MakeToys MTCM-03A Blindfire

 Blindfire is the MakeToys version of Technobot Strafe, and is part of Quantron, the MakeToys version of Computron. Attained in February thanks to a great online deal, Blindfire and his teammates have had to wait a pretty long time to get any attention, thanks to the moving of Coffin HQ. But now, they are finally freed from their boxes, and can get some attention both in hand and in writing.

But first, an overview. The Quantron team consists of four smaller, sub-Deluxe sized figures that will serve as the limbs of the combiner, and a large, larger than Voyager sized torso figure. It is yet to be seen how the size differences will affect the combined form, but more or less it approximates the standard, official Hasbro size breakdown. Each of the figures are pretty posable, and come with weapons, and are all pretty full of character. Each limb figure is a specific body part, and as such cannot be scrambled in combination. Because previous third party articles have mentioned the packaging, the team comes in nice but unspectacular boxes. They do get the job done, and they are solid looking, but compared some of the other, more eye-catching boxes that have made their way across these pages, these are kind of plain.

Blindfire is a good and posable toy. Not the most visually striking of the team -- a general Strafe issue, really – it is able to be posed in a number of dynamic ways, allowing the real potential of the toy to be displayed. The arms are mounted on a double joint, where the shoulders attach to the torso via a ball joint, and the arm attaches to the shoulder joint via a fairly normal hinge. This joint pairing allows the arms to attain a full range of motion, as well as allow for some separation from the body, a good thing since the upper body of the figure is so small. It lets Blindfire puff out a bit, so it doesn’t look so tiny, which is a legit issue with the four limb figures of the set. They are tiny. And asymmetrically so: one of the leg figures and Blindfire, an arm, are smaller than the other limbs of the pair as standalone figures.

 

Other joints in robot mode include wrist swivels, elbows, and knees, as well as a very slight ankle, although this joint is not very usable, as it sits beneath the leg, and the foot swings out towards the back of the leg for transformation purposes. The head is on a ball jointed neck, and there are thigh swivels. The legs feel like they are made of a different material than the rest of the figure, a metal instead of plastic, and this is the only such material difference in the entire set. The combiner port is rather will hidden on the robot’s back, slightly obscured by a vehicle part, but it is also just very well integrated into the body, so it is barely noticeable without any necessary additional obfuscation.

The figure is armed with a large pair of translucent orange blasters, which can be handheld or mounted on the shoulders, G1 style, and a pair of swords that hang off of the shoulders, creating a really cool, cape-like look. These parts end up being the front end of the alt mode, and aren’t swords so much as they are huge anime-style blades, or like the blade Pyramidhead drags around in Silent Hill. All of these parts seem too large: the blasters don’t look very good on top of the robot shoulders, as they are too long and stick out far above the head, and the swords are too large and too aircraft-part looking to make for convincing swords. They have pegs that can mount the blasters, creating an over-the-shoulder-blaster-holder, but then the toy is back heavy, and leans backwards. The good news is that the swords are able to be positioned in a number of ways behind the robot, again effecting something like a cape, or the hints of one.

Transformation to alt mode is simple, with “intuitive” being too serious a word. Intuitive in its simplicity, perhaps, but “simple” really is best. The most complex step in the process is the flipping over the shoulders of the jet cockpit. G1 Strafe was one of those great futuristic “what is it?” post-86 molds, with the official description being the imaginatively nebulous “futuristic fighter jet”. Blindfire is somewhat more clearly a spaceship, a cool, unique yet somehow familiar design that, despite being different, hits all the right signals to reference Strafe. The sword pieces form the front end of the vehicle, not the orange cannons of the more typical Strafe look: those fit underneath the craft. Thus, Blindfire gets to be something pretty new while still being something that you recognize, an interesting interpretation of an old idea, something that all but two members of the set will achieve. This makes for a recognizable set of figures that are still new and unique.  

The all-around simplicity of the figure in both modes is honestly what makes it a winner. Blindfire is a nearly perfect toy to turn over in your hands while watching tv or sitting at the computer, dragging your way through late-semester essays. It does not require much attention and is satisfying to manipulate, both marvelous qualities in a deskbot toy. Its status as part of a combiner team does not limit the toy at all, either, as there’s nothing overtly “combiner part” about it, so the independent robot is not burdened by its role as part of something bigger. If there is a drawback, it would be that the figure is not terribly detailed. Neither robot nor vehicle mode is very sculpted, yet both forms are far from smooth or blank surfaces. It’s also not something that is blatant or confronting, as there are enough quality touches and details over the course of the toy that a lack of greebles is pretty easily forgiven, if not outright forgotten. The translucent orange plastic in the wings, for instance, and the translucent cannons on the front end of the jet mode add flashes of detail that more than compensate for a lack of like, molded pipes and cables and stuff.

Was trying for a sleek shot, but he's so fast it came out blurry.

Unlike recently reviewed third party figures like the Ares and Hades teams, or Mentarazor, there actually is an official competitor for Blindfire, two in fact. The only one that the Coffin can speak on would be Unite Warriors Strafe, part of Unite Warriors Computron. While that Strafe is larger and is a genuinely good figure, and the aesthetics of the two are vastly different, it does seem that Blindfire is a preferable figure. Although, this may be an idea that changes once the combined mode comes together, and why Blindfire seems superior is not entirely a clear cut thing. Maybe just preference, or newness still, or the simplicity of the toy. Blindfire is, based on transformation and accessories and general appearance, an expensive, third party “Classics” style update of a G1 toy, in the purest sense. There is something truly lovable about that, as even small third party figures are often complicated or involved in their conversion.

This is not a condition that will last for the rest of the team, however, as the other four members will grow more and more complicated. Not to get too far ahead of schedule, but more challenging fare is coming.