New Gallery: Transformers Legends LG18 Armada Starscream Super Mode (aka Thundercracker)

Seibertron wrote:Free Energon goodies to the first person to find the surprise in Thundercracker's gallery.

Hellscream9999 wrote:

Seibertron wrote:Free Energon goodies to the first person to find the surprise in Thundercracker's gallery.

You've already got yourself a tfcc ramjet?

"LG-18 Armada Starscream Super Mode Prequel 1" (LG-18アルマダスタースクリームスーパーモード前日談1)

Having lost his old part-time job, Armada Starscream is lamenting having to find a new one when he witnesses Windblade collapsing nearby. She tells him she can't go to work in her condition, so he offers to take her place, only to learn once he gets there that her job is at a maid café. He's left regretting his fate in life once more while the manager, the local Starscream, berates him for not welcoming customers loudly enough.

Armada Starscream questions why they agreed to hire a man at a maid café to begin with, so Legends Starscream reveals that he's not actually running a little sister-themed café: they're normally a little brother café featuring male maids. He explains that he only hired Windblade because he felt sorry for her, lost and confused as she was, and Armada Starscream admits that his counterpart is actually a nice guy. He then notices Windblade arriving and prepares to leave, but Windblade isn't her usual self... she's regained her memories, and seeks to destroy the Legends Universe again!

"LG-18 Armada Starscream Super Mode Prequel 2" (LG-18アルマダスタースクリームスーパーモード前日談2)

Having come to her senses again, Windblade tells Starscream about the Legends Universe's creation at the hands of the Zamojin, further explaining that it's an experiment in "spirit energy" that lets the Zamojin absorb the spirit energy of its residents to grow stronger. This energy is generated by desire, and Armada Megatron's recent unquenchable thirst for Transformers toys is threatening to make the Zamojin strong enough to take back control of Windblade. As she despairs to Starscream that she doesn't want to become her old self and destroy the world she's grown to love, the two are approached by the glowing form of Swindle.

Swindle tells them that he's a Mini-Con native to the Legends Universe, where his people live disguised as toys, and wants to help them protect his world. Starscream recognizes the Mini-Con as a toy he'd had on him—Megatron had given it to him earlier as a reward for a job well done, an occasion that had felt strangely familiar to him. Swindle then lends Starscream the power of the Mini-Cons, powering him up into a new form. He valiantly sets out to put stop to Megatron's aspirations, but not without promising Windblade that if she does fall under Zamojin control, he's ready to give up his life to stop her. Meanwhile, in another world, Alexis is at the beach with her friends...

Having tired of collecting mere Mini-Cons, Armada Megatron has moved on to stealing all kinds of large and rare Transformers toys from the people of the Legends Universe. As he's announcing his evil plot, he is attacked by Armada Starscream, who asks him to give up on his ambitions, explaining that the spiritual energy generated by his desire only serves to power up the Zamojin who created this world. Megatron refuses to stray from his chosen path or give up his collection, instead accusing Starscream of betraying him, and the two do battle. Suddenly, Starscream's worst fear comes to pass: everyone's spirit energy has strengthened the Zamojin enough to restore Windblade's original purpose as a tool for destroying the Legends Universe!

Refusing to let this happen, Starscream readies his Null Laser Cannons in an attempt to destroy Windblade. Armada Megatron recognizes the situation, explaining that Starscream was once killed channeling all his energy into this same attack while fighting a great evil in their previous dimension, so if he goes through with it, both he and Windblade will die. Fortunately Alpha Trion has a solution, using his ultra-drill to summon someone close to Starscream from his home universe—Alexis. The sight of the human girl causes Starscream's memories to resurface, and he calms down and accepts her offer to return home with her. Sick and tired of the Legends Universe, Armada Megatron follows suit through the portal, leaving his stolen toys behind. With Windblade back to normal and the toys returned to their rightful owners, everyone's happy... until G1 Megatron asks for the original owner of Armada Megatron's ultra-rare Unicron of Light, and everyone present tries to claim it.

Sabrblade wrote:For those wondering what's going on in Starscream's pack-in comic, :proceeds to explain in detail:

Hellscream9999 wrote:

Seibertron wrote:Free Energon goodies to the first person to find the surprise in Thundercracker's gallery.

You've already got yourself a tfcc ramjet?

Dr Va'al wrote:And yet, despite the lack of anything IDW beyond All Hail Megatron in Japanese, Takara Tomy took to their Legends line again to give LG-20 Skids the most comic-accurate paint job,

Sabrblade wrote:

Dr Va'al wrote:And yet, despite the lack of anything IDW beyond All Hail Megatron in Japanese, Takara Tomy took to their Legends line again to give LG-20 Skids the most comic-accurate paint job,

It's not too surprising when Hayato Sakamoto, the guy behind the Legends line, has also done work for IDW as the artist of several MTMTE issues.

At BotCon 2016, lots of people were wanting him to draw Nickel and other MTMTE characters for them.

Sabrblade wrote:Tankor's legs are backwards in the gallery (his knees bend backwards

william-james88 wrote:Its really interesting how Takara went all toy accurate on their release of Whirl as opposed to Hasbro. Which is a shame of course because Whirl was known by most as being just a toy.

Sabrblade wrote:

william-james88 wrote:Its really interesting how Takara went all toy accurate on their release of Whirl as opposed to Hasbro. Which is a shame of course because Whirl was known by most as being just a toy.

Hasbro probably thought that what they did was toy-accurate enough, while also integrating some Classics-style updated elements into the design (with the head and digitigrade legs specifically inspired by his MTMTE design) as they are wont to do. Takara being Takara probably saw what Hasbro had done and went "We can make it even MORE accurate!" and thus gave us their version.

william-james88 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

william-james88 wrote:Its really interesting how Takara went all toy accurate on their release of Whirl as opposed to Hasbro. Which is a shame of course because Whirl was known by most as being just a toy.

Hasbro probably thought that what they did was toy-accurate enough, while also integrating some Classics-style updated elements into the design (with the head and digitigrade legs specifically inspired by his MTMTE design) as they are wont to do. Takara being Takara probably saw what Hasbro had done and went "We can make it even MORE accurate!" and thus gave us their version.

What is toy accurate about Hasbro's colours?

primalxconvoy wrote:There is little or no difference between the standard Takara Tomy and these versions. That's why they are still going cheap no matter where I look in Japan (by "cheap", I mean "as expensive as the standard versions").

Nothing to see here. Move along.

Emerje wrote:

primalxconvoy wrote:There is little or no difference between the standard Takara Tomy and these versions. That's why they are still going cheap no matter where I look in Japan (by "cheap", I mean "as expensive as the standard versions").

Nothing to see here. Move along.

There is one huge differece: no metallic coating on the exclusive versions. That alone makes them far superior to the Japanese retail figures.

Emerje

primalxconvoy wrote:Considering the animation models had metallic parts then I am glad that I didn't bother with the "exclusive" versions, as they seem LESS than the normal TT versions.

Cheers for the heads up.

Emerje wrote:

primalxconvoy wrote:Considering the animation models had metallic parts then I am glad that I didn't bother with the "exclusive" versions, as they seem LESS than the normal TT versions.

Cheers for the heads up.

Sure, if it was just the "metal" parts, but do people really want a metallic rhino over a normal looking one? That alone makes both the Hasbro and EX versions superior.




Emerje

primalxconvoy wrote:For the beast mode, that is a fair ifference. I would say that the regular TT version loks superior to the Hasblow version (but then again, this is standard as Hasblow is usually below Takara's efforts). However, looking at the CG model, perhaps the metallic sheen is warranted?

Emerje wrote:

primalxconvoy wrote:For the beast mode, that is a fair ifference. I would say that the regular TT version loks superior to the Hasblow version (but then again, this is standard as Hasblow is usually below Takara's efforts). However, looking at the CG model, perhaps the metallic sheen is warranted?

Nothing about the CG model hide looks metallic or even super shiny to me.

The Hasbro version isn't inferior, it's based more on the original toy with cartoon elements.




Choosing a different source reference doesn't make something worse.

Emerje

Emerje wrote:And you're welcome to that opinion, but I'll continue to be unconvinced that they're better when they're simply different.

Emerje

primalxconvoy wrote:
I have to disagree. Although G1 can get a pass for not being authentic to the cartoons, I have no empathy for the original Beast wars toys, as it was the SHOW thta was the "real" look, rather than the toys )toy-only molds nonwithstanding). Thus, for me, the Hasblow versions are neithr show, nor toy accurate and thus worthless.

william-james88 wrote:Denying the importance of the toys is denying the essence of the brand and this hobby. Until 2007, Transformers was a toy brand first with any fiction made to simply sell toys.

Kurona wrote:

william-james88 wrote:Denying the importance of the toys is denying the essence of the brand and this hobby. Until 2007, Transformers was a toy brand first with any fiction made to simply sell toys.

This isn't entirely to-the-letter true; IDW's Transformers comics - which have been around since October 2005 - never had the intention of selling toys and Hasbro never asked them to until 2008's All Hail Megatron. And I'm pretty sure Dreamwave wasn't made to sell toys either.

Other than that though, yeah, I agree completely.

Sabrblade wrote:

Kurona wrote:

william-james88 wrote:Denying the importance of the toys is denying the essence of the brand and this hobby. Until 2007, Transformers was a toy brand first with any fiction made to simply sell toys.

This isn't entirely to-the-letter true; IDW's Transformers comics - which have been around since October 2005 - never had the intention of selling toys and Hasbro never asked them to until 2008's All Hail Megatron. And I'm pretty sure Dreamwave wasn't made to sell toys either.

Other than that though, yeah, I agree completely.

Not just comics, but one could argue that even one of the cartoons, Beast Machines, was pretty light on the "To sell toys" aspect, what with how uncoordinated the show and toyline were with each other.

Kurona wrote:Though unlike BM, Dreamwave and IDW (until AHM) had absolutely no toyline behind them.

Sabrblade wrote:

Kurona wrote:Though unlike BM, Dreamwave and IDW (until AHM) had absolutely no toyline behind them.

While true, I will bring up that the individual Dreamwave issues did include advertisements for the then-contemporary Generation One Commemorative Series toyline of TRU exclusives, among the other usual comic book ads.

william-james88 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Kurona wrote:Though unlike BM, Dreamwave and IDW (until AHM) had absolutely no toyline behind them.

While true, I will bring up that the individual Dreamwave issues did include advertisements for the then-contemporary Generation One Commemorative Series toyline of TRU exclusives, among the other usual comic book ads.

My main point is that these are secondary to the brand. And the comics wouldnt count as the same because it was (and is) licensed fiction. Hasbro doesnt make money from the comic book sales, they get it from licensing there, so its a different thing. My main point was that the shows cmissioned by hasbro are made to sell the toyline and that the toys were the main focal point of the TF Brand. We can at least agree on that and thus their importance, right?

william-james88 wrote:

primalxconvoy wrote:
I have to disagree. Although G1 can get a pass for not being authentic to the cartoons, I have no empathy for the original Beast wars toys, as it was the SHOW thta was the "real" look, rather than the toys )toy-only molds nonwithstanding). Thus, for me, the Hasblow versions are neithr show, nor toy accurate and thus worthless.

How does G1 get a pass and not Beast Wars when its the same thing. Like G1, Beast Wars was a toyline first and a show second. Like G1, the show was just made to sell the toys and took liberties on how the toys looked in the first season.

Here are the actual initial character models for the Beast Wars show.










As you can see, they are far more toy based, showing what the show based itself on and what the initial mandate was.

Denying the importance of the toys is denying the essence of the brand and this hobby. Until 2007, Transformers was a toy brand first with any fiction made to simply sell toys. So homaging the true essence of this brand, the toys, has as much value than homaging the fiction.

primalxconvoy wrote:For Beast Wars, and especially the show characters, it was the show, not the original toys, that have given us our memories of what looks "right" about the figures. This means that "show accurate" will always trump "toy accurate" when it comes to the Western beast wars figures.