Been a while since I posted here. But I wanted to make a thread about combiners in general since what i have to discuss/show photos is form 3 different lines, and will arguably incorporate more as time goes on.
As some of you know, I came back to the franchise collecting because of CW, and UW (especially the latter since Trakara improved upon some of the quirks of the Hasbro releases). I am literally one toy away from having what i consider a perfected UW/CW/PotP/Selects collection, and I still hope to obtain that one toy and finish it in time.
However, as we look to the modern era, I wanted to show off what has been released so far
Taking nearly 2 years to release the first masterpiece Combiner - Trainbots (Raiden) from June 2022-February 2024 under the new "MPG" line was an interesting experiment. Wonderful HO scale trains, solid individual bots, but ultimately a failed combiner. I have the DNA DK-58 set added on, which is pretty much a necessity for any form of stability. I wanted him next to the bot that shares his Diaclone origins. They do look mostly good together, unfortunately the DNA kit makes Raiden every so slightly "too tall". shave off a quarter inch, and it would be perfect.
Next we have SS Devastator (The 86 moniker was dropped, now just references TFTM). Released throughout 2025 as 2 deluxe, 2 voyagers, and a Commander class "2-pack" Definitely solid, and I love the scale. The extra trailer to make up for not having Long Haul be twice the size of the other bots was an interesting design choice. But Devy looks great. I'm still keeping my UW version (not pictures) to be on shelf next to my Siege Omega Supreme. But the 2 pictures look pretty good together.
Next we have Menasor and Superion
The Stuntacons were released throughout 2022 in the first year of the Legacy toyline. The first of the new take on "Scramble" combiners (sans the scramble), a skeleton frame system was developed for greater stability, and animation accuracy, however this has divided fans. However, as we have seen, this appears to be the new norm going forward.
2025 Age of the Primes Superion -Released in a similar way to Menasor, with 4 deluxes attached to a skeleton. The final product looks and feels great, if not dividing fans over the lack of scramble-ability.
The Future???
2026 will see the completion of Age of the Primes Bruticus.
AS of this writing 3 parts have been released Deluxes (Whirl & Vortex) & Voyager Brawl. This Skeleton is slightly different in that it relies more on the legs as voyagers (Brawl & Swindle) to support its stability. We shall see in time how this works. Initial response has been mixed, but I believe the final product will look better than production images, its the stability that we will have to wait to see how it works
Also in 2026... Haslab LioKaiser
Now the villains are really outnumbering the heroes. Haslab LioKaiser has a projected release date of "Fall 2026" for those that backed it in spring of 2025. Being composed of 7 "Voyager" figures, this set will hopefully avoid the QC issues of the last Haslab. Also it appears that there will be some add-ons, (similar to SS TFTM Devastator), in the the lower torso/thighs (Jallguar) cant do all it needs to without being oversized, so much like Long-Haul it will have extra parts for the combined mode. I cant wait to have this one in hand.
Well that's all that has been confirmed so far. Sure there is speculation about Protectabots in 2027, and perhaps Selects releases of current combiners in G2, or other rare Japanese variants (Battle Gaia please!!!). But one thing is for sure, for those looking to replace their CW collection, at one or two combiners per year, you are going to have to be in it for the Long Haul (no pun intended)
