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Transformers MP-10 Convoy by Takara Tomy (Part 2: Review)

Transformers MP-10 Convoy by Takara Tomy Available From HobbyLink Japan

By Cacophanus from Mecha Damashii

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Following the unboxing, here is the full review for the recently released Masterpiece MP-10 Convoy. This is the third Masterpiece Convoy release and the toys have varied greatly across each iteration. This is still a really fantastic toy though, and if you missed out on the prior releases, then you’re definitely in for a treat!

Being a big Transformers fan I bought the original MP-1 Convoy back in 2003. This was an ode to diecast and was rife with all manner of gimmicks. From articulated vents in the legs, to a moving mouthpiece as well as a backlit Matrix of Leadership (shown below) amongst a slew of other things, so it ticked all the major boyhood requirements I had.

Following this, Takara Tomy released the MP-4 Convoy set a few years later. This then included the trailer and all of its gimmicks, too. The base Convoy figure was basically the same.

Then came the MP-10 Convoy release and this was an all-new toy. Completely redesigned from the ground up, the focus was much more on having a playable toy than a static display piece. As such it used a lot less diecast and dialled back on the gimmicks.

However, before I delve into this, there was one other release that definitely impacted the MP-10 toy. That was a separate toyline release that was also supervised by Shoji Kawamori; the toy in question was the THS-02 Convoy.

A much smaller toy, it featured all the base aspects of the design but updated them with modern manufacturing and materials. It’s this toy that MP-10 takes a lot of its inspiration from.

This means the focus of this Masterpiece re-release is more about being a toy and as such it’s based on the ease and stability of the transformation as well as possessing far more sophisticated articulation.

In that sense it’s more of a Masterpiece Transformer than a Masterpiece Transformer.

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Compared to the older Masterpiece Convoy toys, it’s much lighter but has more advanced joints (especially in the legs). The transformation is also quite different but still operates around having Convoy swivel around the hip area.

Due to the reduced weight, the strain on this joint is also reduced and as such the whole transformation process isn’t as stressful as it used to be (as it’s less likely to break).

The overall sculpt is also more accurate to the animated version and is definitely an improvement over the earlier Masterpiece toys.

Convoy’s gun is foldable and can be stored at the rear. The mechanism is spring loaded, so the gun flips open by pressing a catch at the rear. The Energon axe is included and slides over the hand very easily.

The big piece is the trailer, which splits open to reveal Convoy’s maintenance area. The detailing is a bit basic internally but it’s very sturdy and allows you to store both the gun and axe within it.

In truck mode the sculpt is again a lot more faithful to the animation, and while it lacks the suspension gimmick of the previous toy releases, it does now have wing mirrors and the ability to put the included Spike figure inside.

Overall, this feels more like a high-end toy that can be played with without fear of breakage rather than something crazily high-end. As such the price is reduced from the earlier releases and that feels entirely fair. In all honesty though I actually prefer this toy over the older ones. For one it looks more like the Optimus Prime I remember but it’s also something that can be played with in a more carefree manner.

As this is a re-release of the MP-10 Convoy you’d be advised to pick it up now as these tend to go for crazy money down the road. If you’ve never earned a Masterpiece toy before, then this is a good place as any to start.

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3 Comments

  1. Wouldn’t MP-1B Convoy (Black Ver.) and MP-1S Convoy (Sleep Mode) make this the fifth release of Masterpiece Convoy?

    I have the Hasbro version of Optimus Prime which I now have to keep in it’s original packaging due to the overwhelming weight and size resulted with it breaking when it inexplicably toppled over.

    Reply
    • I made a small mistake there, Convoy (Sleep Mode) was actually MP-4S.

      Reply
      • Well there was MP-01L too but those were mostly color variants rather than changing the toy. I was only interested in the base figure really.

        Reply

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