Mastermind Creations (MMC) Feral Rex's Reformatted R-03 Bovis (aka Tantrum)

I have now foraged into the wonderful world of 3rd party Transformers toys manufacturer. In another words, manufacturers who doesn’t own the official Transformers toys franchise license (currently the big boys Hasbro and Takara Tomy does). And specifically so, they risk getting sued if they named this “Tantrum”. But we don’t need to read the name to know which this Predacon is supposed to represent. I've decided to tag the official name to this mug shot.
Although they are not the official guy, KO if you want to put it crudely, they make a much much MUCH better looking Transformers toys than the official licensee does and they are a thousand miles ahead… I couldn’t emphasize it more.
I couldn’t help but wonder why MMC subtitled it as “The Supply Specialist”? Could it have taken reference to Romance of 3 Kingdoms where Zhuge Liang designed and made clockworks wooden bulls for carrying of supplies to the front line troops?

And boy was it a so very confusing a learning curve of these 3rd parties peeps that managed to even hoodwink a seasoned TF collector. After checking out all the cool Gestalts they made, I finally decided to go with Mastermind Creations (MMC) Feral Rex (aka Predaking). But I have no info if any of it has been release. On one of my toy window shopping, I chanced upon a Tantrum-esque Predacon in a 3rd party packaging (ie definitely not Hasbro’s or TT’s) at RoboRobo, and the box has a pretty sand bead finishing. But the figure inside looked nothing like the MMC’s Bovis. It doesn’t have a plastic clamshell and were only tied loosely to the cardboard backing. Almost like those cheap Cheena knock offs you see at neighborhood provision shop. And it was priced at about $90 IIRC. No way I’m buying that. Later on, I found out that it was a Unique Toys version. Two 3rd Party manufacturer are making the Predaking in the same time. As if that is not enough, just recently, TFC also announced their own Predaking version, the “Ares project”. That makes 3. I’ve already committed to MMC’s cause and I’m quite sure I won’t be disappointed.
But by scrutinizing the available online pictures of TFC’s pieces, it seems that their offerings has better looking beast modes. I’m contemplating also getting TFC’s Predaking pieces to be displayed in beast modes – if my interest in Transformers toys persists till then.

By the time my mind were made up to go with MMC’s Feral Rex, I have already missed 2 of the preorders in Bovis (Tantrum) and Talon (Divebomb). Bovis were already out on the street and I couldn’t secure one from the presumably “extra” stock of Bovis the retailer has. Apparently, all their stocks were already called for. No news on restock cos manufacturer hasn’t committed.  eBay are having it but at an average $15 hike from its MSRP. Not willing to pay more, I held out. Good thing the retailer is getting me in for Talon though the pre-order has closed eons ago. Thanks TFH!
As fate would have had it, got to learn from one of my eBay sale that buyer got a Bovis at $5 off MSRP at CSC just the day before. Wasted no time and went CSC the following day and managed to pick up the last piece. Box had a little crease and managed to have $10 off from MSRP. Happy camper! Now I’m on track for mighty Predaking!

I am impressed by how Bovis turned out. It stood at 7.5” tall from base to tip of the head. The crisp details, the heft of the figure, the firm – but not rock hard – joints, the color scheme, the bigasstwincannonfootofPredaking mounted on the back. It all makes Bovis out to be exactly how he should be – a short, stout, heavily armed and angry Beastbot all ready to charge. Can’t wait for the rest of the gang to be release and form the mighty Predaking!
* The stick / paddle it was holding in some of the pictures is not from the set. Just something I found laying around my desk and I thought it is cool for Tantrum to hold it ready to wack!

Material – Except for the metal pins here and there meant for articulation purposes, the entire figure are in plastic. It is made with good quality ABS hard plastic and MMC didn’t stinge in any of it when the figure itself weighs quite heftily. Robot should be heavy let alone a Bull Robot. Bovis achieved this.

Paintwork – As with all Transformers toys, many of the parts from the toy are just original plastic color and not painted. Bovis aren’t any different. But when there are areas to be painted, the application are crisp and precise and complete. MMC did a darn good job here.

Poseability – I read another review about Bovis and the reviewer couldn’t have said it better. He said that a robot, being a mere part of a limp of a greater bot, will only look like a limp with basic poseability (see TT’s or Hasbro’s Tantrum in the Predaking set). Bovis rewrote and turned this concept 180 degree around. It is not just a limp robot but it CAN be a robot all by itself. I would’ve bought Bovis alone even when I have no intention of getting the rest. That is how good it is.
It has all the posing ability of a Masterpiece TF and some.  These comments can also be applied to “designs”.

Size / Scale – At 7.5” tall (to the tip of the bull’s nostril), it is a good size.

Accessories – Bovis came with 2 blasters and 2 blade weapons. Now the problem starts here. The sculpted, unarticulated hands, are unable to hold the blaster firmly. In another words, the slot that is supposed to be the grip, are sculpted in a way that the blaster handle isn’t able to sit in snugly which resulted in the weapon not pointing naturally during posing. The twin blade weapons are worse in a sense that they aren’t even able to fit into the grip at all. Perhaps there is a need to apply some force – which I am very reluctant to do – but the way it look, this is just a lapse in design consideration.

A quick scale reference comparing to a Kreon Tantrum.
MMC Bovis is a must get figure for me, more so than the other Predacons. I have close affinity to the Bull as I am born in the year of the Ox. So it speaks alot to me. And the fact that it is so well made make this a good contender as the figure of the year for me. TFC hasn't yet announce it's version of Tantrum but it does has Headstrong prototype shown and it is mightily impressive. I'd assume Tantrum will be using at least 85% of the same parts as Headstrong, it is most likely a buy for me too.
These 3rd party companies are making me spent money faster than I can earn them....