UNBOXING: Devil Saviour DS-01 Split

I’ve been tremendously excited to take a look at Devil Saviour Split in hand for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the idea of an MPM-scale combined mode Devastator is just too much for words! Secondly, the finish on the toy looks great in photos. And finally, the reception to him has been decidedly mixed (pun very much intended), so I wanted to make up my own mind.

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UNBOXING: TakaraTomy Masterpiece MP-48 Lio Convoy

I’ve been looking forward to this toy for… well, since it was unveiled really! I’ve always loved the Lio Convoy design and so the idea of a fully-fledged Masterpiece version was always going to be something to get excited about. Besides, just look at it!

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#GCWO: The Great Cybertronian Write Off (part 1)

There was an idea... to bring together a group of remarkable people. To see if they could become something more. To see if they could work together when we needed them to. To photograph the toys that we never could.

Which is a very pretentious and grandiose way of saying that a group of us decided to band together and share a bunch of pics and some mini-reviews of classic Generation 1 Transformers toys!

REVIEW: X-Transbots MX-12A Gravestone

I love it when a plan comes together, but I especially love it when a 3PMP combiner team comes together. Yep, we’re almost at the end of the road, folks, as X-Transbots bring us one step closer to a complete not-Stunticon line-up with the largest release yet – Gravestone! But wait, if this is the final character in the team, how’re we not done yet? Well read on and we’ll find out what that’s all about, as well as assessing if this lad is a good choice to take the Motormaster spot on your shelf. Toot toot!

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REVIEW: FansToys FT-31A Roadking

We all know by now that the Masterpiece scene moves in waves, and currently just about every unofficial outfit going is on a major combiner kick. We’ve had Combaticons galore, a couple of Aerialbots, at least a dozen (maybe not) Predacons and I’ve lost count of Constructicons. Well now we’re well into Stunticon territory, as FansToys bring us one of the current three attempts by different third party outfits at a Motormaster. Is he the king of the road as the name suggests? Read on and let’s see.

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REVIEW: DX9 K3 La Hire

Bayformers. You either love them or hate them. Or at least that appears to be the case when gauging opinions on the Internet. Yet even if the aesthetic turns you cold there’s perhaps no denying that the third party scene has done some impressive things to bring a number of those designs to 3D form in recent times, and no one company has been leading the pack more than DX9. Oh wait, I meant Unique Toys. Ah, sorry, same thing.

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REVIEW: TakaraTomy Masterpiece MP-45 Bumblebee

Prepare yourself – it’s time to take a look at another TakaraTomy Masterpiece release, which means opinions are incoming! As with every new toy in the line, MP-45 Bumblebee has been met with both delight and disgust, although perhaps not quite in the ratio we might normally expect. Whatever your personal take there’s no doubt that everyone has their own thoughts on this little guy – even me!

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REVIEW: FansHobby MB-16 Lightning Eagle

It was only recently that I was sat here typing up a review for Fans Hobby’s God Armour add-on for their Power Baser mould that now we’re back again, this time with a redesign of that original toy in spectacular ’90s colours! Yep, it’s time to look at Lightning Eagle, the first take on what could be considered a Masterpiece-styled Thunderclash.

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REVIEW: TakaraTomy Masterpiece MP-19+ Smokescreen

The TakaraTomy Masterpiece line have been pumping out so called “Plus” repaints for a while now, with the first one being MP-14+ Red Alert all the way back in 2016. For most of the releases the ethos has been the same – re-release older moulds with a new coat of paint and a few other tweaks to bring them further in line with the more recent MP toys and, in particular, the ulltra-toony aesthetic that’s been adopted. Smokescreen is arguably the last on the roster to receive such a treatment, so let’s take a look at how he shapes up.

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YEAR IN REVIEW: 2019 (VINTAGE EDITION)

I’ve been compiling “best of” lists of my favourite new toys from each year for a good while now, but it was only last year that I decided to do a similar thing by rounding up my top vintage purchases over the previous twelve months. It provided a welcome opportunity to re-examine some of the best stuff I’d picked up and was without doubt one of the most fun exercises of the year for me as a collector, so I’m thrilled to repeat the process this year!

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REVIEW: TakaraTomy Masterpiece MP-47 Hound

It might sound incredible but we’re now in the 17th year of the Transformers Masterpiece line, making it far and away the longest continuously-running part of the franchise. Yet the design philosophy has evolved so much in that time that the move in recent years to a more slavishly cartoon-accurate aesthetic has been divisive among fans to say the least. Well today we’re looking at the latest entry in the ranks with MP-47 Hound to see if he’s a good boy or something that should be sniffed at. Let’s find out!

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REVIEW: Fans Hobby MB-11 God Armor

It was only a couple of weeks ago that I was publishing my review of the first version of this toy out of the gate – Fans Hobby’s MB-11A God Armor – but now we’re back looking at the mould in its more traditional red and blue colour scheme. Some might say that it’s a slightly strange move from Fans Hobby to drop one so soon after the other, but I’m still marvelling at how much fun the original version is so I’m more than happy to give this new one a spin too! Let’s dive right in.

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YEAR IN REVIEW: 2019

It’s that time of year again. You know, the bit when we all sit back and reflect on the last 12 months of collecting and try to pick out our favourite toys of the year. If you’re at all present in the Transformers online fandom then you’ll be immediately familiar with such lists, although the frequency doesn’t make me enjoy them any less. You see, I love looking back, evaluating and assessing what I picked up, and attempting to put it into some kind of meaningful order. In many ways it’s one of the bits of collecting I enjoy the most! The chance to reflect on another year gone by, not to mention re-evaluate the wonderful stuff that was amassed during that time, eh?

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REVIEW: Fans Hobby MB-11A God Armor

Fans Hobby have quickly established themselves in the world of third party Transformers, and have already proven that they can pump out solid yet fun & enjoyable designs. Better yet, their choice of characters is often not just the “same old, same old”, as evidenced by the new MB-11 God Armor, which could be considered the first attempt at a Masterpiece-styled Godbomber. But wait, who exactly is that anyway? Well, we’ll get to that and more as we take a look at this exciting new release!

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REVIEW: TakaraTomy Masterpiece MP-46 Blackarachnia

New Masterpiece releases are always kind of a big deal. Love or hate the current direction of the line it never fails to get people talking! However for Beast Wars fans things are generally pretty rosy, as the line continues to pump out one excellent mould every year or so since we first saw MP-32 Optimus Primal back in 2016. Well now here we are with the latest contribution in Blackarachnia, but does she continue the positive trend? Let’s find out!

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REVIEW: Ocular Max PS-01R Sphinx Regenesis

Love them or hate them, Generation 2 Transformers are a thing. And love them or think they're insanely garish repaints that you wouldn't waste your time with, but Masterpiece versions of them are now also a thing! Whilst it all kinda started with MP-12G Lambor back in 2014 (where have those five years gone?), it's only been more recently that the unofficial scene has cottoned onto the idea that they can rerelease their designs in a ludicrous second colour scheme and some people (like me) will eat it up. You see, be it ever so loud and gaudy, there's nothing quite like G2. So here's Ocular Max with what I fairly confidently believe might be the ninth(!) version of their Sphinx mould, and boy have they gone for it, huh?

REVIEW: X-Transbots MX-XIIIT Crackup (Youth version)

Third party combiners have been dominating the market for some time now, but of late we've definitely seen a rush by various companies to deliver the definitive take on these characters in so-called Masterpiece-style. Bigger, bulkier, more complex than ever and, crucially to some, intensely cartoon accurate. X-Transbots have thrown their hat in the ring with Monolith, their attempt at a 3PMP Menasor, but unlike some of the competition they've also carved a separate niche by releasing first Generation 2 redecos of their designs, and now Generation 1 toy-inspired versions as well. First out of the gate is Crackup, their attempt at a toy version of Breakdown, and given how much I continue to enjoy the original release I've been pretty excited to see how he fares!

REVIEW: X-Transbots MM-IXZ Barada

Time goes by extraordinarily quickly in the world of Transformers collecting. I was just sitting down to put together a few words on X-Transbots Barada when I decided to look up the review I did of the previous version of this mould, Klaatu, and was stunned to find it was from well over two years ago. How did that happen? In any case, we're back at it again with a fresh repaint for this design, and a slight feeling of reassurance that enough time has passed to fully indulge in another version of the same toy! Fortunately, it's a pretty good one too.