The Energon Pub

Repaint.

It can be such a dirty word when it comes to our hobby as some repaints can be pretty suckariffic if not handled properly. Sometimes each individual figure looks great, except after a while you get tired of having 4 figs of the same mold.

Yet sometimes a mold just seemingly gets better with each repaint.

Tonight I picked up the Universe Silverstreak and Sideswipe (Ironhide, too) and I have to say I really am falling in love with these guys.

Sideswipe wasn't real high on my list simply because I didn't think they did enough to differntiate him from Sunstreaker, especially in vehicle mold, but once I got him out of the package I was totally sold on him.

Silverstreak I bought mainly because I heard they were doing a Smokescreen and I absolutely loved that original figure. So, if I was gonna have Prowl and Smokescreen, I figured I might as well get Streak, too.

I was totally blown away by Streak. His paint deco is simply awesome and the mold just seems so much cooler in these colors than Prowl's white, A definite must-have.

So, I started this thread for 2 reasons. First reason is I wanted to see if you guys had the same opinion on these particular figs.

Secondly, I wanted to open it for you guys to discuss some of your favorite (and least favorite) repaints.

I haven't found Universe Sideswipe yet, but I'm already sold on him.

As for molds that have been repainted, I know it's kinda beating a dead horse, but I'm a fan of the Cybertron Hot Shot mold. He looked good as Hot Shot, awesome as Excellion, and even more badass as BotCon Goldbug.

I'm not a big fan of any redecoes. If I have that mold already, I don't see too much of a point in getting the same thing in a new color. For example: I make no plans on buying any seekers other than Starscream ever because most of the other seekers are outshined by him.

This is not the same for retools. The Sunstreaker/ Sideswipe thing is neat. I'd consider buying Animated Wasp simply to have a Waspinator-ish figure.

And since they count and I am not afraid to say: I will buy the animated Jet twins.

In short: Some redecos can be neat. It all depends.

I prefer the Toys R Us Black Lio Convoy to the original...

That's pretty much the only preferred repaint I can think of.

Bought 2 Universe Sideswipes today and I LOVE him. Especially the head re-mold and the fact you can attach his blaster to his shoulder) Sideswipe is my favorite Autobot next to Streak and they are awesome posed next to each other. Only problem I have had is the left door panel on both of the Swipes is loose as hell and swings a bit..

Got 2 Universe Silverstreaks today and I must say I love him. Much better paint apps. than his counterpart Prowl and I am a large fan of the black-red-silver combination. Hasbro hit a home run with this one. No problems.

Got 1 Universe Irohide today and I love him too. Finally, an Ironhide to display on the classics Autobots shelf...(left me longing for a Universe Ratchet )I will for sure be picking up the Henkei version of this mold due to thode horrible blue windows and the death-blue face paint app. Over all, a solid toy and even the flawed Hasbro version fills a gap on my shelf.

I'm a little finicky when it comes to repaints. As of right now I'm only focusing on Classics/25th Anniversery figures, however I'll buy nearly any action figure on clearnce. Therefore, I rarely buy a repaint unless I don't have that mold.

Still though, if it's a repaint based on a G1 character(for my Classics) I will of course consider it. That's why I got all three of the Wal-mart exclusive guys, though another is because I didn't have the Cybertron Hot Shot mold or Cyb Red Alert mold.

However, if they redecoed Cyb Red Alert again in Hoist colors and maybe gave him a new head and switched the fist/gun hands(think about it, they basically have the same body structure, Hoist is a medic, and his Spychanger was an SUV) I would most certainly buy that repaint. Heck, I'd buy it even if it was just a straight repaint, because Hoist is a good character.

So basically what I'm saying is, if it's an homage to an obscure character that probably isn't going to be getting a figure anytime soon I would consider buying it. Repaints for the sake of repaints however I usually pass on, unless I like the character and don't have the original mold.

I have nothing against repaints. In fact I have a soft spot for repaints becaue it allows me to have two of a figure without the figures looking the same. I appreciate how some repaints look better that the original paintjob and how some repaints lend to a nice G1 homage.

And if repaints allow Hasbro to raise the capital for new molds then I can certainly support repaints.

Zek Patterson wrote:This is not the same for retools. The Sunstreaker/ Sideswipe thing is neat.

I'm aware that in the strictest sense Sideswipe is actually not a repaint, but I do feel that even the modfied mold favors Sunstreaker more. But like I said, once I got Sideswipe out, I liked him a lot.

Zek Patterson wrote:I'm not a big fan of any redecoes. If I have that mold already, I don't see too much of a point in getting the same thing in a new color. For example: I make no plans on buying any seekers other than Starscream ever because most of the other seekers are outshined by him.

My feelings exactly. Nine different versions of the same mold is redundant.

For other repaints, some I will get for whatever reason (either a favorite character/design - ex. movie Bumblebee), or because I missed it the first time around and don't want to go out of my way or spending limit to get the original version.

Ultra Prime wrote:And if repaints allow Hasbro to raise the capital for new molds then I can certainly support repaints.

Here, here!

Repaints:

The re-release and repaints of the Cybertron line and others has made me pretty happy. I missed out on some great figures back then, mostly because the Cybertron line is what got me collecting again; and I started a little late.

I just picked up Dropshot last night, and I couldn't be happier. I'm also super excited about all four Target exclusives! Bring on the Cybertron repaints!

Counterpunch wrote:Repaints:

What, no Universe Ultra Magnus repaint of Overload?

This wave of Transformers, and their repaints are te ones I'm looking forward to the most.

Sideswipe is alot more appealing than Sunstreaker, the combination of white red and black seems a lot nicer than yellow, black and gray.

I never had an Ironhide, but I look forward to him being retooled into Ratchet, though I hope they fix his head problem by that point.

It takes very little to make a repaint worth buying. But it's a fine formula that Hasbro seems to get a grasp around at one point in time, then develop sudden amnesia and forget for a while immediately after.

Just slapping different color schemes onto a character and calling it something else doesn't always work, Acidstorm. Or pumping out 30 different repaints of a figure with nothing to distinguish from it other than what plastic it was molded in(Cliffjumper).

But then we get the repaints that work. Universe Roadbuster(aside from the head which I want to replace as soon as it comes out) because the mold worked extremely well for that character.

Same with Sideswipe, they did just enough retooling to make him different from Sunstreaker, and planned ahead so they were able to design that figure around the fact that they would be the same figure with two different transformations.

Generally, i'm not a fan of repaints.

But as more and more of these came out, i realized there are several types of repaints. And i can't bundle them all under one roof, and reject them outright.

First, there is this "cross-series" repaints. Such as Energon or Cybertron lines repainted into some semblance of G1 characters. And then repackaging them into Classics figures. I really hate this type or repaints.

Second, there is this repaint of the same mold designed for a certain series, for the purpose of filling up characters, that, in the cartoons were really twins after all. Such as Starscream into the other Seekers, Ironhide into Ratchet, Prowl into Silverstreak/Smokescreen, Sunstreaker into Sideswipe and possibly Red Alert. This type i like. It makes sense. It's beautiful. Especially when they make subtle changes, such as Ramjet's head, Sideswipe's chest and head, etc.

Third, there is this repaint same as above, but of obscure or unknown characters. Such as this purple Bumblebee, Acidstorm/Sunstorm, Jetfire Decepticon (don't know the name), etc. I don't appreciate this group.

Fourth, there is this repaint that should have some modifications, but were skipped. Such as Cliffjumper without the correct head, Ultra Magnus without the armour. This group can be acceptable on case to case basis. But i feel bad that they don't do justtice to some of these popular characters. Making them simple milking-cash-cows.

Senor Hugo wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:Repaints:

What, no Universe Ultra Magnus repaint of Overload?

Counterpunch wrote:

Senor Hugo wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:Repaints:

What, no Universe Ultra Magnus repaint of Overload?

Ah, shoulda known.

Personally I don't have an issue with repaints, but I tend to like them as either
A) Army builders.
Lots of little guys with the same design but different colors. i have a weakness for the Energon Arcee mold.

or

B) Distinct characters. There are a few perennial repaints I like like this, the seekers are the best example. Ironhide/Ratchet, Bluestreak/etc, Sideswipe/etc.

Repaints of Grimlock, for example, don't do much for me.

Best "repaint" ever IMO is Energon Megatron to Galvatron. Talk about a "well duh" decision.