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Thread: Toy Review - ULTRA MAGNUS (Shattered Glass) / DELTA MAGNUS / MAGNA CONVOY

  1. #1
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    Default Toy Review - ULTRA MAGNUS (Shattered Glass) / DELTA MAGNUS / MAGNA CONVOY

    Hoooo boy. I don't feel there has ever been a case whereby a figure which has been released by Hasbro which represents three different figures. Not only that, but from three completely separate universes!

    I was really struggling to know if I should separate this into three separate reviews. But I figured, if you can bear with me, I'll have a little bit of fun with it.

    (DISCLAIMER: I am not a professional reviewer, photographer as its all shot on an iPhone, or expert in linguistic gymnastics, so please be gentle in the comments)


    ULTRA MAGNUS
    Series - Generations
    Sub-line - Shattered Glass Collection
    Size/class - Leader
    New/remould/redeco - Retool and repaint of Kingdom Ultra Magnus
    Released here - Online
    Approximate Retail Price - $100
    Approximate Size - 21.5cm
    Allegiance - Evil Autobot
    Alt-mode - Car carrier truck
    Main Features/Gimmicks - Cab robot can combine with trailer to form armoured robot mode
    Main Colours - Blue, Red, Black
    Main Accessories - Rifle, x2 Missile Launchers, Axe, Sword, Mini Matrix, (Un)Healthy Dose of Nihlism

    Lets start with the Main Attraction. I bought mine from Zing!, but I do know there were other places which had better pricing available.

    The box arrived intact, in good shape. And it's a pretty striking box. With Hasbro's new more Eco-Friendly packaging initiative now in full swing, I was a bit worried about potential figure damage, but apart from minor paint flecking close to his helmet, Magnus looked pretty okay.



    The box art is VERY striking. Magnus' eyes are an intense blue. It's a shame this doesn't really come across in his light piping (more on this later) but its very evil and eye catching with his permanantly grinning skull head. The sides have him reaching out (watch out, the boogieman's after your soooouuulllll) and the back has a standard blurb and all his modes shown.



    Magnus' accessories are all neatly packaged and he is well tethered but easy to release. If you're sliding him out the top take care to ensure that the sticky tape on the edges of the top of the box are ALL cut and unhinged. The box narrows at the top and if you pull too hard its like trying to fit a rectangle peg through a trapezoidal hole. If you want to keep the box, proceed carefully.



    The instructions are very easy to read and laid out step by step. I generally try to eschew instructions when I'm first playing with a toy to see how far a little ingenuity alone goes however I did need some help with several steps when transforming. And thats fine, as the instructions made this clear. One thing it doesn't make clear though is the use of a screwdriver for the head swapping gimmick. Those heads are held on VERY tight and while the instructions claim you can just pop them on and off i would STRONGLY recommend not doing so. I applied a little bit of pressure and they weren't going anywhere. So please use a screwdriver and be extra careful because my Delta Magnus head was incredibly tight fitting and some prising was required to release both halves. Also, don't overtighten the screw. My SGUM (Shattered Glass Ultra Magnus) head screw was VERY difficult to tighten after loosening the first time.

    So, here's the boy!


    This is my first experience with the Magnus mold in any form as I have to be VERY selective about transformers I purchase due to room and budget. But overall the colour scheme POPS. BIG time. I am a huge fan of the colour blue, and combine this very electric blue with the vibrant red, with black and some silver highlights, and he will definitely stand out in your collection.

    For those of you who don't know Shattered Glass, or this iteration of Magnus, here's a very brief rundown. Autobots bad, Decepticons good, Magnus got his face ripped off in a failed coup, wants to destroy the universe as he's bored, the end.

    And boy, that face does NOT disappoint. It gives me Green Goblin vibes crossed with an Iron Maiden album cover. I am a VERY big heavy metal fan, and while i have ROTF Bludgeon with a third party head (currently in storage) this is the first real actual official 'metal' transformer for me. Its amazing to think that a simple head sculpt can scream 'bad guy' and make you feel completely different about a figure.

    His eyes are painted which initially I almost cried over due to his lightpiping gimmick however, i tried it out and it actually has just enough around the edges of the eyes to have glowing rims! It looks REALLY cool. Sorry I am not coordinated enough to show that AND take a photo, so you'll have to take my word for it.

    As with Siege and Kingdom Magnus, I daresay the range of articulation is the same so I won't delve into it too much here. He is poseable to a degree, waist/head swivel, the slightly annoying permanent feet askew due to the armor, but otherwise does well.

    Okay so, onto the vehicle mode and core robot, yes!

    Wellllll.......

    I reckon this is where I'm going to diverge a bit. Because of the whole '3 character in one' thing, my own headcanon says that SGUM has an alt mode, but it's gonna be COMPLETELY beneath him to use it because it's so pedestrian. And he's gonna destroy the universe anyway so why bother using it?

    So....

    MAGNA CONVOY
    Series - Generations
    Sub-line - Shattered Glass Collection
    Sub-sub-line - SGUM Core Robot
    Size/class - Deluxe
    New/remould/redeco - Repaint of Kingdom Ultra Magnus core robot
    Released here - Online
    Approximate Retail Price - $100
    Approximate Size - 17cm
    Allegiance - Heroic Autobot
    Alt-mode - Cab Over Truck
    Main Features/Gimmicks -Sentient Drone Given Divine Purpose
    Main Colours - Blue, Black
    Main Accessories - Rifle, Sword, Mini Matrix, Unofficial Blue Lantern Corps Membership



    So here we have.... MAGNA CONVOY!!!

    (who the heck is Magna Convoy???)

    Well, I'm glad you asked, no one in particular. See, as part of those zany Japanese CHUG lines, some bright TakaraTomy employee really REALLY liked the idea of the Lantern Corps from the DC Comics. So, they made a Transformer version, because why not?!

    Magna Convoy here WAS a repaint of the original (and some say still, the best) Classics Optimus Prime in glorious blue. He came in the TakaraTomy Legends line with a sword and shield and as the story goes, after receiving life from the spark of his dying leader Blue Big Convoy (he himself a recolour of Beast Wars Big Convoy) he was tasked to take down Straxus and retrieve the stolen Matrix Sword!


    Errr so anyway....

    Magna Convoy here is a VERY nice blue with black and grey accents. His eyes are yellow which pop nicely. Again, like Kingdom Magnus Core Robot, he has the same poseability and ability to combine with armour.

    And he comes with a sword! So naturally you can use the sw-.....

    Wait a minute.

    The sword doesn't fit.

    THE. SWORD. DOESN'T. FIT.

    So here is my first minor gripe of this whole review. The Axe, Sword and Matrix are designed to all combine into one really melee weapon for SGUM to wield. And it works great!

    HOWEVER.

    In their individual components, there is this INCREDIBLY annoying nub RIGHT on the handle which impedes poor Magna Convoy's ability to hold it.



    Since this little nub has absolutely no purpose in the combined sword mode, I have to ask.

    Why, Hasbro, why?

    Was this a manufacturing accident? A leftover byproduct of the weapon for a more civilised age?

    Or are you deliberately messing with us?

    So yes. This for me was a MAJOR letdown out of the box. Okay, yes, i CAN shave it down. And i PROBABLY will. Eventually. But for now, he is sword-less, and i'm not taking poses of him with a silly axe.

    Have a shot with his rifle instead. Humph.



    I do actually hope some third party comes along and makes a nice sword and shield combo set for him. I would look into that with great interest.

    Vehicle mode is pretty basic. He's a truck. With stubby arms sticking out the sides. Meh. It works I suppose. It won't be the mode I have him in anyways.



    (As a quick side note, my cab halves don't quite line up as you can see, and it gives him an almost skull-like appearance, almost hinting at the evil within. Tee hee )

    And so its time to round out our Trilogy of Terror. So here he is. Maybe he can deal with that now since Magnus can't?

    DELTA MAGNUS
    Series - Generations
    Sub-line - Shattered Glass Collection
    Size/class - Leader
    New/remould/redeco - Retool and repaint of Kingdom Ultra Magnus
    Released here - Online
    Approximate Retail Price - $100
    Approximate Size - 21.5cm
    Allegiance - Heroic Autobot
    Alt-mode - Car carrier truck
    Main Features/Gimmicks - Cab robot can combine with trailer to form armoured robot mode
    Main Colours - Blue, Red, Black
    Main Accessories - Rifle, x2 Missile Launchers



    Remember how I said that a headsculpt can make all the difference to a figure? Well, the Delta Magnus Head hones this point in incredibly nicely.

    Look how heroic he looks! He cuts such a dashing figure.

    (Just ignore that inverted Autobot symbol on his shoulder. Some punk painted it that way while he was recharging.)

    Delta first appeared as promo shots for Transformers The (one and only and best animated) Movie as what Ultra Magnus was going to look like before they swapped out his palette for white, red and tealy blue. He did appear in Masterpiece form and has had a spattering of comic appearances and of course Diaclone.

    There really isn't a lot more to say. He's a cool looking dude and for those who didn't want him as SGUM, he is an incredible substitute. And, he does have full light piping!

    And now finally onto Alt Mode! Because Delta DEFINITELY can deal with that!



    .....yyyeaahhh. Not a lot of Positive to say here. Not a lot of Negative necessarily either. He is VERY blue in this mode. As those familiar with the Siege and Kingdom mold would know, his armour partsforms into his 'carrier' section, and vice versa. Its VERY fiddly, but not unworkable. He rolls (doo-de-dooo) but with the cab permanently attached to the carrier rather than with a hitch there isn't much in the way of articulation.

    All his weapons store here of course if you want. But this is Delta Magnus. He doesn't have a fancy sword or axe or Matrix. That's not his scene!

    (If you wanted you COULD put the matrix inside the cab section with Magna Convoy's head, but there isn't a clear fitting space for it, so it'll just rattle around.)

    Size comparison time!




    FINAL THOUGHTS
    I would suspect SGUM would be a better buy for most if he was a bit cheaper. But overall, I am happy with my purchase, mainly because I knew what I was in for when I purchased him and am very selective with my transformers. If you are a fan of really rad, wicked, evil looking dudes, get him. If you want a Delta Magnus not at Masterpiece scale or pricing, get him. If you want a Magna Convoy, I'd prooooobably try and find an original Legends one if you can, because the fact he can't hold the sword without some modification is a bit of a downer.
    Last edited by TaZZerath; 12th August 2022 at 12:55 PM. Reason: Added bit about Delta Magnus' Light Piping

  2. #2
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    The three-in-one review is very clever.

    One thing it doesn't make clear though is the use of a screwdriver for the head swapping gimmick. Those heads are held on VERY tight and while the instructions claim you can just pop them on and off i would STRONGLY recommend not doing so. I applied a little bit of pressure and they weren't going anywhere. So please use a screwdriver and be extra careful because my Delta Magnus head was incredibly tight fitting and some prising was required to release both halves.
    I'd been wondering how the headswap on this worked, couldn't recall if the head was a partsforming part on the original Magnus or not. Good to know.

  3. #3
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    Not knowing anything about SG Magnus, the colour scheme kinda looks like a custom paint job.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by TaZZerath View Post
    The box arrived intact, in good shape.
    The box on mine was damaged; not EB's fault; it was damaged in freight. I personally don't care, but others might.

    Quote Originally Posted by TaZZerath View Post
    Since this little nub has absolutely no purpose in the combined sword mode, I have to ask.

    Why, Hasbro, why?

    Was this a manufacturing accident? A leftover byproduct of the weapon for a more civilised age?

    Or are you deliberately messing with us?

    So yes. This for me was a MAJOR letdown out of the box. Okay, yes, i CAN shave it down. And i PROBABLY will. Eventually. But for now, he is sword-less, and i'm not taking poses of him with a silly axe.
    The axe was designed for Legacy Optimus Prime to hold, which he can because he has articulated hands that can open and close. It was never designed for a solid fist like most TFs have.

    I agree that the sword and axe are ill-suited for Ultra Magnus without retooling to make it fit. If they don't have the inclination or budget to retool the handles, then just don't include them. Or better yet, just include the two extra black guns from Siege Ultra Magnus that weren't included with Kingdom Ultra Magnus. Or if they're really insistent on SG UM having a sword, then include any other 5mm sword from any other Transformer toy other than TL Optimus Prime!

    Quote Originally Posted by TaZZerath View Post
    .....yyyeaahhh. Not a lot of Positive to say here. Not a lot of Negative necessarily either. He is VERY blue in this mode.
    Yeah; it's because they're matching the robot colours with Diaclone; so the lower legs are black to match the black ramps/shins, and blue side panels to match the same on the Diaclone figure. But Powered Convoy doesn't have as much blue in truck mode simply because that Diaclone/G1 Magnus trailer is just an entirely open design. It does make the car carrier mode very blue, but I get why.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bemblebuu View Post
    Not knowing anything about SG Magnus, the colour scheme kinda looks like a custom paint job.
    I don't know anything about the character either, but the colours are based on Diaclone Car Robot Powered Convoy(1). These were also the prototype colours for Ultra Magnus for The Transformers The Movie(2), before it was changed to the blue, white and red that we know now.

    The Powered Convoy colours for Ultra Magnus has since been established as a separate character called Delta Magnus(3). I've stuck red Autobot logos on this toy and repurosed it as my CHUG Delta Magnus.

    ---------------------------------------------------

    Unmodified toy (SG Ultra Magnus):









    After adding red Autobot insignia ("Delta Magnus"):























    -----------------------------------------
    The board won't let me embed external links to other websites for some reason, so adding them as separate footnotes
    (1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4frjPXJL0s
    (2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVl7cix4Apc
    (3) https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Delta_Magnus

  5. #5
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    The head swap was easy enough for me but his left missile post was too thick for either of the shoulder slots. I had to spend about ten minutes shaving it down.
    Last edited by snaketales; 13th August 2022 at 02:45 PM. Reason: Found out where to put matrix

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by snaketales View Post
    The head swap was easy enough for me but his left missile post was too thick for either of the shoulder slots. I had to spend about ten minutes shaving it down.
    The mutant head was easily removable on mine, but not the robot head. The missile posts on mine are also pretty thick. Caused some stress marks on two of the vehicle mode holes.

    I swapped my Kingdom and SG Ultra Magni's eyes around. You can see a bit of flash from underneath the left (your right) red eye. I've since filed it down after taking this pic.

    I was never a fan of how Kingdom UM's blue eyes blended in with his blue helmet, and the red eyes on SG Ultra Magnus is even worse as it's visually smothered by the red helmet and shoulders! Now they contrast much gooderer.

    I wish that the shoulder/upper deck parts on SG Ultra Magnus had been moulded in the same silver as his belly panel. Ultra Magnus' shoulders are red because it colour matches his belly as well as the same colour as the G1 toy's lower deck. Diaclone Powered Convoy/Delta Magnus' lower deck is silver, which is why the belly panel is silver. Powered Convoy/Delta Magnus' trailer body is silver where Ultra Magnus is red. The only reds on Powered Delta are on the helmet, shoulders and forearms. As far as I can tell, the shoulder/upper deck parts don't appear to be gang-moulded with any other red parts on SG UM. Siegedom UM has red shoulders/decks and blue heads and forearms, so they don't seem to be on the same gang-mould.

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