Toy Review - Masterpiece Convoy Ver 3.0

[GoktimusPrime]

CONVOY
Series - Masterpiece
Sub-line - N/A
Size/class - N/A
Released here - no (JP release September 2019)
Approximate Retail Price - 50,000JPY (685AUD)
Approximate Size - 23cm
Allegiance - Cybertron
Alt-mode - Freightliner FL86 truck
Main Features/Gimmicks - Greater G1 cartoon likeness, greater poseability, bilingual voice chip
Main Colours - Red, blue, white
Main Accessories - laser rifle, 2 beam effect parts, Matrix, Energon axe, damaged head, alternate head, Starscream head, Starscream shoulder intakes, damaged chestpiece, jetpack, trailer/combat deck, Roller, Spike Witwicky figurine, Sparkplug Witwicky figurine, Carly Spencer figurine, fuel hose, mobile anti-aircraft artillery tower, adapter

Pics and comments about just the cab robot first. I'll post piccies and comments about the Trailer and Roller another time.

A convoy of Convoys, L-R: versions 1, 2 and 3


Back view


Shaking hands with Mk I


Shaking hands with Mk II


Medium close-up shot


Stoic pointing


♪Don't you... not-remember about me. Don't don't don't don't...♭


Chillaxing


Battle pose


Boot to the...


Boot to the head!


March of the Convoys


Demonstrating the hand articulation with a Karate knife hand strike (Shuto-uchi)


Demonstrating impressive wrist articulation with a Tai Chi Parting the Wild Horse's Mane


OVERALL THOUGHTS
This level of slavish G1 cartoon likeness really isn't my thing. MP Convoy Mk III aesthetically reminds me of Action Master Optimus Prime, only with way more articulation and he can still actually transform. The range of movements on this figure is stunningly impressive. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the front hip panels actually retract to allow the thighs to swing up, then spring back out when you lower the legs. This toy does an amazing job in concealing so much of the truck parts. This MP Convoy just looks like Optimus Prime has come out of your TV and become real. It's really well done much in the same vein as MP Inferno, Grapple, Ratchethide etc. If G1 cartoon likeness is your thing then this toy won't disappoint. I'm personally satisfied with MP1 but I can see the appeal of this toy too.

Recommended if cartoon likeness is your jam and you afford the hefty price tag. Otherwise feel free to stick with MP1 and/or MP10 and carry on.

[Kranix]

I share your exact thoughts. MP-44's articulation is impressive but the figure just doesn't interest me. When I see the comparison shots between this figure and MP-10 it actually makes me like MP-10 even more rather than less. MP-44 just doesn't look pleasing to my eyes. I also watched a few transformation videos and realised this was not something I would enjoy.

However, for those that love this full toon look and the extra articulation, I hope this figure fulfills your dreams!

[High_Q]

Has anyone tried to use MP-44’s jet pack with MP-12 in bot mode here? If so, how well do they go together?

[doublespy]

Yes it fits like a dream. It's clearly designed to work with MP-12.

[High_Q]

Yes it fits like a dream. It's clearly designed to work with MP-12.

Fantastic. Thanks for confirming.

[Jellico]

Not getting him yet but...

While I did think of Actionmaster Prime my first thought was the core of Powermaster Prime. In both cases huge chest windows. Dare I say old man boobs.

Are they that distracting in hand?

[Jetfire in the sky]

Thanks for the review Gok, this was going to be a no brainier purchase for me but at $600+ I'm not sure now, I'm off to HK at the end of the year so I'll see how the price is there, I think I paid around $400 for Megs 2.0 over there and he is fantastic. It's the side by side pic with MP-10 that I'm actually surprised at, the difference is a lot lets than I thought it would be, I like your description of it looking like AM Prime.

[Autocon]

Not getting him yet but...

While I did think of Actionmaster Prime my first thought was the core of Powermaster Prime. In both cases huge chest windows. Dare I say old man boobs.

Are they that distracting in hand?

It depends how your holding him

[GoktimusPrime]

Some more comparison pics, this time including the truck mode, trailer and Roller

Truck mode comparison (yeah, I forgot to shorten MP1's smoke stacks, oops)



I personally find Mk III's truck mode to be quite dull looking and just not as visually attractive as MP10's. But I get it, it's cartoon accurately plain. That's the whole point of it - just like the Siege Rainmakers. And other recent MPs like Ratchethide, Grapferno, Sunstreaker etc. have also been deliberately plain looking. Heck, even MP36 (I still prefer MP5's gun mode). But this toy is meant to look like the cartoon made real. Quite frankly if you prefer a more detailed and decorative looking truck mode, stick with MP10. But if super cartoon likeness is your thing, then Mk III was made for you. Aesthetics aside, my main criticism of this mode is the incredibly low clearance meaning that you're likely to scrape some part of the underside while rolling the toy. On the plus side, I am really impressed with the overall look of the truck cab. The front (red) section of the cab doesn't really show much robot parts at all; it's all quite nicely covered up by panels. Okay, you can see some robot parts from the rear, but compared to MP1 and MP10 it's actually the most realistic looking of the trio. It's not just a pair of robot legs sitting at the back of the truck, which - let's face it - is what the previous two MPs do. Yeah, MP10 does make some attempt to change things up with the shin panels folding in, but it's not like this. Here we can see that a concerted effort has been made to really thin out the rear section of the truck cab. The hip panels become vents and you can see a realistic looking hitch for the trailer. The feet are also reduced to look more like a tail section with tail lights rather than just big chunky robot toes. While I think MP10 overall has the best looking truck mode, those ridiculously chunky legs have always been the weakest point of that mode. And bear in mind that the legs end up absorbing a good chunk of the truck; not only the rear section, but the entire sides of the cab including the fuel tanks all fold and tuck away into the legs. Including the rear wheels which are incorporated into the legs and not just covered with panels like MP10. And amazingly enough MP44 looks nearly seamless in both robot and truck modes. I mean, you can obviously see the seams, but the sit so flush and the glossy paint finish really helps to conceal them. It's a far cry from MP36 Megatron whose seams seem more visible (although in MP36's defence it is significantly harder to make a gunformer than a truckformer).

Comparing the back of the trailers.


Robot mode comparison with the early Season 1 head




Comparing Matrices





The handles on the new Matrix does have die-cast metal handles. Unlike MP1 and like MP10's Matrix it doesn't open. Unlike both of its predecessors, the central orb isn't made from transparent plastic, but is rather a solid piece that is painted metallic electric blue. It still looks suitably bright and one advantage is that it still looks bright while plugged into the chest chamber. You can see in the comparison shot with the chest open but with no flash that MP44's is the only one whose Matrix core shines brightest, while MP1's and MP10s look dull (although MP1's chamber does have a light that can illuminate it). I personally still really like how MP's Matrix actually opens.

Comparing Combat Decks & Rollers



My least favourite thing about MP10's trailer is how there's nothing to secure Roller in place, and as such he's prone to jiggling around, especially when Convoy is in truck mode. The new MP trailer addresses this by having a port at the base of the tower that Roller's rear prongs can actually peg into. And MP10's Roller can peg into this too! The connection is strong enough that Roller won't fall out if you lift the Combat Deck up vertically. The Combat Deck also has magnetic panels which allow Spike, Carly and Sparkplug to attach too via the magnets underneath their feet. The internal sculpting is amazingly toy-accurate, even with the "GO!" sticker arrow sculpted near the exit ramp! I also really like how the tower has extendable/retractable faux-missiles, allowing it to look toy-accurate with the missiles out or show-like with the missiles retracted.

Thanks to Tha_Phantom for allowing me to fiddle with his MP44

[Tha_Phantom]

Thanks for sharing those pics and your thoughts, Gok. Now for mine!

Overall thoughts. Very well engineered, first two transformations were understandably difficult but I'm slowly getting the hang of it. I did have some issues tabbing the sides of the truck in, but you get there in the end. Beautiful sculpting all over, although the deco is very plain so as to be cartoon accurate, I can see that they've molded in extra details that will be highlighted on eventual redecos (you can bet MP-44+ will happen). The articulation is off the chain, I don't think there is any room for improvement and no, the knee issue is not a thing. I can't work out how people broke theirs, it seems that they really must have been being rough or going out of their way to do it, since when I bend the knees the top ratchets want to bend first and are then followed by the bottom ratchet, nothing scary about it. I love how the pelvic area folds in and away as you move the legs up, kind of like an auto-morph, whereas in past MPs they would be flaps that go outwards as you move the legs. Things like wheels, etc are well hidden in the bot mode, it really looks fantastic from every angle, backpack is a bit big I guess, but it also holds a voicebox feature. Aside from it's size it doesn't compromise the toy in any other way like past sound gimmicks have. Regarding the supposed antenna issue, mine look fine, there is a slight curve but it is symmetrical on both sides and follows the contour of the head, so not sure what people are upset about.
The trailer is absolutely loaded with features, including ones we've not seen on a Prime before, such as the trailer tower detaching, rolling on it's own and even hitching onto roller! The trailer also has magnets in it, as do the feet on the mini figures, I suppose it's partly a throwback to Diaclone and also funtional if you want some cool poses from your mini figures! Sadly, the mini figures themselves aren't very great, the joints tend to pop off like Studio Series Shatter, but like Shatter's they can be reattached which is better than when things pop off Studio Series Dropkick....
I guess they've added as much as they can to the trailer to differentiate it as much as possible from MP10 and MP4 so you feel that you're getting more value for money.
Is this figure pricey? Absolutely, but the more I mess with it I notice tiny details and features that haven't been mentioned publicly, which are all what help add to the cost. I guess MP-10 was already a damn near perfect Prime, so to improve it they had to go above and beyond, which they did IMO. I'm very happy with my purchase and I shall be selling off my MP-10 at some point as he is redundant to me now.









That's all the pics for now, but will take more tonight showing the trailer features.