The Energon Pub

News Credits: 86 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 7:47 am

http://takaratomymall.jp/shop/g/g4904810853336/

Will be limited to 2,000 pieces from TakaraTomy Mall.

Will be available in other parts of Asia from Hasbro Asia (so there will be more than 2,000 like MP Blue Bluestreak).

Randy

News Credits: 251 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 8:13 am

Great news for those who own Takara's interpretation of Starscream and Skywarp using the MP-11 mold! Thanks to an announcement from Takara Tomy Mall, we now have news that Thundercracker will also receive Takara's MP-11 treatment, using a more cartoon-inspired deco! MP-11T will be exclusive to Takara Tomy Mall (similar to Unite Warriors UW-04 Defensor), will cost 14,904 yen (approximately $120 USD), limited to 2,000 units, and will be available mid-November of this year. This will probably get a Hasbro Asia release though, so it will be obtainable to fans at a premium. Check out the images below, and sound of your thoughts on the Energon Pub forum!

News Credits: 10 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 8:26 am

They finally went ahead and did it. Decisions, decisions.

The Hasbro Thundercracker is genuinely good, but going all Takara has it's appeal, too.

News Credits: 86 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 8:45 am

The TakaraTomy Mall site says this will be available in other areas of Asia, so no need to worry about it just being TTM like some of their other exclusives.

Randy

News Credits: 4877 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 8:49 am

Powered Convoy wrote:The TakaraTomy Mall site says this will be available in other areas of Asia, so no need to worry about it just being TTM like some of their other exclusives.

Randy

Do you think it will be the same price though?

News Credits: 3 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 9:04 am

man, inflation/oil prices sure has changed things. I remember thinking the much larger and heavy MP-1 was expensive at $80. The sad thing is my pay has not increased to compensate

Tue Jul 28, 2015 9:50 am

Damn my wallet is just never allowed a break these days.

I am super stoked though, can't wait to get this. :grin:

News Credits: 86 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 10:27 am

william-james88 wrote:
Powered Convoy wrote:The TakaraTomy Mall site says this will be available in other areas of Asia, so no need to worry about it just being TTM like some of their other exclusives.

Randy

Do you think it will be the same price though?

Most retailers charged $200 for MP-11SW Skywarp. I hope that's not the case for MP-11T Thundercracker as his retail price in Japan translates to around $120 USD.

Randy

News Credits: 293 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 11:08 am

Part of me is scratching out my eyeballs because TC and SW have right side up insignias while SS has them upside down. A small part of me. But really I'm just happy that I can now have a set of three with matching yellow cockpits.

News Credits: 4877 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 11:11 am

shajaki wrote:Part of me is scratching out my eyeballs because TC and SW have right side up insignias while SS has them upside down. A small part of me. But really I'm just happy that I can now have a set of three with matching yellow cockpits.

How are the insignias on the Hasbro Starscream coming out this year?

News Credits: 462 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 11:31 am

Well it's about time Takara gave Thundercracker this treatment with this mold. Hasbro's was Generations Deluxe-accurate while this one will be given proper show-accurate justice.

Or will it?

Hey Randy, any show-inaccuracies to be found on this one like with Skywarp?

News Credits: 122 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 12:54 pm

I'm excited for this, not just because it looks great, but because it means if Takara releases yet another seeker, it will probably be a conehead :PRAY:

News Credits: 4877 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 1:03 pm

megatronus wrote:I'm excited for this, not just because it looks great, but because it means if Takara releases yet another seeker, it will probably be a conehead

Just wondering but how much of a retool would it be for this mold to be used as a conehead? Because for G1 and Classics it was easier since the nosecone was extraneous kibble. But this MP prides itself (to my personal chagrin), on the nosecone ending up doubling upon the chest and filling out the back (even pushing out). The robot head is no where near the nosecone. So wouldnt a conehead be practically a whole rehaul of this mold?

News Credits: 251 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 1:11 pm

william-james88 wrote:
megatronus wrote:I'm excited for this, not just because it looks great, but because it means if Takara releases yet another seeker, it will probably be a conehead

Just wondering but how much of a retool would it be for this mold to be used as a conehead? Because for G1 and Classics it was easier since the nosecone was extraneous kibble. But this MP prides itself (to my personal chagrin), on the nosecone ending up doubling upon the chest and filling out the back (even pushing out). The robot head is no where near the nosecone. So wouldnt a conehead be practically a whole rehaul of this mold?

As far as the head is concerned, I wouldn't be mad at all if they just made new heads and called it a day, no crazy changes to how the nosecone/canopy assembly, just like the iGear boys.

News Credits: 462 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 1:13 pm

Mindmaster wrote:
william-james88 wrote:
megatronus wrote:I'm excited for this, not just because it looks great, but because it means if Takara releases yet another seeker, it will probably be a conehead

Just wondering but how much of a retool would it be for this mold to be used as a conehead? Because for G1 and Classics it was easier since the nosecone was extraneous kibble. But this MP prides itself (to my personal chagrin), on the nosecone ending up doubling upon the chest and filling out the back (even pushing out). The robot head is no where near the nosecone. So wouldnt a conehead be practically a whole rehaul of this mold?

As far as the head is concerned, I wouldn't be mad at all if they just made new heads and called it a day, no crazy changes to how the nosecone/canopy assembly, just like the iGear boys.

Yeah, the robot mode head could use a fake nosecone while the real one stays hidden on the back.

Though, new wings that somehow attach to the legs are a must.

News Credits: 122 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 1:18 pm

The wings is more a re-shelling thing - I'm less concerned about that.

I do think a cone head would involve some retooling, but really just the central column where the cockpit lies. I doubt the vast majority of the figure - arms, legs, waist, outer bits of the torso, etc. would have to change at all.

News Credits: 4877 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 1:42 pm

megatronus wrote:The wings is more a re-shelling thing - I'm less concerned about that.

I do think a cone head would involve some retooling, but really just the central column where the cockpit lies. I doubt the vast majority of the figure - arms, legs, waist, outer bits of the torso, etc. would have to change at all.

Yeah, I agree on the wings, though that does make me think of something. While the seekers all use the same mold, each conehead has a different wing design. That is bound to make them pricier to produce per figure.

Also, since it is the masterpiece line, I would really want the head to be the actual nosecone and not just a fake cone. We already had a dirge like that:

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Dirge Gallery

News Credits: 3646 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 2:10 pm

Where are MP-11CD, MP-11CR and MP-11CT (Coneheads Dirge, Ramjet and Thrust)? C'mon Takara!

News Credits: 4877 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 2:19 pm

Seibertron wrote:Where are MP-11CD, MP-11CR and MP-11CT (Coneheads Dirge, Ramjet and Thrust)? C'mon Takara!

Well, they had to finish the trio first and get the intial gang before moving on, I guess:

Still lots of Autobots to go:

Tue Jul 28, 2015 2:30 pm

Looks good will be interested in what the UK price will be (if offered in the UK at all).

News Credits: 65 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 2:37 pm

Sabrblade wrote:Well it's about time Takara gave Thundercracker this treatment with this mold. Hasbro's was Generations Deluxe-accurate while this one will be given proper show-accurate justice.

Or will it?

Hey Randy, any show-inaccuracies to be found on this one like with Skywarp?

Wasn't MP-11SW released only in the greater Asian market and not in Japan? I wonder if Takara will eventually do a more show accurate Masterpiece Skywarp, nixing those extraneous paint apps on the shoulders, wrists, and chest, and make it another Takara-Tomy Mall exclusive, but restrict the distribution to Japan, unlike what they're planning with MP-11T.

News Credits: 20 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 4:16 pm

Does he come with Buster?

News Credits: 372 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 4:19 pm

Head and wings aside, the cone-heads had a different character model than the original three jets. Floro made their bodies a little more toy-accurate.

I'm surprised that Takara gave Thundercracker a black nosecone. Perhaps not the same people that are in charge of the main figures?

Tue Jul 28, 2015 5:45 pm

Seibertron wrote:Where are MP-11CD, MP-11CR and MP-11CT (Coneheads Dirge, Ramjet and Thrust)? C'mon Takara!

Never going to happen. If they make Dirge, Ramjet and Thrust, they'd be retools, not repaints. Retools get their own numbers (see Exhaust and Road Rage) while repaints get suffixes (see MP-18B, MP-21G, etc).

News Credits: 65 · Tue Jul 28, 2015 6:09 pm

Cyberpath wrote:I'm surprised that Takara gave Thundercracker a black nosecone. Perhaps not the same people that are in charge of the main figures?

Maybe it's an issue of where on the plastic sprues that parts are cast? The nosecone might end up with the black tail fins, fists, forearms, etc. Sure, they could paint it blue, but they might not get a good color match with the light blue plastic they're using for the main body/fuselage of the figure. Or maybe Takara doesn't want Skywarp to feel bad being the only seeker with screen-inaccurate details added to his deco.