The Energon Pub

[Cybertronus]

what is with the face on the rear of Ratbat in jet mode?

[Jelze Bunnycat]

what is with the face on the rear of Ratbat in jet mode?

He's a retool of Generations Scourge. In the G1 cartoon, Scourge had two animation models for both vehicle and robot modes. Occasionally, the older one would be used by accident, and it's the older one that had the head sticking out in the back. The feature is an intentional callback to that.

[Va'al]

As a big fan of what IDW has done and is doing with the franchise's history and lore, that Ratbat deserves a place of my desk, out of any displays (as it doesn't really fit it in anywhere else).

Yes, I might preorder him, in his shiny shiny purpleness. Luvly.

[Mindmaster]

*On Senator Ratbat:

Gimme. NAO.

*On Grimlock:

Eh, I notice nothing completely significant enough to import. I'll wait.

[SW's SilverHammer]

*On Senator Ratbat:
Gimme. NAO.

Gimme nao is a bit of an understatement,

[Heckfire]

He looks way less like Ratbat and more like Hellbat.

[Sabrblade]

He looks way less like Ratbat and more like Hellbat.

I dunno, looks pretty Ratbat-ish if you ask me.

[RAcast]

I think this Ratbat would make a good Leozack custom. The head just screams LZ to me.

Yes, YES! That's what it was making me think of! That he'd just screams breastmaster!

[Va'al]

Ok, I'm going to ask this here, out of curiosity:

When you see a new release, do you try appreciating it for what it is, which character it represents, and its pros and cons, or do you only see the potential for something else?

I'm not trying to attack anyone, just asking after those last comments!

(Also because I really just see Ratbat in that figure, and I like seeing Ratbat. )

[SkyWarpsGhost]

I've pre-ordered him because I like him as he is. I do mod tfs, but only to cheap ones I find on sale. I'd never spend £30 on a deluxe, just to repaint etc.
Maybe I see potential for repaints etc because of my modding/repainting eg Runabout & Runamuck from movie Sideswipe (the silver/red with 2 guns ver) that I got for £5 each. I see a bargain and just start getting ideas of who else that mold would work well with.

I'd maybe take a mold of Ratbats head, and try and find a cheap scourge.

[Va'al]

That was also in my thoughts.
Why spend money on a relatively expensive figure if you're then going to take it apart?
I understand cheap, discounted ones for parts or troop building or repurposing, through modding or not; but I would never look at, say, a MP figure, and go, Oooh, that'd look ace as something completely different.

I guess it's a factor of both resources and skills, too.

In any case, I was going to pre-order this, but noticed that it's not expected until May/June. So I'll wait a bit, seeing as how there doesn't seem to be a rush for him.

[Mindmaster]

So I'll wait a bit, seeing as how there doesn't seem to be a rush for him.

Like I said about both Senator Ratbat and MP Soundwave:

I'm giving Hasbro six months to announce stateside releases before biting the bullet and importing.

[rpetras]

Preorderd both, but I'm not sure I'm going to keep them.

We'll see.

[Va'al]

So I'll wait a bit, seeing as how there doesn't seem to be a rush for him.

Like I said about both Senator Ratbat and MP Soundwave:

I'm giving Hasbro six months to announce stateside releases before biting the bullet and importing.

Indeedy.

[Mindmaster]

Preorderd both, but I'm not sure I'm going to keep them.

We'll see.

I'll take your Ratbat for free then!

[bruticus1978]

Just preordered Grimy. Any FOC/WFC I have to buy!
Here's hoping for a TG Thundercracker!

[RAcast]

Ok, I'm going to ask this here, out of curiosity:

When you see a new release, do you try appreciating it for what it is, which character it represents, and its pros and cons, or do you only see the potential for something else?

I'm not trying to attack anyone, just asking after those last comments!

(Also because I really just see Ratbat in that figure, and I like seeing Ratbat. )

Oh no, if I got it I'd want it as Ratbat! It'd look great next to GDO Laserbeak and FoC Soundwave. I just made the comment about the head sculpt because it was bugging me that it looked kinda familiar, with the robot-face-within-a-beast-face aesthetic, when whoever it was mentioned Leozack, I realized what I was trying to remember.

If you're referring to my comment in the Commander Trailbreaker thread...eh, it just doesn't scream "Trailbreaker" to me. He looks too much like he wants to KILL you. G1 Trailbreaker doesn't give off that vibe on sight. However, a bit after I made that post, I poked around tfu wondering who it could be repurposed as, I realized that it's homaging the red-visored G1 toy, which is kinda cool in and of itself. Also, Trailbreaker just isn't Trailbreaker without his hologram projector.

[Stormrider]

Didn't Ratbat have 4 talon fingered hands? I would have loved that on the mold.

[Va'al]

Didn't Ratbat have 4 talon fingered hands? I would have loved that on the mold.

Do you mean this one?



This is from Dreamwave's War Within series.

The look they're going for, as others have pointed out, is the IDW Megatron: Origin one.

[Mkall]

I am disappointed that the Autobot Senate's logo was replaced with the Decepticon logo on Ratbat's chest. Grimlock got to keep his faction's logo after all.

I'm sure there'll be a Reprolabels that will rectify that.

[Sabrblade]

I am disappointed that the Autobot Senate's logo was replaced with the Decepticon logo on Ratbat's chest. Grimlock got to keep his faction's logo after all.

I think it might be due to Grimlock's symbol being molded in.

[Unicronobot]

The only real difference between this Grimlock and the hasbro is the red abs..anyone with patience and a buck to spar can easily paint that..totally not worth the 63 bucks. I'm keeping my preorder for the hasbro and I'll just paint the red abs.

[Spleenzorio]

Ratbat looks awesome, but dat pricetag. I'm hoping to see a Hasbro version before June when the Japanese version is released.

[xyl360]

The only real difference between this Grimlock and the hasbro is the red abs..anyone with patience and a buck to spar can easily paint that..totally not worth the 63 bucks. I'm keeping my preorder for the hasbro and I'll just paint the red abs.

I'm not so sure. I suspect the shades of plastics used may be different as well (which is typical with most Takara releases when compared to Hasbro ones). Whether such differences are worth the higher pricetag is certainly up for speculation and up to the individual to decide, however I'd still like to see some side by side pics of the two to make up my own mind.

[Stormrider]

Didn't Ratbat have 4 talon fingered hands? I would have loved that on the mold.

Do you mean this one?



This is from Dreamwave's War Within series.

The look they're going for, as others have pointed out, is the IDW Megatron: Origin one.

Thanks for the explanation.