Via Magic Square Toys Weibo we have clear images of the color prototype of their MS-B31 Detective (Legends Scale G1 Hound).
This is a new take on G1 Hound for the competitive Legends scale market. This figure shows a very cartoon-accurate robot mode with a nice range of poseability and a solid and compact robot mode. All packed in such a small scale. It will include a cage (for Ravage) and keys and all Hound’s weapons from the show plus a holographic ray effect.
See all the images after the break and then share your impressions on the 2005 Boards!
1BLD
I do have the new Jazz, and so far he seems fine after a good amount of handling.
Takara Hound, I also don't like the ankle warts visually, MS having small relief elements is much better. But they also function as solid tabs that are easy to undo, so I made peace with those with that perspective. The neck is still jank though, really seems like they took the difficult way around on that.
I do kind of want to check out the KO to have a version that isn't terrifying to handle, but I'm also not well versed enough in the KO and KO retailer world to confidently navigate that. MS direct is my only foreign store, which works out fine when the last few months have been MS and mainline retail for me anyway.
TCJJ
There's always the KO of MP Hound, I guess. I hate how the shoulder canon and head are designed (particularly the armatures), and the cartoon-accurate ankle warts drive me nuts (not really an issue with the Magic Square one since they're just moulded/painted on – they don't have dedicated armatures and engineering like Takara's), so I haven't been able to bring myself to even buy the allegedly not-crap KO.
I've got Ironhide A coming, ironically with the first two Combaticons. The black one looks nice but I have to draw the line somewhere for my collection, so I'm going to get it for a friend instead.
Also, to be fair, I think Jazz is somewhat cursed too. Apparently the new version of Magic Square's Jazz has much worse paint chipping than the previous too (even though they just got the paint right with Trailbreaker!!!), and the less said about FansToys Jazz, the better.
1BLD
No Ironhide A, I got the black version with my first 3 combaticons in August, prior to the re-release. That one is perfect, and now I have the mold I've not been tempted by the proper colours version.
And yeah, Hound is proper cursed. Funny thing is, MS takes a lot of tricks from the problem areas of the Takara MP, but with their plastic they're not issues even at the reduced scale. Takara just fucked it by making Hound out of garbage, and we haven't gotten a Detritus redeco because any official reuse of the mold will be greeted with such immense and valid skepticism. I think I liked the design too before the fear of breaking it got the better of me.
TCJJ
Guess it's a universal problem then. Damn, that sucks. Hound definitely seems to get the short end of the stick. Not sure why – I don't think he's that complicated a design.
I'm still waiting to get one for my MP collection that doesn't suck (MakeToys has a crappy face and is hard to get, especially in cartoon colours; FansToys has an ankle problem apparently but even if it didn't, good luck getting one now; and Takara's is obviously just total crap).
The thing with the cage (and cage key and alternate face) is that it was included in the regular A version, so you didn't need the cartoon version to get the cage, and it's the same price, so it feels more like a middle finger than anything else.
Honestly, there's no reason the extra accessories can't be included, unless the moulds for them have deteriorated more than Hound's own mould apparently has.
The side skirts can definitely be done better, but Magic Square just loves sculpting them in a way that doesn't work well. Not sure why that is but I doubt it's any limitation other than a self-imposed one.
I'm not surprised it isn't actually shiny though. Do you have the A version of Ironhide? I'm assuming the plastic looks similar to that figure, given the promo photos have a similar sheen.
Completely missed this somehow. That's interesting, because I saw Baidu users say the opposite. One got a replacement shoulder and said it had the same problem. If the shoulders are identical, it may be worth asking for a left shoulder instead of a right shoulder.
As for pins, a small enough screwdriver usually makes dealing with Magic Square pins pretty easy, in my experience.
1BLD
Yeah, I've been trying to get a light into there to spot any obvious difference. Nothing obvious yet, which is frustrating when I think I have the issue sussed out but still can't fix it.
TIKnTIN
maybe it's just extra flash or a blob of plastic in the socket that just needs to be removed? a similar issue was the case for the "A" re-issue of mirage that prevented one of the rear wheels from pegging into and holding in place for the alt mode. little things like that seems to keep randomly cropping up in MS releases. a lot of extra flash also had to be removed from the combiner socket for blast-off to get it connect to the torso.
1BLD
Investigating it further- it's not the ball, it's the socket. Swapping arms moves the problem to the other side, from his right to left side.
So, it would be possible for MS to fix this by having a supply of correct shoulders. Pop off the arm, detach the shoulder from the bicep with the mushroom peg, and there you go. MS could have seen and fixed this before release too- if the arm can swing up past 90, the socket isn't sitting right. If it stops, it's good. Just run an extra bin of shoulders to swap out.
As is, I'm going to try MS' customer services tomorrow. Thankfully, the problem is easily fixable without dealing with a mess of pins, or getting half of a Hound because it's all pinned together. If they can toss me a replacement shoulder socket (or two, for good luck), then I can fix this in 30 seconds.
tilallaresundry
What a pity! I'd been considering getting this one to compare to my NA Hound, but if he's got QC issues then it wouldn't be a fair fight at all.
1BLD
Yeah, my yellow Bonecrusher definitely has something wrong with the neck ball, turn it and Bonecrusher suddenly feels like being a rich frenchman. Scavenger also has a very stiff neck, which doesn't pop off but is very offputting.
I had chalked this up to possibly being due to early MS experience with ball jointed necks (early on, they had a lot of peg necks, right?), but mold deterioration related to nylon feels more plausible now you hypothesise it.
Edit: My 2023 version arrived. Hound, why are you cursed to always have an issue, big or small? Classics had thigh swivels that would pop off in transformation and get worse every time. The Takara MP is made of cheese and I am scared to handle it. This MS reissue is probably the best, since the dodgy shoulder stays on, it just impairs the ability of the vehicle to roll well.
Otherwise, he's really good? No cage, but while I don't personally kind, I do get it (same price for less, ultimately). I love the darker green and the silver thighs, though a full toy deco with black legs would have been ideal. The tips of his knees almost make the seats look complete too, making them back would complete that effect. Otherwise, the only downside to the deco is that while the windshield looks nice in the transblack, the hologram effect looks more like a smoke gun. Oh, and it isn't the full shiny metallic deco of the promo pics.
I love the transformation though, surprisingly simple for MS but extremely effective. The way things line up, the way the wheels tab into his waist means that they function like fillers to give his back a natural arch when using the ab crunch, nice. It is another release where the side skirts clash with, rather than naturally move out of the way of the thighs. Maybe it's a size thing, but MS really need to figure this out so I'm not cheering their absence when it turns out that figures like Blastoff/Vortex are missing them entirely.
So, I'm torn- this is a good figure, in both design and looks. But it's also hard to recommend given the manufacturing screwup on the one shoulder affecting the ability of the Jeep to roll properly. Oh, and the missing cage if you care for that, but I also suppose that in that case, a reissue of the lighter colours would be what you would likely want?
Also, why is his box huge? It's taller, nearly twice as wide, and 50% deeper than Jazz's box. Was the cage that big when flat packed, or was the box always strangely oversized?
TCJJ
How much do you want for it? I don't really want to spend more than retail on it, to be honest, but I also get that it's more or less unavailable now.
I've heard mixed things on Bonecrusher's neck on the first release (some people said it being too big wasn't an issue then, but some people in the thread seem to disagree), but it's definitely an issue on the later release, and appears to be the same issue as Hound now has, so it makes me wonder if there's something with nylon tolerances that are much more susceptible to steel mould deterioration. Still seems pretty fast for it to deteriorate though…
Pun-3X
"He's leaking lubricant all over my foot!"
…wait, wrong character…
deaculpa
View attachment 30200569
Zentropy
I feel that MST has been largely successful with their “A” decos, but there seems to be a limit to the quality of their injection molds. Some companies have more problems with initial releases, but the QC with Magic Square seems to get worse with subsequent reissues.
FieryReign
Yep, it's boxed with everything. I didn't apply the new windshield because I didn't want to risk breaking it again so it's in the box.
TCJJ
I mean, it's less common than all the other things here, so… there's that?
I do think your digibash looks really good, though I really like the yellow too. I'm surprised they didn't do the silver when they're targeting the toy colour with this latest version.
The QC issue is a real problem though. After my post before, I went to have another look at Baidu and even more people are reporting the same issues (and nobody has yet to receive one without the issue), and it's confirmed that the ball joint is too big on one shoulder. That's… really bad.
Nope, it's a new issue only with the 2023 version. See above.
Is your one boxed etc.? I'd be interested in buying it. I wanted the newer one because the green is nicer but since it's got a mould issue, I think I'll have to pass… Still waiting to hear back from Magic Square about the issue.
FieryReign
The QC issue with the breaking windshields? I have an "A" version that had the broken windshield but I got a replacement for it. It's for sale if anyone is interested? It comes with the cage.
Zentropy
Is it, though? If only.
QC issues aside, I was initially interested in the possibility of a deeper shade of green, but only if it came with different paint details. I’ve never liked the yellow accents, and I want black arms/lower legs.
TCJJ
And here I was hoping someone had got the new Hound in-hand so we could see if indeed every copy has QC issues.
Instead, it's a guy apparently drunk-posting about names.
I guess that's something new, at least…
Zentropy
They’ve named their company Magic Square Toys, so that’s apparently what they wanted. If people have taken to shortening it to “MS”, that’s on them, but “MST” is certainly as— if not more— appropriate. Regardless, it’s such a minor issue over which to (incorrectly) correct someone. Just move on, instead of digging your hole deeper.