Dave's Microman/etc Rant:

     Meda Rot 2.5" Figures (DOG-01 and SAK-01)
     Robotman Ace

     I was recently pointed in the direction of shop.actionace.com.  And
after turning javascript back on (I usually leave it off so I don't see those
annoying pop-up ad windows and the like) I had a look around.  Selection's a
bit thin within each line, but they cover a lot of lines.  The prices are
very good, and they offer free shipping within the continental US (for now,
anyway).  I got my order in less than a week, which is very impressive.

CAPSULES

     DOG-01: Looks keen, does about as much as you could expect a 6cm tall
figure to do, but mostly a novelty that I got because Meda Rot is all over
Comics Bon-Bon.  $6.25 at ActionAce.
     SAK-01: Nice shark appearance, but not quite as good as DOG-1.  Was
missing most of the "dice" that come with the toys, not sure if that was a
production error or if he wasn't supposed to have a full complement.  $6.25
at ActionAce.
     Meda Rot recommendation: I wouldn't go out of my way to pick up either
of these, but if you're already placing an order you might want to snag a
DOG-1. 
     Robotman Ace: Big Microman toy with lots of strong magnets, stiff
joints, beaucoup accessories and the ability to interact with most other
Microman toys magnetically.  Strongly recommended.  About $28 at ActionAce
(forgot to print out the receipt, so I forget the number of cents), a LOT
less than I've seen it anywhere else.  They only have Ace, however, and not
Baron or Cross (the other two Robotmen).

RANTS

Meda Rot:

     Don't be too surprised if these Takara-made guys eventually show up in
the U.S. under some other name...they seem to be doing VERY well in Japan.
They started out as a mini computer game (Digimon-like, I think), but have
since expanded to lots of areas.  There's two different manga series for Meda
Rot at the same time in Comics Bon-Bon, something I've only ever seen before
for Gundam and MegaMan (one is normal, the other is Phunked Up).  The gimmick
is that these little warbots can mix and match parts.  There's something like
a hundred or so "pure" types, plus lots and lots of combinations.  You pick a
head, torso, legs (single unit) and arms (mix and match) to create your own
little bot.  These 6cm (a little over 2") toys have that mix and match
ability, which is why I bought two.  }->
     The toys are both pegged together, with standardized peg sizes.
However, because DOG-01 is made from clear blue plastic and SAK-01 is made
from opaque plastic, the fit isn't always exact when swapping parts.  Peg
joints all act as swivels, of course.
     DOG-01 has a lightning motif, with a yellow thunderbolt on his head and
yellow and silver details on his clear blue body.  I'm not sure why his code
is DOG, since he has no canine features that I can determine.  His forearms
are cannons with hands sticking out on the insides, and his shoulders are
angled so that when you raise his arms they come together to let him fire
forward. 
     SAK-01 is a ShArK character.  His head is a cutesified hammerhead thing,
and both of his hands look like shark heads.  He also has a tail (part of his
"legs" unit seems to be seafoam or something to keep him balanced) and a fin
on his back that's slotted in and tends to come out.
     Each figure comes with a game you can play with your Meda Rots.  It
seems to be a "blow off the limbs" sort of affair, with five six-sided "dice"
involved.  However, they're not cubes.  Cleverly, Takara has made it so you
can apply the labels to a normal pencil and use the pencil as your die.  One
die seems to be a to-hit die (50-50 chance of hitting), three seem linked to
body parts, and one is a basic 1-6 die.  They toys come with hexagonal chunks
to wrap the stickers around if you don't want to use pencils, although my
SAK-01 only came with one of these blanks.  I'm just curious enough to bug
someone for a translation of the rules.  }->
     ActionAce has only three of these figures available.  The one I didn't
get was a female character, mostly pink.

Microman:

     Okay, I've been put off by the high price of these Robotman figures for
a while.  They looked neat, but $40 plus postage was a bit steep.  But $28
including postage was definitely below my "resistance price."
     There's three of these Robotman figures.  Ace is red, Baron is black and
Cross is blue.  They all have the same bodies and basic weapons, but
different heads and special weapons.  They stand 7" (18cm) tall and are just
loaded with magnets.  One at each shoulder, one at each hip, two on the back
for weapon deployment, and each upper arm has three magnets for attaching the
lower arms or various weapons.  Unlike many magnetic-joint toys, these joints
are nice and stiff, thanks to the strength of the magnets and the brackets
that the metal balls sit in.  I actually pulled the figure out of its highly
snug plastic tray without any limbs coming off!  Non-magnetic joints are head
(swivel), elbows (hinges), knees (hinges), wrists (swivels) and ankles
(restricted ball joints).  Proportions are pretty good, although the shins
are extra-long.  Oh, and a note...the "metal" studs on his chest and kneecaps
are just chromed plastic, and magnets will not stick to them.  The figure's a
bit top-heavy, since most of the magnets and metal are up in the torso and
arms.  The hands can't hold anything, but that's okay, since we have....
     Accessories!
     Each has its own unique weapon.  Ace's is a missile launcher that fires
a projectile on the end of a chain.  We're talking a foot of actual plastic-
link chain, not a string.  The missile has a metal tip, the idea being that
it connects to the chest magnet of an Acroyer to make it look like a solid
hit has been made.  It can also catch a Microman's hand to be a rescue
grapple.  Because of the three-way setup of the shoulders, this weapon can
either replace the lower arm on one side, or stick out the side or top of the
shoulder.  It can also be mounted on the back, but isn't made to poke over
his back and fire.  There's an elbow hinge, so it can act as a functioning
lower arm.
     In addition to the unique weapon with action feature, the three share a
common set of three other weapons.  A three-pronged claw arm with elbow, a
sword arm with elbow and "wrist" for the rather long blade, and a big ol'
cannon as long as the figure is tall, which can either replace an arm or hang
over from the back.  The cannon does not have any jointing in it, its main
gig is to be big.  A regular Microman's magnets are not strong enough to hold
onto any of these weapons.
     And, of course, many of the other Microman toys act as accessories for
Ace and his brethren.  The Change Troopers and the Zen Mines (like
Mogurancha) can attach as weapons.  The more you add, however, the more
top-heavy the figure becomes, and the ankles are the weak link in this
equation.  The main disadvantage of these "imported" accessories is that they
lack elbows, so the figure can't straighten its arms with them as it can with
its own accessories.
     You do have to be careful when removing a part from a Robotman.
Sometimes, a magnetic joint other than the one you want severed will be
weaker and pop first.  And while the joints are very tight for magnetics,
they're looser than regular ball and hinge joints, so you can end up warping
the entire pose while trying to adjust an elbow.  However, the magnetic
system more than makes up for its flaws by providing an almost completely
universal means of connecting up all your Microman toys.  And with Microman
99 becoming more available and cheaper online these days, even a modest
outlay can get you a decent set of toys to mix and match.

     Dave Van Domelen, now has to be REALLY careful with where he puts his
disks and tapes....