Is Vac-Metalizing In MOTUC a Good Idea or Bad Idea?

[Darkspecter]

This thread is coming from all the talk about Hurricane Hordak being vac-metalized.

I see a lot of varying opinions on this, so I thought it would make for a good discussion thread!

Is vac-metalizing a good idea in MOTUC?

PROS:

- It's shiny and cool looking, reminiscent of real gold, silver, copper, etc.
- The vintage toys had it (like HH and Entrapta)
- Adds something unique to a figure/gives him or her more personality
- (story-wise) it can BLIND/distract an opponent

CONS:

- It can chip pretty easily (loose accessories flopping around in package during shipping, moving arms, removing armour, etc.) and might look really bad in the long run
- Not all figures with gold armour are vac-metalized (He-Ro, Bow, King Randor, Chief Carnivus, She-Ra)
- It might cost more than paint, which could take money away from additional accessories or pieces (like a new head, feet or something)



We actually HAVE vac-metalized pieces in MOTUC right now: Mo-Larr's dental tools! I think I read a bunch of people had them chipped though.

I personally am not sure how I feel about vac-metalizing for toys. It does look cool, but can chip really easily. I really like the gold paint job we saw at WonderCon on Hordak. The metallic green paint Mattel used on Hal Jordan (Green Lantern, DCUC) in gold would look like a good compromise between the two.

I don't know. What do you guys think?

Here's a sample of what can happen: red wearing off of Horde symbol. You can see the gold coming through. This happened a lot to Entrapta too. Her skin came off and revealed silver:

[Patreek]

Look at the rest of that hordak though. The same thing is happening to his head. I think the difference here is, those toys were played with a lot and thus went through a lot. As adults I think we are going to be much nicer to these and I think it will be less of an issue... that said... I think weapons it will happen with because you are putting them in and out of the hands a lot. I AM also a little worried about his chest armor I guess because when you take it off it bends

[DO4M]

Vac Metal near Articulation points... Most likely to get chipped Especially with the Half Armors...
I hate the items that get Vac-Metal because most of the time they've got cheaper plastic and when the Vac Metal chips off it angers me... Remember the Silverhawks toys?
Vac Metal only works on Destro's head... Mostly cause he's small! GOld Paint FTW (which I'll probably end up doing... If I don't chop the dial off and make a Filmation Hordak)

[MegaGearMax]

I think Vac-Metalicizing is bad because it chips and flakes like crazy. I think MOTUC should stay far away from it. Besides, why Vac-Metalicize now? It isn't consistent with the other gold wearing characters.

[vazqjose]

I think Vac-Metalicizing is bad because it chips and flakes like crazy. I think MOTUC should stay far away from it. Besides, why Vac-Metalicize now? It isn't consistent with the other gold wearing characters.

actually it depends on who does it, my hasbro c3po figure is just like new

[Berserker79]

After all I read and thought about it, I´m against vac metal.

[DroothR]

I think Vac-Metalicizing is bad because it chips and flakes like crazy. I think MOTUC should stay far away from it. Besides, why Vac-Metalicize now? It isn't consistent with the other gold wearing characters.

Agreed.

Lets just have H.Hordak in painted armor like He-Ro & Carnivus.

[mick4metal]

I don't like vac-metalized. It looks fake and chips to easy. But I do think the figure should be vac-metalized like the original was.

[SCB]

I think experimenting on Hurricane Hordak, a variant, is a good idea as opposed to Bow or He-Ro.

I don't think all gold in the line should be vac metalized.

[nicholighkun]

I had a Robocop motorcycle that I'm pretty sure was vac metal, and it is basically powder right now. It just kind of happened suddenly too. I didn't take the best care of it, even in storing it as an adult, but never the less, when it cracks (which is highly likely, if not a certainty), it looks pretty aweful. I actually am pro vac metal, but only if they do it right.

[Count Marzo]

If it wasn't for the shiny "bling" of the gold they are gonna use on H. Hordak, I wouldn't be as interested in him.

We aren't going to beat these figures up like we did as kids with our vintage figures, (they don't make em like they used to!) so I don't think it's gonna chip and be as bad as some of us are making it out to be.

Once again I'm gonna say look at the Battle Sound™ variants of the 2002 line. Those were some of the best variants of that line (and that's A LOT of variants in that line) mostly because of the awesome shiny metallic paint job on they armor!

He-Ro's flat gold paintjob is boring and "blah" if you ask me. Also if it was like that in the vintage line, it's best to do it up the same or similar way in this Classics line. After all the line runs huge on nostalgia. Nostalgia which I am blinded by!

[JakeofEternia]

Personally I like vac-metalizing. On the right figures it can look pretty cool, but we're far enough into the line now that with other guys that could have/should have had vac-metalizing too, that we can safely keep going in this line without introducing it now.

[enoch]

Im pro vac...i want a hero 2.0 with vac metal

[Skell-Skells]

Being a closet Transformers fan I'm a big fan of Vac Metalised parts, BUT I don't think they're a good choice for MOTUC, with the exception of the Cosmic Key which looks awesome.

Basically for me it's a problem of diegesis, or having a consistent "reality" for the toys.

Like, if silver paint represents shiny metal, then vac-metalised objects represnting the same thing look incongruous.
It's kind of my same problem that I have with softgoods/cloth capes on figures whose clothes are otherwise made of sculptet plastic -- cloth is not represented the same way on a single figure.

This is why I absolutely loved ToyBiz's Lord of the Rings figures, they had very complex layered outer clothing produced almost invariably with very soft, pliable plastics which look to the naked eye exaclty the same as the hard plastic used to repesent the sculpted clothes on the base bodies. It just looks much more consistent.

[Captain Atkin]

Vac-metalizing sucks.

[Minion]

Vac metal looks awesome, but I live in fear of my Transformers Transmetal Beast Wars figures flaking. I've already lost Rampage, Cheetor and Fox Kids Rattrap

If Mattel can be sure that this wouldn't happen then go fir it.

[Blaster]

I personally don't care whether HH is vac metalized but Entrapta won't be Entrapta without the Gold metal, after all she is a golden beauty???

[The Butler]

I like the idea of using Vac-metalizing occasionally. It adds a little extra something cool to some figures, especially reissue varients like H.Hordak. I wouldn't want to see tons of figures done that way though.

[Lazer Force Zodac]

I think Vac-Metalicizing is bad because it chips and flakes like crazy. I think MOTUC should stay far away from it. Besides, why Vac-Metalicize now? It isn't consistent with the other gold wearing characters.

He-Ro doesn't have it.
Carnivus doesn't have it.

Hurricane Hordak shouldn't have it.

[Lulu-Berlu Reg]

He-Ro is the only figure released so far that should have had vac-metal parts, like his vintage figure.
Carnivus, Randor and Bow are fine the way they are.

The only other figures that need vac-metal paint jobs are Hurricane Hordake, Flying Fists He-Man, Thunder Punch He-Man (chest armor details), Mekaneck (his goggles), Jitsu (his hand) and Entrapta (here entire body!!!!).
And I would buy a vac-metal re-release of He-Ro in a heartbeat!

Vac-metallizing can be durable is done well, like on vintage Destro figures and the current Saint Seiya Cloth Myth line.

[fball13z]

He-Ro is the only figure released so far that should have had vac-metal parts, like his vintage figure.
Carnivus, Randor and Bow are fine the way they are.

The only other figures that need vac-metal paint jobs are Hurricane Hordake, Flying Fists He-Man, Thunder Punch He-Man (chest armor details), Mekaneck (his goggles), Jitsu (his hand) and Entrapta (here entire body!!!!).
And I would buy a vac-metal re-release of He-Ro in a heartbeat!

Vac-metallizing can be durable is done well, like on vintage Destro figures and the current Saint Seiya Cloth Myth line.

oh dang forgot He-Ro figure had it, man give me some vac he-ro armor now!

[MegaGearMax]

He-Ro doesn't have it.
Carnivus doesn't have it.

Hurricane Hordak shouldn't have it.

Battleground Teela, Bow and She-Ra don't have it either.

I can see this point, but the big difference is the other figures that COULD have used vac, didn't in the old line or didn't have a figure in the old line. If this Hordak was a new never before done variant, I would agree 100% with you, but the fact the figure back in the day was VAC, Vac is the way to go. again just like mossman was flocked, so he should be flocked and so should panthor but im not getting into that lol

Just because it was that way in the vintage line doesn't mean that it's a good idea now.

[jonathan182]

I'd prefer if they didn't use vac-metal, but it's not a deal-breaker for me

[Darkspecter]

Battleground Teela, Bow and She-Ra don't have it either.

Could you imagine a vac-metalized bra? Maybe that will be a surprise for us.

[Eric]

I think Vac-Metalicizing is bad because it chips and flakes like crazy. I think MOTUC should stay far away from it. Besides, why Vac-Metalicize now? It isn't consistent with the other gold wearing characters.

This sums it up perfectly for me.

I've never been in favor of doing something just cause it's an homage to the original (or because of nostalgia ), and the needless, not-functioning "dial" on the back is bad enough.