The Energon Pub

The PCCs I like best are:
- Grimstone
- Sledge and Steamhammer (they go great with Movie Constructicons)
- Heavytread
- Smolder
- Icepick
- Bombshock (the Swindle-esque drone has a hard time staying on, though)

PCCs I find are very hit-or-miss. They're either "best of the line" or "eww terrible."

What's also neat about PCCs is you can generally find a few similarly-themed Mini-Cons to go with... though that gets a bit far from the Movie aesthetic and they can be surprisingly expensive.

william-james88 wrote:I cant believe I didnt know these were out there. Did they get a limited release or something?

I believe so. IIRC, a lot of people had trouble finding Skystalker, while the only place I could find Sunspot was 5-Below.

I too was really stoked on the Skystalker mold. I was hoping it was going to be released in lots of different colours. Unfortunately i never got a hold of the Laserbeak repaint or that super pricey blue repaint for that character who's name i forget.

Mindmaster wrote:I would say Bludgeon, but recently I've been having issues with his hands snapping when trying to get him to hold the sword. Both hands have snapped, both have been repaired and re-repaired multiple times, but he still doesn't want to hold his sword. I might end up getting Perfect Effect's upgrade kit to help remedy that.

I also have little problems with Bludgeon but instead of it being his hands, it is his lower left leg that snaps off all the time. I dont have problems with his swords though.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:
That's the beauty: they don't interlock with eachother, but rather with these spring-loaded drones to make a larger figure. The figure makes a torso (that's why they all have a second head or a helmet), while the drones make the limbs.

Ok, but do you have to buy the drones seperately?

Sorry for all the replies in a row but there is some good discussion going on here and I am trying to adress everything individually.

In any case, the rule of thumb is to only get Movie toys that were not in the films. Apart from Voyager DOTM Megatron and ROTF Leader Optimus as well as the HA figres.

That leaves 2 molds that interest me greatly and I wonder if they are worth it:

Voyager Mixmaster
Leader Sentinel Prime

Both of those seem to have very complex transformations and their alt modes look phenominal. I cant see pictures of below the alt mode and I wonder if the entire robot can be seen from below. In any case, I was wondering what you guys thought of those specific transformers and if they are worth getting (and if so at what price)

william-james88 wrote:Sorry for all the replies in a row but there is some good discussion going on here and I am trying to adress everything individually.

In any case, the rule of thumb is to only get Movie toys that were not in the films. Apart from Voyager DOTM Megatron and ROTF Leader Optimus as well as the HA figres.

That leaves 2 molds that interest me greatly and I wonder if they are worth it:

Voyager Mixmaster
Leader Sentinel Prime

Both of those seem to have very complex transformations and their alt modes look phenominal. I cant see pictures of below the alt mode and I wonder if the entire robot can be seen from below. In any case, I was wondering what you guys thought of those specific transformers and if they are worth getting (and if so at what price)

i've had these 2 since they came out, and i'm very satisfied with them, though sentinel can be very tricky to get his altmode to fit together properly (my opinion). mixmasters' proportions are a bit odd, but he has a very nice alt mode with almost no visible robot parts



sentinel has a bit more robot showing underneath, but he's extremely accurate and looks great

william-james88 wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:
That's the beauty: they don't interlock with eachother, but rather with these spring-loaded drones to make a larger figure. The figure makes a torso (that's why they all have a second head or a helmet), while the drones make the limbs.

Ok, but do you have to buy the drones seperately?

People would like that, but no. Some figures come with Drones, while others come with Mini-Cons. The figures with Drones are:

Skyburst (Aerialbots)
Bombshock (Combaticons)
Double Clutch (Rallybots)
Mudslinger (Destructicons)
Stakeout (Protectobots, repaints)
Crankcase (Destrons, repaints)
Grimstone (Dinobots)
Steamhammer (Constructicons)
SpasticOver-Run (Stunticons, repaints)

wilcosu35 wrote:
i've had these 2 since they came out, and i'm very satisfied with them, though sentinel can be very tricky to get his altmode to fit together properly (my opinion). mixmasters' proportions are a bit odd, but he has a very nice alt mode with almost no visible robot parts

Thanks a bunch Wilcosu35! I didnt know those galleries even had pictures of what's below transformer alt modes, this is going to help a lot. And this cements my purchases. Mixmaster's robot mode is really iffy for me but man, that alt mode is NUTS! Someone is offerng to sell it to me for 16$ so I will bite. As for Sentinel, this looks much better than the voyager which is too much of an obvious shellformer with the whole robot showing under. This is really not bad and not as obvious. And I cant wait to see how the chest forms while transforming him into a robot. Also, unlike the voyager, the back kibble seperates to create the cape seen in the film. He is offered for below 30$, so I think I will bite as well. Let me know if that's a good deal.

wilcosu35 wrote:

Oh dear... have some decency!

Dead Metal wrote:Movie 1 Landmine, fantastic detailing, great design, incredible amount of articulation and little touches.
Pretty much the best toy from the original Movie line.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Noideaforaname wrote:
Do PCCs count? There are a lot there, too.

I do not know what PCCs are but sure, I am looking for some great molds to add to my collection so please let me know of them too

Power Core Combiners, Scout/Commander-sized figures that combine with either clear Mini-Cons or spring-loaded drones. There are some gems in there:

- Huffer / Crankcase
- Smolder / Stakeout
- Icepick
- Heavytread
- Undertow
- Bombshock / Steelshot
- Grimstone (just stay away from mine and Va'al's)

On the flipside, avoid Double Clutch like the plague.

Ok, so after all this wonderful advice, I got the following:

GDO Powerdrive
HA Jazz
Leader Sentinel Prime
Dirge
Landmine
Voyager Megatron DOTM
Grimstone

While I have yet to transform HA Jazz I will say that I love them all so far. While the movie esthetic is not my favourite, I really appreciate the complexity of these figures and how many of the altmodes show little robot kibble, at least without looking under them. They all transform very well.

Voyeger Megatron DOTM and Grimstone are my 2 favouites so far from my purchases (remember, I have yet to take a look at my HA Jazz). I love how Grimstone simply works as a combiner. He has a solid base with his feet, his arms are well shaped and he looks quite sleek for a combiner. The Dinobots are also very wel detailed and the colour scheme is a perfect modernized G1.

Megatron has an excellent transformation. He is a perfect example of movie design integrating into more classic design (especially the legs and how they transform). Every peice of the alt mode becomes a piece in the robot mode leaving him sleek in robot mode and kibble free in alt mode. And the tarp works very well to give him the look they were going for. It always hides the right eye instinctively. Sure, it limits posability but I favor originality and though he doesnt look as great without it, he becomes extremely posable once you remove it.

Mindwipe and Skystalker are proving to be a pain to find at decent prices but I wont give up hope.

william-james88 wrote:Sorry for all the replies in a row but there is some good discussion going on here and I am trying to adress everything individually.

In any case, the rule of thumb is to only get Movie toys that were not in the films. Apart from Voyager DOTM Megatron and ROTF Leader Optimus as well as the HA figres.

That leaves 2 molds that interest me greatly and I wonder if they are worth it:

Voyager Mixmaster
Leader Sentinel Prime

Both of those seem to have very complex transformations and their alt modes look phenominal. I cant see pictures of below the alt mode and I wonder if the entire robot can be seen from below. In any case, I was wondering what you guys thought of those specific transformers and if they are worth getting (and if so at what price)

Voyager Mixmaster is a fine figure in both modes but he is literally the worst figure there is to transform. He's this mess of double joints and ball joints and figuring out how to twist and cram them together to fit inside his cab and drum is a nightmare.

Leader Sentinel Prime is a decent enough robot, and would be a good fire truck except that he doesn't quite pop together properly in vehicle mode. His plastic tolerances aren't quite enough. You'll pop one part in and another pops out. Irritating. Not enough of a flaw to skip him, but he wouldn't be first on my personal purchase list unless you love the character or want to get all screen characters.

Personally a favourite of mine is Dropkick. He's an ordinary truck with a bed that some scouts can fit in and then his transformation has him unfolding into a wild-looking robot with neat wrist guns.

I also enjoy Brawn, though he's more an acquired taste so I wouldn't drop too much on him if you're not sure. I love his double pistols and shoulder cannon, and his rangy robot mode is full of personality.

I personally favor DOTM leader Ironhide in addition to all the figures mentioned already.