ALL THINGS TRANSFORMERS!!!!

[Dubcustomz]

Faith Leader arrived today which was a nice suprise as I only ordered it a week ago so props to iGear for quick ( & cheap ) international shipping.

As for the item it's damn good. The first thing that's immediately noticeable is the weight which is considerably less than the official MP due to the lack of diecast.

Some would argue that this is a detriment to the overall quality but I've found it makes holding certain poses easier as the weight is more evenly distributed.

The plastic quality seems to be very good, whether it's comparable to Hasbro or FansProjects is one for the experts but it doesn't feel like that of a cheap KO which is good enough for me.

All the joints are tight and everything works as it should during transformation which is a marked improvement from my experiences with the Hasbro MP.

The gun can be a little fiddly to get in his hand tightly but if I remember right that also happened on the official one.

The flip up wrist panels appear to have random images on them depending on the release........mine has Ironhide on the left one and Springer on the right which is cool as he'll inevitably get displayed with Warbot at some point.

The extras are,

Orion Pax head x1
Megatron head x1
Energon axe x1
Megatron gun x1
G1 rifle for Classics/Henkei Prime x1

I also got the cape that was apparently a limited edition which was a suprise as it said on the website that it had sold out. Not sure if I'll actually use it as I've read of a few issues with the clips that attach it but it's a nice bonus.

Overall it's an expensive but ultimately more satisfying version of MP Prime that loses nothing in terms of quality despite being smaller and lighter and if anything it's a lot more fun.

It's a perfect alternative to Classics/Henkei Prime and also fits much better with the other MP's ( except Megatron ) and I can't recommend it enough.

Any concerns I had about iGears QC are now zero and I'm definitely looking at getting Ultra Magnus & the trailer, Arcee and probably Prime's trailer if they make one that includes Roller.

My faith in the official companies may have been shaken recently but the 3rd party ones are kicking ass.

How much was he in total with shipping and everything in £'s? I might ask for one for christmas.

 

[bcm77]

DPrime,
I know what you mean about overdoing it, I'm cutting back myself but it's not easy

I think MP Hot Rod/Rodimus will be the same scale as the Seekers, Grimlock & Faith Leader.

Dubz,
Faith Leader was $110 plus $18 shipping which works out at £80-£85 depending on which currency converter you use.

 

[Dubcustomz]

DPrime,
I know what you mean about overdoing it, I'm cutting back myself but it's not easy

I think MP Hot Rod/Rodimus will be the same scale as the Seekers, Grimlock & Faith Leader.

Dubz,
Faith Leader was $110 plus $18 shipping which works out at £80-£85 total depending which currency converter you use.

k thanks. Did you get my email btw?

 

[bcm77]

k thanks. Did you get my email btw?

Yeah, I'll send a reply later when I've read through it properly...all seems cool.

 

[Silent Bob]

Faith Leader arrived today which was a nice suprise as I only ordered it a week ago so props to iGear for quick ( & cheap ) international shipping.

As for the item it's damn good. The first thing that's immediately noticeable is the weight which is considerably less than the official MP due to the lack of diecast.

Some would argue that this is a detriment to the overall quality but I've found it makes holding certain poses easier as the weight is more evenly distributed.

The plastic quality seems to be very good, whether it's comparable to Hasbro or FansProjects is one for the experts but it doesn't feel like that of a cheap KO which is good enough for me.

All the joints are tight and everything works as it should during transformation which is a marked improvement from my experiences with the Hasbro MP.

The gun can be a little fiddly to get in his hand tightly but if I remember right that also happened on the official one.

The flip up wrist panels appear to have random images on them depending on the release........mine has Ironhide on the left one and Springer on the right which is cool as he'll inevitably get displayed with Warbot at some point.

The extras are,

Orion Pax head x1
Megatron head x1
Energon axe x1
Megatron gun x1
G1 rifle for Classics/Henkei Prime x1

I also got the cape that was apparently a limited edition which was a suprise as it said on the website that it had sold out. Not sure if I'll actually use it as I've read of a few issues with the clips that attach it but it's a nice bonus.

Overall it's an expensive but ultimately more satisfying version of MP Prime that loses nothing in terms of quality despite being smaller and lighter and if anything it's a lot more fun.

It's a perfect alternative to Classics/Henkei Prime and also fits much better with the other MP's ( except Megatron ) and I can't recommend it enough.

Any concerns I had about iGears QC are now zero and I'm definitely looking at getting Ultra Magnus & the trailer, Arcee and probably Prime's trailer if they make one that includes Roller.

My faith in the official companies may have been shaken recently but the 3rd party ones are kicking ass.

Cheers for feedback mate. Damn that got to you quick.

Sounds like a great piece and glad you finally have an Optimus with the right aesthetics and in the right scale to lead your Autobots
Say what you want about 3rd parties, they offer us fans more options, which is always good.

Pleased to hear you are happy with the QC too. After the nightmare that was the Ark Playset, I was dubious of I-Gear, but with any luck that was just a one off.

I’ll be sticking with my MP Prime but this gives me hope that the “Mini MP Megs” will be just as good.


Bob

 

[DPrime]

^^^^ What was the issue with the Ark Playset? I've been eyeing that as well...

 

[zerogouki]

Finally found WFC Megatron! Quick shot:

Still haven't seen Soundwave, though....

 

[Silent Bob]

^^^^ What was the issue with the Ark Playset? I've been eyeing that as well...

Apparently the whole thing doesn't lock together properly. I think it varies from set to set, but some where a mess
I originally had one on order but ditched it after the stories...........

You can risk it if you want but I think the general concensus was it wasn't worth the money.


Bob

 

[DPrime]

Yikes, well I guess I'll pass then. Too bad, it looked pretty cool...

 

[bcm77]

Cheers for feedback mate. Damn that got to you quick.

Sounds like a great piece and glad you finally have an Optimus with the right aesthetics and in the right scale to lead your Autobots
Say what you want about 3rd parties, they offer us fans more options, which is always good.

Pleased to hear you are happy with the QC too. After the nightmare that was the Ark Playset, I was dubious of I-Gear, but with any luck that was just a one off.

I’ll be sticking with my MP Prime but this gives me hope that the “Mini MP Megs” will be just as good.

Bob

When the postie knocked on the door I was expecting it to be something else but I saw the picture of Prime on the outer box and almost ripped the guy's arms off to get hold of it!

Faith Leader is definitely good enough to keep me from grumbling about stuff..........for now

More options for buying TF's is definitely a good thing and I think all the Has/Tak apologists on the fansites that continually want the legal hammer dropped on the 3rd party companies have no grasp of this because they wrongly assume everyone likes 100% of the official releases.

I know someone who bought the Ark playset and his tale of woe was what put me off getting the initial release of Faith Leader but it seems iGear have listened to the criticism and stepped things up so as long as that continues I'd have no concerns about ordering from them again.

 

[karamazov80]

More options for buying TF's is definitely a good thing and I think all the Has/Tak apologists on the fansites that continually want the legal hammer dropped on the 3rd party companies have no grasp of this because they wrongly assume everyone likes 100% of the official releases.

Coming from Hasbro/Takara's perspective, I think any faulty logic behind their litigious pursuit of 3rd party companies is that they are taking business away from Hasbro/Takara. But truth is, I'm not buying anything those companies produce apart from MPs, so that logic doesn't apply to folks like me. I have yet to buy a 3rd party figure, but I may very well do so. And if I do, it is because they are giving the fans stuff that they want, that Hasbro/Takara is unable or unwilling to give. This is not an issue of making trade-offs.

Having said that, I think Hasbro/Takara are completely justified in having an issue with, say, Faith Leader. Because not only are igear being inspired by a character design, but they are re-producing an existing toy (albeit at a different size). That is only a very small step away from G1 knock-offs. The newly created figures like Arcee are more defensible from an ethical standpoint, I think, because the company is actually creating a completely new product and filling a gap in the market (that Hasbro is likely never to fill) in the process. Maybe some think it is just as wrong to steal character designs, but not from my perspective.

 

[frenzy_rumble]

^^^^ What was the issue with the Ark Playset? I've been eyeing that as well...

I'm digging the arc playset. solid plastic, doesn't assemble perfectly, but for it's price, it's a great display.

 

[bcm77]

Coming from Hasbro/Takara's perspective, I think any faulty logic behind their litigious pursuit of 3rd party companies is that they are taking business away from Hasbro/Takara. But truth is, I'm not buying anything those companies produce apart from MPs, so that logic doesn't apply to folks like me. I have yet to buy a 3rd party figure, but I may very well do so. And if I do, it is because they are giving the fans stuff that they want, that Hasbro/Takara is unable or unwilling to give. This is not an issue of making trade-offs.

Having said that, I think Hasbro/Takara are completely justified in having an issue with, say, Faith Leader. Because not only are igear being inspired by a character design, but they are re-producing an existing toy (albeit at a different size). That is only a very small step away from G1 knock-offs. The newly created figures like Arcee are more defensible from an ethical standpoint, I think, because the company is actually creating a completely new product and filling a gap in the market (that Hasbro is likely never to fill) in the process. Maybe some think it is just as wrong to steal character designs, but not from my perspective.

For me it comes down to the simple fact that the 3rd party companies make stuff there's no official alternative for in the lines I collect.

Were there an official scaled down MP Prime, triple changer Springer, or Classics Ultra Magnus armor/trailer I'd take a look at them but there isn't.

Hasbro's attitude to international distribution has also lead to my not giving a damn who rips off their designs eg,

Generations is the latest line to be cut off at the knees..........outside of imports the UK is getting nothing after wave 2 despite the fact that TF's have been one of the most consistent sellers for big retailers like TRU ever since G1.

So with the official licensees making it more difficult and expensive for me to buy their product I'm naturally going to look elsewhere.

 

[karamazov80]

For me it comes down to the simple fact that the 3rd party companies make stuff there's no official alternative for in the lines I collect.

Were there an official scaled down MP Prime, triple changer Springer, or Classics Ultra Magnus armor/trailer I'd take a look at them but there isn't.

I'm with you. That's why I might pursue the 3rd party stuff. There is a market for it and the official channels aren't meeting demand, so. . .these other companies are stepping up to fill in that gap. Law and ethics are the other sides of that die that matter to some extent. If you feel Hasbro is giving the UK the shaft and that means they lose the moral high ground, then that's your opinion and that's fine. I don't think it necessarily makes rational sense for Hasbro to pursue these companies legally, but I feel they would be justified in doing so. Particularly when you see re-released versions of existing figures (re-scaled or no). Though I can imagine myself taking advantage of KOs in the future, I can't really fault Hasbro for doing something to curb their sales.

 

[bcm77]

I think the only time Has/Tak will do anything is if their sales were affected...........which they clearly aren't.

iGear have been the most blatant with their "repackaging" of official molds but are still going so if no action is going to be taken over those then it seems the way is clear for more.

The item I'm concerned may be the one that finally brings the whole 3rd party thing to an end is the Classics Bumblebee iGear showed pics of a while back as it's based on the concept art for the Alternators New Beetle version of the character that never got made because VW wouldn't allow their cars to be used for "war toys".

If that gets released and VW see it there could well be trouble as they'll inevitably think it's a Has/Tak product and create enough of a fuss to force Has/Tak to start enforcing their copyrights more strictly.

 

[Jaycepticon]

That's probably just the worst case scenario to me. First off, aren't they located in China, which for starters, makes it's pretty much impossible to do anything to them legally as far as copyright laws go? And second, I don't think VW would even waste the effort to try to get anything out of Hasbro since they don't even deal with them in the first place (besides I'm assuming movie Sideways, in some way) and besides the unused sketches from years ago, they really have absolutely nothing to do with them.

I think BBTS & TFSource also avoids the situation by just not carrying these guys so like you said, unless Has/Tak sales are affected, which is highly unlikely, it's fine the way it is and I don't see any reason for it to change anytime soon

 

[bcm77]

That's probably just the worst case scenario to me. First off, aren't they located in China, which for starters, makes it's pretty much impossible to do anything to them legally as far as copyright laws go? And second, I don't think VW would even waste the effort to try to get anything out of Hasbro since they don't even deal with them in the first place (besides I'm assuming movie Sideways, in some way) and besides the unused sketches from years ago, they really have absolutely nothing to do with them.

I think BBTS & TFSource also avoids the situation by just not carrying these guys so like you said, unless Has/Tak sales are affected, which is highly unlikely, it's fine the way it is and I don't see any reason for it to change anytime soon

Oh it's definitely a worst case scenario, I just never take anything 100% for granted

As far as future 3rd party releases go I'm hoping that FansProject reveal some pics of their Collector in the near future as I'm disappointed with Hasbro's attempt at a new Wreck-Gar.

 

[lerath666]

anyone know if the new legends Megatron will fit in a 1/6th scale figure's hand.. like... say... Cobra Commander?

 

[Ra88]

No idea, but it should. From what I'm hearing it's just a bit bigger than the gun that came with MP Optimus.

 

[karamazov80]

No idea, but it should. From what I'm hearing it's just a bit bigger than the gun that came with MP Optimus.

And that one is too big to fit into CC's hand.