If you like the Warrior-toy or one of those 3-step changers than yeah, do that. I would do so too but I want a Voyager RiD Grimlock, Takara is offering one, Takara gets the money.

With Transformers I have almost no other choice than import. Germany isn’t getting everything, which is especially laughable with Combiner Wars where they skip a complete wave with bots you need to form a complete Combiner, and they are so damn expensive.

I made the calculation with CW Megatron. Buying him from Takara, with shipping and custom fees included, was just barely as expensive as buying one in a store. If you could find one that is, because I never find these things in my area.

And since Takara usually offers better painted figures and I have SHF's and stuff I buy from Japan anyways... yeah, might as well order some Transformers too. And of course, the exclusive stuff Takara is doing, like giving me the RiD Grimlock I want and releasing the only freaking BW-toy in the whole year.

I hate these new "simple" or "3 step" transformers. When I was a kid (dear Goddess I can't believe I just said that) you had to figure the shit out. Twist here, rotate there, flip here. The only instructions you got were vague images on the back of the box. Or in some of he older cases you got a folded piece of paper, still vague images!!

That really is just a fantastic remold. Wonderfully captures the RID Grimlock. A part of me thinks of how awesome the whole line could be if they were all to that level in engineering and detail, but do have to remind myself that the toys aren't meant for "us" but for kids first. (Fully aware of how criticized FoC Grimlock was for his poor engineering and totally agreeing on parts, but compared to RID figures was still IMO better.)

I've warmed up to the show more for its story, but still don't want to collect anything from it.

Yeah it's the same here. Haven't followed Combiner Wars all that closely (I really wanted Cyclonus until I saw it in person and then realised I didn't like it at all), but I know that all the mainline AOE stuff was exclusive and most toyshops only got the 1-step lines. Now that I find laughable.

Yeah, I never cared for these 3-step TFS myself. Seems like a waste of plastic but gotta keep the stupid kids happy I guess.

In the end Hasbro is a corporation and while we should be glad we still get stuff like CHUG (Classics, Universe, Henkei and Generations) and MP kids are the target audience and some kids sadly don't have the brainpower to go past "flip the switch and you're done" Personally I think it's overcompensating for how complex the first two movie lines were but hell if I know.

I've basically fallen out of collecting them entirely. The quote-unquote good figures tend to be G1 fanwank that doesn't interest me anymore, while RID figures just cut far too many corners for me to warrant picking them up. Smaller sizes, very basic transformations, and very weak paint apps, all wrapped up in a raised price point. Yeah. I'm not dropping $20 for a glorified legend class or $30 for what would be a deluxe not even 5 years ago.

I'm not into the x-step changers myself but I would've loved those as a kid. I' don't particularly like overly complicated transformations, but I love creative ones that are fun to do. And I think kids can enjoy these step changers before they eventually want more.

I agree. I also love how this mold is the FOC-Grimlock – which is supposed to be the same character in Hasbro's aligned continuity. You know, the one that they don't care about anymore.

The only thing I bought so far are repainted older molds from the TAV-line. I love how Takara uses this line to bring back molds from past shows in new colors. Battle Grimlock will be the first design from the show I own, but still a non-original mold :lol

It's that and Takara doing an overall better job at pleasing me which makes me drop the import money.

With combined wars.going takara route I don't follow the comics and I.just want my G1 Style combiners I got united warriors superion at auto assembly this year and I love it. Plus sold mh SDCC first edition classic prime for £40

So no Alpha Bravo, Offroad and Rook for you then?

It's kind of a shame since they've been getting above average reviews and they do look cool, combiner ports in chests aside.

Rook and Alpha Bravo look to me like the most fun members of their teams (can't say for sure, though, I don't own either of them). As for Offroad... well, I really wish the backpack collapsed more.