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TFC Iron Army


cakedup

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The Iron Army has arrived and they are fun. They are really fun unless of course you are looking for four little robots and not the combiner. Individually your money is better spent elsewhere, but for a true PCC combiner these are awesome. Even now after the review I am discovering new ways of playing with him. Highly recommended to PCC fans or just owners of Heavytread.

 

 

Also, please head on over to my channel and check out the rest of my stuff at http://www.youtube.com/user/cakedup83?feature=mhee. As always, please rate, comment, and subscribe!

 

 

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That right there just made me want to buy the Iron Army sets,

 

Nice review Cakeup

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What!? Fun little Transformers that turn into robots and vehicles and can combine to form a larger robot? Dumb ass fanboy! What the hell do you know? You're not a multimillion dollar company! Hasbro knows better than you ever could! :P :roll

 

 

 

Anyway, that was a good review and the TFC Iron Army toys look good. I think I'll buy them.

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Awesome review,the toys look very impressive in all modes.

 

Hasbro has yet to create a 5 man robot combiner team with poseable elbow joints that go up/down. yet TFC manages this with these toys.

 

I love the PCC combiners & I own one of each new mold from the Hasbro 5 packs & 2 packs.

 

I might wait for them to go on sale before I buy them.

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That right there just made me want to buy the Iron Army sets,

 

Nice review Cakeup

 

I am glad I was able to convince you to drain your wallet some more.

 

What!? Fun little Transformers that turn into robots and vehicles and can combine to form a larger robot? Dumb ass fanboy! What the hell do you know? You're not a multimillion dollar company! Hasbro knows better than you ever could! :P :roll

 

 

 

Anyway, that was a good review and the TFC Iron Army toys look good. I think I'll buy them.

 

I have already forwarded this video to Hasbro via their facebook page just to show them what they are missing out. I love the sarcasm!

 

Awesome review,the toys look very impressive in all modes.

 

Hasbro has yet to create a 5 man robot combiner team with poseable elbow joints that go up/down. yet TFC manages this with these toys.

 

I love the PCC combiners & I own one of each new mold from the Hasbro 5 packs & 2 packs.

 

I might wait for them to go on sale before I buy them.

 

Hasbro has been failing in that department. Hopefully they will get it right with the upcoming bruticus set. I have enjoyed the hell out of the PCC line. The failure in that line was just how hard it was to get the drones. I wouldn't wait to long because they are too awesome and I think people are going to go nuts.

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Don't forget that Hasbro works under different constraints from Third Party companies. These MAY include:

 

+ Budget. How much did this set cost you vs. how much a similar set from Hasbro would cost. I know that economies of scale also factor in too, but remember that all toys from Hasbro are restricted to a tight budget. For example, Animated Deluxe Hot Shot was initially intended to have red tips on the rockets (as can be seen in the packaging/promotional photos, but it was removed from the final product because those two extra splashes of red paint would have exceeded that toy's budget. The budget dictates how much can be spent on the production of a toy so as not to exceed a fixed price point. People often refer to Legions, Commander, Scout, Deluxe, Voyager, Leader etc. as size classes, but in reality they are price points. That's why Animated Lugnut sold at the price of a Voyager even though he's about the size of a Deluxe.

 

+ Child safety standards. This may not apply to this particular set, but I've seen both Not-Arcees, and they're far too fragile/brittle to pass off as a child's toy. A lot of those weak parts would easily break and create various hazards for kids (e.g. choking, scratching, poking etc.)

 

+ Marketability/feasibility. Hasbro really SHOULD be making CHUGUR figures for the characters that 3rd Parties are creating action figures for (e.g. Arcee, Insecticons, Combaticons etc.). What they can't do are the accessory kits because the market simply won't sustain it. You think the average kid cares about getting add-on armour for RtS Deluxe Optimus Prime? Nope. Will the average kid buy a well-made Generations Arcee toy? I don't see why not. If they can sell Animated Arcee to the primary market, I don't see why they can't do the same for G1 Arcee.

 

+ It needs to be fun. I've never seen Iron Army before, so I can't comment on them, but some 3rd Party toys that I've seen - while they're fine as display pieces are just scheissenhausen toys to play with! Look at City Commander. The trailer looks stupid which gets pulled apart to transform, and half of it ends up becoming this gun that's too big and heavy for Ultra Magnus to even hold properly. When connected, some of the parts pop off too easily, others are too tight. It also restricts articulation. I've seen two different kinds of Not-Arcees, and they're both TERRIBLE action figures! Animated Arcee is a nice, solid action figure whose engineering just CRAPS all over those Not-Arcee toys. If Hasbro made a Generations Arcee toy with a similar level of engineering as Animated Arcee, I'd be one very happy chappy.

 

Btw, Hasbro are aware of third party products (they always have been). Forwarding information to them isn't going to really change anything (other than Hasbro perceiving collectors as being conceited and demanding, which doesn't improve our reputation in their eyes). You know what Hasbro does listen to? Money. The best way to communicate to Hasbro is to vote with your wallets. Choosing to purchase third party products over Hasbro products is all you need to do to communicate your message to Hasbro. Hasbro can ignore Facebook posts... it's harder to ignore declining sales. ;)

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Don't forget that Hasbro works under different constraints from Third Party companies. These MAY include:

 

+ Budget. How much did this set cost you vs. how much a similar set from Hasbro would cost. I know that economies of scale also factor in too, but remember that all toys from Hasbro are restricted to a tight budget. For example, Animated Deluxe Hot Shot was initially intended to have red tips on the rockets (as can be seen in the packaging/promotional photos, but it was removed from the final product because those two extra splashes of red paint would have exceeded that toy's budget. The budget dictates how much can be spent on the production of a toy so as not to exceed a fixed price point. People often refer to Legions, Commander, Scout, Deluxe, Voyager, Leader etc. as size classes, but in reality they are price points. That's why Animated Lugnut sold at the price of a Voyager even though he's about the size of a Deluxe.

 

I fully understand the budgeting concerns that you are talking about. This set did cost me about 80 bucks total, but consider that it wasn't produced to the same volume as what Hasbro would produce for a worldwide distribution. I can honestly see each of these figures going for about the pricepoint of a Cyberverse commander. They are similar in size and engineering to Guzzle from the DotM line. Plus the Energon combiners were very popular with the kids because they were a bunch of toys that all transformed and combined. The only problem was Hasbro not popping out the last two for each set.

 

+ Child safety standards. This may not apply to this particular set, but I've seen both Not-Arcees, and they're far too fragile/brittle to pass off as a child's toy. A lot of those weak parts would easily break and create various hazards for kids (e.g. choking, scratching, poking etc.)

 

Another very strong point that I can agree with you on. Not really applicable to this set, but I have seen what happens to the iGear fragile warrior (name?) and it wasn't pretty.

 

+ Marketability/feasibility. Hasbro really SHOULD be making CHUGUR figures for the characters that 3rd Parties are creating action figures for (e.g. Arcee, Insecticons, Combaticons etc.). What they can't do are the accessory kits because the market simply won't sustain it. You think the average kid cares about getting add-on armour for RtS Deluxe Optimus Prime? Nope. Will the average kid buy a well-made Generations Arcee toy? I don't see why not. If they can sell Animated Arcee to the primary market, I don't see why they can't do the same for G1 Arcee.

 

This is where both of us are right. The PCC line was developed for kids and their love of mashing things together ala the Scramble City combiners. If Hasbro had had a little foresight they could have packaged the drones in small "booster" packs like they did the Armarda minicons, Beyblades and other toys. Requiring people to buy a 5-pack for a huge chunk of money only to have another Commander be naked was not a smart plan. As for the CHUGUR toys, those are meant for us as adults, but if the kids like them they too will pick them up. Some toys work wonders (that damn seeker mold) and other fail (Universe Dinobot). Most of the homaging stuff is lost on them because they aren't remembering their childhood, these new toys are their childhood. Since there is a blue Arcee in the Prime cartoon they would buy her instead. That is why the "collectors" got a pink Arcee in the NYCC exclusive set. I am very certain that the average kid would not give a damn about the Maketoys set so i am with you on that subject.

 

+ It needs to be fun. I've never seen Iron Army before, so I can't comment on them, but some 3rd Party toys that I've seen - while they're fine as display pieces are just scheissenhausen toys to play with! Look at City Commander. The trailer looks stupid which gets pulled apart to transform, and half of it ends up becoming this gun that's too big and heavy for Ultra Magnus to even hold properly. When connected, some of the parts pop off too easily, others are too tight. It also restricts articulation. I've seen two different kinds of Not-Arcees, and they're both TERRIBLE action figures! Animated Arcee is a nice, solid action figure whose engineering just CRAPS all over those Not-Arcee toys. If Hasbro made a Generations Arcee toy with a similar level of engineering as Animated Arcee, I'd be one very happy chappy.

 

Again, a strong arguement, except you forget things like the Ultimate Optimus Prime, RiD Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus, the entirety of the Energon deluxe toys. City Commander and Ultra Magnus as a whole hasn't made sense to kids in a long time. I own the Shadow Commander set and I have put the cannon in the box because I too don't like it. The gun isn't a lot of fun. Producing little sets like this would again fit in the Cyberverse profile. If you watched my video you would see that none of these guys are all that complext. The tanks are little more than scaled down Munitioners and the planes are only a little more complex in combiner/robot mode. They are a blast for the most part. Having a "replica" of a real WWII vehicle might not be appealing to everyone, but they aren't restricted to just that idea. Imagine if the PCC drones at the very least skipped the automorph crap and had some limb articulation instead. Combine that with the idea of "booster" packs and there could have been a lot of fun and near limitless repaint material that could have seen a lot of sales.

 

Btw, Hasbro are aware of third party products (they always have been). Forwarding information to them isn't going to really change anything (other than Hasbro perceiving collectors as being conceited and demanding, which doesn't improve our reputation in their eyes). You know what Hasbro does listen to? Money. The best way to communicate to Hasbro is to vote with your wallets. Choosing to purchase third party products over Hasbro products is all you need to do to communicate your message to Hasbro. Hasbro can ignore Facebook posts... it's harder to ignore declining sales. ;)

 

Again, that is a very true statement. I wish I could give them more of my money, but when they shovel Bumblebees as they have been, it gets a little difficult to do so. I thoroughly believe that Bumblebee and a bad economy are the reason why the rest of the DotM line was cancelled. I would have though Hasbro was listening at first but they started the same nonsense with him again in the Prime line. It makes perfect sense as the kid appeal character, but the DotM line was not a kids flick in any stretch, and why would a parent buy their kid another yellow Camaro toy right now when we have had over a hundred different versions of Bumblebee since 2007. To the parent's it doesn't make a lick of difference to their wallets that this Bumblebee has a transforming gun or that that one has two "Snap on blasters." Hopefully Hasbro will catch on to their folly sooner rather than later. And to think they hadn't learned from the Alternators Smokescreen debacle from way back when.

 

In short, my biggest gripe here is that Hasbro created a line that showed a lot of promise and then abandoned it half way through the design process. They finally hit the right stride with the last wave of new Commanders/Drones but then cancelled the line. I want to see the line come back and I really think combining the Cyberverse and PCC lines would be a great way of doing it. You have presented a strong arguement at nearly every turn so far, but it seemed focused mostly on completing your CHUGUR collection and not the bigger picture for Hasbro as a whole. I know I seem focused on the set here in question, but I am more focused on a line I really enjoyed, and one that Hasbro could have gone the distance with. I mean, how could they miss using the Huffer mold and the Rallybots to make a Mensaor homage? I am almost done painting these pieces to reflect an animated PCC Mensaor.

 

I really enjoyed your post. I love it when there is a strong arguement presented that makes a person.

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Out of all the 3rd party toys that I have, I've found that TFC Hercules is the most like something that could be sold at retail. Aside from a few very stiff hinges on some of the robots, they're easy to transform and seem quite safe.

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cakedup: The over-done Bumblebee thing is just plain crazy. As you said, no parent's gonna want to buy their kid yet another Bumblebee... most kids are not going to _want_ yet another Bumblebee. Most collectors are also not looking for more Bumblebees. In short, most people period don't want another Bumblebee! And the fact that they continue to pegwarm/shelfwarm everywhere is a testament to the utter lack of interest/demand for Bumblebees! Hasbro has well and truly over-saturated the market with Bumblebees.

 

I don't even think the state of certain economies has much to do with it. The Australian economy is still quite robust atm and even most people here aren't interested in buying more Bumblebees!! It's not that we can't afford it per se, there's just no incentive to buy more. Most of us already have too many (I know I do!). Yet if they'd released new characters like Leadfoot, Que, Soundwave and given us a Deluxe Mirage - I'm sure they would have sold a LOT better than any of the Bumblebees they keep pumping out. What I don't get is... the Leadfoot, Que and Soundwave Deluxes have already been engineered - TakaraTOMY already released them. Why can't Hasbro just grab those already-existing moulds and use them for their markets??? (o_O) There's no additional R&D cost involved. But no, they wanna repaint existing moulds. Just the other day I saw Autobot Armour Topspin at TRU... w h a t ? Oh, so they won't give us Leadfoot to complete the Deluxe Wreckers, but they'll give us a total random repaint of Topspin. Yeah, cos that'd totally sell better. :roll

 

Even in places where economies are suffering... let's face it, if you've got to watch your money, what are you more likely to buy for your child? A character like Bumblebee that they already own, or a whole new character? Say your kid's birthday comes along and you take him shopping, the conversation is likely to go one of two ways:

 

Scenario #1:

"Mummy, look! Bumblebee!"

"But sweetheart, you already have Bumblebee."

"Yeah but this one's Nitro Bumblebee! See? He's got these cool jets and different colours!"

"It's basically the same toy dear, why don't you pick something different? I'll get you that."

"Okay."

 

Scenario #2:

"Hey Johnny, look, it's Bumblebee! You like Bumblebee! Wanna get that toy for your birthday?"

"Aww, but I already have Bumblebee."

"But look, isn't it different from the Bumblebee you have at home?"

"It's still Bumblebee but. I want a different Transformer."

"Are there any Transformer characters here that you don't already have, sweetie?"

"Nah... maybe I'll get a Hot Wheels... from M A T T E L!"

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cakedup: The over-done Bumblebee thing is just plain crazy. As you said, no parent's gonna want to buy their kid yet another Bumblebee... most kids are not going to _want_ yet another Bumblebee. Most collectors are also not looking for more Bumblebees. In short, most people period don't want another Bumblebee! And the fact that they continue to pegwarm/shelfwarm everywhere is a testament to the utter lack of interest/demand for Bumblebees! Hasbro has well and truly over-saturated the market with Bumblebees.

 

I don't even think the state of certain economies has much to do with it. The Australian economy is still quite robust atm and even most people here aren't interested in buying more Bumblebees!! It's not that we can't afford it per se, there's just no incentive to buy more. Most of us already have too many (I know I do!). Yet if they'd released new characters like Leadfoot, Que, Soundwave and given us a Deluxe Mirage - I'm sure they would have sold a LOT better than any of the Bumblebees they keep pumping out. What I don't get is... the Leadfoot, Que and Soundwave Deluxes have already been engineered - TakaraTOMY already released them. Why can't Hasbro just grab those already-existing moulds and use them for their markets??? (o_O) There's no additional R&D cost involved. But no, they wanna repaint existing moulds. Just the other day I saw Autobot Armour Topspin at TRU... w h a t ? Oh, so they won't give us Leadfoot to complete the Deluxe Wreckers, but they'll give us a total random repaint of Topspin. Yeah, cos that'd totally sell better. :roll

 

Even in places where economies are suffering... let's face it, if you've got to watch your money, what are you more likely to buy for your child? A character like Bumblebee that they already own, or a whole new character? Say your kid's birthday comes along and you take him shopping, the conversation is likely to go one of two ways:

 

Scenario #1:

"Mummy, look! Bumblebee!"

"But sweetheart, you already have Bumblebee."

"Yeah but this one's Nitro Bumblebee! See? He's got these cool jets and different colours!"

"It's basically the same toy dear, why don't you pick something different? I'll get you that."

"Okay."

 

Scenario #2:

"Hey Johnny, look, it's Bumblebee! You like Bumblebee! Wanna get that toy for your birthday?"

"Aww, but I already have Bumblebee."

"But look, isn't it different from the Bumblebee you have at home?"

"It's still Bumblebee but. I want a different Transformer."

"Are there any Transformer characters here that you don't already have, sweetie?"

"Nah... maybe I'll get a Hot Wheels... from M A T T E L!"

 

That is all very true. As far as the cancelled molds, because Hasbro over produced the Bumblebees, the DotM toys are still on the shelves well passed what the retailers were expecting in their forecasts. They (Wal-Mart, TRU, Target, etc.) ordered the cases the way they are based on the idea that Bumblebee was the main character and that all of the kids would want him. I learned all of this from the Wal-Mart regional manager when he was here in Florida. I pulled him aside and pointed out the 60 some odd BB's and he wasn't surprised. Wal-Mart has caught on to a point. That is why there were hardly any Mudflaps from DotM on shelves. That could also be why the next case revision has no BBs's. Maybe the retailers are getting smarter about this stuff.

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