So this past weekend, I was reminded of a universal truth - prices at conventions are insane. I usually find that one fire sale item, but there just wasn't anything worth my money this time around.. of course, it didn't help that the focus of this one happened to be vintage toys. But for my time and energy, I find the classifieds to be much more rewarding. Case in point, the MP-37 Artfire I picked up in used condition for $130, as opposed to the $240 they wanted at the show, admittedly in new condition.
I've been eyeing one of these for quite a long time now. The MP-33 Inferno figure was the first "modern" MP figure I purchased. You may recall that when MP-10 launched, they finally settled on a scale so figures would be the right size, and somewhere along the lines the designs moved towards more toon accurate robot modes. They nailed the robot mode really well, with great proportions and effectively no real kibble to speak it. That figure showed me what was possible, provided that a competent team was behind the designs.
So Artfire combines several Transformer fetishes of mine. You've got good design, but in addition you also have Japanese G1, one that is almost unheard of outside of Japan. You also have that other fetish of mine being one of the "Masters", in this case a Targetmaster, where a tiny companion robot turns into a weapon for the main figure.
I don't know for sure, but I believe that Artfire and Inferno cost the same. Relevant as Artfire has significantly fewer accessories, consisting of his Extinguisher Gun, one extra face (shouting), Nightstick the Targetmaster, and if you're being particularly... particular about things, then technically there's two nozzles. Artfire also lacks the ability to swap out the front end of the vehicle mode (most likely due to the fact there never was a G1 cartoon version of the character), but you do get more chrome on this figure, along with that distinctive white and red colour scheme, along with those toy centric decals.
Vehicle mode is a licensed Mitsubishi Fuso T951 Ladder Truck. It is 100% accurate? I doubt it, not unless the real one has things that look like robot arms on the side of it. But my understanding is that the truck really is about the cab, with the flat bed customized to the need of your organization. So having said that the cab itself is very accurate, especially since there is no actual toon plate to swap out. Another thing is I don't think this particular colour scheme is gonna be something in the real world.
One function that this mode loses over its G1 predecessor is while the ladder extends, with a nozzle at the end of it no less, the ladder does not rotate. Unfortunate, but keeps things simple I suppose. The stablizers on the side of the truck pull out, though they don't connect with the ground, sadly.
Nightstick is a step above even the decent Titan Master figures we got in the main line toys. Basic articulation is there, really only lacking a waist joint compared to some of the better Legends scale figures.
Nightstick can, as stated, turn into a gun. The styles vary, but overall they're either single barrel or double barrel blasts. In this case, it's single barrel. One thing I really like is that you can hold the gun in the robot mode hand, but another option is to have the gun become another part that you can just clip on the wrist, which is an honestly more badass look for a guy who's function is sniper.
Transformation into robot mode is actually incredibly straight forward, and the best part is that you don't need to worry about breaking things, unlike some of the more delicate figures. It's really amazing how they're able to stow away that ladder, and come up with a robot mode this clean looking. There's very little kibble, if any, to mention, and this is main reason why this particular MP rates really high for me. The fact that proportions are effectively bang on as compared to its cartoon counterpart is just icing on the cake.
Between the two face plates, you can convey a wide variety of moods, ranging from a very calm, collected, if stern, demeanor....
.. to something that only I would think of.
Articulation wise, Artfire is pretty good, but he's as graceful as he looks. How a sniper ended up with the alt mode of a slow fire truck is beyond me, but I guess Takara wanted to reuse some licenses. Your major points of articulation are there, including a waist joint that's somewhat difficult to work with due to clearance issues, but at least he's got one. The head wisely features double articulation in that the box thing around the head spins, but the head within also has some range of motion, so it's not all just facing forward all the time. Shoulder design is pretty basic and lacks butterfly joint type motion. Overall though, pretty solid, even by MP standards.
Paint work itself is generally strong, with very little overspray even though there's so much white on this figure. Decal work is nice and sharp. There's actually more painted surfaces on Artfire as compared to Inferno, with most of the black surface areas painted a high gloss black - paint that will chip easy if you're not careful.
Build wise, the only thing I have to whine about is that for whatever reason, the helmet on the head likes to come off. I don't recall having this issue with Inferno, so I'm not entirely sure if this is play wear or undesirable QC. Otherwise, everything holds together great, with no concerns over breakable or other poor QC issues.
In an age where toon accurate alt robot modes are all the rage, it's great to see that one of the earlier MPs still stands strong. Articulation is decent, with some very solid posing options. I don't think supply is an issue for this release. Above average size (shorter than Prime but taller than most of the run of the mill Autobots. The exotic nature of the character just makes it that much more thrilling to own for me. If you're a collect of MPs, there's really very little reason for you not to either have this or Inferno. About the only thing I can think of is if you're pure Decepticon scum.
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