Combiner Wars Victorion is the fan-built, all-female combiner, and the Mini-cast returns from hiatus to review her. John DeLuna, Exvee and Brian Kilby cover her red and green deco, her pump feet and two Alpha Bravo helicopters. They agree her gender no longer feels like the defining story. Don and Rob Clay join at the end to weigh whether fans should build another combiner.
What Fans Voted For
John recaps the 2015 fan poll. Fans chose an all-female team named Victorion, with gravity control, an origin in the Rust Sea, Galvatronus as her rival, and an attitude that “doesn’t take instructions well.” The hosts note they are men reviewing a female combiner and invite feedback from women listeners.
First Impressions and Those Pumps
Exvee saw Victorion at BotCon and says the colors work better in person than in photos. The green reads as oxidized copper, though the red is still too vibrant to look rusty. Brian likes her once combined, and says one head sculpt, Dust Up, looks like Nightbird. He felt misplaced outrage that her feet are pumps, then pulled back: she can be fashionable and badass. Exvee likes the ratcheted ankles but says the old hip geometry still limits a flat-footed stance. The crew loves her combined scarab-like sword.
Mold Fatigue and Thick Paint
The crew prefers the box-set format, and one host notes these sets drop in price on Amazon. Exvee blames the paired poll options for the two Alpha Bravo helicopters. The paint feels caked on. Exvee calls Jumpstream the nicest version of the Breakdown car mold he has handled. Dust Up’s painted tabs are too thick to connect, and another host has the same problem. Brian gets no joy from the molds anymore. The new feet, hands, accessories and unified colors make her feel kind of new, and he is most excited for Liokaiser.
The Deco Debate
Exvee says the poll’s third color, white, is missing, leaving a 50-50 split of red and green. Rust Dust, the Groove recolor, is the best-looking figure because black breaks up the bright colors. The mirrored helicopters look like patchwork. Exvee adds that the unified deco gives the combined robot a distinct identity. John says Victorion, more than any other combiner, is all about the combined form.
Should Fans Build Another Combiner?
Exvee says no, but wants another fan-built bot using Titans Return, and would rather see Predaking or Abominus. Brian wants fans to pick individual molds, not pairs, and wants existing characters to get their due. Don would welcome another vote if it included the Takara Groove and Blast Off molds, with fans choosing names and colors. One host suggests voting on every available mold and leaving the deco to the artists. Rob is open to it in 2017, after a few waves of Titans Return, with every mold and head on the ballot.
Contributors: John DeLuna, Exvee, Brian Kilby, Don, Rob Clay
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