Toy Review - MENASOR (Legacy)
MENASOR
Series - Generations
Sub-line - Legacy
Size/class - Deluxes and a Commander
New/remould/redeco - New (ex. Breakdown)
Waves - I to IV
Released here - 2022-23
Approximate Retail Prize - variable
Approximate Size - 31.5cm
Allegiance - Decepticon
Sub-Group - Stunticon
Alt-modes - 1 race car, 3 sports cars, 1 truck
Main Features/Gimmicks - Gestalt
Main Colours - grey and black (accented by colours of individual Stunticons)
Main Accessories - x1 sword, x1 gun battery
NOTE: Menasor is a gestalt comprised of Legacy Breakdown, Dead End, Drag Strip, Motormaster and Wildrider. See the individual review threads on each Stunticon for comments on the individual robots. This review thread will focus on the combined Menasor gestalt, as well as the Legacy Stunticons as a complete set.
For some reason, the board won't let me embed hyperlinks to the review threads into my text, so here are the direct links:
Breakdown http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showth...view-BREAKDOWN
Dead End http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showth...D-END-(Legacy)
Drag Strip http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showth...con-Dragstrip)
Motormaster http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showth...ommander-class
Wildrider http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showth...rider-(Legacy)
Stunticons (group shots)
Standard vehicle mode
https://i.ibb.co/QJQnbLX/temp.jpg
Assault vehicle modes
https://i.ibb.co/PgYzf7g/legacy-STUNT-stunticons02.jpg
Robot mode
https://i.ibb.co/mCG94xt/legacy-STUNT-stunticons03.jpg
Team assault formation
https://i.ibb.co/P1ZKMwq/legacy-STUNT-stunticons04.jpg
"By our powers combined..."
https://i.ibb.co/VmTcpkF/legacy-STUNT-stunticons05.jpg
MENASOR
Neutral stance, unarmed
https://i.ibb.co/G7Mt8st/legacy-STUNT-menasor01.jpg
Action stance, armed
https://i.ibb.co/kG7mGZp/legacy-STUNT-menasor02.jpg
Rear
https://i.ibb.co/ySMr2yp/legacy-STUNT-menasor03.jpg
Overall Thoughts
My initial thoughts on Menasor, based on when I only had Motormaster and Drag Strip, can be seen here:
http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showth...870#post652870
Now that I've completed the set, my views haven't really changed, because Legacy Menasor really just exists as Motormaster alone; the four Deluxe Class Stunticons are little more than kibble that attach to the arms and legs. None of them form the actual limbs, they just fill them out. This is very different from G1 and Combiner Wars Menasor, where the limb robots actually become the limbs. In the regard, and purely from a toy POV, it's rather unsatisfying as it's a cheat. It reminds me of the gestalts that Machine Men had with those Power Suits. Okay, not quite that lame, but still... they're not "proper" gestalt limbs. Legacy Menasor also predictably loses the "Free/Scramble Combination" (or "Jizai Gattai" as it would have been called in Diaclone) gimmick from G1 and CW/UW Menasor. Of course, this is all intentional because TL Menasor is based on the G1 cartoon version, which - aside from just one time - never used the Scramble gimmick. The animation model varied between the limb robots actually being the limbs or just being kibble for Motormaster, but the latter is what TL Menasor is based on. And I get it, this is the second CHUG Menasor (or third if you count CW and UW separately). CW/UW already gave us a more toy-accurate CHUG Menasor that had "proper" limb formation and the ability to mix and match limbs (not only with other Stunticons, but any other Scramble City style gestalt; e.g. Combaticons, Protectobots etc.). It does make sense for Hasbro to give us something new if they're going to do Menasor again in CHUG, because otherwise why bother collecting the set again? I know I wouldn't have.
And Hasbro's plan has absolutely worked on me. I collected the Stunticons in CHUG all over again (ended up selling my CW Menasor). And TBH, if Hasbro releases the rest of the TL Stunticons in G2 colours; and especially with new names/personae like Shadowstrip etc., then they can shut up and take my money. :p Aesthetics aside, there are some objective improvements here:
1. Dedicated hands and feet. Many CW toys suffer from the feet and hands being the one style of accessory that could transform into either hand or foot. Even Hasbro realised that this was less than ideal, as they shifted away from this in later CW/UW figures (e.g. Computicon, Victorion etc.).
2. TL Motormaster is a far more solid torso. CW Motormaster was always a sub par gestalt torso, even by CW standards.
My only real gripe about this toy is the gun battery accessory that is part of Motormaster's trailer. I understand that it's access parts that they couldn't figure out how to incorporate into Menasor, fine. Why not make it also connect to his back as a backpack (e.g. rocket pack)? Sure, it's not G1-accurate, but neither is the cannon tower. Otherwise there are no unacceptable drawbacks to this toy, and I would recommend completing this set. But hey, if you're perfectly happy with your CW/UW Menasor, then you can just keep that too. :) In hindsight I probably should've just kept CW Menasor and just completed TL Menasor in G2 colours (but G2 Shadowstrip only came out after I'd sold off CW Menasor). :p
P.S.: re: cartoon likeness
https://i.ibb.co/SRxS8y9/temp.jpg
In terms of cartoon-likeness, as mentioned above, the cartoon did have two main character models for Menasor; one with Drag Strip and Dead End (and once Breakdown) forming the actual arms themselves, and the other where Drag Strip and Dead End just attach to Motormaster's arms, but it's really Motormaster's arms that become Menasor's arms. Legacy Menasor has opted with the second version (as it did appear more frequently in the cartoon). The legs were more consistently portrayed as Breakdown and Wildrider simply attaching to Motormaster's legs to become Menasor's legs. There is no other variation to this design in the cartoon IIRC, so TL Menasor's legs are faithful to how they always looked like on screen.
