The Octopunch Decoy armor transforms into a trident weapon.
The Conclusion
It’s a little sad that we’re only getting eight of the twelve Primes as individual releases with Decoy armor. Onyx Prime is only available with Predaking and Prima will only be available in the (not yet officially announced) Punch/Counterpunch exclusive. Nexus Prime and Amalgamous Prime have only been seen on a poster that comes with Predaking which shows off their “faces.” I know it’s a long shot but I’m still hoping for a four-pack with Onyx, Prima, Nexus and Amalgamous with Decoy armor.
My version of Outback came with a card for the Quintus Prime combination.
The Robot
The robot mode replaces the Autobot logo on the chest with a multi-color box like the one the original G1 figure had. The down side to this is that there really isn’t an Autobot logo visible in robot mode. It also features a new head to better reflect the character.
The Truck
The truck mode seems a bit incomplete since there is no cannon included with this figure which was, literally, a big part of the G1 release.
This is the only mode where the single, tiny, Autobot logo is visible.
Prime Master Integration
Like Brawn, the cockpit opens so that you can put a Prime Master inside.
Comparisons
Aside from the head and the paint job, there aren’t any changes from the original Brawn release.
This is my second Outback in rapid succession having recently picked up BadCube’s Backland.
Although Brawny was a little eclipsed by Huff, which arrived on the same day, it’s still a great figure. When I saw an opportunity to pick up Backland (aka Masterpiece Outback), which is sold out everywhere, I jumped at the chance.
The Box
Continuing their two tone style, the box is brown and beige to match the figure inside.
This is the original version so it does not include the spare face and TOE frisbee bomb accessory that were sold in the Quintesson Journal pack. The standard TOE Decepticon detector (which stores in the fuel can like Brawny’s pistol) and large roof-mounted cannon came with both releases.
Being the original release it also has an explanation that BadCube is the new version of Cubex.
The Figure
To differentiate him from Brawny, Backland has the truck grill over his head and faux window panels on his shoulders to evoke his G1 toy and cartoon appearances. Personally, I would have preferred that the grill fold away like Brawny’s does but this way, I guess, he doesn’t need to worry about the rain.
I really wish there was someplace to store the Decepticon detector in robot mode when not in use. It can’t just be left in the box since it’s the core of the fuel can in vehicle mode and the other two parts of the can fill in the robot calves. So you end up with a choice: spare part or gappy legs.
The Truck
I like that they gave Backland a detailed winch instead of the plain bumper on Brawny just like the G1 version had.
The biggest issue with the vehicle mode is the gap in the gas can where the Decepticon detector is hidden which is not a problem Brawny had.
The Comparison
Some comparison shots to really show off the differences between his mold-mate Brawny. He comes out a bit taller due to his head piece.
In the side view you can see the faux windows attached to the shoulders which make getting the arms properly positioned for vehicle mode much more challenging than with Brawny.
Vehicle mode complete with signature roof cannon.
Masterpiece
(Autobot symbols sold separately)
Just like Brawny, Backland fits in well with the rest of the Masterpiece line.
(Autobot symbols sold separately)
The Conclusion
(Autobot symbols sold separately)
This is the fifth BadCube MP mini-bot that I’ve purchased and leaves me with only Grump on my want list.
* “That One Episode” – the obligatory Masterpiece accessory that the character used once in the cartoon.
I was so impressed with BadCube’s Huff that I didn’t hesitate to order Piper, their Masterpiece Pipes.
The Box
Continuing their two tone style, the box is blue and white to match the figure inside.
No gun for Piper, just his pipes. He does however, include two options to customize his face and, in the TOE category, a Metro Gear (aka Metroplex’s transformation cog).
The Figure
The robot mode certainly looks like it stepped out of the original cartoon. One nice touch is how the side mirrors tuck away inside the cab when in robot mode.
One odd thing about the back of the figure is the support bar that stretches from his back to the bumper of the cab. I wish that they had designed something a little more elegant
The Truck
This mold really looks good in blue and the silver front bumper really stands out and is a nice nod to the G1 toy.
The biggest flaw of the vehicle mode is that the robot waist does not lock into place so it is far too easy to twist the tow bed out of alignment while handling it. Another compromise in the new leg transformation is that the hip joints are visible in vehicle mode.
Not Just a Repaint
One of the best things about BadCube is that they put a lot of work into secondary releases like this one to make sure that they are distinct from their mold-mate. As you can see, there have been some extensive changes to the robot mode to match the original including different positioning of the cab, visible wheels and his namesake arm-mounted exhaust pipes.
One drawback to the new cab positioning is that you loose out on one of the better features of Huff’s robot mode, the collapsing cab which shrinks his profile considerably.
Vehicle mode is much closer to Huff with only the new smoke stacks and lack of weapon storage to differentiate the two.
As you can see, Piper does a much better job hiding the robot parts in this view.
As you can also see, Huff does a better job hiding the robot parts in the side view than Piper.
The Masterpiece
(Autobot symbols sold separately)
Due to the design of the back side of the cab there isn’t a really good spot for a huge Autobot badge like you see on the G1 figure. The hinges for the smoke stack mounts and inset rear “window” only leave space for a very small symbol.
(Autobot symbols sold separately)
The Conclusion
(Autobot symbols sold separately)
I have to admit that I’ve become something of a BadCube mini-bot fan-boy. This mold, like Huff, is just fun. A very intuitive transformation and playability that you don’t usually get with third-party Masterpieces.
* “That One Episode” – the obligatory Masterpiece accessory that the character used once in the cartoon.
The PS-9C covert ops pre-paint of Ocular Max’s Hellion (aka Masterpiece Cliffjumper) has arrived at Junkion HQ!
The first thing that you’ll notice is that it comes in a tiny window box.
On top has some “full color” photos and “DIECAST” in silver foil.
And, on the back is a classic G1-style tech spec.
Based off of the blind-box chase Cliffjumper keychain from 2003 this is an all-black version of Hellion. The standard red version is expected in mid July.
Despite the size of the box you get a large selection of accessories.
The Robot
I really like the fact that they didn’t go with a faux chest like X-Transbot’s Torro. For me, I’d rather have the actual vehicle parts over pure toon-accuracy.
They actually include three different weapons including the long pistol, cannon and a Jazz-style rifle.
Many people have been concerned about the waist on the figure and wondered whether the designer sacrificed the robot mode to include the vehicle interior. I found that the waist feels pretty solid and is connected to the die-cast “spine” of the figure.
And another view of the waist connection from the side.
The Porsche
Not quite a real-world Porsche 924 like the ACE or X-Transbots’ versions, but not totally a penny-racer either. All in all, an acceptable trade-off.
Hellion has a detailed interior including not just seats but a steering wheel and gear shift. You’ll need to be very careful with the steering wheel during transformation as it has a tendency to pop off.
In the TOE category, Hellion has a set of water skis, hood laser and “car bra” to protect his engine from salt water.
One thing to be aware of is that the instructions on how to put together the jet-ski mode are missing a few steps.
I had to partially transform the legs and push out the hood panel from underneath in order to change it out.
Comparisons
A perfect fit that hits all of my personal preferences.
Here’s where the hybrid vehicle mode becomes really obvious and out of place. Although I’ve made my peace with it based on how much I like the robot mode, I would still have preferred a more accurate Porsche.
ACE’s vehicle mode is a much better fit with the Masterpiece line than Hellion. But, since I rarely display MPs in that mode, it’s not enough to sour me on this figure.
The Conclusion
In hand the figure feels pretty good but not perfect. It has the opposite problem of Hiccups, his feet are so small that the figure wants to topple backwards when in a static standing pose. There are also a lot of very small parts (including the steering wheel that I mentioned earlier, the base boards below the doors and trigger fingers) that made me a bit nervous but they never really felt stressed so that may not have been warranted.
Now all I have to do is decide whether to display him with the shouting face beside my G2 Masterpiece figures or just in vehicle mode with the doors open.
UPDATE: Extendable Neck
Over on TFW2005, a board member was asking about about how the neck looked too long in some photos so I took some photos to show off the articulated arm that the head is mounted on.
Here’s the normal view:
Here he is with his neck fully extended:
And a close-up of the arm with the head removed:
* “That One Episode” – the obligatory Masterpiece accessory that the character used once in the cartoon.
I had very good experiences with my first two BadCube mini-bots but their Grump (aka MP Gears) is only available at after-market prices so I thought I should take a look at his mold-mate Slick (aka Masterpiece Swerve) before plunking down any cash for it.
The Box
Continuing their two tone style, the box is red and white to match the figure inside.
As you can see in the photo above, it is also the smallest box that I’ve seen from BadCube so far.
Only two accessories for Slick, a pistol like the one they include with Grump but with no wings on the sides and a TOE (aka “That One Episode” – the obligatory Masterpiece accessory that the character used once in the cartoon) screaming face suitable for use while being trampled by your evil city-bot of choice.
The Figure
Certainly no complaints about this view, it’s clearly Swerve from the original cartoon.
Sadly, in the official transformation, the calves are hollow like on Brawny, except that here there is no gas can to fill the gaps.
Not a deal breaker but a flip out panel like on MP-12 would have been a nice touch.
Fortunately, if the gap bothers you you can borrow some steps from Grump’s transformation and fold the wheels into the calves. It’s nice to have a choice! I prefer the solid legs and plan to keep him in that mode.
Sharing a mold with Grump also gives you an access hatch on his chest with his own unique set of inner workings.
The chest panel is also where the most difficult part of the transformation lies. The two grey posts lock into the front wheels to hold them in place in vehicle mode. Those posts have to swing out to the position of the one on the right in the photo above but tend to either swing back in or swing out to the fully extended position of the one on the left.
The Truck
Never quite an exact match to a real-world vehicle it always looked like a 1950’s or 1960’s pick-up with a custom cargo bed cover to me. I get the same feel from this version, which is a success in my book.
Slick’s rifle stores at the rear of the vehicle mode as a slightly oddly shaped bumper.
The Masterpiece
(Autobot symbol sold separately)
Sad but true, third-party is still the only way to go for Masterpiece mini-bots.
(Autobot symbol sold separately)
The Conclusion
(Autobot symbols sold separately)
In hand this is a fun figure but not as fun as Huff but about the same as Brawny. The transformation is also less intuitive than either Huff or Brawny.
This is the fourth BadCube MP mini-bot that I’ve purchased but the packages crossed in the mail and #3, Piper, should be here soon.
As for Grump, I’m undecided. Do I pay a premium to complete my 1984 mini-bot set or do I hope for a reissue?
