The Energon Pub

News Credits: 5749 · Thu Jan 17, 2013 12:46 am

Courtesy of 78dm.net have have an extensive in-hand gallery of Takara Tomy's Transformers United Seekers: Elites box set. This set includes Thurst, Dirge, and Ramjet with animation inspired metallic paint apps and comes in collector style packaging. We've mirrored a selection of the images below, many more can be found by clicking here.

News Credits: 462 · Thu Jan 17, 2013 1:00 am

As close to perfection as possible, these color schemes are truly show-accurate to the letter!

Subtlety and humbleness to the colors FTW! ;)^

Thu Jan 17, 2013 1:04 am

Show accurate or not, the paint aps are quite boring, even with the chrome look.

Thu Jan 17, 2013 1:09 am

Now a rainmaker and G2 set please.

Thu Jan 17, 2013 1:28 am

Im not feeling them too much.

Thu Jan 17, 2013 2:17 am

they look nice and i want to like them but i cant. this mold just gets boring after seeing it 3 times. henkei, classics, generations, united, universe etc. but they will be nice for those who dont have them yet. i just need a sunstorm and im done with seekers

News Credits: 332 · Thu Jan 17, 2013 2:20 am

I wished they all came with the correct cone head style missiles like Ram jet

News Credits: 20 · Thu Jan 17, 2013 3:31 am

I DON'T WANT ALL THREE! I JUST WANT THRUST! BLUUUURRRRRRRGGGHHHH *vomits blood*

Thu Jan 17, 2013 4:57 am

Sabrblade wrote:As close to perfection as possible, these color schemes are truly show-accurate to the letter!

Subtlety and humbleness to the colors FTW!

Colors yes, insignia, not so much. Especially on Thrust. I can't remember a moment where Thrust's insignia were facing away from the cockpit.

Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:38 am

Considering how many regurgitations of this mold there have been, I'm surprised no 3rd party has ever released a variety of missile inserts without the giant dick-knob at the tip.

News Credits: 60 · Thu Jan 17, 2013 6:17 pm

Good for those who missed the boat

but I'm just gunning for Skywarp. 'nuff said!

News Credits: 409 · Thu Jan 17, 2013 7:31 pm

One of the worst examples to date of Hasbro claiming toys that were made to be exclusive, but then weren't. You can argue about the mold changes, and color variations. But at the end of the day, the word Hasbro/Takara and exclusive I no longer put in the same sentence.

Fri Jan 18, 2013 10:59 pm

Stormrider wrote:One of the worst examples to date of Hasbro claiming toys that were made to be exclusive, but then weren't. You can argue about the mold changes, and color variations. But at the end of the day, the word Hasbro/Takara and exclusive I no longer put in the same sentence.

Mainstream characters are for everyone, they are not meant to be held hostage. What Botcon 2007 attendees paid for was the expierence of owning Thrust/Dirge/Thundercracker two years before everyone else did. Theres not a transformers collector on every block in the USA. I know 5 in all of Miami. Does it really bother you what someone else has when you dont even know them ? Im not trying to argue with you. I just never understood the logic behind the whole seeker fiasco. I see it as somebody from Funpub made a promise that they had no authority to make. They dont own the characters. Has/Tak does.

News Credits: 409 · Sat Jan 19, 2013 6:47 am

Rated X wrote:
Stormrider wrote:One of the worst examples to date of Hasbro claiming toys that were made to be exclusive, but then weren't. You can argue about the mold changes, and color variations. But at the end of the day, the word Hasbro/Takara and exclusive I no longer put in the same sentence.

Mainstream characters are for everyone, they are not meant to be held hostage. What Botcon 2007 attendees paid for was the expierence of owning Thrust/Dirge/Thundercracker two years before everyone else did. Theres not a transformers collector on every block in the USA. I know 5 in all of Miami. Does it really bother you what someone else has when you dont even know them ? Im not trying to argue with you. I just never understood the logic behind the whole seeker fiasco. I see it as somebody from Funpub made a promise that they had no authority to make. They dont own the characters. Has/Tak does.

Actually, I don't have a problem with other people owning these. My argument boils down to the fact that TFCC or Hasbro (one of the two) in an interview said that these were exclusives and (way back when) and that they would not be reissued. They didn't say, "these will be released "X" years from now, but here is your exclusive chance to buy them early".

Because of their actions, they caused an artificial hyper inflation in the Botcon set and wars on forums that turned fans against fans. In my world you don't call something an exclusive and then release it later, and then again, and now again; unless you state "Exclusive colors", "Exclusive Early Release" etc.

For the record, I didn't buy the botcon set and never attempted to buy it. But I feel bad for the people who shelled out through the nose through the trickery that was used in the initial release.

News Credits: 1 · Sat Jan 19, 2013 3:44 pm

You'd have thought that they'd have put the names on the inside of the flip-up panel in order of how they're placed in the box. The only aspect of these figures that I'm really digging are the plain wings on Dirge and Thrust, and that's simply not enough to prompt me to cough up so much for these guys again. Maybe if they'd altered Thrust's lift engines so they fully encompassed the wings I may have been on board. :-(

Oh well.

Sat Jan 19, 2013 4:01 pm

Stormrider wrote:
Rated X wrote:
Stormrider wrote:One of the worst examples to date of Hasbro claiming toys that were made to be exclusive, but then weren't. You can argue about the mold changes, and color variations. But at the end of the day, the word Hasbro/Takara and exclusive I no longer put in the same sentence.

Mainstream characters are for everyone, they are not meant to be held hostage. What Botcon 2007 attendees paid for was the expierence of owning Thrust/Dirge/Thundercracker two years before everyone else did. Theres not a transformers collector on every block in the USA. I know 5 in all of Miami. Does it really bother you what someone else has when you dont even know them ? Im not trying to argue with you. I just never understood the logic behind the whole seeker fiasco. I see it as somebody from Funpub made a promise that they had no authority to make. They dont own the characters. Has/Tak does.

Actually, I don't have a problem with other people owning these. My argument boils down to the fact that TFCC or Hasbro (one of the two) in an interview said that these were exclusives and (way back when) and that they would not be reissued. They didn't say, "these will be released "X" years from now, but here is your exclusive chance to buy them early".

Because of their actions, they caused an artificial hyper inflation in the Botcon set and wars on forums that turned fans against fans. In my world you don't call something an exclusive and then release it later, and then again, and now again; unless you state "Exclusive colors", "Exclusive Early Release" etc.

For the record, I didn't buy the botcon set and never attempted to buy it. But I feel bad for the people who shelled out through the nose through the trickery that was used in the initial release.

Like I suggested before, Someone from Funpub/TFCC made a promise that they were not even authorized to make. Remember, Takara released Thundercracker/Thrust/Dirge first for the "Asian market". Botcon is in America and sponsered by Hasbro so it is very loosely affiliated with Takara. Hasbro brings one or two designers from Takara to their pannels who usually need a translator to answer questions. No Takara executives attend Botcon pannels from my expierences. Takara has their own conventions like Wonderfest, Winterfest or what ever it's called. And once Takara released them, it only made sense for Hasbro to release them as well. As far as the people who who went to Botcon 2007 based on some Funpub guys promise, theres a sucker born every minute. After buying a combination of Hasbro, Takara, and CHMS seekers, I ended up buying Botcon Thrust and Dirge just to have them. I would even consider buying the Botcon Thundercracker but wont pay more than 50 bucks.

Sat Jan 19, 2013 6:54 pm

Weren't those exclusives back in the day slightly different molds than the ones we see here? I think the wings design was slightly different? And actually the original exclusive Thrust looks way cooler in my opinion...

Man I'm starting to cave in on this set just because the Ramjet looks so good and my Hasbro Ramjet is this weird cream white???? It would be such a waste of money though as I own all 3 conehead hasbro version...ugh!

One of the things I'm a little worried about in the Aces and Elite set is even though the paint apps are cool, in some places they might have been better suited with colored plastic. I just foresee a lot of paint chipping going on with these if they get heavy use....

News Credits: 5 · Sat Jan 19, 2013 8:53 pm

Well even though I could give two stihs about this set, atleast they dont have that out of place chrome on the launcher tips. :MAXIMAL:

News Credits: 402 · Updated Oct 21, 2022

Stormrider wrote:Actually, I don't have a problem with other people owning these. My argument boils down to the fact that TFCC or Hasbro (one of the two) in an interview said that these were exclusives and (way back when) and that they would not be reissued. They didn't say, "these will be released "X" years from now, but here is your exclusive chance to buy them early".

Because of their actions, they caused an artificial hyper inflation in the Botcon set and wars on forums that turned fans against fans. In my world you don't call something an exclusive and then release it later, and then again, and now again; unless you state "Exclusive colors", "Exclusive Early Release" etc.

For the record, I didn't buy the botcon set and never attempted to buy it. But I feel bad for the people who shelled out through the nose through the trickery that was used in the initial release.

The people aren't mind readers, nor were the fortune tellers. At the time (2006 I think?) Classics had come to an end with only Starscream, Skywarp and Ramjet seeing any form of release. That was it. At the time, Hasbro did not believe that Classics would continue. What did the Club do? They made Dirge, Thrust and Thundercracker and released them in the box set so that those diehard enough could complete their seeker collection. was it the best way to do it? Maybe, maybe not but it was the only medium they had available at the time.

It's really pointless to argue things like this because we have the privilege of seeing how things turned out, and it turned out really well. HOWEVER, at the time TF lines were petering out. Classics had come to an end, Alternators were floundering and I don't think that there was any indication of the first TF Movie at the time.

These figures were released using the only method that was available to collectors at the time. When Universe/Generations was rebooted, someone from Hasbro who was really up there said that he wasn't sure (at the time in 2005) that there would be a continuation of the line.

I, for one, am happy that now everyone has a chance to own a full set of seekers now. Would I preferred it happened at the time? Sure, but it didn't and The Club and Hasbro learned some valuable things from that experience.

Sat Jan 19, 2013 9:29 pm

Three questions...

1. are these released in the u.s.a?
2. are there going to be a release of the other three seekers?
3. how much are we expected to pay for this set?

News Credits: 462 · Sat Jan 19, 2013 9:34 pm

Megs for pres wrote:Three questions...

1. are these released in the u.s.a?

Not this particular set, no.

The molds, however, have already seen release in the U.S. individually with different color schemes than what's shown here.

Megs for pres wrote:2. are there going to be a release of the other three seekers?

They already did. This is the second Seekers set.

Megs for pres wrote:3. how much are we expected to pay for this set?

Whatever price the online retailers who are importing it charge it for.

Sun Jan 20, 2013 10:25 am

Oh crap. So Im gonna have to pay ebay prices any way it goes hu?.....Really getting tired of having to pay dubs or trips what I should be paying to own a collection of figures. SIGH......

Sun Jan 20, 2013 10:58 am

I just fear if I bought these 3 months later Hasbro would announce Voyager classics seekers and it would start all over again....

News Credits: 402 · Updated Oct 21, 2022

Megs for pres wrote:Oh crap. So Im gonna have to pay ebay prices any way it goes hu?.....Really getting tired of having to pay dubs or trips what I should be paying to own a collection of figures. SIGH......

Online retailers still have these sets for preorder at cheaper than you'd find on eBay.

Sun Jan 20, 2013 8:53 pm

Mkall wrote:
Megs for pres wrote:Oh crap. So Im gonna have to pay ebay prices any way it goes hu?.....Really getting tired of having to pay dubs or trips what I should be paying to own a collection of figures. SIGH......

Online retailers still have these sets for preorder at cheaper than you'd find on eBay.

Oh?...Thats a good thing. Im going to look into that. Do by chance know the link to such an online retailer?