it's just not a conscious decision that they aren't, the logistics are almost impossible to line up. putting aside the fact that these are two different things that have different goals creatively speaking, film/TV development work on a different pace than toys' and they have their own schedules to meet. let's not forget these are always made by different companies entirely (toys are all hasbro AND taktom while designs for say TF films aren't even done in-house by paramount, it;s usually via other visdev companies or freelance artists). just expecting one reach out to the other alone is probably a complicated process that has to be a telephone game of course the other "solution" is be something like the netflix trilogy which....................yeah, isn't a solution at all. not the series' main let alone only issue but I personally wish it'd taken more creative liberties with the character models so that the animation isn't as stilted as it is
@@squidy968 To be fair to the toy designers with the Bayverse figures, Bay (and other decision makers) kept changing the character models after they already sent earlier ones to the toy designers. So not only do we get AOE/TLK Prime issues but we also got stuff like ROTF Leader Megatron not looking anything like he did in the movie. Bay was also known for random character renaming (even outside using code names during production to throw off spoilers and name licensing issues that HasTak always has). When you add in that the toy line had to be available alongside film marketing, there were definite issues. If you examine some scenes in the film you can see where sometimes the character models were different as well as some changes were made mid-production and they didn't go back and alter some scenes to reflect new designs. I first really noticed it at the end of RotF when Optimus is a lot chunkier on the Aircraft carrier than he is in the beginning of the film even though he lacks to Jetfire parts at that point. Then there's the whole Knight aesthetic added in AoE that gave a lot of round curves to Optimus's armor for no real reason other than to emulate the designs of Knightly armor. That definitely wouldn't translate well to figures without increasing complexity and design cost.
I kinda forgot how much people dislike Strongarm. I mean, I was pretty hot and cold on her when she first came out, those early stock photos didn't really do her any favors. But aside from some collision issues with the backpack, I really like her.
She’s absolutely terrible, retooling her from Elita was such a bizarre decision, Strongarm is buff and brawny, not the stereotypical barbie doll fembot. It’s lazy, ugly, and terrible, which is a shame because they did a lot of retooling for her and for nothing. Siege Hound would have fit her better.
@@sethputnamsghost I think it's an upgrade in that it looks more like the show model than the old toy, but I think it's probably on par with that old toy quality wise when it comes to over all ranking for me.
@@viktorhart2374 yknow for how much Animated like to throw Habsro as many bones as it could when it came for repaints, they kind of underused the Prowl design with regards to that honestly
As far as strongarm goes, I actually had just watched rid for the 1st time, right before she dropped, so bought her, with the impression "wow, they've done a great job making this mold so accurate, I've got to have her. Good job Hasbro" it wasn't til later that the confusion of my opinion being the uncommon one hit me.
42:02 In case you’re still wondering, yes Chromia did indeed have the shield in Cyberverse. I remembered her using it to fight off the crystal Bumblebee in the Thunderhowl episode
It takes long time to make vids. But you’re really informative. You dive into figures a lot more. More than other reveiwers. You dig into complexity and everything! And I think u along with jobby, Thew Adams, and gei4mei (if you even know who they are) are genuinely probably the best transformers reviewers I have watched. All have genuine opinions that are justified (yours included). Not to mention each have humour we all relate to (u included). Gotta love thew Adam’s play on every word he says.
The melee weapon for shadow striker is not supposed to have the bumper attached. Just the “drag knife” itself is the melee weapon. Also I’m surprised you don’t use the bumper on her arm since it gives her more of that asymmetrical look she was known for when it is displayed on her arm
I grabbed Chromia last week and even though I had been wanting to pick her up already it genuinely surprised me just how much the mold sings in the new colors.
Thank you so much for finally discussing these figures outside of the mild problems that don't really bring them down! Also did you know that right before chromia was released, someone posted it on TFW radicons claiming it was a custom?
The strongarm mould will always be good to me since I have a heavy bias to Elite. She was my first ever transformer and what got me sucked into the series after being an idw fangirl. So I will always defend her and the other two because even being the same mould, you can have so much verity with the backpacks.
Welcome to DrLockdown's review of Chromia, Shadowstriker, and Strongarm! Aka a 40 minute video that makes me want to spend 50 dollars (im still not getting Shadowstriker her rear end in car mode looks incomplete and disturbs me)
Strongarm the issue was compared to the other girls in the show she was bulkier, especially next to characters like Windblade. in the show image reference you used, she's alot more similar in Sideswipe proportion wise, meanwhile both Grimlock and Bumblebee were larger characters
Bro that call out for Earthspark hurts. That show is so genuinely fucking amazing, both teaching empathy and understanding while balancing really nicely choreographed action scenes. Legit, I love how Breakdown looks in that show, to the point that I like Nacelle's red face and blue head so much more as a result
Seems like it was doomed to fail from the start, caught up in the streaming wars. Worst part is a certain part of the internet is gonna rejoice and claim it was Nightshade's fault.
@@DrLockdownWhich ultimately sucks even more because they're a good character also and people will not like them because "wHy DoEs A rObOt HaVe PrOnOuNs?1?1?1?!?!?!?1?1!" I genuinely cannot understand those people💀💀
Strongarm’s figure was one I was initially apprehensive about due to stock photos looking garbage and reviews appearing to show bad possibility, but in hand like with wind blade and for me blitzwing I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the figure.
ngl, I still prefer the Elita 1 version of the mold just out of personal preference but I still really respect what they did for Strongarm and was quite surprised to hear that she wasnt received well, but then again I got back into transformers pretty recently so I havent really interacted with the community much
"Never mind that the Objective doesn't exist in the space of reviewing toys" THIS.... THIS SO MUCH... I respect that some TH-camrs like Perspective End want to try to justify objective by criteria for what they feel makes a figure good, but I just can't get behind ever labeling something as objectively good or bad since reviews inherently are subjective to taste.
I'm gonna be honest, I like the Legacy Prowl, but I really don't like the mold as Chromia. I still think the thrilling 30 figure is the perfect Chromia design. I always thought of Prime Arcee as a new interpretation of Chromia anyway (not just because she's blue) and that figure merges the prime design and the g1 as my perfect Chromia. The fact that Cyberverse Chromia's animation model is based on that toy made me wish that design could still get an update, but we got the Animated Prowl mold and i personally find that disappointing. As for the other 2, I dont care for rid 2015 in general so any thoughts i have on strongarm are negatively biased, while Shadow Striker is probably my favorite of these 3. I'm actually a fan of the combination of her different designs
I feel the same way I got so excited for a second go at the best Chromia design only for it to be her head on the worst of the bike molds (imo) she deserves better than head slap on a body that looks nothing like her
Honestly for these three, I had a few ideas for some improvements, but I understand Hasbro execs are the design team’s biggest obstacle. For Shadow Striker, I think sculpting the front section to be more angular and adding a grille can help. Cyberverse SS had a kind of lambo look, so it would overcome the Dodge problem. Idk what could help for Strongarm other than a different mold, but I think the giant shoulder tires definitely was important to her design, so maybe something like that. For Chromia, I feel like a retool to fill out the legs would be good. If not, maybe painting the outer section of the weapons to make it pop would be neat.
I can't believe I'm saying it but Chromia needed to be an Legacy Arcee retool to call it the Cyberverse version. That design is based on T30 Chromia, a retool of TFP Arcee. It just feels like such a missed opportunity when the Arcee mold is right there.
I ADORE Strongarm 🙏🥰 I think her figure is pretty great for the price point, but my points are the same as yours. I wish the head was a bit smaller to maker her look Bigger I guess? & the shoulder wheels being attached in a different way would be nice.
In what way? Strongarm got skinnified and forced into the stereotypical oversexualized fembot body, Shadowstriker is a lazy pretool and all around just a garbage figure, and Chromia is straight up a repaint of Prowl with no changes besides the head. Saying they “feel” like the characters is just a cope ngl.
In the way that when I play around with Shadowstriker, I can instantly picture her in Cyberverse/hear the actress from the show. Takes me back to Beast Wars, when kibble, proportions, and accessories on the toys might all differ from the show, but that was almost part of the fun. She’s a great little toy even as a pretool. Like, idk, man. People aren’t lying about the vibes they get with toys for no reason. No one has time for that.
@@MrRobosquad Yeah, pretty much this. Like, Chromia doesn't match her cyberverse body and alt-mode, which were based off the old T30 figure, but it feels like what an earth alt-mode for her might have been. It's also why the upcoming Slipstream feels off in the pictures I've seen. Her figure isn't boxy enough for her cyberverse counterpart, coming across more as the Animated version in many ways. Yes, 'feel' is very much a matter of personal opinion, but these three work for me.
I actually really like Shadowstriker. A simple and unique transformation. While i understand that she doesn't look like her Cyberverse incarnation, the way that her mould looks does give off a Frankenstein's Monster feel, and i find that very important to her character.
Hoping Gen Selects does a Botcon Shadow Striker, I'll always accosiate her with the Cyberverse Purple (and mismatched colours from cyborg limbs) but with her design being a double homage, I'd love to see those the mold in those original colours. Hell, do a red and black one like the Rotf Legends two pack. I wish the mold didn't have the partsforming or that the vehicle mode had better sculpting, but even then, i really want to see Shadow Striker's other decos
@@Cdr2002 I'd personally want the botcon head, but maybe if they do both Shadow Striker and Roulette, maybe one can have the cyberverse head and the other can have the botcon head?
@@KwakyWacky that arrangement for the pair is exactly what I was thinking, but both having the BotCon head would still be perfectly fine and of course more accurate
LU Chromia does what prime arcee (deluxes) and so many bikeformers should have done years ago: learn from prowl, improve upon prowl. Even just a new coat of paint and a new head can do wonders.
"improve upon Prowl"?? What you mean? You mean Legacy Prowl? If so, hes awesome, tho! LGY Prowl and Chromia are perfect!! Also, I'd kill for a new TFP Arcee that is an _EXTENSIVE_ retool of the mold; BRAND new bikemode, new head, new chest, probably retool the shurikens out of the mold completely, new weapon(s) (armblades or guns), then done! It'd be perfect!
@@fennekin1750 I should have specified the original deluxe animated prowl, my bad. Animated prowl was a great toy, the first great bikeformer imo, and it's kind of a letdown how the deluxe bikeformers that followed him didn't do anything with the animated prowl design cues until legacy. And I agree, I wish prime arcee would get retooled out of legacy prowl, throw in some proper arm blades.
Yay, I have all three. All of them were much better than I expected. Personally I prefer to use the melee mode of the Shadow Striker gun with a blast effect for a "beam saber" (for now it seems it didn't affect the plastic of the gun) and I just wedge the rear bumber on the 5mm port of the shield/car roof.
I wish Legacy Strongarm didn't have the inaccurate shoulder kibble. If she didn't, she would have been one of the most faithful post-2007 Legacy characters.
23:48 honestly feel like all three of those sound like price point names. Obviously Scout Class was once a thing, but “Special Forces Class” sounds like deluxe/voyager with maybe a bit extra explicitly for a gimmick. But you cannot stop me from a hypothetical “Gremlin Class” completionism!!!!
Stellar reviews man. Im among the ones who was really mixed and dissapointed by these releases but this video has made me them all in a new light and with alot more nuance. Especially shadow striker, who im picking up now! Keep up the great work and humor 💙 🗣
love this channel, I have none of them as I didn't find shadow striker for a decent price, have the old Strong-arm and am pleased with it, and have t30 Chromia and legacy prowl, but these 3 are Great figures and stunning LOOKING
I got Shadowstriker and Chromia for free because someone offloaded them to me. So since I never bought them myself I found the two to be very nice figures.
Kinda surprised Arcee hasn’t been given a new legacy mold or a retool of the Elite 1. Maybe they could make a legacy design out of her Earthspark design.
NGL, Chromia was the one figure I wanted out of her wave, and having had her for a while, I absolutely ADORE her. Only three minor gripes exist, the lack of any gun (Since Chromia has a gun in most if not all of her appearances, even in Cyberverse), the energon-blue stars (Honestly, it wouldn't look as bad if they tried to match her main blue so they could blend into her legs better.), and the lack of deco on the forearms (That energon blue would POP on those stripes). Still, she rocks the smaller gun from my Legacy Elita-1 just fine, and I understand the budget reasons for the lack of deco on the arms (There's no excuse for not trying to match her main blue on the stars, though). She's a solid figure in her own right, and deserving of a spot on anyone's shelf, even if they already have the Siege one (Which I do). Also, Hasbro. My Kingdom for a proper IDW Nautica. Please. Not a Blurr redeco that was done as part of a set that's a pain to get these days. A proper mainline release. PLEASE.
When i picked up chromia, i was genuinely surprised at how much i liked it since i missed the original prowl release and yea looking back i very much prefer the lavender and blues of chromia over the black and gold of prowl which i still want since i had the original as a kid
I love the Legacy Chromia, She's next to my TR Windblade and Legacy Elita-1 (serving as a replacement for Arcee) as an homage to the Combiner Hunters team. As such I just see Legacy Chromia not as a Cyberverse figure, but an IDW 1.0 figure.
So I already had Strongarm but this video, along with the recently revealed Nonnef upgrade kit for Windblade getting me in a Transformers mood, has convinced me to order Shadowstriker and Chromia. For the latter I plan to dig through my loose weapons and find a good sniper rifle for her to wield and possibly a sword as well... I will the other hand was designed for weapons but she can have one strapped somewhere.
I'm still disappointed that they didn't use the Axlegrease mold on Shadowstriker so you could truly get that patchwork look from Cyberverse by swapping some arms and legs.
I tend to think of Legacy Shadowstriker, especially due to the head and lack of the Frankenstein look, as more a representation of her IDW incarnation, but I understand why it was easier to just say “Cyberverse”
Y You You can store Shadowstriker's gun in the car mode I can't believe I never thought of that. She's the only one of these three I have, and yeah, one of the roof tabs is breaking at the base of them because I might've been too rough when transforming it. But the transformation feels so satisfying and the posing feels so nice that... yeah. Got her at the same time as Armada Megs and Prime and she almost ended up being my favourite of those three. I never even noticed the collarbone detail either! It may not be one of the best but I find the overall design, as a toy, to be clever and fun.
I really appreciate how accurate Cromias colours are to her Cyberverse version, even the off gray, really gives ke hope that if they ever do a Cyberverse Hot Rod, say from Cybertron Hot Shot, they will keep the lavender in his colour scheme and dont make it light gray or silver
Also, according to TFWiki, _Legacy United_ Cyberverse Chromia's design hews much more closely to her design from the cancelled _Transformers: Heavy Metal_ video game.
love this channel, I have none of them as I didn't find shadow striker for a decent price, have the old Strong-arm and am pleased with it, and have t30 Chromia and legacy prowl, but these 3 are Great figures and stunning Looking
I know people hate the Legacy Prime Arcee mold, which I don't understand because I love that thing, but Chromia would have made so much more sense as a retool of that one.
Im adding Chromia to the Animated shelf and threat her as a new young cadet for the elite guard (taking advantage of those red marks in her shoulders) What i hope Hasbro and TT do in Legacy or whatever the next chapter is: Figures for Team Athenia (Rodimus, Ironhide, Hot Shot, Brawn and Red Alert). And of course Ratchet (probably based on Trailbraker mold) and a new Bulkhead.
I owned all 3 figures, and I love all of them. My only issues with any of them are this Shadowstriker: the bumper I didn't enjoy and I wish it came with a blade accessory to tab into the blade hilt *_(I split the bumper and super glued it so it transforms just fine. Plus it kinda gives off that put together vibe she had in the show, since I used and excato knife, pliers and super glue to do this mod)_* Strongarm: Wish she had more joints in her shoulderpads and door wings to make it so they don't clash with each other. *_(I used a mod tutorial I found on the TFW forums that helps position the backpack up a little higher so the door wings sit in a more natural place.)_* Chromia: instead of ninja stars they just made caps that sat in the storage spot of the Ninja stars and gave her regular guns to wield which can become exhaust pipes in alt mode. And that tooling could be used to slim down her thighs a bit. *_(Also I did want to mention that it is possible to swap the legs, you unscrew the shins and swap them, and for transformation, just rotate the waist in the opposite direction. She transforms just fine.)_* Despite those issues, HasTak has been killing it with the female characters, Legacy Slipstream could've used more tooling I agree, but each one has been hit after hit. I want them to tackle Shatter and use the T30 Springer sandstorm mold next. Also Doc, what are your thoughts on the Armorizers? Do you own any of them?
Out of the three that were reviewed today, strong arm was fine If not perfect. There wasn't anything wrong with her. I just haven't picked one up yet, but I will be fixing that soon
Strongarm took me on a real rollercoaster from being excited when her listing originally leaked, to disappointed when we saw the actual figure, to finally getting her in hand and going "eh, it's fine". Still not *really* what I would have wanted but I don't hate it.
Only Fembot release I have I had a few problems with, and that was Legacy Minerva, which had a backpack that flops around, and friction joint feet, that can, and have gotten looser over time.
I only own Chromia, Windblade, Axlegrease, Override, Burn-Out, and Minerva out of the current Legacy crop of ladies, and I still want to get ahold of Strongarm, Shadow Striker, and any others I haven’t picked up yet
What's sad is I've had a chance to own each of these, it was just that when I had the money and saw these there were other figures I would rather have had. So I have no issues with them, just wrong place wrong time
My biggest nitpick with Shadowstriker (which is actually more of a nitpick with Sideburn) is the engine on the chest. It looks like an identity crisis between a V6 and a V8, while a Dodge Viper has a V10. Really not that big of a deal, tho
My gripe with Shadow striker is that she is supposed to represent Cyberverse Shadow striker. Besides the head she looks nothing like her asymmetrical design. An asymmetrical colour could have really helped or make her the botcon version. Only way you could make her like her asymmetrical design would be to swap limbs from other transformers like Elita 1 and Windblade. Hope Chromia’s mold is retooled to make an armada Sideways.
i really how all these molds have the feeling of the characters, without sacrificing the way how each character look and how each are interpreted. And also i love how they dont do the skinny fembot figure too much
@@CrimsonAzure-fh6yb so? she has her leg wheels at least, and its not like some other figures in the past where they were inaccurate to the model they were based off of
@@Doc_Energon but we reached a new peak of accuracy with Legacy with even UT Comparing it to older figures seems weird when we're at an all-time new standard
@@CrimsonAzure-fh6yb i guess so, but we gotta consider design limits, parts counts, and budget limitations. That, and how they want to interpret the character’s looks from their original source like Shadowstriker, who is both a combo of her botcon look and her cyberverse look
Legacy's girls, even TFP Arcee, are such a massive step up from WFC. Even from SS86 Arcee. We need more fembots that look like Transformers, rather than metal woman with car backpacks. I hope annoying fans dont make Hasbro learn the wrong lesson from these because this is a massive step forward!! If only 3P companies could do the same...looking at all the legends scale fembots that are just arcee redecos.
Elita and Minerva are best versions of the mold. Legarcee is an improvement from the WFCT fembots, but also a a massive step back regarding the intended character it was meant for. Chromia is perfect in every single way apart from accuracy to the source. And Strongarm is off; she DESPERATELY needs a BRAND NEW mold, but not as much as Shadowstriker!
@@fennekin1750 i agree they're all flawed, especially strongarm and shadowstriker, but im happy with this progress. they can and should always do better with fembots, but they're getting there. i love Chromia and the other versions of the Elita mold though. I'm also okay with fembots being retools/innacurate to their source material tbh. If it prevents toys like Kingdom/SS86 Arcee, its a good sacrifice.
@@jace-vo2xl I agree, apart from SS86 Arcee, which I think is pretty good, not perfect. I'd love a Hot Rod-style Voyager for her in SS86. And, fyi, that wasn't a jab towards LGY Chromia for being inaccurate to the source; it was more-so just a fact. I actually really like Chromia; I want her. Nor was I jabbing toward Elita/Minerva, other figures/molds or anything; both of them and the mold in general is really good, and other figures are good, too. And, I'd love an _extensive_ retool of Elita for Shadowstriker. If they did it for Strongarm, then they can do it again. Just retool the carmode into more of a sportscar and retool some other bits, and ofc a new head; it'd be perfect. Then, a slight retool of her as Nightbird would be sick. Ofc, replace both guns with new swords. (Just a question, I'm curious, do you happen to know if LGY Shadowstriker's head is compatible with Elita's [head] balljoint?) Strongarm is bulkier but slim; the Legacy figure doesn't capture that too well because of the mold they used. Shoulder wonkyness, head size, and flat, pancake-y truck are the main detriments. Everything else is fine. (just saying)
@@fennekin1750 im not sure if theyre compatible, i don't own either (been having to more heavily budget my collecting habits), but they look like they may be. most legacy toy's i have share a similar sized ball joint head. I do like those ideas for Elita & Nightbird though.
@@jace-vo2xl Ok. I was just wondering cuz I had/have those little thought/brain things of "Hmm? Could I potentially customize even tho I've got no experience???" It would be cool if I could. Also, you meant my Shadowstriker and Nightbird ideas?
7:00 all of MOPARs cars are being done by Mattel atm with hotwheels, and the F&f toys so I doubt they’re gonna throw the rights to Hasbro without a fight from Mattel anyways. I’m in the minority that thinks the car mode is fine because it looks like an alcohol fueled drag car. Just fine. 8:25 also. No. The BotCon one is her pre injury. Her and roulette were pulled apart by picking sides. It’s a whole thing.
Those are definetly good figures and now are definetly higher in my buying list (Shadowstriker is in top-5) The only point I can't agree at all is that 86 Wreck-Gar is bad. His bikemode is just pure awesomeness, and robot is quie fun.
Something I personally feel from personal experience is that the Animated Prowl mold does it's transformation far better than the Prime Arcee. While both are easy to remember I tend to enjoy Prowl's transformation alot more than I do Arcee. Arcee's transformation is alright but then making everything go together correctly is sometimes irritating. Sometimes I even think I miss-transformed something but no it's just a wierd design. Also my copy is loose and parts pop off easy
My only gripe with Chromia, is that she is labeled as Cyberverse Universe, but she doesn't look like her, they could have given her a more toon accurate head, but apart from that, the toy is great as a regular Chromia Strongarm is fine, she is supposed to be bulky and it works Shadowstriker is fine,, but for some reason on my copy her roof doesn't stay tabbed in, in vehicle mode
Objectively a really good, and informative review for these three. So far only have United Chromia as I like how the design carried over so effectively to the Prowl mold. Also saves me needing to buy Prowl to experience the toy, and its marvels of engineering. Really tempted to get Prowl now as the mold is just that awesome only that would mean being obligated to get both Animated Prime, and Bee as he can't really stand on a shelf alone. Never really watched RID but really liked the Strongarm toy design though the original felt to large/simplified though that what she needed to be for the target audience of the show. New one looks a bit more involved, and I like how the proportions overall are streamlined better to fit into the Legacy lineup. Seeing as she is still readily available on Amazon may get her with her mold mate Elita 1 as they look great together. No qualms/complaints about Shadowstriker other than I have no knowledge whatsoever about the show or character so just going to hold out for the Sideburn release.
Even with the whole pretool thing I still love the newest Shadowstriker. Car mode is fun and the bot mode is fun to pose. I'm not as keen on the other two but I don't hate them or their transformations. I think Strongarm and Chromia are both uniquely fun figures, and I really hope fembots don't revert back to using the same mold over and over. I like this era of semi-originality, all different body types and all giving new, fresh takes on fem characters. I would absolutely LOVE to see the rest of that one G1 all-girl crew make their way properly into our collections (i'm kinda digging that red and orange one) in this way too! also caught that Hero Factory reference. Quick, but funny all the same!
I’m super excited to get my hands on Chromia and am hoping to get one for my upcoming birthday (there isn’t one figure in the entirety of the city I live near though so that’s both concerning and hilarious). I wrote off Strongarm after not being impressed with the looks of the Elita/Minerva mould, but after your video I might give the refresh a shot…maybe. I will not give any slack however to Shadow striker. Her being a pre colour of Sideburn, no problem. Super cool, but I have a big problem with the rest of the figure. For starters the proportions of both the robot mode and car mode seem to have been desired at random. The legs go beyond long, and are paired with a puny torso, alongside arms that are super far back due to the transformation. Not to mention that said transformation will come undone if you try to move the arm without pressing the backpack into the torso thanks to the weak locking tab. However, I will give credit in that the shoulder joint is an improvement over the likes of ER Hoistbreaker in that the arm can rotate forward without bringing the attached kibble strut with it. I don’t know what the idea with the car mode was. Every Shadow striker alt-mode has been an Earth car opposed a Cybertronian car, different cars, but Earth cars nonetheless. Both the Cyberverse car, and the RID car have higher side, over the wheel things (I’m not a car guy), which this alt mode completely omits, removing any connection to the previous alt-modes. I’m not asking for a 1:1 Chevrolet whatever, but a little reminiscent would have gone a long way. But my biggest problem with the car is the proportions. What is going on? The wheels are taller than the windscreen by a country mile to the point that if you were in the car you could barely see over the exposed engine. The front of the car super prominently hangs out, while the rear has Hank Hill levels of ass (that is to say, it doesn’t have anything. Combined with the lack of mechanical detail (whether to emulate the cartoon or not), it results in a car that looks like it was sculpted from a soap bar rather than plastic. This is a bad figure in my opinion. However, at least it is Shadow striker’s (and Sideburn’s) figure, and she wasn’t relegated to using the Ercee mould or something like that. So overall, it is very good that the Transformers team has moved away from the idea that all fembots are cool to have the same figures just because a large number are obscure and ill defined. I wonder what an alternate reality Oritha would have looked like if the rest of the team had gotten to use other Prime wars combiner limb moulds? I’m not familiar with what the other character’s original alt modes were like but it would have been better than the space oblong on wheels that was Moonracer (poor girl).
Of the three hated (I'm not in that category of collectors, I LOVE these three), Strongarm is my least favorite because of her head mold. She has a big head, lol! For Shadowstriker, it's her shoulder placement. HATE IT. but that's it. A small gripe for an overall solid and awesome figure.
Also one thing I was thinking is that if they included a side car with chromes they could’ve easily used that to transform into a big shield for her. That would be insane
I've passed on Strongarm only because I'm not as sold on the face [and don't care for the feet not locking in place in vehicle mold, an issue Elita and Minerva share]; very much looking forward to finding Chromia at retail.
Edit: picked up Chromia and Nucleous at a local toy convention yesterday and Strongarm at retail nearby, and can confirm the feet on her lock in place far better than Elita-1 and Minerva.
I was having this discussion with a friend, but I think a lot of the hate comes from skewed expectations. No-one bats an eye when Ironhide and Ratchet are the same mould just with different heads and colours. Hoist and Trailbreaker being minor retools of each other is expected. Mould reuse like this has been a staple since the beginning of the franchise. But now that we're getting Transformers from across the history of the franchise with all different design aesthetics, re-uses like that stand out a lot more. We can always wish that new figures perfectly replicate what we love about their show designs, but even if they can't, as long as they're good figures in their own right it's hard to get too upset
Exactly for some reason people are so upset about modern retools, but are fine to go out and buy 7 different coloured bumblebees, 18 seekers and 42 lazerbeaks with the only real reason being well thats how they've always been. My guess is a lot of people have grown up alongside the internet and realised retools and repaints are a tactic that prevents them getting the best toy possible unaware of the reasons as to why, but are blinded to older retools because of nostalgia
Also I love all 3 of these figures, and am probably gonna like the Legacy Slipstream despite her also being ridiculously inaccurate to her cartoon self
My problem with ShadowStriker is that her paint is good….and that’s kinda weird. In cyberverse pretty sure she was more….repaired? Idk just compare the designs. I’m fine with what they did with Strongarm and Chromia
"life could be better but right now it's still pretty good"
You can't sneak that past me
Figured it would be a nice reversal of the meme
1:38 I feel that the character designers and animators should be more in sync with the toy designers, same vice versa. That way, everyone’s happy.
That way we don’t end up with another “AOE/TLK Prine” a design so complex and far removed from what a toy can do, it just doesn’t work
it's just not a conscious decision that they aren't, the logistics are almost impossible to line up. putting aside the fact that these are two different things that have different goals creatively speaking, film/TV development work on a different pace than toys' and they have their own schedules to meet. let's not forget these are always made by different companies entirely (toys are all hasbro AND taktom while designs for say TF films aren't even done in-house by paramount, it;s usually via other visdev companies or freelance artists). just expecting one reach out to the other alone is probably a complicated process that has to be a telephone game
of course the other "solution" is be something like the netflix trilogy which....................yeah, isn't a solution at all. not the series' main let alone only issue but I personally wish it'd taken more creative liberties with the character models so that the animation isn't as stilted as it is
@@squidy968 To be fair to the toy designers with the Bayverse figures, Bay (and other decision makers) kept changing the character models after they already sent earlier ones to the toy designers. So not only do we get AOE/TLK Prime issues but we also got stuff like ROTF Leader Megatron not looking anything like he did in the movie. Bay was also known for random character renaming (even outside using code names during production to throw off spoilers and name licensing issues that HasTak always has). When you add in that the toy line had to be available alongside film marketing, there were definite issues. If you examine some scenes in the film you can see where sometimes the character models were different as well as some changes were made mid-production and they didn't go back and alter some scenes to reflect new designs. I first really noticed it at the end of RotF when Optimus is a lot chunkier on the Aircraft carrier than he is in the beginning of the film even though he lacks to Jetfire parts at that point.
Then there's the whole Knight aesthetic added in AoE that gave a lot of round curves to Optimus's armor for no real reason other than to emulate the designs of Knightly armor. That definitely wouldn't translate well to figures without increasing complexity and design cost.
@@squidy968Are you trying to give me PTSD that figure is an abomination.😂👍
@@honteebeeAnimated and Prime did it and ended up being some of the best lines we ever had. I'm not saying it's easy, but it's possible.
I kinda forgot how much people dislike Strongarm. I mean, I was pretty hot and cold on her when she first came out, those early stock photos didn't really do her any favors. But aside from some collision issues with the backpack, I really like her.
She’s absolutely terrible, retooling her from Elita was such a bizarre decision, Strongarm is buff and brawny, not the stereotypical barbie doll fembot. It’s lazy, ugly, and terrible, which is a shame because they did a lot of retooling for her and for nothing. Siege Hound would have fit her better.
@@windowbewbs9064 to each their own.
Yeah I’m not sure if the new one is an upgrade from the og but it’s a step forward kinda.👍
@@sethputnamsghost I think it's an upgrade in that it looks more like the show model than the old toy, but I think it's probably on par with that old toy quality wise when it comes to over all ranking for me.
@@windowbewbs9064 says a guy who, didn't watch the video
Legacy Chromia is basically what animated Chromia would’ve been like
Honestly better design than the actual Animated Chromia who’s just Blue Arcee
@@Cdr2002 Just another figure to add to the Legacy Animated display.
@@spartanvenom5388 hell yeah
It’s how I’m going to use her and besides animated always needs more love
@@viktorhart2374 yknow for how much Animated like to throw Habsro as many bones as it could when it came for repaints, they kind of underused the Prowl design with regards to that honestly
As far as strongarm goes, I actually had just watched rid for the 1st time, right before she dropped, so bought her, with the impression "wow, they've done a great job making this mold so accurate, I've got to have her. Good job Hasbro" it wasn't til later that the confusion of my opinion being the uncommon one hit me.
Yes same
42:02 In case you’re still wondering, yes Chromia did indeed have the shield in Cyberverse. I remembered her using it to fight off the crystal Bumblebee in the Thunderhowl episode
significant upgrade with camera footage - no weird bobbling and shaking, more stable. great work!
It takes long time to make vids. But you’re really informative. You dive into figures a lot more. More than other reveiwers. You dig into complexity and everything! And I think u along with jobby, Thew Adams, and gei4mei (if you even know who they are) are genuinely probably the best transformers reviewers I have watched. All have genuine opinions that are justified (yours included). Not to mention each have humour we all relate to (u included). Gotta love thew Adam’s play on every word he says.
The melee weapon for shadow striker is not supposed to have the bumper attached. Just the “drag knife” itself is the melee weapon. Also I’m surprised you don’t use the bumper on her arm since it gives her more of that asymmetrical look she was known for when it is displayed on her arm
I grabbed Chromia last week and even though I had been wanting to pick her up already it genuinely surprised me just how much the mold sings in the new colors.
40:10 - "Making any Pose an absoulte *Breez* "
I saw the bottom right corner, as a HF I hugely appreciate that joke lol
Thank you so much for finally discussing these figures outside of the mild problems that don't really bring them down!
Also did you know that right before chromia was released, someone posted it on TFW radicons claiming it was a custom?
The strongarm mould will always be good to me since I have a heavy bias to Elite. She was my first ever transformer and what got me sucked into the series after being an idw fangirl. So I will always defend her and the other two because even being the same mould, you can have so much verity with the backpacks.
Aight, movie night is saved!
Thanks doc!
Welcome to DrLockdown's review of Chromia, Shadowstriker, and Strongarm! Aka a 40 minute video that makes me want to spend 50 dollars (im still not getting Shadowstriker her rear end in car mode looks incomplete and disturbs me)
Doc really came for Takara Lavender in this one
Strongarm the issue was compared to the other girls in the show she was bulkier, especially next to characters like Windblade. in the show image reference you used, she's alot more similar in Sideswipe proportion wise, meanwhile both Grimlock and Bumblebee were larger characters
Bro that call out for Earthspark hurts. That show is so genuinely fucking amazing, both teaching empathy and understanding while balancing really nicely choreographed action scenes. Legit, I love how Breakdown looks in that show, to the point that I like Nacelle's red face and blue head so much more as a result
Seems like it was doomed to fail from the start, caught up in the streaming wars.
Worst part is a certain part of the internet is gonna rejoice and claim it was Nightshade's fault.
I like EarthSpark, too. 4 Seasons or else
@@DrLockdownWhich ultimately sucks even more because they're a good character also and people will not like them because "wHy DoEs A rObOt HaVe PrOnOuNs?1?1?1?!?!?!?1?1!"
I genuinely cannot understand those people💀💀
@@BumbleGabriellike transformers is political. Megatron fought against the oppressive caste system then got lost in the sauce of it
I like earthspark for skywarp
Finally someone who sees these moulds positively
Chromia best one here
Why, they’re all bad
@@windowbewbs9064next time, say something smart that we haven’t heard before
@@gigansattemptatdoingstuff4389 why, they’re all bad😊
@@windowbewbs9064 oh uh guys, we have a *SMARTYPANTS* over here. May I ask WHY you think that? |:(
Strongarm’s figure was one I was initially apprehensive about due to stock photos looking garbage and reviews appearing to show bad possibility, but in hand like with wind blade and for me blitzwing I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the figure.
I feel that Shadow Strikers """melee weapon""" could benefit with a blast effect
Both for the effect itself and to double as a royalty-free Lightsaber
The front of shadowstriker's car mode does drive me crazy. I wish Chromia had her big shield, but the blues and pinks are so nice to look at.
ngl, I still prefer the Elita 1 version of the mold just out of personal preference but I still really respect what they did for Strongarm and was quite surprised to hear that she wasnt received well, but then again I got back into transformers pretty recently so I havent really interacted with the community much
"Never mind that the Objective doesn't exist in the space of reviewing toys"
THIS.... THIS SO MUCH... I respect that some TH-camrs like Perspective End want to try to justify objective by criteria for what they feel makes a figure good, but I just can't get behind ever labeling something as objectively good or bad since reviews inherently are subjective to taste.
I'm gonna be honest, I like the Legacy Prowl, but I really don't like the mold as Chromia. I still think the thrilling 30 figure is the perfect Chromia design. I always thought of Prime Arcee as a new interpretation of Chromia anyway (not just because she's blue) and that figure merges the prime design and the g1 as my perfect Chromia. The fact that Cyberverse Chromia's animation model is based on that toy made me wish that design could still get an update, but we got the Animated Prowl mold and i personally find that disappointing. As for the other 2, I dont care for rid 2015 in general so any thoughts i have on strongarm are negatively biased, while Shadow Striker is probably my favorite of these 3. I'm actually a fan of the combination of her different designs
True, everyone forgot about T30 because of the shiny new reveal which will eventually be forgotten too
I feel the same way I got so excited for a second go at the best Chromia design only for it to be her head on the worst of the bike molds (imo) she deserves better than head slap on a body that looks nothing like her
Honestly for these three, I had a few ideas for some improvements, but I understand Hasbro execs are the design team’s biggest obstacle. For Shadow Striker, I think sculpting the front section to be more angular and adding a grille can help. Cyberverse SS had a kind of lambo look, so it would overcome the Dodge problem. Idk what could help for Strongarm other than a different mold, but I think the giant shoulder tires definitely was important to her design, so maybe something like that. For Chromia, I feel like a retool to fill out the legs would be good. If not, maybe painting the outer section of the weapons to make it pop would be neat.
I can't believe I'm saying it but Chromia needed to be an Legacy Arcee retool to call it the Cyberverse version. That design is based on T30 Chromia, a retool of TFP Arcee. It just feels like such a missed opportunity when the Arcee mold is right there.
6:44 I got jumpscare by how good that vehicle looked
I ADORE Strongarm 🙏🥰
I think her figure is pretty great for the price point, but my points are the same as yours. I wish the head was a bit smaller to maker her look Bigger I guess? & the shoulder wheels being attached in a different way would be nice.
Me seeing Shadowstriker: *HeR cHeSt Is FlAt No OfFeNsE!*
Also DrLockdown: *Fan modes Shadowstriker's Chest*
Me: That Changes *EvErYtHiNg!*
Legacy Chromia is despised? I love her! It’s so well articulated! I hoping for Lugnut/Clobber one!
I don’t mind Chromia being a retool of Animated Prowl. I actually think it looks better than Animated Prowl.
Honestly, all three of them FEEL like the characters.
In what way? Strongarm got skinnified and forced into the stereotypical oversexualized fembot body, Shadowstriker is a lazy pretool and all around just a garbage figure, and Chromia is straight up a repaint of Prowl with no changes besides the head. Saying they “feel” like the characters is just a cope ngl.
In the way that when I play around with Shadowstriker, I can instantly picture her in Cyberverse/hear the actress from the show. Takes me back to Beast Wars, when kibble, proportions, and accessories on the toys might all differ from the show, but that was almost part of the fun. She’s a great little toy even as a pretool.
Like, idk, man. People aren’t lying about the vibes they get with toys for no reason. No one has time for that.
@@MrRobosquad Yeah, pretty much this. Like, Chromia doesn't match her cyberverse body and alt-mode, which were based off the old T30 figure, but it feels like what an earth alt-mode for her might have been. It's also why the upcoming Slipstream feels off in the pictures I've seen. Her figure isn't boxy enough for her cyberverse counterpart, coming across more as the Animated version in many ways. Yes, 'feel' is very much a matter of personal opinion, but these three work for me.
I actually really like Shadowstriker. A simple and unique transformation. While i understand that she doesn't look like her Cyberverse incarnation, the way that her mould looks does give off a Frankenstein's Monster feel, and i find that very important to her character.
Hoping Gen Selects does a Botcon Shadow Striker, I'll always accosiate her with the Cyberverse Purple (and mismatched colours from cyborg limbs) but with her design being a double homage, I'd love to see those the mold in those original colours. Hell, do a red and black one like the Rotf Legends two pack. I wish the mold didn't have the partsforming or that the vehicle mode had better sculpting, but even then, i really want to see Shadow Striker's other decos
I’m at a point where I’m not sure whether I want the proper BotCon head or the Cyberverse one in those colors
@@Cdr2002 I'd personally want the botcon head, but maybe if they do both Shadow Striker and Roulette, maybe one can have the cyberverse head and the other can have the botcon head?
@@KwakyWacky that arrangement for the pair is exactly what I was thinking, but both having the BotCon head would still be perfectly fine and of course more accurate
LU Chromia does what prime arcee (deluxes) and so many bikeformers should have done years ago: learn from prowl, improve upon prowl. Even just a new coat of paint and a new head can do wonders.
"improve upon Prowl"?? What you mean? You mean Legacy Prowl? If so, hes awesome, tho! LGY Prowl and Chromia are perfect!! Also, I'd kill for a new TFP Arcee that is an _EXTENSIVE_ retool of the mold; BRAND new bikemode, new head, new chest, probably retool the shurikens out of the mold completely, new weapon(s) (armblades or guns), then done! It'd be perfect!
@@fennekin1750 I should have specified the original deluxe animated prowl, my bad. Animated prowl was a great toy, the first great bikeformer imo, and it's kind of a letdown how the deluxe bikeformers that followed him didn't do anything with the animated prowl design cues until legacy. And I agree, I wish prime arcee would get retooled out of legacy prowl, throw in some proper arm blades.
@@CapriciousChill Ahh, I see now. And, yea, it'd definitely be cool for Arcee.
Also, I want LGY Prowl and Chromia.
I still want a MP-Nancy, Elita-1 and the rest of the fembots. Lol
(With better backpacks or options.)
You're making me want that Longarm and Chromia now.
The full 73 yards! That’s a quality reference
Yay, I have all three. All of them were much better than I expected. Personally I prefer to use the melee mode of the Shadow Striker gun with a blast effect for a "beam saber" (for now it seems it didn't affect the plastic of the gun) and I just wedge the rear bumber on the 5mm port of the shield/car roof.
I wish Legacy Strongarm didn't have the inaccurate shoulder kibble. If she didn't, she would have been one of the most faithful post-2007 Legacy characters.
23:48 honestly feel like all three of those sound like price point names. Obviously Scout Class was once a thing, but “Special Forces Class” sounds like deluxe/voyager with maybe a bit extra explicitly for a gimmick.
But you cannot stop me from a hypothetical “Gremlin Class” completionism!!!!
Stellar reviews man. Im among the ones who was really mixed and dissapointed by these releases but this video has made me them all in a new light and with alot more nuance. Especially shadow striker, who im picking up now! Keep up the great work and humor 💙 🗣
Shadowstinker is just terrible, don’t waste your money dude
I really wanted Shadow Striker to look like her Cyberverse incarnation so it could be retooled into a new version of the Prime Vehicon
love this channel, I have none of them as I didn't find shadow striker for a decent price, have the old Strong-arm and am pleased with it, and have t30 Chromia and legacy prowl, but these 3 are Great figures and
stunning LOOKING
I got Shadowstriker and Chromia for free because someone offloaded them to me. So since I never bought them myself I found the two to be very nice figures.
Kinda surprised Arcee hasn’t been given a new legacy mold or a retool of the Elite 1. Maybe they could make a legacy design out of her Earthspark design.
NGL, Chromia was the one figure I wanted out of her wave, and having had her for a while, I absolutely ADORE her. Only three minor gripes exist, the lack of any gun (Since Chromia has a gun in most if not all of her appearances, even in Cyberverse), the energon-blue stars (Honestly, it wouldn't look as bad if they tried to match her main blue so they could blend into her legs better.), and the lack of deco on the forearms (That energon blue would POP on those stripes). Still, she rocks the smaller gun from my Legacy Elita-1 just fine, and I understand the budget reasons for the lack of deco on the arms (There's no excuse for not trying to match her main blue on the stars, though). She's a solid figure in her own right, and deserving of a spot on anyone's shelf, even if they already have the Siege one (Which I do).
Also, Hasbro. My Kingdom for a proper IDW Nautica. Please. Not a Blurr redeco that was done as part of a set that's a pain to get these days. A proper mainline release. PLEASE.
When i picked up chromia, i was genuinely surprised at how much i liked it since i missed the original prowl release and yea looking back i very much prefer the lavender and blues of chromia over the black and gold of prowl which i still want since i had the original as a kid
I love the Legacy Chromia, She's next to my TR Windblade and Legacy Elita-1 (serving as a replacement for Arcee) as an homage to the Combiner Hunters team. As such I just see Legacy Chromia not as a Cyberverse figure, but an IDW 1.0 figure.
I barely have any transformers and I know very little about strong arm, but I love her desing, Im tempted to pick her up.
awesome to see you back, Doc!
looking forward for more to come ^^
So I already had Strongarm but this video, along with the recently revealed Nonnef upgrade kit for Windblade getting me in a Transformers mood, has convinced me to order Shadowstriker and Chromia. For the latter I plan to dig through my loose weapons and find a good sniper rifle for her to wield and possibly a sword as well... I will the other hand was designed for weapons but she can have one strapped somewhere.
I'm still disappointed that they didn't use the Axlegrease mold on Shadowstriker so you could truly get that patchwork look from Cyberverse by swapping some arms and legs.
I tend to think of Legacy Shadowstriker, especially due to the head and lack of the Frankenstein look, as more a representation of her IDW incarnation, but I understand why it was easier to just say “Cyberverse”
Y
You
You can store Shadowstriker's gun in the car mode
I can't believe I never thought of that.
She's the only one of these three I have, and yeah, one of the roof tabs is breaking at the base of them because I might've been too rough when transforming it. But the transformation feels so satisfying and the posing feels so nice that... yeah. Got her at the same time as Armada Megs and Prime and she almost ended up being my favourite of those three. I never even noticed the collarbone detail either! It may not be one of the best but I find the overall design, as a toy, to be clever and fun.
I really appreciate how accurate Cromias colours are to her Cyberverse version, even the off gray, really gives ke hope that if they ever do a Cyberverse Hot Rod, say from Cybertron Hot Shot, they will keep the lavender in his colour scheme and dont make it light gray or silver
i'd prefer something more than colours
Also, according to TFWiki, _Legacy United_ Cyberverse Chromia's design hews much more closely to her design from the cancelled _Transformers: Heavy Metal_ video game.
I'll have to check those designs out.
love this channel, I have none of them as I didn't find shadow striker for a decent price, have the old Strong-arm and am pleased with it, and have t30 Chromia and legacy prowl, but these 3 are Great figures and
stunning Looking
I know people hate the Legacy Prime Arcee mold, which I don't understand because I love that thing, but Chromia would have made so much more sense as a retool of that one.
Im adding Chromia to the Animated shelf and threat her as a new young cadet for the elite guard (taking advantage of those red marks in her shoulders)
What i hope Hasbro and TT do in Legacy or whatever the next chapter is: Figures for Team Athenia (Rodimus, Ironhide, Hot Shot, Brawn and Red Alert).
And of course Ratchet (probably based on Trailbraker mold) and a new Bulkhead.
I am HERE for the Shadowstriker love! I think she’s fantastic
I owned all 3 figures, and I love all of them. My only issues with any of them are this
Shadowstriker: the bumper I didn't enjoy and I wish it came with a blade accessory to tab into the blade hilt *_(I split the bumper and super glued it so it transforms just fine. Plus it kinda gives off that put together vibe she had in the show, since I used and excato knife, pliers and super glue to do this mod)_*
Strongarm: Wish she had more joints in her shoulderpads and door wings to make it so they don't clash with each other. *_(I used a mod tutorial I found on the TFW forums that helps position the backpack up a little higher so the door wings sit in a more natural place.)_*
Chromia: instead of ninja stars they just made caps that sat in the storage spot of the Ninja stars and gave her regular guns to wield which can become exhaust pipes in alt mode. And that tooling could be used to slim down her thighs a bit. *_(Also I did want to mention that it is possible to swap the legs, you unscrew the shins and swap them, and for transformation, just rotate the waist in the opposite direction. She transforms just fine.)_*
Despite those issues, HasTak has been killing it with the female characters, Legacy Slipstream could've used more tooling I agree, but each one has been hit after hit. I want them to tackle Shatter and use the T30 Springer sandstorm mold next.
Also Doc, what are your thoughts on the Armorizers? Do you own any of them?
Out of the three that were reviewed today, strong arm was fine If not perfect.
There wasn't anything wrong with her. I just haven't picked one up yet, but I will be fixing that soon
50 minutes of Dr Lockdown is EXACTLY what the Doctor ordered
And said doctor was Dr. Lockdown
Strongarm took me on a real rollercoaster from being excited when her listing originally leaked, to disappointed when we saw the actual figure, to finally getting her in hand and going "eh, it's fine".
Still not *really* what I would have wanted but I don't hate it.
Only Fembot release I have I had a few problems with, and that was Legacy Minerva, which had a backpack that flops around, and friction joint feet, that can, and have gotten looser over time.
I only own Chromia, Windblade, Axlegrease, Override, Burn-Out, and Minerva out of the current Legacy crop of ladies, and I still want to get ahold of Strongarm, Shadow Striker, and any others I haven’t picked up yet
I NEED a proper steeljaw looking at how good strong arm came out
What's sad is I've had a chance to own each of these, it was just that when I had the money and saw these there were other figures I would rather have had. So I have no issues with them, just wrong place wrong time
I LOVE this Prowl/Chromia mold. Top 5 Transformer. The pose-ability and color schemes on both are as good as it gets. Both modes look great too.
Prowl and Chromia are on par with each other; none of them are better than the other. They are both awesome, I want both!!
I like the new chromia but the lack of a shield is a real deal break for me so hard was to do earthrise again
If redecos and retools are what we have to get to fill out our ranks, then so be it.
3:02 this is probably my favorite type of female transformer toy
it makes them feel like they're part of the same world as the other dudes
I've never understood the hatred for these figures, and I'd love to buy Strongarm if these figures would actually show up in my stores.
Well, strongarm is due for a package refresh. You may have another chance soon
My biggest nitpick with Shadowstriker (which is actually more of a nitpick with Sideburn) is the engine on the chest. It looks like an identity crisis between a V6 and a V8, while a Dodge Viper has a V10. Really not that big of a deal, tho
My gripe with Shadow striker is that she is supposed to represent Cyberverse Shadow striker. Besides the head she looks nothing like her asymmetrical design. An asymmetrical colour could have really helped or make her the botcon version. Only way you could make her like her asymmetrical design would be to swap limbs from other transformers like Elita 1 and Windblade. Hope Chromia’s mold is retooled to make an armada Sideways.
i really how all these molds have the feeling of the characters, without sacrificing the way how each character look and how each are interpreted. And also i love how they dont do the skinny fembot figure too much
chromia totally sacrifices the way the character looks bro, show me the wheel shoulders on legacy
@@CrimsonAzure-fh6yb so? she has her leg wheels at least, and its not like some other figures in the past where they were inaccurate to the model they were based off of
@@Doc_Energon but we reached a new peak of accuracy with Legacy with even UT
Comparing it to older figures seems weird when we're at an all-time new standard
@@CrimsonAzure-fh6yb i guess so, but we gotta consider design limits, parts counts, and budget limitations. That, and how they want to interpret the character’s looks from their original source like Shadowstriker, who is both a combo of her botcon look and her cyberverse look
@@Doc_Energon except her alt mode is neither design
Legacy's girls, even TFP Arcee, are such a massive step up from WFC. Even from SS86 Arcee. We need more fembots that look like Transformers, rather than metal woman with car backpacks. I hope annoying fans dont make Hasbro learn the wrong lesson from these because this is a massive step forward!!
If only 3P companies could do the same...looking at all the legends scale fembots that are just arcee redecos.
Elita and Minerva are best versions of the mold. Legarcee is an improvement from the WFCT fembots, but also a a massive step back regarding the intended character it was meant for. Chromia is perfect in every single way apart from accuracy to the source. And Strongarm is off; she DESPERATELY needs a BRAND NEW mold, but not as much as Shadowstriker!
@@fennekin1750 i agree they're all flawed, especially strongarm and shadowstriker, but im happy with this progress. they can and should always do better with fembots, but they're getting there.
i love Chromia and the other versions of the Elita mold though.
I'm also okay with fembots being retools/innacurate to their source material tbh. If it prevents toys like Kingdom/SS86 Arcee, its a good sacrifice.
@@jace-vo2xl I agree, apart from SS86 Arcee, which I think is pretty good, not perfect. I'd love a Hot Rod-style Voyager for her in SS86.
And, fyi, that wasn't a jab towards LGY Chromia for being inaccurate to the source; it was more-so just a fact. I actually really like Chromia; I want her. Nor was I jabbing toward Elita/Minerva, other figures/molds or anything; both of them and the mold in general is really good, and other figures are good, too. And, I'd love an _extensive_ retool of Elita for Shadowstriker. If they did it for Strongarm, then they can do it again. Just retool the carmode into more of a sportscar and retool some other bits, and ofc a new head; it'd be perfect. Then, a slight retool of her as Nightbird would be sick. Ofc, replace both guns with new swords. (Just a question, I'm curious, do you happen to know if LGY Shadowstriker's head is compatible with Elita's [head] balljoint?)
Strongarm is bulkier but slim; the Legacy figure doesn't capture that too well because of the mold they used. Shoulder wonkyness, head size, and flat, pancake-y truck are the main detriments. Everything else is fine. (just saying)
@@fennekin1750 im not sure if theyre compatible, i don't own either (been having to more heavily budget my collecting habits), but they look like they may be. most legacy toy's i have share a similar sized ball joint head. I do like those ideas for Elita & Nightbird though.
@@jace-vo2xl Ok. I was just wondering cuz I had/have those little thought/brain things of "Hmm? Could I potentially customize even tho I've got no experience???" It would be cool if I could.
Also, you meant my Shadowstriker and Nightbird ideas?
7:00 all of MOPARs cars are being done by Mattel atm with hotwheels, and the F&f toys so I doubt they’re gonna throw the rights to Hasbro without a fight from Mattel anyways.
I’m in the minority that thinks the car mode is fine because it looks like an alcohol fueled drag car. Just fine.
8:25 also. No. The BotCon one is her pre injury. Her and roulette were pulled apart by picking sides. It’s a whole thing.
...huh...
30:12 I like to put one of the longe pieces from Jetfire’s blast effects into the weapon to act like a laser sword.
Those are definetly good figures and now are definetly higher in my buying list (Shadowstriker is in top-5)
The only point I can't agree at all is that 86 Wreck-Gar is bad. His bikemode is just pure awesomeness, and robot is quie fun.
Something I personally feel from personal experience is that the Animated Prowl mold does it's transformation far better than the Prime Arcee.
While both are easy to remember I tend to enjoy Prowl's transformation alot more than I do Arcee.
Arcee's transformation is alright but then making everything go together correctly is sometimes irritating.
Sometimes I even think I miss-transformed something but no it's just a wierd design.
Also my copy is loose and parts pop off easy
My only gripe with Chromia, is that she is labeled as Cyberverse Universe, but she doesn't look like her, they could have given her a more toon accurate head, but apart from that, the toy is great as a regular Chromia
Strongarm is fine, she is supposed to be bulky and it works
Shadowstriker is fine,, but for some reason on my copy her roof doesn't stay tabbed in, in vehicle mode
Exactly, it's only good if you ignore what it's trying to be, which isn't great
Objectively a really good, and informative review for these three. So far only have United Chromia as I like how the design carried over so effectively to the Prowl mold. Also saves me needing to buy Prowl to experience the toy, and its marvels of engineering. Really tempted to get Prowl now as the mold is just that awesome only that would mean being obligated to get both Animated Prime, and Bee as he can't really stand on a shelf alone. Never really watched RID but really liked the Strongarm toy design though the original felt to large/simplified though that what she needed to be for the target audience of the show. New one looks a bit more involved, and I like how the proportions overall are streamlined better to fit into the Legacy lineup. Seeing as she is still readily available on Amazon may get her with her mold mate Elita 1 as they look great together. No qualms/complaints about Shadowstriker other than I have no knowledge whatsoever about the show or character so just going to hold out for the Sideburn release.
Even with the whole pretool thing I still love the newest Shadowstriker. Car mode is fun and the bot mode is fun to pose. I'm not as keen on the other two but I don't hate them or their transformations. I think Strongarm and Chromia are both uniquely fun figures, and I really hope fembots don't revert back to using the same mold over and over. I like this era of semi-originality, all different body types and all giving new, fresh takes on fem characters. I would absolutely LOVE to see the rest of that one G1 all-girl crew make their way properly into our collections (i'm kinda digging that red and orange one) in this way too!
also caught that Hero Factory reference. Quick, but funny all the same!
The whole 73 yards triggered my doctor who sense
I’m super excited to get my hands on Chromia and am hoping to get one for my upcoming birthday (there isn’t one figure in the entirety of the city I live near though so that’s both concerning and hilarious).
I wrote off Strongarm after not being impressed with the looks of the Elita/Minerva mould, but after your video I might give the refresh a shot…maybe.
I will not give any slack however to Shadow striker. Her being a pre colour of Sideburn, no problem. Super cool, but I have a big problem with the rest of the figure. For starters the proportions of both the robot mode and car mode seem to have been desired at random. The legs go beyond long, and are paired with a puny torso, alongside arms that are super far back due to the transformation. Not to mention that said transformation will come undone if you try to move the arm without pressing the backpack into the torso thanks to the weak locking tab. However, I will give credit in that the shoulder joint is an improvement over the likes of ER Hoistbreaker in that the arm can rotate forward without bringing the attached kibble strut with it.
I don’t know what the idea with the car mode was. Every Shadow striker alt-mode has been an Earth car opposed a Cybertronian car, different cars, but Earth cars nonetheless. Both the Cyberverse car, and the RID car have higher side, over the wheel things (I’m not a car guy), which this alt mode completely omits, removing any connection to the previous alt-modes. I’m not asking for a 1:1 Chevrolet whatever, but a little reminiscent would have gone a long way.
But my biggest problem with the car is the proportions. What is going on? The wheels are taller than the windscreen by a country mile to the point that if you were in the car you could barely see over the exposed engine. The front of the car super prominently hangs out, while the rear has Hank Hill levels of ass (that is to say, it doesn’t have anything. Combined with the lack of mechanical detail (whether to emulate the cartoon or not), it results in a car that looks like it was sculpted from a soap bar rather than plastic. This is a bad figure in my opinion.
However, at least it is Shadow striker’s (and Sideburn’s) figure, and she wasn’t relegated to using the Ercee mould or something like that. So overall, it is very good that the Transformers team has moved away from the idea that all fembots are cool to have the same figures just because a large number are obscure and ill defined.
I wonder what an alternate reality Oritha would have looked like if the rest of the team had gotten to use other Prime wars combiner limb moulds? I’m not familiar with what the other character’s original alt modes were like but it would have been better than the space oblong on wheels that was Moonracer (poor girl).
Of the three hated (I'm not in that category of collectors, I LOVE these three), Strongarm is my least favorite because of her head mold. She has a big head, lol!
For Shadowstriker, it's her shoulder placement. HATE IT. but that's it. A small gripe for an overall solid and awesome figure.
Welp, I wanted Chromia before watching this review, Now I *WANT* her
Thank you now I might give strongarm a chance
NGL i want shadowstriker the only thing stopping me is her engine chasis. Yes, it's preuse for sideburn, but I want her without the engine.
Seen all three yesterday and only got chronic but definitely wanted the others too
Also one thing I was thinking is that if they included a side car with chromes they could’ve easily used that to transform into a big shield for her. That would be insane
Yo where did you get that head for dk-3 breaker it looks cool!
Renderform
I've passed on Strongarm only because I'm not as sold on the face [and don't care for the feet not locking in place in vehicle mold, an issue Elita and Minerva share]; very much looking forward to finding Chromia at retail.
Edit: picked up Chromia and Nucleous at a local toy convention yesterday and Strongarm at retail nearby, and can confirm the feet on her lock in place far better than Elita-1 and Minerva.
I was having this discussion with a friend, but I think a lot of the hate comes from skewed expectations. No-one bats an eye when Ironhide and Ratchet are the same mould just with different heads and colours. Hoist and Trailbreaker being minor retools of each other is expected. Mould reuse like this has been a staple since the beginning of the franchise. But now that we're getting Transformers from across the history of the franchise with all different design aesthetics, re-uses like that stand out a lot more. We can always wish that new figures perfectly replicate what we love about their show designs, but even if they can't, as long as they're good figures in their own right it's hard to get too upset
Exactly for some reason people are so upset about modern retools, but are fine to go out and buy 7 different coloured bumblebees, 18 seekers and 42 lazerbeaks with the only real reason being well thats how they've always been.
My guess is a lot of people have grown up alongside the internet and realised retools and repaints are a tactic that prevents them getting the best toy possible unaware of the reasons as to why, but are blinded to older retools because of nostalgia
It's because some characters were pre-established to be the same body-type in their media. Others weren't. Cyberverse Chromia is one such example.
Hopefully we get a new Moon Racer and Fire Star too.👍
Also I love all 3 of these figures, and am probably gonna like the Legacy Slipstream despite her also being ridiculously inaccurate to her cartoon self
36:40 - I feel the Thrilling 30 Chromia (2014) was a better look. But yes, this is much, much better than the WFC version.
My problem with ShadowStriker is that her paint is good….and that’s kinda weird. In cyberverse pretty sure she was more….repaired? Idk just compare the designs. I’m fine with what they did with Strongarm and Chromia