As I was impressed with the ThreeZero DLX Arcee figure, I decided to adopt another figure from the line, Soundwave. More specifically, I found one being sold by a fellow collector for a really good price, within Canada even. After two weeks or so, I got my happy ending and had the figure in hand.
Pretty neat looking box, I don't have too many of these ThreeZero items, so I'm guessing stylized toy pics are probably the norm for them. Inside this massive box are the contents for this set, for which I didn't take a picture of inner tray, but here it is:
1 x Main Figure
1 x Ravage
9 x Grippling/Posing Hands
1 x Shoulder Cannon
1 x Cannon Connector
1 x Blaster
2 x Ravage Rockets
1 x Ravage Collar Launcher
1 x Base/Stand
Like with other DLX offerings, the lights on the eyes do light up. Because this figure came with batteries in said head, I actually got to see how bright the lights got and I have to say they're certainly better than anything I've seen in a Hot Toy.
So, officially I don't believe that for the Transformers side of things, there's an actual scale. It's likely they took Optimus and used him as a reference to size all the other figures. This is in contrast to the Iron Man DLX stuff which is stated to be 1/12. Posed next to Arcee, you can see the difference in stature between these two is enormous.
The adherence to source material is impressive, especially when again, things look completely random. I'm sure having CAD files provided help immensely in this task. Overall, I'd say that the upper body looks a bit more portly than the onscreen counterpart, but overall, it's there. Beautiful detailing in terms of panel lines and general mechanical detailing.
There's also a functional chest compartment for storage of Ravage is also present, though you do need to remove the weapons.
Transformation from cube thing to Beast mode is simple but satisfying. The resulting figure is much more satisfying than the G1 figure, as it's no long constrained being forced to have the alt mode of a flat box. As mentioned, classic weapons are there, and the figure itself has some decent articulation, most notably being the legs, though there is some secondary articulation for the tail and head/jaw. As with Soundwave, detailing on Ravage is fantastic.
As with the other DLX figures, Soundwave features a very rigid die cast metal frame systems, movable joints and a moving panel system, which put together gives the figure a very robust array for Articulation. It's actually got some pretty good ankle support/articulation, hidden ab crunch (sadly no back arch) and shoulders that not only feature a Butterfly joint, but also there are also joints dedicated to lateral movement. Due to the larger frame, the actual wrist joints have some range of movement, increasing the hand posing options. Due to the design of the body, there is no real head tilt, but there is great range for head raises. The joint that secures the Shoulder Cannon allows for some range of motion.
Now having said all that, while there are large number of very stable positions you can get the figure into, it's still a large bulky figure. It just happens to be one that has above average positing options, especially when it comes to the arms.
Paint Applications are messier compared to Arcee, but this is both expected and unexpected. The character is presented as a weathered, warn torn form as compared to the pristine look of Arcee. So to that end, things are great. Colours look faded all over the figure, with some nice weathering applied that creates this constant haze of dust over all surfaces. Random paint wear effects are also visible all over the body. Pretty much nothing looks pristine.
Having said all that, the Paint Applications on the face appear to be rougher than anticipated, It looks like someone took a really coarse brush and applied the paints, but were somehow still able to keep it respectable when it came to masking.
Build Quality wise, nothing to worry about here. This figure was built to pose, and to hold those poses well. Naturally if you're doing more risky stuff then you're gonna want to deploy the Base and Stand. Even simple one legged poses appear to be possible freestanding. Completely rock solid. This of course extends to Ravage as well. Paint wear is not a concern so long as you are conscientious about ensuring that panels are moved accordingly, and easily removed panels are just as easily restored to the figure.
Another satisfying figure to do photoshoots with. Questionable face paint apps aside, an incredibly solid product. It's nice to see that the DLX figures adhere to the same concepts regardless of size, but with every figure likely requiring actual R & D to ensure an optimal play experience, as opposed to the Die Cast Iron Man suits that, lets face, iis pretty much just window dressing on a tried and true platform. I have absolutely no idea if I'll actually end up with any more of these... maybe Arcee and Nightbird from Rise of the Beasts? Or perhaps I might run into another really good deal?
Only time will tell.
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