The Energon Pub

[Sabrblade]

Even though they no longer exist, Hasbro can't release a Bot-Con mold at mass retail. I really, really wish we got those extra weapons with UW Bruticus.

The Ratchet headsculpt wasn't a BotCon mold, Hasbro made it themselves. They just gave it (and Reflector, Counterpunch, and Toxitron) to Fun Pub and told them to release those retools since Hasbro saw no place to release them themselves, what with Combiner Wars ending.

[Kurona]

I find it weird that Counterpunch was a Hasbro mold. Don't get me wrong, I'm not disputing that truth I know it was a Hasbro mold; it's just so... weird. It's something I'd expect out of a crazy Botcon/Timelines offering rather than a main retail release.

[Sabrblade]

I find it weird that Counterpunch was a Hasbro mold. Don't get me wrong, I'm not disputing that truth I know it was a Hasbro mold; it's just so... weird. It's something I'd expect out of a crazy Botcon/Timelines offering rather than a main retail release.

Could be one of those generic heads that wasn't made to be anyone in particular, with Fun Pub deeming it a close enough match to Counterpunch's head that they chose to use it as Counterpunch.

[Emerje]

Have they previously done generic heads? Seems like all of the alternate heads have been made with something specific in mind. I'm sure that Counterpunch head was intended for something even if it wasn't super obvious. Maybe they really did intend for it to be Couterpunch all along?

Emerje

[Sabrblade]

Have they previously done generic heads?

Yep.

Reveal the Shield Special Ops Jazz had a pretooled head based on no one, which saw use as BotCon 2012 SG Treadshot.

Reveal the Shield Optimus Prime (the one based on G2 Laser Optimus Prime) had a pretooled skull-based head, which saw use as BotCon 2012 SG Ultra Magnus

Reveal the Shield Lugnut had a pretooled head based on no one, which has yet to see any use.

Generations Sergeant Kup had a pretooled head based on no one, which saw use as Generations GDO Swerve.

[Emerje]

That's interesting. I'm more than a little surprised that Hasbro would waste money molding something with no obvious use.

Thinking about it I wonder if perhaps Hasbro had originally intended to give Galvatronus limbs and that's where the Seeker, Cone Head, and Counterpunch heads came from? I wonder what else is hidden out there?

Emerje

[Sabrblade]

That's interesting. I'm more than a little surprised that Hasbro would waste money molding something with no obvious use.

Thinking about it I wonder if perhaps Hasbro had originally intended to give Galvatronus limbs and that's where the Seeker, Cone Head, and Counterpunch heads came from? I wonder what else is hidden out there?

Emerje

I think JelZe has a list of which CW pretooled heads have yet to see any use.

One of which that I find to be a rather interesting use is a discarded idea for a new Technobot limb that was likely conceived for Hasbro's CW Computron before the Deluxe Afterburner made from the Deluxe Groove mold was a thing. This idea uses the Rook mold with its pretooled Brawl-based headsculpt (most likely made just in case Hasbro didn't have enough budget to make the whole new Brawl mold that they did end up making) colored in mustard tan and gray as a brand new Technobot named Ironclad, with the Legends Groove mold as Afterburner attached to Ironclad in arm mode.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

That's interesting. I'm more than a little surprised that Hasbro would waste money molding something with no obvious use.

Thinking about it I wonder if perhaps Hasbro had originally intended to give Galvatronus limbs and that's where the Seeker, Cone Head, and Counterpunch heads came from? I wonder what else is hidden out there?

Emerje

I think JelZe has a list of which CW pretooled heads have yet to see any use.

One of which that I find to be a rather interesting use is a discarded idea for a new Technobot limb that was likely conceived for Hasbro's CW Computron before the Deluxe Afterburner made from the Deluxe Groove mold was a thing. This idea uses the Rook mold with its pretooled Brawl-based headsculpt (most likely made just in case Hasbro didn't have enough budget to make the whole new Brawl mold that they did end up making) colored in mustard tan and gray as a brand new Technobot named Ironclad, with the Legends Groove mold as Afterburner attached to Ironclad in arm mode.

Now that I did not know That alternate Brawl-like head for Rook did appear in Club fiction as Shattered Glass X-Brawn, a reformatted SG Brawn. In the same comic, the alternate Hoist head for Trailbreaker was used for the SG Autotroopers.

But yes, most, if not all, CW molds have 2 heads built in. Most have seen use in some shape of form, but there are some unknown ones. Yet again, here are the pairs, as intended by Hasbro:

Powerglide & Viper
Runabout/Runamuck & Hot Rod
Groove & Wreck-Gar
Shockwave & Reflector

Fireflight & Slingshot
Drag Strip & Mirage
Vortex & Blades

Skydive & Starscream
Air Raid & Thrust
Breakdown & Sunstreaker
Wheeljack & Counterpunch
Dead End & Wildrider
Streetwise & Prowl
Ruckus & Ironhide
First Aid & Ratchet
Rook & Ironclad
Swindle & Hound

Optimus Prime & Star Convoy
Motormaster & Nemesis Prime
Onslaught & Armada Demolishor

Brawl, Silverbolt, Cyclonus, and Hot Spot have yet to show their alternate heads, if any. It's quite possible Dezarus is the pretool for Sky Lynx, plus Storm Cloud and Skyburst may be pretools as well: even mere parts can be planned with two heads as Trailbreaker and Hoist have shown.

The rest were designed later, and thus count as true retools.

[Sabrblade]

In the same comic, the alternate Hoist head for Trailbreaker was used for the SG Autotroopers.

And the SG Autotrooper was going to be the BotCon 2016 custom class figure before Hasbro gave Fun Pub the Ratchet tooling, hence the white and black mold sprues BotCon Ratchet used.

[Sabrblade]

The same source that revealed Ironclad (the final TCC OMAM prose story) also postulated a hypothetical final "1984/1985 Autobot Combiner" called Firestormer, made up of:

• Inferno (Hot Spot head pretool)
• Ratchet (whose tooling exists)
• Bluestreak (Prowl redeco)
• Hoist (the pretooled alternate head for Trailbreaker)
• Sideswipe (presumably the Breakdown/Sunstreaker mold, but what head he'd have is beyond me since Sunstreaker was already the Breakdown pretool. Maybe he'd just keep Breakdown's head a la BotCon 2011 Animated Breakdown and Sideswipe?)

...had Ratchet and Bluestreak not been relegated to Fun Pub exclusives and the CW line not ended as soon as it did, that is.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

The same source that revealed Ironclad (the final TCC OMAM prose story) also postulated a hypothetical final "1984/1985 Autobot Combiner" called Firestormer, made up of:

• Inferno (Hot Spot head pretool)
• Ratchet (whose tooling exists)
• Bluestreak (Prowl redeco)
• Hoist (the pretooled alternate head for Trailbreaker)
• Sideswipe (presumably the Breakdown/Sunstreaker mold, but what head he'd have is beyond me since Sunstreaker was already the Breakdown pretool. Maybe he'd just keep Breakdown's head a la BotCon 2011 Animated Breakdown and Sideswipe?)

...had Ratchet and Bluestreak not been relegated to Fun Pub exclusives and the CW line not ended as soon as it did, that is.

That hypothetical Sideswipe would probably have a newly tooled head along with new arm pieces, or more, like Trailbreaker did. Or they could go the "extra member" route to make a red Sunstreaker called Spin-Out

I did notice that all "second generation" Hasbro retools extend a bit more than just the head, with new arms, chest pieces and the like. TakaraTomy is more flexible, doing more (Nosecone) or less (Lightspeed) if desired. I wonder if box set budgets have a hand in that, and what the budget per figure is both individually and as part of a set. Which is bigger?

[Va'al]

The official Takara Tomy Transformers Twitter account has shared a new image of the Unite Warriors UW-EX combiner figure Megatronia, standing proudly and multi-coloured over her sword. Check it out mirrored below, compare it to the original Victorion toy with our galleries, and join the discussion in the Energon Pub!

[Burn]

I really had no interest in this (or the room) ... but looking at those colours ... damn! Starting to get tempted.

[Rodimus Knight]

This looks so much better then the one released by Hasbro.

[Sjeng]

This looks so much better then the one released by Hasbro.

You mean the Torchbearer set, Victorion? I kinda like em both, but probably won't get either unless I find one for a ridiculously low price (like the guys in the US did on Amazon...)

[Evil Eye]

The official Takara Tomy Transformers Twitter account has shared a new image of the Unite Warriors UW-EX combiner figure Megatronia, standing proudly and multi-coloured over her sword. Check it out mirrored below, compare it to the original Victorion toy with our galleries, and join the discussion in the Energon Pub!

Damn, now I want this even more. A shame her hands suck and her feet only have rockers with no tilts, but eh, they can be replaced.

[D-Maximal_Primal]

Those are some really nice colors. I'm also a bit of a sucker for black

[OptimalOptimus2]

Interesting repaint. I can't wait to see more images of her.

[Sabrblade]

Interesting repaint. I can't wait to see more images of her.

Search the Toy News section with her name as a keyword and you shall.

[Kyleor]

100% better color scheme than Victorion.

I wonder how Megatronia would look wielding dual-wielding the swords from both bots.

Still only want the hands, feet, and sword/weapons though.

[Kurona]

Still not a fan of the colour scheme. Hate to throw around 'neon', but... this is just atrocious

[Decepticon Stryker]

Still not a fan of the colour scheme. Hate to throw around 'neon', but... this is just atrocious

Yikes. I think my old phone screen made the colors appear duller but.. Wow. That hurt my eyes for a bit. This isn't a joke, my eyes actually had to adjust a bit. They don't look neon, just a bit darker. But I'd hate to see them if they were.

[TF-fan kev777]

Still not a fan of the colour scheme. Hate to throw around 'neon', but... this is just atrocious

I find them atrociously awesome. So ugly that they are cute, like a pug. Plus, you also have the option to consider them a G2 Victorion.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Still not a fan of the colour scheme. Hate to throw around 'neon', but... this is just atrocious

I find them atrociously awesome. So ugly that they are cute, like a pug. Plus, you also have the option to consider them a G2 Victorion.

... if it wasn't for the fact Megatronia is a Decepticon

[D-Maximal_Primal]

Still not a fan of the colour scheme. Hate to throw around 'neon', but... this is just atrocious

I find them atrociously awesome. So ugly that they are cute, like a pug. Plus, you also have the option to consider them a G2 Victorion.

... if it wasn't for the fact Megatronia is a Decepticon

Shattered Glass Victorion then after she changed sides