I'm new here, so please link me to and/or delete this thread if there is already one going related to this.
I'd like to ask those of you more in the collecting biz than I, what do you like or not like about CHUG/Voyager collecting or Legends Class/Size collecting.
I'm asking because I'm just getting into this and trying to decide if I want to stick with the figure size I already have a few of, or save space and go small.
To me, larger scale collecting makes for a more impressive shelf. I collect MP's as well as CHUG, but when it comes to the mainline stuff, I prefer Voyagers and deluxes. Leaders are okay, but it's easier to fake a scale without them.
Legend/Legion/Cyberverse is awesome to collect. It's almost easy to build an army of different figures. You have modern Legends and Cyberverse Commanders as the 'leaders', and Legion/Cyberverse as the troops.
I can see that, especially in the Collections Gallery. I'm not one for grabbing everything that looks cool to me (I'd love to, but don't have the funds or the space), so I just try to get the absolute best iterations (in my opinion) of each character, all within the same (relative) scale. That last part is proving to be difficult.
I wondered about doing just the above with the smaller figures, but the 3P stuff in that size seems few and far in between. The mainline stuff in that size has almost always dissapointed me. This may change, however, as I absolutely love the Legends Shockwave from Combiner Wars.
I've already obtained a few deluxe/voyager CHUG figures (mostly Deluxe), and I love them a lot. I actually just got the Comic versions of Toyworld's Orion and Hegemon. They're both great, but Hegemon is the one that has cemented his place as my megatron. Orion is just too...beefy maybe? for me.
EDIT: Let me rephrase my opinion on Orion. He's a fantastic callback to both the Marvel Optimus and the IDW Optimus. Just not geewun enough, as the rest of my collection is very much modernizations of G1 characters.
Aside from trying to figure out what to do with my life in regards to Transformers, my original post still stands. I'd love to hear some opinions on CHUG vs Legends.
What do you like most about the two scales? What are some of your absolute favorite figures from each? Which are the best legends figures ever?
Scale doesn't really matter much to me. While a Voyager/Leader Optimus next to a Deluxe Bumblebee looks good on the shelf and aligns with the fiction, it's not a requirement for my collection. I also like the idea of shelves full of Legends/Legion/Cyberverse-sized figures. Unity in size class.
The larger the collection is, the more room they take up (obviously), so Legends have always appealed to me in terms of space.
However, some Legends figures pale in comparison to their CHUG interpretations (Legends Hound compared to Classics Hound? No contest). There are also figures that don't have a Legends counterpart (Classics Jetfire?), making it difficult to get an "entire cast" in your collection.
Most Legends figures have similar transformations (is it a car? Then I'm guessing the hood flips down, the back of the car separates into legs, and the arms form the sides), if not simple transformations. If part of the enjoyment of the figures is the fun of transforming them, Legends might not be the way to go.
I love my CHUG collection. I'm a big fan of size variety, so having titans, combiners, leaders, ultras (RIP), voyagers, deluxe and scouts is fantastic. On the other hand, if I was starting out now, I might try to go legends just because of the playset factor - FortMax, Metroplex, the upcoming Trypticon and all the TR Leaders. Plus, you know, the space factor - I can't display half my collection right now.
My wallet is wheezing in it's final death throes, but you guys are really convincing me to go with both sizes. What to do, what to do.....
On another note, any opinions on official vs 3P legends figures? Do they look good together, how do they stack up in quality, etc.
If you're not opposed to 3P, the Legends figures are worth looking into. I can't justify the $100 figures, and $30-$50 for a Legends figure is a little crazy, but it's something I can handle. I have a few (Like IronFactory's Soundwave and Windblade) and definitely enjoy them.
You'll get some more interesting and involved transformations and better detail/paint with 3P Legends. Plus, they make it easier to fill out the ranks with figures not released by Hasbro in that size class.
I love everything by Ironfactory, but I can agree the prices are off-putting. The Windblade is just the cutest little thing.
Which 3P companies have put out good figures in that size other than IronFactory anyway? They're really the only ones I've heard of.
Is there anywhere I can easily search for legends size figures? A database or something? And is there any easy way to shop for them? Just looking around on TFSource and BBTS, "transformers legends" doesn't really get me what I was looking for.
Finally, could I get some recommendations for a Megatron and Optimus in this size? I've just got the TF3DOTM guys with their trailers, and they don't really do it for me.
DX9 put out a legends-class Blurr, Ironhide, Ratchet, Scourge, Cyclonus, Galvatron, Kup, Arcee, and Megatron in their "War In Pocket" line.
TFC Toys put out an Optimus, MEgatron, Rodimus, and the Seekers in their "Targetroids" line (though these figures turn into guns rather than their usual alt modes, but I absolutely love the Seekers and Rodimus in this line.
Yeah, it's really hard to look for these when the 3P companies can't use the "Transformers" name and try to avoid using the same size class names like "Legends" (doubly difficult when Hasbro has the "legends" size class and Takara has the "Legends" toyline). Threads like this are a great way to get that info.
Once you know what you're looking for, check the Junkion Exchange here on TFW. Oftentimes, these figures are sold in sets/pairs, and you'll find someone who wants to split up a set (that's how I got my DX9 Blurr - I didn't care for the Ironhide that he came with). And there's always ebay. Not that you shouldn't support stores like TFSource (especially ones who are site sponsors), but I've noticed that these figures sell out fast, or are long gone by the time you learn about them.
My definitive Megatron at this size is the Targetroid from TFC. HE doesn't turn into a tank or his usual gun, but he does turn into a weapon, and that's good enough for me. Hasbro did put out a legends Megatron in the Reveal The Shield line, and that one DOES turn into his original gun (albeit with an orange tip), but I'm not a fan of the proportions of either mode.
The robot modes for the targetroids are gorgeous! The gun modes are...eh. But whatever. That legends Megs is pretty alright in gun mode, but I agree his robot mode is just awful.
I'm also trying to downsize my collection, and hoping that someone posts some other legends-size 3P figs that I haven't seen yet, so I could sell off some of these bigger figures.
Speaking of other ones, I really don't dig Hybrid Style Convoy. But he seems the best Optimus prime (in robot mode) at this size. I remember seeing somewhere that there was a Megatron made by another company to go with that Convoy, but can't remember his name for the life of me.
EDIT: Is there a way to search the Junkion threads that I'm too dumb to find? Or do you have to troll your way through them to find what you want?
DOUBLE EDIT: His name is MIGHTRON. He's another War In Pocket dude. Looks amazing. (NOT the "Supreme Leader" one, that one's bigger).
Speaking of other ones, I really don't dig Hybrid Style Convoy. But he seems the best Optimus prime (in robot mode) at this size...
I have the Hybrid Style Convoy, but I was thinking about selling him. He's a gorgeous figure, essentially a scaled-down MP, but some parts just seem far too fragile. I'm loving the accessories, but I've only transformed him a couple of times and now he's just collecting dust.
Dude, the Junkion search straight-up sucks. I'll search for a keyword, and it'll give me threads that don't even have the keyword in it. It also doesn't help that some members insist on keeping their sold items listed, so I'll have to slog through thread after thread of "WFC Soundwave - SOLD" before I actually find one for sale. Your best bet is to post in the "Wanted" section of the Junkion Exchange and hope someone sees it that way.
I've always thought he was a good robot, his vehicle mode was just deplorable. How fragile do you mean? So fragile that he'd break just by falling off a shelf?
EDIT: I'm watching Peaugh's review of HS Convoy and he's breaking apart as I watch. Is there really no substitute for Hybrid-Style at this scale? Other than the pen prime, anyway?
I just did some wiki-ing about different size classes. So are these Iron factory and DX9 guys more legends/legion size or commander/scout size?
They have wild* variations in size. Ultra Magnus from IF is nearly deluxe size, I believe. Their Scorponok is between deluxe and voyager (maybe even straight voyager?). Most of the figures are legends size, though.
Ooooooh, okay. That makes more sense now, thank you. Wow, these Junkion threads aren't the easiest to deal with for sure.
Okay, there are some really great figures in this size. Even some official ones! But only some of the newest official ones.
I'll definitely be keeping some of my CHUG figures though, as they're amazing. Especially the generations ones, as well as Orion & Hegemon.