Via the Hasbro Pulse website, we now have a new update for the HasLab Victory Saber project, that being an actual video review type production for the figure’s prototype:
Join Transformers HasLab Product Designer, Evan, as he takes you through an in-depth look of Victory Saber! On this first engineering sample, you get to see what is perfect, as well as what needs some tweaking before we get our next sample. This is a peek behind the curtain like you’ve never seen!
Update: We have added our usual screencaps gallery focusing in some interesting parts:
- Comparison shots of Star Saber, Victory Leo and Victory Saber next to Earthrise Optimus Prime and Siege Hound for a proper idea of the scale.
- How you can display the blade in toy or cartoon accurate mode.
- Saber (inner robot) has an ab-crunch.
- Brainmaster unit comparison size next to a Titan Master.
- Star Saber right leg has a space to hide the blade.
- The shield can storage both the blade and the gun.
- The sword can connect to Star Saber’s hip for a more samurai look.
- Blast effects in each figure and mode.
- Victory Leo can position his guns in several ways (in the back, holding them in his hands or attached to the forearms).
- Victory Leo can hold the V-cannon in his arm or it can be attached to his hip.
- Victory Saber’s jetpack (formed by Victory Leo) has a port which makes it compatible with other figures. You can attach it to Earthrise Optimus Prime with no problem.
Update 2: Official YouTube mirror of the video added after the jump.
Check it out and let us know your thoughts on the boards!
Paneltron
UK squad here. Received my replacement from the new batch with the improved QC.
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Not sure if this is news credit worthy @Black Convoy
Neko-bot77
You have a loaded question there….
Financially, it was $200 during the Haslab backing window, so a $20 markup (if it's complete & undamaged or in unopened box) is not bad at all.
If you love the character, it's a fantastic deal. If you hate the character, it's nothing to interest you.
Uniswipe1984
Is this thing worth it at 220?
Onyxstrike
Coming back to this today, decided to try this out with my new copy since I haven't done the combined vehicle mode all that much with it considering the aforementioned chrome chipping.
I cannot believe this actually works, even when inserting Saber into the V-Star too, holy fuck. This makes a heap of difference. As to whether or not unstickered copies will survive this more gentler method only time will tell, but I am glad there's a better way of combining it that brings substantially less risk to the foil chrome potentially on the long-term.
Paneltron
UK squad here. Got the go ahead this week form
Hasbro to return the figure I’ve waited so long to replace with one from ‘new batch with better QC’. Hopefully will receive it in a couple weeks allowing for turnaround.
mx-01 archon
This is more common than you think it is.
I doubt it's actually a huge issue, but there's probably enough play in the mechanism that it wouldn't consistently unlatch in practice.
Remember that steel molds work in the negative. To remove plastic, you have to add more steel. To add more steel to the tooling after the fact is very, VERY expensive. In the advent of these sorts of design modifications, it's way simpler to do it manually on the assembly room floor.
Another example of this ad-hoc adjustment was Studio Series Blitzwing. They had to fix how the wingtips connected compared to the render to remove a structural weakness. The wingtips had to be carved down by hand to fit the modified peg holes. That's why the area around the swivel peg is often asymmetrical.
Fafnir72
Having all the CAD data and workstations and still that little detail fell through the cracks?
Not dissing the fig but normal reaction to a Da Ef?!
Hazards of the hobby I guess
Consolation folks, even GoodSmile released an error 1st pressing of their Brave series and Bandai a 2 Rfeet GM.
At the mods, I feel my statement is relevant. Always wishing thay each of our copies are perfect or at least 99.99%
RePUGnicon
Thanks for this. I think this may have convinced me to keep mine.
Shamax
Put the upgrade kit on my replacement. He's pretty much perfect now imo.
Ravewind
I'm hoping for something similar. Still haven't gotten an email for my replacement request.
mx-01 archon
That notch cut out of the waist is universal, I think.
The reason is probably that the tooling didn't make allowances for the molded triangle on the spring tab, so the factory workers have to manually carve a space for it.
TargetmasterJoe
Okay, I was going to say that I could live with this copy even if the pin joints in Victory Leo's toes and Saber's Core Robot mode were loose.
But then I found a stress mark in the piece that flips Saber's helmet up.
View attachment 30060100
And here's that triangular cut I brought up earlier:
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I paid like more than $170 for this. For that kind of money, this second copy should've been perfect. GRRRRR.
TargetmasterJoe
I'll need to get back on that because I still have to transform these guys to their alt modes. (And I haven't even touched the Micromasters yet.)
UPDATE:
Still working on a final verdict, but Delta Magnus with the Victory Leo wings hits SO HARD!
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Fafnir72
So TJ, overall, you good on this replacement? That's the important part
TargetmasterJoe
Okay, I've been poking around with my new copy today.
Here are my observations so far (Only attempted Victory Saber transformation, haven't removed the Micromasters, shield, Brainmaster or display stand):
Onyxstrike
I think I might have a bit of trouble following what's supposed to be happening with the shoulders. If I'm guessing correctly, pulling the shoulders back also bends the blue part they're connected to, flexing it enough to untab Saber from the V-Star?
Fafnir72
Not only that but the print and font colors of nearly all instructions not just on this set are virtually invisible in gray.
Even when attaching his saber blade. Ugggh
G.B. Blackrock
Point well taken. I need reading glasses just to transform my figures (even if I'm NOT reading the instructions) these days.
WishfulThinking
Or, at least give us LARGE picture-only instructions so I can decipher WTH I'm supposed to be doing sometimes. Tiny is fine for the $10 bots. But let's up the game a bit for the $25+ merch.
With an aging demographic, you'd think they'd key in on this a bit.
G.B. Blackrock
I've been saying for years that picture-only instructions are wholly insufficient. Yeah, it's a cheaper option for Hasbro, but we lose out.