After what felt like an eternity without any incoming bots, there has recently been a bit of a flurry. Following Crackup and Predaking already this month, an additional four bots have now rolled into town!

Firstly there was Power of the Primes Optimal Optimus which, frankly, was a bizarre knee-jerk pre-order that really I would have cancelled were it not for the want of not inconveniencing the fine people at Kapow. However, my initial reaction upon onboxing him was… yeah, not great. I just can’t really get past the inner bot transforming into a, I dunno, plastic slab? It’s all so strange. I immediately put him up for sale on the boards but I shall confess that as he’s sat here on my desk I’m perhaps developing a little fondness for him…

DX9 Dutch looks terrific as a mini-G1 Optimus shelf bot but those popping ball joint at the hips are every bit as bad as you’ve heard. He’s not very poseable at all, but will survive any culling owning to that sweet G1 authenticity. Coming all the way from China, X2 Giga Raiden is instantly more impressive. Unlike Dutch he’s super poseable! Like Dutch he has some iffy ball joints, however – two sets, in fact. They’re not loose, but the attached parts do like to pop off mid-transformation. He’s an impressive figure, regardless, and excellent deskbot fodder.

Finally Xtransbots Toro was freed from his box just moments ago. After all these years and repeated false dawns about alleged QC improvements, I’m finally warming to XTB. I wouldn’t say Toro is as decent as Crackup, and there is one stage of the transformation that has a very XTB-whiff about it. But he feels solid and most certainly the bot looks the part. Unless an official Cliffjumper comes into play I should think this is my guy. Would quite like a fiddle with the MMC, just to be sure though…