Called up last night because I hadn't received a tracking number - looks like the 2nd shipment is still being packed and will apparently mail out next week on the 27th.
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Called up last night because I hadn't received a tracking number - looks like the 2nd shipment is still being packed and will apparently mail out next week on the 27th.
Looks like I was wrong... as the word is, the two Pretenders are toys 3 & 4, leaving Toxitron, Counterpunch and the mystery Deluxe toy for the final shipment.Quote:
Originally Posted by griffin
:(
Rats... As much as I wanted the pretenders, I want to pack away my CW collection so I have room for TR!
Oh well, only a month to go
You actually get a tracking number sent to you?Quote:
Originally Posted by bowspearer
Photos of the second pair of toys, including images of the new accessory for Megatron that allows the targetmaster to attach to it for placing inside the pretender shell... which is the original Gen1 pretender shell for the Japanese Grand Maximus toy, so it is shaped to fit the "Cerebros" head.
There are also photos of their biocards as well.
I've had no interest in these toys but after looking at the pics, I really want the Grand Max shell!Quote:
Originally Posted by griffin
If anyone here was on the installment plan, they sent out an email to say that they were charging people on Monday (about Tuesday our time), warning people to have money ready, or they might miss out on the last three toys.
That's lovely. Before they have even shipped out the 2nd set, they charge you for the third. Grr.... I'll be happy when they arrive safely, because I have my doubts about funpub.
Well, they were late with sending out the second set... and they are trying to get these out quickly.
Called it.
Well my package arrived in the US, and to reship is cost 39.99 with 4-5 business days couried delivery. Why funpub charged so much I'll never understand.
Final payment taken overnight. Hopefully the second set arrives soon (first was within a week of the second payment from memory)
This subscription is probably the one of the last three that I'm not all that keen on all the figures, but I did want that last combiner...
I guess once I have the pretenders in hand it might be a different story
Just got figures 3 and 4 delivered
Figures 3 and 4 turned up and boy was Double Pretender Megatron a bit of a miss - never mind the fact that I think it's safe to say that he has the worst instructions for a Transformers figure ever.
The instructions are simply terrible.Quote:
Originally Posted by bowspearer
It's not just that - the whole thing is really poorly thought out - something made abundantly clear by how badly shoehorned and cobbled together the entire figure feels. Comparing this Optimus to this Megatron is like comparing chalk and cheese.Quote:
Originally Posted by Civic Bossman
Quote:
Originally Posted by Civic Bossman
Think of it this way my fellow bots, if you have an original or reissue G1 Fort Max, Cerebros now can be a pretender like Grand Max :DQuote:
Originally Posted by bowspearer
(May be a bit of a stretch I know)
For what they were working with (a 30 year old toy), and probably a shorter time-frame (or just a rush job because they didn't have to care about losing future customers anymore), I think the result was very commendable, especially going to the effort of sculpting an accessory to allow for both Megatron and Spacewarp to fit inside the shell without rattling around loose.
I don't have mine yet, but I will value it like the Gorrilla shell they created and used twice now... because this was their way of outdoing themselves once again (from a new headmaster Scorponok in 2014 to a new pretender shell in 2015) - resurrecting a 30 year old mould in 2016, and getting TakaraTomy to produce a few hundred units of it for them... I can't even imagine what it took to make that happen.
While I appreciate where you're coming from Griffin, it's pretty clear that because you haven't gotten your shipment yet, that you're arguing about the concept rather than the execution - which whatever way you slice it, clearly comes down to sloppiness and laziness on their part - that they clearly didn't care about losing people from a half-assed execution of what could have been an amazing figure.
We can all agree that the Legends Megatron mould was never designed for the Frand Maximus Pretender shell. We can all equally agree that trying to fit Megatron and Spacewarp into that pretender shell is akin to trying to fit a square peg into a round hole - to the point where to their credit, Fun Pub constructed a plate to try and get around the problem (too bad it's so loose that Spacewarp falls out of it most of the time).
I'm confident that we can all agree that if the plate has missiles mounted on it in one direction, that it is intended to be able to be mounted on Megatron and/or Spacewarp outside of the pretender shell.
We can also all agree that the designers at Fun Pub came up with a specific way for Megatron to fit into the Pretender Shell- at least we hope they did.
The problem is that going by the instructions, none of this is clear. Double Pretender Megatron is in even more need of instructions on how to fit the figure into the shell than Prime is. Fun Pub's instructions for fitting Megatron into the Pretender Shell were literally a cut and paste of the instructions for fitting Cerebros into the shell. There is no clear way of knowing just how Megatron is officially meant to fit into the shell - let alone that the plate is meantvto be used to attach Spacewarp to Megatron and slot both of them combined into the shell. As for the plate, why were missiles sculpted on it if it was only meant to be for inside the shell and if it is meant to ne mounted as a static missile emplacement, who is it meant for and where is it meant to go?
Clearly the instructions are the worst in the history of Transformers in that regard. So if it wasn't mere laziness and Fun Pub regarding their customers with contempt, why did noone catch the mistake and why did noone bother to correct it?
You can't tell me that noone would have seen the mistake had they actually compared the figure to the instructions.
Either way this is clearly a QC fail combined with laziness to the point of contemptuous indifference for their customers on Fun Pub's part.
This is where Twitter is your friend.... The official way is pretty damn good, and while not an actual nice position for the arms and legs of Megs, remember all the original pretenders were just "fold arms in narrow and shove in shell"
"official instructions"
Yeah I caught that tweet when I did some research, but unless you were up on the politics of Fub Pub in terms of who is who there, "Jesse Wittenrich" might as well me some 'John Smith' out there. It wasn't until you said it was "official" (I saw the images not through Twitter originally, but TFW2k5) and I went to the actual tweet, that I saw the name, researched who he was and then was able to recognise it as official.
I shouldn't need to do that much running around for an accurate set of instructions and if you want proof of that, just check out the Youtube reviews of Double Pretender Megatron where people aren't even sure what the plate is for. Never mind the fact that we still don't know how the plate is also meant to be mounted (why else are there those 2 missiles on it).
It's sloppy execution whichever way you slice it.
It's a homage to megatrons G1 gun.... Nothing more. Just wasn't able to keep the peg as a 5mm peg and allow it to do its job as a holder.
Peaugh has a video with very clear instructions, showing how easy it is to fit him in the shell
I always get my transformation steps from a professional, rather than looking at videos by 'randoms', even when it's well intentioned
Mine just arrived today, and I have to say I'm quite delighted with it. Megatron is awesome as a Pretender, and its nice to have a foe for MonkeyTrukk Optimus.Quote:
Originally Posted by bowspearer
I've done it twice thus far, and I'm not even bothering with the add on part. Its not like I'm going to be tossing the toy like a football, so it sits fine on the shelf. You just need to play around with him to get the transformation right (its not intuitive).Quote:
Originally Posted by bowspearer
If you find you're disappointed with yours, I guarantee you can sell just the shell to people who want to repaint him for Cerebros and slap an autobot logo on.
Getting a toy mold that old for such a short production run must have taken some wrangler. I really hope it (and the BossFight Oilmaster MonkeyTrukk Prime shell) might spark some interest in a Pretender line at some point. I just can't get enough of Pretenders (so I may be completely biased here Bowspearer).
Out of the two molds though (and since I already have Oilmaster), I think Megatron is the best. It splits light a real Pretender shell did, rather than a backpack opening up. In fact, I'm going to dig out some of my old Pretender shells to display together.
I HEART Megatron
Ummm.... But Isn't Peaugh the "random" and Jessie the pro?Quote:
Originally Posted by reillyd
Looks like the final 3 are about to be sent!!! TFW peeps are reporting the shipping labels are in their USPS accounts...
So who's going to look for the Mystery figures ID, and who's going to run and hide for 2-3 weeks?
Although since playing Forged2Fight recently, i have realised we never got a Sideswipe to go with Sunstreaker....
There's a new rumour out... Still a seeker and non-us head.... But linked to 2008...
RedWing. RedWing. RedWing!Quote:
Originally Posted by Krayt
No No No SNo GNo No SNo SNo No No NoQuote:
Originally Posted by reillyd
That's beside the point. If I buy a $10 Titan Master, I expect the instructions to be accurate and if by some weird coincidence, Hasbro were ever officially pressed on that, they would in all likelihood say that it was a reasonable expectation on my part. This isn't a mere $10 figure and it isn't even a mainstream release. This is a premium collectable which we're paying a premium price for. Why shouldn't I find it appalling that Fun Pub screwed up what Hasbro can get right on the most basic of figures - not by a mere accident, but by blatant negligence, laziness and contemptuous indifference?Quote:
Originally Posted by reillyd
Which is precisely my point - it isn't intuitive, which is all the more reason why the instructions sheet shouldn't have been some half-assed copy and paste which doesn't even bother to explain how to transform Megatron into his 'pretender' mode at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by reillyd
I think you are being more than a little biased in the sense of wearing rose coloured glasses. The fact is that I loved the concept from the getgo - in fact the two pretenders were the sole reason I signed up for TFSS 5.0. The concept in and of itself works and being able to make Tank Megatron work for a Pretender shell that was never designed for it is absolutely a masterstoke. However that's all the more reason why this laziness - to the point where I actually had to research how to transform a transformer on the internet because the instructions didn't even bother trying to explain it (just think about the insanity of having to actually do that for a minute), really does tarnish what should have been an amazing collecting experience.Quote:
Originally Posted by reillyd
The figure works, so I'll definitely hang onto it, however my opinion of Fun Pub at this point couldn't possibly get any lower.
Well it seems the identity of the seventh figure has been revealed...
Welp...Quote:
Originally Posted by prjkt
For those wanting to find out the mystery figure.
The hints were leading to Sunstorm, so I wonder if the clues were false, or just going by a certain, vague story perspective.
It isn't surprising that it is a mirrorverse character, as they managed to squeeze in a few toys in this final set from their three original story universes - pre-Beast Wars, post-Animated and Shattered Glass. Anyone else who does a toy of those themes (like the MP Shattered Glass Optimus last year) are homaging FunPub's input into the Transformers Universe.
The character (to me) just doesn't look right... it is the wrong alt-mode and robot mode... to me at least... so I just don't "feel" it.
Anyway, when it starts arriving at Australian houses, I guess we can talk more openly about it (but I doubt it, as there probably won't be anyone left who doesn't know who it is).
I wonder how many people here are getting this fifth subscription set. I wonder if it is even more than five.... and how many of those will be genuinely surprised when it arrives in a couple weeks time.
I couldn't wait so I had to find out. I'll admit it definitely surprised me as I thought the same (regarding Sunstorm). I'm happy with it though I may use it as something else and not the character it's meant to be. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by griffin
When I read it on Allspark, I thought it was a fan prank (its not April!), especially after reading the bio. Its like it was the mirror-reverse of who that character is.Quote:
Originally Posted by griffin
So thanks Griffin for pointing out its Shattered Glass - I was in complete disbelief and it didn't occur to me it would be that timeline.
But I'm really kinda bummed that its not Sunstorm. I bought a set of Skydives, and am already making a Combiner Wars Redwing (who I had hoped might be the mystery one too if Sunstorm fell through). I'm going to have to do a gold Sunstorm now too.
Seeing the final images it just rams home that FunPub were never that good with the paint layout. Some figures they released were beautiful but a lot weren't. IMO the mystery figure sadly applies good colours in a poor way.
Actually, looking at the 7th figure, I don't have a problem with it. Hopefully this doesn't go into spoiler territory, but I can see where they're coming from. The character in question of course a mirrorverse character whose initial colour scheme was an homage to a regular character. What strikes me is that they seem to have taken a Unicron Trilogy homage to this regular character and applied its colour scheme to the mirrorverse character in question - almost as if it were a Combiner Wars version of this Unicron Trilogy Character. I'll clarify this once it's deemed safe to do so.
Apparently there are 2 SG universes.... the one started in 2008, and a G1 cartoon inspired one with different personalities that was in the JoeCon convention comic....Quote:
Originally Posted by bowspearer
Shattered-shattered Glass?Quote:
Originally Posted by Krayt
Fig 7 is kinda meh for me but I'm looking forward to the other two and completing wreckage.
So which one is the 7th figure from?Quote:
Originally Posted by Krayt