The Energon Pub

[Autobot N]

Sadly I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have to cancel my Trainbots. They look really cool but $150 a pop is just too much, especially since there's other stuff I'm going to need to purchase this year

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

I wonder if this Raiden will include the orange secondary chestplate, or if that'll be left out because of the Headmasters animators' negligence.

Mad Blitzwing: Whaahahahaha! Why not do both?!

What, include it and not include it simultaneously? How very Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy game.

I mean, obviously it would be possible to include the secondary chestplate but make it an optional part of the combination. But outright including it and not including it... I don't think Takara have removed their common sense that completely.

Exactly!

I figured that's what you meant, but the silly way you worded it made me think of how in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy text adventure (If I remember the "Guide Dang It" entry correctly; it was definitely some HGttG game or other tho)... you have to carry "tea" and "no tea" simultaneously (which requires unequipping your common sense).

[D-Maximal_Primal]

Kinda surprised we haven't heard anything about #3 yet, I was anticipating early april as the next reveal based on #1 and #2

[o.supreme]

I agree it has to be close, maybe closer to the 15th? (mid month), that's at least when my other 2 pre-orders were closer to.

Speaking of which, I just checked the exchange rate again, and things are looking better still.

My total for Shouki (Y 15,511) is now down to about $142 USD, and Getsui (Y 16,335) is now down to $132 USD. It's a nice trend I hope continues .

[o.supreme]

Finally our first teaser of news about Yukikaze, looks like official release news will be coming June 8th

https://news.tfw2005.com/2022/06/05/tak ... ges-457928

[Autobot N]

snipes.jpg

Me cancelling my pre order for these guys because I can't afford to pay $900 for Raiden

[william-james88]

We will get a full reveal soon, but for now we wanted to show you a first look at the next trainbot to come out for the MP Raiden combiner. It is Masterpiece Yukikaze, who we see in train, bot and leg mode. He turns into a realistic 200 Series Shinkansen bullet train. So far, these toys range between the 120-160 price depending on which retailer you get them from.

[Stormshot_Prime]

Each one of the trainbots looks great so far! I’m hoping soon enough we can get some Raiden size comparisons to the rest of the MP line.

[primalxconvoy]

*Post has been edited by admin, please refrain from posting or promoting 3rd party material outside the 3rd party thread*

[o.supreme]

I've watched the reviews of the moon studios bots as they come out. They defintely look cool, and may give you the "most bang for your buck". However, for me personally, they would not scale well with anything in my collection, so I'm going for the genuine article. I may regret it down the line, but nobody has reviewed even the first MPG Trainbot yet, which is supposed to ship at the end of June. So I remain cautiously optimistic especially since I have 2 orders locked in with Amazon Japan.

[ZeroWolf]

Let's keep the discussion to Takara's official product please. The 3p stuff needs to be kept to its own part of the boards.

Anyway, I do love the design that's gone into these trainbots, the alts are superb, and as to be expected, the character models are on point with what was in the Headmasters anime. Had I the budget, I would be all in with them.

[chuckdawg1999]

Any idea how these scale with the Shinkalion line?

[Sabrblade]

Any idea how these scale with the Shinkalion line?

If you have any of the MP cars like Prowl or Sideswipe, use them as a measuring stick since Shouki seems to be around their height, if not slightly taller.

[william-james88]

Any idea how these scale with the Shinkalion line?

If you have any of the MP cars like Prowl or Sideswipe, use them as a measuring stick since Shouki seems to be around their height, if not slightly taller.

I wouldn't rely on that shot. It seems to be a composite piece.

[o.supreme]

Any idea how these scale with the Shinkalion line?

There are measurements, but unfortunately I'm not sure if they are measuring bot mode or train mode, for either line. It would be amazing of both these lines were in scale, and the train modes would fit on HO gauge track just for model train enthusiasts, but hopefully in about a month, we shall see.

[william-james88]

Takara has revealed the latest Masterpiece trainbot, Yukikaze. The MSRP is the same as Shouki, at 19,800 yen but that includes taxes and we all know by now that non exclusives are sold at a different price by Japanese retailers like Amazon Japan or AmiAmi which has him for 4000 yen less. We will be getting preorders for this throughout the week from our sponsors and other retailers so keep an eye out for the specific retailer you have chosen to buy these trainbots from.

It is fun to see that while Yukikaze turns into a leg, this is the release Takara chose to also add the combiner head with. So this below you will see our first look at Raiden's head.

Raiden's head comes with Yukikaze

[o.supreme]

Looks great. Also the price is much easier to take being spaced out. I only have to worry about 2 of them this year. Yukikaze coming out in February 23 will be in next year's tax return season.

Also these releases have caused me to follow the exchange almost daily. Just today it lowered to 75 yen per 1 USD, the lowest in years! Of course it fluctuates constantly it went up and down between 76 and 79 during May.

I hope it holds at this rate or goes lower, but who knows. If Amazon Japan took my payment today for Shouki, it should be about $132 USD, final price, which is fantastic.

[angtre]

I wonder if the Combiner head can morph in some way in order to remove the lateral "wings" and get a more anime-ish look for Raiden.

Given the cost behind designing and developing these characters, another thing I'm curious about is whether their molds will be released also in the original Diaclone alternate color scheme:

Trainbots.jpg

[MeGrimlock78]

Someone better come with some turns...pretty silly if they all have straight track.

These look great, but I know little of Raiden. But this DOES make me wanna break out my RID Railracer!

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Any idea how these scale with the Shinkalion line?

There are measurements, but unfortunately I'm not sure if they are measuring bot mode or train mode, for either line. It would be amazing of both these lines were in scale, and the train modes would fit on HO gauge track just for model train enthusiasts, but hopefully in about a month, we shall see.

Problem is, while they all have the same scale, namely H0, the gauges are different between the 6. The Shinkansen bots Shouki and Getsuei use normal gauge, while the rest use narrow gauge; that's reflected in the track they come with. Gotta respect that level of detail.

As for size, the standard Shinkalion Z bots are roughly two heads taller than ER Optimus Prime,and Shouki's measurements should be a few pages back and I looked up Shouki's height: 180mm or 7.2 inches. Forget about scaling train modes as they're made for Tomy's Plarail line and thus have SD proportions.

Given the cost behind designing and developing these characters, another thing I'm curious about is whether their molds will be released also in the original Diaclone alternate color scheme

What may help is that Yukikaze is in a Dr. Yellow scheme; those trains are for rail diagnostics along the Shinkansen lines and seeing one is quite a treat for railfans from what I gather.

[o.supreme]

Pulse Pre-Order:

https://hasbropulse.com/products/transf ... t-yukikaze


Pretty much everybody has pre orders now except Amazon Japan...

[chuckdawg1999]

No pre-orders on Amazon Japan yet?

[blackeyedprime]

not liking the pencil holder legs on two of the bots so far. Thinking third party slightly wins it for me but I'm liking how they are each doing their own thing and this may well win out on trains/combined mode.

[Nemesis Destron]

Sorry in advance for the dumb question...but after checking out BBTS for these guys why are the prices set the way they are? Are all the figures to be the exact same size or almost?

[TF-fan kev777]

Sorry in advance for the dumb question...but after checking out BBTS for these guys why are the prices set the way they are? Are all the figures to be the exact same size or almost?

My guess the exchange rate. They are priced in JPY, which was doing better versus the USD when the first 2 were announced last year versus right now. I really nice benefit for those of us who ordered from Amazon.jp