Christmas Siege

Red Swoop! Yay, popped my preorder straight in. Really glad to see they're doing extra figures like this. It does raise the interesting prospect of other extra figures - something from Punch/Counterpunch perhaps? Monstructor or Dinoking? The Ricochet also looks rather good, but will stick with my Million publishing version from RTS Jazz.

I have also finally got round to opening Punch/Counterpunch. He is a great figure, the headsculpt is (are) fantastic. I've heard that you need to swap a couple of pieces round from his shoulders. Having transformed him, it wasn't that obvious to me and given that the problem is with the altmode, I've decided to leave him as he is.

Picked up the Bumblebee cassettes. The Bumblebee looks like a right load of tat! Frenzy and Buzzsaw are nice though. Time to get rid of my 'cartoon' Buzzsaw.

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I've done something a bit strange, I've ordered an Adam Warlock figure. It's a bit random, I like the character, but crucially he was a member of the Guardians in A:EMH. I like the idea of being able to have different incarnations of the team. Really glad I did though, great figure. Looks cracking with the Guardians. Need Phyla-Vell!

I've opened Punisher. I was a bit on the fence about whether to get him, but the alternate head is brilliant - snarling expression and red bandana. The standard head I think looks like it could be Superman. Most of the comics I owned in the 90's were Punisher comics so it seems appropriate to have a figure of him.

I also opened Archangel, I can't deny it, it's a very impressive figure. Really need a flight stand to properly show him off.

I've received the Disney Store Civil War Legends 4-pack. Might as well keep the standard Mark 43 and Falcon, but I really got it for the War machine (the other way of getting the figure being a Target exclusive 2-pack). He's a great improvement over the Mark II. Much chunkier, and I much prefer the matt finish. Stylistically he seem closer to the Mark I. I've popped the old head on him though (with some blu-tac as it's a smaller ball joint.

I've ordered SDCC Netflix Daredevil, primarily for the Matt Murdoch/Charlie Cox headsculpt. And, finally, Kitty Pryde. As with many Legends figures, I really couldn't make my mind up about her. The main stumbling point was that she wasn't in the 90's cartoon. But she was in the pilot, as well as X-Men Evolution, Wolverine and the X-Men and the films. I've decided she's an essential character, and so popped an order in.

I had hoped to be 'caught up' on Legends before Transformers Siege hit the shelves, but alas, Optimus and Megatron are out. I realise my collecting mentality has changed a little, I now buy figures to experience them. With the idea being to see whether I like them. Diamond have (or are about to) release some Real Ghostbusters (cartoon) figures. I did pick up a set of Ghostbusters 2 figures a few years back, but ultimately sold them again. I might have to pick them up. This got me thinking, my Turtles figures are comic based. Do I need some cartoon based figures to match? I saw some 'classic' figures for cheap in a bargain store. Were they still there? Happily they were, Michelangelo and Donatello. I picked up Mikey to see what I thought. The eyes were a bit iffy, but found a figure which wasn't too bad. Very posable, but perhaps just lacking a little something. I think I'll pick up another if I see one.

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Sooo, picked up a Raphael. I like him more, I think the shade of green is nicer. The classic figures are an interesting mix of the toys and cartoon - them being different shades of green is a toy thing. I think I will pick up a Donatello, I'll probably have to buy Leo online.

Netflix Daredevil has turned up. It is a very accurate headsculpt, and does a good job of suggesting Charlie Cox. Kitty Pryde has also turned up, I'm very glad I've got her. Much better headsculpt than the 3.75" figure. Lockheed also sits nicely on her shoulder. I've also got another Juggernaut limb. Truly, I think the 2016 X-Men wave was the turning point for Legends for me, I just didn't notice! So I was a couple of years behind, am all caught up on X-Men now though.

I've decided to go a bit more all out with Legends, sticking with heroes (apart from Venom and Carnage), but all important characters from my favourite cartoons (90's X-Men, Spider-Man plus 2000's Avengers: EMH), plus a couple of select others. Yep, I'm addicted!

I managed to win an auction for the Mark I War Machine! He's a little smaller (like the Mark III and VI Iron Man figures) than more recent figures, but I really like the sculpt, and so for me this lifts him well above the Iron Man Mark VI. Since Hasbro are supposed to be carrying on with the 10th anniversary stuff, I would love it if they did a Iron Man 2 set with new versions of both. Anyway, I now have all three War Machine amours so far. Hoping for a Mark IV figure from the Avengers Endgame line. Speaking of which, the trailer has finally dropped! Marvel are truly experts of their craft. Obviously I can't wait. 2019 is going to be something special, two Marvel films plus Episode IX.

Christmas is almost here, Siege is just starting to hit. Merry Christmas!

Titans Return (again)

Titans Return Nautica. I’m a Lost Light fan and I have a dedicated display, so Nautica made sense. However, given the (original) cost of getting her, I made an excuse to myself that she was just a repaint and so I couldn't justify the cost. I also wasn't too keen on the colour, though I suppose it is accurate. I would have preferred a slightly darker purple. I bought the Takara versions of the Clones (despite being a bit grumpy about the pink), then thought no more about it.

But then, Chaos on Velocitron set has turned up at UK retail for £30! I rather enjoy the thrill of the hunt and so started checking stores. I found a set in the second store I tried (Home Bargains). Yay! It's funny having talked myself out of it then going a bit crazy when it became possible to get it. I have to admit, I suppose I kinda bought it for the sake of it. Having it in hand I still think a darker purple would look better. Still, my Lost Light shelf will be a little more complete now. I also have the option of replacing my Autobot Clones with the non-pink versions, so all good. There are some other figures in the box, but I haven’t investigated yet.

There was also a hint that the BBTS set might also have made it to the UK. Again, having decided to pass on Metalhawk (I already have the Botcon figure), suddenly I'm thinking that the headsculpt on this newer version is quite nice. I'm happy to wait and see though for the time being.

I really want a voyager Sludge. I wouldn't particularly care if it combined or not, but I think it would be quite neat if Sludge could also be a torso. Then add a deluxe Paddles as a limb replacement for Sludge and then it would be set up so that the combined form could be centred around Grimlock or Sludge. Somewhat similarly to Power Rangers where the Dragonzord can also use the smaller zords as limbs. Do it!

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Legends Drax and Rocket have turned up. I feel that I made the right choice ultimately going comic. I need me some bright colours! Time to put Star Lord back together. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do about Gamora though as her (comic) figure is almost impossible get hold of.

Having a brighter Drax has caused me to think I might try and paint the Hulk to be a slightly brighter green, perhaps a darker wash. Here he is fist bumping his smaller self for a colour comparison.

Last blog I started talking about frameworks for collecting. I want to get the cast of the 90s X-Men cartoon. However, that lineup is based on the blue/gold teams era I the comics. The missing characters are Archangel, Iceman, Colossus, Bishop and Psylocke. Four of those characters I want to get anyway since they're important characters and played important roles in the cartoon. Psylocke however, wasn't all that important in the cartoon, but she did appear in pretty much the only 90’s X-Men comic I had so if I’m looking for reasons I’ve got a good one.

Speaking of finding reasons, I previously bought Venom and decided against keeping him. However, messing around with him a bit he has grown on me a bit. Anyway, I've bought Carnage as well now! Carnage I knew I would like, Maximum Carnage was a big deal when I was growing up. This is a great figure, the tendrils are nicely done, he has great accessories. Nicely.

Invisible Woman has also turned up. Not much to say about her really, compared to some of the previous headsculpts figures in this size point have had, it's brilliant. Still need Thing!

With my current Legends focus I have kinda forgotten about Marvel Universe, but it has struck me that the best figures are the larger ones (Hulk, Juggernaut, Thanos, etc), or the ones with masks. The smaller human headsculpts, for the most part aren't all that great. Often with dodgy eyes. I think that's why I'm enjoying the larger scale at the moment, getting figures with top quality headsculpts.

I have given my Legends their own shelf now and packed up my (rather dusty) Masterpiece figures. I realised how much I've ignored them recently, and what great figures they are. It reminds that I should try and interact with my figures more, even if not actually transforming them then at least re-posing them. I think if I can sort my storage out a bit so that things are easier to retrieve I would like to have more of a rotation system. I also realised Grimlock still had a battery in him. I should play with my figures more!

I’ve just put in an order for Archangel, Bishop, Psylocke and Punisher. That’s a major step to getting my complete X-Men teams! I've also put in an order for the Disney Civil War set with the Mark III War Machine figure.

I hear the Bumblebee movie cassette set is now available at Argos so think will try and track that down. More Titans Return molds! If they ever release an Eject on that mold then it would be a nice set.

RIP Stan Lee

Stan Lee, the man, the legend. The characters he created and the stories he wrote will live with me forever. Thanks for everything Stan!

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My approach to collecting is to work out what figures I want and then to try and fit some sort of framework to it, try and create some sort of rules to follow. Inevitably there's always a couple of exceptions, plus a couple of figures I might not have got otherwise. Masterpiece for example. I know I wanted the 'main' Autobots, Optimus, Ironhide, Ratchet, Jazz, Prowl and Bumblebee. Plus I wanted the sports car based figures, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker and Wheeljack. Therefore I decided to collect the ark crew. I'm not that bothered about Hound and Trailbreaker, but I like the idea of a set. In addition I got Tracks and intend to get Skids if he is released. I could try and justify the latter two, but really, I just like their altmodes.

I also like to try and take the same approach to one toyline as I do others I collect, so applying a similar approach to Marvel Legends. Trying to work out what that 'framework' looks like is all part of the fun.

After all this spending (and time) on Marvel Legends I’m conscious that Transformers Siege is on the way. Need to slow down the spending in preparation! Siege is going to be a strange line, Shockwave, Soundwave, Flywheels and Reflector are definitely needed. Starscream I’m also fairly ready to replace the old deluxe. Optimus and Megatron too. The rest, I want them, but I don’t need them. Mostly I just want to have a good look, some of the new headsculpt a look rather good so I’d like to see whether they could fit on the old figures.

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I realise that the way I'm going about collecting Legends at the moment is very similar to how I collected Star Wars, I wanted the main and or interesting characters. So in the case of Star Wars I got (almost) all of the main and non-human Jedi and Sith, but again with this caveat that I had to have seen them in something (cartoon or film). I tried to create some sort of scoring system to objectively decide. But still, there was also a lot of changing my mind, but ultimately I haven't regretted buying anything nor have I suddenly decided there's more characters I need. I would quite like a Darth Plagueis though.

Hulk, Daredevil, Captain America and the Iron Man Mark III have all turned up. Hulk is from the Avengers Walmart 6" exclusive line, unfortunate he is a KO. A fairly well done one though, a bit of mold flash and the plastic hasn't quite joined properly on one shoulder. I should have known for the price I paid, but he will do for the time being until a better one gets released, or I acquire more money than I know what to do with.

Daredevil I'm very happy with and have no regrets on getting even though I don't have that much attachment to the character. He's another one on the Black Panther/Nick Fury buck.

Captain America is another vintage style figure, so like Spider-Man has the lighter blue. He looks rather grumpy, and unfortunately the civil war MCU head doesn't fit on him. I will hold off for the time being, but I might drill a slightly larger hole so it does fit. If the Infinity War part 2 Steve Rogers Legends figure has a good (bearded) headsculpt then I could also be tempted to recreate the Skrull invasion look from A:EMH.

The Mark III is a bit small (though I was forewarned). It does have nice paint though, but also the dreaded swivel joint hips (I'm not sure if that's the correct term). He can however do a reasonable Iron Man pose. It doesn't really look like a man could be underneath the armour compared to the later figures and so I'm sticking with the Mark VII as my Iron Man (I figure if there had been a series 3 of A:EMH it might well have been in armour inspired by the Mark VII). I love the idea of an armour from each film though so am content. Just waiting for the Mark VI and 42 now!

I am also waiting for the Mark II War Machine armour which I recently bought, it's the American version so had the mask up Rhodey headsculpt to recreate the Iron Man 2 look with Tony. (I suppose strictly I need the Mark I armour.)

As well as....... Rogue! When she was released in 2016, I didn't even bat an eyelid. When Cyclops was released in 2017, I thought, nice figure but am happy with my 3.75" version. When Wolverine was released in 2018 I thought, it's time to get on the bandwagon! And now here we are with Professor X, Gambit, Jubilee and Beast on the horizon. Wow, just need Jean Grey and Storm and that's my X-Men lineup done in 6". (I don't count the 2013 Jean as she has the funny hips.) After much much deliberation, I've decided to also get Iceman and Angel/Archangel (original X-Men), Colossus and Nightcrawler (giant sized X-Men), as well as Bishop and Forge (Jim Lee era), based on the fact those characters were the most important/reoccurring guest starring characters on the 90s TV show, but also on the various other TV/film incarnations. As well as the figures of those characters just have a bit more personality in 6” rather than 3.75”. I'm throwing Deadpool in as well since, well, he's Deadpool.

I’ve also ordered Invisible Woman, spotted a good deal on her and so made the leap. Just have to find Thing now, I feel he’s less urgent as he’s a relatively recent release and is still being found in stores (Walgreens). And finally, I've bought comic Drax and Rocket (the Entertainment Earth versions) having initially gone for MCU versions. Drax is a much better than the previous (comic) version, Rocket is wearing the blue with red trim costume which I'm rather fond of. I might customise Drax to have blue trousers and a MCU headsculpt.

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The Mark 42 and VI Iron Man armours have arrived. Not much to say about the Mark 42, it's the same sculpt as the Mark 43. I think (compared to the 3.75" version), it works better at this scale with slightly more expensive paint and the darker red plastic. The figure deco has grown on me more as time goes on. The Mark VI has nice bronze paint on it, but I think one of the cheaper looking plastics from the various figures I have. It is also one of the hardest to pose (those darn hips again), the Mark III is better in that regard. However I pose the Mark VI it looks like he's sticking his butt out! Definitely sticking with the Mark VII as my primary armour. I feel that just getting the Mark III and VI is fine, no need to get more over priced and under sized, hard to pose figures (Mark IV and V).

The Mark II War Machine has also arrived. He’s a little less chunky than I was expecting, but it’s got a nice paint job and the extra mask up head is worth having. Also, Rogue and Iceman!!! Rogue's one of my favourite X-Men and I thought I was really going to struggle to get her at a decent price. She was expensive, but not too bad. It's amazing looking at Wolverine, Cyclops and Rogue together. They're just perfect! Honestly, 3.75" figures just can't compete for the detail. It's amazing how in a couple of years Legends have gone from larger versions of the 3.75" figures (frequently dodgy joints and face sculpts and paint) to statue quality figures that can also be posed. Iceman is good, there's something about his small size which makes me think 'Iceboy' might be more appropriate. He does have the extra shoulder articulation though.

As I've said before, I think I made the right decision in 2009 to collect 3.75", but I reckon as of about 2016, with the leap in quality of 6", and a lack of product for 3.75" it becomes an easy decision. I've no intention to get rid of my 3.75" figures, but the idea of getting a 90's X-Men team that looks so good is very exciting.

More of the same

I'm anticipating some tough decisions when the Siege figures come out, I have the Classics 'white Prime' version of Ultra Magnus as well as the Combiner Wars version. If I get and keep the Siege version can I justify keeping all three? I like having a version which is a white Prime. Do I keep my Classics Prime? Megatron and Starscream I'm ready to part with, but others like Sideswipe, finding the Universe figure is a special memory (as is Magnus actually). What to do?!

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Having spent a heck of a lot of time deciding whether to get particular Legends figures, I think I've got deciding whether to get a figure down to a fine art. Is the character important, do they appear in repeated media? Do I like them? Then, what does the figure have? Compared to the 3.75" figure mostly. Does it have a better headsculpt, does it have a better costume, does it capture the character better? So, Silver Surfer, great character, I like him, he has his own series. But the 3.75” is fine, it’s a silver dude on a surfboard. Job done!

I have found deciding whether to get particular X-Men the most difficult, the main cast from the 90's was an easy decision, the other X-Men who guest starred are much trickier. Iceman and Angel were original X-Men so they seem important, also, one's a man made of ice, and the other has a great big set of wings. Nightcrawler is my favourite blue character so he's in (mostly because of X-Men Evolution and the X2 film). Colossus is also in, he appears in every series, is made of metal and is one of those quintessential characters. Forge as he doesn't have a 3.75" figure, and finally, Bishop as his 3.75" figure doesn't quite have the physical presence that I think the character should have.

All are quite visually distinctive characters. The resulting list is I think exciting, but doesn't feel overwhelming in terms of how much it will cost. That feels like the right balance!

What I am about to write feels ridiculous, but it’s the sort of thing I spend my time thinking about so I might as well get it down. I want to put together a group of figures which best represent the Avengers: EMH lineup. Iron Man is in his classic armour, but it is a somewhat updated (stylistically) version in that it looks like armour rather than spandex. It is somewhat more inspired by the movie design. Further to that, the updated armour in the second series is inspired by the second movie. So therefore, the best figure for such a lineup are the movie figures. The same ones I decided not to get since I already had a 3.75” versions of them.

So I’m now in the market for the 6” Mark III and VI armours. But, the little voice in my head says, what about War Machine? As well as, well if you get those armours, do you not also need the Mark 42? That way you’ll have a suit from each film Iron Man appears in. If I can resist getting the other four armours as well (Mark I, II, IV, VI) it will be a miracle!

Having said I’ve got deciding which characters I need down to a fine art, I had my moment of clarity after ordering Venom and Cable. They’ve arrived. Venom I wasn’t sure about, I liked the look of Carnage, so quite liked the idea of both characters. Venom just seems to be lacking something. It’s possible that I like monster Venom more, but he seems a bit too over the top. I’m just happy with my 3.75” figure really. He was a bit of a dodgy call in the first place, I’m only getting heroes, so I optimistically labelled him as an anti-hero. I like the headsculpt but don’t think he’s essential for my collection.

Now, Cable is a tricky call. In my mind I initially put him on a level with Bishop, so I enthusiastically added him to the list. Then took him off again. Several times. Bishop is an X-Man, mostly only in the future but still, he hangs out with Forge. He also appears in Wolverine and the X-Men, and Days of Future Past. Cable isn’t an X-Man in anything I’ve seen and is just a bit grumpy. Sorry Cable! It was good to check out the figure though.

I had decided to get movie versions of the Guardians (and in fact I have), but looking at them on the shelf it has struck me that they are, well, a bit incompatible. I previously realised I like comic based toys because of the variety of colours.

The movie guardians are just a bit dull! There is also something of a discrepancy in the level of detail. Comic figures have large patches of bright colour, mostly of a spandex nature, but bright. Movie figure are a variety of mostly quite dark detailed figures. Try as I might, I’m in the comic book camp.

That leaves me in a tricky position. Star Lord and Groot I’ve got covered since I already have comic figures, I can pop the Chris Pratt (which is rather good) head on Star Lord and move on. Rocket, I could use the 3.75” version, but there are BAF and Entertainment Earth versions available. Gamora has one expensive figure available. Drax is complicated. I want the look of the old comic book figure, the build of the newer versions, plus possibly an MCU headsculpt. Can I be bothered to put together some sort of custom?

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I've ordered the Mark III and 42. And the Mark VI. Okay, so this is a bit of a milestone, I have (on the way at least) an armour from each film Iron Man appears in. I quite like the idea of displaying each figure with its respective film cover. One major setback in this plan would be the fact I don't have any of the films on DVD, but it would be cool. (I'm holding out for a cool box set once the third phase is finished.)

I now have the Homecoming Mark 47 set. I like the colour scheme on this one, it is apparently an homage to the Ultimate Armour, which I only really am aware of from the 3.75" figure. It is an identical sculpt to the Mark 46, but it looks nice. It also has an alternate empty head to show Tony is piloting it remotely. The Spider-Man figure is the same sculpt at the Civil War figure, but in a lighter colour. He also has a masked head with a squint which I quite like but the shape of the eye is still sculpted in which looks a bit strange.

The Tom Holland headsculpt is very good, although perhaps a bit big for the movie body. I now have it on the regular comic body and it works much better. (It strikes me how serious he looks, too serious for pizza perhaps?)

As you can see I now have the RDJ head on the Mark VII, and that seems a little small. The armoury is coming along nicely though! (I am using the Mark VII as my 'main' armour since it's the closest to the A:EMH armour, but more posable than the Mark III which I don't actually have yet.)

Nick Fury and Black Panther have turned up. Samuel L Jackson is fantastic as Nick Fury, but I do like the classic 90's Nick Fury for that cartoon look. I might get a SLJ head for special occasions. Black Panther is the Walmart exclusive version, he's a fantastic fit for a A:EMH lineup. Will get a Chadwick Boseman head for him at some point as well. The artwork on the box is pretty special as well, very reminiscent of the Black Panther series from the 2000's. Both figures are on the same mold, but I think it works.

Keeping calm

The news that Takara is making a Dai Atlas set has sent me back into thinking about Transformers, I am very excited about Dai Atlas! I love the idea of having a complete set of Autobot leaders in the Classics aesthetic. (It's also is making me think about Titans Return Fortress Maximus again.)

Siege is also seeming more and more exciting with the Decepticon NYCC reveals. Despite the fact it contains characters I've already 'ticked off the list', getting Voyager Soundwave and seekers is great. I think I will be content to keep my coneheads as deluxes since, really, they're fairly minor characters. I have high hopes for Soundwave. Leader Shockwave is also great, it makes me happier with my decision not to get the Masterpiece. Flywheels is also fantastic news, I'm not too worried about his components not having their own robot modes.

At this rate I think I'm down for almost every figure, Shockwave is a definite want, Ultra Magnus I want to have a look at. Soundwave is a definite. Prime, Megatron and Starscream I want to look at. Reflector and Flywheels are definites. Sideswipe, Ironhide, Hound and Prowl are all on the interesting list. I'm thinking that I might as well get the Targetmasters and Micromasters. The ones I'm not so sure about is Cog, Sixgun and Brunt. Lucky I decided to pass on those Masterpiece figures!

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Legends 90's Jubilee was also announced at NYCC, another figure for my X-Men cartoon lineup. Bit tempted by Forge as well.

So after a period of self-analysis, I did order the Mark 46 Marvel Legends set (the battle damaged civil war one), but I have sold an unopened Transformers Masterpiece figure to compensate a little. Probably need to sell a few more bits really.

Anyway, in terms of my Legends collection, I'm happy with the characters I’ve chosen to collect and am just about content not to add any more. That said, characters have gone in, I decide there's too many and so they go out again. I try and justify their inclusion to myself based on how much they appeared in various cartoons, and how much they mean to me. I've rewritten this blog several times as I decided to add and takeaway again. What I've finally got is a fusion of 90's cartoons, and Avengers: EMH, with a bit of MCU thrown in. Perfect for the time being.

I bought a Spider-Man, he was an easy purchase. It's the retro style Legends figure with pizza (the 'Pizza Spidey' mold). I opted for this version because it was cheaper and I prefer the lighter blue. What a great figure. I love the poses he can do! (It's good to find reasons to justify decisions I've already made.)

The armoury: the Mark 43 3.75" sculpt wise compares very well with the 6", and there's not actually much difference in the articulation. The plastic on the 6" is more of a cherry colour, compared to the 3.75" which is more of an actual red (quite similar in fact to the Mark 50). Both have a slight metallic sheen in the plastic, though more so on the 6". The 3.75" version looks very impressive from a slight distance, but close up looks a bit cheaper because of the plastic. I wonder whether a wash to bring out the detail might help. The eyes and arc reactor are flat white so a little circle of light blue might also help. It's just occurred to me that the Lego Iron Man I have is the Mark 43, I've got three versions of it now!

At one point I was considering the 10th anniversary Mark I/Tony Stark set. I instead bought the previously mentioned Civil War set. So glad I did! Though the RDJ sculpt from the 10th anniversary set is better, for less money I got an armour I wanted (in a cool battle damaged deco), a Steve Rogers headsculpt (which admittedly looks nothing like Chris Evans), and a cap shield which is quite a fun accessory since Tony took the shield after civil war. I could even add the Spidey to the armoury since the suit was designed by Tony. Overall, a great value set for me.

Incidentally, talking about headsculpts, the 3.75" Mark 43 set came with Nick Fury, there was also another set with Cap and Widow, the Cap headsculpt is too small and not very good, and strangely looks a bit like John Tracy from Thunderbirds.

It's quite interesting having three 6" armours. As well as Iron Man, they show the evolution of Legends over time. The Mark 43 just has feet which more up and down. The Mark 46 has ankle rockers, and the Mark 50 has ankle rockers plus a proper thigh swivel rather than the funny ball joint/swivel. The ankle rockers make standing the figure so much easier, and the thigh swivel greatly improves the posability (making the classic Iron Man pose much easier/actually possible). Colour wise there is change as well - the cherry red of Mark 43, a dark red for Mark 46 and a bright red for the Mark 50. I've ordered the Mark VII, and so the Mark 47 will be my next target!

I find it funny how much of an Iron Man fan I've become, an armoury in two scales, plus a Lego Hulkbuster and a 12" Legends figure. If I come into some money I think I'd probably need the Legends lifesize helmet you can get! In some ways I think it would be a fantastic dramatic end for Iron Man and to get killed off in the next Avengers film, on the other hand, it wouldn't be the same without him. Perhaps he could come back as an AI?

I found Cyclops at a local comic shop! Much cheaper than anywhere online. Cyclops to me is the X-Men, so it's great to pick him up. It's strange though as his 3.75" version was one of the most perfect Marvel Universe figures, still the 6" X-Men need their field leader! Actually this reminds me, Wolverine and the X-Men is a great series, but I feel that Wolverine and Cyclops' roles should have been swapped round. Wolverine is (was) not a leader, yet it was Cyclops who was acting like a grumpy teenager. That aside, it was a good series. I don't really even like Cyclops, but he is a leader.

Similarly, having Hulk as a team leader in Agents of Smash is even more ridiculous. It seems that if a character is popular then they have to be the leader. Again, I don't like Red Hulk, but you would kind of expect that a General might have some better leadership qualities. Children's cartoon not meant for me, okay fine........

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I’ve been continuing to think about addiction. It occurs to me what motivates my spending: it is an irrational belief that my life will be better if I own these things (which I believe is a common part of shopping addiction), but combined with a fear that said items won’t be available in the future, or if they are then at a greatly inflated price. One of these things I know definitely isn't true, the other plays on my mind something rotten.

The Mark VII arrived, I wasn't too taken initially, but it has grown on me a lot. It has a few paint splodge so that made me a grumpy, but then I got it into a pose I was really happy with and so much happier. The paint has more of a metallic sheen to it than the other figures I have. It's a great looking figure.

I bought Gamora and Rocket. (Did I mention I decided to get the Guardians as well?!) The Guardians are about the newest characters that appeal to me, such is the quality of the films. They guest starred in Avengers: EMH, but strictly speaking that was a slightly different team - Star Lord, Groot and Rocket were present, but Gamora and Drax were not. As it happens though, they both appeared in the 90's Silver Surfer cartoon so I'm covered. Uniform wise, I like their comic look, though I don't think they wear it anymore. I have them in that uniform for my 3.75" collection, and really I mostly have a connection to their MCU selves so, I've decided to make an exception for them and get that version of them. (There was a 6" Entertainment Earth comic set, but only Star Lord and Rocket were in the uniform.) They are mostly in blue anyway, so the MCU versions are closer to making them look like a team.

I have that EE version of Star Lord (which I used for my Groot custom), so I might restore it to as it was, since MCU Star Lord is the only one not in blue. The EE Rocket looks like an upscaled version of the Universe - still with no leg articulation so that's an extra argument for going MCU.

So Gamora is a great likeness of Zoe Saldana, looking extremely calm in comparison to Rocket (and Drax). She comes with a good weapons. Rocket comes with a mini Groot, is well articulated and comes with guns. Good stuff. I feel like I have most of Mantis as well, but she didn't appear in the (old) cartoon so she's out. I've ordered Star Lord so am almost there with the Guardians. (I'm going to use the Marvel Select Groot which I already have.)

Finally, have just ordered Captain America, Hulk, Daredevil and the Spider-Man homecoming set (the Mark 47). Think I've made some good progress getting the figures I want that are already out, though the ones left are probably more expressive. Doh. I'm conscious that there are a lot of Transformers coming out soon that I want!

Addiction

Addiction is a curious thing, typically as a society we think about addiction to alcohol or drugs. Things which can really take over and ruin your life. I think there is a second type of addiction. One which does not completely take over, where the addict can still lead a normal life. But, where the addiction can cause someone to make particular decisions that in isolation are not that obvious, but looked at as a whole constitute a pattern. The person who needs a drink when they get home from work for instance.

I think toy collecting for me is like this. I’m not so addicted I don’t have money for rent and food. I’m still aware of what is most important. I spend quite a lot of money feeding my addiction, which over the course of several years could equate to a nice holiday or a new car. However, these toys make me happy and in comparison to how much my partner spends on clothes, I really don’t feel too guilty (mostly).

I think where the real impact lies is with time and my perception of it. We as human beings worry about things, sometimes unnecessarily, but mostly because we need to do something, a preventative action perhaps. I am somewhat preoccupied with toys, in my waking life I spend a lot of time thinking about them. This affects my home and work life because I’m not as focussed as I could be.

It makes me feel me busier than I really am and therefore more stressed. I still do everything I need to, but I don’t plan for things effectively. Everything becomes more rushed. My decisions are not optimum and so it subtly affects my life.

The result? I don’t spend so much time taking exercise, seeing friends or family. I am not as good at work as I could be. Perhaps I don’t sleep as well because of the stress. How to balance this then? Something which makes me happy, but at the same time takes up just a bit too much time.

As I write this I am contemplating buying the Marvel Legends civil war 3-pack, I should perhaps be doing something more productive. (Though I could argue self analysis is useful in and of itself.)

That is the nature of addiction, you don’t always make the best decisions. Someone who is addicted to food, they know they don’t need that extra chocolate bar, but they can’t stop themselves. It plays on their mind. If I had the answer I would be a rich man. The first step though I think is self awareness, if you can be aware of your own behaviours, you can try and do something about it.

Fantastic Legends

I'm feeling pretty good about my decision not to buy Masterpiece Megatron and Shockwave. I was thinking I should start saving for them, so it's a massive burden off now not to have to do so. I've always liked regular retail figures the most. High end stuff looks great, but there's too much fear of breakage for me. Still saving for Dinobot though!

I see that the Target exclusive Bumblebee movie set with Buzzsaw and Frenzy is going to be available at Argos in the UK. I was undecided about getting Titans Return Rumble since I am rather fond of the Perfect Effect set, but looking at the headsculpt, it is a half decent figure even if it does have Rewind's proportions. Ordered! Bring on Eject and that's another set of third party figures I no longer need.

The only other Prime Wars trilogy figure I might still pick up in the future is Fortress Maximus, I want to see what they do with Scorponok first!

Various things have happened to make consider my stance on unofficial toys - replacing my Perfect Effect cassettes, potential Encore versions of the Japanese exclusive cassettes (I have KO's) and buying Marvel Legends. With the latter there are temptingly cheap figures available from China, they are either KOs or rejects. For custom projects I'm not so bothered, but if they're for direct display then I am. I don't think I'm ever truly happy with unofficial toys, I always want to replace them with legitimate figures. The problem with that is that it's not very exciting so I find it harder to spend my money doing it, despite wanting to.

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I've decided to also collect a team of Avengers, the lineup from Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, naturally, mostly because I will pretty much have the team anyway (I already have Legends Ant-Man and Wasp for my 3.75" collection). Captain America and Hawkeye have (or will have) recent classic releases in the 'vintage' line, and Black Panther had a nice Walmart exclusive last year which seems to be still widely available. Thor seems a reasonable bet for the vintage line in the future.

Beyond that, I want to get the Guardians. Though they appeared in A:EMH, not surprisingly, I want more of a MCU take. That will give me the four main Marvel teams with my favourite lineups, plus some MCU favourites.

Have ordered Mr Fantastic to go with Human Torch. I've spent quite a lot of time thinking about my Iron Man armoury and which figures to get in which scales. My thinking is that 3.75" is my default scale, and that I should only get the 6" version if there's a particularly good reason.

All of the armours after the Mark 43 are only available in 6" so they're definitely needed. The Mark 43 comes with an alternate head where the mask is flipped up so I need that as well. (Also, such a collection makes sense from a continuity perspective because all of the armours get destroyed in Iron Man 3.) I've got a few 3.75" armours to pick up as well then I've got the set. Okay, Mark 43 is ordered as well. Twice! (Once in each scale.)

Mr Fantastic is here, he's a bit more of a sea green than I was expecting, but I love the alternate arms. It's lucky he has such good accessories as he's not a character I think of as needing much posing.

One question that I've asked myself is whether I would have bought into
Legends had Universe still been going strong. I think the amazing high resolution pictures were what finally sold me, but ultimately, I think I would have still bought them. With many of my other collections (Transformers, Power Rangers, Ghostbusters, Thundercats, Turtles, and even Nintendo), I have larger versions of either my favourite or the main characters, so really this just makes Marvel consistent with them.

Human Torch is also here! I think I would rather have had a flame-off version, that said, I do like the way the colours are done in this version. Phew, need to calm it down a bit now.

Armoury Mark II (6")

I want to collect the movie Iron Man armours. I have the Mark I-III, VI and 42 in 3.75" scale. Of the others they made in that scale, there's also the IV, V, VII and 43 (up to and including Age of Ultron).

Do I get the missing armours in 6"? The missing armours are the Hulkbuster, Mark 46, 47 and 50. Shall I get all of them perhaps?! The new Mark VII 10th anniversary figure looks pretty sweet, perhaps that figure would be a good starting point.

In thinking about this I realise why I love the Internet, what I particularly enjoy. It's having an idea, doing a bit of research and then working out what I want to buy. Which usually ends up with going on eBay or Amazon. It's all about wanting and buying. My favourite websites are those about my favourite franchises, but ultimately what I really want is news about stuff I can or want to buy. I'm utterly addicted to the cycle. Collecting the movie armours is the idea, but much like Classics Transformers or 3.75" comic Marvel, it's not contained to one toyline, there's exclusives, there's box sets, there's more to it.

Sometimes when I have one of these ideas, I find myself trying to find out about lines from years ago (2008 in the case of some movie armours) and wishing I'd bought them at the time. If I could send a message back in time to myself, what would I say? (Ignoring the practical stuff like lottery numbers and for god's sake ask that girl out.) Top of the list would be ignore third party Transformers. In the end an absolute waste of money. There are plenty of figures I've bought which have been superseded, but that's part of the journey, part of the fun. But third party transformers were mostly expensive and overly difficult to transform (which some people appreciate, but not me).

I'm not sure whether I'd advise my younger self to collect Marvel Legends. It's clear to me that I love Marvel more than I did in 2009 (or thought I did). I'm not keen on the Toy Biz aesthetic for the most part (funny hips and frequently funny faces), and again, most of them have been superseded. Get into Legends when Hasbro started producing them? I still agree with my 2009 self that 3.75" was the way to go considering I don't really care about a lot of the characters.

What then is the all important message for my younger self? I think with Transformers start from the end. The end is Beast Wars, collect all of characters who appeared in the cartoon. Then move onto expensive Japanese G1 (Masterforce, Victory and Zone). Those are the characters who mostly haven't had Classics updates.

Anyway, that was a bit of a tangent. Movie Iron Man armours. All of them? Well, I might as well give it a go. With toys I will never be happy with what I've got, it will always be a process of trying new lines and seeing whether they stick. (Kreo, I recently realised did not.) If a collection is completed by expensive or hard to obtain figures then so much the better. My interest is maintained by new stuff.

Having already decided to buy the X-Men, I have this gnawing thought in my mind; don’t I need the Fantastic 4 as well?! This is the problem, one idea leads to another. I have rewritten this section several times as I have changed my mind and changed it again. I have now settled on collecting the main characters from the various 90’s cartoons (X-Men, Fantastic 4, Spider-Man, Iron Man and Hulk). Then, having realised how many figures that is I tried to decide between the armoury and these classic cartoon figures. I then realised there is a third way. Money and space are always the main concern. What if I didn’t buy Masterpiece Megatron and Shockwave? Jointly they will cost about £320. That’s a good number of Legends figures! What if I make my Masterpiece collection Autobot only? Yes. I only really got into that line because I like the real car alt modes, so it really does make sense.

Like any collection, a toy collection is something that is refined over the years as you work out what you want, but also what you want evolves as your interests do. Marvel Legends 90’s cartoon characters and an MCU Iron Man armoury it is then.

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I’ve got me some Marvel Legends! Wolverine and then Deadpool have arrived (I made an exception to the cartoon for him because he's the complete package). I then bought the Mark 50 armour and Iron Spider, remarkably both still available at UK retail.

I’ve looked at Legends figures before, but I have to admit the detail on these things is fantastic. On Iron Spider particularly, the texture is something you’d never get on 3.75”. I really liked Iron Man, but after opening Iron Spider he looks a bit plasticky. Overall though, very impressed. The Legends armoury starts here!

Opening Deadpool, I realised he has shoulder/chest articulation. Looking at Iron Spider, he also has it. These are just amazing to me, I am a total convert. It's going to take all my willpower not to buy more! Okay, so I just ordered Vintage Spider-Man and Human Torch. Anyway, very impressed. That Wolverine's claws are separated really lifts it above the 3.75" version. So much character! It's funny, the thing that ultimately really sold the line to me was the high resolution photos of these two.

I have found a reason to include Deadpool (I like to find tenuous reasons for my spending if I can). In the X-Men cartoon, Morph was also a member of the team, at one point he briefly turns into Deadpool. It's not Deadpool, it's Morph!

Incidentally, I realise it's a strange case of history repeating itself, when I started collecting Marvel Universe, it was when the Wolverine Origins line was also out. The first two figures from that line? Wolverine and Deadpool. My first few figures from Universe? Iron Man, Spider-Man and Human Torch.

All of the toys

I am a dreamer (but I'm not the only one). In a somewhat childlike manner I like to imagine what it would be like to own all of the toys. I would buy every Marvel and Transformers toy ever, and keep them MOSC or MISB.

For my favourite lines, Marvel Universe, Legends, G1, Beast Wars, Classics and Masterpiece I would buy additional versions to open. For the Transformers I would buy duplicates so I could have one in each mode. (Importantly also including an extra Sixshot so I could have one in winged wolf mode.)

This would I think satisfy an urge to create what is effectively a museum display. Curating it would be a dream. It would all be displayed by year of release and wave. But on top of this it would be more interesting to put together other collections. A display of Lost Light characters, a display of everyone from Infinity War, a Masterforce collection or 90s X-Men cartoon lineup. This would relate the collection directly to the media that inspired my interest in the first place. If I had all of the time and money I would have a display for each series of Transformers, perhaps smaller displays relating to particular stories in the comics, each of my favourite Marvel cartoon series. A display for each MCU film.

The thing about these media specific displays is that they would just use the best or most fitting version of each character. The Ultra Magnus from Combiner Wars would be the best choice for a Lost Light display, but the new Magnus from Siege would likely be a better choice for a '86 Movie display. I could perhaps get some relevant artwork to go with the display. (So Lost Light comic covers for the former and the '86 Movie poster for the latter.)

If for my S1 of the G1 cartoon display all of the figures were available as Masterpiece then great, I'd use them. If the figures for the X-men cartoon were mostly available as 3.75" figures then I'd use them (actually for some of the Movies 3.75" is probably a better option). If a Classics version of a character didn't exist then I'd use the G1 figure. Use the best version available.

On top of this there be might a few ad-hoc collections, a Grimlock collection, a Micromaster City, an Iron Man armoury, etc, but a display centred about my favourite series, films and comics would be awesome. Beyond that, I could expand it to cover computer games, a MKII display, a Smash Bros. display. Amazing.

Day dreaming is fun, but it is useful to focus my collecting. What I want is media based collections. And actually, that's what I already do, okay so I don't buy multiple of different characters for each series or film, but I do collect so that I could create each display, not at the same time, but one at a time. By working out what I would do if money and space was no object then I can work on slightly downsized versions of the same thing.

I think the upshot of all this is that I've convinced myself not to necessarily limit myself to one version of each character (which to be fair, I never really did before). But also that I want to be able to put together something resembling a MCU collection. On a podcast I listen to the host explained that he thought it was good to try and understand your own collecting philosophy, I agree completely. I spend a lot of time trying to understand mine.

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Predaking and Darkwing have arrived! I now have all of the Power of the Primes figures I want.

Taking the box out of the car having picked it up, I thought to myself how disappointing it was that I wasn't really looking forward to opening it all that much. Compared to when I got the G1 Predaking reissue back in 2005, I just wasn't feeling it. I think having previously owned the Mastermind version was taking something away from the experience. I had already owned them once, I'd already 'ticked' them off the wanted list.

Opening the box, I took the time to appreciate the artwork, it's rather good and there is a large version of the standard character card with it again inside.

Headstrong and Tantrum first, beast mode and robot mode are just dominated by the combiner thigh piece. I love how chunky it is. The headsculpt is fantastic. I can see past the integrated combiner kibble, despite the fact it affects the balance, but the hollow calves are rather disappointing.

Rampage is somewhat average, there's nothing about him that stands out. Divebomb has a particularly excellent headsculpt and the way his robot mode head in integrated inside the eagle mouth is brilliant. Razorclaw is the neatest of the five, and has a solid robot mode. Pretty poor beast though. I think the G1 toys actually have better beast modes.

Combined mode is of course where this thing really shines. I didn't use the instructions, just looked at the photos on the box, and it's all fairly intuitive and so enjoyable. Nothing was frustrating. I knew Predaking was going to be big, but transforming Headstrong and Tantrum into legs was impressive. Then they slot into Divebombs wingpack. Wow! I particularly liked how Divebomb folds up into an arm. Folding up Razorclaws back legs was the only thing I got a bit stuck on (because they're at the back and so not visible in the packaging photos). The way it combines is effortless and graceful. I combined it sitting on the sofa, but resting it on the floor. When I finished I lifted it up on to sofa. Wow! And wow! I left it standing in a room and came back to it ten minutes later, and wow again.

Playing with the individual robots, I think I could just about convince myself that I made the right decision to replace my Mastermind figures based on the quality of the headsculpts. In combined mode, I absolutely made the right decision. No regrets whatsoever!

I don't think photos quite capture how good and impressive this thing looks in person. I found myself saying 'face, Predaking' a few times (that's a quote from Call of the Primatives). I think the Dinobots and Sky Lynx (and Trypticon really) are woefully undersized in comparison. The beast modes are terrible, the robot modes are okay, but impressively chunky, Predaking is utterly amazing. The only thing I can say against it is the lack of weapons, and given the superiority of the combined mode, the lack of a sword for Predaking is a huge omission. I can forgive the lack of swords for the individual robots (just), but a large sword for a Predaking is a must. Third parties must be rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of the money coming in.

Oh, and I got Darkwing. He's an Aerialbot. Good headsculpt though. I'm glad to have the Dreadwing guys as deluxes, just need to complete the Autobot Powermasters now.

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I have just gone through almost exactly the same process with Marvel Legends as I did a month or so back, I made a list of everything I wanted, decided it was too long and so tried to just pick a few figures. I'm torn between getting the figures of the characters I like, and having a set of figures that go together. If I were just to select a set of figures that go together I would get the 90's cartoon X-Men, that would be a great set.

I realise I have some sort of pathological need for toys I don't have, at certain stages I thought I had decided what to get only to realise, I really don't need them! I can make a decent argument for a Wolverine Legends figure. The figure has personality which is lacking from the 3.75" figure. I think that is a useful test for whether to get a Legends version of a character. I have now just ordered Wolverine, will see how I feel about him when he arrives.

Anyway, thinking about MCU versions of figures versus comic versions, I've decided I also want MCU headsculpts of the more morally ambiguous characters, Loki, Yondu and the like. I've therefore picked up the Starlord - Yondu 3.75" set (in a sale!). From a 616 perspective, MCU Yondu is more accurate than the comic one from the original Guardians. It's a really nice set and I hope we get more 3.75" MCU stuff. Strangely, I'm in a mindset now where if I could have any 3.75" figures, I'd go for MCU Peter Parker, T'Challa and Bruce Banner.

Sounds like we're going to get some Thundercats figures! Woooooo! Also, some promising hints for the Decepticon figures in Siege. Please be true. Also I would love some Mega Construx Thundercats figures (and a TMNT blimp if they ever revisit the collectors line), the idea of having a Ghostbusters Fire Station (the Lego one), Turtles’ and Cats’ lair all made out of bricks is quite exciting. Come on Mattel!

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So, I've decided to get Marvel Legends figures of all the (90's) X-Men and Spider-Man. I have reasoned to myself that there are two reasons to get Marvel Legends figures, firstly if a character I really like is only available in 6", or secondly if it's a character I like who benefits from the larger scale. X-Men and Spider-Man are my original favourites, when Universe started those were the characters I 'really' wanted, so I will start with them.

The eyes have it!

Blast Off is here! Slightly smaller box than I was expecting, but good first impressions based on the artwork. Blast Off is special (edition), he is the figure I thought Takara would produce when I heard they were making a shuttle version of the character. Brown isn't a great colour for a Transformer, but combined with purple is rather nice. The shuttle mode isn't fantastic, but having waited several years for this toy, I am very happy. He has the correct head and altmode, he is a toy accurate colour. These things make me extremely content.

I'm half tempted to keep the old Blast Off as Bruticus' arm and keep this new one separate in robot mode. Of the four superfluous figures for combiner wars, I only have Alpha Bravo (I had legends Groove, but never Rook), whom I use on Computron in order to have Strafe on my Lost Light shelf.

Repugnus is now also here! The box art is even more vivid. This is the figure I was most excited about of the trio, despite strangely being content with the Titanmaster figure. The Monsterbots (along with the Dinobots, Insecticons and Predacons) have a special place in my heart. Beast alt modes have always appealed to me, though it took me a while to get into Beast Wars.

Repugnus is a nice bright figure, I like the use of clear green plastic for the beast eyes. Whereas Blast Off seems bigger than he should be, Repugnus seems smaller (I guess compared to the G1 figures). I admire the use of the same base mold for the three Monsterbots, it makes him a little wider than he should be, but somehow it is made to work expertly. I swapped the head for the original Titanmaster one, it has more character because of the bigger eyes. Another great figure!

When I have discussions about collecting with people I often say that if I didn't collect Transformers I'd collect something else. Stamps, coins, anything. I need to collect. Transformers appeals because I am nostalgic for them, but I collect figures of characters I didn't even know existed. So why then? It occurred to me whilst thinking about why I like Repugnus is colour, I like the fact that Transformers come in virtually every single colour and combination. It seems weird to admit it to myself, but it also explains why I collect comic based Marvel figures and not movie. I've barely read any Marvel comics, I've watched every single film, but comic book figures come in more vivid colours. Stamps also come in a wide range of colours so I'll keep them as a back up option for a collection (coins not so much).

Thinking about deluxes, I know almost nothing about the Autobot Targetmasters and Powermasters. I've never read a story where they do anything and I can't remember what they (or their Japanese equivalents) did in the cartoon, but damn they are high up on my want list! The funny thing about them is that they could quite easily be repaints of existing figures, I just need them now! Completionism is a funny thing, though possibly not an actual word.

The third wave of Primemasters have now arrived. They are extremely simple, snap the weapon onto the shell, pop the Primemaster in and done. Admire. Particularly with Octopunch and Bludgeon I wish they came with the melee weapons they used in the old Marvel comics. (I also wish they came with Stranglehold.) It is nice to have Bomb-burst to complete the Deception Masterforce lineup though. I don't mind the small size, I sort of imagine that they have some ability to change size (particularly the Autobots who can shrink down to human size).

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I've bought a 3.75" figure, in a shop no less. Ahsoka Tano from Star Wars Black for a fiver. I don't really acknowledge the existence of The Clone Wars cartoon (I prefer the original Clone Wars cartoon, no 'the'). However, I do collect alien Jedi who appeared in media I've seen, and technically I did go and watch that CGI film at the cinema. She also has two lightsabers. So, she's alright by me.

The green eyed monster continues to haunt me when it comes to Marvel Legends, particularly with X-Men characters, Professor X and Gambit now. They seem to be releasing so much 6" stuff it's ridiculous. Will the bubble burst soon? I guess there were a few years when they weren't releasing anything so it will probably come full circle.

The new Storm Collectibles Mortal Kombat stuff also looks great, far too expensive for me, but I find pictures of them very helpful when planning my customs as googling MKI/MKII characters you tend to get somewhat blurry pixelated photos or cartoons, so it's hard to pick out the details - eye colour for instance (or lack of).

Some time ago I think I mentioned my plan to make 3.75" versions of all Mortal Kombat I and II characters. I'm using the Jazwares figures as a starting point, which since they also made the MK3 cyber ninjas, I will include them also. A Mortal Kombat 2.5 if you will since I plan to include a few characters and cues from later games. My only complete figures so far are the female ninjas (see: https://transformersandstuff.blogspot.com/2017/05/getting-old.html). I have a Goro figure which I am painstakingly making a copy of (by making rubber molds and then casting the parts in resin). This is somewhat time consuming and boring, but I'm down to a couple of pieces left (where the cast didn't work and I'm redoing it). Need to buy some joints.

I'm working on the male ninjas, I think the original Jazwares sculpts weren't actually all that bad. The head was probably the worst part so I'm replacing it with a GI Joe Storm Shadow copy. I think the very worst thing about the Jazwares figures however is the paint (the eyes stand out as being particularly shocking), so I will paint the figures again. Hopefully I can do a better job!

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I’ve finished Scorpion and Reptile. I found the perfect base paint colour for Scorpion, it’s a ochre which I think works much better than the original lemon yellow. Am very happy with the Storm Shadow head. In a first for a custom I’ve done, I also made an alternate skull head for Scorps. Two years in the planning and I’ve finally finished two of the male ninjas!

Exciting exclusives

Amazon exclusives incoming! When I first saw the pictures of the new Punch/Counterpunch my first thought through my mind was we’re getting a new Pointblank!!! Actually I couldn’t remember which targetmaster has those diagonal shoulder pieces, but I was excited.

Wow, he looks great. As does Repugnus, though his beast mode proportions are perhaps a bit off. And Blast Off as well. What a set of exclusives! There will be the usual fun trying to track them down, but for three figures I didn’t think I particularly wanted, I can’t wait!

(I have Blast Off combined so a different head and altmode makes no odds, I have the TFCC P/CP and I have the Titanmaster Repugnus, which despite being a Monsterbot fan, I was also happy with.)

There's something particularly sneaky about the strategy Hasbro used on the four scramble city combiners, by not actually releasing one of each team (initially), they really built up the excitement for when they did release them as exclusives. But, in a slightly perverse way (since I've managed to get hold of them), I'm happier than I would have been with them. Sneaky.

There have just been a load of Amazon listings for the WFC stuff, nothing grabbing me too much though the Targetmaster angle looks promising. I don’t think I’ll get many Micromasters, though probably the Rescue patrol as they were in Victory. As I said before I really now want a complete 1987 lineup, Autobot Powermasters, and the Victory leaders. And a Leozack and Thunderclash!

Looking towards SDCC, as with every year I can't help but hope for some exciting reveals. Autobot Targetmasters, please!!! Actually I think I would be happy with reveals which could be pretools for the Target and Power masters. Have to take what you can get.

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Thinking about the reveals, Hound and Ultra Magnus? Maybe it’s because I’ve just watched the Machinima series (which was alright, but I found the Grimlock portrayal irritating), but weren’t they both on the vote for the next Prime list? With Shockwave also on the rumour list, does that mean Star Saber, Deszaras and Thunderwing might also be on the cards?! Please let it be so.

Well, the Hasbro panel has just happened and my bubble has been well and truly burst. I was hoping for at least one figure to get excited about, but nothing! The Micromasters do look good and, it’s funny that the reveals have been the set I said would get, the set I had as a kid (Race Car patrol) and the set I always wanted as a kid (Battle patrol).

Okay, so the grumpiness has died down a little and that Ironhide does look good, I will need to keep an eye on most of those figures! I think I was a bit spoilt by the Prime Wars trilogy in terms of character selection, but it's worth reminding myself that I was sceptical at the start of that trilogy as well - I was 'happy' with my Fansproject Superion and Menasor. Now I barely have any third party stuff left. I collect Transformers because I'm nostalgic for the 80's, but I'm now at the point where I'm fairly nostalgic for mid 2000's figures. Particularly when the figures have a significance to them, perhaps because I bought them on holiday, I'm reluctant to replace them.

As I think I’ve said before, for me the most important part of an action figure is the head sculpt and where a lot of the Universe Classics figures fall down is the head sculpt. The Datsuns and Sideswipe particularly, I wonder if it will be possible (though expensive) to swap the heads?

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I don't mind the Combiner Wars Buzzsaw mold, I therefore decided to pick up the Laserbeak as perhaps it's time to retire my Real Gear figures. I think he looks better than Buzzsaw because he's toy not cartoon colours. A toy deco Buzzsaw (Target exclusive) was also revealed at SDCC, so might try and get that. The set would raise the prospect of needing to get Titans Return Rumble since it also contains Frenzy. Initially I passed because it looked too much like Rewind, but it would be nice to have figures which are consistent with each other.

Power of the Primes Hun-Gurrr turned up today. This is one of my favourite torsos. It's amazing that he completes my S1-S3 collection, but also I love all of his modes. I'm genuinely torn about how to display him. This is first figure that I find the stickers are a problem for me on, might need Reprolabels. It will definitely need the Perfect Effect upgrade set.

Masterpiece news again, Hound is being released! I don't really care for the character, but I think a bit of green in the display will add some variety. I will hold off initially as I'm hoping for a toy accurate deco as seems likely with Sunstreaker. Just Jazz, Mirage and Trailbreaker left to complete the S1 cars! V3 Optimus Prime? Fascinating...... MP Dinobot looks great, though sounds like some issues with his shoulders. Am saving up for Predaking at the moment so will be a little while before I can afford Dinobot, hopefully a solution will have been found by then.

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I've bought MCU Marvel Legends Ant-Man to get a Paul Rudd headsculpt for my Giant Man. It's great! I think in my collection Ant-Man is now definitely Scott Lang and Yellowjacket is Hank Pym. Wasp is still Janet Van Dyne though, so no MCU Wasp just yet unless they release a Michelle Pfeiffer figure (prequel film perhaps?!).

I also saw Ant-Man and the Wasp today. I thought it was brilliant. I love the Ant-Man films, slightly lower stakes, but I love how they use the size changing power to great effect. Some great stunts with cars. A good fun enjoyable Summer film.

Picked up a super cheap (2018) BAF Apocalypse on eBay from Hong Kong. Hope he actually turns up!