The Energon Pub

VioMeTriX wrote:

Sinnertwin wrote:

VioMeTriX wrote:Id really love to see a masterpiece Blitzwing. I'd buy 3 just to display all his awesomeness...

Now remember what the Gf said about jets...

ah **** man why did you have to go and squash my hopes?

Don't worry bro, ive got it all worked out. just keep 2 in robot mode say one was a gift and the other in tank mode, she'll never know. Then when she's out BAM! Bust out the 3rd mode. See? Gold I tells ya, pure gold

lmao, thanks for a good laugh man, ive needed that lately...

I would definitely love to see Jazz and the rest if he dinobots! Personally, I was disappointed when megatron was killed off, or rather replaced. The era of galvatron was goofy. Megatron and his original decepticon clan were sweet as well as the first wave of autobots and dinobts etc. I just want a few more mp's from the original series and I will be happy.


Otherwise I may go broke buying mp's!

Sinnertwin wrote:

Bowspearer wrote:

warzon3 wrote:I think they almost have to give Ironhide/Ratchet a battle sled, otherwise it will be too difficult to make them blocky like their toon design.

Well the interesting thing is that both of them have their battle stations shown next to them on the style guide, making them a package deal..

iGear made an Ironhide if I'm not mistaken sans battle platform. That seemed like a good interpretation.
I wouldn't be surprised if Takara engineers are taking a few apart and utilising the components as research. At this point its all about repaint value. But it's all speculation (which I don't mind at all) at the end of the day, unless your payslip's marked TakaraTomy.

The iGear one is essentially an oversized Classics figure, not a Masterpiece figure. The Masterpiece line is now and will be for some time, ultimate versions of the G1 characters. That means pulling out all the stops with them. Someone might argue that these are cartoon likenesses, however as Ratchet's battle station showed up in episode one, then it's going to be part and parcel of it.

Furthermore, if anything the design that's likely to be looked at for research is Energon Towline in terms of a design basis.

As for "repaint value" that's patently false if you're talking about it in a "traditional" sense where Transformers lines are concerned. Certainly they're working their way down to single use moulds, however the fact is that accuracy is what they're aiming for at this stage. You don't need to be a TT employee to say that- the line to date proves it- especially with the Autobot Car moulds and the individualised parts which would not be there is this were simply about repaint value.

However it's because of this that the next Autobot car mould will either be the utility truck mould (where Takara can get Inferno, Grapple and Artfire from it and eHobby can get Road Hauler from it) or the Onebox mould (where Takara can get Ironhide and Ratchet and ehobby get Diaclone Ironhide and Rescue Ratchet out of it).

If licensing plays a minimal role in the decision then the utility truck mould will be next one used. However if the Nissan license is a significant factor, then the Onebox van mould will be next. The only way that could possibly change (say if we got Jazz next instead) was if the needed european car licenses came up with a very short window of opportunity to them.

I like to see masterpiece combiner official and the rest of the dinobots.
Also MP Megatron as a Tank as seen in the LEgends mobile game.

Bowspearer wrote:

warzon3 wrote:I think they almost have to give Ironhide/Ratchet a battle sled, otherwise it will be too difficult to make them blocky like their toon design.

Well the interesting thing is that both of them have their battle stations shown next to them on the style guide, making them a package deal.

As for the next con- I'd prefer to wait til next year for him as in the Japanese market, we're already getting 5 of them in the one hit- meaning that we really need more bots first.

As for Megatron, it makers far more sense from an international perspective for his G2 form to get the Masterpiece treatment than his G1 form (specifically due to importing issues). Either that or the Masterpiece version winds up being some kind of tank interpretation of his G1 form, like the depiction shown in his cards on TF: Legends.

that actually looks awesome, with his legs being the front of the tank, and the bot mode will look awesome compare to the old mp mega

Bowspearer wrote:

warzon3 wrote:I think they almost have to give Ironhide/Ratchet a battle sled, otherwise it will be too difficult to make them blocky like their toon design.

Well the interesting thing is that both of them have their battle stations shown next to them on the style guide, making them a package deal.

As for the next con- I'd prefer to wait til next year for him as in the Japanese market, we're already getting 5 of them in the one hit- meaning that we really need more bots first.

As for Megatron, it makers far more sense from an international perspective for his G2 form to get the Masterpiece treatment than his G1 form (specifically due to importing issues). Either that or the Masterpiece version winds up being some kind of tank interpretation of his G1 form, like the depiction shown in his cards on TF: Legends.

that actually looks awesome, with his legs being the front of the tank, and the bot mode will look awesome compare to the old mp mega

Bowspearer wrote:

Sinnertwin wrote:

Bowspearer wrote:

I was making an observation that somebody has designed an Ironhide that I found to be a good rendition of his G1 incarnation. I like what iGear have done in creating an Ironhide without his battle station.
The TT reference? Nobody here can state with certainty what TT will present as the next MP until they reveal it to us. The rest is just pure speculation and open discussion.

Sinnertwin wrote:

Bowspearer wrote:

Sinnertwin wrote:

Bowspearer wrote:

I was making an observation that somebody has designed an Ironhide that I found to be a good rendition of his G1 incarnation. I like what iGear have done in creating an Ironhide without his battle station.

Yes, you stated an opinion. I disagreed with it being at the same standard as a Masterpiece figure. Things such as the roof backpack and wheels clearly visible on the legs mean that it simply failed to reach the bar that the current Masterpiece line has set.

Furthermore the scale guys and animation sheets are the reference material that are clearly being used here as the "bible" for this version of the Masterpiece line [something which the iGear version did not adhere to], so talking about a Ratchet and Ironhide that are made sans battle station, is a moot point.

Sinnertwin wrote:The TT reference? Nobody here can state with certainty what TT will present as the next MP until they reveal it to us. The rest is just pure speculation and open discussion.

Except it's far from as simple as you'd like to make it out to be. There is baseless speculation and there are informed opinions.

Let's look at the facts we know. As MP-16, MP-15, MP-14, MP-13 [at the very least in terms of Laserbeak], MP-12, MP-10 and even arguably MP-11, are all cartoon accurate and adhere to the scale guide used by the G1 animators and republished in "The Ark" guides.

Furthermore, the Autobot cars to date have been picked in order of mould reuses, with the eHobby reuses being factored in to and extend which cannot quite be determined (ie how many eHobby uses equate to 1 Takara mould use). With that in mind, the breakdown for the Autobot Car moulds, from most uses to least uses is as follows.

Lamborghini LP-500S: Sideswipe, Red Alert, Deepcover (eHobby), Clampdown (eHobby), Tigertrack (eHobby)

Datsun Fairlady Z: Prowl, Smokescreen, 'Streak

Mitsubishi Fuso: Inferno, Artfire, Grapple, Road Hauler (eHobby)

Nissan Onebox: Ratchet, Ironhide, Rescue Ratchet (eHobby), Diaclone Ironhide (eHobby)

Honda City Turbo: Skids, Crosscut (eHobby), Skids (eHobby) & Screech (eHobby)

Toyota Hi-Lux: Hoist, Trailbreaker

Porsche 935 Turbo: Jazz, Stepper

Corvette Stingray: Tracks, Roadrage (eHobby)

Mitsubishi J59: Hound, Detritus (eHobby)

Lamborghini LP-500S "Super tuning": Sunstreaker

F-1 Racer: Mirage

Lancia Stratos Turbo: Wheeljack


Of course one unknown here is whether diaclone recolours/retools get thrown into the mix by eHobby. If they are then there are the following recolours/retools that would affect the reusage of some moulds and the order we get them in-

Datsun "Fairlady Z": blue and gold
Honda City Turbo: Black
Toyota Hi-Lux: blue, yellow, red tow type & blue tow type
Porsche 935 Turbo: gold
Lamborghini LP-500S "Super tuning": red and police
F-1 Racer: red
Lancia Stratos Turbo: "Marlboro" custom


Now could that order be proven wrong? Certainly, however on the laws of probability, any predictions made using this information have an incredibly high probability of being accurate.

^^^ there was lots of thought put into that, and i totally agree ^^^

There is one exception there that I deliberately left out and that's Slicer.

The problem I see with Slicer is that the character is caught between a rock and a hard place. One on hand, the Japanese market is unlikely to be interested in a character which only showed up in the Euro Action Master line. However word going around is that licensing is an issue with the Autobot cars currently (at least with Lamborghini anyway) where Hasbro is concerned, meaning that Hasbro are unlikely to produce it.

It is still possible that Takara or eHobby would still make him out of the Lancia Stratos mould. However it would depend on whether the Masterpiece line was doing well enough to risk making an obscure Euro-only character which many Japanese fans may never have even heard of- much less care about enough to fork out 6000 Yen on.

Bowspearer wrote:Except it's far from as simple as you'd like to make it out to be. There is baseless speculation and there are informed opinions.

No, it's quite simple. You've just neglected to address the issue at the crux of my statement.

Sinnertwin wrote:The TT reference? Nobody here can state with certainty what TT will present as the next MP until they reveal it to us. The rest is just pure speculation and open discussion.

Despite everything in your reply, I couldn't find a definitive response. You've presented facts and lists that bolster your case as to the usage of molds etc ,but have failed to address mine. So that we're on the same page, tell me, who will be the next Masterpiece figure?

Sinnertwin wrote:

Bowspearer wrote:Except it's far from as simple as you'd like to make it out to be. There is baseless speculation and there are informed opinions.

No, it's quite simple. You've just neglected to address the issue at the crux of my statement.

On the contrary your response here is a complete prima facie. The fact is that there is a vast difference between wild speculation and and educated hypothesis, despite your wilful denial of that fact.

Otherwise by your argument, we might as well for example, throw science out the window as none of us are truly omniscient.

Sinnertwin wrote:The TT reference? Nobody here can state with certainty what TT will present as the next MP until they reveal it to us. The rest is just pure speculation and open discussion.

Despite everything in your reply, I couldn't find a definitive response. You've presented facts and lists that bolster your case as to the usage of molds etc ,but have failed to address mine. So that we're on the same page, tell me, who will be the next Masterpiece figure?[/quote]

On the contrary, despite your willful ignorance to the contrary, I have completely addressed your point. You claimed that it was impossible to know [and by inference, accurately predict] what the next mould used would be. The fact is that MP-17, MP-18 and MP-19 which I predicted based on the evidence at hand before Red Alert was even released, proves my point in spades.

The fact is that based on the evidence at hand and mould viability (which I went into in my last post so no point repeating it here), it is entirely possible to predict the next mould with almost absolute certainty. The next mould used falls into one of 2 possibilities. If licensing issues are irrelevant, then the next Autobot car mould will be the Mitsubishi Fuso. However if, say, the Nissan licence was a factor [doubtful] then the Onebox would be the next mould used. There is a chance that this may not be accurate, however as the two current MP car moulds fit this trend (eHobby ues being a factor and going from the most reuses down), there is no reason to suggest that Takara would deviate from it.

As for the character to be released first - considering that the characters for certain mould are all released by Takara in one hit, they would all be released within a few months of each other anyway and matter about as much in the long run as whether we get Prowl or Bluestreak first.

Bowspearer wrote:

Sinnertwin wrote:

Bowspearer wrote:Except it's far from as simple as you'd like to make it out to be. There is baseless speculation and there are informed opinions.

No, it's quite simple. You've just neglected to address the issue at the crux of my statement.

On the contrary your response here is a complete prima facie. The fact is that there is a vast difference between wild speculation and and educated hypothesis, despite your wilful denial of that fact.

Otherwise by your argument, we might as well for example, throw science out the window as none of us are truly omniscient.

Sinnertwin wrote:The TT reference? Nobody here can state with certainty what TT will present as the next MP until they reveal it to us. The rest is just pure speculation and open discussion.

Despite everything in your reply, I couldn't find a definitive response. You've presented facts and lists that bolster your case as to the usage of molds etc ,but have failed to address mine. So that we're on the same page, tell me, who will be the next Masterpiece figure?

On the contrary, despite your willful ignorance to the contrary, I have completely addressed your point. You claimed that it was impossible to know [and by inference, accurately predict] what the next mould used would be. The fact is that MP-17, MP-18 and MP-19 which I predicted based on the evidence at hand before Red Alert was even released, proves my point in spades.

The fact is that based on the evidence at hand and mould viability (which I went into in my last post so no point repeating it here), it is entirely possible to predict the next mould with almost absolute certainty. The next mould used falls into one of 2 possibilities. If licensing issues are irrelevant, then the next Autobot car mould will be the Mitsubishi Fuso. However if, say, the Nissan licence was a factor [doubtful] then the Onebox would be the next mould used. There is a chance that this may not be accurate, however as the two current MP car moulds fit this trend (eHobby ues being a factor and going from the most reuses down), there is no reason to suggest that Takara would deviate from it.

As for the character to be released first - considering that the characters for certain mould are all released by Takara in one hit, they would all be released within a few months of each other anyway and matter about as much in the long run as whether we get Prowl or Bluestreak first.[/quote]

5 paragraphs and you still can't answer my question. Who will the next Masterpiece figure be? I'm not interested in mold variations, licencing, comparisons, just give me a name.

On the contrary, I've already answered your question as to which group of characters we'll get next (considering that figures made from the same mould are released within a month or so of one another, who exactly comes first is splitting hairs). If you can't see what the answer is, then the fault lies with you (as it should be obvious just who we'd get if it's the Fuso and who we'd get if it's the Onebox).

<double post>

Bowspearer wrote:On the contrary, I've already answered your question as to which group of characters we'll get next (considering that figures made from the same mould are released within a month or so of one another, who exactly comes first is splitting hairs). If you can't see what the answer is, then the fault lies with you (as it should be obvious just who we'd get if it's the Fuso and who we'd get if it's the Onebox).

You don't say? I'd never have guessed it would be Ironhide or Inferno. You don't need to be Einstein to work out Takara's business direction involving repaints.You want to know what else is obvious? The fact that you've got nothing and can't definitively give me the name of the next MP. I want you to commit and say "the next figure is going to be xxxxx ". Not if we get this mold first it's this, but if we get this it's that. And you know what that means, don't you?

Hi Guys,

My first post, so hopefully I'm making sense here

Takara have historically built some Masterpiece figures that can be "re-tooled" (I hope I used that word correctly), into other characters, with the first of which usually an anchor character i.e.:

1. Optimus Prime / Ultra Magnus
2. Starscream/ Skywarp / Thundercracker etc.
3. Lambor (aka Sideswipe) / Red Alert
4. Prowl / Bluestreak / Smokescreen(?)
5. Rumble / Frenzy & Laserbeak / Buzzsaw (to lesser degrees)

albeit it with slight modifications to achieve G1 cartoon accuracy.

In between there have been "one-off" figures like Grimlock, Rodimus Prime, Soundwave, Megatron that are unique in form.

Takara seem to be focusing on the rank and file "soldier" characters in the Autobot team with similar alt forms for now, and I'm hazarding a guess that unless we are due for a post 1986 Movie character, I'm guessing that the next Masterpiece with a new mould may either be:

1. Ironhide / Ratchet (Nissan Vanettes)
2. Inferno / Grapple (Mitsubishi Fuso Trucks)
3. Trailbreaker / Hoist (Toyota Hilux Trucks)

If they are "one-off" characters, I'd love a Galvatron, Cyclonus Wheeljack, Shockwave, or Hound.

From what's been presented so far, releasing a design that can spawn multiple figures usually means that Takara are working on some complex character that needs time? Well, we can hope?

Due to the shenanigans around Porsche and VW not wanting to release licenses for "war-toys", its hard to see a G1 accurate Jazz, Cliffjumper or Bumblebee coming up anytime soon. Has that been resolved?

Anyhows, just waiting for MP-17, MP-18 and MP-19 for now Still many more characters to come before the list runs out!

Back to work

In a recent interview Shogo Hasui stated that they "hope to release 2 larger and 2 smaller MPs this year as well." He also talks about wanting to make Ultra Magnus, Jazz, and Bruticus.

That's exciting news! Happy days ahead for G1 collectors.

• A new Megatron that is as good as the MP-10. Something that looks like Toei's Megatron.

• A charachter as likeable and iconic as Bumblebee deserves a Masterpiece.

• Wheeljack & Ironhide, great characters, lousy toys. They also deserve a Masterpiece.

I can't really choose, I'd like a Masterpiece representation of all the Transformers from the American cartoon! But that's not realistic. :)

Q: Did Takara ever do another production run of a sold-out Masterpiece figure in the past?

I saw that article...the designer said he wants to do as many as he can, which is cool....

I definitely think Jazz will be coming up in the next year sometime.


I know there is lots of fan debate over the licensing issues with the MP line. I am just really curious who Takara contacted and which ones are definitely NOT on the table for MP due to legality??? Period. End of Story. No Chance that it will happen.

I mean, I'm holding out for a Takara MP Shockwave...do the 3rd parties know something we don't that they went ahead with creating him?

No way they do 4 brand new designs before the year is out though...I think Soundwave gets repainted with 2 new cassettes. That would knock out 3 of them right there....

I vote for Jazz, cliffjumper, and shockwave.

And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I also want a Bumblebee

Sinnertwin wrote:

Bowspearer wrote:On the contrary, I've already answered your question as to which group of characters we'll get next (considering that figures made from the same mould are released within a month or so of one another, who exactly comes first is splitting hairs). If you can't see what the answer is, then the fault lies with you (as it should be obvious just who we'd get if it's the Fuso and who we'd get if it's the Onebox).

You don't say? I'd never have guessed it would be Ironhide or Inferno. You don't need to be Einstein to work out Takara's business direction involving repaints.You want to know what else is obvious? The fact that you've got nothing and can't definitively give me the name of the next MP. I want you to commit and say "the next figure is going to be xxxxx ". Not if we get this mold first it's this, but if we get this it's that. And you know what that means, don't you?

Really, I've got nothing yet by your own admission my reasoning is entirely in line with the business model Takara is using? The reason you are so quick to say "you've got nothing is because I wont play your little game and it's devastating to your prima facie blanket conflation of blind speculation with carefully considered predictions.

The fact is you were given 2 scenarios of which way it could go which you've chosen to disregard (I will however say that if it's based on mould reuses and past reissues/AECHenkei then Inferno is likely to hit before Grapple; Ironhide and Ratchet aren't so clear cut though). You can cry out "you've got nothing all you like" however it does not change the difference between there being a vast difference between blind speculation and carefully considered predictions.

Cyberpath wrote:
• A new Megatron that is as good as the MP-10. Something that looks like Toei's Megatron.

• A charachter as likeable and iconic as Bumblebee deserves a Masterpiece.

• Wheeljack & Ironhide, great characters, lousy toys. They also deserve a Masterpiece.

Wishlist: completed.