Toy Review - POTP Predaking

[GoktimusPrime]

The individual bots are soo hollow and cheap looking. Combined mode looks ok. Will wait till its half price and shelfwarming.

I don't find that at all. I find each of the Predacons to be quite hefty. People accused the CW Constructicons of being lightweight too, but an actual comparative weight analysis showed that they had more mass than some other Voyager class Transformers that people consider as being more solid.
e.g. CW Hook (unarmed) is actually heavier than Generations Springer (holding all weapons).
Looks can be deceiving. I was carrying Predaking around in public yesterday and on the way back to my car I felt my arm going numb from holding Predaking with one hand. I ended up just hugging the toy to my chest and holding it like an infant to relieve the pressure from my arm. Predaking is a more solid and stable gestalt than Combiner Wars Devastator.

The only really hollow part is Predaking's core, but that's because it's Divebomb's backpack expanded to help bulk up Predaking. As I mentioned before, Predaking is only 5 Voyagers making up the same size and bulk as CW Devastator which is comprised of 6 Voyagers. The fact is that they lack a counterpart for Long Haul, who is the largest/bulkiest of the Constructicons being the load-bearing centre of the gestalt's mass. The additional parts tacked onto Tantrum and Headstrong, as well as the expanding nature of Divebomb's backpack, basically all exist and combine to make up for the fact that there isn't a 6th core member of the team.

I think that HasTak made the right call here, because the alternatives are:

a/ Have a smaller gestalt with stumpier looking proportions, much like G1 Predaking (who has tiny, tiny thighs!)

b/ Create a 6th Predacon who is unfamiliar to fans, but would also jack up the cost of the box set because you're adding an additional Voyager Class figure into the pack. Some fans might grow to resent this 6th member, not just because s/he'd be unfamiliar, but because s/he also be irreplaceable and essential to the formation of Predaking. Other CHUG gestalt teams have seen new members added in, such as Alpha Bravo, Rook and Off-Road, but those members are replaceable. e.g. Alpha Bravo can be replaced by Quickslinger (Slingshot), Rook by Groove, Off-Road by Brake-Neck (Wildrider) etc. But a 6th Predacon would be irreplaceable. There would be no way to get rid of the team's new Poochie.

Go look at your Energon/Super Link gestalts. Take a good look. Heck, look at your Car Robot/RiD gestalts too. Now tell me again how POTP Predaking is inadequate.

[hYpNoS]

Some thoughts

-Make the thigh pieces as kibble which can turn into weapons
-Make razorclaw slightly bigger to reduce the hollowness of predaking while making him look more leader like
-Still no individual weapons like cw devastator?
-Stickers on individual figures, even cw devastator had tampos, I can only excuse whole larger titans
-Why are the arms in opposite to the original g1 configurations, while it can be reworked it has compromises ie screw holes being visible and colors being lost
-Spiked hands on artwork but not on final figure?
-NO SWORD WHAT!?

Normally I'd wait on a takara version to fix these flaws yet here I am waiting on a clearance to help offset the inevitable 3p upgrade sets, that's...if it comes here

[GoktimusPrime]

Some thoughts

-Make the thigh pieces as kibble which can turn into weapons

^Not a bad idea. But I suppose the designers wanted to keep the parts as being self-contained in the figures as having detachable parts does feel like a cheat. The other issue with making them detachable weapons would be where they would go in Tantrum and Headstrong's beast modes. The feet already mount on the back as cannons. Big cannon on top of cannons?

-Make razorclaw slightly bigger to reduce the hollowness of predaking while making him look more leader like

Which would exceed the budget. Remember that every last drop of paint is painstakingly budgeted for. To crank a Voyager up 2 whole price points up to Leader would definitely exceed budget.

-Still no individual weapons like cw devastator?

All of them have weapons.
* Divebomb - two rifles
* Rampage - rifle
* Razorclaw - cannon
* Headstrong - dual-cannon
* Tantrum - dual-cannon

Yes, those weapons are all also part of Predaking, but the same happened with Combiner Wars Devastator! All of their weapons were parts for Devastator, and Devastator's gun split into two smaller guns. The same has happened for Predaking - the weapons are all parts or accessories for Predaking, and Predaking's gun splits into two smaller guns.

If it's good enough for Devastator then I'm not sure why it's not good enough for Predaking.

-Stickers on individual figures, even cw devastator had tampos, I can only excuse whole larger titans

This is an issue with the whole POTP line so I'm not sure why only Predaking would draw criticism for this. And stickers started creeping in from Titans Return. It's clearly a budgeting decision as stickers are significantly cheaper than tampographs. The increasing price of resources like oil/petrol (re: plastics manufacturing) is taking its toll. This is probably why the RRP for Deluxes has crept up to $35.

And it's not just stickers replacing tampographs, we've also seen fewer paint ops on these toys in recent years too. Look at your earlier CHUG figures. Painted hubcaps and tail lights used to be standard. Now it's a rarity if it even ever happens. And price creep is nothing new. Remember when Voyagers (previously known as Megas) used to be the price of Deluxes now? Cos I remember paying about that much for toys like Transmetal Optimus Primal etc.

-Why are the arms in opposite to the original g1 configurations, while it can be reworked it has compromises ie screw holes being visible and colors being lost

The G1 arms and legs are interchangeable. i.e. Divebomb and Rampage can be L or R arms and Tantrum and Headstrong can be either L or R legs. So the configuration is G1 accurate, but since they've lost the ability to interchange each limb has obviously had to choose a side.

Also, it is accurate to the configuration seen in the G1 cartoon. The G1 comics had the same arm config but legs were the other way around. But as I said, G1 Predaking's are interchangeable, so it's all moot.

-Spiked hands on artwork but not on final figure?

A Transformer toy that differs from it's box art?! No way! Also, the unspiked fingers are more G1 accurate.

-NO SWORD WHAT!?

Firstly, name one G1 episode or comic issue where Predaking used his sword vs all the episodes and issues where he is carrying his big arm-mounted gun.
Secondly, CW Devastator only came with one main weapon too - his rifle. They've done the same with Predaking. Okay, I get that the G1 Predaking toy has a sword (well, actually he doesn't - he's just able to hold any of the Predacon's swords. He doesn't have a separate one for himself), but then again, G1 Devastator has a head-mounted rocket that's missing from the Combiner Wars figure.
"But Devastator never used that rocket in the cartoon."
And Predaking never used his sword in the cartoon. What's the difference?

Normally I'd wait on a takara version to fix these flaws yet here I am waiting on a clearance to help offset the inevitable 3p upgrade sets, that's...if it comes here

You do know that Predaking's not being released locally, right? Sure, online stores might have a clearance. But I hope you're not waiting for a local release. It's been confirmed that we are skipping this set.

[reillyd]

Wait, what now? Retailers passed on Predaking? Hasbro showed it off at toy fair too

That's going to be expensive to import. Fark gst changes and volumetric shipping!

I was on the fence on ordering,and so had been waiting for a local release (even if a high premium) or a decent review to shift me into impulse buying. I wondered about the heft and weight of it all, but you just talked me into a sale now Goktimus, gosh darn it.

Anyone know of a retailer with a cheap shipping option and guaranteed stock?

I have just looked up total cost, including shipping:

Ohmyprimus = 285 SGD = 282 AUD
Robotkingdom = 254 USD = 339 AUD
tfsource - 220 USD with shipping discount/ 295 AUD
big bad = 233 usd (over 22usd in gst)/ 312 AUD --- would have been cheapest if before July 1
Toydojo = 238 usd = 320 aud
Megalopolis toys won't provide shipping costs on preorder
eBay seller in hi 209 usd plus 19.99 shipping = 239usd / 320 aud
Little toy company - 200 aud, but no guarantee of stock but they claim they will refund if they cant deliver , est. September release, so will be sold out internationally
Amazon.com taunting me with 159 + 39 usd shipping to Australia.... but then cart says we don't ship to Australia

Can anyone point me to a cheaper option before I panic buy?
Oh and if Gerry Harvey dies under suspicious circumstances, I am going to need an alibi

[doublespy]

I honestly don't mind the thighs at all. imho Hasui did a wonder job incorporating combiner kibble into individual bots.

Wait, what now? Retailers passed on Predaking? Hasbro showed it off at toy fair too

That's going to be expensive to import. Fark gst changes and volumetric shipping!

I was on the fence on ordering,and so had been waiting for a local release (even if a high premium) or a decent review to shift me into impulse buying. I wondered about the heft and weight of it all, but you just talked me into a sale now Goktimus, gosh darn it.

Anyone know of a retailer with a cheap shipping option and guaranteed stock?

I have just looked up total cost, including shipping:

Ohmyprimus = 285 SGD = 282 AUD
Robotkingdom = 254 USD = 339 AUD
tfsource - 220 USD with shipping discount/ 295 AUD
big bad = 233 usd (over 22usd in gst)/ 312 AUD --- would have been cheapest if before July 1
Toydojo = 238 usd = 320 aud
Megalopolis toys won't provide shipping costs on preorder
eBay seller in hi 209 usd plus 19.99 shipping = 239usd / 320 aud
Little toy company - 200 aud, but no guarantee of stock but they claim they will refund if they cant deliver , est. September release, so will be sold out internationally
Amazon.com taunting me with 159 + 39 usd shipping to Australia.... but then cart says we don't ship to Australia

Can anyone point me to a cheaper option before I panic buy?
Oh and if Gerry Harvey dies under suspicious circumstances, I am going to need an alibi

I bit the bullet and ordered from Ohmyprimus last week. Am just waiting on the shipment now. It ended up being about $290 with Paypal's conversion rate, which is almost the same as the prices out of Taiwan/Hong Kong incl. shipping on ebay.

Toybotsimportz has their second batch of pre-order still open for $279.

[Galvatran]

You do know that Predaking's not being released locally, right? Sure, online stores might have a clearance. But I hope you're not waiting for a local release. It's been confirmed that we are skipping this set.

Please state your source.

[Magnus]

Firstly, name one G1 episode or comic issue where Predaking used his sword vs all the episodes and issues where he is carrying his big arm-mounted gun.
Secondly, CW Devastator only came with one main weapon too - his rifle. They've done the same with Predaking. Okay, I get that the G1 Predaking toy has a sword (well, actually he doesn't - he's just able to hold any of the Predacon's swords. He doesn't have a separate one for himself), but then again, G1 Devastator has a head-mounted rocket that's missing from the Combiner Wars figure.
"But Devastator never used that rocket in the cartoon."
And Predaking never used his sword in the cartoon. What's the difference?

Predaking used his sword a grand total of once in the cartoon, if I'm not mistaken - in his debut episode, Five Faces of Darkness part 5. He took a swing at Skylynx as he was flying past and missed, and then Skylynx wrapped his tail around Predaking's head. All up, it had maybe two seconds of screen time, if that.

In Chaos, he used a lightsabre to bring down a rock, but that doesn't count, does it?

Even so, I get your point; his sword was hardly an 'iconic' weapon; he used his forearm gun more frequently. At least Optimus Prime's axe and Megatron's flail had more screentime on the one occasion they were deployed.

[GoktimusPrime]

Stop motion showcase of POTP Predaking (stickers unattached)

Please state your source.

Brad Towner, Armoured Heaven.

[DELTAprime]

Little toy company - 200 aud, but no guarantee of stock but they claim they will refund if they cant deliver , est. September release, so will be sold out internationally

TLTC do know how many they will be getting and stop taking orders once they reach their limit. The disclaimer on their pages is basically there because of people's fears since PC.

[reillyd]

That stop motion YouTube video is practically an advertisement- Predaking looks amazing.

Going to have to really think whether I want to pay a premium for in-stock, versus cheaper but potentially hypothetical September pre-order. When retailers can't guarantee stock, it is disconcerting.