Anyone ridden all the RMCs yet?

[sublimeairtime]

Many other models/designs feel much closer to one another or follow a formula:

- GCIs (Every shaping of a turn/drop/airtime/whatever feels the same from ride to ride)

- B&M Hypers (Drop, airtime hill, turn-around, airtime hill(s), mcbr, smaller airtime hill(s))

- B&M Inverts (A lot of these feel very similar to each other)

- B&M Floorless/Sit down (Drop, loop, dive loop, zero-g, cobra roll, mcbr, corkscrews),

- B&M Dive (Drop, immelman, mcbr, drop, etc)

 

And this is why B&M isn't a top tier manufacturer for me. They have no creativity and never push the boundaries. It's all well and good that they've experimented some with rider orientation/seating but the layouts are bland for the most part.

Admittedly I haven't been on one of B&Ms best like Fury or Nemesis but I don't have a single B&M in my top 10 personally. I consider Intamin, Mack, RMC, and Gravity Group to all be much better manufacturers, and soon Vekoma as well.

[Skittles]

Currently in my second day at Cedar Point, the final park of the trip, so here are my new and updated RMC rankings!

 

Yes, it's kind of going to give away my new rankings post-trip, but whatever.

 

1. Steel Vengeance - This lived up to the hype. Yes, I'm not a fan of the operations, but man, does the coaster itself more than make up for it. So much airtime, fantastic pacing, an amazing first drop, nice theming in the queue line, long ride... this ride really has something for everyone. IT'S SO GOOD!! I know because I'm here right now!

2. Storm Chaser - Possibly the most underrated Hybrid there is. I'd actually say it's more intense than Steel Vengeance; yes, it's not as good, but the way Kentucky Kingdom runs it? It has some of the greatest pacing ever! That really helps all the airtime and elements be absolutely amazing. This is just another reason why I wish KK had better operations; so I could marathon this thing.

3. Twisted Timbers - Basically everything I said with Storm Chaser applies here; except the annoying operations kind of made me a little mad, and I didn't have to worry about this with Storm Chaser.

4. Twisted Colossus - I haven't ridden this in almost a year in a half, but I remember it being awesome. Full of airtime everywhere, great inversions and dueling moments, a pair of great first drops, but yeah, it's not the most aggressive and as I said, I haven't ridden it as recently.

5. RailBlazer - Love this coaster a lot. At first, I wasn't a big fan because of the restraints, but after this trip, I think that I underrated it. I now know that my favorite kind of ride is an aggressive one, regardless of how the restraints are. This is what RailBlazer is to me.

6. Goliath - Yeah, it is a short ride, but every element totally makes up for it. There was a surprising amount of airtime, great inversions, my favorite RMC drop (I like it slightly more than Steel Vengeance's for some reason) and was just something that I really came to love.

7. Joker - Usually is a pretty awesome ride, but after my most recent to SFDK where it was crawling most of the way through, I can't rank it as high anymore. Which is disappointing. It can be so amazing.

[Dombot]

1. Twisted Timbers

 

...and that's it.

[thrillseeker4552]

I picked up two new RMCs (for me) this last week: Joker and Railblazer. LOVED both, but Railblazer was the one that really shined. My rankings...

 

1. Twisted Colossus, still (mostly because you basically get two rides in one, occasionally race, and tons of airtime)

2. Railblazer (LOVE this coaster, the restraints don't bother me a bit, and the ride hauls a$$ like no other)

3. Wicked Cyclone (a really solid RMC that still shouldn't be looked down upon)

4. Joker (even though this is my least favorite RMC, I still think it's a top 10-15 coaster!)

 

Even the worst RMC is still fantastic. That says a lot about the company!

[average.coaster.fan]

Before this year I had not ridden any, but now I’ve ridden five! Here are my rankings:

 

1) Steel Vengeance- Pretty self-explanatory. Some of the best airtime on the planet, outstanding inversions, fantastic drops, what more can you ask for?

2) Lightning Rod- Most people think the launch is pretty forgettable, but I actually really love the launch! The first half mainly consists of several overbanks with some crazy laterals, but the quad down is just plain mental. Each moment of airtime is absolute bonkers and I adore it! The half loop is pretty fun too and reminds me of Fury’s treble clef.

3) Twisted Timbers- Much like Steel Vengeance, this coaster is packed to the brim with airtime. Some of my favorite moments have to be the three sustained hills after the first overbank along with the trick track double up! The outer banked turn is also pretty epic as is the cutback! Definitely a must-do at Kings Dominion!

4) Outlaw Run- This ride is a little short, but every part of this ride is flawless. It has my favorite drop out of all the RMCs as well as my favorite set of inversions. The initial stall is pretty crazy with the banking, and the few airtime hills it has have very solid ejector! The wave turn is also really fun, and the double barrel roll at the end is one of my favorite endings to any coaster out there! The hang time is perfect!

5) Storm Chaser- Although my least favorite RMC, it’s still better than over 95% of the coasters I’ve ridden! The beginning of this ride is insane with its barrel roll downdrop and airtime hill filled with sustained ejector! Although the middle is a bit forgettable, the overbanks and twisted hills are still fun. Another solid airtime hill and whippy corkscrew lead into the astonishing trick track double up, an epic double down, and a fun helix with crazy laterals!

[X2coasterfreak]

An updated list of my RMC favorites after riding Steel Vengeance and Twisted Timbers this weekend:

 

1. Steel Vengeance

2. Lightning Rod

3. Twisted Timbers

4. Outlaw Run

5. Wildfire

6. Railblazer

7. New Texas Giant

8. Iron Rattler

9. Twisted Colossus

10. Storm Chaser

11. Joker

12. Goliath

13. Wicked Cyclone

[PKI Jizzman]

There's been a good bit of talk comparing the lap bars on the trains recently. Riding Storm Chaser, Twisted Timber, Cyclone, Vengeance (and Lightning Run if you want to include that) all within a month I couldn't notice the difference.

 

Does someone have pictures to show the different design? They all seemed the same to me.

[A.J.]

The big difference is how the lap bars appear to be anchored at the front of the car. The "older" style trains have an anchor on either side of your legs like a regular old U-shaped lap bar. The "newer" ones (Twisted Timbers, Steel Vengeance) have a single anchor in the center and they're kind of like a fat T-shaped lap bar (V-shape? Y-shape?).

[coastered]

Last june i was finally able to ride my first RMC (Wildfire), because in Europe there is only one right now.

But Wildfire did the job. What an impressive ride in an awesome location. And it even gets better in the dark and in the rain.

Than the trains are atleast 4 seconds faster around the track.

 

Next year I will be able to ride a couple more RMC's, Like Steel Vengeance, Lightning Rod, Storm Chaser, Twisted Timbers and the RMC conversion of Robin Hood.

 

Up till now Wildfire is my overall #1, but I think both Steel vengeance and Lightning Rod will be able to claim that spot.

[Condor]

Bold = new this year.

Edited to bump Railblazer up a few places after riding it and Twisted Colossus a few weeks apart

 

1. Steel Vengeance: Probably the most complete, well-rounded, and thrilling--not just RMC--but coaster I've ever ridden and it comes damn close to being my #1 overall. None of the others can match this layout or have the kind of sustained ejector air this one packs.

2. Medusa Steel Coaster

3. Wicked Cyclone

4. Outlaw Run

5. Twisted Timbers: The most intense and aggressive RMC. That ought to be enough to put it near the top, but the layout and ebb/flow of the pacing doesn't quite do it for me.

6. Railblazer: A whirlwind of abrupt airtime and intensity with surprisingly comfortable and fun-to-ride trains. It's too brief to rank higher, but could scarcely be any better at this size/length.

7. Twisted Colossus

8. Iron Rattler

9. New Texas Giant

10. Joker

11. Goliath: The only one I didn't like. It's honestly not even in my top 20 wooden coasters. Sure the airtime is very good, but it has none of the other qualities I look for like strong positive g's or a complex layout with clear, linear pacing. It was also uncharacteristically rough for an RMC when I rode it.

Edited September 22, 2018 by Condor

[The Geek Mojo]

1. Steel Vengeance

2. Lightning Rod

3. Twisted Colossus

4. New Texas Giant

5. Twisted Timbers

6. Iron Rattler

7. Twisted Cyclone

8. Goliath

9. Joker

10. Storm Chaser

 

Have not rode Medusa, Wildfire, Wicked Cyclone, Outlaw Run, Railblazer, or Wonder Woman yet.

[RollerManic]

1. Storm Chaser - the most recent RMC in my collection. This is more what I was expecting from an RMC. I liked it notably more than the other three.

2. Outlaw Run

3. New Texas Giant

4. Goliath

[Twistedtatsu805]

Only Twisted Colossus. One of my favorites

[ytterbiumanalyst]

I wanted to wait a bit to come down off the Cedar Point high and reride Outlaw Run, but yeah, best RMC.

 

1. Steel Vengeance

2. Outlaw Run

3. Storm Chaser

4. Twisted Colossus

5. Goliath

[Canobie Coaster]

1) Lightning Rod

2) Steel Vengeance

3) Wildfire

4) Iron Rattler

5) Twisted Colossus

6) Outlaw Run

7) Twisted Timbers

8) Twisted Cyclone

9) Wonder Woman

10) Wicked Cyclone

11) Storm Chaser

12) New Texas Giant

13) Medusa

14) Goliath

Edited September 12, 2018 by Canobie Coaster

[joelwee]

I added two new RMCs this year. Unfortunately, I missed out on Railblazer, but I'll get back up to NorCal and ride it eventually.

 

1. Steel Vengeance

2. Twisted Colossus

3. The Joker

[PKI Jizzman]

+4 this season!

Storm Chaser

Twisted Timbers

Twisted Cyclone

Steel Vengeance

 

When it comes to RMCs you know you're going to get lots of crazy good airtime. So what helps you choose favorites would be the first drop and elements that fill in the layout.

 

And when I go to rank them I can't pick a favorite.

1) Outlaw Run - I'm a sucker for pre drops and the long sideways airtime hill down the slope makes it one of my favorite rides.

1) Steel Vengeance - It has everything and more. The inversions are fantastic, the wave turn over the brake run is epic, and so is the dive into the structure.

1) Twisted Timbers - This was one of the few roller coasters that tested my limits. It's so aggressive and the airtime is so strong. The barrel roll drop was not my favorite element going into the ride, but for some reason this one felt a little different. And the middle of the ride is so wild! The more I rode it the more I liked it, and ended up loving it.

1) Twisted Cyclone - I loved the progression of elements on this coaster. The airtime got stronger throughout the ride and the hidden barrel roll that takes a step down into the rocky trench is a favorite RMC moment for me. You hit the brake run with so much speed and everyone is laughing. It's just a great ride!

2) Storm Chaser - Absolutely nuts and out of control. It's like the sampler platter from RMC. It kinda gives you everything - the barrel drop, straight airtime hill, crazy twisty airtime, laterals..

2) Goliath - A big ol first drop, a long airtime hill, the well paced half loop into the structure, and then ....the upside down floater hill. It's like time stands still. There's nothing like it!

 

So Storm Chaser and Goliath are not my favorites but they're still extremely good.

[coasterBro]

So my rankings are (admittedly) a bit outside the norm. I don't enjoy the super strong, super abrupt ejector airtime that a lot of RMC's do. I prefer my airtime to be strong but sustained. I really do not like strong laterals while I'm out of my seat during airtime (let me settle back into the seat, then hit me with the laterals, please). And I don't tend to enjoy slow barrel roll inversions. Quick zero-g rolls, yes. Stalls & loops & straight hang-time, fantastic. Slow rolls, nope.

 

 

So all that being said, here's what I've got:

 

#1) Twisted Cyclone:

I was a big fan of the GA Cyclone in the magic seat. It was my 1st real coaster, and though I hated it at the time, I grew to quite love it, so I was disappointed when they decided to RMC it. I came in with fairly low expectations for the ride, but it absolutely blew me away. I think the pacing is perfect. The inversions are fantastic. The wave turn is the best wave turn RMC has made to date. It pays homage to the original GA Cyclone's big ejector hill. The slalom into the brake run is cool and smooth and not a violent, jerky transition like some other RMC's have where the track doesn't quite line up the way they want it to (lookin' at you, SV MCBR entry). And despite people being worried the ride was going to be too short, I actually found it to be quite full. I think if they had tried to do an extra lap around they would have been forced to resort to manufacturing airtime with those sharp little hills, and that would have killed my enjoyment of the ride altogether. I'm super glad I have this puppy in my back yard as it's fantastic all around. A+

 

#2) Iron Rattler:

This was originally supposed to be my 500th coaster, but rain showers basically killed that whole trip. I finally got around to riding it this year, and I thought it was great all around. I do wish it could have somehow been a little bit longer, as it seems like as soon as you dive off the quarry wall you're done, but it's still great fun nonetheless. A

 

#3) Goliath:

I know a lot of people give this ride crap because it's so short, but I really enjoyed it. I don't at all consider this a wooden coaster, no matter what they officially say. It's steel supports w/ steel track. I really enjoy the stall and the dive loop. It's not too crazy with the shenanigans. A

 

#4) New Texas Giant:

The original, and still quite solid. A-

 

#5) Twisted Colossus (when dueling):

There are a few little bits of this I don't love, but the dueling experience makes up for that. The Top Gun Stall is a thing of beauty. B+

 

-----

 

#'s 6-12) These coasters are hard to rank against each other, since most of them have things that are great, but all of those do dumb things I hate as well. And I don't know how to balance the great against the hate and come to a meaningful conclusion. Couple that with a few that I felt didn't really flag either extreme, and we get a cluster of coasters I might ride a few times but wouldn't think about marathonning. The list below is in no particular order. All of these coasters are in the B-C range

 

 

Steel Vengeance:

I was super hyped for what many people are calling the best coaster ever built. I went to great lengths to make sure it was my #600. And I did not think it was all that amazing. There were a number of elements I quite enjoyed, but there were also several things I actively disliked that really hurt my wanting to re-ride (and thus my rankings). There were a few spots where the track shaping felt like mistakes (the entry into the MCBR being the most egregious, but there were a couple other spots where a directional change happened mid-element in a way that had to be to make the track line up for the next sequence but didn't fit or flow naturally). I really hated the aborted-barrel-roll-drop/not-quite-a-stall 2nd inversion; it either needed to be a stall, where it hangs in the inverted position before twisting back out, or a normal barrel roll drop. As shaped, it's really quite a violent element. Not too long after the MCBR is a fake-out hill/turn thing that isn't fun. And the bunny hops at the finale are just dumb & painful (give me 2 drawn-out hills there instead of 4 sharp little ones). Most of the rest of the ride was quite great though, which is why it's such a shame it had so many things I didn't enjoy. As it sits, I might give it a couple of laps on my next visit to CP, but I'm going to marathon Dragster & Millie long before I'd consider trying to get a bunch of laps in on SV.

 

Storm Chaser:

Most of the first 2/3 of the ride is great. I love the barrel roll drop, the overbanks, the airtime hill, the zero-g roll. But the trick-track double-up is what kills me. That is an uncomfortable element, and then the ending of the ride is only meh.

 

Twisted Timbers:

Twisted Timbers is really just Storm Chaser 2.0. It does all the good things SC does, except more and better, but it also does all the bad things SC does, except more and worse. Great barrel roll drop, and airtime sequence. I don't love the cutback, but it is what it is. Again though, the trick-track double-up kills me. Then the outward banked ejector hill/turn thing. Then the dumb meandering swooshes and sharp bunny hills. If they had put the airtime hill that's after the TTDU in place of the TTDU and then just connected straight to the brake run, this would be in my top 2 or 3 for RMC's. But the ending just kills off all the goodwill that the great first 2/3 of the ride built.

 

Wicked Cyclone:

Generally a fun ride, but nothing really stands out as great or super sucky. There are a couple of transitions that aren't the most comfortable, and the last inversion is taken a bit slow for my taste. But it's a solid enough ride.

 

Medusa Steel Coaster:

I rode this when they were doing the VR. I was told that they had to slow the ride down to make the timing work, so I've never ridden it at full tilt. I only got a few laps in, but I don't remember it being overly remarkable in either direction. Would I ride again? Yes. Would I make another trip to Mexico just for it? Nope.

 

Joker:

By far the best coaster in the park. But I found it to be largely unremarkable. I don't think GCI's take to being RMC'd very well, as it felt like zooming around a lot to get to the next element, moreso than a coherent, well-paced layout. I did, however, quite enjoy the stall and the step-up-under-flip inversion thing (which seems like what the first inversions on Twisted Cyclone and Steel Vengeance are modeled after).

 

Lightning Rod:

It took far too many visits to finally get a ride on this (and it's ridiculous that they can't get it open and keep it open). Overall, it's pretty fun. But the pothole at the bottom of the first drop is really bad. And when it's running at full-tilt, I find most of the elements (the quad-down in particular) to be quite painful. I got some rides in at night in late fall last year when it was running a little slower and really enjoyed it, but I think that was the exception rather than the norm.

 

-----

 

#13) Wonder Woman:

This ride was just too intense to be enjoyable for me. It felt like getting thrown around like a rag-doll. I rode it several times hoping to find something to like about it, but it just wasn't fun for me. D

 

#14) Outlaw Run:

This ride is not good. I don't know if it's just the steel wheels on steel track or what, but you feel every track seam as a kerchunk straight up your spine, no matter what seat you're in. There are a couple of spots where the track hits some sizable potholes that provide even more spine bashing. The pacing/intensity isn't really what I enjoy. And then the ride ends with back-to-back slow barrel rolls, which I really really dislike. F

 

 

I have not ridden Wildfire or RailBlazer and am unlikely to anytime in the near future.

[coasterer]

1) Medusa Steel Coaster - this thing blew me away so much when we rode a few years ago, still in its prime. The pacing was to die for and it handled the layout SO WELL! At the time it was so unassuming, rarely reviewed, and relatively under-hyped. Everything about the experience only added to it - the location, Fright Fest fog, night rides, the crooked house queue... for me it was one of the most memorable, complete ride experiences. But it's just impossible to really measure on a fond memory from years ago.

 

1b) Steel Vengeance - It's so hard for me to compare Steel Vengeance and Lightning Rod to Medusa. Hype always leaves me skeptical, and both had such high rave reviews and commanding reputations. My first ride on Steel Vengeance left me impressed. My second ride blew me away. It's borderline too much for me, and I think Medusa in its prime was a smarter layout, but there was no denying SV is just incredible, and over-compensates in every way. It is the most over-the-top ride I can imagine.

 

1c) Lightning Rod - iis such a unique ride. It's such a flash, and had SO much hype and baggage, but it is uncompromising, feels full (more full for me than Outlaw Run), and the quad down redeems anything and everything that there could be to knock it for.

 

4) Outlaw Run - feels a bit prototype-ish to me, the way NTG now does with SV. But I can understand the appreciation. It's like the Sky Rush of woodies for me. And while the quad down cements Lightning Rod's legitimacy, unfortunately the double barrel undermines it.

 

5) Twisted Cyclone - Love the pacing. It's a very unassuming ride while being massively enjoyable. A more complete ride to me than the rest.

6) Iron Rattler - its uniqueness gives it the edge over some of the more generic rides, but it's a strange and inconsistent layout.

7) NTG - more comprehensive than Iron Rattler but less unique and special.

8) Twisted Colossus - super fun, looked great, and my first RMC! But others have passed it by for me now.

9) Storm Runner - Air time was wonderful, but I hated the uncomfortable ending, and found it on the whole too intense to be fully enjoyable.

10) Joker - borderline unpleasant. A few good elements couldn't redeem a layout that ultimately didn't work for me. Used to rank it last until...

11) Goliath - had me totally underwhelmed on recent re-rides. The stall is heaven though. But it just feels like it was designed by a totally different company.

[FeelTheFORCE]

Slowly, but surely I'm adding more RMCs to my list. Here's how I would rank them:

 

1) Twisted Timbers - The traditional airtime hills are what put this one at the top of my list. That outward-banked turn through the structure is absolutely bonkers, and took a good 3-4 rides for me to properly prepare. This one just does so much with so little space.

 

2) Steel Vengeance - Speaks for itself, we all know what this is about. Not my number one because of being a bit more drawn out. I'm a bigger fan of coasters that do more with less.

 

3) Joker - My first RMC. It's a fun, great coaster, but not as bonkers as the others.

 

4) Goliath - Still an awesome coaster, but too short. My favorite thing about this one is the inverted stall.

[DoinItForTheFame]

So out of the one's I have been on this is how I would rank them:

 

Lightning Rod

Outlaw Run

New Texas Giant

Twisted Timbers

Iron Rattler

 

Time for a bit of an update...

 

1.) Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster

2.) Lightning Rod

3.) Outlaw Run

4.) Iron Rattler

5.) New Texas Giant

6.) Twisted Timbers

[Cyrbuzz]

Haven’t ridden any yet but that’s gonna change soon with RMC Gwazi!!!!’

[chickenbowl]

This is a little spoiler for those following my not-yet-current trip report here's my semi-controversial, updated rankings of the RMCs:

 

1. Steel Vengeance

2. Lightning Rod

3. Hakugei

4. Outlaw Run

5. Twisted Timbers

6. Wildfire

7. Medusa Steel Coaster

8. Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster

9. RailBlazer

10. Iron Rattler

11. Twisted Colossus

12. New Texas Giant

13. Joker

14. Storm Chaser

15. Goliath

16. Wicked Cyclone

 

I will say that RMC is my favorite manufacturer and all 16 coasters are in my top-60. I even give 5 of them perfect scores of 10/10. Can't wait to ride more!

 

I'm currently missing Untamed, Twisted Cyclone, and Zadra. Now that RMC is building international more frequently, it's becoming quite difficult to keep up! A return to Europe is definitely in the cards.

[Condor]

I'm really impressed with how high some of the more seasoned riders have been ranking Hakugei. I'm looking forward to riding it in a couple of months even more now!

[chickenbowl]

I'm really impressed with how high some of the more seasoned riders have been ranking Hakugei. I'm looking forward to riding it in a couple of months even more now!

 

I'll elaborate in about a week when I write up my trip report for it, but it blew me away! The POVs don't do it justice, the coaster hauls though every element.