TFA Pics of Sidecar/Samurai Prowl, Waspinator and Cybertron Red Alert repaint

[Zippo]

I don't like the extra blue on Prowl, though the light piping is all good. Not 100% sold on the extra armor however but I will probably pick up for the stable alt mode.

Waspinator looks fantastic, though simple. Needs a rather large weapon..

CD Red Alert repaint also looks good in alt mode, better than the orginal.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Samurai Prowl looks alright... I'm not a big fan of the blue nor the retooled "teched out" windscreen. :/ I'm also not fond of the whole Ninja = Samurai thing - but that's more of an issue with the Animated story, so I don't fault the toy for that. I'll probably get this toy.

To be honest, I don't know if real ninja had armour or not, but the Tenchu series of Ninja games had some "Ninja Armour" that could be equipped, and it looked like a lighter version of samurai armour, so maybe there was armour...

Is the toy definatley called Samurai Prowl by Hasbro?

Depsite its histrorical inaccuracies with the blending of warrior classes, I do like the toy and the concept.

[liegeprime]

As far as i know, Ninja armor was light and only little (non bulky) as they need to be stealthy and move quick not encumbered by clanky armor as a samurai wouldve with a kabuto and shoulder pads and wotnot. Mebbe shinguards, elbow guards, a forehead guard/faceplate and basic plate armor for chest ( just light thin ones) and thats it. Sigh, Hasbro just didnt get it , oh well

[jacksplatt11]

The prowl with sidecar/armour is pretty sweet, I don't watch the cartoon so it doesn't really bother me if he is a ninja/samurai or whatever, I just want it cause it looks pretty sweet. TFs with armour FTW *COUGH COUGH* City Commander

But yeah, Gok can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure ninjas are all about stealth, which is why they are always wearing single colour (usually black for camouflage, I guess), light, and mostly silent outfits. Whereas samurai are you soldier kind of deal, whom are fighting one on one with swords mostly, so they would definitely need armour

EDIT: Yeah, along the same lines as what Liege said ^^

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Yeh, but all armour for a Transformer is going to be bulky, juts because of the design. All prowl has are shoulder, hip, fore-arm gurads and a helmet, so maybe it is ninja armour, just bulky coz of the design probs of fitting it onto a robot

[jacksplatt11]

Yeh, but all armour for a Transformer is going to be bulky, juts because of the design. All prowl has are shoulder, hip, fore-arm gurads and a helmet, so maybe it is ninja armour, just bulky coz of the design probs of fitting it onto a robot

Oh ya makes sense, definitely plausible.. Perhaps it could be a question for Hasbro if we're ever stuck for one?.. If that is still going haha

[GoktimusPrime]

To be honest, I don't know if real ninja had armour or not, but the Tenchu series of Ninja games had some "Ninja Armour" that could be equipped, and it looked like a lighter version of samurai armour, so maybe there was armour...

But yeah, Gok can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure ninjas are all about stealth, which is why they are always wearing single colour (usually black for camouflage, I guess), light, and mostly silent outfits. Whereas samurai are you soldier kind of deal, whom are fighting one on one with swords mostly, so they would definitely need armour

Ninja were basically guerilla fighters/assassins from peasant stock. Part of the reason why they rely so heavily on stealth, deception and the element of surprise is because your average peasant guerilla doesn't have the skill to attack a samurai in a head on fight, let alone a team of samurai. The ninja, being primarily Shinto, were also considered Pagans by the Buddhist Samurai so there was also a significant religious conflict between ninja and Samurai.

For those who don't know, the Samurai on the other hand are entirely different from ninja. They are a warrior class - born and bred through generations of Samurai families. As the movie "The Last Samurai" put it, "their sole pre-occupation for the past 1000 years has been warfare." (or words to that effect) The Samurai are also deeply bound to a strict code of honour known as Bushido (Way of the Warrior). Ninja on the other hand are without honour - hence why they can sneak around in the shadows, backstab, throw shuriken (ninja stars), use smoke-bombs, tetsuboshi and other weapons of guile and retreat (whereas a Samurai cannot withstand the shame of defeat and will commit honourable suicide rather than run from a fight). Ninjas are considered to be cowards without honour in the eyes of the Samurai.

Yeah... wearing all that armour wouldn't make one very "stealthy."

Semantically speaking the word "Samurai" (侍) literally means "servant" with the implied translation of "to serve upon a noble." The word "Ninjutsu" (忍術) means "the art of stealth" and "Ninja" (忍者) basically means someone who practices stealth. Another word for Ninja is Shinobi 忍び which means to sneak about. Heh, so I guess you could translate "ninja" as meaning "sneaker."

Depsite its histrorical inaccuracies with the blending of warrior classes, I do like the toy and the concept.

I'm not fond of the concept, but I don't fault the toy for it so I can like the toy on its own merits despite the inherently flawed concept. And for better or worse, the concept was used in the show so it is canonically accurate for TF Animated (although I don't remember Prowl's windows ever turning blue and teched out... still don't a fan of that).

P.S.: Another word for "samurai" is "Bushi" (武士) - and this means 'warrior.'* The Mini-Con's name "Kobushi" (古武士) means 'old warrior' or 'ancient warrior.'

*This word is not used in the context of Transformers' functions though. Autobot warriors are called "senshi" (戦士) whereas Decepticon warriors are called "heishi" (兵士).

[kup]

I have to admit, Countdown in Robot mode is looking much better but I am still not sold on the character tribute:

http://www.seibertron.com/transforme...untdown/14756/

[Zippo]

I have to admit, Countdown in Robot mode is looking much better but I am still not sold on the character tribute:

http://www.seibertron.com/transforme...untdown/14756/

Yep, I am liking the robot mode..

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

I'm not fond of the concept, but I don't fault the toy for it so I can like the toy on its own merits despite the inherently flawed concept. And for better or worse, the concept was used in the show so it is canonically accurate for TF Animated (although I don't remember Prowl's windows ever turning blue and teched out... still don't a fan of that).

I should have referred to which concept I liked with this Prowl. Mainly, the armour on the robot, like City Commander.

Maybe the blue teched out windows come later