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Thoughts on Premier Edition Deluxe Barricade and Decepticon Berserker

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Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People.

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Apr 25, 2017, 5:03:11 PM4/25/17
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Barricade

So I got him from TRU, $19.99 with a 15% off coupon was $18.49 after tax.

It comes in a box, kinda thin, with a front window that wraps around the left side for about 2 inches. It doesn't say "Decepticon Barricade" just "Barricade." Decepticon Berserker says "Decepticon Berserker" on the box. The side of the box bills him as a "SINISTER TRICKSTER" in four languages

The box front has Barricade on it with "Protect and Serve" on his shoulders and thighs, and divided up on his knuckles, instead of Punish and Enslave. The back of the box says his transformation has 11 steps. Bumblebee and Berserker are the box cosells. A single piece of tape holds each end of the box closed.


Inside is a cardboard back with a plastic tray sitting inside. A gun and baton are across the top with Barricade below holding up his left arm. The weapons are tied in with a single clear plastic tie, and Barricade has 7 ties holding him in.

Protect and Serve appears nowhere on the robot mode. The hood roof and doors are the backpack, the robot head is through the car hood and the front grill is the chestplate. The wheels end up on the shoulders and the back of the calves. The baton and gun peg on to the hips. He has a wrist gauntlet that unfolds and pegs in to the back window. His head looks vastly different from previous incarnations. He's also stockier. Someone has been hitting the donuts.

Transformation: The backpack pulls out, the door unfold from it, The chest grill swings up, the shoulder joints do some fancy Oragami and fold in behind the hips, shoulders meeting up with the chestplate. The toes fold up and inward touching each other. The backpack clips down over everything.

In car mode his baton and gun are underneath, the wrist gauntlet on the back window as a vehicle mounted cannon. The doors say "police" and have a Decepticon logo (just a regular one, not the fancy badge-like one he has had prior) and the words "Protect and Serve" are above the back wheels, which were the back of the legs in robot mode. The vehicle front doesn't clip together too well. All his windows are see through (They're all one piece, so that's why.)with a clear lightbar on top with red silver and blue details. He's mostly dark blue and black. the car mode is a little stubby on the back end.

Decepticon Berserker

Bl bla bla box is the same except he's a "RAGING DESTROYER" and he's 17 steps with Bumblebee and Barricade are the cosells.

He's got a lot of rubber spikes everywhere, he's obviously a tribute to DOTM Crankcase. He is thin and lanky, and has the dreadlocks. His weapons are two spiky bat like things that can clip on to his backpack or into his forearms. His hands are clawlike and probably not the best for holding anything.

The wheels are on the hips and backs of the ankles, the car roof hod and grill are the backpack. The rear side panels wrap around the arms.

The backpack unfolds, the arms fold up above the head, the legs fold up at the waist to match up with the arms. There is a bit of panel massage but it works well.

Berserker's vehicle mode has a smaller size and wheel base, he's not the same scale as Barricade, and all his windows are the same blue paint. He has painted on red siren detail at the front and back of the roof. his spike batons fit in the undercarriage. White headlights, blue windows, red sirens, gold Chevy logos, and a purple Decepticon logo on the front doors, a small grey hinge, otherwise all black.

banzait...@gmail.com

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Apr 25, 2017, 8:44:04 PM4/25/17
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The only thing I want less than a new movie barricade toy is a new movie bumblebee toy. The only toy I am planning on buying from the movie line is the voyager size megatron.

-Banzaitron

Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People.

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Apr 25, 2017, 9:33:44 PM4/25/17
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On Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 7:44:04 PM UTC-5, banzait...@gmail.com wrote:
> The only thing I want less than a new movie barricade toy is a new movie bumblebee toy. The only toy I am planning on buying from the movie line is the voyager size megatron.
>
> -Banzaitron

I mainly got it because Barricade was the only movie Decepticon character I actually liked, the only one that got any lines showing a personality. and it was a totally new mold.

The first three waves of stuff this time around is dominated by repaints. I'm probably going to get out of this one with a scant few toys. Sqweeks, Megatron, and Hound are the only other interesting looking ones that have had previews released so far.

It's like they forget how to capitalize on movies. You have a multi million dollar toy commercial and they are churning out the same old.

banzait...@gmail.com

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Apr 25, 2017, 10:06:44 PM4/25/17
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It's an interesting gamble. They probably are banking on the next generation of parents and kids to buy up the toys, all the while saving 90% on development costs. Crazy to think the bayverse is a decade old. There are people that were ten at the time of the first movie debut, that are now parents! Sadly, I suspect it will pay off financially for Hasbro. To be honest, I have such bayverse tiredhead, I'm relieved that I will be able to easily pass on 90% of the toy line.

-Banzaitron

Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People.

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Apr 26, 2017, 12:18:26 PM4/26/17
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On Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 9:06:44 PM UTC-5, banzait...@gmail.com wrote:
> It's an interesting gamble. They probably are banking on the next generation of parents and kids to buy up the toys, all the while saving 90% on development costs. Crazy to think the bayverse is a decade old. There are people that were ten at the time of the first movie debut, that are now parents! Sadly, I suspect it will pay off financially for Hasbro. To be honest, I have such bayverse tiredhead, I'm relieved that I will be able to easily pass on 90% of the toy line.
>
> -Banzaitron

I also, in wave one, bought up the entirety of Deluxe class Decepticons announced in the first three waves. Megatron is the only Decepticon Voyager or Leader toy.

Gustavo Wombat, of the Seattle Wombats

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Apr 28, 2017, 4:44:31 AM4/28/17
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On Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 2:03:11 PM UTC-7, Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People. wrote:
> Barricade
>
> So I got him from TRU, $19.99 with a 15% off coupon was $18.49 after tax.
>
> It comes in a box, kinda thin, with a front window that wraps around the left side for about 2 inches. It doesn't say "Decepticon Barricade" just "Barricade." Decepticon Berserker says "Decepticon Berserker" on the box. The side of the box bills him as a "SINISTER TRICKSTER" in four languages
>
> The box front has Barricade on it with "Protect and Serve" on his shoulders and thighs, and divided up on his knuckles, instead of Punish and Enslave.

I really love the idea of the "Protect" and "Serve" brass knuckles. I wish they had sculpted them onto the hands.

> Inside is a cardboard back with a plastic tray sitting inside. A gun and baton are across the top with Barricade below holding up his left arm. The weapons are tied in with a single clear plastic tie, and Barricade has 7 ties holding him in.

I also like the two smaller weapons -- a handgun and a nightstick, just like real policemen use!

> Transformation: The backpack pulls out, the door unfold from it, The chest grill swings up, the shoulder joints do some fancy Oragami and fold in behind the hips, shoulders meeting up with the chestplate. The toes fold up and inward touching each other. The backpack clips down over everything.

As shellformers go, he's really not bad. There's very little massage required, and almost everything pegs together well.

> The vehicle front doesn't clip together too well.

Yeah, that's unfortunate.

>All his windows are see through (They're all one piece, so that's why.)with a clear lightbar on top with red silver and blue details. He's mostly dark blue and black. the car mode is a little stubby on the back end.

What car is he supposed to be this time out? A Saleen 302 Mustang this time, which is a little stubbier in the back end than the 281. And it fits with his stockier, donut enhanced frame.

Overall, I really like this toy -- best Deluxe Barricade to date, despite the problems pegging the front down.

> Decepticon Berserker
>
> He's got a lot of rubber spikes everywhere, he's obviously a tribute to DOTM Crankcase. He is thin and lanky, and has the dreadlocks. His weapons are two spiky bat like things that can clip on to his backpack or into his forearms. His hands are clawlike and probably not the best for holding anything.

Hands hold the spikey bat like things pretty well.

> The wheels are on the hips and backs of the ankles, the car roof hod and grill are the backpack. The rear side panels wrap around the arms.
>
> The backpack unfolds, the arms fold up above the head, the legs fold up at the waist to match up with the arms. There is a bit of panel massage but it works well.

I don't love this toy. The panel massage is a nuisance, and the result isn't great. Too many panel lines, and hinges in the wrong color...

Overall, while Barricade looks like he might have transformed from a police car, Berserker looks like a monster that just hides in a crunchy shell. It doesn't work for me.

Various other Transformers I found today:

- Voyager Optimus Prime: It's impressive how many ways they find to turn a robot that looks like this into a truck that looks like that. This is, without a doubt, another one. The head sculpt is odd, and somewhat goat-like. Poor ground clearance. At least all the windows match, which is more than can be said about the previous AoE Design Optimus toys. And a much more compact backpack, with a lot more of the vehicle mode folded up on the legs.

- Voyager Grimlock: Somehow they actually painted up this mold to make it really appealing. It doesn't take a mediocre mold and turn it into a great toy, but it does take a mediocre mold and make it a good toy. I wasn't planning on buying him, but he won me over in person.

- Slash - Also looked good, but I remember hating the toy. Digging him out, he seems less worse than I remember, but I am still thinking that passing was the right thing.

- Bumblebee - Is this a new mold? Or did I just not bother buying it? Whichever, I didn't buy it again. It looks awful.

- PrimeRID Skywarp - I don't have any love for PrimeRID as a cartoon, but the toys really are great. And this is the best TF:Animated Starscream mold, even if it was never intended to be TF:Animated Starscream, or in this case one of the clones.

- PrimeRID Soundwave - A smaller, simpler, cuter version of WFC Soundwave, with a head based on TF:Prime Soundwave. He's probably a toy that I will forget about, and then discover in a box periodically, and be delighted by time and time again.

Gustavo Wombat, of the Seattle Wombats

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Apr 28, 2017, 4:15:48 PM4/28/17
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On Friday, April 28, 2017 at 1:44:31 AM UTC-7, Gustavo Wombat, of the Seattle Wombats wrote:
> On Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 2:03:11 PM UTC-7, Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People. wrote:
> > Barricade
> >
> > So I got him from TRU, $19.99 with a 15% off coupon was $18.49 after tax.
> >
> > It comes in a box, kinda thin, with a front window that wraps around the left side for about 2 inches. It doesn't say "Decepticon Barricade" just "Barricade." Decepticon Berserker says "Decepticon Berserker" on the box. The side of the box bills him as a "SINISTER TRICKSTER" in four languages
> >
> > The box front has Barricade on it with "Protect and Serve" on his shoulders and thighs, and divided up on his knuckles, instead of Punish and Enslave.
>
> I really love the idea of the "Protect" and "Serve" brass knuckles. I wish they had sculpted them onto the hands.

This is what I get for opening toys in dim light and believing people like Irrellius when he says that "Serve and Protect" never appears on the robot mode...

He has "Serve" and "Protect" molded onto his knuckles, backwards, so they would leave bruises/dents with the words as clear as can be. It's awesome.

It totally makes up for the front not quite pegging into place and having a few gaps -- which are thankfully in areas of dark plastic so they are hard to see.

Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People.

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Apr 28, 2017, 11:00:31 PM4/28/17
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I said it didn't appear. The word protect and the word serve, but "Protect and Serve" does not.

>>What car is he supposed to be this time out? A Saleen 302 Mustang this time, >which is a little stubbier in the back end than the 281. And it fits with his >stockier, donut enhanced frame.
>
>Overall, I really like this toy -- best Deluxe Barricade to date, despite the >problems pegging the front down.

I still like the 2007, he was taller and had the badges and Frenzy.


>- Bumblebee - Is this a new mold? Or did I just not bother buying it? >Whichever, I didn't buy it again. It looks awful.

I think the bumblebee is a repaint, I didn't remember the last one having such huge legs, but I skipped the last one too so I'm not 100% sure.

>- Slash - Also looked good, but I remember hating the toy. Digging him out, he >seems less worse than I remember, but I am still thinking that passing was the >right thing.

I sold my original because it looked nothing like any of the movie bots. He wasn't in the movie. This color scheme is more movie like, but is that a good thing?

I didnt get any of the optimus toys from the end of the last movie, they all looked like crap so I just got the Evasion Mode from the beginning of the last one. I'm considering this one, as long as it's nice and complicated.

I see Skywarp and Soundwave everywhere, Soundwave is a cross between FoC and Animated.

Gustavo Wombat

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Apr 29, 2017, 4:23:34 PM4/29/17
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Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People. <Ob1k...@att.net> wrote:
> On Friday, April 28, 2017 at 3:15:48 PM UTC-5, Gustavo Wombat, of the
> Seattle Wombats wrote:
>> On Friday, April 28, 2017 at 1:44:31 AM UTC-7,
> Gustavo Wombat, of the Seattle Wombats
>> Overall, I really like this toy -- best Deluxe Barricade to date,
>> despite the >problems pegging the front down.
>
> I still like the 2007, he was taller and had the badges and Frenzy.

And the weird spring loaded arms.

>> - Slash - Also looked good, but I remember hating the toy. Digging him
>> out, he >seems less worse than I remember, but I am still thinking that
>> passing was the >right thing.
>
> I sold my original because it looked nothing like any of the movie bots.
> He wasn't in the movie. This color scheme is more movie like, but is that a good thing?

I'm baffled by the notion of selling these things off. Can you really get
enough that it's worth the bother?

> I didnt get any of the optimus toys from the end of the last movie, they
> all looked like crap so I just got the Evasion Mode from the beginning of
> the last one. I'm considering this one, as long as it's nice and complicated.

All of the Optimus toys of this shape share a basic transformation trick,
with the massive area behind the driver's seat being a shell to cover the
robot torso. Arms go into different spots on different molds, and the legs
either swing forward or backwards.

The AoE Leader toys both have the legs swing forward, and the rear of the
truck is a backpack. First Edition is very simple, the Second Edition /
Generations one adds a lot of complexity that does nothing but change where
kibble hangs in robot mode from the backpack to along the sides.

This one has the legs swing back, forming the rear of the truck, and the
front formed by the arms, and large amounts of panels that fold out from
the legs.

It's not better or worse of a design. It's just mildly different. The new
truck mode has so much space that there's no real need for the toy
designers to get clever, and the robot mode character design has so few
elements of the vehicle that he's going to be a shell former with a
backpack.

He's not as impressive of a shell former with a backpack as AoE Galvatron
who lies down, folds his torso, and then erects a tent over his body in the
shape of a truck. That transformation is so ridiculous it is awesome.


> I see Skywarp and Soundwave everywhere, Soundwave is a cross between FoC and Animated.
>

I haven't seen Blurr, and he's one of the cosells

--
I wish I was a mole in the ground.

Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People.

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Apr 29, 2017, 10:28:07 PM4/29/17
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Blurr is just another car, he's around. I saw him in the box and just was not impressed.

Gustavo Wombat, of the Seattle Wombats

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May 1, 2017, 2:44:47 AM5/1/17
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On Saturday, April 29, 2017 at 7:28:07 PM UTC-7, Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People. wrote:

> Blurr is just another car, he's around. I saw him in the box and just was not impressed.

Just another car? You realize you could describe almost all the 1984-5 Autobots as "Just another car", don't you?

I've loved almost the entire PrimeRID toyline, and I expect this one to be par for the course -- a simple, but effective transformation, vaguely referencing G1, but pretty awesome on his own.

I really think Hasbro has finally hit their stride with Deluxe-ish toys since the Great Cheapening. Combiner Wars, Titans Return and PrimeRID are all great.

The smaller toys are hit or miss, and the bigger toys are sometimes sketchy, and the one-step things aren't for me, but the Deluxe-ish toys are pretty awesome.

Zobovor

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May 2, 2017, 6:44:36 PM5/2/17
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On Saturday, April 29, 2017 at 8:28:07 PM UTC-6, Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People. wrote:

> Blurr is just another car, he's around. I saw him in the box and just was not
> impressed.

I took another look at him today, since you guys were talking about him, and he actually looks kind of okay. I mean, he takes a lot of design cues from the original Blurr. In vehicle mode, he's got the elongated hood that reminds me a lot of the shield on the G1 toy. His robot styling hits a lot of the right marks, too... his chest, upper arms, knees, that thingy on his forehead, they all remind me strongly of his G1 design.

I wouldn't pay money for him, but if somebody gave it to me as a gift, I would keep it and not return it to the store. Which is damning him with faint praise, I realize.

I really have no need for another Blurr toy, because the Titans Return toy is quite good (though I do still want the Takara version, which is better). With that said, the RiD2 Blurr is a much more successful reimagining of the character than, say, the Armada toy or the Cybertron toy or the Generations toy. (I dislike his weird goggles, but that's just me.)


Zob (I do kinda want RiD2 Starscream, though, and I'm sad that I seem to have missed my chance)

Gustavo Wombat, of the Seattle Wombats

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May 3, 2017, 3:31:27 AM5/3/17
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On Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 3:44:36 PM UTC-7, Zobovor wrote:
> On Saturday, April 29, 2017 at 8:28:07 PM UTC-6, Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People. wrote:
>
> > Blurr is just another car, he's around. I saw him in the box and just was not
> > impressed.
>
> I took another look at him today, since you guys were talking about him, and he actually looks kind of okay. I mean, he takes a lot of design cues from the original Blurr. In vehicle mode, he's got the elongated hood that reminds me a lot of the shield on the G1 toy. His robot styling hits a lot of the right marks, too... his chest, upper arms, knees, that thingy on his forehead, they all remind me strongly of his G1 design.

I don't get as much of a G1 Blurr vibe from him. He looks more like a cross between TF:Prime Wheeljack and RealRID Daytonus -- both of which are fine in their own right.

I like the toy (found him today!) but not because he reminds me of someone else. A bit too much panel massage, and the domed window is so clear that you can see robot bits through it.

> I wouldn't pay money for him, but if somebody gave it to me as a gift, I would keep it and not return it to the store. Which is damning him with faint praise, I realize.
>
> I really have no need for another Blurr toy, because the Titans Return toy is quite good (though I do still want the Takara version, which is better). With that said, the RiD2 Blurr is a much more successful reimagining of the character than, say, the Armada toy or the Cybertron toy or the Generations toy. (I dislike his weird goggles, but that's just me.)

I really like the Generations toy, and thought it was a lot of fun to see a pre-2005 version of the character. Kup too. I wish we got Hot Rod, Arcee and Springer like that.

> Zob (I do kinda want RiD2 Starscream, though, and I'm sad that I seem to have missed my chance)

Skywarp is out now, and very pretty.

Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People.

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May 3, 2017, 10:17:36 AM5/3/17
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Tons of Skywarp and Starscreams on the TRU shelves around here
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