#MetalGreymon + Cyber Launcher

[digimontamerrichie-tcg]

[reversemoon255]

Digimon Xros Figures Cyberdramon

I know this is not a very liked redesign, especially since Ryo's Cyberdramon is so beloved, but this figure actually made me really appreciate what they were trying to do. Mine has been heavily repainted, but the original version where all the purple was still silver made me realize the transparent parts with tech greeble underneath are in the same locations. They're actually surprisingly similar on a closer inspection. If the heads were closer, I think more people would have given the new one a chance. It probably also would have helped if they were more heavily featured in the show, since Cyberdramon had significantly less air time than every other character featured in the Xros Figure line. I think Cyber Launcher only appeared in the anime once...

The Good: This is a fairly posable figure, with joints all down the torso, legs, and tail, balls in the arms, and a bit of movement in the wings and head. And Cyber Launcher is actually a bit more versatile than the other combinations, able to free stand on its own, so it can be used by any Digimon, or other toy you might have lying around.

The Bad: While Cyberdramon has a lot of joints, the lack of specifically a neck joint (due to transformation) makes it hard for it to look particularly dynamic while posing. The tail, also, can only move up-and-down. While it tried, it doesn't reach the same level of individuality that Beelzebemon manages.

Also, combining into MetalGreymon + Cyber Launcher doesn't feel great. In order to plug its neck vent into the chest and have MetalGreymon bite the spear, you're almost forced to flex the spear. If you're careful it's not bad, but I could definitely see kids bending that thing permanently or not having the patience to get it right.

The Details: Cyberdramon required to heaviest amount of work to get it screen accurate of any of the figures I've handled so far. Knowing that toy production takes several months, it makes me wonder how down to the wire the changes to its designs were before the show started? We know some Digimon, like ZekeGreymon, went through last minute changes as well.

Anyway, from top to bottem, I repainted the silver areas on Cyberdramon purple, and dotted them with pink to match the jelly-like texture of the official art. On the face and parts of the tail, I also added a red lining, as those are present throughout Cyberdramon's design, but too difficult to implement everywhere. I also color matched and repainted its cheeks and knees the same blue as the rest of the figure.

I painted the wings red to brighten them up, and added red to the inside of the palms. A lot of elements to the stomach and pelvis were incorrect, so I adjusted those with silver. I painted the tail's teeth, interior cannon, backs of the legs, and heels silver, and dotted their cannons with black. And finally, though I did this first (and can be seen on the unpainted Cyberdramon), I panel lined the deeper details to bring them out more.

Overall, while this isn't the greatest figure, it does serve its purpose, and I had a lot of fun improving its screen accuracy. I've actually managed to snag all but one of the Xros Figures at this point, and I'm pretty sure you can guess who I'm missing...

[airdramon]

ABCs of Dumb Digimon Designs: S is For...

I want to preface this post with a reminder than dumb does not mean I hate the Digimon, and can even mean I love the Digimon and its design. Something with a dumb design doesn't mean I don't love its design. We've had Quartzmon who is dumb and I hate him, Jet Silphymon, who is dumb and makes me a little mad, and MetalGreymon Cyber Launcher, which is just dumb, and we've also had DaiPenmon, which is the best ever, and I even chose NiseDrimogemen, who was also my choice for the most underrated Digimon starting with 'N', and, now we have this Digimon.  Somethings are just wonderfully dumb. S is For... Read the full article