these days there's no excuse for a brick toy. Look at the friggin' G2 Cyberjets. Those things came out in like '94 and they were crazy ninja-style.

Some people on this board invoke poseability to the point where it seems like they mean--"The more poseable figure is the better figure, regardless of other considerations"

 

How important is it, really? How many Transformers owned by collectors spend more than 99% of their existance stationary on a shelf? For that matter, how many Transformers spend their entire lives MISB? What does poseability contribute to either of these?

 

Then there's the matter of looks. Can a figure look good independant of what it can physically do, or is visibly having well articulated joints critical in whether or not a figure looks "cool"

 

Opinions?

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I hear you dude. But for me articulation and poseability aren't about the gymnast kung fu ninja poses. It's about being able to stand them up in a "natural"-looking position, as opposed to the "robot from Lost in Space pose" that so many G1 bricks can only do.

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I'm w/ MH on this one.  Mostly because they are not just supposed robots, but living beings. So the natural looking pose makes sense to me.

It is EXTREMELY important. Poseability > figure accuracy. If it can fold it's arms and sit Native American style, I'm sold.

not very important in my case, in fact, my fav transformers are like a wood  :tflaugh

It is EXTREMELY important. Poseability > figure accuracy. If it can fold it's arms and sit Native American style, I'm sold.

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*imagines DN's toys sitting on the shelf singing "Kumbaya"*

Just enough moveable joints so the robot doesn't stand at attention at all times, is good enough for me.

My opinion, and that's all it is - the opinion of one guy, is that there is should be a bare minimum.  Once that's met, more articulation is nice, but unnecessary, and in a few cases can detract.  For me, the minimum level involves:

 

Head - able to rotate at least 30 degrees in either direction

Shoulders - enable arms to move forward/back and out to the side

Upper Arms - for toys larger than a basic, there should be a swivel (certain exceptions may apply, but there really needs to be a good reason)

Elbows - need to have them (again, exceptions like E. Shockblast exist)

Hips - enable the legs to move forward/back and out to the side

Knees - need to have them

 

That should be the minimum, and was the minimum for basic and larger new molds (with VERY few exceptions) from 1994 - early 2001.  More articulation is certainly welcome (waist, upper leg swivel, foot/ankle, etc), but not necessary for me at least.

We've had this topic so many times and I always say Posability is the number 1 most important thing. It determines a figures spotlight time. I was collecting G1 reissues and I always was like, "Oh Jazz. I've never owned or seen Jazz up close. I wonder how you transform him and attach his weapons?" then I get the toy put on the sticker(which is fun) and then it's like "Okay. What now. back in the box you go. " My other figures I cant put down becaus I want to keep changing their poses.

I like a figure to be articulated like a person is.  Natural poses are just as important as ninja ones. My main gripe with the E. combiners is that, with all thier posibility, they can't hold a natural pose, like standing. 

 

Posability is about 50% of a figure's greatness to me.  the rest is made up of molding and character.  Despite his lack of posibility, G1 Superion is a better toy than E. Superion because of his character, IMO. 

I like a figure to be articulated like a person is.  Natural poses are just as important as ninja ones. My main gripe with the E. combiners is that, with all thier posibility, they can't hold a natural pose, like standing. 

 

Posability is about 50% of a figure's greatness to me.  the rest is made up of molding and character.  Despite his lack of posibility, G1 Superion is a better toy than E. Superion because of his character, IMO. 

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And G1 Superion has hands that actually resemble hands.