13 May 2013

The Binaltech Story continues... BT-17: Black Convoy is here!

Previous post - The Binaltech Story continues - The search (re)starts


As I mentioned in the previous post, Wonderfest exclusive BT-17: Black Convoy had arrived last Saturday.

Now, it's time to let his darkness, shine!

Before that, I'd just like to recognise where I bought it from - Entertainment Hobby Shop JUNGLE. I would like to thank them for their prompt and efficient service and very good packaging and communications. I received the item about 2 days after the time it was shipping out, which was awesome. Thank you JUNGLE staff!

So here he is, his dark majesty Black Convoy. Not Nemesis Prime, but Black Convoy. This is him in MISB status... erm, not sure if I can call it that. But its not MOSC either... so is it in a sealed box or a sealed card? I can't tell.

The front of the packaging. What I really like about this release, although it matched the Alternators type packaging, it the purity and simplicity of the base - white words on purple background. It just makes this packaging a lot of classy than the US released Alternators.


Function: Dark Commander
Name: Black Convoy
Earth Mode: Dodge Ram SRT-10
Binaltech number: BT-17



This is the bottom of the packaging - all words, no photos of the toy unlike Alternators packaging. This means you have no idea what the toy will look like unless you open it! Lots of incentive to open it huh.

1:24 scale and some words about the licensing from Dodge.

Number plate says "Black Convoy".

Ah, the money shot. It does look very classy and elegant don't you think?

It would not be right to fail to compare it with its repainted counterpart, BT-22: Convoy. It's strange isn't it. In way, if we are looking at the BT line, BT-22: Convoy is actually a repaint of BT-17: Black Convoy, because the latter came first.

Full frontal comparison between BT-17 and BT-22.


Also, here is a comparison with its Alternators counterpart - Nemesis Prime (Alternator No. 24). The key differences between the 2 are of course die-cast vs no die-cast, more chrome vs less chrome, clear windows vs red tinted windows.

A side view comparison. As can be seen, the packaging to structured fairly similarly.

Bottom of the packaging. Alternators packaging features photos of the toy and some write up. BT-17 is just plain words and eager elegance.

All together now, BT-22: Convoy, Alternators Nemesis Prime and BT-17: Black Convoy!

This mold stacks up well.

Yum...

So there you have it, BT-17: Black Convoy, acquired. Whew.

Seriously, I had great fears this would be the very toughest BT to acquire when I started this quest again, now I'm just very happy to have got something I just could not afford at the time of its release and also to have crossed this milestone in BT collecting.

Over to you Maz buddy!

Will end here by gratuitously showing my shopping cart for BT-17. heh.

7 comments:

  1. Here's a stupid question: any plans to bust him open?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. if not today, it'll happen someday. What's deterring me is that I already have a Nemesis Prime opened, so not much incentive to go open BT-17.... yet.

      Delete
  2. I was starting to wonder if this was the Binaltech version of the Herald of Unicron. Still wondering that, as those split timelines can do that to a person. But I might be wrong, as his "English" name would have been Black Optimus - And not Nemesis Prime. (I say "English" as that is what he is called in ALL SPARK.)

    And with Maz... I need to hope that his influence does not result in me losing the rest of my closet space. Long story short, Fort Max is coming and my closet shelf is begging me to not make any more blogger-influenced purchases. :p

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The herald of Unicron could be anybody, includng BT-17. Certainly, he looks evil enough.

      To be fair, you can't pin your FM purchase on Maz. That needs to be attributed to peer pressure to the rest of the Transformers fandom!

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    2. Very true. However, I am thinking it might be Nemesis Prime after all. Because truth be told, I am still convinced that "Scramble City" Galvatron was Unicron's Herald... Which would explain why "Megatron" Galvatron was able to hold the Matrix and not be destroyed.

      Also... Heh. Fortress Maximus is the "HD" piece in my collection because you called it. He is also a "day 1" preorder (second overall, with the first being "Arms Micron" Arcee). That, and is also the very last line I loved as a child. I mean to the point that if I had to have a complete, "minty fresh", MISB collection - It would be all of the Takara 1987-1988 Headmasters, with both Hasbro and Takara Tomy variants. All because I my parents got me Highbrow (who was my only choice), and my dad got me the first issue of Marvel's Headmasters comic. :)

      But with me and "peer pressure"... Not plausible. Because I ask myself: "What would (insert a collector I highly respect) say in regards to the character/series I am checking out if they knew both my goals and preferences?" And in the end, I end up being happy with the conclusion I am given... As it helps me be a collector with something that defines me, versus others that collect for the sake of having a huge collection.

      So when it comes to Maz, I picture him dressed like a Jedi Master saying, "Would X character from Y line make you happier not owning it than owning it?" :)

      Delete
    3. well, i don't know man. All these continuity shenanigans are doing my head in. Better not to think of heralds and heroes too much.

      Congrats on getting FM. So you going to open it right? Well, only HM I got when young was Chromedome, and gosh, what a boring toy-piece-of-brick. Highbrow is more fun I think. At least he has 6 copter blades.

      so now Maz is a Jedi master... I wonder what is his light sabre colour, single or twin, or combo...

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    4. I understand. It is one of the reasons why my core-G1 collection will be Takara Tomy exclusive variants of 1985-1987 pieces, but the only fiction I follow will be both The Headmasters and ALL SPARK (G1 reboot). Plus, if it helps, Naoto Tsushima did add this to the ALL SPARK manga series: https://twitter.com/naototsushima/status/316720813648801792/photo/1

      And thanks. But with opening him... Not with this one. This one is going to be graded for the glory of my collection. I may get a second one for opening, but not until everything else I planned is completed. Plus, doing this gives me an excuse to do soundtrack where they sound like they are talking to each other... Or, in Alert's case, asking to get out because he thinks that there is something in there with him. :p

      Plus with Maz... He comes off as a Jedi Consular-turned-Master during the MMORPG portion of The Old Republic. However, because he would be a Jedi Master, I could see him stick with the dual-blade and use violet crystals (as purple is said to be Sith colors).

      Delete

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