I just picked up a Star Toys Blitzwing and it's on its way to me now. While I generally focus on FT bots, a big issue here is also just price. I paid $115 at TFSafari for the Star Toys, and the FT version is likely going to be more than double that price for a product that simply can't be even close to twice as good. And look, I'm usually willing to pay more for a bot when there's clearly a better version. I'm perfectly happy with my Tesla 2.0 over Xtransbots' Jensen, even with the price hike, but where Star Toys' Blitzwing is already a really great, toon-accurate bot I'm not sure what FT could do to make their version worth it at the price they're likely to charge.
I've got the previous Star Toy. What are the differences with the 2024 version? From the pictures, it seems it's just molded in darker colors... are there any mold changes?
Probably paint, FT will have a fantastic paint job. I don’t think Star Toy is completely painted, I thought just a few paint apps here and there. Still looks good tho
I ordered that Night Ops MASK today. Thanks for the heads up on that. Never had a Trakker, but always wanted one as a kid. I had just a few like Condor and Dragonfly, and TBob. Thanks again!
How in the Hell did Ft manage to make Sixshot and Astrotrain but are canceling Blitzwing?? It sounds quite odd for something like an established 3rd party company to do. Anyways after almost 9 years I canceled my pre-order early last year and decided to go with the Star Toys version.
I'm gonna roll with my KFC Ditka for the foreseeable future. Star toys/DS/TE blitzwing looks really good, but I know ultimately, I will get the Fanstoys version. So I don't wanna have 3 blitzwings.
They canceled the preorder because NEW preorders are coming shortly after Tfcon when finished photos will be shown. My source Fanstoys. Mike should have just asked before making the video.
I think they've delayed so many times that when it's done they'll go straight to colorized render if not a photo & add a release date. I think they know what the 'Fans-base' is thinking & will at least try to appease. I can say that they have it in them to communicate well with their buyers, customers. This from reading posts in the TFW2005 forums who ask questions of them getting responses & from experience. I needed a part for my Quietus/Cyclonus, got a response & they sent me a part. Their responses are short & lacking in punctuation, :) but they're responding. Easy to make predictions though. That pre-order some of us made so long ago implied it'd be out in December? Then it was delayed 'til the next March. Then it got swallowed by the hole of perpetuality where it has been for years. Aat every turn there's someone saying 'oh it'll be the next TFCon., next month, next 4th quarter.' I bet they're gonna finish everything they've shown us so far before they get to a Berserk. They may even get to some more re-issues before Berserk - Willis anyone? Their record since what bot, Thomas, Warthog, maybe Hunk, has been solid - renders, colored pic', release date, release. Back to back to back. (except for Bandit) Do they need to make a series of easier designs in order to drum up funds for attacking a new Berserk design? Was the designer fired, or quit, was he the same guy who was designing Bandit? Maybe they are hesitant to fall out of form by making him out of plastic, getting rid of their use of all that metal, in order to make his standing bot mode possible. Hope they aren't trying to design the hell out of it even if it's to keep from copying a competitors design that works. Gotta admit, he is the top of my waiting list. (Bandit is a distant second.) 'Can't wait for it,' as the saying goes. But will have to.
Fans Toys really is the GOLD Standard amongst Masterpiece. HOWEVER, that being said, there are other Excellent options at a much better Price Point, and YES, sometimes FT does lose from time to time. I passed on KFCs, just to wonky from reviews, looked good though, picked up a couple of DX9s, love the Jet mode, not accurate, but MAN it is AWESOME, the tank was alright, and the bot mode was good. Star Toys pretty much NAILED it and got one. Do I like the ReColor? Absolutely, but there is nothing wrong with the one I got, although, having a second at that Price Point for any of the modes is having me jump off the fence to do it. Is FTs Superion and Menasor better than its comp? I think so yes. HOWEVER, you are 100% correct in that DX9 and XTB do make great choices, I also LOVE the ZETA Combined mode, and have a 2nd for Jet modes, the FTs will be the Bot mode. Personally I think the upcoming Constructicon War, although GREAT for the Consumer aka FANS, is a waste of Resources. Why Compete? Keep it on the back burner, allow your comp to do it, revist it, revise their work, improve it, then put yours out at a better price point if you can. There are also so many other options they could choose to put their resources towards. A BETTER Combaticon Set - Love the MMC, just under tall, bots are excellent representations Protectobot Set - Slowly coming out by MMC and XTB, stay tuned, but my money is on MMC, again will be undertall Technobot Set TerroCon Set - Needs a BIG Revist and Update Monstructor - lots and lots of room for a G1 interpretation PredaCons - Cangtoys was nice, but it's definitely not G1 accurate, a shame Still waiting on that Metroplex (Titan) Sized Trypticon. Why? It would be a HUGE seller. Titans Trypticon is sadly undersized. So many other secondary figures that could be done, and sell well, as many have the collection they mostly want, tweaking aside, as there will always be, should I get this, and switch out? or should I do this instead? or am I happy with that representation?
Yep there are a lot of great options out there but it would be better for fans for each company to make different characters instead of these petty wars
Hey Mike! I like your videos, but in this case should have done a little homework. I asked The chosen prime why they canceled Blitzwing now, and it’s because Fanstoys has NEW preorders coming with a new price of course. I ask Fanstoys themselves if we’re getting an update and they said Tfcon next month. Also said Menasor is done and will be shown as well. So with completion of Blitzwing and Menasor preorders will be dropping shortly after Tfcon in a couple weeks for an early 2025 release since there’s nothing on the board for 2025 yet. They said Ultra Magnus will be the last release of 2024.
@@tydiriumhanger1320 Showz never listed the $145 price from 2016 Also returning $40 to a ton of people probably not something they want to do. Fanstoys and the retailers who listed the price are trying to avoid the backlash of I preordered at $145 not $250ish. Curious if Fanstoys renumbers Blitzwing to avoid any confusion. They can say the old preorder was for FT-21 which was canceled this is FT?. Anyways keep up the good content. Tfcon is going to be interesting to say the least
Well that’s disappointing - got my BBTs cancellation. At this point maybe just having Star toys is good enough, we’ll see if fans toys ever gets around to it and if I’m interested in painting their price at that time.
I got super lucky as I got Fans Toys Galvatron, Sovereign, on sale at ShowZstore and was literally one of the last one they had in stock. I went back like an hour later to buy another for a friend, it was sold out. Same for my Fans Toys Trailbreaker.
Gotta wonder what the market for this stuff will be in 12 years, Im enjoying it now at 50 years old, but who will want to pay these high prices in the future when most of the country is getting a minimum standard issued salary because AI and robotics took over...?
That is a good question because we collect while working but what will we do in retirement if we do not collect? Sell it all off and stare at the wall?
I think for Blitzwing, it wasn't worth waiting for. There are already plenty of good 3rd party Blitzwings. Acoustic Wave was definitely worth the wait, though.
I am still happy with my DX9 version. It is stylized and the tank mode is kind of lame but I really like the presence on a shelf. Blitzwing has been a favourite character of mind since the G1 cartoon so having a modern hake is really nice, also the transformation is not too bad for a triple changing MP style figure and the jet mode is great. If anyone is looking for a place holder I can recommend.
@@tydiriumhanger1320 The way the turret splits and is stored in the legs is great kibble management. Yes the cannon barrel is parts forming but it solves a lot back issues
I canceled FT Blitzwing preorder before I heard the news about BBTS news. ShowZ will give you points back for FT preorder downpayments. I was happy to hear that.
Only if you cancel before they invoice you. If they invoice you, then you lose that money. I don't mind as this is strictly Fans Toys doing and has nothing to do with ShowZstore or any other sites as Fans Toys considers themselves as premium and they're the ones who set the down payment. That's why a lot of others just has a $1 down payment to reserve your copy.
100% agree with your thoughts on Fanstoys Blitzwing……est. 3030. 😂 Outside of the FT fanboys, they really are damaging their reputation in the community making people wait so long on some items from the date of announcement. It would be preferable if they took a page out of Ramen Toys book & be transparent for every step - it would make their prices a little more justifiable. Finally, in a perfect world, FansToys would release Superion as a set, given the time that has past….I really want it, haha.
Definitely not cancelled. I'll wait, I think it's a tactic from Fanstoys. I believe the next TF-CON they will reveal this figure. there doing this to change the price. So to All the fanstoys haters don't start celebrating too early
LOL you may be right they have revealed this a couple times at TF CON. I bet they felt their design was not as good as Star Toys and wanted to do more work to put out a better product
It’s still on FT website under product list and still with ??? under release date. Who knows when it will release. I’m just happy I got XTB Ultra Magnus on Father’s Day. Seems like we are getting back to the days of having competitive options.
Star toys was easily my figure of the year last year. Not going to lie, fans toys looks good but star toys cleans up a lot nicer in bot mode, especially around the back and the lower legs. The tank and the jet are slightly more accurate too. One thing with star toys that is a stand out is that you get a near perfect representation of all three modes, like, they nailed it. How often can you say that with a tripple changer? Have three displayed in all 3 modes and there's only a very select few figures I'll buy multiple of to do this that are that good. Fans toys would have looked at star toys and realised that if they want to make the best blitzwing, their version will need a complete redesign
Did the preorder come with a low final price attached? They may have cancelled it so they can attach a new inflated price to it instead. Jack it up to $300 or something.
I'm the first to comment on the first comment and upvote the first comment and the first of the first commenters to upvote the first comment of the first commenters comment and that's a first for me, too. =D
But the roster of bots is only getting smaller. A few years ago they had but a few mini-bots done, & now there are only 5 left? (C'mon Cosmos) But Blitzwing will have to come back around eventually as the list of bots to make shrinks.
I'm fine with my StarToys Blitzwing and FT KO Astrotrain. What I want is an Octane that's nicer than my KFC as it has the same Problems as KFC Blitzwing. I'd rather see StarToys make an Octane than worry about a Blitzwing from FT. My two cents anyways.
@@tydiriumhanger1320 The KFC I have is the reissue that is fully painted so it does look good but it's too top heavy and it's feet are a floppy mess. It's the poorest figure I have in its ability to stand on its own.
ShowZ doesn't care if you die or they go out of business with your pre-order money. My thoughts LoL I honestly hope FT does ditch the project because it looks like ballsacks anyway, IMO.
FT can't make a proper triple-changer, IMO, they make ok ones but I don't like any of their TCs so far . That's why I went ahead and got Star Toy, who is the only company who makes good triple-changers so far (TT should be able to do it) version just in case. Plus, I wouldn't be too sad about having 3 versions of BlitzyBobWing because I'ma triple-moron.
