LEGO Alphaplex (Neo Metroplex) Triple Changer Complete Gallery

Introduction

Alphaplex is the future incarnation of Metroplex , who suffered  almost-fatal  damage in one of the massive Decepticon attack. With the help of advanced Cybertronian technology... he is upgrade to become a massive spaceship and is bonded with a minion Duobot, a robot that splits into a tank and an jet plane. No longer the slow and plodding land-based Autobot , he now travels through space hopping from one planet to another seeking and wiping out whatever Decepticons he found that once collectively almost sent him to his doom.





About this project

I can't believe I started this build. Huge LEGOformers tend to be hard to pose, and this is no exception. But it all started with me trying to utilize big parts in my inventory, namely the wedges on the front and back of the spaceship. There's an abundance of grey 1x1 corner tile bricks which I never able to utilize before.. and now they're applied in full force in this MOC (Cue: observe both sides of cockpit and robot chest )

Trivia:

• Due to the fragile nature of the 'bot mode, half the photos snapped with him leaning against the wall.
• The minion-as-tower is an afterthought. After viewing the photos of the base for  a while... it just felt so incomplete without a tower. Luckily no retooling is required to secure the minion/jet plane to form this tower.
• The cockpit in the spaceship mode was meant to conceal a cannon or so, but I scrapped the idea in favor of a sleeker ramp underneath.
• The dark red stripes running across the side of spaceship mode is to pay homage to the original Metroplex.
• This project exhausted almost all my hinge plates. There are 8 black ones on the smooth spaceship platform and also 2 white ones on both its wings.
• Due to the huge robot kibble + huge shoulder.... the arm articulation are limited. He can't spread his arms to the side , and turning his waist around is a "chore" as well.
• After the photo reveal of upcoming Metroplex by its official manufacturers bout 2 weeks ago., I almost wanted to modify this MOC to follow its grey landing strips (with yellow arrows). But I change my mind because it's "not my style" at all. 

My "proudest achievements"

• I can't believe I can cram in a grapple arm + a cannon under each platform without hindering either one, although I must say I literally have to "pry" the grapple arms out using my fingernails from such a packed compartment.
• Obscuring the missile racks in the spaceship mode and have them clipped securely, too!
• Keeping myself sane.

Some "opps..."

• I broke a balljoint (and severely loosen a few others) during the course of construction. That's a bane in making LEGOformers :- you keep transforming them again and again in the midsts of building  (to ensure everything fits) , and taxing the joints to the max. 
• I updated the right shoulder with a part, but forgotten to apply it to the opposing one. If you looked long enuff.. you'll notice this anomaly.

When you're done enjoying all the photos below, click here to view Alphaplex's transformation sequence.

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Spaceship Mode

Spaceship "Attack" Mode

 Base Mode

 Base Mode with Minion as Cannon tower

The base looked "flat" so I've decide to interface it with the minion to become the tower.

The tank split to half to form the cannons to be plugged into the tower.

The "tower" can be detached to form an independent weapons platform... 

... but with a tiny "flaw" (below). 

 

Robot Mode

Tank Minion splits into half  to form additional armaments plugged on the arms:

Attack Mode (weapons deployed)

 Notice the cannons deployed on his chest and also the waist.

This attack mode incurred a huge toll on him...

Miscellanous shots