The Energon Pub

Seibertron wrote:

dragons wrote:i dont get it gijoe is making more progress with releasing new figures in the gijoe rise of cobra series faster than transfromers yeah i will agree i would like to see an add on set for bruticus & devastator alone if there is plan in the future but for right now ill stick with him the way he is

Are you kidding? It's unprecedented how many Transformers have been releasead in less than 3 months. I can't believe we're on wave 6 deluxes already. Hasbro has already released far more product in the last three months than they do in 12 months. I think they've released about 120 to 150+ Transformers products since BotCon. I'm sure dollar for dollar there are tons more Transformers products that have been released compared to GiJoe.

My wallet heartily agrees. I've probably bought $800 on the first days the toys were out, and another $400/month since then.

I think this is a pretty nifty repaint. Probably the best of the Energon combiner molds (which I never got, since Superion and Constructicon looked like crap and I neevr ever saw the Buticus bots in stores). And as much as I would love to have a combiner team in my Classics lineup, I already have Universe Classics Onslaught and his awesomeness not only outweighs Bruticus, but the presence of them together in my lineups would be something of a paradox (not that didn't happen all the time in the cartoon, hah!). So, I'll be content with Onslaught, use Cybertron Swindle to represent his G1 namesake and pretend the rest of the Combaticons finally got killed off.

i think today is a good day to go hunting for this guy

I'd at least like to see what FP would come up with for this guy. But since I'm not getting either, I don't really care if they have proper hands and feet or not. I do like this mold though.

I unfortunately missed the opportunity to get the original Superlink version. And from what I saw from their individual forms, the mold looked as "G.I.Joe" military kick @ss. Especially the central figure "Onslaught", who looked a lot like a "tank" commander pilot. But I'll have to agree with skywarp-2 on the hands and feet. Imho maybe just maybe the original designers was inhaling something more than oxygen when they came up with the "energon" doo-hickey appendage designs. What the heck were they thinking? That's why there'll be a market for indie upgrades.

If this one is hard to find, what more then if FP makes an upgrade for it? Btw for those who own one, is the "Cylone" head a part of the'bot like Superion Maximus or a mask component like the G-1 version? If so I wish FP will change the head.

Counterpunch wrote:I'm not arguing against debate here, nor do I think Bruticus is perfect; but what would you rather see these companies work on? Serious additions like the Rodimus upgrade? How about that pre-historic animal combiner?

Or would you rather see pricy, minor upgrades to figures that get along just fine with the addition of a small amount of imagination?

Your call.

Hard to argue with this logic. Neither of these figures deserve to be or need to be 80 dollars IMO.

Counterpunch wrote:

skywarp-2 wrote:I have to go with the latter.. sorry CP..

the clear straight fingers and two pronged toes are not appealing to me..
plus I think he needs some kind of add on to his waist area and crotch, because Bruticus Maximus Chest is too protruding, and needs some proportions adjustment..

See, that's exactly where all this is going.

3rd party add-ons are going to become a venue for everyone to do unnecessary cosmetic surgery to every figure around.

Energon Superion was seriously flawed. Energon Bruticus isn't perfect...but he doesn't need $50 of add-ons to fix.

Sure, everyone wishes that the combiners had solid plastic, 5 finger hands and blocky feet. Welcome to 4 years ago.

I'm not arguing against debate here, nor do I think Bruticus is perfect; but what would you rather see these companies work on? Serious additions like the Rodimus upgrade? How about that pre-historic animal combiner?

Or would you rather see pricy, minor upgrades to figures that get along just fine with the addition of a small amount of imagination?

Your call.

well here is the thing, fansproject is doing the Rodimus kit, and they are doing the combiners and such, but I never said i would want them to put aside what they are planning just to do an upgrade for Bruticus..

that said...

to do an upgrade for Superion and not one for the villain of the same class is kind of a let down.. when you think of your classics collection and you have that big Superion posed in the back ground with Henkei Prime and company gathered up in a fine pose, wouldn't it be just great to see a fully upgraded Bruticus in the back drop of your henkei/classics Decepticon collection? I know i would..

but here is the thing..if imagination was what we all needed to superseed a mold that has so much aesthetic errors, then we would still be getting G-1 type figures.. things have changed and functional and better looking transformers have been coming out all the time..

Would I buy Superion by itself before the FP kit came on the scene? Probably not..

same with Bruticus..

I don't begrudge anyone who loves these figures the way they are, but honestly.. a new gun, hands, feet, a sword, and a crotch/waist appendage for him would do wonders..maybe even a head attachment to fix that strange Vader like face..

that is just my view..

but classics Grimlock, Bruticus Maximus, G-1 Devastator (or classics), and maybe an Optimus Prime Apex armor 3rd party add on set would rock.. regardless of the mediocre intricacy..

besides.. no one can win on this argument.. we have those who say that 3rd parties should only stick to armor and upgrades, and then those who say that they don't care and want 3rd party figures..and those who say they only buy Hasbro and hate 3rd party stuff..it is almost like you are damned if you don't and damned if you do on taking a position in support or against of 3rd party products..

and now your damned if you don't and damned if you do if you support armor add-ons versus full figure projects..

it's insanity at work!! seriously!!

I still stand by my assessment..this figure could use an upgraded set of add-ons..weapons, hands, feet, waist/crotch, and maybe some extras like some missile launchers for the shoulder and such..but I'd love to have a comparable villain to pose against my super cool and way better styled Autobot combiner..

from this:


to this:


makes much more sense...
Bruticus Maximus needs new hands and feet..

went out to a couple of target today. no luck, but i did find a couple of superions

I checked a few different Targets in my area today. No Bruticus sets yet, but all of the Superion sets seem to have sold through.

Bruticus looks fine as-is to me. His limbs certainly aren't the joke Superion's are. Fansprojects isn't a proper TF company, so no part of me feels that they should do upgrade kits for every one of the Energon combiners. It might be nice if they released the hands seperately for those who want them.

I dunno if I want Bruticus like I wanted Superion. Maybe if / when he goes on sale. Like how I got Superion.

Gauntlet101010 wrote:Bruticus looks fine as-is to me. His limbs certainly aren't the joke Superion's are. Fansprojects isn't a proper TF company, so no part of me feels that they should do upgrade kits for every one of the Energon combiners. It might be nice if they released the hands seperately for those who want them.

I dunno if I want Bruticus like I wanted Superion. Maybe if / when he goes on sale. Like how I got Superion.

you got superion on sale?

tom brokaw wrote:

Gauntlet101010 wrote:Bruticus looks fine as-is to me. His limbs certainly aren't the joke Superion's are. Fansprojects isn't a proper TF company, so no part of me feels that they should do upgrade kits for every one of the Energon combiners. It might be nice if they released the hands seperately for those who want them.

I dunno if I want Bruticus like I wanted Superion. Maybe if / when he goes on sale. Like how I got Superion.

you got superion on sale?

Yeah, he's on sale at Zellars. It was $40 before taxes.

Gauntlet101010 wrote:

tom brokaw wrote:

Gauntlet101010 wrote:Bruticus looks fine as-is to me. His limbs certainly aren't the joke Superion's are. Fansprojects isn't a proper TF company, so no part of me feels that they should do upgrade kits for every one of the Energon combiners. It might be nice if they released the hands seperately for those who want them.

I dunno if I want Bruticus like I wanted Superion. Maybe if / when he goes on sale. Like how I got Superion.

you got superion on sale?

Yeah, he's on sale at Zellars. It was $40 before taxes.

ah i see

skywarp-2 wrote:well here is the thing, fansproject is doing the Rodimus kit, and they are doing the combiners and such, but I never said i would want them to put aside what they are planning just to do an upgrade for Bruticus..

Exactly. 3rd party producers usually have a couple of projects on the go and they don't work in the realm of extremes where making a minor or a major add on kit excludes the production of another kit.

skywarp-2 wrote:that said...

to do an upgrade for Superion and not one for the villain of the same class is kind of a let down.. when you think of your classics collection and you have that big Superion posed in the back ground with Henkei Prime and company gathered up in a fine pose, wouldn't it be just great to see a fully upgraded Bruticus in the back drop of your henkei/classics Decepticon collection? I know i would..

While I think Bruticus Maximus is more of a "total" figure than Superion Maximus and thus needing less "improvement", I wouldn't turn away a 3rd party add on if it was well made and cleverly designed. I'm happy to paint over the transparent hands/feet and find a gun for Bruticus M. but if an add on becomes available that is superior to my mediocre work, which is extremely likely, I'll definitely consider a purchase.

skywarp-2 wrote:but here is the thing..if imagination was what we all needed to superseed a mold that has so much aesthetic errors, then we would still be getting G-1 type figures.. things have changed and functional and better looking transformers have been coming out all the time..

Even with the improvements in toy design, we still have individual customizers and 3rd party producers making improvements for existing toys.

skywarp-2 wrote:besides.. no one can win on this argument.. we have those who say that 3rd parties should only stick to armor and upgrades, and then those who say that they don't care and want 3rd party figures..and those who say they only buy Hasbro and hate 3rd party stuff..it is almost like you are damned if you don't and damned if you do on taking a position in support or against of 3rd party products..

and now your damned if you don't and damned if you do if you support armor add-ons versus full figure projects..

it's insanity at work!! seriously!!

I say collectors should support whoever they want to support because no one is being forced to buy one thing or another. Internet opinions be damned! I, for one, appreciate the access to 3rd party add ons. Maybe it's because I'm a newer collector and I'm not accustomed to the idea of 3rd party products in toys aside from knock off figures.

We, as collectors, are in a pretty darn good spot these days. The market is growing and we have a variety of 3rd party add ons to choose from to help increase our enjoyment of our collections.

Does Bruticus Maximus need or deserve and add on? Heck, does any existing Transformer need or deserve add ons? There are as many answers to those questions as there are people asking. It comes down to what the collector thinks.

Heck, does any existing Transformer need or deserve add ons?

Sure. "Needs" is a debatable word, but I'll say TFs like Classics Magnus, MP Prime, Starscream, and Megs all deserve their add-ons.

The Energon combiners as a whole, though? I'd have to actually see the end product to say whether it "needs" it. Deserves? IMHO they deserve it a shade less than the leaders (like Prime and Magnus) and the MPs.

The biggest improvement on Superion was the addition of elbows. I dunno if Bruticus' mold could even support that. If there's ever an add-on for him, I'd really need a good look before deciding. And it'd help if he was on sale too.

That's why its called a third party company. The only proper TF company is either Hasbro/Takara/Tomy or any one else willing to pay the royalties.

Or haven't anyone noticed that them shelf warmers before the upgrades are now selling like hotcakes!

how I miss not getting the CJ kit.

fenrir72 wrote:.... how I miss not getting the CJ kit.

how much is the cliffjumper kit going nowadays?

tom brokaw wrote:

fenrir72 wrote:.... how I miss not getting the CJ kit.

how much is the cliffjumper kit going nowadays?

There's one on ebay going for over $90.

Too damned much, IMO. It's just not enough.

Gauntlet101010 wrote:

tom brokaw wrote:

fenrir72 wrote:.... how I miss not getting the CJ kit.

how much is the cliffjumper kit going nowadays?

There's one on ebay going for over $90.

Too damned much, IMO. It's just not enough.

yea, i remember when it was first announced, then i stopped collecting. so when it was released i wasnt interested. but now that im back in the game, i want it

Gauntlet101010 wrote:

Heck, does any existing Transformer need or deserve add ons?

Sure. "Needs" is a debatable word, but I'll say TFs like Classics Magnus, MP Prime, Starscream, and Megs all deserve their add-ons.

The Energon combiners as a whole, though? I'd have to actually see the end product to say whether it "needs" it. Deserves? IMHO they deserve it a shade less than the leaders (like Prime and Magnus) and the MPs.

Well my point is that everyone has their own opinion and yet, as skywarp-2 pointed out, there's a "damned if you do and damned if you don't" sentiment with support of one type of add on over another.

I've come to the conclusion that it really comes down to what people want. Do you want to have a 3rd party upgrade for your Transformer? Are you willing to pay the price it's going for? Then go for it. It's as simple as that.

Talk of need or deserve is an activity doomed to failure as when it's really about what people are willing to buy. The fact that people purchase things like the City Commander kit for roughly $90(I think, I may be mistaken as I wasn't really paying attention to the TF toy scene at the time) when it first came out and up to about $200 on the aftermarket determines, on however a limited scale due to limited production, actual desire for an add on within the collector's market. The same goes for the Aerial Team Appendage kit. People are buying it at $45, myself included, and it'll probably sell out in the near future. I wager that if a well designed add on for Bruticus M. were designed, collectors would buy it.

However, I'm not against discussion of personal views of the pros and cons of add ons. I'd love to read more about what people think of things when they offer a glimpse into their reasoning process. I'd rather read someone's points on why something succeeds or fails as a toy product than a simple "This sucks.", "This is great!", or "I'll pass.". No offense to anyone who has previously posted such comments, I can appreciate getting to the heart of the matter. There's no need for long winded posts like mine, hehe.

Edit:

Gauntlet101010 wrote:The biggest improvement on Superion was the addition of elbows. I dunno if Bruticus' mold could even support that. If there's ever an add-on for him, I'd really need a good look before deciding. And it'd help if he was on sale too.

Yeah, I'm not sure how much more you can improve articulation on Bruticus M.'s arms/elbows but having articulated hands or even "claws" would be cool. I'd definitely go for a well sculpted cannon for Bruticus M.

Gauntlet101010 wrote:

tom brokaw wrote:

fenrir72 wrote:.... how I miss not getting the CJ kit.

how much is the cliffjumper kit going nowadays?

There's one on ebay going for over $90.

Too damned much, IMO. It's just not enough.

agreed...

IMHO, a Bruticus maximus kit could do well, but it would be more then just hands, much in the same way that Ultra Magnus (city commander) got a crotch/waist add on.. the Bruticus needs one too.. that huge protruding chest just makes him look like he has boobs under a shirt.. it's not very tough like.. the bog clear static fingers and such.. blech..

they could do a shoulder pivot addition that raises the upper arms and then adds in an elbow and hands for the lower arm..thus making him look tougher and more menacing and giving him maneuverability.. unfortunately i think in order to make this a fair plea for agreement, I am going to have to digibash the scenario I am talking about.. which will take some time..

CP talks about having imagination, yet no one wishes to exercise theirs on potential ideas anymore.. it is all about what can be seen..

Here is a quick Digibash:


it is not much of a digibash, just some ideas on how it might look or could be done..maybe an attachment that hugs the tank and helicopter to add the arms on, and another attachment that extends the shoulders upwards to make the arms work with the forearm attachments..they would have to snap on to the tank and Helicopter shoulders in order for his elbows to work properly.. and maybe a little added kibble to plug into the left image leg to bulk it out to fit the right image leg.. and a helmet or head attachment that snaps on the original and looks more like the G-1 version..it would have slits to allow the head wings to protrude through slightly.. and a chest piece that mirrors the G-1 version some what as well..either way I think it would help..

The chest piece, higher shoulders, and feet, really evoke G1 Bruticus.

Hmm, the hands/forearms could be a bit bigger. If I were designing an add on, I'd venture in a slightly different direction. I say give Bruticus one hand/forearm and one "cannon appendage" add on to put on either of the tank limbs. It could fit over the front of the tank and serve as a weapon in place of a hand. I know it's not like the original Bruticus but if I were to pose an upgraded Bruticus M. with an upgraded Superion M., I'd like to have something different than both wielding a rifle of some sort.

Edit: Question

Does anyone know where the Energon parts on the side of Barricade/Onslaught comes from in these pictures?

Convotron wrote:Does anyone know where the Energon parts on the side of Barricade/Onslaught comes from in these pictures?

Energon Skyblast and some repaint thereof, I think.

Hey skywarp-2 , you treat tfs subjects like a thesis defense hehehe( no offense) and congratulations on your 4000+ posts . But I do agree with the notion that some improvements could be applied to the gestahlt molds(Bruticus Maximus in particular 'cause Superion is a done deal..........a very well done deal.)

Again, I am not sure how the Bruticus helmet fits (is it like a mask like the G1 version?) but it has to go, the Cylon design really looks dorky. A groin guard, and maybe additional arm canons like that of Superion. And the appendages too, maybe this time honest to goodness hands and feet and an updated Bruticus G1 style rifle too.

As for the energon lance like thingie, my Superlink Skyblast had one of those.

I dunno, that digibash is very much a quick edit job. It looks nice enough at first glance, but the arms don't convince me ... too obviously just Superion's arms grafted on Bruticus. The feet as well; not saying feet couldn't work, but it wouldn't work like that. The toys just don't physically work that way. You even have the Aerialbot's legs in there.

Also, these peices would have to work with the individual robots. Having a bunch of combiner parts just lying around is very G1, but .... it's not something particularily strong about G1. Especially your "hugging around" idea; I don't see how that'd combine in any other mode.

Not saying Bruticus attachments can't be done, but ... I'd ned to see a sculpt (or at least a detailed sketch) before climbing on board the idea. And, even then, I'm on the fence. The price for these add-ons is quite steep. I always have to extencively debate it with myself before I buy any of them. And I don't always find it worth it (Powered Commander upgrade set being on that list).