Flame Toys Furai Model Optimus Prime (IDW Ver) - Thunderclash

[Zommael]

I managed to snag a couple of Furai Model OP (IDW) while I was on a trip to America earlier this year. One I gave to a friend, the other I kept.

About 10 years ago I took an extra Classics Optimus Prime and painted it by hand into Thunderclash. It wasn't a bad job per se but it was an incompetent one and I could never get the windows right. However, since over the past few years I've got big into Gunpla and scale modelling (the reason I'm not around here so much as TFs just don't hold as much interest now), you can be damn sure I was going to paint the Furai OP. So naturally my eyes fell on my Thunderclash and I decided it was time to revisit it.

Canon-wise IDW OP is an odd choice for Thunderclash but I still had fun doing this and it looks good. The whole thing was painted with various SMS lacquers.

[UltraMarginal]

I was going to say 'What have you Done?!?!'

and then I saw it and I'm convinced it's one of the best versions of an IDW thunderclash, since he is supposed to look a lot like Prime and in the IDW universe he's an overly dramatic kind of guy. The detailing is great, I would like to see it next to an original toy.

[Zommael]

I was going to say 'What have you Done?!?!'

and then I saw it and I'm convinced it's one of the best versions of an IDW thunderclash, since he is supposed to look a lot like Prime and in the IDW universe he's an overly dramatic kind of guy. The detailing is great, I would like to see it next to an original toy.

Thanks! I think it's slightly off because IDW Prime tends toward the more slender depictions of OP, whereas in MTMTE Thunderclash was a bigger bot. However, it still works with the mould. My reasoning behind the original custom was that Thunderclash is the "third in line" for a repaint of Optimus after Nemesis Prime and Ultra Magnus, as at the time he was just about the only other character to share a mould with OP. So for that reason it still works. I wish there'd been an option for a mouthplate-less head included, then it'd work even better than it does, but I'm happy with this version of Thunderclash.

[ChlorHex]

Great idea!
I prefer the one you did on classics prime.
Not a fan of the flame toys figures as I'm in the opinion (based on YouTube reviews) that they're inferior to gunpla... are they?
Would only be willing to buy them if I can source them for cheap.

[Zommael]

Great idea!
I prefer the one you did on classics prime.
Not a fan of the flame toys figures as I'm in the opinion (based on YouTube reviews) that they're inferior to gunpla... are they?
Would only be willing to buy them if I can source them for cheap.

In my opinion the IDW OP is around the standard of a HG kit. There are some minor parts of the build and the instruction manual that aren't up to the standard set by Bandai, but I've yet to find a mecha kit that is; Bandai simply have the technology and years of development that put them ahead of everyone else in the game. So I wouldn't say the Furai models are massively inferior to Gunpla. In fact, in some respects, such as detail and articulation, they're very much at the top end of that HG-style category. The size of the model is also slightly larger than an average HG once it's put together.

Unfortunately as you say price is a massive factor for those of us in Australia. Until and unless distribution can be worked out I would only buy if you can get it for US retail price.

[ChlorHex]

In my opinion the IDW OP is around the standard of a HG kit. There are some minor parts of the build and the instruction manual that aren't up to the standard set by Bandai, but I've yet to find a mecha kit that is; Bandai simply have the technology and years of development that put them ahead of everyone else in the game. So I wouldn't say the Furai models are massively inferior to Gunpla. In fact, in some respects, such as detail and articulation, they're very much at the top end of that HG-style category. The size of the model is also slightly larger than an average HG once it's put together.

Unfortunately as you say price is a massive factor for those of us in Australia. Until and unless distribution can be worked out I would only buy if you can get it for US retail price.

That's great to know - thanks!
Btw... Is the plastic quality better/thicker than a HG kit?
Might look to grab it next year when I head overseas for holidays.

[Zommael]

That's great to know - thanks!
Btw... Is the plastic quality better/thicker than a HG kit?
Might look to grab it next year when I head overseas for holidays.

I'd say it's about the same. Maybe a little thicker. The only major difference plastic-wise that I noticed was that the parts that would normally be poly caps on a HG were plastic on this kit, but that really makes very little difference with the way it's designed.

[ChlorHex]

I'd say it's about the same. Maybe a little thicker. The only major difference plastic-wise that I noticed was that the parts that would normally be poly caps on a HG were plastic on this kit, but that really makes very little difference with the way it's designed.

Cool! Thanks!

[TaZZerath]

Amazing work! A really dynamic figure to start with which helped immensely and the colours really make him shine and feel heroic.