VLTRVM MAGNVM
Series - Generations
Sub-line - War For Cybertron
Sub-sub-line - Kingdom
Size/class - Leader
New/remould/redeco - Retool and repaint of Siege Ultra Magnus
Wave - 2
Released here - Yes
Approximate Retail Price - $100
Approximate Size - 21.5cm
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode - Car carrier truck
Main Features/Gimmicks - Cab robot can combine with trailer to form armoured robot mode
Main Colours - liberte, egalite, fraternite
Main Accessories - rifle, x2 missile launchers

NOTE: Generations War for Cybertron Trilogy Kingdom Ultra Magnus is a retool and repaint of Generations War for Cybertron Trilogy Siege Ultra Magnus. Refer to the GWFCTSUM thread for comments about the original mould. This thread will focus on differences made.













PROS
  • Nicer looking truck mode - the unsightly gaps on the side of the cab are filled in, and it looks more like an Earthen car carrier

  • The retooling on the armour is more extensive than I expected. Most every part has some retooling.

  • The overall sculpting on the armoured mode looks nicer being less "busy" with the insane level of detail on the Siege sculpt, but also not as plain as on the MP. It's a nice balance.

  • The missile launchers are also retooled with faux launcher trigger

  • Really like the more brilliant pearly white

  • No "battle damage" to laboriously clean off - yay!


CONS
  • Some of the repainting choices are strange. Don't know why the pegs on top of the shoulder pylons are painted blue. The front of the side panels on the legs are also unpainted white, which clashes against the blue panels (sides of the trailer) attached to them. The smoke stacks on the cab robot are also unpainted, same as Siege (I've painted mine silver)

  • Does not come with the 2 black guns from the Siege toy; given that it's the same price point, I'm not sure why they couldn't have included those guns.

  • In order to elongate the vehicle mode to give it the appearance of being an articulated truck, they've also sacrificed the solidity of the alt mode. On Siege UM, the front of the upper deck attaches to the truck cab; while this does make the truck mode look weird and stubby (and incapable of making turns ), it is physically essential to lock it into place. Kingdom UM's trailer is retooled in a way where the front of the upper deck cannot attach to the cab, making the truck mode less solid.


OVERALL
I'm biased since Ultra Magnus is my favourite TF character. But looking at it more objectively, this toy doesn't really give you anything that the Siege toy doesn't already do. Yeah, it looks more G1... but if you already have MP Ultra Magnus or even Combiner Wars Ultra Magnus as well as Siege UM, then it's arguably superfluous.

I would only recommend this toy if you:
a/ don't already have Siege UM
b/ prefer the appearance of this over Siege UM and are willing to accept a less solid truck mode
If you're an Ultra Magnus collector like me, then you've already made up your mind about this toy and... why are you even reading this? But for those who are unsure, I'd only recommend it under those two aforementioned conditions.

Heck... if you don't even care about having the separate cab robot gimmick, then just stick with Combiner Wars Ultra Magnus. IMO it's still objectively the best CHUG UM toy anyway.