Review: #78
Name: Convoy Black Ver.
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Autobot
Line: Masterpiece (designated MP-1B)
Year of Release: 2010
Size Class: Masterpiece
Variations: a lot, repainted from the original MP-1 Convoy, both Hasbro and TakaraTomy has repainted this guy a ton of times, too many for me to list here
PACKAGING AND CONTENTS:
Prepare yourself... for a huge review, probably one of the biggest I have done so far (and I am not going to split it into sections like I did with
Jetwing Prime, by putting the extra photos onto another post). Anyway, Convoy Black Ver. (hereby after, referred to as just Convoy) is a Japan and Asia only figure, and he comes in a very nice box. The Masterpiece line of figures all have premium boxes, and it looks so good that I cannot cut it up (like I usually do) and as such, I have kept it (which I don't usually do).
I really wish I could read Japanese, but alas, I cannot, and so I do not know what the huge chunk of text at the back says. I can discern, however, that the pictures and text underneath them speak of the gimmicks and showcases the figure in general. I wish they put this much detail into all Transformers...
All the silver trimming here are reflective, which adds to that premium look.
You will see the line and character name multiple times, as it's pretty much on all the faces of the box...
Mine is the Asia version, so instead of getting the comic, I got a plaque instead, and it's made from die-cast metal, so it's got a nice heft to it. The stand is made from cardboard, so it's a little bit cheap-ish there (but not so much).
The instruction booklet that comes with him is, I suspect, a greyscaled version of the one from the original MP-1 Convoy figure. Convoy also comes with a character card, and a little pouch that stores the plaque (which is, logically, also only in the Asia version).
You also get an axe, rifle and a gun that looks suspiciously familiar... I'll cover only the suspicious gun now, while the other two will be later in the review. The gun is Megatron, a really scaled down, non-transforming Megatron which is actually pretty cool.
All the attachments are detachable, which is an unexpected bonus, so you'll have the scope, silencer and extension as separate pieces, but they don't do anything (so it's really quite pointless). You also have the option of folding the cardboard tray into a trailer (not featured in this review), which looks okay. Annnnnnd... that's about it for this section.
VEHICLE MODE:
I'm going to be reviewing this figure as if this figure was Optimus Prime itself (since the mold was created just for that character...). Anyway, Convoy transforms into a truck that is very similar to his G1 cartoon counterpart, with a few changes, which just serves to make him more realistic. In terms of die cast, it's only the front of the cab and the rear of the truck, but it's more than enough, Convoy is extremely heavy.
Sadly, in a lot of Optimus Prime toys, the rear is always a bit dodgy, showing very clearly the feet. If they didn't protrude out, it wouldn't be so bad, but as it is, they are very obviously feet and in my eyes, that's a fail for such a large figure. They did so well from most angles too.
Convoy features rubber tires, with the words "formula" and "desert hog" on them. The rubber tires give him a more premium feel, but the downside is that they will split over time, which will ruin the figure somewhat. In addition, he features suspension, in all six tires, which is pretty cool (the front wheels doesn't work as well as the rear ones do though).
There is a truckload of chrome here, the front grill, smokestacks, fuel tanks and rims. Of course, over time (and I'm sick of saying this), they will flake and crack, but for now, they look awesome. It's a well painted truck, most details are there, and I really like how the painted the mechanic elements a darker silver which suits the black and grey really well.
He features tail lights of sorts at the back, I'm not really sure what they are supposed to be since it looks just plain weird. On a side note, Convoy rolls extremely well, thanks to the rubber tires.
One major flaw, in my eyes at least (and in a lot of Optimus Prime toys based on the G1 incarnation), is the full visibility of the torso. It ruins the truck, and you instantly know that it transforms into a robot. It disjoints the truck from around the middle. It's not too noticeable from the front.
If you open the up the two windows in front, of the cab, you can see a single seat, you can probably fit some really small figure in there like a Lego mini figure. Also, due to the excessive use of the mold, those two window pieces don't line up properly anymore.
He also doesn't feature any side windows, which looks odd, and there are some awkward gaps which are really his shoulder struts. They are not too obvious since the black masks them pretty well.
There's a hitch at the back which you can plug the cardboard trailer in, or one of the other proper full sized trailers from the Masterpiece line.
In terms of size, amazingly (and you'll know why I used that word later on), he's only the length of a Leader class figure, but he has a lot more bulk and is blockier, not to mention much heftier due to the die cast.
When you compare it against a Deluxe, obviously he's humongous.
A great vehicle at first glance, once you start looking at him more clearly, you'll see quite a few aesthetics flaws, that are pretty much compromises for the robot mode. To be honest, I really detest the shade of pink used for the windows here, it doesn't suit him at all, grey or tinted windows would work a whole lot better.
TRANSFORMATION:
A complicated transformation, as you'd expect of a figure this size. It's not too hard, since the pieces are big, and are blockier, making it easy to manipulation and shift into position. It's is quite ingenious, considering it was designed in the period of Armada and Energon. The way the torso forms is nice, but a bit dangerous with the chrome, causing a very likely chance you'll scrap some off (like I did with mine) if you're too rough with it. It can also be fiddly with some of the pieces but overall, fairly intuitive and an enjoyable process. I am pretty sure you will be surprised and amazed the first time you attempt it.
ROBOT MODE:
Clearly, the robot mode was where the designer focused on, creating a look that's very accurate in proportions to the cartoon model. In this mode, the die cast is located in his legs (which anchors him down very well) and chest.
There's absolutely no kibble at all, which is an amazing feat. This means he looks as great from the back as he does from the front. Convoy is very blocky here.
On my one, Convoy has a little bit of trouble standing up straight. I am not sure if this is evident on all versions of the mold (I suspect not) but the ball joints used for the feet aren't strong enough, which means that Convoy will naturally lean forward (but not fall down flat). It should be noted that the grill on the torso is fake (it even has different sculpting).
He has mechanic aspects everywhere, from actual working pistons to vents. He sports a wicked Autobot symbol on his left shoulder. The pink windows for his chest and blue accents on the waist ruins the look somewhat. If it was going to be a black repaint, I would rather the colour scheme been more drab.
Being the definitive version of Optimus for the time, Convoy has great articulation. He has all the major joints you'd need, and the range is great. Convoy has a heroic robot look to him.
His hands feature some pretty nifty joints that only a figure this size could have. Each finger is individually jointed at the knuckles.
Now, time to mention the gimmicks, and Convoy has a ton here. It seemed that the designer focused a lot of unobtrusive in robot mode, and it's a welcome addition. The first, and it has to be included, is his iconic matrix from the chest. It opens up the way it does in the cartoon, to reveal a chromed silver matrix (with a pink centre...).
Not only that, but via a switch to the left of his head, you can light up a LED to shine through the middle of the matrix, a really well thought out gimmick here. You can also take out the matrix (with some effort) and it even opens up, Convoy can also conveniently hold it.
The head sculpt has got to be one of my favourites, and the highlight of this figure. It is just so well proportioned, and screams out Optimus to me. Invoking the heroism of the long lasting Autobot leader. The antenna is also adjustable, you can swivel up and down (mainly for transformation). What's even cooler, is that they put reflective metallic stickers for his eyes, so they reflect light, to emulate lightpiping (without the unsightly clear plastic at the back of the head).
Now, it may be pretty random when I suddenly speak of the head while going on about gimmicks, but even the head contains a gimmick! By pressing a button at the back of his head, it 'jiggles' (for a lack of better term) his face plate up and down to emulate his speaking like the cartoon.
The vents on his shins have a (slightly weird) gimmick attached as well. Normally, they're closed in vehicle mode, you can open them up by pressing down upon the leg, and they will automatically open. Cool effect, but I don't see much point in it.
And lastly, for inbuilt gimmicks, on each arm, is a flip up communicator, on his left is Rodimus and the right Optimus. It features some spectacular detailing here.
You can do some nice posings of Convoy speaking to one of the Autobot leaders.
As mentioned earlier (at least... I think I did), Convoy comes with three additional weapon accessories. The first is the energon axe that Optimus used in the cartoon only once. You can plug this one straight onto the arm by retracting the hand and plugging it on.
It looks decent enough, and the axe can swivel. You can do some good slashing posings with this axe, and it's the only melee weapon Convoy has.
The axe itself is made from some soft plastic, but it's hard enough to not warp, it's also made from semi-transparent plastic to make it seem like it's made from energy.
The second weapon is the rifle that Optimus regularly uses in the cartoon. In this version, it's grey now.
He can't seem to grip it tightly. It feels loose in his hand, and wiggles a bit, but it won't fall out.
An impressive looking gun but basically just a bit hollow piece of plastic (not that there's anything wrong with that, just feels lighter than it should).
Lastly, there's the Megatron gun (in which Optimus used it once in the cartoons if I recalled correctly). The handle on Megatron actually had to extend for Convoy to hold it (since it's too short normally).
With this, Convoy can do some good dual wielding poses. It's quite surprising how well painted this Megatron gun is, considering that it's only just an accessory (there's a tiny Decepticon logo on him).
That's it for all the gimmicks, Convoy does pack a lot. I guess I'll just go over some of the things again that I missed out earlier. The head is on a balljoint, and you might notice this, but the chest windows don't fit together properly, it's more apparent here than the truck mode.
Convoy has a really slim build. His wrists can rotate and I really like how the wheels tuck into the torso, out of sight.
It's amazing when you consider that the vehicle is just the size of a leader classed figure, yet in robot mode, it extends so much such that it's way taller than one. Amazing, Convoy is one of the biggest recent toys yet, sadly, no other Masterpiece piece figure is as tall as him (apart from Megatron).
Overall, a really good robot mode, and that's what I'll display him in. Some colour scheme issues, but they're minor, and frankly, he's just so much fun with all the gimmicks that you don't really care anyway.
OVERALL:
I highly recommend at least one version of this mold. Even taking into account the new MP-10 reinterpretation of Optimus, I think MP-1 is still the superior version (personally preference though, I know many people who prefer the newer version instead). It's much more value for money, bigger size, heaps of die cast metal, and super accurate in both modes, I prefer the blockier look than the streamlined look of MP-10. However, the earlier versions of the mold is better (MP-1 or MP-2) since by this stage,the mold's degraded to a point where there is often defects that affect transformation and aesthetics (I know mine does... as do a whole lot others).
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