REVIEW: FansToys FT-29T Quietus

As I was preparing for this review I looked up the last write-up I did on this blog about a third party Masterpiece-style Cyclonus and was surprised to see it was published almost three years ago to the day! I don't know why but I'm sure that says something about the whole notion of assembling a Masterpiece collection and the fact that we're never really "done" as there'll always be tweaks and upgrades to make along the way. In any case it also made me feel that three years wasn't such a bad length of time to have passed before looking at a new version of the character, so with that said let's dive into it!

Before we kick off, let me say a big thanks to the wonderful people at showzstore.com who have made this review possible. I'd definitely recommend giving them a look, as their service has been absolutely top notch in my experience - great prices, excellent free shipping options and reliable packing. They stock plenty of third party (and "fourth party") Transformers, so be sure to check them out.

Right then, Quietus. Or more specifically the FT-29T repainted version of Quietus. I held off on picking up the first run of this mould as I was digging my heels in at the time and declaring that there was no way I needed another version of the character on my shelf. Then they unveiled this redeco and I have to admit that I caved fairly quickly, although I couldn't be happier with how it turned out - behold!

That is a handsome toy. Right out of the box I was really awestruck by just how pretty Quietus is, with a stunningly sparkly finish and a wonderful paint job. Every angle of this guy looks good too, with strong proportions and amazingly little kibble, producing a very tidy robot mode indeed. In fact, FansToys have done a great job at aping the animation model, even down to some of the smaller details.

I guess you could argue that the purple used on this repainted version is a bit too light, but at least they've captured his pink face, thighs and hands now. You see, whilst the original version sported white plastic for these sections, here they've given him a much more cartoon-accurate look with his signature pink tones in all their glory! That was enough to tempt me on board, especially after that previous 3PMP version, X-Tranbots Eligos was released at retail with white plastic instead of the pink shown on the test shot I originally had in hand. Overall I'm really impressed with the new colour scheme FT have given him here - it looks bloomin' marvellous.

As well as good looks, there's a quality feel to Quietus which is immediately impressive. As with most FansToys' products he's weighty and cold to the touch, so you know there's plenty of diecast going on, but beyond that the toy just seems well put-together overall. He's also loads of fun to just pick up and mess around with, so much so that I simply couldn't wait to get him in front of my camera and start posing him.

Sadly my copy has a loose right bicep swivel which means that arm is quite likely to rotate out of place - pretty annoying for such a high-end item. I've no doubt I'll be able to fix it with a bit of floor polish, but still it's kinda irksome. Fortunately it's all good news otherwise as the rest of his joints are spot on and he's a total joy to pose. He's loaded with all of the usual articulation points and more, making him a very dynamic looking lad. I have to give particular props to the hands, which are a cut above the usual FansToys design, in my opinion. The transformation scheme on this guy also means that the wrists are capable of bending back and forth a bit, similar to the more recent official Masterpiece toys, and whilst it's a small thing it adds so much in terms of expressiveness whilst posing. I would love to see FansToys incorporate this kind of fluidity into more of their designs!

Perhaps the only element that doesn't quite work is the waist swivel which, whist present, is a little impeded by the design and ends up being a touch awkward. I'm also not a huge fan of the hip flaps as they can look a little disjointed if you're not careful with some poses, but it doesn't stop him being a sight to behold if you're careful about it. Besides, the whole package is such a delight here that these are but mere nitpicks overall.

Quietus comes with a whole raft of accessories to add to the excitement, including several different faces and lots of options for weapons. There's an alternate "shouty" face which looks really good, and both that and the stock stoic expression can be chosen with or without his signature "goatee" chin (to account for it being present in some G1 cartoon scenes but not others, obvs). The best bit is that it's very easy to swap out, utilising a couple of simple pegs - I'm so happy that the days of having to unscrew heads to change out faces seem to be over! Additionally he comes with another option for his entire head (as well as a few other add-on pieces and some swords) which is intended to give the character a much closer look to his appearance in the IDW comic, although I have to confess that I haven't found the inclination to give it a go thus far as it's not really what I'm after. Still, it's a terrific inclusion for the people who want it, and I still managed to find great delight in all the guns he's packing!

He comes with a small handheld blaster and a larger rifle, both of which look great, as well as the expected Targetmaster partner. As with other FansToys Targetmaster efforts, he's a little bit of a generic lad in all honesty, but I guess he ticks the box. The robot mode features a chunk of articulation for such a small thing, but somehow he ends up looking better in gun mode if anything! Either way he's a neat addition to round off the overall package.

One thing I was pretty nervous about going in with this guy was the transformation. I'd read a bit online about the conversion of the previous version not being much fun and even worse, causing some paint rubbing or other damage, although fortunately it seems that FT have done a bit of tinkering this time round to avoid such issues. Fortunately I also found the transformation to not be so bad overall, despite a couple of tricky moments. About 85% of it is pretty smooth sailing and presents little issue to collectors who're familiar with MP-level conversion schemes, but it's when it comes time to clip the alt' mode together that things become a little more tricky. Getting the arms and legs into place can be a bit of a bother, but it's the cockpit that is the real annoyance here, in that it simply will not sit flush on the finished vehicle form. I've tried it multiple times now and always get the same result, which is a real shame as it looks awesome otherwise!

Woof, that's sleek. FansToys have done a great job at capturing the look and feel of this mode as it was presented in cartoon form, and even with the cockpit not clipping in properly it's hard to not be impressed. The robot mode chest is perhaps a little too obvious from below, but overall this thing is a sight to behold!

Quietus also has three pop-out wheels to act as landing gear (sadly one of the rear wheels is a touch loose on my copy), but honestly this thing looks best when posed on a flight stand as if soaring through the skies!

So, a pretty awesome package overall, but is it better than XTB Eligos? Well, that's a tough one, to be honest. I've no doubt that the overall finish on Quietus is superior, and makes the bare plastic on the competitor's effort look a bit drab by comparison. I also like the face sculpt better and he's easier to pose overall. That said, I really dig the bulkier presence that Eligos brings to the table, and I still think that he's strong enough to not necessarily feel the need to be swapped out for a new version (especially as Quietus has issues with tabbing in vehicle mode, just like Eligos!). Ultimately I guess it comes down to whichever you like the look of more, but there's certainly no bad option here. Quietus also looks really swish standing next to X-Transbots Andras, so if you're fed up with waiting for FansToys' own Scourge then that might work for you!

With X-Transbots Eligos

With X-Transbots Andras

As far as other comparisons go, there's little doubt that Quietus slots in perfectly well to an MP-style line-up. If you're still in the market for a not-Masterpiece Cyclonus and can't make up your mind then I have no trouble saying that FT-29T is a great way to go. If he's not for you then give it another three years and I'm sure someone else will have had a crack!

With FansToys Hydra

With FansToys Sovereign

With Masterpiece Soundwave & KFC Ditka (test shot version)

With PotP Rampage, Unique Toys Archimonde, X-Transbots Deathwish & Unite Warriors Scavenger

Also with Zeta Toys Bruticon

Final note before we end, you can find this toy for sale at showzstore.com here!

Oh, and if you enjoyed this review and would like to help support me to produce more content like this (in exchange for some additional great perks!) then please take a look at my Patreon page here. I've only just got started with it, but a big shout-out to the following early adopters: Andrew Birmingham, Christopher McClure, Gareth Madeley, Jason Highley, Peter Hammerson, Spider-Bob, zindios - many thanks!

What's HOT? Gorgeous robot mode with a lovely finish and great articulation. Some strong accessories too. The jet mode is very sleek! What's NOT? My copy has a loose bicep which is a bit annoying. The transformation is mostly ok but getting the jet clipped together is a 'mare, whilst the cockpit will not sit flush.

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