John DeLuna admits he does not get Masterpiece Transformers, so Diecast and Headmaster Don try to change his mind. They run through the first ten Masterpiece releases, from MP-01 Convoy to MP-10, and defend the much-maligned MP-05 Megatron. Display space, definitive figures and Masterpiece Grimlock come next. Each guest picks the best first Masterpiece for a newcomer.

Why Masterpiece?

Diecast started with MP-01 Convoy, which still holds a special place for him. He argues that in some ways it beats MP-10. His first import was MP-03 Starscream, which disappointed him by being mostly plastic in muted gray-blue colors. Don says MP-01 was the Optimus Prime he had waited for his whole life. For Don, Masterpiece is about finally getting the toys he imagined on screen, not scale.

The First Ten

John lists the first ten: Convoy, Ultra Magnus, Starscream, Perfect Edition Convoy, Megatron, Skywarp, Thundercracker, Grimlock, Rodimus and MP-10 Convoy. Diecast defends MP-05 Megatron as the best they could do at the time, though near the bottom of the list. He is skeptical a new Megatron will come soon, suspecting Galvatron arrives first. Don thinks the character is too popular not to return, and says new design tools may finally solve the gun mode.

Space and the Definitive Figure

Diecast spreads his Masterpieces around a small house and recommends IKEA Detolf cases. Don has run out of space and stores much of his collection in boxes. He has been selling other versions once he gets a Masterpiece, as he did with Generations Prowl. Don calls the Datsun brothers definitive and says Masterpiece Grimlock captures everything great about the G1 toy. He is still keeping other versions of Wheeljack and Tracks. Diecast says Masterpiece is more about style and will never break up his Classics collection. He cites Masterpiece Soundwave as amazing in robot mode but too fat as a cassette player.

Where to Start

Diecast says to start with the next new release, likely Masterpiece Tracks or its counterpart Road Rage, since new releases are cheapest. Don says MP-10 is the right start if scale matters, especially with a reissue coming. If scale does not matter, he recommends Masterpiece Grimlock. Don also notes the Movie Masterpiece Leader Class Bumblebee and Starscream, and says the Starscream’s engineering is Masterpiece-level.

Contributors: John DeLuna, Diecast, Don

The RFC Mini-cast

Brian Kilby

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