The Energon Pub

Hi guys,
I've been away from Transformers collecting since about late 2011 but I just got back into it, so I was wondering what your favorite figures from Generations (both Fall of Cybertron and Thrilling 30/IDW), Prime RID, and Prime Beast Hunters are. So far I have deluxe Shockwave, Ultra Magnus, Jazz, and Starscream from the FOC Generations line and only voyager Beast Hunters Ultra Magnus from all of Prime and Beast Hunters. Also, I'm not really into Cyberverse but I am kind of intrigued by Construct-Bots.

Thanks in advance.

As far as your FOC line I would recommend not missing out on Kickback as (IMO) he is probably the best deluxe from the line. Voyager Grimlock is really good while Soundwave and Blaster are good, but the disc gimmick for the little guys are more of a miss. Bruticus is completely your choice. Hollow on the back, however not bad from the front.

I'll let someone who collects more of the Prime line go in that field although I do own Voyagers Bulkhead and Shockwave which I love both as well as both versions of Ultra Magnus.

The 30th: I personally like the three voyagers out thus far (blitzwing, Springer, and Sandstorm) but they have a few issues with shoulder joints and what not, but pretty good overall representations of the characters honestly.
Deluxes: I would recommend avoiding the bumblebee mold but the others are not bad actually. Some have size issues such as hoist and trailbreaker(cutter) but are not bad representations of the character.

Good luck.

A lot of the PRiD figures were really good. Wheeljack, Soundwave, Vehicon, Dreadwing, and Rumble were the very best. Beast Hunters gave us the delicious Shockwave, Predaking, and Ultra Magnus figures. Also, GO! did Smokescreen some great justice.

As far as Generations are concerned, I think the only "great" FoC figures were Kickback, Optimus, and Grimlock.

Every Deluxe mold from Thrilling 30 thus far (the only exception being Skids) has been some of the best figures I've seen since 2012. Unfortunately, the Voyagers are lacking. Springer and Rhinox appear to be the only good Voyagers, while everyone else available now are either mediocre or smoldering piles of **** (I'm looking at you, Whirl).

I can only tell you what in my opinion are the good figures, as I not only don't own them all, I didn't even see them all in person (such as the aforementioned Kickback).

From FoC, I recommend Shockwave and Grimlock. I don't like either of their alternate modes, but the robot modes are very pleasing to the eye and are actually fun to pose.

From Generations I have Metroplex and Blitzwing, and I like both of them aesthetically. Metroplex is fun to play with, if you have a lot of Legends figures you can do all kinds of stuff. He's more like a playset than an actual Transformer. Though I do have him in robot mode, standing next to my G1 Maximus. Blitzwing, I am kinda soured on, he still looks good, but the only reason I haven't sold him is because he goes well with TFCC Astrotrain. Now, if only Hasbro or even FunPub would make an appropriate Octane to go with them...

As for Prime and Beast Hunters, I only have Voyager Shockwave, which I really like without his Beast Hunters accessories. I also plan on getting Beast Hunters Optimus Prime and Sharkticon Megatron, they both look rather good.

get some masterpiece transformers and stop collecting the kids toys...lol

VioMeTriX wrote:get some masterpiece transformers and stop collecting the kids toys...lol

Way to positively contribute.

Though MP figures over the last 2 years have been pretty awesome.

I was meaning to be sarcastic... sorry you read that differently. Next time ill make the LOL bigger

VioMeTriX wrote:I was meaning to be sarcastic... sorry you read that differently. Next time ill make the LOL bigger

That would only make it worse as it would add a sense of ridicule. Just saying.

My favourite figures from Generations and Prime? I can only really comment on Prime because Generation was never released in our cold little froggyland here. Here are my picks:

Prime Robots in Disguise
- Wheeljack. A perfect update to the character design, no gimmicky transformation, just smooth sailing. And it lends itself well to retools as Dead End and Arms Micron Stunt Wildrider have shown.
- Arcee. A bit less finnicky than the First Edition one, but still pretty satisfying.
- Vehicon. Better, slimmer, clever transformation, somewhat more readily available (despite all you army builders)

Prime Beast Hunters
- Grimwing. Simple standard animal to robot fare, one might call him a victim of Cheetor-syndrome. But it works for him, and a bird will stand out from all the dragons.

PRID Vehicon is great. I prefer Dead End's horrific paint job to Wheeljack's as well as his freaky mutant face. First Edition Arcee and Starscream are both pretty great too. I like PRID Ratchet and his Beast Hunters version as well.

PRiD Vehicon is brilliantly engineered, and has such a nice transformation. He is not as fiddly as his FE counterpart either. He is virtually 100% show accurate with very little kibble. I would definitely pick him up along with one of his winged brothering from the Arms Micron line.

VioMeTriX wrote:get some masterpiece transformers and stop collecting the kids toys...lol

I'm sorry, but I don't believe in giving an arm and a leg for an action figure. I'm a college student and spending $100-$600 USD on a big toy "collector piece" is unfathomable to me.

Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions guys. Looks like I'll try to pick up Vehicon and Rumble for now as well as PRID Ultra Magnus and Generations Grimlock.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Prime Beast Hunters
- Grimwing. Simple standard animal to robot fare, one might call him a victim of Cheetor-syndrome. But it works for him, and a bird will stand out from all the dragons.

"Cheetor Syndrome": I assume this is "Stand up, flip head forward or back, stick tail in hand as sword or whip"? If so, it needs to be added to the general TF lexicon immediately.

Valandar wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Prime Beast Hunters
- Grimwing. Simple standard animal to robot fare, one might call him a victim of Cheetor-syndrome. But it works for him, and a bird will stand out from all the dragons.

"Cheetor Syndrome": I assume this is "Stand up, flip head forward or back, stick tail in hand as sword or whip"? If so, it needs to be added to the general TF lexicon immediately.

If we keep using it enough we can get it on TF Wiki.
I'll have to keep this phrase in mind...

You need to at least get Voyager Springer.

Overall the last 2 years I picked up around 30 or so figures from Prime RiD, Beast Hunters, Arms Micron, Generations, and then the re-issues of MP's.

Prime:

-Deluxes: Wheeljack, Prowl/Smokescreen, Vehicon and Soundwave.
-Arms Micron: Final Battle Megatron, Nemesis Prime, Frenzy and Rumble
-Voyagers: Thundertron and Ultra Magnus (Better then BH UM in my opinion)

Beast Hunters:

-Predacons: Most of them were very well done. I grabbed Grimwing/Dark Steel, Ripclaw, Lazerback/Vertebreak and Beast Fire Predaking. Considering getting the new 2014 Voyage Predking too.

- SHOCKWAVE.. he was a must and just awesome character mold.

Generations:

-Metroplex
-FOC Kickback
-FOC Grimlock
-FOC Starscream/Thundercracker/Skywarp
-Springer and Sandstorm
-Generations Trailcutter

MP Releases

MP 10 & 10B re-release. Missed em first time. And MP Grimlock this year release again.

There were some very good character molds this past year and the one before.

Depending on the quality of the TF4 dinobots it could be an expensive year again.

OptiMagnus wrote:

Valandar wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Prime Beast Hunters
- Grimwing. Simple standard animal to robot fare, one might call him a victim of Cheetor-syndrome. But it works for him, and a bird will stand out from all the dragons.

"Cheetor Syndrome": I assume this is "Stand up, flip head forward or back, stick tail in hand as sword or whip"? If so, it needs to be added to the general TF lexicon immediately.

If we keep using it enough we can get it on TF Wiki.
I'll have to keep this phrase in mind...

if it does there also needs to be some kind of term for typical car-former transformation, if there isn't one already.

Valandar wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Prime Beast Hunters
- Grimwing. Simple standard animal to robot fare, one might call him a victim of Cheetor-syndrome. But it works for him, and a bird will stand out from all the dragons.

"Cheetor Syndrome": I assume this is "Stand up, flip head forward or back, stick tail in hand as sword or whip"? If so, it needs to be added to the general TF lexicon immediately.

That's basically it, I got the term from Spada the Baltmatrix. So apt, really, it could apply to any Predacon in this line: "Stand up, do something with the chest, and you're done".

Among those from Generations that I feel are pretty solid are:
Starscream & Waspinator
Megatron & Chop Shop
FOC Starscream (and Thundercracker, Skywarp)
FOC Ultra Magnus
Trailcutter (and Hoist)
Megatron (and Dreadwing)
Springer (and Sandstorm)
Rhinox

Among those I really want to like but have significant flaws include:
FOC Grimlock (though the Iron Factory add on really helps complete that figure)
Blitzwing
FOC Shockwave (nothing overtly bad, just a victim of the cost cutting)
FOC Kickback (Those hind legs could've been engineered a little better)
The Data Discs (good for getting all the cassette agents, bad for crappy engineering due to trying to shoehorn a dumb spring loaded gimmick on them.
Metroplex (that city mode really needed more work.

Shadowstream wrote:

OptiMagnus wrote:

Valandar wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Prime Beast Hunters
- Grimwing. Simple standard animal to robot fare, one might call him a victim of Cheetor-syndrome. But it works for him, and a bird will stand out from all the dragons.

"Cheetor Syndrome": I assume this is "Stand up, flip head forward or back, stick tail in hand as sword or whip"? If so, it needs to be added to the general TF lexicon immediately.

If we keep using it enough we can get it on TF Wiki.
I'll have to keep this phrase in mind...

if it does there also needs to be some kind of term for typical car-former transformation, if there isn't one already.

No, there does not.

1 ) There is no "typical" car transform

2 ) None are as ridiculous as the Cheetor Syndrome. Cheetor Syndrome isn't a transformation, it's wearing a Halloween mask and walking on all fours.

Valandar wrote:

Shadowstream wrote:if it does there also needs to be some kind of term for typical car-former transformation, if there isn't one already.

No, there does not.

1 ) There is no "typical" car transform

I'll grant I was not in the right frame of mind when I wrote that response, but even so I can look to the shelves on my right and see a good number of car formers that share the same general transformation scheme in order to say it's pretty damn typical. Spychanger syndrome I think is the closest kind of catch-all for it.

2 ) None are as ridiculous as the Cheetor Syndrome. Cheetor Syndrome isn't a transformation, it's wearing a Halloween mask and walking on all fours.

What does that make Optimus Primal then?

Shadowstream wrote:

Valandar wrote:

Shadowstream wrote:if it does there also needs to be some kind of term for typical car-former transformation, if there isn't one already.

No, there does not.

1 ) There is no "typical" car transform

I'll grant I was not in the right frame of mind when I wrote that response, but even so I can look to the shelves on my right and see a good number of car formers that share the same general transformation scheme in order to say it's pretty damn typical. Spychanger syndrome I think is the closest kind of catch-all for it.

The hood-for-a-chest-with-door-wings has been done a lot of times, I'll admit, but in most cases the process is different between figures. Compare Prowl with Jazz, or even Cybertron Crosswise with Movie Bumblebee.

2 ) None are as ridiculous as the Cheetor Syndrome. Cheetor Syndrome isn't a transformation, it's wearing a Halloween mask and walking on all fours.

What does that make Optimus Primal then?

Depends on the version. Ultra has a rotating waist, Transmetal does a 180 with the upper body... Blast Punch is closest to Cheetor Syndrome though, with Air Attack a close second.

always with the godd*mn semantics

FOC Impactor, the actual figure is not fantastic but I have been waiting almost 30 years for this character to be done in plastic. so its the best for me.

Shadowstream wrote:always with the godd*mn semantics

You didn't really think that talking about toys was supposed to be fun, did you? No, you cannot enjoy this hobby, you must be super precise at all times, especially when talking to people who perfectly well know what you're talking about.