Toy Review - QUINTESSON JUDGE (Earthrise)

QUINTESSON JUDGE
Series - Generations
Sub-line - Earthrise
Hypo-line - War For Cybertron Trilogy
Size/class - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco - New (shared mould with Quintesson Judge variant w/ Judgement Pit set)
Wave - 2
Released here - ?? 2020
Approximate Retail Price - $50
Approximate Size - 11.5cm (body); 15cm (w/ stand); 17.5cm (attached to throne)
Allegiance - Quintesson
Alt-mode - gaol
Main Features/Gimmicks - rotating faces, A.I.R. Lock system
Main Colours - greys
Main Accessories - pistol, throne, stand

QUINTESSON MODE
https://i.ibb.co/Gczswh9/quintesson01.jpg

It's an adequate Quintesson in that it looks like a Quintesson. The 5 faces all look G1 accurate and there is a spinning gimmick to make them move (or you can just rotate them manually). The tendrils can move up and down at and have pegs that the pistol can attach to. The stand has a clip that secures to the base of the body and there is a lever to detach it. This is better than a simple peg and slot which can be more prone to warping or breakage, so I'm glad that they went with this route. The main drawback is that the top of the body doesn't lock into place. You have to push it down deeply or it can be prone to just falling out when you turn the toy upside down. I have seen people use this toy with the body hollowed out to hold stationery and small drinks. :p The way that the stand pegs into the throne is also good.

The Judgement Pit version uses lighter shades of grey. It has green tendrils and a transparent blue stand, as well as a blue throne. The colours on the faces are also different shades compared to this figure, however, the "War" face is the most different looking as the Judgement Pit version sports a red crown instead of orange, and light blue mouth, cheeks and chin (whereas this one has a whitish grey mouth/chin and turquoise cheeks.

GAOL MODE
https://i.ibb.co/ScBD6wt/quintesson02.jpg

Laughably crap. The A.I.R. Lock system means that the Quintesson and throne can connect with other ramps. Not sure why you'd want to, but it's a thing you can do if you want to do it. The cage is tiny, obviously designed to hold the little Kranix figurine that comes with the Judgement Pit set but it doesn't seem to be able to fit anything larger than a Micromaster. This is also the official transformation where the cage just sits on the platform - no attachment point at all.

Fan Mode
https://i.ibb.co/7g6pCcL/quintesson03.jpg
One way to circumvent this is to simply turn the cage upside down and plug the 5mm post into the hole. This does mean that you'll need to put the pistol somewhere else, but I think overall this is better than the official config.

OVERALL THOUGHTS
I gotta say that as a Voyager Class Transformer action figure, this is objectively pretty crap. But as a G1 fan, I'm loving it. :p The alt mode is total bollocks, but I guess it's there to help sell this toy to kids and also to justify the Voyager price point. It is superior play value than TF Energon's Alpha Quintesson (same price point!) and the Cyberverse Quintesson. This toy would always be limited by the sheer virtue that the original G1 design was never based on a toy, nor was it ever intended to be a toy. A Quintesson is essentially a balloon with carnival masks and tentacles. :p Visually they have made this toy look gorgeously G1 accurate. The gaol mode is rubbish, but you can just ignore it. Having said all that, I really cannot say that this toy is necessarily worth its Voyager Class price point, and as such I would have to vote "Only if" you are a G1 fan who wants a G1 Quintesson toy. I subjectively love this toy but objectively I cannot recommend it otherwise.

I wasn't sure I needed it, but I think it's fantastic - largely because it's something different from the usual cars, trucks and planes we're always drowning in. Being a big ticket item from TFTM doesn't hurt either.

I like it as well, but mainly because its the Quintesson judge and I've always wanted one. Its definitely better than the one from Energon, but then that isn't much of a compliment (from my limited experience with it).

In my extremely high quality video review:p, I question how relevant this toy is to people who have no association to the G1 movie/comics. And so I would vote Only if... you like the character.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VggekTmTMI&t

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tetsuwan Convoy

I question how relevant this toy is to people who have no association to the G1 movie/comics. And so I would vote Only if... you like the character.

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I agree. There are some toys where, even if you know nothing about the character, can be still seen as inherently good Transformers action figures. Take Siege Impactor for example. But I think that the Quintesson Judge (and honestly also Allicon) are on the opposite end of this spectrum; I don't think that they're that great as toys on their own and the core appeal comes from familiarity with the characters, and thus pre-existing bias. Impactor is a toy that can be enjoyed without bias, but I can't say the same for Allicon or the Quintesson Judge.

This isn't necessarily a criticism towards HasTak, mind you. We are now at a stage where we're horribly spoiled for choice and HasTak are shamelessly making toys for fans. :) It's just that Impactor happens to be a design that better translates as a Transformer action figure - really because he was originally designed in G1 to be a Transformer - whereas the Quintessons were not. You're taking designs that were never meant to be Transformers but making them into transforming action figures because of the commercial imperative to sell these toys. And as far as the Quintesson Judge is concerned, that's fine. The Quintesson mode is more than adequate. The gaol mode is complete garbage but it can also be happily ignored since it doesn't exist in G1 canon anyway. :p

Part of me sort of thinks it's a shame they didn't do it as a 'non-transforming figure with accessory pack' rather than having the Brunt Centurion Drone recolour come as an exclusive with the accessories. The idea's not that far off the Build-a-figure concept and at a Voyager price-point it'd sort of work cost-wise.

For anyone after one of these, I got one this week from The Little Toy Company even though their website says pre-order.