As mentioned during the HasLab Victory Saber official unboxing, the Transformers HasLab project was on display along with its amazing packaging today at the Hasbro booth in San Diego Comic Con 2022.
The foil box was on display next to Victory Saber color prototypes and we have some close up shots for you to appreciate the details and box art.
See the images after the break and join to the ongoing discussion on the 2005 Boards!
Paneltron
UK squad here. Received my replacement from the new batch with the improved QC.
View attachment 30081646
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!
View attachment 30058846
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.