The Energon Pub

guess i'll be grabbing this one.

At first, I was going to get ZERO movie figures. Then I saw newer images of Voyager Megatron so I said, "Wow, that looks pretty good, I'll just get him and be done." Then I saw Deluxe Ravage and thought, "Pretty awesome, I'll have to pick him up too." And now we see that the Legends Constructicons combine, which is very cool, so now he's pretty much a must buy for me.

Damn it! Now everything's going to be out of scale.

O.k....I'm not buying the ROTF figures, but I'll actually consider this! A transforming legends class Devestator!?!? That's too cool!

A) This is awesome.

B) So Hook and Bonecrusher have been replaced with Overload, Hightower and Rampage, eh?

C) What with Dirt Boss and all, there are way too many construction vehicles in this movie.

Covenant wrote:I. Don't. Get. It.



A few months ago you couldn't so much as hint at a want of a full sized vehicle to robot to combined robot set of these guys without several fellow fans coming out of the woodwork to tell you the complexity of creating Transformer toys of Deluxe or larger sized that could also combine (WELL! combine WELL! NOT like those larger - and crappy - Energon combiners) into a huge robot was out of the question, seeming to imply something Hasbro's been doing since Transformers started was now out of their capability after twenty-five years of advancements in design.

Now they can throw together a Legends class set with ease?

Buh?

A few notes in defense of Hasbro.

Legends figures a much simpler that the others. Transformation is simpler by far for these. That makes the engineering simpler. BUt the MAJOR reason this combiner is Legends class I think is the WEIGHT issue. Let's face it: the joints will not have to be as sturdy because the legends figures simply don't weigh as much. If the joints can't hold a pose, then there's no point in making them until you come up with a joint that CAN. On all of the combiners I have (G1 and otherwise), the main issue is holding that pose just the way you want it without falling over or the joint slowly sliding towards the ground courtesy of gravity (sagging). With less weight on them, they won't do that and the joints can be more easily engineered. I fully expct to see a large scale combiner down the road with all three modes, but I'd wager Hasbro wasn't able to get the engineering done in the time frame provided.

Definitely getting this though...maybe it will have a US release...

its darn shame the Q&A is over to hasbro i wanted to ask them what they think about this version.?

no big fan of legend class figures ill be getting this one but i would like to see if it can be done with the deluxe size or voyager size figures with better loking bot modes & proper transformations

Awesome, I bet the "limited case figures" are G1 repaints of that thing.

I'll be getting this fo sure.

First-Aid wrote:

Covenant wrote:I. Don't. Get. It.



A few months ago you couldn't so much as hint at a want of a full sized vehicle to robot to combined robot set of these guys without several fellow fans coming out of the woodwork to tell you the complexity of creating Transformer toys of Deluxe or larger sized that could also combine (WELL! combine WELL! NOT like those larger - and crappy - Energon combiners) into a huge robot was out of the question, seeming to imply something Hasbro's been doing since Transformers started was now out of their capability after twenty-five years of advancements in design.

Now they can throw together a Legends class set with ease?

Buh?

A few notes in defense of Hasbro.

Legends figures a much simpler that the others. Transformation is simpler by far for these. That makes the engineering simpler. BUt the MAJOR reason this combiner is Legends class I think is the WEIGHT issue. Let's face it: the joints will not have to be as sturdy because the legends figures simply don't weigh as much. If the joints can't hold a pose, then there's no point in making them until you come up with a joint that CAN. On all of the combiners I have (G1 and otherwise), the main issue is holding that pose just the way you want it without falling over or the joint slowly sliding towards the ground courtesy of gravity (sagging). With less weight on them, they won't do that and the joints can be more easily engineered. I fully expct to see a large scale combiner down the road with all three modes, but I'd wager Hasbro wasn't able to get the engineering done in the time frame provided.

Definitely getting this though...maybe it will have a US release...

And some simple locking mechanism or latch thingy wouldn't work?

Hasbro sacrificed the individual robot modes on the large figure set for gimmicks and electronics. The individual figures can't combine cause no one would buy the big set if they did.

The story was unexpected... The comments were not.

/tosses 2 cents

First let me say i do understand both sides of the engineering argument.

My only comment is how easy it was to win some of you over with this pittance of a combiner.

I'm concerned that getting this set will sell some of you on the bigger ones, "just for the detail" where you wouldn't of bought them in the first place.

Hasbro, take that thing that you're trying to put where the sun don't shine on me and put it in devastator's mouth instead.

Even though i really like the HA sets and the Ice Cream Twins, I won't buy them now. Not after seeing this.

I'm in the hobby for the fun, not for the marketing and gimmicks. And you are quickly killing the fun with you're blatant BS.

Oilspill wrote:I do find it funny that they can pull off this engineering in the legends size class but not larger size classes. Oh well.

It's not about "pulling off the engineering" so much as it's about making a toy that's profitable for the maker but still affordable to the consumer. If they made Voyager-class Constructicons that transformed into bot mode and had the articulation expected in Voyagers, AND combined into a two-foot-tall well-articulated gestalt, the whole package would probably end up being like $200 instead of $100.

Making these Legend-class gives them the freedom to make simpler figures that transform and combine but are still affordable to the average consumer.

all these sizes (voyager, legends etc..) confuse me so i'm not sure how big these are but......while its cool that they all transform and combine, they look like cheap little plastic toys.

nemesis-prime wrote:gee will this cause collectors to get this version and skip th $100 one?

Yo NP, absoultely astounding how many bites you got on a totally rhetorical question! I may have to start inserting a few more of those amongst my own usual smart-alec comments.

If it helps folks to grasp the "hows" and "whys" a bit, keep in mind the overall weight of each individual toy that goes into the Deluxe and Voyager Dev. Team. Review pics of each and see how their complete articulation in individual bot modes is in relation to where they sit on the assembled big bot.
Now imagine keeping that much weight and articulation together long enough for a 7 year old boy to enjoy the toy for more than 3 minutes without getting pissed-off. Unless you want this new Devastator to suck as bad as the Energon Combiners, I'd say we all count or blessings, enjoy this mini-version and be happy.
Oh, and those of you bitching about the colors or the inclusion of a 7th figure...S.T.F.U!!! At least now we have a Devs. that does what we want and we don't have to pay a fortune for it. If you can't be happy with this then Santa Macksimus will be more than happy to swing by your house and sh** down your chimney on ROTF Eve! HO HO HO.

Love it.

I'll buy this AND the full-size combining one...Not buying the full-size individual ones though because they all look freaking stupid in bot mode...

GuyIncognito wrote:

Oilspill wrote:I do find it funny that they can pull off this engineering in the legends size class but not larger size classes. Oh well.

It's not about "pulling off the engineering" so much as it's about making a toy that's profitable for the maker but still affordable to the consumer. If they made Voyager-class Constructicons that transformed into bot mode and had the articulation expected in Voyagers, AND combined into a two-foot-tall well-articulated gestalt, the whole package would probably end up being like $200 instead of $100.

Making these Legend-class gives them the freedom to make simpler figures that transform and combine but are still affordable to the average consumer.

Who said they had to be Voyagers? Hasbro had no problem releasing three entirely different sets of combiners in the Energon line and that technically included 3 Deluxes and 6 scouts. All of those figures had all three modes and cost no more than any other figure in the same size class. So to say it would cost way more is utter bull.

It doesn't help Hasbro's case that the $100 version looks like complete and utter garbage and only slightly resembles the monstrosity that appears in the movie. Not to mention the articulation appears to be nearly nil and the detailing of it is appalling at best. I guarantee it will be the "Ultimate Bumblebee" of this line. If they're going to sacrifice an entire mode in order to make the combiner, the least they could do is make it look worthwhile. Instead we get some Armada level detailing and an overused sound and light gimmick.

Face it, almost no parent is going to plunk down $100 on a Transformer, so you have to ask, who was the expensive set actually going to be marketed to? If it's us, they really dropped the ball considering most here are way more interested in purchasing a 7 inch tall possibly superior version. Gimmicks aside from the actual transformation kill so many figures that could be worthwhile. This is definitely one more case of it.

Rant over.

I like 3 of them and thats it. I might buy them all that way i have a ROTF Devastator in my collection. And since its legends i wont have to spend alot of money on a scrappile bot. Ill wait to see the price point though. If this turns out to be a box set then it might wind up warming shelves and itll get cheaper as time goes on.

WAAAANT!!!
Unlikely ill be able to persuade anyone though.
How much would that cost overall? Around £25? Thats veery fair...
The legends guy look quite wll made

I'll get this.

I'm just curious as to how they engineered such a small combiner. The individual Voyagers/Deluxes not combining is fair enough (for a kid's toy), but a Legends combiner? That must've been a small miracle.

have to admit i fall in the camp that thinks the other versions are crap.

sorry but lights and sounds arent what i wanna buy transformers for so if i AM gonna get any movie toys, and beside leader prime im not that pushed on any of em, these lads will do.

i LOVE combiners so im already half sold.

my big problem is whether the thing will go on sale in ireland. we STILL havent got cyclonus yet and rumour is we wont thanks to the film coming out soon.

i waannnnaaaa kkkknnnnnnnooooooowwwwww - WILL IT BE RELEASE IN THE US(OF) A ?????? or just an exclusive for the Japanese to make money off us?

I'll wait for a vid review of the 100 dollar one, and this one. I won't be getting both, unless this one sells for 20 dollars or something. I like the way they did this one though, and I appreciate how they made the 100 dollar one and the individual ones that couldn't combine. If they made all the individuals be able to combine, either: Each robot mode would be terrible, or the combined form would have no poseability, or the vehicle would fall apart...

I think this is absolutely awesome, considering the size. There is absolutely NO excuse why hasbro couldn't design a full sized rotf devastator. NO excuse. No offense to anyone defending hasbro, but you're just wrong

KenjaminLinus wrote:I think this is absolutely awesome, considering the size. There is absolutely NO excuse why hasbro couldn't design a full sized rotf devastator. NO excuse. No offense to anyone defending hasbro, but you're just wrong

Um, there are plenty of "Excuses." Accuracy, making each toy stand well on there own, making sure all abilities are represented that are in the movie. Also, making Devastator available to people who may not care for individual Constructicon designs. Also this is a way to have both the Constructicons and Devastator in collections. I know I'll be buying all of them. But the truth doesn't matter, everyone's made up their minds already. I don't know why everyone thinks Hasbro can do magic when a combiner has never been made on this kind of scale. All the G1 combiners are pretty freaking weak (with exceptions, of course,) and the Energon and Robots In Disguise were nothing compared to something that's going to be this centric and important. Of course, that's just my opinion, and no one agrees with it anyway.

Well, either way, folks will always disagree, but that doesn't mean one side is "Wrong."

the bot mode pictures for rampage and scrapper got mixed up.
anyway,here is my thoughts...

demolisher: from what i saw in the picture,he seems to be the shoulders.im surprised they managed to pull this guy off(you know,because he's a unicycle with arms).

mixmaster: looks like a downsized voyager.it seems like his hands become the top of devy's face.

overload: notice the resemblence to bonecrusher from movie 1.he is apparently the main body.that's right,they couldn't even manage to add all 7 for the supreme version.

rampage: he looks a little wierd,but looks alot like the g1 bonecrusher toy(wich is awesome).i still wish he had his jackhammer mode.(most people say it's stupid,but i think it's full of win)

longhaul: probably my least favorite.he is however the only one that's actually still green,wich is cool,i geuss.

hightower: the twer with the crane hook looks like it's a tail of sorts,with the back becoming a sort of bod and face with little t-rex hands.i want to see what he looks like in the movie.

scrapper: he seems to be the most posable of the bunch.also,didn't we se him in 1 of the trailers?

devestator:...........win.EPIC WIN.
*looks at movie counterpart*
we're so screwed.
(if shia doesn't yell "no no no no no!",when he sees this guy,ill be dissapointed)

KenjaminLinus wrote:I think this is absolutely awesome, considering the size. There is absolutely NO excuse why hasbro couldn't design a full sized rotf devastator. NO excuse. No offense to anyone defending hasbro, but you're just wrong

Why don't you back-track to my earlier, rather well thought out and logical explanation. Now tell me how many kids you have and tell me how many floppy, F'ed up, poorly designed Gestalts you have had to deal with over the last 25 years and what solutions or possible modifications/redesigns you came up with
that can keep a young boy between the ages of 5 and 12 from having issues with this toy AND make it so that the thing isn't just a heavy plastic lump like G1 Predaking. Oh, and BTW, your solution better come in at 100 U.S. dollars cause the Legends figures alone, thanks to the price hikes are looking to be $50.00 for the set after tax.

Good Luck with that...

T-Macksimus wrote:

KenjaminLinus wrote:I think this is absolutely awesome, considering the size. There is absolutely NO excuse why hasbro couldn't design a full sized rotf devastator. NO excuse. No offense to anyone defending hasbro, but you're just wrong

Why don't you back-track to my earlier, rather well thought out and logical explanation. Now tell me how many kids you have and tell me how many floppy, F'ed up, poorly designed Gestalts you have had to deal with over the last 25 years and what solutions or possible modifications/redesigns you came up with
that can keep a young boy between the ages of 5 and 12 from having issues with this toy AND make it so that the thing isn't just a heavy plastic lump like G1 Predaking. Oh, and BTW, your solution better come in at 100 U.S. dollars cause the Legends figures alone, thanks to the price hikes are looking to be $50.00 for the set after tax.

Good Luck with that...

Here, here. I totally agree.