Purity: Kre-O A2354 G.I. Joe Serpent Armor Strike Review

This is apparently my first review of a Kre-O G.I. Joe set.

Box.  MSRP is $21.99 for a $0.12 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Stickers.

Kreons.

Parts 1.  The Grey piece in the center-
ish of the picture is pretty intriguing.
As are those Half Mudguards.

Parts 2.  I've always liked
the Kre-O Grille Tiles.

Parts 3.  More Dark Red pieces.

Parts 4.  Ball Joints, Lampholders,
Clip Claws, Ammo Chain!

Build.  Frame (2Rd/2Rh/1Y).


The Questions:
Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Above.  (-10) (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +5 (B+).  A Frame and plenty of pieces left over.  A better price could have made this a great set.

Purity: Kre-O B1549 Strongarm Capture Cruiser Review

This was a companion set to B1548 and I found it at Dollar General a few years after I purchased that set.

Box.   I paid $12.00 for it at Dollar General for a $0.11 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Stickers.

Kreons.  That Crossbow and the missile are neat.  I could have used those Lime colored Double Claws for my Generic Dragon.

Parts.  The Trans-Light Blue Claw Staves are neat, as are the Dark Blue Mudguards.  More of those Clip Claws is always a good thing.  1x1 Bar Plates are awesome too.  Let's not forget the U-Clips either.

Build.  A Ram Cart with attack options front and back.  (2Rh+d8/2B)

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)

Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Above.  (-10) (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)

If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)

Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +5 (B+).  I think this is a really good parts pack.  Enough of them and you should be able to make something really cool.

Purity: Kre-O B1548 Transformers Sideswipe Roadway Rundown

Reaching into the "started but never finished" pile we find a "new" for 2015 Kre-O Transformers set.  It hadn't been released in major U.S. retail stores and went straight to a discount retailer.

Box.  MSRP is $12.99? for a $0.13 Price per Piece.  I'm not sure of the
price because Hasbro doesn't even have a page for this set.  I paid $7.99
for it at Marshalls.  It was also available at Dollar General for $12.00

Instructions.

Stickers.

Kreons.

Parts.  I really like the Neon Light Blue highlights on those rims.  The Kreon Container might make for a good Station.  Plenty of Plates, Slopes, Bricks, A souple of Kreon Guns a Kreon Shield, a Clip Tile, and other neat parts.

Builds.  I managed an IO Frigate, a
4P RA Frame, a Station, and a 1 Hit
wall from this set with plenty left over.

The Questions:
Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Above.  (-10) (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +5 (B+).  The score is questionable because we don't have a verified MSRP.

Review: 41488 Brick Headz Master Wu

Here's the last review for the week.  I believe this was a Toys'R'Us exclusive.

Box.  MSRP is $9.99.  This yields a $0.11 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts 1.  This was loose inside the box.

Parts 2.  Tiles, Slopes, Plates,
Bricks, Clip Plates, Printed
Tiles, and a Minifig Hat.

Parts 3.  Mod Bricks, Plates, Tiles, Printed Bricks, Printed Tiles, a Bar w/Stop, and a 6x6 Dish.

Build.  This one went through a few iterations before I was happy with it.

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Above.  (-10)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +5 (B+).  This rating is a little more in line with how I feel about these sets.

Review: 41594 Brick Headz Captain Armando Salazar

Review number two for Brick Headz week.

Box.  MSRP is $9.99.  This yields a $0.09 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts 1.  This was loose
inside the box.

Parts 2.  Plates, Slopes, Tiles,
Printed Tiles, Bricks, Modified
Bricks, and Minifig Cutlasses.

Parts 3.  Bricks, Modified
Bricks, Plates, Slopes,
Printed Tiles, Modified
Plates, and a Printed Brick.

Build.  Another Modular Ship
style build.  (2Rpd+d8/1Y)

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Below.  (+5)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +20 (A+).  I think I feel the same about this set as I do Monday's.

Review: 41603 Brick Headz Kylo Ren

Someone on the Hangar was asking about Brick Headz and I have a backlog of them, so let's start Brick Headz week.

Box.  MSRP is $9.99.  This yields a $0.08 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts 1.  This was
loose inside the box.

Parts 2.  Slopes, Plates, Tiles,
 Printed Tiles, Modified Plates, Light-
saber Hilts, and a couple of Bricks.

Parts 3.  Plates, Printed Tiles, Slopes, Bricks, Modified Bricks, a Technic Axle, and that Kylo Ren Lightsaber Blade.

Build.  I was inspired by my
Modular Ship idea for this build.

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Below.  (+5)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +20 (A+).  Not bad for what feels like a box of random parts.

Battle Report: Totalcon Throwdown

P.J. Nicht posted about a Mobile Frame Zero Game at Totalcon "End of Summer Sizzler" on the Facebook group a week ago and I decided to go and see this mythical MoF0 who lived in my state that I didn't know.  :-)  This is what happened when we put Frames to table and started throwing dice.

Me (5 Frames & 20 Systems) = (7 Points per Asset) * (8 assets) = 56 points.  (Raiden)
   Purple Soldier -- 2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W + SSR.
   Green Soldier -- 2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W + SSR.
   Orange Soldier -- 2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W + SSR.
   White Soldier -- 2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W.
   Grey Soldier -- 2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W.

PJ_Nichts (6 Frames & 24 Systems) = (3 Points per Asset) * (9 assets) = 27 points.

   Red Soldier -- 2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W.
   Dark Blue Soldier -- 2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W.
   Green -- 1B/2G+d8/1Y/2W + SSR (x3).
   Light Blue Fast Assault -- 2Rd/1B/2G/2W.
   Magenta Delegator -- 2Ra/1B/2Y/2W.
   Yellow Mobile Cannon -- 2Ra+d8/1B/1G/2W.

This is what the table looked like at the start of the game.

Events of Turn 1 (DDC@11): PJ's Magenta frame hammers the wall in front of my Orange frame for 5, and my Orange frame takes a step towards PJ's Stations.  PJ's Yellow frame thumps my White frame for 2 and it moves towards Cover in response.  My Green frame moves up to the wall in front of PJ's Red frame then hits PJ's Yellow frame for 1.  PJ's Green frame moves forward and thumps my Grey frame for 2.  My Grey frame returns fire for 1 and moves into cover behind a stand of trees.  PJ's Red frame targets my Green frame but hits the wall in front of it for 1.  PJ's Dark Blue frame hits my Purple frame for 1 and moves to the other side of the building it was using as cover.  My Purple frame blasts PJ's Yellow frame for 3, ditches its malfunctioning gun, and makes a move towards PJ's center station.

Me: 56 points.

PJ_Nichts: 27 points.

Events of Turn 2 (DDC@9): My Purple frame sprints forward and captures PJ's center Station.  PJ's Green frame runs forward and captures my Green Station then thumps my Grey frame for 2.  PJ's Light Blue frame moves forward and hits my Grey frame for 1.  My Orange frame keeps moving forward and hits the wall in front of PJ's Yellow frame for 1.  PJ's Red frame thumps my Purple frame for 2.

Me: 56 points.

PJ_Nichts: 27 points.

Events of Turn 3 (DDC@7): My Green frame moves laterally, captures PJ's far Station, and thumps his Magenta frame for 2.  PJ's Magenta frame then hammers my White frame for 5.  PJ's Light Blue frame keeps moving forward, captures my White Station, and hits my White frame for 1.  PJ's Green frame smashes my White frame for 6, destroying it, then captures my Blue Station.  My Orange frame scoots past the wall and captures PJ's near station.  PJ's Yellow frame moves towards the Station he just lost.  PJ's Red frame hits my Purple frame for 2.  In return, my Purple frame kicks PJ's Red frame for 2.

Me: 49 points.

PJ_Nichts: 27 points.

Events of Turn 4 (DDC@5): PJ's Red frame hits my Orange frame for 1.  In reprisal, my Green frame hits PJ's Red frame for 1.  PJ's Light Blue frame hits my Grey frame for 1, destroying it, then starts moving back towards his side of the battlefield.  PJ's Magenta frame moves behind the building for cover and hits my Orange frame for 1.  PJ's Dark Blue frame moves out of cover and thumps my Purple frame for 2.  My Purple frame continues kicking PJ's Red frame with 1 point of damage.

Me: 42 points.

PJ_Nichts: 27 points.

Events of Turn 5 (DDC@3): My Orange frame moves around PJ's station and slides a shot past my Purple frame to hit PJ's Red frame for 1. PJ's Yellow frame headbutts my Orange frame for 2, it does the Station Dance, and that allows PJ's Yellow frame to reclaim his near station.

Me: 35 points.

PJ_Nichts: 27 points.

Events of Turn 6 (DDC@1): My Purple frame superkicks PJ's Red frame for 3 damage, destroying it, then runs over to PJ's far Station. My Orange frame moves over to cover PJ's center station. PJ's Green frame runs up the battlefield, blasts my Orange frame for 3 damage and it does the Station Dance. PJ's Dark Blue frame follows that up with a 1 hit shot that destroys my Orange frame, then it seizes his center Station back.

PJ_Nichts: 30 points.
 Me: 21 points.

Here's a few pictures of the aftermath.

Thoughts & Observations:

• This was a fun game.
• The last round was really tense and basically came down to the last activation.
• We had a few people walk by and watch.
• It was nice to meet PJ after seeing his stuff on the Hangar.
• We had a good talk afterwards about MFZ in general.