the Siege line in general. What compounds the issue is that, aside from the chest, the battle damage is applied over paint which makes it impossible to strip off with rubbing alcohol. :( If they're going to do the "battle splatter" then at least do it on coloured plastic over painted areas to give people the option to remove it (Siege Ultra Magnus is a good example of this). So aside from the chest and possibly lower legs, most of the splatter will need to be painted over rather than removed which causes more expense to the owner, both in terms of money spent on paints and brushes, as well as time taken to apply the paints.

[Magnus]

I got Springer last week, and I find it's quite a good figure. The 'loose' ankles may be down to variation between figures - mine aren't loose, but I can see how they can be problematic if they were a bit looser. The transformation joint halfway down the lower leg is an issue (the joint on my figure's right leg is loose), especially since the knees on mine are quite tight, but again, this could be down to variation in tolerances during mass production.

One thing that isn't clear in the instructions is that the grey bar that swings the front end of the vehicle forwards and backwards is actually meant to click and lock into place, and on mine it required a bit of force to push past what felt like stopping points at each end to get it to 'lock' in the forward or backward positions.

[Bidoofdude]

Got Springer today, and he’s really good. Robot mode is stunning aesthetic wise and I was honestly not distracted by the battle damage one bit, despite being quite heavy on the shoulders. He oozes that cartoon goodness that makes the T30 look super stylised in comparison, which isn’t a good or bad thing.

I did have a bit of trouble with the transformation into either of the alt modes, but hopefully it’ll become more second nature as I fiddle with the toy more. The modes themselves are perfect, and remarkably different.

Not sure if I’m missing something simple, but the knee-leg assembly doesn’t seem to have a way to lock in securely. The ankles are fine on mine but the knees come out of the little divet they’re in a little more than I’d like. Other than that, no loose bits or anything on mine, and I usually get the short end of the stick on loose joints. My T30 Springer had a super loose left shoulder socket that made the figure way less enjoyable for me until I fixed it for the most part.

[GoktimusPrime]

He oozes that cartoon goodness that makes the T30 look super stylised in comparison, which isn’t a good or bad thing.
Both CHUG Springers are highly stylised. T30 is stylised to Nick Roche's design, whereas Siege is stylised to Floro Dery. Choose your poison. :)
I choose Roche, but neither is really better or worse than the other. Whatever floats your helicopter.

[Bidoofdude]

Both CHUG Springers are highly stylised. T30 is stylised to Nick Roche's design, whereas Siege is stylised to Floro Dery. Choose your poison. :)
I choose Roche, but neither is really better or worse than the other. Whatever floats your helicopter.

I’d say stylized more that the Dery look is a lot plainer, while Roche is more angular and jagged. Both great designs and toys.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Picked up this guy a week or so ago and find him to be very nice. A lot of the debate over this guy and or T30 naturally occurring and hmmm... Part of the reason I waited before getting him was because I like the t30 look, more so than the cartoon look. i don't find Siege Springer's alt modes as particularly good. Whereas I do like the car mode and accept the chopper mode of T30.

Where siege blows T30 out of the water though is articulation in robot mode. Man, are there any poses this guy can't pull off? It's amazing!!! I've found him so much fun to fiddle with and pose, he just follows me around the house where-ever I go at the moment. I feel a helicopter battle with Spinister will be featuring in my house tonight!

Personally I prefer the look of the T30 over siege, so my ideal Springer would be T30 style with siege's articulation. But still, overall an impressive toy in regards to engineering.

My main gripe is as Dirge mentioned the battle damage. The silver bits look ok.... I guess, but the ones on the roof of the vehicle looks like mud (or another brown substance) smears. On the green it actually looks a tad brown to me, I dislike this. I suspect the toy would look so much better without this battle damage. Which is something I feel about many of the Siege figures so far.. I might have bought Soundwave, if not for the excessive battle damage on him.... Springer here just got lucky.

Has anybody found a way to store the chopper blades in vehicle mode aside from on the gun?

[Butcher31]

I think I've always just put it together as the big gun for car mode.

I really like the figure but... My main gripe is that there is a piece that is only really useful for chopper mode. The spinney piece can be stored in robot modes but it doesn't do anything and doesn't look like anything. Yet, it's a key component for one of the modes. I thought they could've done more with it. What they did with the T30 sword here was much cleverer.

[SharkyMcShark]

Picked up this guy a week or so ago and find him to be very nice. A lot of the debate over this guy and or T30 naturally occurring and hmmm... Part of the reason I waited before getting him was because I like the t30 look, more so than the cartoon look. i don't find Siege Springer's alt modes as particularly good. Whereas I do like the car mode and accept the chopper mode of T30.

Where siege blows T30 out of the water though is articulation in robot mode. Man, are there any poses this guy can't pull off? It's amazing!!! I've found him so much fun to fiddle with and pose, he just follows me around the house where-ever I go at the moment. I feel a helicopter battle with Spinister will be featuring in my house tonight!

Personally I prefer the look of the T30 over siege, so my ideal Springer would be T30 style with siege's articulation. But still, overall an impressive toy in regards to engineering.

My main gripe is as Dirge mentioned the battle damage. The silver bits look ok.... I guess, but the ones on the roof of the vehicle looks like mud (or another brown substance) smears. On the green it actually looks a tad brown to me, I dislike this. I suspect the toy would look so much better without this battle damage. Which is something I feel about many of the Siege figures so far.. I might have bought Soundwave, if not for the excessive battle damage on him.... Springer here just got lucky.

Has anybody found a way to store the chopper blades in vehicle mode aside from on the gun?

Im curious about this now. The T30 Springer only really lacked inward ankle tilts. It was fairly fully featured otherwise, especially the arms. It went into the basket with the rest of those rare retail figures that can do proper two handed sword poses.

What does WFCS have that T30 doesn't?

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Im curious about this now. The T30 Springer only really lacked inward ankle tilts. It was fairly fully featured otherwise, especially the arms. It went into the basket with the rest of those rare retail figures that can do proper two handed sword poses.

What does WFCS have that T30 doesn't?
The ankle rockers as you pointed out, my main issue with T30 is that I don't think his heel is sufficient enough/ Mine seems look and he has a tendency to topple backwards because it looks like the toes come down further than the heels. The waist is also hindered by the back panel.

I think e real plus for me with Siege Springer is that his feet are so adaptable (well they are also kind of ugly as they are just boards attached to a very moveable joint).

My gripe with T30 seem rather pathetic now that I've typed it... but it's definitely something that I would have liked to have seen improved upon.


I think I've always just put it together as the big gun for car mode.

I really like the figure but... My main gripe is that there is a piece that is only really useful for chopper mode. The spinney piece can be stored in robot modes but it doesn't do anything and doesn't look like anything. Yet, it's a key component for one of the modes. I thought they could've done more with it. What they did with the T30 sword here was much cleverer.

AGreed 110% there. I was messing around last night and I made it his Ghost finder. Plug it into his wrist and it spins faster as a ghost approaches :p