The Energon Pub

[Agamemnon]

They are Hasbro

That is a misnomer. HTS =/= Hasbro itself.

Is HTS then not Hasbro's official commercial online distributor? Do they not officially bear the logo of, and therefore represent, the toy manufacturer known on this planet under the nomenclature of "Hasbro" in terms of providing the products which are produced, manufactured and sold by the aforementioned company known Hasbro?

There is probably something about not undercutting the customers (retailers in this instance) in this thinking. Target/Walmart/Toys R Us/etc all have a lot of buying power....

[Jelze Bunnycat]

They are Hasbro

That is a misnomer. HTS =/= Hasbro itself.

Is HTS then not Hasbro's official commercial online distributor? Do they not officially bear the logo of, and therefore represent, the toy manufacturer known on this planet under the nomenclature of "Hasbro" in terms of providing the products which are produced, manufactured and sold by the aforementioned company known Hasbro?

There is probably something about not undercutting the customers (retailers in this instance) in this thinking. Target/Walmart/Toys R Us/etc all have a lot of buying power....

HTS is Hasbro's official outlet, but it's still separate from Hasbro proper. Hasbro's the license owner and only supplier, HTS is the retail-level distributor and licensee. Think of it as like any other online store, only with more direct and closer ties with Hasbro.

[william-james88]

They are Hasbro

That is a misnomer. HTS =/= Hasbro itself.

Is HTS then not Hasbro's official commercial online distributor? Do they not officially bear the logo of, and therefore represent, the toy manufacturer known on this planet under the nomenclature of "Hasbro" in terms of providing the products which are produced, manufactured and sold by the aforementioned company known Hasbro?

There is probably something about not undercutting the customers (retailers in this instance) in this thinking. Target/Walmart/Toys R Us/etc all have a lot of buying power....

HTS is Hasbro's official outlet, but they're still separate from Hasbro proper. Hasbro's the licenser and only supplier, HTS is the retail-level distributor. Think any other online store, only with more direct and closer ties with Hasbro.

And I assume that their purpose is to sell whatever isn't picked up by and left over from their commercial buyers. Which is why they would never be the first to have an item available. In that logic, it makes sense that they are the last to ever have a product available.

[rpetras]

I will have that skywarp, but since I don't care about Roddy I'm not paying $30+ for them.

[Rated X]

I could care less about these two. The only legends figures I buy are the ones that represent smaller characters and go with CHUG scale.

[gothsaurus]

Yeah, the way I'd prefer they work in some minibots is just like Powerglide and Groove and black car guy. I don't want deluxe sized minibots mixed in with these combiners. That would be toooo weird.

I'm kinda sad we don't have a Jazz, Sideswipe, Wheeljack and other "season one" cars as combiners coming on the horizon.... not to mention a scourge and seeker set of Deceps. I really want those to combat all these Autobot combiners, oddly.

AND I'm also still holding my breath for a bigger (and better) Trailbreaker and Hoist... but I digress.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Yeah, the way I'd prefer they work in some minibots is just like Powerglide and Groove and black car guy. I don't want deluxe sized minibots mixed in with these combiners. That would be toooo weird.

I'm kinda sad we don't have a Jazz, Sideswipe, Wheeljack and other "season one" cars as combiners coming on the horizon.... not to mention a scourge and seeker set of Deceps. I really want those to combat all these Autobot combiners, oddly.

AND I'm also still holding my breath for a bigger (and better) Trailbreaker and Hoist... but I digress.

Listings for Wheeljack and Trailbreaker, as well as Smokescreen have been found a while ago.

[Genericon #378]

There better not be some sort of Bumblebee cop-out.

What do you mean by that?

I mean that all these images and sketches better not just be there to lead us astray, so that they could just make a Bumblebee limb.

[MaverickPrime]

And here I am, waiting for wave 2

[Moosey]

I'm definitely getting Rodimus. I'll pick up Blackjack as well. I just wasn't sure how much the chest feature dominates the figure. Thanks.

(Sorry that this is a reply to a post a page back)
I'm only picking up Blackjack, but trust me, he's great. Fun transformation, great robot and alt modes, and decent posability to top it all off .

[william-james88]

There better not be some sort of Bumblebee cop-out.

What do you mean by that?

I mean that all these images and sketches better not just be there to lead us astray, so that they could just make a Bumblebee limb.

A bumblebee limb for who?!

[Crimson Prime]

There better not be some sort of Bumblebee cop-out.

What do you mean by that?

I mean that all these images and sketches better not just be there to lead us astray, so that they could just make a Bumblebee limb.

A bumblebee limb for who?!

Assuming for Optimus or his illustrated white repaint.

[Moosey]

There better not be some sort of Bumblebee cop-out.

What do you mean by that?

I mean that all these images and sketches better not just be there to lead us astray, so that they could just make a Bumblebee limb.

A bumblebee limb for who?!

Assuming for Optimus or his illustrated white repaint.

Doubt it. I don't think hasbro would blatantly lie, unless what we assume to be sun streaker is a weirdo version of 'bee. I could totally see a blackjack repaint into bumblebee, though.

[gothsaurus]

Wow. Cool on those listings for Wheeljack, Trailbreaker, etc.

[Zeedust]

I will have that skywarp, but since I don't care about Roddy I'm not paying $30+ for them.

I'm only in Combiner Wars for the combiners (winding up with Bombshell was a happy accident, Ultra Magnus gets to be an exception because he still involves a little guy who's part of a bigger guy), so I want Rodimus but not Skywarp.

Wanna go halfsies?

[Stryfe Convoy]

So far, the only 3 toys being released that I want out of Combiner Wars are Leader Megatron(which I have), Leader Ultra Magnus, and Legends Skywarp. Everything is either hit or miss, or I'll pick up later down the line.

Eh...

[fenrir72]

Gunning for Skywarp

[peaces]

black jack might be the best legends figure. you won't find him at retail though.

[Moosey]

black jack might be the best legends figure. you won't find him at retail though.

I came across him and powerglide once... Last ones on the shelf and the only things besides AOE leftovers. Needless to say, I snatched em both (this was January or February). From what I've heard, the CW legends are hard to come by. (and CW in general in my area...)

[prjkt]

the Legends figures are all that's left on the shelves in some stores here in Melbourne, so I guess there's different demands... (Plus the Legends figures aren't cross-sold on the Deluxe & Voyager packaging, so unless you picked up a Legends box you'd never know they were supposed to be part of the combiners)

[MrBlack]

black jack might be the best legends figure. you won't find him at retail though.

We've got scads of them locally.

[MrBlack]

"Guys. Guys! Do you think I need more guns?"

"Guys?"

[megatronus]

Is Blackjack worth owning by himself? I know his main appeal is that he's the chest piece to Menasor, but I won't get the Stunticons, so for me that's irrelevant. I saw Blackjack and Huffer at my Target yesterday and I almost picked him up, but was undecided. What made me hesitate was the thought that his function as the chest is the main purpose for the figure, and that his robot mode may suffer due to this. Does it? Or is it a well-poseable, solid figure?

I think you've got it backwards - he's a fun little figure who happens to be configurable as a chest plate. If his main purpose is to be a chest plate, than Powerglide's main purpose is to be a gun for Superion, which we know is not the case.

Blackjack's 100% worth getting on his own.

I don't completely agree, especially at a $10 price point. I will say he doesn't suffer as a result of his combination status, as that mode is literally just his car mode, so if that's your only concern, yeah, he's fine, I just don't feel he's a great value for what he is on his own.

The Powerglide comparison doesn't fit, IMO, because Powerglide's a long standing character, with many notable appearances in fiction. Blackjacks a sorta homage of one character, with a sorta deco of another, with another sort of homage as part of Menasor and really not (yet anyway) a character with a real solid identity. That would be a much more valid comparison with the Hot Rod version of the mold.

None of which is to say you're wrong about Blackjack if you like him without considering Menasor. If you like him on his own great, but I just have a different opinion about his solo value.

The crux of my comment is that, like Powerglide, the combination value of Blackjack is more of an afterthought rather than a primary or even secondary goal. So in essence, we're in agreement.

[no-one]

"Guys. Guys! Do you think I need more guns?"

"Guys?"

More guns, less thumbs

[no-one]

Is Blackjack worth owning by himself? I know his main appeal is that he's the chest piece to Menasor, but I won't get the Stunticons, so for me that's irrelevant. I saw Blackjack and Huffer at my Target yesterday and I almost picked him up, but was undecided. What made me hesitate was the thought that his function as the chest is the main purpose for the figure, and that his robot mode may suffer due to this. Does it? Or is it a well-poseable, solid figure?

I think you've got it backwards - he's a fun little figure who happens to be configurable as a chest plate. If his main purpose is to be a chest plate, than Powerglide's main purpose is to be a gun for Superion, which we know is not the case.

Blackjack's 100% worth getting on his own.

I don't completely agree, especially at a $10 price point. I will say he doesn't suffer as a result of his combination status, as that mode is literally just his car mode, so if that's your only concern, yeah, he's fine, I just don't feel he's a great value for what he is on his own.

The Powerglide comparison doesn't fit, IMO, because Powerglide's a long standing character, with many notable appearances in fiction. Blackjacks a sorta homage of one character, with a sorta deco of another, with another sort of homage as part of Menasor and really not (yet anyway) a character with a real solid identity. That would be a much more valid comparison with the Hot Rod version of the mold.

None of which is to say you're wrong about Blackjack if you like him without considering Menasor. If you like him on his own great, but I just have a different opinion about his solo value.

The crux of my comment is that, like Powerglide, the combination value of Blackjack is more of an afterthought rather than a primary or even secondary goal. So in essence, we're in agreement.

It seems like such an afterthought in Blackjack'a case, they might have well just included a piece of duct tape to hold him on.