The dilemma with Decoys - Part 3

Here it is. A post that consolidates the Takara Decoy Collection giftsets, Collection No.1 and 2 (details in Part 1) and Collection No.3 (details in Part 2), containing the full suit of 53 figures, 52 cards (plus Jokers) and 3 launchers.

I'm one happy camper.

The money shot.

A shot of their contents (including some 'extra' misc Decoys).

The launchers that come with each set is different and quite interesting.

This is the launcher for Collection No.1 - it looks a little like the Autobots' spacecraft, the Ark.

This is the launcher for Collection No.2 - it looks a little like the Decepticons' spacecraft, the Nemesis.

This is the launcher for Collection No.3 - it looks a little like, I dunno, some sort of robot?

On 15 December, I popped over to the Wan Chai branch of 懷古角, because I'd heard they have stock coming in on that day. As it happened, this shipment had no (yeah, zero) Transformers, other than a bunch of... Decoys! This whole Decoy affair over the past weeks is like deja vu / serendipity / or what not. I don't see these things in years and years and when I start, it doesn't just rain, it pours!

So I grabbed the 9 Decoys they had for HK$250 total, not bad.

Here they are: Mirage, Ultra Magnus, Sideswipe, Bruticus, Frenzy, Skids, Scavenger, Smokescreen(?) and Long Haul.

I thought about it more. Why are these in different colours? ie not either red or purple? Also Sideswipe and Bruticus were not in the set of 53 figures in Collections No.1, 2 and 3. What gives?

Checked out TF Wiki and discovered, to my horror, that whilst there were just 53 different figures for the initial collection, each of these "were also available individually, through 'gachapon' capsule machines, in a variety of different colors including red, blue, yellow, green, orange, sky blue, pink, tan and white"!!!

I was shattered.

I thought I'd completed the Decoys, but there were another 7 sets of 53 out there, each set a different colour - giving a total of 550 Decoys to collect in order to complete them! What the?!?

I was shattered.

Given the 'gachapon' capsule nature of release for the other coloured sets (other than red and purple), it'd be near impossible to track them all down.

I'm quite resigned to fate and should start telling myself to be contented with reds and purples... =(

***

During the night (still 15 December), I was having dinner with the beests and was made to bring out the above 9 Decoys at the dessert table.

It was odd, 4 grown people playing with Transformers Decoys and my recently fixed Shockwave in Haagen Daz.

The unwary on-looker may be forgiven for forming the impression that Transformers is now the 'in' way to hit on ladies (to be honest, there were a fair few on-lookers, who don't seem that unwary).

Bam, smash! (no, the one with red nails is not a SQ-stewardess, whew)

It was odd. A daunting experience for me (and my Decoys).