Toy review - Kingdom WFC-K40 Battle Across Time Collection: Mirage & Maximal Grimlock

WFC-K40 Battle Across Time Collection: Autobot Mirage & Maximal Grimlock
Series - Generations
Sub-line - War For Cybertron: Kingdom
Size/class - Deluxe (Mirage) + Voyager (Grimlock)
New/remould/redeco - Remoulds
Wave - N/A (Amazon exclusive)
Released here - Yes (Amazon AU)
Approximate Retail Price - $77 during preorder, $103 after release
Approximate Size - 13cm (Mirage), 18cm (Grimlock)
Allegiance - Autobot (Mirage), Maximal (Grimlock)
Alt-mode - Earth mode race car (Mirage), Velociraptor dinosaur (Grimlock)
Main Accessories - guns (Mirage), sword + cyber slash tail weapon (Grimlock)

https://i.ibb.co/pn5wV9x/2021-09-01-23-17-53.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/THgGBvB/2021-09-01-23-18-59.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/4phwxkg/2021-09-01-23-18-47.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/rZcHx3p/2021-09-01-23-17-07.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/1865hMB/2021-09-01-23-17-23.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/rmG1dCB/2021-09-01-23-18-33.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/rFBYNk6/2021-09-01-23-18-19.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/gT3bdMx/2021-09-01-23-17-39.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/Zm2SFrL/2021-09-01-23-18-07.jpg

Kingdom Mirage is an extensive retool of Siege Mirage. They have the same robot mode head, but the torso and shoulders are new and transform differently. The legs transform the same but the details have been significantly re-sculpted. The wheels and weapons are the same. While robot mode still spots a faux front of the race car as the chest, this faux front is now underneath the car during car mode and no longer visible from the car's rear due to the new and different transformation. The robot mode has lost the two peg holes near the neck/shoulder area, replaced by a new peg hole on the back of each shoulder. This means that the weapons can no longer be mounted as shoulder cannons.

Kingdom Grimlock is a repaint of Kingdom Dinobot but with a newly sculpted robot mode head inspired by the Beast Wars Grimlock toy.

I wouldn't say Kingdom Mirage is a bad toy. But if you already have Siege Mirage, I would not recommend Kingdom Mirage unless you absolutely prefer the Earth mode race car (and they don't really look too different anyway). Grimlock on the other hand is a quality toy just like Kingdom Dinobot, with interesting new colour and a very nice new robot mode head. I preordered this set to complete the collection of G1 Seasons 1 & 2 Earth mode Autobot cars, but now finding myself liking Grimlock a bit more.

Nice version of G1 Mirage, except for the leg wheels, which I'm glad to discover can easily be removed and reattached. Glad I decided not to get Siege. The "Orc" instead of "Elf" is a stupid joke in my view and would have been better left blank.

My copy has a slightly rotated chest Autobot symbol and the right eye is slightly blemished.

Quick and dirty test of double sided tape for Mirage's rocket launcher, sticking it to his wheel. I think I will fashion something out of balsa wood to clip over the wheel, using the space inside the wheel as a hold. And then drill a 5mm hole at the top of that wood piece. Attaching the launcher to the back of the arm isn't good enough for me.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...930b770d_k.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...6fdd00fc_k.jpg

I've had real trouble getting the thigh panels to lock together in raptor mode on my copy of Grimlock. Other than that, he's great. Same great mould as Dinobot. I think the new colours actually work better than Dinobot's for raptor mode, although I miss the dalmatian spots from the 90s version. Other than the aforementioned leg panels, transformation is incredible, the way everything folds up whilst still being intuitive. Plus, Grimlock means I only need Wingfinger to finish off my homebrew Kingdom Dinobots team :)

Mirage is just fine. I find myself comparing him to the classics release, and whilst bulkier and closer to the G1 design, a lot of poseability and personality is sacrificed IMO. His transformation is also a bit of a pain, with the white front wing parts popping off frequently as you try to manipulate the legs. That said, he's not a bad toy by any means, just a rather uninspiring one. I don't hate having him in my collection but he's not a favourite.

I bought this primarily for BW Grimlock, as I quite like him (well any Grimlock really) and am a fan of KD Dinobot mold. So I'm well happy with this. Except the thigh panels (as Zommael mentioned). Never had an issue with the Dinobot ones, but its very difficult to get my Grimlock ones to stay shut. Paint wise they really should have made his faux-chest eyes green (I may remedy this myself later).

I do not like this Mirage. I was hoping to, but I do not. It will be in Sales section soon if anyone wants it.

The number 26 on the new Mirage side panels look fine in car mode but on the shins in bot mode arent the best. Thinking of removing them. Will wait to see if toyhax releases some stickers

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Deano85

The number 26 on the new Mirage side panels look fine in car mode but on the shins in bot mode arent the best. Thinking of removing them. Will wait to see if toyhax releases some stickers

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You might be onto something there Deano, more than you know. Looking at my copy and youtube videos, the left shin 26 is actually crooked on mine and other copies. It can't be seen well in robot mode but in car mode, the 2 sits lower than the 6, angling the 26 upwards to the right. The right shin 26 is level. Tampo machine error I guess.

The 26 on fake nose but not there in car mode niggles me

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Autocon

The 26 on fake nose but not there in car mode niggles me

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agreed. and grimlock as a raptor just seems like a lazy reassignment.

Grimlock hasn't always been a T Rex.

https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Grimlock_(G1)/toys#Beast_Wars

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Skyfire

You might be onto something there Deano, more than you know. Looking at my copy and youtube videos, the left shin 26 is actually crooked on mine and other copies. It can't be seen well in robot mode but in car mode, the 2 sits lower than the 6, angling the 26 upwards to the right. The right shin 26 is level. Tampo machine error I guess.

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I was glad the Autobot symbol in Alt mode on mine was nice and straight.

Haven't even taken Grimlock out of the box yet. Waiting till I get the Jurassic Park set to get photos of them all together.

You can use part of netflix wfc bumblebee / earthrise cliffjumpers gun as an adapter to connect to the port at the back of kingdom mirage
As fanrys has posted pics
https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threa...#post-19181703

Quote:

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Originally Posted by G1Optimal

You can use part of netflix wfc bumblebee / earthrise cliffjumpers gun as an adapter to connect to the port at the back of kingdom mirage
As fanrys has posted pics
https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threa...#post-19181703

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I think I saw someone mentioned that one of the weapon parts from Siege Sideswipe can be used in a similar way as a connector.

I tried using Cliff's bazooka and Red Alert's (Sideswipe's) launcher and both are loose in Mirage's back port. On mine, the port is slightly too large, even though it looks like a 5mm port, and so both weapons rattle around in there and fall out when tipping Mirage backwards.

Thanks for that info