Well, here we are again with the very last of my X-Transbots Masterpiece Scale Transformers Omnibots, their version of Camshaft. As always, we have to giggle at the fact that Camshaft's alt-mode, the Mazda RX-7, uses a rotary engine, so doesn't have a Camshaft. Giggle.
If you want to know more about the Omnibots, I have an article you can read here to catch up, but assuming you're up to date on these figures, let's crack on.
XTB's Camshaft comes in a darker grey than his original silver visage, but it's a very solid alt mode with beautiful lines and absolutely no kibble underneath the car. The headlights can be popped up - there are "buttons" underneath (which are more stiff panels you can push through) to get these up, and the doors will open to provide some realism. Rubber tyres and chrome rims add some high-end class to the occasion and he rolls like an absolute champ.
car mode is flawless - gorgeous metallic paint and no kibble
By opening the boot, swinging out the rear flanks and transformers the arms, Maedas can hold both blasters to the side of the car and, aided by a missile sticking out of the back, his attack mode is an amusing tank that still rolls admirably as he blazes forward, chrome weaponry on display on all sides. So far, so good.
Attack mode is gloriously daft in the style of M.A.S.K.
Robot mode. Good God, robot mode. So, if we've learned anything about XTB it's that they almost fetishize small, thin panels to fill in gaps. Maedas is surprisingly low maintenance compared to the rest of his ilk. Yes, we have some fiddly bits under the doors that have to be gingerly folded away, and the feet also have a thin, gap-filling assembly to unfold, but otherwise it's mostly substantial pieces being clicked into place to make solid shapes. And it all goes fantastically until you have to do the very final part of the torso, which requires sliding two connecting nubbins into two receiving spots above the waste to lock everything in. Which are on hinged panels. That aren't actually wide enough to meet the slots they need to fit into. That also require immense pressure to lock in. Commence swearing.
Honestly, the amount of time trying to get this little bastard to slot together without all the other torso joints disconnecting was like trying to wrestle a pool full of custard into a thimble. I'd actually given up and assumed it was crap design, after all, XTB didn't bother throwing a manual in the box so your only guide is a fabulously vague transformation video that glosses over this riot-inducing connection as if it were nothing.
Liars!
After asking for opinions on TFW (shout out to Uniswipe1984) it turns out that the two final tabs to lock everything together actually will firmly connect, the trick is to do one at a time and not be afraid to apply pressure.
Once it does lock together the whole experience changes. He's solid, fun to pose, remarkably sturdy thanks to a huge range of ankle tilt and tight joints. What I like about XTB is the exposed screws on key joints, which - unlike Fanstoys who have taken to covering them - allows you to tighten or loosen as required. It doesn't sound like a big deal but it makes the toy a lot more desirable to fiddle with. For example, I love how Fanstoys Mirage/Phantom looks, but a loose knee always cheapens the experience in-hand and subsequently I rarely touch him. Even in the most extreme example I've ever come across, XTB's Runabout/Fury, where I had to disasemble the legs completely, I was able to make adjustments that have since made the toy a firm favourite, so I'm glad the company has kept up the practice with Maedas, though no adjustments were required on this occasion.
As you'll note from the headline image, with G1 Camshaft standing next to Maedas, some liberties have been taken with the colours on this occasion where the other bots in the series were pretty accurate to their ancestors. I've not found a clear reason for this, and I must say that having the head the same colour as the body does hide a lot of the detail even at a short distance. I don't mind the change from silver to grey as it's a lovely shade, but denying us the black and silver for the head was a mistake. The figure feels visually unfinished as a result, harking back to cheap KO's that just have a sculpted blob of plastic for a head. The metallic blue eyes are nice though.
One interesting thing of note is that the design for Camshasft was never really replicated in other mainline Transformers of the 80's. Using the upright passenger area of the car as a torso in this way, essentially just being the middle of a car with a head on the roof, is only really replicated with the likes of Inferno/Grapple and Trailbreaker/Hoist. Even here, there are differences - the Trailbreaker mold folds down the bonnet to become part of the torso and the Inferno mold uses the front of the truck, so the cut-off style of Camshaft/Maedas feels really unique.
While it has been nice to get MP style versions of the oft-overlooked Omnibot line-up, part of me still feels that it's a little unnecessary. The real joy of the Omnibots for me was finding a little subgroup of Transformer-branded toys that were smaller than regular car-bots but more complex than mini-bots, with lovely alt-modes and lots of chrome accessories. They're such a fun little curio that larger, hulking updates feel almost counter-intuitive to what the Omnibots have come to represent, but there's no denying that the end result is a great set of toys with gorgeous alt-modes boasting lots of detail and glorious paint. Maedas isn't perfect - the previously noted head and infuriating tabs being the major villains here - but it is a solid representation of a seriously niche toy that's unlikely to get served from anywhere else, and since it's capable of being solid in both modes, I can safely recommend him providing you have the patience to master his transformation.
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