The Energon Pub

Armarauders? No.

First the blaster and soundwave pack and now this . it 's been a boring afternoon on the toys front for me today.

Damn, this is the first botcon exclusive i've really wanted since the g2 redux box set.

Fires_Of_Inferno wrote:I really hope some version of this makes it to retail.

I really hope this is true in some way, shape or form, even if it's a completely separate figure that's the retail Strika.

Well, looks like I'll be heading to Botcon.

Actually, I'll save up the money and wait for all the reveal b4 I make that decision.

This isn't for me.

More $$$ I'll be saving.

I swear... It's like FunPub just goes out of their way to make stuff I don't give a crap about.

Congratulations, FunPub.

I hate the cannon chest. It doesn't make me think Strika, it makes me think "Warpath is dressing in drag."

Are there really so few broad chested armored carriers we can paint purple and stick a Strika head on?

Since they're using Gen. Warpath in the set, would it be inconsiderate to say:

Can haz Sparkcrusher?

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Since they're using Gen. Warpath in the set, would it be inconsiderate to say:

Can haz Sparkcrusher?

...

...

Yes.

Ugh. Don't get me wrong, it works as Strika, but seriously- aren't there a STACK of G1 characters who could have been chosen before going to a BM character as a choice (even if she was technically a pre-BM character via canon retconning)......

Welp, there's a lady toy so that settles it, I'm getting a Primus package. Anyone interested in a Skywarp?

And I wouldn't be surprised if they made Obsidian one of the attendee exclusives, just to tick of the Iacon package people.

Bowspearer wrote:Ugh. Don't get me wrong, it works as Strika, but seriously- aren't there a STACK of G1 characters who could have been chosen before going to a BM character as a choice (even if she was technically a pre-BM character via canon retconning)......

They've already done a STACK of G1 characters before going to do a BM character. Nobody ever said that G1 characters is all they should do. They cover the whole of Transformers, except perhaps the movie continuity. Don't be surprised if next year was an Armada theme with modern toys.

Bass X0 wrote:

Bowspearer wrote:Ugh. Don't get me wrong, it works as Strika, but seriously- aren't there a STACK of G1 characters who could have been chosen before going to a BM character as a choice (even if she was technically a pre-BM character via canon retconning)......

They've already done a STACK of G1 characters before going to do a BM character. Nobody ever said that G1 characters is all they should do. They cover the whole of Transformers, except perhaps the movie continuity. Don't be surprised if next year was an Armada theme with modern toys.

PLEASE. DO EET.

I think Strika might have been better as a Straxus repaint. This colour scheme on this figure just make me want Impactor.

Bass X0 wrote:

Bowspearer wrote:Ugh. Don't get me wrong, it works as Strika, but seriously- aren't there a STACK of G1 characters who could have been chosen before going to a BM character as a choice (even if she was technically a pre-BM character via canon retconning)......

They've already done a STACK of G1 characters before going to do a BM character.

On the contrary, we've seen 2 G1 characters in the Botcon Machine Wars lineup so far - that's hardly "a STACK of G1 characters".

Bass X0 wrote:Nobody ever said that G1 characters is all they should do.

Except that the whole concept of this year's particular Botcon line was meant to be essentially a "Series 2" of Machine Wars. Machine Wars was always a redux on G1 characters. Granted G2 characters might have possibly shown up, but with the exception of Megaplex, who was essentially a body double and an excuse to make a recolour out of Megatron, all the characters involved were G1.

If there had've been a series 2, Strika would not have been a part of it as the character would not even come to exist for another few years. However it's highly probable that we would have seen more Autobot Cars and maybe even the cassettes and Constructicons, had there been a Series 2 of Machine Wars.

Bass X0 wrote:They cover the whole of Transformers, except perhaps the movie continuity.

Yes and this year we're dealing with Machine Wars - what's your point?

Bass X0 wrote:Don't be surprised if next year was an Armada theme with modern toys.

Yes and when/if they do, I would expect that series of convention toys to stay within the realms of that theme & not deviate wildly from it - which is exactly what throwing Strika into the mix as their first "expansion" choice amounts to.

Honestly, if this was meant to just be a complete reboot of Machine Wars rather than how Series 2 of the toys would have played out at the time (had they been released), I wish they wouldn't just said so.

Right now out of the 3 reveals, we have a lazy execution (Hoist), poor mould choice (Skywarp) and now poor character choice (Strika) based on what they initially said the line would be. If FP were actively trying to irritate people through creating false expectations, then they've wildly suceeded here.

I think Strika might have been better as a Straxus repaint.

They already used the Darkmount mold. They prefer to use different molds each year.

On the contrary, we've seen 2 G1 characters in the Botcon Machine Wars lineup so far - that's hardly "a STACK of G1 characters".

They've done a stack of G1 characters in previous years and have barely touched Beast Machines.

Don't get me wrong - by all means the Club should have Strika somewhere as a Club exclusive figure (it's not like Hasbro would ever do it), but considering the character wasn't even around in 1998, this set is a completely inappropriate place for her to show up.

That said, I really do have to deal with the utterly fallacious response you've given.

Bass X0 wrote:

On the contrary, we've seen 2 G1 characters in the Botcon Machine Wars lineup so far - that's hardly "a STACK of G1 characters".

They've done a stack of G1 characters in previous years

We're talking specifically about this year's Machine Wars theme, which according to the convention organisers themselves, was supposed to be how the line would have looked if Hasbro had've released a "Series 2" of the line circa 1997/1998 and therefore how character selection should be appropriate to that premise. What has been done in previous years is irrelevant to how character selection does or does not fit into that premise.

Bass X0 wrote: and have barely touched Beast Machines.

You mean except for 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 right? All of the stories and themes from those years took place circa the Beast Machines Storyline and where 3H didn't release the toys themselves, they had a list of toys shoehorned into that universe that saw mainstream release (in a similar manner to what was done with SG by FP).

Except that the whole concept of this year's particular Botcon line was meant to be essentially a "Series 2" of Machine Wars. Machine Wars was always a redux on G1 characters. Granted G2 characters might have possibly shown up, but with the exception of Megaplex, who was essentially a body double and an excuse to make a recolour out of Megatron, all the characters involved were G1.

If there had've been a series 2, Strika would not have been a part of it as the character would not even come to exist for another few years. However it's highly probable that we would have seen more Autobot Cars and maybe even the cassettes and Constructicons, had there been a Series 2 of Machine Wars.

Nope. Its Machine Wars series two but they never said they would just do Machine Wars characters. Pete@Botcon continually repeated that there are two characters from Machine Wars 1997 and the remaining three would be "game changing". This is not series two as Hasbro would have done it in 1998, but how Botcon 2013 is choosing to forward the story.

Yes and this year we're dealing with Machine Wars - what's your point?

Nope. This isn't just a Machine Wars themed set. It was only called that due to the first two reveals but now we know its Machine Wars + Beast Machines + whatever else they decide to add to this year. An Electro repaint from this year's Hoist is strongly rumored because of the head mold.

Bowspearer, would it ease your mind a bit if I told you Strika was retconned into the G1 cartoon series via the Wings Universe by FunPub? If you can locate a pink hunky fembot in the Season 3 Five Faces of Darkness series, that's Strika. The screenshot should be in the first few pages of the thread.

If all you want is Machine Wars redone and nothing else added, that would make for a boring set, wouldn't you think? 8 molds, 4 repaints from those molds?

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Bowspearer, would it ease your mind a bit if I told you Strika was retconned into the G1 cartoon series via the Wings Universe by FunPub? If you can locate a pink hunky fembot in the Season 3 Five Faces of Darkness series, that's Strika. The screenshot should be in the first few pages of the thread.

If all you want is Machine Wars redone and nothing else added, that would make for a boring set, wouldn't you think? 8 molds, 4 repaints from those molds?

Hunky fembot?

njb902 wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Bowspearer, would it ease your mind a bit if I told you Strika was retconned into the G1 cartoon series via the Wings Universe by FunPub? If you can locate a pink hunky fembot in the Season 3 Five Faces of Darkness series, that's Strika. The screenshot should be in the first few pages of the thread.

If all you want is Machine Wars redone and nothing else added, that would make for a boring set, wouldn't you think? 8 molds, 4 repaints from those molds?

Hunky fembot?

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

njb902 wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Bowspearer, would it ease your mind a bit if I told you Strika was retconned into the G1 cartoon series via the Wings Universe by FunPub? If you can locate a pink hunky fembot in the Season 3 Five Faces of Darkness series, that's Strika. The screenshot should be in the first few pages of the thread.

If all you want is Machine Wars redone and nothing else added, that would make for a boring set, wouldn't you think? 8 molds, 4 repaints from those molds?

Hunky fembot?

It is quite the appropriate retcon, isn't it? Besides, Strika was ALWAYS G1 character, it makes sense to place her in SOMETHING before Machine Wars.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

njb902 wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Bowspearer, would it ease your mind a bit if I told you Strika was retconned into the G1 cartoon series via the Wings Universe by FunPub? If you can locate a pink hunky fembot in the Season 3 Five Faces of Darkness series, that's Strika. The screenshot should be in the first few pages of the thread.

If all you want is Machine Wars redone and nothing else added, that would make for a boring set, wouldn't you think? 8 molds, 4 repaints from those molds?

Hunky fembot?

How do we know it wasn't a male-type robot whose just FABULOUS!

Mkall wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

njb902 wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Bowspearer, would it ease your mind a bit if I told you Strika was retconned into the G1 cartoon series via the Wings Universe by FunPub? If you can locate a pink hunky fembot in the Season 3 Five Faces of Darkness series, that's Strika. The screenshot should be in the first few pages of the thread.

If all you want is Machine Wars redone and nothing else added, that would make for a boring set, wouldn't you think? 8 molds, 4 repaints from those molds?

Hunky fembot?

How do we know it wasn't a male-type robot whose just FABULOUS!

Well, Transformers are known for "physically changing"

Bass X0 wrote:

Except that the whole concept of this year's particular Botcon line was meant to be essentially a "Series 2" of Machine Wars. Machine Wars was always a redux on G1 characters. Granted G2 characters might have possibly shown up, but with the exception of Megaplex, who was essentially a body double and an excuse to make a recolour out of Megatron, all the characters involved were G1.

If there had've been a series 2, Strika would not have been a part of it as the character would not even come to exist for another few years. However it's highly probable that we would have seen more Autobot Cars and maybe even the cassettes and Constructicons, had there been a Series 2 of Machine Wars.

Nope. Its Machine Wars series two but they never said they would just do Machine Wars characters. Pete@Botcon continually repeated that there are two characters from Machine Wars 1997 and the remaining three would be "game changing". This is not series two as Hasbro would have done it in 1998, but how Botcon 2013 is choosing to forward the story.

Yes and this year we're dealing with Machine Wars - what's your point?

Nope. This isn't just a Machine Wars themed set. It was only called that due to the first two reveals but now we know its Machine Wars + Beast Machines + whatever else they decide to add to this year. An Electro repaint from this year's Hoist is strongly rumored because of the head mold.

Actually here's what Pete said here:

The inspiration here is basically a "Machine Wars: Series 2." The 2013 BotCon offerings will work both as a stand alone AND as a continuation of the Machine Wars line. Once people read the fiction fans will see each toy from both series 1 and series 2 work as their own individual character.

This "Series 2" is not just a redux. Yes, there will be homage's to the original toys. But we take it a step further. Some characters will have NEW features/characteristics. Some that were basics will now be in a more appropriate voyager form. And yes, we have also added NEW characters to the Machine Wars line up. Ones that totally fit the MACHINE WARS concept i.e. these are WAR MACHINES!

Long story short, we approached this years offering as a true second series of Machine Wars toys.

Yet the moment you go outside of the characters that were around in 1997/1998 (where maybe you even give BW characters who were around at the time a MW incarnation to be "game changing"), you're no longer in the territory of a Botcon take on the way Hasbro probably would have gone had they done a 2nd series of toys at the time. Where you wind up is essentially "Transformers: Universe" with a Machine Wars flavour to it. The two are radically different approaches and the early press releases made it sound very much like the former.