How to get a G1 Rotorstorm For Free (Part 3)

How does one get a G1 Turbomaster Rotorstorm figure free of charge? Well certainly not how I was going about it, as you can see from Part 1 and Part 2. £26 down approximately and only just getting something worth mentioning in return. Having sourced the barest Rotorstorm body from France and traded everything else in the French job lot for Rotorstorm launchers, landing skis and 4 missiles, it was starting to look like a decent figure, but I was out nearly £30 and for that kind of money I could have gotten a complete one, maybe even a boxed one on a good day. Impatience doesn't pay in this game, but there was hope... 

Before expanding on the financial side of this endeavour, it's worth pointing out just how wonderful an experience it is to take a very bare Generation 1 Transformer carcass and slowly add all of the accessories it was intended to have, properly showcasing the product as it was meant to be seen on release and purchase. It's like building a tapestry, and with a figure like Rotorstorm, the final effect is so much more than the sum of its parts.

It's far from an eternal brick too, the arms and shoulders are articulated, and while the fixed knees limit leg articulation massively, there is some posability in the mould. I won't deny it though, its appeal and best pose are when it is standing up straight, brandishing two giant launchers with missiles loaded, and the other two missiles stored on his legs via the folded-back skis. It fires those missiles pretty potently too.

Now compare this to the bare bones Rotorstorm from Part 1 and you can see what a tremendous difference the launchers, skis and missiles make. The button behind the rotor causes the flaps holding the launchers to flip down. A simple mechanism, sure, insultingly simple in fact and almost unworthy of the phrase "gimmick", but find someone who doesn't think it's cool and I'll show you a liar. In fact, he looks so good beefed out like this, I am going to see if I can score two more missiles to load into the launchers while still storing the original 4 missiles on the skis. I also want two more launchers. Why?

Because they can be mounted on those same flip down flaps in robot mode, acting as a rocket pack. So having Rotorstorm with a rocket pack, and holding two loaded weapons with 4 missiles stored on his legs is most appealing. The toy is from an era of excess in colour, weapons and general presentation, so why not go the extra mile in the spirit of the thing? Also, see the holes in the underside of his fists? Yep, there's room for two FURTHER launchers and two FURTHER missiles there too. Oh the potential. He is a Wrecker after all, right?

Here are some of his nicer features close-up, the lovely Autobot symbol moulded into his translucent pink helicopter canopy/chest and the translucent back section of his launchers, what look like pink turbines. But what about the translucent pink elephant in the room? That's right, he has no rotor blades so he's not much of a helicopter. Allied to the £26.21 I was still out of pocket, and this hasn't been quite the successful quest I envisioned.

Time for Actionmaster Tracks to step up and take the limelight.

Tracks was the lynch pin of this whole deal, the figure that was going to help me recoup most of my outlay for that 31 Euro French lot of used Transformers in which the Rotorstorm came. As it turned out, the other figures were quite poor in condition so Tracks was going to have to be the only source of remuneration. At first I thought I could ask anywhere from £35 to £50 with ease, even resorting to eBay with confidence in that price tag, but seeing as how the chest sticker was missing and no accessories were included, £50 was looking optimistic (and let's not even talk about fees). However, I received two private requests for the Tracks figure as soon as this post went up. 

I was saved the trouble of eBay and a week-long wait for the result when a friend bought AM Tracks directly from me for £30 shipped. Having posted out Colin's box of unwanted French junkers and non-Rotorstorms for £2.80, together with the AM Tracks to Denmark for £3.20, that meant...

CURRENT STATUS:  - £2.21 

Almost a full recoup! Still no rotor blades, though. But I have a cunning plan on how I will STILL get a complete G1 Rotorstorm for free! You'll have to wait a week or two to find out how though...

Just some badasses together

Part 4

All the best

Maz