COUNTDOWN: Everything on the way from FansToys (part 1)

FansToys. The name is pretty much the first thing on anyone’s lips when they talk about the world of the so-called ‘third party’ Transformers scene. Since first establishing themselves with early releases like Quakewave and Scoria, they’ve become the go-to for a lot of collectors eager to fill out their ranks in Masterpiece scale, with the good news being that they have more product on the way than ever before! There also seems to be no limit to the scale of their ambition, so we’re rounding up everything (as of the time of writing) that they currently have on the way for the release soon (ish).

We’re kicking off in part 1 with the stuff that is actually confirmed beyond just teases or grey prototypes, meaning that all of the toys below are available for pre-order now (assuming they haven’t sold out already)!

 

#21: FT-46 Tesla

Who is it? Perceptor

Estimated release: January 2022

FansToys released their first attempt at Perceptor all the way back in 2015, as FT-09 Tesla 1.0. That release initially garnered a lot of excitement but unfortunately turned out to be a bit of a disappointment, with a lot of collectors citing the face sculpt as a major fail for starters. There were also numerous reports of quality control errors (the plastic wasn’t up to FansToys’ usual fare, with my copy cracking fairly early into its tenure) and there was just generally a feeling that it wasn’t the company’s finest hour. Perhaps all of that explains why they’re taking a second stab, which is good news for us as early reports from those who already have it in hand are suggesting that it’s much improved over the original. It’s strange timing as it coincides with X-Transbots own take on the character being released, meaning that time will tell which one ends up as the most popular amongst fans.

 

#20: FT-51 Chomp

Who is it? Skullcruncher

Estimated release: January 2022

FansToys started their Headmaster roster way back in 2016 with the release of Lupus, their take on Weirdwolf. Dracula followed two years later in 2018, giving us the first Masterpiece-styled take on Mindwipe, but since then it’s been a long wait to complete the set. Now, after almost six years, it seems like Chomp is finally ready to land, and dare I say the pictures make him seem like he could even be the best of the bunch? After all, who doesn’t need a hot pink & forest green crocodile in their collection, eh?

 

#19: FT-40A Hannibal

Who is it? Fortress (Cerebros)

Estimated release: June 2022

Oh boy, is this one to look forward to… yes, FansToys are doing a Fortress Maximus. Yes, it’s going to be ginormous (but more on that later). And yes, they’re releasing the head presumably way before the rest of the body (although I’m still in slight disbelief about it all at this point!). Anyway, even if FT-40A Hannibal here turned out to be the only part of Max that ever saw the light of day, you have to admit that it would still be quite exciting, no? After all, it’s a very faithful take on Fortress, that being the more standard-sized bit of the giant robot that turns into the larger head mode, and of course, it also gives us our first real glimpse into what a Masterpiece-scaled Fort Max might look like in reality! I know some will be disappointed that FansToys have opted to represent the Japanese Headmasters series instead of the equivalent Cerebros look from Sunbow’s The Rebirth three-parter, but either way, this is one that I don’t think many people are going to want to miss.

 

#18: FT-25 Outrider

Who is it? Trailbreaker

Estimated release: September 2022

I admit it, there was a time that I thought FansToys Outrider would never happen. First teased back in 2016, there have since been multiple glimpses of an evolving prototype design over the years, but it’s only been the last few months that the figure began to look anywhere near being ready for release! The aesthetic of it has certainly shifted a little in the six years since it was first unveiled and of course, there have now been many other attempts at the character released by competing companies in that time but no matter, as for my money this has enough potential to still be the definitive version. In order words, he may be slow but let’s hope he’s tough.

 

#17: FT-26 Hitch

Who is it? Hoist

Estimated release: September 2022

Where there’s a Trailbreaker, there usually follows a Hoist, although in this case, it appears as though some very extensive retooling has taken place between the two to make them appear as distinct as possible! That’s not a great surprise (we have seen Badcube, Ocular Max and X-Transbots all pull off the same over the years, after all) but still, there’s no denying that FansToys’ take on Hoist is looking mighty fine from the promo pics thus far. It’s a hard design to really nail, as proven by the various completing attempts we’ve seen, so again, I think Hitch could potentially be the one to finally hit the sweet spot. Time will tell.

 

#16: FT-52 Aussie

Who is it? Outback

Estimated release: September 2022

FansToys Aussie was a bit of a surprise as although we had seen confirmation that they had such a retool of their Hunk figure on the way, it ended up coming to fruition a lot sooner than I would have expected! It was also fun to see the final reveal as it was met with a strong online reaction of “WHO IS THAT?“, presumably from fans who have never seen the character’s adventures in stories such as Five Faces of Darkness. To FansToys’ credit, it really seems like they have gone to town on making their Outback look as different as possible from Brawn, as the extent of the changes is really apparent even just from the promo pics. I can’t wait to wish him ‘g’day’ in hand soon!

 

#15: FT-48 Jazz

Who is it? Jazz

Estimated release: December 2022

Ask any Masterpiece collector what the most desired characters for their shelves would be and I’m sure that Jazz would rank somewhere on that list. After all, not only is he one of the most iconic Transformers of all time but he’s just a wholly-relatable, fun-loving dude who also happens to be extremely stylish and sports that incredibly sexy Porsche 935 alternate form. Thus far an official toy remains elusive (although with Cliffjumper in the offing, perhaps that could eventually happen now?) but there have been numerous third party attempts to fill the void. However, there’s enough left on the table for FansToys to have a go and it looks like they’ve really brought the goods with Jive, who appears every bit as stunning as one might hope. I know some would have preferred the full livery of the Martini-sponsored G1 toy appearance and personally, I can’t help but feel that those chromed hubcaps look a little odd but no matter, this is one that is set to cause a lot of excitement when it lands.

 

#14: FT-49 Phantasm

Who is it? Mirage

Estimated release: December 2022

Alongside Jazz, Mirage is about as classic as Autobot characters get, with the F1 race car alternate mode being instantly recognisable too. Again, this is a character who has now been attempted multiple times over, with Transform Element’s Speed Star being the most recent take to beat, so here’s hoping that FansToys have crafted a figure that’s as fun as it is pretty! One thing’s for sure, if they hit their release date for both Phantasm and Jive then it promises to be quite the Christmas!

 

 

So that’s part 1! Join us next time when we’ll start to examine some of the grey prototype reveals and beyond…

TTFN