New Arrivals - Mid-September 2014 (Part 1)

After buying every comic-related appearance of Shane McCarthy's brand new IDW Transformers character "Drift" in almost every cover variant available, it was about time I bought the toy! But that's for a different dedicated post, I also came into possession of my seemingly favourite thing in the world, more repaints.

I already had the Elite Guard Optimus Prime legends figure but thanks to Yahoo Japan, I now have the EG Bumblebee and Prowl legends figures too. The only one missing from this wave is the all gold Prime, and that was ordered today. At 500 and 600 yen for Bumblebee and Prowl respectively, they were hard to resist despite my initial decision to steer well clear of legends variants. You'll see in a week how much of a mockery I've made of that initial conviction. I must admit they look amazing with their larger voyager/deluxe counterparts. The legends Animated Bumblebee is one of the best figures I've ever owned in this size class.

It's mini-Marlboor Wheeljack!! With Masterpiece MP-23 Exhaust being a Diaclone Marlboor-inspired repaint of MP Wheeljack and all up in the news currently, this is a timely acquisition. A gift from The Spacebridge, this little legends class Hyperspeed Wheeljack is as enjoyable as anything of this size done well. Goes well with the mass of TFPrime/AM Wheeljack moulds I'm amassing too.

I liked Knockout, and I liked Smokescreen, so seeing as how Arms Micron Smokescreen is Knockout ion Smokescreen colours with a couple of Targetmaster-like partners, it was inevitable. I don't like the quality of the stickers or the fact that I can already see them peeling, but the mould looks beautiful in white with the painted alloys. The twin Micron of the robot and bird is pretty fun too although I'm finding it hard to place it anywhere convincing on the vehicle. Smokescreen doesn't suffer the awful peg placement that some of the AM toys do, so I'm very pleased with this purchase. Definite keeper. With box and inserts, £12. Beat that.

It appears that Human Alliance completion is happening. I've just gotten my first repaint, the ROTF HA Skids to go with my DOTM HA Skids, and no regrets at all. I can't believe I actually prefer the ROTF deco because the DOTM black version with stripes is so nice, but something about the green and the shade of grey used - and maybe the fact that it comes with a mini Mikaela and its missile -  means that the ROTF Human Alliance Skids is the standout version of the mould. And it's a bloody excellent mould, great transformation that requires some dedicated effort. I prefer it to the Masterpiece car transformations of the Countach and Fairlady moulds, for some reason the thought of transforming those toys does not appeal.

HA Leadfoot is on the way and I have vowed to track down a Mudflap and eventually Soundwave. If all moulds are as good as Bumblebee, Sideswipe, barricade, Skids, Roadbuster and Jazz, Human Alliance will go down as one of the most impressive and special episodes in Transformers toy history for me.

All the best
Maz