The Energon Pub

News Credits: 609 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 10:56 am

Following up last year's G2 Sideswipe shocker, it seems there's a new trend of completely recoloring a set of sprues for the customizing class. @BotCon just revealed the 2011 Customizing Class figure:

Animated Minerva, a white and red redeco of Animated Arcee.

Seibertron.com is your ultimate BotCon 2011 resource!

News Credits: 609 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 10:58 am

I just died a little bit, right here. I'm so disappointed I couldn't go, now.

Wed Jun 01, 2011 11:01 am

These are such a small group of people. It just leaves a bad taste in your mouth for SO many con goers who'd want these characters but couldn't get into the class. Don't they know we're completists?

I wish they'd at least sell some of these kits through the TFCC or something.

News Credits: 241 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 11:01 am

Look at the head: it's not just a redeco, it's a retool! Those antennae were not on Animated Arcee's original head.

News Credits: 609 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 11:08 am

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Look at the head: it's not just a redeco, it's a retool! Those antennae were not on Animated Arcee's original head.

Oh, that makes it even worse.

News Credits: 23 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 11:12 am

Definitely a nice piece, but I am glad I'm missing the Animated Botcon this year. What I do miss are all the peeps there!! Have fun guize!!

News Credits: 1 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 11:12 am

Gosh dang. It's a retool. I want it for my Animated collection!!!! Darn you TFCC and Hasbro.

News Credits: 2 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 11:27 am

Awww man it's a freakin' class? Well I hope we find these on ebay eventually cuz I will be buyin'...'nuff said! :VEHI:

News Credits: 10 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 11:30 am

A nice choice!

News Credits: 129 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 11:34 am

What a bunch of smelly bullshit.

No one is learning anything about customization here, they're learning how to put a Gunpla together.

Not to mention, there seems to be no reason that BotCon can't make the kits available as a convention add on for little to no cost if they're going to bother making them at all.

I haven't even wanted nor really been envious of the past two year's custom figures, but all this is is an assembly line class.

News Credits: 1452 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 11:44 am

Nothing I can't re-create.. unless those swords are clear blue.

News Credits: 16 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 11:45 am

Counterpunch is kinda 100% right. Plus, it's kinda near impossible to get into these classes.

News Credits: 129 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 11:49 am

It Is Him wrote:Counterpunch is kinda 100% right. Plus, it's kinda near impossible to get into these classes.

Goddamn right I am...

Even if I got into the class (which I will now and forever actually attempt to get into), I would sell the kit because it still seems non-official to me. I hate kits.

But hell, $75 to recoup 110% of the cost of the entire convention set and flight? Let's do it.

News Credits: 767 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 12:00 pm

Quick, someone repaint it as Nightbeat to make the circle complete.

Also, yea agree 100% with CP. These are nothing but kits. I believe the last one that actually required a lot of painting was Overkill and even he was cast in the right colours from the start.

And god dammit, why not just sell these kits over their website, I love building stuff like that. Yes, I'm angry that I missed the KO Sideswipe kit.

News Credits: 349 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 12:03 pm

And this is why I've been championing for them to increase the production run of the "Custom Class" figure and sell the kits to attendees just like the other figures.

CP is right with everything being molded the way it is now, there really isn't much customizing going on anymore.

News Credits: 20 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 12:03 pm

Feeling kinda burned like normal with the custom class figure. Yes, I know I could pay for the class but then I'd have to pay another day in the hotel as well. These should be available for sale assembled and painted as another club figure for sale at the con. Make these classes a true custom class. I think the molds given out should be complete blanks that you customize. I dunno, still a little butthurt over G2 Sideswipe.

News Credits: 129 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 12:06 pm

Fender Bender wrote:And this is why I've been championing for them to increase the production run of the "Custom Class" figure and sell the kits to attendees just like the other figures.

CP is right with everything being molded the way it is now, there really isn't much customizing going on anymore.

Like most issues I have with the club, I'll keep on saying something about this issue, knowing full well I'll be ignored by them.

News Credits: 16 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 12:09 pm

Flux Convoy wrote:still a little butthurt over G2 Sideswipe.

We're all a little butthurt over G2 Sideswipe.

Dead Metal wrote:Quick, someone repaint it as Nightbeat to make the circle complete.

Awesome.

And god dammit, why not just sell these kits over their website, I love building stuff like that. Yes, I'm angry that I missed the KO Sideswipe kit.

This is one KO product that I can really get behind. I love building stuff. If we got some Kabaya-esque models here in the West, I would buy the hell out of it.

News Credits: 1 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 12:21 pm

Yay. Owning a Minerva is still something for the elite.

The dork-elite.

Wed Jun 01, 2011 12:22 pm

I think you're on to something....

- Sell the kit as an add-on at Botcon and/or the Club (with instructions)
- Make the class for people to actually create a UNIQUE custom character... and actually teach customization techniques. (dry brushing, sculpting, weathering, rust, etc.)

News Credits: 349 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 12:23 pm

Counterpunch wrote:
Fender Bender wrote:And this is why I've been championing for them to increase the production run of the "Custom Class" figure and sell the kits to attendees just like the other figures.

CP is right with everything being molded the way it is now, there really isn't much customizing going on anymore.

Like most issues I have with the club, I'll keep on saying something about this issue, knowing full well I'll be ignored by them.

Yeah, they're pretty good at hiding from the fan-dom for the most part. You pretty much have to flame the hell out of the club to get a response from them (which is funny AND sad at the same time). Usually it results in Pete defending their practices and not taking any of the negative criticism into account while promising a vague possible change, but never delivering.

The Club has flaunted the "Smaller Production Run = Higher Cost per Toy" excuse on Botcon exclusives and Club exclusives for YEARS. So how is it the club can afford to only make about 50 of these? Wouldn't that mean the cost of making this kit would be INSANE based on their logic?

In the interest of saving the club from going under by making such high cost/low production runs, I implore them to make more of these kits to sell.

News Credits: 13 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 2:09 pm

its real sad to think ill never be able to get this one since i love the animated arcee mold

News Credits: 12 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 2:14 pm

This one actually pisses me off. G2 Sideswipe already had me pissed since I wanted that one instead of having to make a custom.

This is a straight up retool and it's a limited custom figure? someone tell me where the logic is in that?

Cosidering that the oil needed for plastic is DIRT CHEAP compared to oil used for our cars, there is no reason convention figures are more expensive cause of lower production runs. They are priced higher because of the simple fact that they have the "convention exclusive" label.

I'm going to hope that this is an attendee add on or something cause if they are using retools now for the class then that's just wrong.

This figure should not have been the custom class figure.

News Credits: 1 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 2:17 pm

Maybe I've just never looked hard enough, but I've never seen these Botcon CC figs on Ebay, therefore I too look forward to this being KOed.

My main question though, is don't those antennae impede her transformation? I haven't transformed my Animated Arcee in a few months, but isn't her head kind of snugly wrapped up inside her car mode?

News Credits: 241 · Wed Jun 01, 2011 2:20 pm

What you guys should also take into account is that Fun Publications is a separate business, and that the molds they use require a license from Hasbro. In fact, everything they do, including BotCon uses some sort of Transformers license. And trust me, those don't come cheap.