Takara Transformers SCFs - ACT 9 Chase figures - Armada Pre-Earth body Convoy and Pre-Earth body Megatron

Previous post - Takara Transformers SCFs - ACT 8 Chase figures - Paradron Medic and Coronation Starscream

ACT 9 was where the SCFs took a slightly different direction, it was no longer G1 focused.

ACT 9 features characters from the then current Transformers Armada line of toys and the assortment was made up of 6 Transformers Armada inspired robots - Convoy, Megatron, Starscream, Ratchet, Ironhide and Hot Rod, all in Armada designs and body.

The same is applied to the Chase figures for this ACT, they are Armada designs and characters rather than G1. At this point, Takara lost a lot of die-hard G1 fans and there was generally a lot of hate because fans at the time wanted the SCF series to continue with more G1... there were so many characters who have yet to receive the SCF treatment, notably characters like Shockwave, Ravage, Rumble, Mirage, Sideswipe, Bluestreak, Prowl, etc.

I'm not a fan of ACT 9, but I have the Chase figures nonetheless. Gotta get 'em all huh?

The ACT 9 Chase figures are:

1. Pre-Earth body Convoy (aka Cybertronian mode Optimus Prime); and
2. Pre-Earth body Megatron (aka Cybertronian mode Megatron).

Aaaand, here they are. Convoy actually looks pretty good and like a beefier version of his G1 self. Megatron on the other hand, is quite different from all previous incarnations except maybe for the green which is reminiscent of G2 Megatron.

Takara Transformers SCFs - ACT 8 Chase figures - Paradron Medic and Coronation Starscream

Previous post - Takara Transformers SCFs - ACT 7 Chase figures - (i) Victory Saber upgrade (ii) 'burning' Star Saber (iii) Deszaras with eagle brest

On to ACT 8 Chase figures now!

Getting in the grove, so I'm knocking these out day after day. Funny thing is, all these photos were actually done some 2-3 years ago, all on the same day and ready to go. Just that I have not loaded them up and wrote about them.

If ACT 7 had apparently non-Victory characters like Wheeljack and Perceptor that raised eyebrows, ACT 8 is truely even more questionable. In fact, I am not sure what the focus of ACT 8 was supposed to be - it features Star Convoy pretty heavily in terms of the art on the boxes and the carton, but it does not appear to be a Battlestars or Return of Convoy ACT for sure.

ACT 8 consists of Alpha Trion (2010), Cyclonus (2010), Fortress (aka Cerebros, from Headmasters), Meister (from Fight! Super Robot Lifeform), Dai Atlas (from Zone) and Star Convoy (from Battlestars Return of Convoy). Ah, okay, maybe the aim was to have 1 character from each series? 

Anyway, that's not why we are here... now onto the Chase figures for ACT 8, which were:

1. Paradron Medic; and
2. Coronation Starscream.

The 'build-a-figure' pack in for ACT 8 is Mega Zarak (aka Scorponok) from the Headmasters series. Despite how this may be listed, Mega Zarak was present in every carton as a 'build-a-figure' and not a Chase figure per se.

Takara Transformers SCFs - ACT 7 Chase figures - (i) Victory Saber upgrade (ii) 'burning' Star Saber (iii) Deszaras with eagle brest

Previous post - Takara Transformers SCFs - ACT 6 Chase figures - Dirge and metallic Galvatron

So now, in quick sucession, I am trying to do a few SCF posts. Move while the momentum is with me, strike while the iron is hot, make hay while the sun shines... and all that.

So here we are, ACT 7, perhaps one of the most interesting set in terms of the characters and also the Chase figures.

ACT 7 consists of Wheeljack, Perceptor, Road Caesar, Liokaiser, Deszaras and Star Saber and was marketed as the 'Victory series' ACT. Wait a minute, Victory series? So what is Wheeljack and Perceptor whom are Fight! Super Robot Lifeform bots doing in the Victory ACT? Good question and now that I think of it and trudged through my memory, I remember they both (together with Minelba) appeared in a couple of episodes - where they as scientists / doctors tried to heal God Ginrai and later re-built him into Victory Leo!

Now onto the Chase figures for ACT 7, which were:

1. Deszaras with eagle brest;
2. Star Saber with golden paint (aka burning Star Saber); and
3. Victory Saber upgrade parts in gold (to form burning Victory Saber).

I was initially very confused about which were the chase figures for this ACT, but now I think I have worked it out...

Takara Transformers SCFs - ACT 6 Chase figures - Dirge and metallic Galvatron

Previous post - Takara Transformers SCFs - ACT 5 Chase figures - Alloy coated Convoy with Matrix and Ghost of Starscream

It's been some time since my previous SCF post - the last SCF post. Shockingly, it's been more than a year, almost 17 months ago in fact!

It's only recently that I started thinking about SCFs again after talking to a fellow collector and I though, hey, I still have not finished that SCF Chase figures series of articles that I set out to do so long ago. What's wrong with me? Why did I take so long? I don't know the answer to be honest. I guess, things go in the way... but now, I'm determined to try to push a few through, starting with this one.

Ironically, it was actually this very pair of SCFs that got me back into the SCF game once more after writing off Chase figures as 'too difficult' to collect, back in the early 2000s.

I checked the date of the photo that I snapped on that day and its 8 May 2012 - a full 3 years ago, to this date!!! This is the photo I snapped after I happened upon this ACT 6 pair during one of my toy shopping trips in the Yau Ma Tei area, back in 2012 (I recognise the background as my old place in Causeway Bay). The full story is here.

Writing this just brings back so many fond memories...