Tag Archives: Big Angry Trev

Random Rants

Bushfire Danger: Packing Emergency Bags

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Here in NSW we are facing an unprecedented level of Bushfire danger.  A Total Fire Ban has been instituted for the entire state, a State of Emergency has been declared and some parts of the state have a danger rating of ‘catastrophic’ – a rating that has never needed to be used before!

 

Living on a fairly remote farm that backs onto a huge state forest, our family has been very concerned.  So much so that we have instituted our own emergency fire plan should worst come to worst.  

 

There are plenty of official sites that can guide you through how to come up with your own emergency plans, and I heartily encourage every reader to visit the sites relevant to their state as well as download the relevant apps.  What I’m going to share here is some of the evacuation precautions I and my family have taken, in the hopes it may provide you with some ideas of your own.  In particular – our emergency bags.

We have several emergency bags packed.  The whole idea of these is that they are pre-made and ready to go, saving valuable minutes if you need to get out fast.  Our emergency bags are packed with such items that can stay in them forever – not items that we will have to remove a few days later because we need them.  Hopefully these bags will hang on hooks for the rest of their lives unused, but better safe than sorry.

 

Clothing for the day

Despite the heat, long clothing is essential.  Should you end up in an area with sparks flying through the air, you don’t want those sparks touching your bare skin.  So long sleeved tops and long pants are the order of the day and they should be natural fibres like cotton, not synthetics that have the potential to melt onto your skin.

Leather boots are also the most preferable footwear to have.  In our case my wife and I own heavy duty leather boots but our children don’t, so we would put them in their most suitable footwear and carry them if required.

We have a bag packed specifically with clothing to change into at a moment’s notice.  Again, every minute you can save counts.

 

Evac Clothing Bag

Chances are you might not be able to return to your home for a couple of days until the fire has passed.  So you will need a few changes of clothes, but taking into account you should not over pack as space in your vehicle will be at a premium.

For each member of our family we packed the following:

*2 T-shirts

*1 Jumper

*1 pair of Long Pants

*1 pair of Shorts

*2 pairs of Socks

*2 pairs of Underwear

*1 pair of Pyjamas

 

Equipment Bag

There will be specific equipment that you may need when fleeing from a bushfire.  All this should be kept together and easy to access if needed.

In ours we have:

*One torch with fresh battery

*One small fire blanket

*One first aid kit

*One tube of burn cream

*One pack of face masks

*One pair of fire resistant gloves

*One battery powered radio

 

Pet Bag

If you have pets you naturally are going to want to take them with you.  In our case because we have two pet goats this would entail hooking up the trailer.  But for most people your pets may consist of a dog and cat (which we also have).  So when packing make sure you have enough pet food for a couple of days and leads for every animal – you don’t want to escape the fire just for your cat to run away or your dog to go hungry.  A dish to put water in is also advisable.  

 

Food & Water

Chances are wherever you evacuate to will have food and water available.  But again that motto – better safe than sorry.  Have a bag packed full of food that does not need to be refrigerated and can keep you all going for a day or two.  Pre-packaged food like muesli bars and biscuits will serve you well, as well as bags of nuts.  Also tinned food such as ham, salmon, tuna and so on.  Take as much water as you can reasonably fit.  Because we would be taking a ute we can afford to take a 25 litre container in the back.

 

Misc Items

These are items that you don’t need to survive but will be incredibly hard to replace should you lose your home.  This includes forms such as birth certificates and passports, as well as more personal items such as jewellery and family photos.  What you pack in this bag is up to you, but one of the bags you may need to give the most thought too.  Also, because these are items that you can’t store in an evac kit permanently, make sure you know the location of these items in your house so they can be collected up quickly.

 

 

So these are just a few different suggestions for what to take if you need to evacuate and a possible way to have them prepared.  Again, I encourage everyone to check out the official sites in order to get even more guidance and information about the best way to go about this, but hopefully this blog will give you a good starting point on advisable things to pack.

 

Got any other tips on what to pack in case of Bushfire?  Pop it in the comments section below.

 

 

 

 

 

Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews, Uncategorised

Toy Review – Siege Mirage

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Mirage is one of those middle-of-the-road Autobot Car characters in terms of popularity, and this is reflected in the amount of toys based on him over the years.  Whilst not super-rare like say Grapple, not super popular like Sideswipe or Prowl either.

Mirage has cropped up in such Transformer toy sub-lines such as Kre-O, Alternators and Bot Shots, but has only had two significantly G1-themed toys released over the last 13 years.  First was the Classics version in 2006, whom had a magnificent alt-mode but an overly-lanky body.  The second was in 2015 in the Combiner Wars, but as a minor retool of the Stunticon Drag Strip didn’t look overly impressive in either mode.

So in 2019 Mirage has finally gotten another G1-based figure, albeit with a Cybertronian alt-mode.  So let’s have a look at Siege Mirage.

 

Robot Mode

‘Well I’ll be damned, I actually look like me again!’

The most G1-faithful looking Mirage figure we’ve had since, well, G1 really.  The proportions of his body are spot on and it’s been far too long since Mirage sported a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher.  No spring action firing but the rocket can at least be removed from its launcher.  His blaster is quite nice too.  With decent articulation and a great colour scheme it’s very hard to find fault with this figure.  If I had one minor quibble, it’s that he has a lot of faux parts, for instance the F1-racer waist piece doesn’t actually make up the nose of the car mode.

Fuck stealth!

Mirage, even more than the likes of Impactor, really lends himself to the Weaponizer gimmick, and with multiple ports all over his body you can really pimp him out for battle!

 

Cybertronian Racer

I’m translucent – that makes me Cybertronian.

Like many of the other Siege toys, this looks more like an Earth vehicle with a few Cybertronian elements pasted on top.  But it’s still a nice looking race car and the first offworld version of the character we have had.  I really like how part of the car’s body is translucent as an homage to the fact that the character has invisibility powers – much more attractive than the battle-damage paint most Siege figures come with.

Unlike the robot mode, you can’t really Weaponize Mirage’s vehicle mode.  There are only two spots which are on his tailfin, and these are taken up by his rocket launcher and rifle.  However the weapons look pretty cool there and make his alt-mode look distinctly more Cybertronian, differentiating the figure nicely from the very good Classics version.

 

Worth Getting?

For those that are happy with the Mirage toys they already have, there is a completely translucent version of this toy too which could be worth tracking down online as it looks pretty boss, though it means purchasing the Decepticon version of Impactor and the third Powerdasher figure with it.  But I wanted this version as the robot mode holds so much appeal for me, especially since Mirage was the first Autobot I ever got as a kid.  But whichever way you wanna go, this is a very solid toy  with a fun and intuitive transformation and is very faithful to the characters roots – he will fit nicely into anyone’s collection.

 

Got anything to say about this figure?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

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Toy Review – Siege Greenlight

Toy Review – Autobot Alphastrike Counterforce

Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toys Review – Selects: Nightbird, Cromar and Zetar

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The Generations Selects line is one that divides people.  On the one hand it provides opportunities for figures to get made that might otherwise not due to a lack of popularity.  On the other, it means these figures are often only available either online, at specific stores and/or limited to a few select countries, meaning higher prices with a dollop of international postage for good measure.

The War for Cybertron Siege toyline has had a whopping nine Selects figures released this year.  Some such as Redwing have been virtually impossible for overseas collectors to get their hands on at a reasonable price.  But some have been released through multiple US online stores making things a bit easier, and today we are looking at the latest wave of them, consisting of the Powerdashers Cromar and Zetar, and the always mysterious Nightbird.

Note: As all three characters are minor retools of other Siege figures that have been out for quite some time, we will be focusing more on their aesthetics rather than their articulation, transformation and Weaponizer potential.

 

Powerdasher Cromar

Robot Mode

‘We all float down here…’

Whilst it seems his main weapon would be to hang about in Cybertronian Sewers eating Decepticon Protoforms, as a retool of Six-Gun his body is bristling with weapons.  Two long guns on the lower arms and four cannons on the shoulders and back.  Not bad since the original toy didn’t even have a gun.

‘Everybody loves a clown, so why can’t you?’

Cromar gets his distinctive face from the 1984 Mail-away figure he is based on (and the only TF I had and lost as a kid that I have yet to replace as an adult).  It’s… not flattering and makes this a figure you really don’t want to give to a coulrophobia sufferer as a gift.

Alt-Mode

If you think this looks weird, you should have seen my original toy

Pretty much Siege Six-Gun with new colours.  However it works for the character quite well, with perhaps only Cybertron Sideways being a more appropriate recolour.  I likes it!

 

 

Powerdasher Zetar

Robot Mode

I’m smiling because I can kill you with a headbutt

No fingers, no neck, but one helluva hat!  The silly thing is the drill on his head can be spun fairly easily in robot mode but not in vehicle mode. A retool of Siege Brunt, he lacks a certain appeal that Brunt possessed, but is certainly faithful to the original toy & character.  The bonus being he gets a gun this time around which (due to the no fingers thing) can be attached to his forearms.

The creepy circus motif continues

The look of his head really makes me want to get the third Powerdasher – Aragon – just to see if he has some clownish attributes too.

Alt-Mode

‘I..I just don’t know what the hell I am supposed to be’

Once again we are looking at Siege Brunt, but with a drill on the front.  The ironic thing is that the cannon on top, if you attach the blaster, sticks out further than the drill does.  But hey, with the drill that close to the ground Zetar can definitely get a job drilling holes for oversized cybermice or mowing really thin strips of lawn.  Unite Warriors Nosecone or even Combiner Wars Drillhorn make far more practical looking drill tanks.

 

Nightbird

Robot Mode

‘I’m quite frolicsome for a Ninja’

A retool of Siege Chromia, Nighbird boasts a totally new headsculpt which is very indicative of how she looked back in the G1 cartoon, though severely limits how much she can turn her head.  She comes with the same weaponry that can be either a pistol and grenades, a gun or a sniper rifle.  It would have been nice if she had come with some sai’s like the Legends version of her did to show her Ninja origins.

‘Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!’

What is very disappointing for a Selects figure is that Nightbird comes apart quite easily.  Her legs, arms and crotchplate all come off way to easily, though at least are not too hard to reattach.

Alt-Mode

‘Wonder if I can get a date with Kit from Knightrider?’

I had no idea she would be this black!  Her backpack makes up the majority of the car body and it’s as black as black can be with a dark purple canopy.  I would have liked to see the backpack/car body remain grey with the black limited to her fenders.  However at least this car mode is more generally Cybertronian, rather than the Legends version which was quite Arcee indicative.

 

Worth Getting?

Only if, like me, you are a fan of obscure G1 characters.  All these moulds have been done before and none of these characters are popular enough that any kid is going to be screaming for them this Xmas.  It’s nice to see the Powerdashers get new figures after all this time, though the lack of a dash component kinda irks me.  Nightbird isn’t bad but I find the Legends version to be far superior in both modes.  So yeah, they are all nice in their way and I’m glad to have them, but none have any wow factor that is going to keep you awake at night wishing that you owned them.

Got anything to add to this review?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

Related Articles:

Toy Review: Siege Greenlight

Toy Review: Siege Impactor

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Random Reviews, Transformatorium

Album Review – Cybertronic Spree: Transformers 1986

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Ok, c’mon Trev, be objective here…

Do not come across like a teenage girl at a ‘One Direction’ reunion concert screaming ‘Oh they are so dreamy!  I want to have their babies!’ 

Be harsh mate, be scathing, pull apart song by song to find any fault so that you can give a frank assessment of this CD….

 

… fuck it, I can’t! Its just too good!

 

Ahem.  I got my Cybertronic Spree CD this week.  I kinda like it.

 

About the Band

For those that don’t know, Cybertronic Spree is a true fan success story.  A bunch of singers and musicians came together about six or so years ago, dressed in awesome looking self-made Transformers costumes and sang songs from the Transformers 1986 movie.

It proved popular.  Amongst us TF fans it proved really popular.  So much so that they started getting gigs, appearing at various conventions and even earlier this year got their own IDW Comic Cover variant.

 

 

And so a Crowdfund Project is born!

So riding on the wave of that popularity they decided to Crowdfund a CD where they played 10 of the songs from the 86 movie. CD title appropriately ‘Transformers 1986‘.

The reaction was better than they could have hoped.  It all sold out fast.  I mean, really fast!  So then they reopened the Crowdfund and then that all sold out.  

So they now had the money and went to work recording their album.  Digital copies to those who contributed to their Crowdfunding went out about a month ago.

As much as I would have loved getting a signed poster, my funds at the time meant I was only able to order the CD.  And when it came to writing a review I wanted to review the CD, as I knew the digital copy I received would not do the music justice played over the shitty little speakers on my computer.  

So having received the CD this week, I set up my sound system in the disused outdoor carport on the farm, where the acoustics are puzzingly good and I could crank the volume to max, pulled out a deck chair, cracked a beer and sit back to listen to the music.

 

It did not disappoint.

 

The Music

This is a fucking awesome CD!  Damn they did a good job.  Whilst this CD is primarily a Crowdfunded fan project, you can tell that these are all singers and musicians who know what they are doing and have a genuine love for the material.

As someone who has the soundtrack to the 86 movie and knows every song by heart, it was so cool to hear these songs faithfully redone but with the twist of having new musicians and, most importantly to differentiate them from the originals, new vocalists.

Damn Arcee has a set of pipes on her!  Don’t get me wrong, Spike is a good backup vocalist and Hot Rod can sing his arse off, but Arcee has a voice that can pick you up and pound you flat with its power!  I’ve always loved female vocalists who sound like they could kick my arse.  I shudder to think of the poor singer inside the costume – how many TF Fanboys must there be out there she is currently starring in the fantasies of (my own efforts to get my good wife to dress as a Transformer have always met failure, as public record will testify).  As all the original songs were sung by men, to have Arcee singing half the songs and providing backup vocals on many others gives the songs a new and unique twist, breathing new life to tunes you’ve been listening to for the past 33 years.

Full credit to the musicians too, The guitarists (Unicron & Hot Rod) provide those tasty big 80’s riffs big time and Rumble the Drummer pounds those skins like a true professional.  

 

This CD hits all the right notes for me.  The Touch gave me goosebumps, Dare gave me a nostalgic lump in my throat.  I didn’t understand why they chose to have Hunger as the last track on the album until I heard the end.  That massive instrumental finale right at the end of the song kicks so much arse you wanna put your fist through a wall, headbutt a tank and yell to the world that every other sci-fi genre sucks Quintesson Balls compared to ours!

 

So yes, I liked this CD.

 

 

Cybertronic Spree, all I can say to you is (cue eye-rolling song lyric references):

 

You’ve indeed got both the touch and the power

You’ve got the passion and the pride.  It can’t be denied.

When it came to getting this CD made you let nothing stand in your way and us fans count ourselves among the fortunate ones.

 

And if you ever decide to tour internationally, I can guarantee you a sold out show in Sydney.  The tendrils of Big Angry Trev will twist throughout the Aussie Fandom to hound TF geeks out of parents basements, comic stores and online chatrooms across the land to fill a venue in your honour (with extra security to keep the fanboys off Arcee).

All I ask in return is that you let me get on stage and do the ‘AAAAAAAA-AAAAA’ at the end of Instruments of Destruction 😉 

 

 

 

Extra Merchandise

As I mentioned, I was only able to afford at the time the CD.  However fellow Transformer Enthusiast and Skydiving Superstar Brendan was able to get some more of the merch. 

 

 

Got something to add to this review?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

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Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review: Siege Omega Supreme

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Omega Supreme – the first BIG bot of the Transformers franchise.  

Sure Devastator showed a season earlier but he was made up of 6 smaller bots whereas Omega was simply massive in his own right.  I still remember the first episode I saw him in – out of nowhere this big battle base character showed up, flew to the moon as a rocket and then turned into this giant robot that was able to pick up Megatron in one hand and tell him what for! The first time he showed up in the comics he promptly killed half the Decepticons on earth in a single battle!

In other words – Omega is huge and Omega is SUPREME!

Being one of my very favourite characters I was extremely chuffed to hear we would be getting a Titan class Omega Supreme toy.  Whilst I really liked my YOTS Omega, his alt-mode had nothing to do with the G1 character.  Likewise I loved Omega in the Animated cartoon, but he never got a toy at all.  So when it was announced that Omega Supreme would be getting a huge new toy which was based, in both modes, on his G1 incarnation, I gave a little squeal of geeky delight!

So without further ado, lets look at Titan-Class War for Cybertron Siege Omega Supreme.

 

 

Robot Mode

Size: Impressive

Oh be still my beating fuel pump!  He is friggin awesome!  And unlike Metroplex and Fort Max, Omega Supreme gives a real sense of bulk.  Good thick lower legs and arms and a massive torso, just like one would hope for.  Add to this the two cannon arms, track-wings, translucent visor and faithfulcolour scheme and there is no mistaking who this big boy is supposed to be.  Something I think is an excellent addition is the fact that they have made his claw arm prehensile, as in the claws can bend in the middle in order better grab things.  In fact, whilst not as good as some other toys, this Omega has the best articulation of any toy of his namesake, with shoulders, elbows, knees and neck all moveable to put him in a variety of poses.

 

 

FIREPOWER!

Guns: Blazing!

Omega is packing a ton of firepower in robot mode.  As well as having a huge blaster on the end of each arm, he has his signature tank cannon in the back of his head which can be swivelled around.  On his upper chest he has two cannons, these can be folded upwards to reveal further missile racks underneath.  So if Omega doesn’t simply squash ya, he can blast you into oblivion.  

 

 

PARTSFORMER PRECEDENCE

Omega Supreme figures have always been partsformers.  Though some purists contend that a partsformer isn’t really a proper transformer, given Omega’s alt-mode/s it’s actually a necessity.  Both the original and the Siege versions consist of three separate machines (tank, rocket, base) and even the Energon version needed to come apart to form various trains and cranes.  So while there was no way that Siege Omega was not going to be a partsformer, the separate parts have been kept to a minimum (Tank/Torso, Arms/Rocket, Body/Base, Wings/Tracks x 2) and there is still a lot of transformation going on.  

 

The Base

The outer body and legs of Omega become the base whilst his wings, like the original toy, become the tracks.  It’s really a nice looking base and I love the fact that it comes with two little inner ramps that Micromaster figures can drive up and down.  The missile racks are displayed here so that the base can defend itself and one thing I really like is how the track is both elevated as well as being wide enough to accommodate the tank.  The feet of the robot can fold out to show little caverns for Micromasters to hide in, though personally I prefer to keep them folded up to keep that oval shape.

 

 

The Tank

The torso and head become the tank.  The tank cannon that is on the back of Omega’s head is actually not the same tank cannon here, this one is way larger.  It’s a great looking tank, though not motorized like the original.  The tank can open up to reveal a space for Micromasters, though I would have preferred they make the ramp smoother so that the little guys can actually roll out of him properly, rather than bump their way down.

 

 

The Rocket

Rocket Mode: Phallic. Cosmos: Jealous.

Wow – this is a big rocket!  Like, really big!  Made up primarily of the arms and a thin panel along the back, it’s amazing just the length this rocket reaches, making it as tall as Omega is in his robot mode!  The transformation is very clever, wrapping around circular parts and the top of the rocket opens up to show a small cockpit for Micromasterfigures.  If I had a complaint, it’s that the prehensile claw that serves as the landing struts tend to slowly slip outwards, so unless you have them flat down Omega’s rocket mode will eventually tilt as one of them gives way.

 

 

The Finished Article

All three of Omega’s modules on their own are pretty cool, but add them all together and it looks wicked!  Seriously, I don’t think there is much I can say here about how great it is that the photo’s don’t convey on their own.

Rocket Base Mode: Awesome. Fan Boys: Jizzing themselves right now.

 

Countdown

In the G1 toyline and Dreamwave comics Countdown was a Micromaster lunar rover that came with his own rocket base.  Making him a partner to Omega Supreme who himself turns into a rocket base was a good call.  Countdown looks good in both modes and if nothing else really highlights how much interactivity there is between figures his size and the Omega toy.

 

 

Worth Getting?

At around $260(AU) he isn’t cheap but isn’t any more expensive than Trypticon was two years ago.  If you are a G1 lover or a fan of huge Transformers this figure could be considered a must have.  The interactivity with Micromaster figures, the robot mode, the rocket base mode – it all works.  Whilst not the absolute perfect figure, he is a genuinely excellent toy which by far is the best Omega Supreme we’ve ever had, and perhaps ever will have.  What can I say?  This toy is truly SUPREME!

 

 

Got something to say about this figure? Pop it in the comments section below!

 

 

Related Articles:

Toy Review: Siege Impactor

Toy Review: Siege Greenlight

Toys Review: Autobot Alphastrike Counterforce

 

Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Siege Impactor

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The Wreckers – the biggest bot badasses this side of the Dinobots.  The team the Autobots go to when they don’t give a shit about collateral damage, they just want some Cons dead!

‘The Wreckers: Class of 1986’ (Absent: Rack’n’Ruin)

The Wreckers have been around since the old Marvel comics and since have become ingrained within Transformers lore.  And before the mighty Springer became leader of the team, their leader was the hardened, the ruthless, the one and only – Impactor.

Impactor did not get an official toy for many years.  In fact it wasn’t until the Generations FOC toyline in 2013 he got his first one, a kinda weird redo of FOC Onslaught.  Then a few years later in 2016 Impactor got a Timelines toy that was infinitely cooler, yet as a redo of CW Rook still didn’t tick all the boxes that fans of the G1 Comics Impactor required.

Well here we are in 2019 and Impactor has finally gotten a figure designed specifically for him.  And damn it’s a beauty!  So let’s have a look at Siege Deluxe Class Impactor.

 

Robot Mode

‘Face the front perp, prepare for your mugshot’

Beautiful colours here, really does justice to him.  The timelines version was pretty good with an awesome head, but that huge grey peg in his chest was a definite drawback.  This Impactor looks buff, tough and has the right stuff!  His shoulder cannon looks particularly faithful and impressive.

‘Where is that green prick who stole my job?’

Articulation on this figure is very good, with multiple points all over his upper and lower body, allowing you to put him in a myriad of battle poses.  The right (or left if you prefer) hand folds in to attach his signature harpoon.  The tank barrel from his tank mode serves as a rifle.  Really, its hard to find fault here, everything from the head sculpt to the colour scheme are spot on.

‘Orange was never my colour’

 

Cybertronian Tank Mode

Finally, I have treads instead of wheels!

To be honest, he looks even cooler than he did in any comic.  Weaponry wise he sports a giant tank cannon at the front, his shoulder cannon becomes a roof mounted  laser cannon, there are twin scatter blasters on either side and his harpoon becomes a rotating laser gun on top.  Add to that four huge spikes at the front and he don’t need no stinkin Battle Masters to kick butt, he’s a one-tank arsenal!  There are however multiple ports to add Battle Master and Weaponizer guns should you wish.

Overkill? Na…

Once again the colour scheme is top notch, and as the leader of The Wreckers the battle damage suits him more than most .  This really is the Impactor you’ve been waiting for.

 

Transformation

Quite straight forward.  Not stupidly simple but no real challenge to be had.

 

Worth Getting?

Oh hells yes!  I’ve been pretty damn happy with my Timelines Impactor for the past three years, and while I was looking forward to an update I wasn’t yearning for it.  But now I have this guy my other two Impactors won’t be getting a look in any time soon.  Everything about this figure is really spot on and just screams Wreck’n’Rule!  Whether you want this guy or the upcoming one which is Decepticon aligned, either way go and grab one and continue to pray there is a Rack’n’Ruin toy in the works soon.

 

Got something to say about this figure?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

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Tales of the Trev, Videos

Video: Big Angry Trev vs Mad Dog 357 Hot Sauce

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This week we’ve had a challenge from long time reader Trent.  Trent has asked that I try the Hot Sauce: 357 Mad Dog, and subsequently film it.

 

Mad Dog has the moniker 357 because it’s rated at 357,000 Scoville, making it the second hottest sauce I’ve tried after God Slayer.

So watch the video below and enjoy the mouth-burning hi-jinks!

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Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Cyberverse Gnaw

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Sharkticons.  In G1 they worked for the Quintessons.  In IDW they worked for the Junkions.  Whatever the place in the Multiverse, it always seems to be the fate of the Sharkticons to be the serving class – rotund warriors who turn into savage shark… thingies.

Gnaw is to this day the only named member of the Sharkticon race, whereas even the Junkions have grown their named-character ranks over the years.  But given their appearance in The Transformers: The Movie in 1986 and then in multiple episodes of G1 Season 3 thereafter Sharkticons – and therefore Gnaw – are instantly recognisable to nearly any Transformer fan on the planet.

Gnaw got his first new toy in thirty years with his 2016 Titans Return figure.  It was much beloved, especially since he was so small and cheap that you could by a ton of him!  Well now three years after that Gnaw is taking his first steps into the Multiverse with a bigger (if somewhat similar figure).  So let’s chomp down on Cyberverse Gnaw.

 

Robot Mode

“Call me ‘Humpty Dumpty’ again. I dare you – say it one more time”

Tubby fragger isn’t he!  But he conforms perfectly to how the Sharkticons looked in the G1 show and how they may/probably look when they debut in the Cyberverse cartoon.  The articulation isn’t too bad for a Warrior-Class CB figure, with some actuation in his shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and neck.  With a neckline covered in teeth and a light grey, light blue and pink colour scheme you would be hard pressed to mistake this fella for anyone else.

Mace Mash 

By pushing the shark fin situated in the middle of Gnaw’s Back you make him do a Mace Mash spin, akin to the gimmick that the Cyberverse Acid Storm sports.  It’s kinda fun I guess, certainly aimed at a younger demographic.  Certainly adds more play value than simply pressing a button like on Alpha Trion.  I do like how his mace has a big kink in it, something to give it a bit more visual appeal.

 

Sharticon Mode

“I watch you while you sleep”

Half-Frog, Half-Shark – all ugly!  Yup – he ticks all the boxes.  This is for the most part simply an upscaled version of the Titans Return version, in fact their transformations are nearly identical.  Sadly this Gnaw has no articulation in his arms which is a bit of a letdown as was something they could have been easily included without compromising the Mace Mash gimmick.  But it’s a small quibble, on the whole he looks great. Ugly yes – but great.

 

Worth Getting?

Gnaw’s on parade

Well, I reckon so.  As only the third official Gnaw toy we’ve had in the last 33 years, people would have been over the moon if this had been released before the Titans Return figure existed.  As it is he is worth getting if you are into Cyberverse or the character in general.  Given the $29(AU) price point I can’t see many folk using him to army build. Given his size however, which is half way between the other two official Gnaw figures, he will add some nice variety to your Sharkticon displays.

Baby Shark, do-de-do-do-do

 

Got anything to say about this figure?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

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Ask Trev!, Hobby Farming

Ask Trev: Hassle of a Broody Hen

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Dear Big Farmer Trev,
I had been warned about this with Silkies and it’s happened.
I have a broody hen.
I spent all weekend watching her trying to figure out why she is so grumpy.
She’s been laying an egg every day and getting mad as hell when I collect them.
Then she started walking about shouting and sulking and now she is mostly staying in her coop looking very upset.
I checked her over trying to figure out what on earth is wrong with her.
Physically she is in tip top condition.
My mate just walked outside and said ‘maybe she’s broody’
Then he said ‘I don’t actually know what that means, is that a thing?’
Pretty sure he is right.
So now I need your wisdom.
How do I ‘break’ a broody hen?
Or should I get her some chicks and shove them under her at night time?
Help!
Love Mads

‘I wanna be a mum!’

   Yup, she sure sounds broody to me!  You have 3 options:

1: Let it run its course, after several weeks she will get over it.

2: Lock her out of her coop during the day so it forces her to scratch about rather than sitting inside looking grumpy.  This sometimes helps decrease the duration of the broodiness by a day or two.

3: Get some fertilized eggs and put under her.  Do NOT get some chicks already born, she will know they are not hers and won’t look after them.  However if you get some fertilized eggs and put them in her nest, when they hatch she will think she is their mum and will act as such.

Good luck!

 

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Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toys Review – Autobot Alphastrike Counterforce

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The exclusives continue thick and fast in the Transformers: War for Cybertron: Siege toyline.  In fact nearly 40% of this toyline is made up of figures you can only purchase in particular US stores or otherwise online.

Last time we looked at Greenlight, who was only available through the US Amazon Prime site.  Today we are looking at some more Amazon exclusives, though thankfully you can get them through the AU store.  Today we look at the Autobot Alphastrike Counterforce.

This pack is made up of three bots but four characters – Covert Clone Sideswipe, a new Battle Master character named Trenchfoot, and vehicle only characters Raindance and Grand Slam who combine into Slamdance.

 

Covert Clone Sideswipe

Robot Mode

‘Look, I’ve got the G1 symbol so that makes me G1, totally not G2, I swear!’

Yep – despite the name we all know from the colour scheme this is really G2 Sideswipe.  Except the inversion of the red and black colours, this figure is exactly the same as the regular Sideswipe that came out in the main Siege toyline.  At least with all the blaster adaptability you can beef up his weaponry – which consist of a Photo-Pulser Proton Launcher and a Gryo Blaster that can combine into a RR Gryofuse Axleswitch Hyper-Blaster –  so he resembles more his more hardcore G2 incarnation.

Cybertronian Sports Car Mode

No sir, I don’t really like it.  It’s not bad, but with all the red under the translucent dome the colour scheme really screams the Decepticons Wildrider or Runabout.  Once again, adding lots of weapons is your friend here to give him that G2 Sideswipe feel.

 

Trenchfoot

Trenchfoot is a recolour of Decepticon Battle Master Caliburst and his colour scheme makes it clear he is more intended to be paired up with Sideswipe than Slamdance.  I think he works really well in both modes, his gun apparently being a Foxhole Counterblast Cannon.  Interestingly he is one of the very few completely original characters in the Siege toyline so far.

Fire!

 

Raindance & Grand Slam

A little history lesson.  In 1988 G1 Blaster finally got a 3rd set of cassettes – Raindance and Grand Slam.  What made these characters unique was that they had no robot or robotic animal modes whatsoever (until they combined) – they both turned from cassettes into vehicles.

Raindance

Here Raindance once again has no robot mode of his own, and not even a cassette mode!  He is however a very cool looking blue earth jet, replacing his Cybertronian Jet-Drone mode.

Grand Slam

G1 Grand Slam turned from a cassette into a red Cybertronian Tank.  Like Raindance he has also lost his cassette mode but turns into a pretty sweet red tank fairly reminicent of the original, sporting a big A2A Proton Missile Launcher on the front.  Both Grand Slam and Raindance can sport each others weapons as well (Raindance’s being a Smokecloak Blaster)

Slamdance

Took over 3 decades but I’m back baby! I hope those 80’s dances are still popular!

As mentioned, the original G1 Raindance and Grand Slam toys could combine to finally give them a robot mode – Slamdance – and here he is once again.  A slight retool of Siege Skytread but with a new head, he stands that slight bit taller than your average Deluxe figure.  This is a great shout out to a pretty obscure character!

Beware the left ankle!

There have been many reports of people snapping the left ankle off their Slamdance! And indeed having this knowledge in advance I was very careful with mine and found that yes, his left ankle is very tight and stiff.  However I found that giving the area a quick squirt with some spray lubricant like WD-40 and then leaving him for half an hour resulted in a much less stiff and more fluid movement in the part, so now I transform him without worry.  I highly recommend doing the same when you first remove yours from the box.

 

Is this set worth getting?

Well there are no brand new moulds here.  All 3 (or 4) moulds have already been released in the main Siege line so if you are looking for something new look elsewhere.  That said, this has been the cheapest version of G2 Sideswipe we’ve had since the original, its the first time in over 30 years we’ve had a Slamdance figure and Trenchfoot is that rare thing becoming more elusive – a whole new character.  The price is around $80(AU) online which really isn’t too bad for 2 Deluxe’s and a Battle Master so you can feel like you are getting decent value for money.  This is really a take or leave exclusive which I primarily picked up for Slamdance, and I am quite happy I did.

Got anything to say about this set of figures?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

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