Toy Review - Beast Hunter Lazerback

[griffin]

Finally had a play with this figure, a few weeks after the other three deluxes.
I wasn't missing much.

Very disappointing engineering. The simpler conversions should be expected to have all its parts lock together in both modes, not sit loosely to make the mode a mess of loose parts.
The tail section in both modes should have latched onto something. One bit that was meant to plug into something (the yellow bit with the robot head attached) didn't plug in easily (I could only get one of the two tabs in).
The weapon is difficult to attach in beast mode, while the legs have no real conversion element to them at all (they don't even straighten out properly in robot mode).

The one thing interesting I did notice (which was a bit of a waste of effort if it is difficult to find), is that this figure does indeed incorporate the same plastic-colour gimmick as the other three Deluxes - the purple plastic parts of the feet have gold splotches of plastic colour in them. At first I thought it was just a topical stain, but it wouldn't wipe off, so had a closer look and could just make out the tell-tale sign of secondary plastic pigment like the other three toys.

Avoid unless you like beasts, ugly TFs, or if it is in the cartoon and you collect show characters.

[GoktimusPrime]

I think we should distinguish 'creature' modes over 'beast' modes. I like good beast modes, like a lot of the early Beast Wars and Beast Wars Neo stuff... weirdo-'creature' modes like Transmetal 2s and Beast Machines, not so much.

[SMHFConvoy]

Nah, I'm good with the term, "beast mode." A lot of what I want to get out this line are the predacons. In particular, Grimwing - two if possible - that dude is begging to be repainted as BM Silverbolt.

As for the simple transformation I view it as, they're what came before Autobots and Decepticons so they have, primitive transformations.

[GoktimusPrime]

I actually found this toy to be better than I expected... I wouldn't go as far as to say that it's as bad as Beast Machines, but it's certainly not as well done as Beast Wars. The toy is horrifically mistransformed in packaging and the fold out panels on the top of the missile launcher is totally frivolous... I'd rather that effort be put back into improving the core figure. The colours are magnificently bad, but I guess I've been 'desensitised' by RiD Bruticus. The horrible misspelling of "laser" as "lazer" is less than ztimulating. It's arguably not as bad as "Lazorbeak" (at least they got the vowels right), but it's still pret-ty damn illiterate.

I bought this toy at full RRP at Myer and it's honestly not worth it. I saw Predaking there too, which interests me but I don't wanna pay fifty bucks for it. So yeah, unless you're desperate to have this toy right now I'd recommend waiting until this toy turns up at cheaper outlets like Kmart or Big W.

[liegeprime]

Well I like the beast mode of the toy. I like mythical alt mode for beasts. Im also liking the metallic paint used as accents now for the BH creatures... gold for Lazerback and if anyone has bought Twinstrike, the head (Bluegreen) and highlights paint apps (Rose) has this type of Metallic paint. I like it, although the plastic has this rubbery feel to it, kinda cheap in feel, but Im sure it'll grow on me.

[SuspectimusPrime]

The one thing interesting I did notice (which was a bit of a waste of effort if it is difficult to find), is that this figure does indeed incorporate the same plastic-colour gimmick as the other three Deluxes - the purple plastic parts of the feet have gold splotches of plastic colour in them. At first I thought it was just a topical stain, but it wouldn't wipe off, so had a closer look and could just make out the tell-tale sign of secondary plastic pigment like the other three toys.

I was lucky enough to land one without splotches on the purple beast feet or weak double ankle joints displayed by one Youtube reviewer, however mine did come with grey/white splotches on the 4/5 of the grey plastic bits with the most prominent splotches on his left bicep (see below).

Very surprised to find no QC issues as I had fears of weak joints (my Kickback's chest armour) or fatiguing parts (my Kickback's wing clips for his weapons). The only QC annoyance is his elbows, which were screwed on so tightly that when I tried to twist them it caused his left arm to snap out of its ball joint. His right hand joint is incredibly tight and I had to pick it out with one my partner's bobby pins. Plastic also doesn't feel cheap a la FOC Combaticons

Avoid unless you like beasts, ugly TFs, or if it is in the cartoon and you collect show characters.

Always enjoyed beasts but recently I have a growing interest in the second category you mentioned Always did like Furman's choice of obscure characters to flesh out, so I'm trying to decide whether Lazerback will be repurposed into Suspectimusverse as G1 Iguanus due to Lazerback's beast mode (40% convincing), or G1 Cindersaur due to Lazerback's crimson-red and yellow theme, along with his short stature and craptastic transformation - this is one uninspired transformation, but it does it well - (60% convincing) Good well-proportioned upper torso, and his legs aren't that bad, it at least beats most Bayverse Decepticon's chicken feet

Was excited to open this figure, and compared with recently acquired official TF's (Kickback & Soundblaster) I'm very happy with it.

Edit: OK I'm probably 90% convinced of this being my Classicsverse Cindersaur now, good chance at picking up the repaint. It seems like the BH team like using teal for this series, but why didn't they use it for Vertebreak? He would've made an awesome Guzzle.

[i_amtrunks]

Didn't purchase him when I saw him yesterday as I have been very picky with my Prime line choices, and this is one poorly designed looking toy.

However I was very surprised by how deep the card for this figure is on the cardback, it is easily twice that of Soundwave. You are actually getting good value for your money in terms of quantity of plastic!

[SMHFConvoy]

Just got mine today. He's a neat squat little guy, no issue with parts not locking together. I actually rotate the feet around in robot mode al la beast machines :-)

He's got a really cat like face for his robot mode.

[BigTransformerTrev]

Avoid unless you like beasts, ugly TFs, or if it is in the cartoon and you collect show characters.

Good advice. There is a part of me that is almost glad that they Beast Hunters toys are a bit crap as I will only be able to afford a finite amount of toys this year and my cash can be saved for the new Generations, Kreons etc figures coming out. The only figures I'm really interested in from BH is the giant version of Predaking, the Terrorcons and I've yet to pick up a Dreadwing or Smokescreen. Besides that will give pretty much the entire line a miss.

[SMHFConvoy]

Looking at this dude a year on, still like the figure but the red, purple and yellow... I want to mod him and repaint him make him look like an allicon or sharkticon if possible.