#Angolmois Capsules

[allspark]

Leading the Primus Vanguard in the Allspark Studio today is none other than Blue Big Convoy!  Will he finally live up to the Convoy name and join your Council of Convoys on the shelf, or will he get confused about which repaint he is and switch his name to Ultra Mammoth?!?  Tune in after the break to find out!

Takara has really been nailing it lately with Encore and LGEX releases.  Between Encore Universal Dominator Unicron (Review here!), Encore God Fire Convoy, Encore Big Convoy (Review here!) and now LGEX Blue Big Convoy, fans of late 90’s and early 2000’s Transformers have had a chance to get “the best version” of some of their favorite figures from those eras, as well as add to their collection a version of some very limited release Japanese market only exclusives.  I personally never imagined getting an opportunity to own some of these figures, and while I love the emerald hue of Unicron, Blue Big Convoy ended up being my surprise favorite of the two.

Blue Big Convoy is neither Convoy, Big Convoy, nor Ultra Mammoth.  He is a distinct character in his own right, thanks to the Legends comics.  To learn more about him, check out his TFWiki article!  I was a bit unknowledgeable about him myself prior to writing this review, and that site is always a great resource.

Mammoth Mode

As I said, Blue Big Convoy is his own guy, and I am glad that his creators did not try to match his mammoth mode more with Ultra Mammoth’s look, meaning that while he is clearly BLUE all over, he does not look like he just came out of the cold and needs to take his snowshoes off.  His colors are deeper, darker blues; with his fur, eyes and tusks all being slightly different.  The only other significant color you will see in this mode is silver toenails.

One nice detail is that on both this version and the Encore release of the cartoon colored Big Convoy, the triggers for his leg missiles in robot mode are the same color as the rest of the fur, really improving the overall look of the mammoth.  Similarly, the teeth on this mold and the Encore version are not painted, but that does not detract.  I think overall, Blue Big Convoy looks great in contrast to all the other colors of this figure that have been previously released.

Robot Mode

Robot mode for Blue Big Convoy adds a slight amount more…you guessed it: BLUE.  He adds a total of 3 new hues of blue between his helmet, horns, feet and torso.  Oh, they also threw in some gold for the eyes and Maximal symbol, and some grey plastic on the feet, gun, shins, knees and thighs, as well as more silver on various spots of his body.  Inside the chest compartment you will find a silver matrix with the same blue plastic used on the chest.  An exercise is contrast, he ain’t, but he does look rather impressive, like a Beast Wars ice golem ready to smash his Predacon prey.

One really cool thing I learned about Big Blue Convoy by reading the aforementioned TFWiki article is that he is the original owner of the Matrix Sword that came with Magna Convoy (Review here!) part of which is later used by Straxus to make a clone of Blue Big Convoy named Convobat!  I had to put both pieces of the sword together and I think it will permanently stay with this figure.  While I love the look, it would have been nice if he came with the sword himself instead of having to own the other highly sought-after figure to get it.

Recommendation

Blue Big Convoy gets 87/100 ice shards for being a great way to get a previously nigh hard to obtain version of this mold.  He loses a few points for not coming with the Matrix Sword himself, and fans of this version will want to track down an LG EX  Magna Convoy to truly consider this figure complete.  While he only runs about $5 more than the Encore version of Big Convoy, he will put out of another roughly $90 should you choose to purchase.  I love him, and if you love any version of Beast Wars as much as I do, you will enjoy him too!

  Now if Takara would just get us encore releases of Lio Convoy and Galvatron Color Lio Convoy…

Feel free to be inspired, Takaratomy…;)

    Legends LG EX Blue Big Convoy Gallery and Review! Leading the Primus Vanguard in the Allspark Studio today is none other than Blue Big Convoy!  Will he finally live up to the Convoy name and join your Council of Convoys on the shelf, or will he get confused about which repaint he is and switch his name to Ultra Mammoth?!? 

[askvectorprime]

Dear Vector Prime, are there realities where Unicrons influence, aside from being Earths Core, really did effect the evolution of life on Earth?

Dear Corruptive Conceptualiser,

Of course. Ever since his first defeat during the Unicron Wars, Unicron has possessed a strange relationship with the Earth and her children, beginning with its being drenched in Angolmois at the moment of his destruction.

Though it took many years for the humans to discover the energy sealed beneath their feet, the discovery of Angolmois Energy prompted rapid technological advancement. Humans lived longer, and were served first by Angolmois-powered androids like Artemis, and then the Selectors, true super-robot lifeforms sparked by Angolmois.

Now, Angolmois Energy may be Unicron's most cunning weapon. While Dark Energon actively corrupts on a base level, in its purest state Angolmois is a neutral substance, one which can be used for good. Heroes like Volcanicus and Magnaboss have been able to wield its power against injustice, but that is a compliment to themselves, not their power source. You see, Angolmois resonates with the hearts of those around it. The Dinobots' brutal honour and Magnaboss' three-weighted balance kept the energy pure. But Angolmois is power, and power engenders a malevolent greed.

First, the Angolmois slept below the ground. From 2005 on, the hatred and resentment of Earth's inhabitants seeped into the energy. Mundane evils like prejudice and dominance were exacerbated by the planets' status as a battleground for various Cybertronian conflicts. By 2040, the humans believed they deserved a rest, and set about the creation of servants using their newfound power.

As you may well know, the Selectors would rebel as their Cybertronian cousins once did, and the ensuing rage on all sides sent the Angolmois into a frenzy. The human leaders came to the conclusion that their presence was a danger to the Earth, and made efforts to leave. As for the Selectors… well. Out of respect for their leader Rung and his freedom, I will not assume to self-select to tell his story.

However, this influence went both ways. Angolmois carried not just the rage of the Earthlings, but their knowledge too, thanks to its use as the Mother Computer's power source. When the Blentrons revived Unicron in the far future, he took the form of the Earth's mightiest shapes as recorded in the computer: a drill tank/dragon triple-changer, just as Galvatron once did.

So you see, thanks to the bond of Angolmois Energy, Unicron and the Earth's inhabitants stayed connected far into the distant future. Perhaps this should be a lesson to you: thanks to unforeseen factors, any minor villainy widens the gyre beyond anyone's control.

...and yet. When Unicron reincarnated thanks to the accumulated Angolmois, Big Convoy was there to stop him. Big Convoy only had the strong heart necessary to defeat Unicron thanks to his journey across the galaxy collecting the Angolmois Capsules, which had been taken from the abandoned Earth. Earth became drenched in Angolmois only after Hot Rod opened the Matrix in 2005. The Matrix had been passed down from leader to leader, forming a Primal Succession starting with Primus. Were all these events part of the future He foresaw?

[supernova1us]

Beast wars Neo Movie

I know this is dumb and doesn’t even really need to exist but I’m on big Neo kick right now after finally binging the whole series and frickin loving it. I don’t mean for this to be one of the live action films, maybe just a direct to video feature. Not sure if it would be better in newer cleaner 3d or 2d to recapture the anime look of the original.

A voiceover from vector sigma reveals its purpose as the sentient supercomputer who guides Cybertron, and relates the millions of years of war between the Autobots and Decepticons before speaking of their descendants, the Maximals and Predacons, who are more advanced and had taken to transforming into creatures from other worlds. It also laments that despite its creation of the Convoy leaders and their Energon Matrixes, they have repeated history by also going to war across the stars.

A Maximal fleet attacks the asteroid fortress of the current Predacon commander, Magmatron. The effort is upset by Neo “Big” Convoy, the “one bot army” who rampages through the battlefield alone, easily defeating the Predacon Killer Punch and his troops, but inadvertently leaving a squad of Maximals to be decimated. Convoy infiltrates the fortress and confronts Magmatron and they fight but a blast from Convoy’s canon causes a chain reaction that destroys the fortress. Big Convoy escapes and meets back with the fleet but is reprimanded and threatened with a demotion for his actions by a conference of fellow Convoys. Suddenly a surviving Magmatron leads his own ships to engage the maximal fleet and a space battle ensues.

After defeating and expelling the infiltrating Predacon duo of Bazooka and Crazybolt, Convoy takes a fighter to join the battle, aided by an aloof Rockbuster, his former comarde. It becomes clear that Magmatron is fixated on revenge on Convoy as he singles him out, damaging his ship, which drifts from the battle. The battle is watched from a distance by a maximal ship, the Gung Ho, with a small crew of young troops in training (Longrack, Stampy, Break(genderswaped), Heinrad, Cohrada) who decide to aid Convoy; Magmatron’s ship, the Dinosaur, also follows.  Guided by the voice of Vector Sigma through his energon matrix, he lands on a lush planet but is hurt in the crash, taking on his mammoth beast mode to traverse the terrain.

The trainees drop to the planet from orbit and make contact with Convoy, though he insists he doesn’t need their help and tells them to leave; their hero worship compels them to persist anyway, under Longracks inexperienced lead. Magmatron and his troops (Guiledart, Archadis, Saberback, Sling, Dead End(female like Uprising), Hydra) also land and search for convoy, with Guiledart and Archadis constantly butting heads to one up each other. The Maximals are accosted by the loudmouthed Hydra while scouting and barely manage to work together to disable and send him crashing into the forest. Convoy becomes too weak and is forced to take shelter in a cave and reluctantly agrees to lead the recruits to him for medical aid.

The trainees walk into an ambush by the Predacons and are greatly overwhelmed; Heinrad is forced to use his secret ability to briefly freeze time to save Stampy’s life from Magmatron himself. Only through Convoy’s guidance in coordinating themselves, and the sudden arrival of the maximal Mach Kick, are the trainees able to escape in one piece. Having picked up a strange signal, Magmatron orders his troops to hunt down Convoy while he investigates.  It then becomes a foot race between the two groups to convoy, with him advising the Maximals on how to deal with certain terrain and hindrances. The Predacons are meanwhile hampered by bickering and Archadis’ attempts to undermine Guiledart, and even Magmatron.

Magmatron locates a wreckage with a message from the lost Maximal Lio Convoy, describing his past mission. Magmatron heads to meet up with his troops but orders Archadis on a separate task. The Maximals reach Convoy and repair him; Mach Kick reveals he is the last survivor of the squad who died in the fortress battle, and is unsure if Convoy is still worth being someone to look up to. Impressed by the team’s achievements, but not wanting to risk their lives, he pulls rank and orders them back to their ship. After they leave, Vector Sigma speaks to him through his matrix, urging him to learn to trust others again, forcing him to look back on all the choices that lead to his becoming a loner.

NAVI, the Maximals AI pilot, reveals her scans show the Predacons are closing in on Convoys position and the trainees agree to go back and stand with him. Under Convoys leadership, the trainees fare much better during their new fight with the Predacons, including a long hard duel between the leaders, until Archadis returns with a mysterious pod. Magmatron reveals its contents as a powerful energy source known as Angolmois, otherwise known as Dark Energon, and infuses himself with some. He overpowers convoy, who is saved from a lethal attack by Heinrad’s time trick again. Convoy’s matrix gives him the energy boost to match Magmatron and they viciously fight to a standstill, but the clash of conflicting energies causes the landscape to become unstable and start to break apart.

Magmatron is quick to abandon the fight, teleporting the Predacons and pod back to their ship. The Maximals work together to save Convoy from the catastrophe but are trapped until NAVI brings their ship down to pick them up. On the Dinosaur, Magmatron reassures the other Predacons of their victory, as their own pilot, DNAVI, has scanned the capsule and detected many more scattered across the galaxy. Magmatron is pleased, intending to collect them all and use their power to conquer the Maximals and Cybertron.

The Maximals follow and find Lio Convoy’s message as well, and Big Convoy easily deduces the Predacons’ intentions. Convoy officially takes command of the team, intent on making them trained warriors to stop Magmatron from escalating the war. After using a sample of the Dark Energon to allow NAVI to also track the capsules, Longrack is made second in command and Mach Kick makes amends with Convoy, once again looking up to him. The Maximals then set a course, now in a race with the Predacons for the capsules.

A final voice over from Vector Sigma waxes poetic about the nature of good and evil, and how there is always a greater evil, and it can take many forms; just as an image of the ruined remains of Unicron is shown, faintly glowing with the same energy as the dark energon as it fades to black.

A few notes

-english language voicing of course

-beast modes are robotic looking like other series, not organic animal shellformers

-not every charterer will be identical to their original; some tweaks but still mostly the same

-yeah, dead end and break are gender swapped, I prefer gender diversity

-NAVI and DNAVI would have redesigned drone bodies but not sure what they’d be like

-maximal trainees are more rounded characters and far less annoying than in the show

[someawesomeamvs]

Warning: Potential spoilers

Title: Animegraphy 2018

Editor: Nuke AMV

Song: Born to Be Yours

Artist: Kygo, Imagine Dragons

Anime: 100 Sleeping Princes and the Kingdom of Dreams; A Certain Magical Index (season 3); Ace Attorney (season 2); Akkun to Kanojo; Amanchu! Advance; Angels of Death; Angolmois: Record of Mongol ; Invasion; Anima Yell!; As Miss Beelzebub Likes; Asobi Asobase; Attack on Titan (season 3); Bakumatsu; Basilisk: The Ōka Ninja Scrolls; Beatless; Beyblade Burst Chōzetsu; Boarding School Juliet; Butlers: Chitose Momotose Monogatari; Caligula; Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card; Comic Girls; Conception; Cute High Earth Defence Club HAPPY KISS; Cutie Honey Universe; Dame×Prince Anime; Caravan; Dances with the Dragons; Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody; Devils' Line; Double Decker! Doug & Kirill; Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan; Dropkick on My Devil!; Fate/Extra Last Encore; Free! (season 3); Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory; Gakuen Basara; GeGeGe no Kitarō; Gintama. Shirogane no Tamashii-hen (season 2); Goblin Slayer; Golden Kamuy; Golden Kamuy (season 2); Grand Blue; Gundam Build Divers; Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens; Hakyū Hōshin Engi; Hashiri Tsuzukete Yokattatte.; High School DxD Hero; High Score Girl; Hinamatsuri; Hinomaru Sumo; How Not to Summon a Demon Lord; How to Keep a Mummy; Iroduku: The World in Colors; Island; JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind; Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi; Karakuri Circus; Katana Maidens; Kokkoku: Moment by Moment; Kyōto Teramachi Sanjō no Holmes; Last Hope; Last Period; Lord of Vermilion: The Crimson King; Lostorage conflated WIXOSS; Lupin the Third Part 5; Magical Girl Site; Major 2nd; Merc Storia: The Apathetic Boy and the Girl in a Bottle; Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles; Ms. Vampire who lives in my neighborhood.; Muhyo & Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation; My Hero Academia (season 3); Nil Admirari no Tenbin: Teito Genwaku Kitan; Ongaku Shōjo; Overlord (season 3); Phantom in the Twilight; Planet With; Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai; Real Girl; Record of Grancrest War; Release the Spyce; Revue Starlight; Rokuhōdō Yotsuiro Biyori; Run with the Wind; Senran Kagura (season 2); Seven Senses of the Re'Union; Shuudengo, Capsule Hotel de, Joushi ni Binetsu Tsutawaru Yoru.; Slow Start; SSSS.Gridman; Sword Art Online: Alicization; Tada Never Falls in Love; That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime; The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. (season 2); The Girl in Twilight; The Ryuo's Work is Never Done!; The Thousand Musketeers; Tokyo Ghoul:re; Tokyo Ghoul:re (season 2); Tsukumogami Kashimasu; Uma Musume Pretty Derby; Voice of Fox; Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku; Xuan Yuan Sword Luminary; Yowamushi Pedal: Glory Line 

Category: Freestyle

[priyasamanta]

Beast Wars Neo was a television series that aired in Japan in 1999, in support of the toyline of the same name. It directly follows Beast Wars II. The show follows the adventures of a crew of Maximals, commanded by Big Convoy, as they compete with Magmatron's evil Predacons to collect the Angolmois energy capsules, scattered at the end of Beast Wars II.

[galvatronsthighs]

Vaguely hinted at a while ago but now finally done, Nemetron! Info under cut!

Name: Nemetron (Neh-meh-tron) Nicknames: Nemmy Faction: Predacons Height: 4.5m Alt. Mode: The Nemesis (as seen in the show, but far smaller). Personality: Nemetron is a bit of an airhead and a ditz, they simply have to see anything and everything around them, often leading them to wander off and get lost a lot. He's technically a child and is still new to the world and learning his way around. Story: The Nemesis did as it was meant to, which is to suck in Angolmois energy, something it did even as it began to collapse in on itself and die. The Artificial Planet was given a break when capsules of Angolmois energy were being scattered around, it absorbed over 90% of these energy scraps and began thinking. That was something new for it. It didn't have AI did it?. It couldn't draw energy from the big source it had been, the remaining capsules had vanished, there were five sources of it slowly heading away from it though. Nemesis absorbed that too. It's body still didn't want to hold on and with a silent howl to the stars it exploded. Not all of it's body was destroyed however, the bit that was thinking didn't go, no it kept on thinking. It thought that this was a odd sensation, like flying but they had no control. They thought this was a odd cold sensation, now surrounded by a clear fluid. It thought it needed answers to this. It thought long and hard but it's memory was small and fuzzy, did it really not have much to remember? What it did remember though was being built, it remembered being built by someone tall, someone pink and someone who was definitely nearby, they could feel it. It took days, days of wandering through the odd organic world until it found a makeshift base, a base put together with scraps, some parts, it thought, were from it's old, bigger self. It was that point some other figures attacked it, they talked, it thought it could talk and yelped with surprise as it was shot at for being a intruder. It seemed the commotion worked and the group were called off, something about a thing on his back, The Nemesis, yes! Oh, pink! Yes! You! "... Mom?" That brought a stop to everything and a few giggles, pink mom looked a weird mix of stunned and confused. "Why ask that, is that how you see me?" It thought again, "You... built me?" "Ahaha! Yes, I did didn't I?" It seemed to rise a small flurry of activity from the surrounding people as they said things, asked things and talked fast. "Gentlemen!" Pink mom announced, "We have a new member, it seems the Nemesis has returned to us, smaller but it's back!" "Am I Nemesis, mom?" It asked. "You know what" The constant grin on Pink mom's face seemed to grow wider, "How about I call you Nemetron" Extra/Notes: • He is regarded as Galvatron's child and treated as such, being in a relationship with him, Cyclonus also adopts Nemetron. • In fact the shape of Nemetron's shoulders are deliberately meant to mimic Galvatron's to further this. • Yes, he is visually inspired by TFA!Shockwave too. • Doesn't get why his Uncle Megastorm is so grumpy. • The eye on his back tends to creep people out in the extreme. • Owing part of his creation to it, Nemetron is adept at finding and using Angolmois energy. • Is quite happy to be elder brother to the inevitable brood his parents have. • Often gets used as a perch by the wildlife on Gaia. • Is scared of the Maximals. For all their so-called peace-talk he's aware of how nasty they actually are to anything outside their view. • Does call Galvatron "Mom".

[supernova1us]

Improving Beast Wars Neo

After just finally binging Beast Wars Neo, I found how great a show it was over beast wars II, and more than any other TF series, feel this the one that could use a remake/reboot. It has a lot of potential and I think ended and was forgotten to fast; in my view, BW2 was way longer than it needed to be and neo was not as long as it should have been. Anyway, here are the highlight points that should be the focus of a remake in my opinion.

-I’d love to keep the 2D anime style, it fits the series and characters well, just updated animation/graphics and definition. I’d probably also change some of the character design ever so slightly, mostly so they wouldn’t be shellformers anymore, maybe make them a smidge more technorganic since neo is post BM.

-English language obviously, though I don’t have many ideas for the voice cast(save Susan Blu as vector sigma)

-expand the series with more eps and plots; the original was 2/3 capsule chases and just when things were getting mixed up and interesting, the show was already on its home stretch. I would add more battles between the factions not just for capsules.

--give big convoy some more gradual growth as a real leader figure rather than just a military commander (as in the series most of his tender or wise moments were when vector sigma would speak through him). Would also love to delve into his past a bit more; see his history and what made him the hard bot he was today; even his past relationship with lio convoy and why he looks up to him and is so concerned with finding him.  I’d also add in the fun little detail from the generations legends comics of his mammoth mode having a scar over the eye; just fun little show of his badass history.

-magmatron getting a bigger role and being more active in the plots, as well as more focus on his vendetta against convoy and hatred of unicron. Also try to delve a bit more into his dissatisfied political/military background introduced in the BW: gathering comics.

-even out the capsule capture ratio; the buildup of the capsules is to the bledtrons stealing them, but in the series by that point the maximals had 16 and the preds only had 3. I’d probably have the preds secure almost the same amount to keep it equal and show them as more competent, as they should be since they’re hardened soldier up against a rookie team. I’d also retcon the Angolmois Energy as Dark Energon to align better with newer fiction(and it sounds less weird).

-expand on the lore a bit such as how the maximals and predacons reached this point and what their statuses really are now.

-more of a female character presence outside of the formless “god” vector sigma or the small drones for each ship. I’d probably carry over Dead End being female from the BW: uprising canon and maybe introduce Antagony as a “Catwomen” type who causes trouble for both factions. Also maybe a female maximal convoy who’s not necessarily part of the main crew but a peer who checks in on big convoy here and there.

-tone down the annoyingness of the maximal cadets(stampy’s constant scared wails were like nails on chalk board) and try to play with their personalities a bit(like how stampy was a huge coward but had the best senses and scouting skills of the team), as I don’t recall any deeper personalities like that with the others. Break acted/sounded a lot like Naruto because they had the same Japanese voice actor; since he is the eager young showoff, I don’t mind keeping that characterization.

-more emphasize on the antagonism/rivalry between Guiledart and Archadis, perhaps even giving them a history.

-This is a major one but I’d try to incorporate the Shokaract storyline related to the Angolmois and bledtrons plotline form the BW: ascending comics. The period where megamatron is banished from the series could even result in a series of events similar to what he experienced in ascending. And much like the ascending finale, would probably try to emphasize the maximals and predacons having to work together to overcome unicron.

[allspark]

Blasting his way into the Allspark Studio today is the Maximal one man army, Big Convoy!  Will he head into battle on your shelf alone, or will he stop all that nonsense and babysit the next wave of Maximal recruits?  Tune in after the jump to find out!

As I have said many times, Beast Wars got me back into Transformers. It was the vehicle that guided me to a collecting passion I have enjoyed for more than 20 years. As Beast Wars was close to an end, I became aware of Japanese versions of Beast Wars molds being used as new characters, then finding out Japan got brand new figures we had never seen in the states. This was the onset of my eBay addiction during the early 2000’s. Suddenly, the universe was open and multiple many-colored versions of my favorite figures existed in a magical land on the other side of the globe. All I had to do was get on the Internet and research the characters and then start hunting them in online auctions. I have fond memories of getting my first Beast Wars II and Beast Wars Neo figures in the mail, and frantically opening the packages to get to the plastic jewels inside. Big Convoy was a quick favorite of mine because who does not like woolly mammoths? Making a woolly mammoth into a version of Optimus Prime is chocolate and peanut butter, am I right?

Beast Mode

As impressive as he was in both modes, Big Convoy had a few issues that I was never able to get over. First off, his mammoth mode is basically a solid brick. Yes, his ears move, and so do his tusks and snout, but that’s not the kind of articulation I think most action figure collectors are asking for when they spend their cash. In addition to that, his beast mode was basically a puzzle AND a shell at the same time. It was as if someone from Takara took two of the fandom‘s greatest complaints about figures and forced them together in a brilliant middle finger that everyone would have to buy. I have also found that over time, the rubbery parts on the snout have developed some sort of sticky residue. I really hope I don’t get to my Beast Wars Neo shelf one day and find a disintegrated face on my original figure. All of this is to say that beast mode looked really nice but lacked a little in execution.  Still, for what he was, he looked great on my shelves as a stoic mammoth back in 2000 or 2001 when I first purchased him.  Almost 20 years later and he continues to get comments and attention from anyone that is new to my collection.

For the Encore release, Takara has put this mold out in much better colors. Gone is the gold plastic (which still frightens me to this day) and the two-toned look to the fur. The only remnant of this is on his mammoth feet. The dark brown fur is a deeper color than on the original release, giving the beast mode a much closer appearance to the way Big Convoy looked in the Beast Wars Neo cartoon. Having eyes with actual pupils is also a huge improvement. I can safely say that the Encore release has produced the definitive version of his beast mode, with improved colors and a bit more personality.

  Robot Mode

Big Convoy’s robot mode has always fared a little bit better than his beast mode. He has some superior articulation. Between the double ball-jointed feet, double-jointed knees, 360° ratcheted hips, waist, ball-jointed shoulders, elbow articulation, and a limited ball-jointed neck, this pachyderm is packed with a passel of potential possibility. Yes, I went there. 😛

Unfortunately, he suffers a little bit from top heaviness and balancing him in some dynamic poses for shelf display can be difficult at times. Fortunately, he looks very majestic in a general standing pose, holding the Big Canon in his hand. That is pretty much my go to pose for this mold in any color variation.

One of the things that I really enjoyed about this figure was that he was the first “Prime” to my knowledge that had an actual matrix as part of the original production of the figure. No third-party add on for this guy!

Overtime, other issues like the residue on the mammoth snout have begun to appear on the various uses of this mold. Sometimes the mammoth puzzle pieces don’t want to lock in the way they are intended. The back piece that connects the rear legs to the tail section seems to be one of the worst parts. Additionally, I have noticed that the mammoth parts that connect to the underside of the forearms have been very loose on some versions of this mold. That does not seem to be the case on the Encore release of Big Convoy. I was very happy to find that overall the quality of the mold seems to have been restored for this and the Blue Big Convoy release.

Along with improving his color scheme in beast mode, the robot mode is very clearly attempting to pull off the animation color scheme and I love it! The scary gold plastics have been swapped out for blinding yellows, and the off-white plastic is beautifully bone white. The metallic blues and silvers and the muted reds have also been replaced with a vibrance only seen on film. This is the closest thing to having Big Convoy jump out of your TV screen and join you in your living room.

This release has me floored with how well it turned out.  Therefore, I give Encore Big Convoy 92 Angolmois capsules out of 100!

He is a thing of beauty that’s sports repairs to his molding and much improved color choices in this deco. If you were not in the fandom during his original release, or you are just now coming around to the glory of beast modes, you definitely need to add him to your collection! He is a little on the expensive side for some budgets, so you may not want to get him for your children, but if you do, you will be the most awesomest parent in the entire universe. Seriously, no one would be able to beat you. Give your children the power of the matrix.

  Encore Big Convoy Gallery and Review! Blasting his way into the Allspark Studio today is the Maximal one man army, Big Convoy!  Will he head into battle on your shelf alone, or will he stop all that nonsense and babysit the next wave of Maximal recruits?