The Energon Pub

Armada Red Alert is on point!

Animated Wasp was expected, but still looks good.

It is good to see Heatwave is actually going to be made; I hope the figure is as good as the box art.

Solus Prime looks fantastic!

Prima Prime appears to be a solid figure that is perfect for a dyeing session! I am going to dye the figures thighs and forearms the same blue as the accent paint in the chest. I am going to add the color and character that Hasbro didn't.

Solus Prime is a definite yes for me, along with megatronus
Probably gonna pass on the others in the wave

Artwork for upcoming figures looks promising!

Glyph wrote:Nexus is the big one in the centre back, Alchemist is standing between him and Micronus (he's also the moustached face on the left of the Star Convoy box art), and Amalgamous is standing between Onyx and Quintus.

Thanks for clarifying!

While I can't tell if Nexus is a combiner, he certainly isn't based on the FunPub comics like I predicted.

Alchemist looks somewhat similar to his Cyberverse and One appearances, so its hard to say for sure.

And while its not 1-1, Amalgamous actually does look to take his shape from Transformers One

Okay so first I gotta just think out loud a second about that poster: all the Primes that currently aren't listed for 2025 releases are just their exact Covenant of Primus designs....except for Liege Maximo and Amalgamous? But considering Star Convoy is already wrong on the poster compared to the actual figure (and Onyx only has 2 legs instead of the 4 we saw later, although that could be a feature rather than a mistake), multiple figures have in the past been misrepresented on posters like this, and the fact that most of those Primes probably aren't even coming until 2026 anyway, I don't know that that confirms all of those Primes are gonna use those exact designs. It feels especially weird for Nexus in particular to just end up being his Covenant design when we're getting Aerialbots and Combaticons at the same time to theoretically use for his FunPub look.

Now as for opinions on the confirmed figures/designs:
Purchase: Wasp (still don't like the fake car feet on that mold but the colors and head look perfect, also hooray he finally exists now), Red Alert (would have taken drastic measures for me to skip him), Vortex (Combaticons best combiner team no contest, gotta get them even though I don't like the new combiner system), Air Raid (the only Aerialbot I care about), Heatwave (shame he's seemingly a retool but the art still looks promising), Sky-Byte (he's Sky-Byte), Solus Prime (pleasantly surprised that she actually looks good, doesn't appear to have an entire alt mode on her back, gotta let her bash The Fallen in the head with that Forge sledgehammer)
Wait and See: Onyx Prime (very much want to see what his alt mode is, kinda disappointed he appears to be Covenant colors and not the blue from every non-Covenant appearance he's ever had). Alchemist Prime (all we get to clearly see so far is his head and he seems to be a weird fusion of Alchemist/Maccadam's designs, need more info)
Pass: Prima (the G1 head ruins it for me, I was a maybe based on the body and alt mode), Star Convoy (zero need for any non-Armada Optimus after Legacy, especially a Titan-sized one), Crasher repack (already got one), Slingshot and Silverbolt (don't care about Superion, find their designs boring, the name Silverbolt is already spoken for in my collection)

Nemesis Primal wrote:Onyx Prime (very much want to see what his alt mode is, kinda disappointed he appears to be Covenant colors and not the blue from every non-Covenant appearance he's ever had).

It is worth noting that he is also orange/red in his IDW appearances, which is arguably his most prominent appearance (given that he played a significant role in the final act of the comic run)

Looking forward to seeing Sky-Byte released.

#1 Signal Lancer fan wrote:

Nemesis Primal wrote:Onyx Prime (very much want to see what his alt mode is, kinda disappointed he appears to be Covenant colors and not the blue from every non-Covenant appearance he's ever had).

It is worth noting that he is also orange/red in his IDW appearances, which is arguably his most prominent appearance (given that he played a significant role in the final act of the comic run)

But he's definitely also blue in IDW, isn't he? That's the primary appearance I was referring to when I said that....is he only blue there when he's actually Shockwave and I've Mandela'd myself?

Nemesis Primal wrote:But he's definitely also blue in IDW, isn't he? That's the primary appearance I was referring to when I said that....is he only blue there when he's actually Shockwave and I've Mandela'd myself?

You know what, you're right. I forgot that he's blue when he shows up in the present (even if it isn't actually him). From what I recall, he's orange in the past (both as Onyx and as Shockwave) and blue in the present.

Who knows, maybe we'll see a blue "Shockwave" repaint of Onyx

OK, catchup time. TLDR: I want it all.

Star Convoy Optimus Prime - All that and a lower price? I'm totally sold on that! I'm honestly surprised they're giving us a Hot Rod Micromaster when they were so stingy about Mini-Cons with Metroplex and Tidal Wave. The cab on the Micro Trailer comes off and becomes a gun.

Aerialbots - I like these a lot. The blockyness of the jets isn't so bad, we've seen other jets in Legacy this bad or worse (Metalhawk). Silverbolt looks good in both modes, the added parts definitely don't look essential to his jet and the "base" mode looks more cohesive than Motormaster's.

Wasp - Exactly what we should have all expected.

Red Alert - Looks really good colored. I was already onboard but the colors make the mold pop for sure.

Solus Prime - I'm getting Generations (2013) Orion Pax crossed with Reveal the Shield Laser Optimus Prime vibes. She's neat and I look forward to all 10 of her repaints and retools.

Prima Prime - We've seen him a lot and I'm definitely looking forward to him, but I'm looking forward to his blue repaint more. Watch the blue version come with the Aligned head just to mess with us.

G2 Grimlock - Nothing surprising as far as Grimlock goes, but I never expected him to come with a "G2 Wheelie" that's in his "savage" colors, just needs the Sharkticon teeth.



Heatwave's a Bulkhead retool, right? Also is his blue gun a reference to the gun Hero Mashers Heatwave? The shape is different, maybe it's just blue because of being molded with the windshield like Bulkhead's gun and it's a happy coincidence. Then again, Legacy Medix got a clear blue gun just to reference his FunPub figure's HFG.

Vortex - I'm sure it's fine, can't tell much from half the art.

Onyx - Shouldn't he be more black than orange? That's a lot of orange.

Sonic Collab. - Weird that Tales is a big Voyager and Sonic is a Deluxe. In box Tails towers over Sonic, or I should say Wingtail (should be Tailwings) towers over Blue Booster (should be Blue Bomber). Wont be pre-ordering this one, need to see it in person.

For those saying Superion doesn't need the frame like Menasor to be cartoon accurate, your memory is failing you. The arms aren't quite as bad, but the legs are definitely more accurate as "legs with jets on the back".

Glyph wrote:There was also a box art picture of Vortex for some reason, but AFAIK neither Alpha Bravo nor the Constructicons have been mentioned for any of this?

Combaticons. Swindle was in the original Wave 2 listing but was replaced with Vortex, adding fuel to the theory that we're getting Nexus Prime in 2026.

Emerje

Man, that TT Selects Voyager Super/Ultra Megatron is really going to be out of scale now... The fact that Star Convoy is a smaller Titan is interesting. I still wonder if Grandus and Sky Garry are a possibility. If so, that might push me over. If not, and the Base mode (like Tidal Wave) has no AIRLOCK tabs to connect it to previous Titans, then its an easy pass.

Emerje wrote:Heatwave's a Bulkhead retool, right? Also is his blue gun a reference to the gun Hero Mashers Heatwave? The shape is different, maybe it's just blue because of being molded with the windshield like Bulkhead's gun and it's a happy coincidence. Then again, Legacy Medix got a clear blue gun just to reference his FunPub figure's HFG.

I have to reiterate, The packaging artwork is the BEST I've seen. Is that Cybertron Sideways the OG mold, are we getting reissues?

chuckdawg1999 wrote:Is that Cybertron Sideways the OG mold, are we getting reissues?

The original mold? Yes. Reissues? No. It's a placeholder pic. Other slides in the capsule presentation used similar placeholders of either old toy molds or old character artwork.

Weird wolf partial? Wait, Titans Return Weirdwolf? They’re resurrecting that mold?
They’re retooling the headmaster gimmick out?

Also, brown and purple? Or black and gray?

Devastation: No “partial” indicator, so new Target exclusive molds?

Overcracker wrote:Weird wolf partial? Wait, Titans Return Weirdwolf? They’re resurrecting that mold?
They’re retooling the headmaster gimmick out?

Maybe. They're not above reusing Titans Return molds as retools. They recently retooled TR Mindwipe into Legacy Squeezeplay.

Sabrblade wrote:

Overcracker wrote:Weird wolf partial? Wait, Titans Return Weirdwolf? They’re resurrecting that mold?
They’re retooling the headmaster gimmick out?

Maybe. They're not above reusing Titans Return molds as retools. They recently retooled TR Mindwipe into Legacy Squeezeplay.

Same with Fangry before, and don't forget this one:



Also, this now elusive and ultra expensive guy:

-Kanrabat- wrote:Also, this now elusive and ultra expensive guy:

That one was all Takara's doing and back closer to the time of Titans Return's original run, not a recent release.

Sabrblade wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:Also, this now elusive and ultra expensive guy:

That one was all Takara's doing and back closer to the time of Titans Return's original run, not a recent release.

Any and all TR retools that removes the headmaster gimmick count. No matter the age, no matter if or .

Sabrblade wrote:

Emerje wrote:Heatwave's a Bulkhead retool, right? Also is his blue gun a reference to the gun Hero Mashers Heatwave? The shape is different, maybe it's just blue because of being molded with the windshield like Bulkhead's gun and it's a happy coincidence. Then again, Legacy Medix got a clear blue gun just to reference his FunPub figure's HFG.

I honestly don't remember any of those coming with weapons before. I guess the Masher's blue gun was referencing those then.

Sabrblade wrote:

Man, I guess we really are getting Twin Twist a second time like the leaks said instead of Topspin. Lame.

Emerje

Emerje wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Man, I guess we really are getting Twin Twist a second time like the leaks said instead of Topspin. Lame.

Emerje

I disagree.
The previous re-release was just the Diaclone colors for a limited line. This one is the normal one... for a limited line...
Sht.
There's no escaping this.
They will never re-release Topspin.

Beside, Topspin and Twin-Twist should be heavily retooled in order to remove the headmaster gimmick. Or be remade entirely with brand new molds.

Emerje wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Emerje wrote:Heatwave's a Bulkhead retool, right? Also is his blue gun a reference to the gun Hero Mashers Heatwave? The shape is different, maybe it's just blue because of being molded with the windshield like Bulkhead's gun and it's a happy coincidence. Then again, Legacy Medix got a clear blue gun just to reference his FunPub figure's HFG.

I honestly don't remember any of those coming with weapons before. I guess the Masher's blue gun was referencing those then.

Rescue Bots Energize was the second-year branding of the line. All six of the original figures were rereleased with new translucent blue plastic parts that were retooled to have 5mm ports added to them to accomodate the new Energize Tool (not "weapon") accessories.



Figure 2-packs were also released featuring a non-transforming action figure of one of the 'Bots with limited articulation and a static mini-figure of a human. The 'Bot figures were all equipped with a non-removable Energize Tool and featured some blue energy pattern paint applications on their bodies.



The Energize Tools became the main gimmick of the cartoon's second season, with each 'Bot receiving one after first being created in the season's first episode. The 'Bots would raise their tools to the sky and activate them with the cry of "Power Up and Energize!" They could even swap out and use any tools they wanted, allowing for more versatility and not restricting each 'Bot to just one kind of tool.

The tools continued to feature all throughout the remainder of the series, becoming the most frequently recurring toy gimmick to feature in the show, as they were the most useful devices to the stories the show wanted to tell.



Energize Tools even carried over into the sequel series Rescue Bots Academy, despite not being a feature in that show's accompanying toyline. They were instead used primarily as part of the show's coming-of-age storytelling, with each Rescue Bot Recruit receiving their own Energize Tool after a major turning point in a two-part episode during the second season, in an episode aptly named "Power Up and Energize". Like the first show, the Recruits would activate their tools by raising them high and calling out the same command of "Power Up and Energize!"

Though, unlike those of their predecessors, these tools were not solidly bright blue and were instead transformed from out of the Recruits' own bodies, making them more like an evolutionary thing (think like how the Mini-Cons of Armada unlocked new weapons out of the Autobots' and Decepticons' bodies whenever they Powerlinxed to them).



The influence of the original Energize Tools even spilled over into the bigger kid lines, with Rescue Bots Blurr getting a toy in the Robots in Disguise 2015 line that featured a translucent blue blaster accessory (which sadly did not feature during his brief guest-appearance in the RID 2015 cartoon), while the BotCon 2016 custom class Combiner Wars Medix featured a translucent blue axe and HFG, which was later homaged in Legacy Medix coming with a translucent blue blaster.

Just some thoughts on some of the reveals...

I'm most likely in for Superion. The combined form was the priority for me, and similar to Legacy Menasor, sure there are a couple design aspects I'd want different, but overall that's really on point. I personally like the combining system for a few reasons-- it is creating a more screen accurate appearance. I'm never going to buy stylized G1 figures. There are almost always already some liberties taken with the G1 designs, even if it's just small, molded, greebled details.
In the show, Superion wasn't as trim as what some people think, and this new version matches that well.
Next, this combining system allows for both poseability and stability, which both have been issues for even the updated combiners of CW and UW. Who wants a combiner that can only stand straight up and/or has to lean against a wall? Kind of goes against the idea of being powerful.
Lastly, I appreciate that this is different. Recycling the CW/UW gimmick allows for different combination configurations, but for me that's not a huge deal and definitely isn't more important than the previous aspects.
This set is one I'm really starting to look forward to.

I'm sure there will be some of the 13 Primes that are appealing, but I'm already buying enough to where I'll most likely pass on all of those.
Not to mention, I have almost no open shelf space, so then it's really difficult to justify any of those purchases. Megatronus is a ‘maybe’ at this point.

I do like the G2 Grimlock, but if anything, I'll go for the Snarl and Slag 2-pack.

Star Convoy looks very cool... But that's most likely a pass.

The Target exclusive including Ratbat is a definite purchase, but other than Vortex, everything else is of no interest. I still almost can't believe Hastak is making Generations figures of Rescuebots. I just have a really difficult time believing that those sell well at all.

Between SS86 figures, the Aerialbots, Vortex, probably a couple surprise purchases, and Lego Soundwave, I'll be spending way more than I thought I would be this next year.

Sowndwave76 wrote:The Target exclusive including Ratbat is a definite purchase,

What Ratbat?