Review: Botcon 2012 Transformers Timelines Invasion Set
Though I reviewed most of FunPub’s Botcon 2012 Transformers exclusives during the time of the convention, I never got around to talk about the attendee box set. Now that I’ve moved, it’s become my mission to knock this off of my to-do list. Within the Invasion Box Set are: Gigatron, Shattered Glass Turbo Tracks, Shattered Glass Ultra Magnus, Metalhawk, Shattered Glass Soundwave, and Shattered Glass Treadshot. Here are the reviews.
Botcon 2012 Invasion Box Set
Gigatron: I’ll be frank and say that FunPub barely saved themselves by calling this figure Gigatron, and not Overlord. Sure, that’s Japan’s name for the dude… but Overlord is still Overlord. I’m disappointed that this uses Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Bludgeon‘s mold, but I can turn a blind eye to it (since it isn’t Overlord). The character hit new strides because of IDW’s Last Stand of the Wreckers, and pays homage by using Nick Roche’s disturbingly humanesque face. First of all, I’d like to add that this is the only movie-mold in the box, and I don’t care that this was originally sculpted with the Classics design mantra; it’s too damn realistic. The colors, while spot-on for an Overlord homage, just looks unpleasing and garish on the hyper-realistic tank mode. Also, is the purple on anyone else’s toy not completely solid? Do I have to bother bringing up Gigatron’s flaccid tank turret? In robot mode, Gigatron can both be a hit and miss. Though I honestly do like the color scheme in this mode, DAT face deflates any potential toy boner. The smooth lines of that oversized Cro-Magnon dome does not match the body in any way at all. Gigatron just fails on too many levels for it to be good. This mold is truly made for Bludgeon and Bludgeon only… anything else just doesn’t make sense; samurai Overlord? No.
Buy It: 
BigBadToyStore | 
ToyArena
Shattered Glass Turbo Tracks: Shattered Glass Turbo Tracks is just a red repaint of Transformers Reveal the Shield/United Tracks and it doesn’t offer much else beyond that. The cheap-looking red plastic and purple parts make the figure look incredibly cheap to me, and I’m not a fan. The only compliment I can give this toy, in car mode at least, is that the flame decal looks swanky. In robot mode, Tracks doesn’t look any better. This color combination is flat and unappealing; the silver paint is the only saving grace. This pays homage to the red Diaclone Corvette (later eHobby’s Road Rage), but the purple and Shattered Glass insignias really ruin it for me. It’s a solid toy because it uses a solid mold, but it’s definitely not Botcon worthy
Buy It: BigBadToyStore
Shattered Glass Ultra Magnus: I know that I wasn’t fully on board when Ultra Magnus was announced for the set, who needs another repaint of Transformers Reveal the Shield Optimus Prime? In vehicle mode, Shattered Glass Ultra Magnus pays homage to Diaclone Powered Convoy, except that it sports some white-trash tampos on the hood. I can live with it… the colors look good… but couldn’t they just the G2 Laser Ultra Magnus color scheme instead? I’m not going to lie, though I rag on this toy a lot… the robot mode really did impress me. Ultra Magnus is surprisingly one of the best figures of the set, and I can ignore the size and lack of armor because of it. The paint job is aces and that new crystal skull head is boss.
Buy It: BigBadToyStore | ToyArena
Metalhawk: Metalhawk is another blue and red Transformer that doesn’t add much visual difference to the overall set. This was definitely my least anticipated figure, especially when we found out that it’s based on the Transformers G1 Pretender Shell version of the character and not the Transformers Universe Cyclonus repaint (featured in FunPub’s comic). Sadly, this figure is a retool of the Transformers Generations Thunderwing mold and that’s one of my least favorite molds in the line. Did I mention that the color scheme is very boring? I have no idea why the Pretender version of the character was used because the human face is just bonkers. Besides me, I don’t know a single person who has a figure with non-googly eyes. It doesn’t matter how lucky I got, the figure still sucks. I don’t know how FunPub did it, but they actually made the original figure look better than one of their pricey exclusive repaints.
Buy It: BigBadToyStore | ToyArena
Shattered Glass Soundwave: When Transformers Universe Ironhide came out, I really liked it despite the mold’s flaws; gradually the SUV alt mode started to look bizarre. Fortunately, the mold looks pretty good as Shattered Glass Soundwave. I just don’t understand why FunPub threw in the G.I. Joe inspired Cold Slither tampo the doors. In robot mode, the Spark White Music Label Soundwave inspired colors look alright; I don’t mind the All-Spark blue at all. Early photos made the head sculpt look strange to me, but it’s fine in-hand. Unlike Ironhide though, Soundwave’s head is sculpted on a raised neck. This actually isn’t a bad figure; the headband on the other hand is an atrocity.
Buy It: BigBadToyStore | ToyArena
Shattered Glass Treadshot: The last figure in the Botcon 2012 Invasion box set is Shattered Glass Treadshot. This dude is a simple retool of Transformers Reveal the Shield/United Jazz and is one of my favorites. The color scheme is a solid marriage of Transformers Armada Side Swipe and Transformers Universe Treadshot; it’s very simple and clean. The toy looks different enough to differentiate it from the bajillion other repaints of this mold. In robot mode, the color combination and the new head make this a perfect figure… except for those ugly Shattered Glass insignias. I seriously might just put on a Reprolabel to make this my Transformers Armada-inspired Classics Side Swipe.
Buy It: BigBadToyStore | ToyArena
Overall: At the end of the day, I cannot comment on the actual secondary market price of the set. Though I don’t necessarily hate the idea of there being a Shattered Glass universe out there, I definitely hate that FunPub retreaded on a club-only universe. Why cop-out and use Diaclone color schemes as repurposed Shattered Glass characters? How cool would it have been to have a Transformers vs Diaclone set instead? This set is so hit and miss, it really feels like a potluck of too many cooks in the kitchen. As an overall set I’m disappointed. The worth of an entire box set shouldn’t be put on a few pieces of the pie.
Buy It [Boxed Set]: 
Amazon | BigBadToyStore
Buy It [Loose Set]: Amazon | BigBadToyStore
I snagged the Ultra Magnus…and now Make Toys has that battle armor trailer that I am saving up for…THAT makes it just that more badass
Most repainted and retooled tf toys, regardless of generation, are just plain fugly. Forcing certain elements doesn’t necessarily make it a new toy :P
@ enzo Amen, you can put lipstick on pigs, but the later will still be pigs.
@ trustarscreamer Ah but the Shattered Glass one comes with a chain and a sword. Glad I snagged the right version. Not a big fan of the UM version really besides the gun that is.
This was an easy pass for me and my wallet. I bought Metalhawk just because I wanted to put him with my G1 Metalhawk for a review on my own blog. Other than that this set in my opinion was a horrible idea. I don’t mind the idea of Treadshot and one day I’d like to own him, but the rest…nah.
While I like to look at these toys online and think they look good, I still don’t wish to own them because of how expensive they are. I would probably quite dislike them knowing I had paid for them. I own the original retail versions of these molds and I am fine with that.
Gigatron – The tank mode looks good and has to be the only reason they went with the Bludgeon mold. If they didn’t want to use the Bludgeon mold, I doubt another mold would have been chosen for him. Besides, Gigatron just wouldn’t have worked as a Deluxe.
Tracks – I’m okay with him being a Diaclone homage. Pete@Botcon said we could use him as a Classics Road Rage if we wanted.
Ultra Magnus – Looks good in vehicle mode but I dislike the mold in robot mode. Still looks better than RtS Optimus Prime though. At the time this was announced though, the mold had yet to be repainted. Now its been repainted a few times. I think SG Optimus Prime is the best use of the mold.
Metalhawk – I liked that they based the mold on a Pretender shell since the human shells have yet to be homaged anywhere. But yeah, from the pics I’ve seen, the head could have been molded much better. I’ve not seen Metalhawk using the Cyclonus body in the comics so I can’t comment on if its better.
Soundwave – Probably the dullest in the set for me. I dislike the mold and the color scheme is kinda boring, even though they tried to enhance it with logos.
Treadshot – the best looking in the set for me. Armada Sideswipe may have been a bad mold but the color scheme looks good here on Jazz’s mold. Nobody was asking for a new Universe Treadshot or Armada Sideswipe toy, but I really do like how this one turned out.
Even though there are some I like, I wouldn’t pay what they cost for them. After reading the Botcon 2012 comic, seeing this set together makes more sense despite them looking completely random beforehand.
I’m looking forward to seeing what they do for the Machine Wars set this year but since its been confirmed that they won’t all be updates of the 1997 toys, and that some new characters will be added to Machine Wars, I do have some doubts to how it’ll work. I don’t really want random color scheme on random mold with random character name attached like it was done in 1997.
@ trustarscreamer oh man, i hope you put in an order because i think that’s sold out now
@ enzo that’s not entirely true… hasbro and tt have been doing some amazing stuff for the last decade
@ duoconflywheels you’re definitely not missing out on much
@ Bass X0 have you seen what’s been done so far? blech
Yeah, I’m not expecting Skywarp or Hoist to gain favorable reviews when you come to do them. Still, they’re not all going to be updates of the original twelve Machine Wars characters. Pete@Botcon said the other three in the box set will be “game changing” but I can’t imagine what direction they will go in until the next toy reveal.
@ Bass X0 it’s never really game changing is it…