Thunder Erebus is so insanely good that it feels better than it either needs or has any right to be.
Producer: MakeToys
Price: Approx. $100 USD
Release Date: Sept. 2017
Item Height: Erebus 4″ Thunder Erebus 8.75″ Not-Ginrai 1.5″
Item Weight: 1.1 lbs
WHERE TO BUY: The Chosen Prime
Maketoys has definitely upped their already high standard with the latest release in their “Cross Dimension” toyline in MTCD-03SP Thunder Erebus. This homage to the “Nucleon Quest” variant of Power Master Prime not only has the looks, but the playability that really puts this over as one of the best 3rd-Party Transformers figures ever made in my opinion.
The packaging is pretty nice with artwork and a layout similar to the previously released Striker Noir. Upon opening it, it’s really hard not to be impressed with the sheer size of it. At almost 9″ tall, it remains a Classics-scaled piece but definitely has an imposing feel in comparison to other products of the same scale. It’s big, it’s bad, and the Dark color scheme accented with the Nucleon-styled light blues and reds are just mean! It’s a very, very pretty piece while still carrying that semi-manga stylization that has become a penchant for MakeToys Products.
The build quality is good. outside of the knee cap having to be pressed farther down, I didn’t have any assembly errors or q.c. issues. The smaller, Ginrai-styled Power Master piece isn’t much to talk about as it’s got very limited articulation being so small and its real value (to me, personally) is in the “Power Master” transformation and attachment to the grill portion of Erebus. Erebus itself is very nice and the reds on its chest especially just pop. The build on it is good and the articulation is great; in fact, it’s an ab crunch away from being perfect in that area. The only niggle that I have is that I wish the neck was longer for appearances-sake as its chin touches his chest looking straight forward and it just plain looks like it has no neck. Overall its a nice piece but not nice to the point where I’d buy a second to display Erebus on its own.
Thunder Erebus itself is just a thing of beauty. From its size to its visual presence, it’s a standout piece on a shelf and I can just imagine that the eventual Thunder Manus release will be even moreso. I’ve already hit on the size, colors, and presence, but where Thunder Erebus really gains “wow” factor is its articulation. The thing is so damned articulated that it literally comes off as “extra curricular.” I’m a person that prefers friction joints over ratchets on figures that aren’t very heavy 100% of the time but this piece gets it right in having strong ratchets with small enough gaps in between to not feel like your posing is limited. The hands on this piece are also consistent with the rest of the line making it compatible with things like the weapons pack that came with Striker Noir. The one thing that I think people may have an issue with is the amount of “kibble” on the backside of it to where I’m at least glad they made it functional in terms of weapons storage and the detailing on it is phenomenal. The bottom flap is also movable to keep from hindering rear swing on the legs.
This is one hell of a piece, and I’m looking forward to seeing where this character actually fits into the cross-dimension story line as even though it’s dark in color, the “nucleon quest” variant of Power Master Optimus Prime was actually a heroic character.
Overall Score: 9.5/10 – MakeToys absolutely nailed it with Thunder Erebus. It takes everything that was great about Striker Manus (and Noir) and basically puts it all on steroids. When I got into collecting I’d never have imagined the day where I’m sitting here looking at a Power Master/Nucleon Quest Optimus toy that has the articulation of something like a Figuarts. The Cross Dimensions toyline seems to do almost no wrong and Thunder Erebus doesn’t do anything but help cement that thought.
Check out the gallery below, and make sure to orders yours at The Chosen Primee.
