The Energon Pub

[Stuartmaximus]

i've yet to see a Combiner that can transform into something whilst in combined mode.

that would be kinda cool

[william-james88]

Indeed, it could be titans vs combiners! With titans going to war against the beast combiners

Or even better, it could be the return of Action Masters

[Hellscream9999]

i've yet to see a Combiner that can transform into something whilst in combined mode.

that would be kinda cool

That seems beyond the grasp of everyone... what would you want it turn into? A mech? A mini-van? A power rangers zord did that, it layed down, and turned into a quadruped walker - was it from lightspeed rescue? But I think they are far too discordant to achieve that, and would probably result in either overly 'samey' figures, or a set of figures with a lot of problems

[Hellscream9999]

Indeed, it could be titans vs combiners! With titans going to war against the beast combiners

Or even better, it could be the return of Action Masters

Well, I enjoyed Orcanoch well enough as a kid, so, why not... but maybe not a whole year of them

[Ultra Markus]

i think its great that we are getting computron and i hear liokaiser as well what i dont get
is why not Abominus, Predaking or even Piranacon, i hear hasbro doesnt want to do beast combiners, well
i think thats stupid they would be awesome to have in combiner wars fashion i certainly hope they reconsider maybe down the line in Titans Returns

Because if they used the same cars, planes and helicopters with beast deco themes they know fans would be super pissed off. As we now realize, if a combiner limbs cant be used 5 times, then there is no way they would finance it's creation.

that excuse doesn't hold much water
we have devastator not likely to be remolded or reused into some other character
we have skylinx somewhat of a beast form and not much other character to be used 5 times

[Stuartmaximus]

i've yet to see a Combiner that can transform into something whilst in combined mode.

that would be kinda cool

That seems beyond the grasp of everyone... what would you want it turn into? A mech? A mini-van? A power rangers zord did that, it layed down, and turned into a quadruped walker - was it from lightspeed rescue? But I think they are far too discordant to achieve that, and would probably result in either overly 'samey' figures, or a set of figures with a lot of problems

i dunno really? i mean you had Transformers Cybertron Metroplex turn into a weird giant construction machine! maybe something along those sort of lines! but your right.....it would be a logistical nightmare to try to design something like that.

[Grahf_]

I think it's great that we are getting Computron and I hear Liokaiser as well. What I don't get is why not Abominus, Predaking or even Piranacon? I hear hasbro doesn't want to do beast combiners. Well I think that's stupid. They would be awesome to have in combiner wars fashion. I certainly hope they reconsider maybe down the line in Titans Returns

Because if they used the same cars, planes and helicopters with beast deco themes they know fans would be super pissed off. As we now realize, if a combiner limb can't be used 5 times, then there is no way they would finance its creation.

Except that beast combiner limbs CAN be reused many times. If you take Predaking, Monstructor/Dinoking, Beast, Abominus/Goradora and Piranacon/God Neptune then it's fairly easy to actually (even without Beast).

Divebomb, Wildfly/Yokuryu, Swoop, Cutthroat/Barara and Seawing/Terrormander can all be made from the same base mold.

Tantrum, Rampage, Headstrong, Bristleback/Gairyu, Sludge, Slag, Snarl and Sinnertwin can all use the same base mold. That's way too many for just one mold though and six of which are split into two combiners. So maybe split this into two or even three base molds. Maybe one of them could be retooled somehow into Nautilator as well since he's the only real loner other than torsos. So a little more like this:
Tantrum, Headstrong, Sludge and Snarl. Big bulky and strong. All known for being legs.
Rampage, Bristleback/Gairyu, Slag and Sinnertwin/Garara. Smaller and more agile. All known for being arms. Well Sinnertwin is an arm in Prime anyway and I imagine a triceratops being more agile than a stegosaurus and Bristleback/Gairyu has wings so by default they should be more agile.

Icepick/Goryu, Scowl/Doryu, Blot/Burara and Tentakill/Scylla can all use the same base mold.

Rippersnapper/Jurara, Skalor/Coelagon and Overbite/Sea Phantom can all use the same base mold.

Nautilator. Like I said, maybe use one of the four legged beast base molds to somehow retool into this. But he'd probably be better off as a Targetmaster. I think the rest of the Seacons would prefer it that way as well.

This just leaves the torsos.

Hun Gurrr/Dorara (if two legged), Grimlock and Slog/Kakuryu (if they used this one as the torso) can all use the same base mold.

Hun Gurrr/Dorara (if four legged), Razorclaw Snaptrap/Halfshell and Birdbrain/Rairyu (if they use this one as the torso) can all use the same base mold.

Sure the four legged torso reuses are pushing it hard but it might work with a lot of retooling or just using two different four legged beast mode torsos. One for Hun Gurr and Snaptrap/Halfshell and the other for Razorclaw and Birdbrain/Rairyu.

Lets face it, the Monsterbots don't exactly look like much of anything while in beast mode so those are the easiest to change to fit already existing molds.

Hell, you can even get a Monstrous out of this too. South Claw and Weird Wing can be made from the winged beast mold/molds. Fangs and Gore Jaw can be made from the two different four legged beast molds. Or they can be mold mates with Nautilator. Fright Face and Heart Attack look more like vehicles than beasts so they could just be whatever beast torsos already exist.

[Hellscream9999]

i've yet to see a Combiner that can transform into something whilst in combined mode.

that would be kinda cool

That seems beyond the grasp of everyone... what would you want it turn into? A mech? A mini-van? A power rangers zord did that, it layed down, and turned into a quadruped walker - was it from lightspeed rescue? But I think they are far too discordant to achieve that, and would probably result in either overly 'samey' figures, or a set of figures with a lot of problems

i dunno really? i mean you had Transformers Cybertron Metroplex turn into a weird giant construction machine! maybe something along those sort of lines! but your right.....it would be a logistical nightmare to try to design something like that.

Yeah, the Omega Megazord did a simplified version:



But, I agree, unless it was something abstract and Cybertronian, it would probably end up being a mess

[Jelze Bunnycat]

i've yet to see a Combiner that can transform into something whilst in combined mode.

that would be kinda cool

That seems beyond the grasp of everyone... what would you want it turn into? A mech? A mini-van? A power rangers zord did that, it layed down, and turned into a quadruped walker - was it from lightspeed rescue? But I think they are far too discordant to achieve that, and would probably result in either overly 'samey' figures, or a set of figures with a lot of problems

i dunno really? i mean you had Transformers Cybertron Metroplex turn into a weird giant construction machine! maybe something along those sort of lines! but your right.....it would be a logistical nightmare to try to design something like that.

The closest one could come is have their vehicle modes combine in addition to their robot modes. Some Brave series mecha actually did just that:

- Thunder Baron from Brave of the Sun Fighbird
- Guard Diver & Battle Bomber from Brave Express Might Gaine
- Super Build Tiger from Brave Police J-Decker

[Hellscream9999]

i think its great that we are getting computron and i hear liokaiser as well what i dont get
is why not Abominus, Predaking or even Piranacon, i hear hasbro doesnt want to do beast combiners, well
i think thats stupid they would be awesome to have in combiner wars fashion i certainly hope they reconsider maybe down the line in Titans Returns

Because if they used the same cars, planes and helicopters with beast deco themes they know fans would be super pissed off. As we now realize, if a combiner limbs cant be used 5 times, then there is no way they would finance it's creation.

that excuse doesn't hold much water
we have devastator not likely to be remolded or reused into some other character
we have skylinx somewhat of a beast form and not much other character to be used 5 times

Well hasbro has two uses already, then there's the 2 G2 versions (orange and yellow) and the diaclone(?) version that has yellow, green, and red component figures, so they easily could get 5 uses out of devs - though I truly hope they don't go that far

[Ultra Markus]

i think its great that we are getting computron and i hear liokaiser as well what i dont get
is why not Abominus, Predaking or even Piranacon, i hear hasbro doesnt want to do beast combiners, well
i think thats stupid they would be awesome to have in combiner wars fashion i certainly hope they reconsider maybe down the line in Titans Returns

Because if they used the same cars, planes and helicopters with beast deco themes they know fans would be super pissed off. As we now realize, if a combiner limbs cant be used 5 times, then there is no way they would finance it's creation.

that excuse doesn't hold much water
we have devastator not likely to be remolded or reused into some other character
we have skylinx somewhat of a beast form and not much other character to be used 5 times

Well hasbro has two uses already, then there's the 2 G2 versions (orange and yellow) and the diaclone(?) version that has yellow, green, and red component figures, so they easily could get 5 uses out of devs - though I truly hope they don't go that far

i think comicon excusives dont count because they are excusives besides same could have been said for Gen. Metroplex recolored into Metrotitan but that never happened
so i dont think more different colored Devys will happen either

[Hellscream9999]

i think its great that we are getting computron and i hear liokaiser as well what i dont get
is why not Abominus, Predaking or even Piranacon, i hear hasbro doesnt want to do beast combiners, well
i think thats stupid they would be awesome to have in combiner wars fashion i certainly hope they reconsider maybe down the line in Titans Returns

Because if they used the same cars, planes and helicopters with beast deco themes they know fans would be super pissed off. As we now realize, if a combiner limbs cant be used 5 times, then there is no way they would finance it's creation.

that excuse doesn't hold much water
we have devastator not likely to be remolded or reused into some other character
we have skylinx somewhat of a beast form and not much other character to be used 5 times

Well hasbro has two uses already, then there's the 2 G2 versions (orange and yellow) and the diaclone(?) version that has yellow, green, and red component figures, so they easily could get 5 uses out of devs - though I truly hope they don't go that far

i think comicon excusives dont count because they are excusives besides same could have been said for Gen. Metroplex recolored into Metrotitan but that never happened
so i dont think more different colored Devys will happen either

Indeed, I was merely pointing out the ability to actually release 3+ more versions of it

[Grahf_]

i think its great that we are getting computron and i hear liokaiser as well what i dont get
is why not Abominus, Predaking or even Piranacon, i hear hasbro doesnt want to do beast combiners, well
i think thats stupid they would be awesome to have in combiner wars fashion i certainly hope they reconsider maybe down the line in Titans Returns

Because if they used the same cars, planes and helicopters with beast deco themes they know fans would be super pissed off. As we now realize, if a combiner limbs cant be used 5 times, then there is no way they would finance it's creation.

that excuse doesn't hold much water
we have devastator not likely to be remolded or reused into some other character
we have skylinx somewhat of a beast form and not much other character to be used 5 times

Well hasbro has two uses already, then there's the 2 G2 versions (orange and yellow) and the diaclone(?) version that has yellow, green, and red component figures, so they easily could get 5 uses out of devs - though I truly hope they don't go that far

As much as I would love an orange Devastator, I'd rather not have to buy them again if they're just redecos of the same characters. Although I've learned not to ignore redecos of combiners as they end up very expensive later on. Universe Devastator, Classics Devastator, black Friday RID 2001 Landfill, ROTF Superion and Bruticus. I might have seen them all in the stores one time only (except Landfill), passed and regretted it.

I'd rather a redeco if it were RID Hightower from Hook, RID 2001 Grimlock from Scavenger, RID Wedge from Bonecrusher, RID Heavy Load from Long Haul along with Scoop from Scrapper and Quickmix from Mixmaster though. They can combine to form Landfill. Which works because that's the name of the RID combiner and it's the name of the missing double Targetmaster in the set.

[Hellscream9999]

i think its great that we are getting computron and i hear liokaiser as well what i dont get
is why not Abominus, Predaking or even Piranacon, i hear hasbro doesnt want to do beast combiners, well
i think thats stupid they would be awesome to have in combiner wars fashion i certainly hope they reconsider maybe down the line in Titans Returns

Because if they used the same cars, planes and helicopters with beast deco themes they know fans would be super pissed off. As we now realize, if a combiner limbs cant be used 5 times, then there is no way they would finance it's creation.

that excuse doesn't hold much water
we have devastator not likely to be remolded or reused into some other character
we have skylinx somewhat of a beast form and not much other character to be used 5 times

Well hasbro has two uses already, then there's the 2 G2 versions (orange and yellow) and the diaclone(?) version that has yellow, green, and red component figures, so they easily could get 5 uses out of devs - though I truly hope they don't go that far

As much as I would love an orange Devastator, I'd rather not have to buy them again if they're just redecos of the same characters. Although I've learned not to ignore redecos of combiners as they end up very expensive later on. Universe Devastator, Classics Devastator, black Friday RID 2001 Landfill, ROTF Superion and Bruticus. I might have seen them all in the stores one time only (except Landfill), passed and regretted it.

I'd rather a redeco if it were RID Hightower from Hook, RID 2001 Grimlock from Scavenger, RID Wedge from Bonecrusher, RID Heavy Load from Long Haul along with Scoop from Scrapper and Quickmix from Mixmaster though. They can combine to form Landfill. Which works because that's the name of the RID combiner and it's the name of the missing double Targetmaster in the set.

Yeah, I think they'd have a lot of sales if they released any potential repaints using the TT mold

[DeathReviews]

I enjoy the Combiner Wars figures - but I can't help joining the chorus for more new molds instead of so many repaints...

[william-james88]

i've yet to see a Combiner that can transform into something whilst in combined mode.

that would be kinda cool

Would tidal wave count?

[william-james88]

we have skylinx somewhat of a beast form and not much other character to be used 5 times

Oh I know hence why I precised LIMBS. And of the scramble city kind, of which devaststor does not conform to.

[Hellscream9999]

i've yet to see a Combiner that can transform into something whilst in combined mode.

that would be kinda cool

Would tidal wave count?

Yeah, I guess he does

[Zeedust]

Damn it, Hasbro, when you showed all those Headmasters I thought I'd get to take a break this year. How many box sets are you planning on releasing in one year?

And why does it seem like you're abandoning the universal hand/foot/gun piece in favor of going back to G1-style set-aside-and-does-nothing kibble?

To up the 'special-ness' of the boxset? Or maybe they listened to all the people whining about them

Whoever those people are, they're philistines. That thing is an elegant solution to the flaws of G1-style combiner kibble, and needing a ziploc bag to keep spare parts in when the figures aren't combined strikes me as a step backwards.

And why does it seem like you're abandoning the universal hand/foot/gun piece in favor of going back to G1-style set-aside-and-does-nothing kibble?

IIRC, Victorian's hands and feet could be stored on her torso bot, and the feet had an ANKLE ARTICULATION!

Ankles are all well and good, but I can't say that having obvious giant hands and feet that serve no other function stuck to an individual robot doesn't particularly appeal to me either, and even less so in vehicle mode.

[Amelie]

i've yet to see a Combiner that can transform into something whilst in combined mode.

that would be kinda cool

That seems beyond the grasp of everyone... what would you want it turn into?

A team that 'combined' in vehicle mode into a Rocket-Launch set would work. Or guys that all transformed into Tanks or Cannons forming up into one very large tank.

Didn't team bullet-train kinda achieve this anyway?

[Hellscream9999]

Damn it, Hasbro, when you showed all those Headmasters I thought I'd get to take a break this year. How many box sets are you planning on releasing in one year?

And why does it seem like you're abandoning the universal hand/foot/gun piece in favor of going back to G1-style set-aside-and-does-nothing kibble?

To up the 'special-ness' of the boxset? Or maybe they listened to all the people whining about them

Whoever those people are, they're philistines. That thing is an elegant solution to the flaws of G1-style combiner kibble, and needing a ziploc bag to keep spare parts in when the figures aren't combined strikes me as a step backwards.

And why does it seem like you're abandoning the universal hand/foot/gun piece in favor of going back to G1-style set-aside-and-does-nothing kibble?

IIRC, Victorian's hands and feet could be stored on her torso bot, and the feet had an ANKLE ARTICULATION!

Ankles are all well and good, but I can't say that having obvious giant hands and feet that serve no other function stuck to an individual robot doesn't particularly appeal to me either, and even less so in vehicle mode.

They are nice, but the problem isn't the hands/feet, it's over-sized limbs messing with people's sense of proportion (lookin' at you Breakdown) and I'd much sooner take them, than the dumb PE clown shoes

But for the special ones' hands/feet, we don't know what they do, the feet on Victorion are plenty big enough to hold some surprises, but I agree with the sentiment.

[Burn]

i've yet to see a Combiner that can transform into something whilst in combined mode.

that would be kinda cool

Would tidal wave count?

Yeah, I guess he does

But not really, as the individual components don't transform.

[Hellscream9999]

i've yet to see a Combiner that can transform into something whilst in combined mode.

that would be kinda cool

Would tidal wave count?

Yeah, I guess he does

But not really, as the individual components don't transform.

True, guess there is none then


...now I kinda want something like that

[King Kuuga]

Power Rangers/Super Sentai have also done the "megazord with an alternate vehicle configuration" before:
1991's Jetman had two, the Icarus Haken


and when combined with the Bird Garuda the Hyper Haken



While 2000's Timeranger/2001's PR Time Force had TimeJet Gamma/Time Force Megazord Jet Mode


However, all of these were alternate combinations of their components, they had to be disassembled and reassembled into their robot forms, they couldn't just transform. The previously mentioned Victory Mars/Omega Megazord from GoGo V/PR Lightspeed Rescue is the only multi-component megazord that can switch between combined modes without disassembly, and its non-robotic form is basically just the robot crabwalking. I think that a combined robot made of smaller transformable robots being able to itself transform into a reasonable semblance of a vehicle form without disassembly would either require a large mass to work with or a ton of cheating.

[Hellscream9999]

Power Rangers/Super Sentai have also done the "megazord with an alternate vehicle configuration" before:
1991's Jetman had two, the Icarus Haken


and when combined with the Bird Garuda the Hyper Haken



While 2000's Timeranger/2001's PR Time Force had TimeJet Gamma/Time Force Megazord Jet Mode


However, all of these were alternate combinations of their components, they had to be disassembled and reassembled into their robot forms, they couldn't just transform. The previously mentioned Victory Mars/Omega Megazord from GoGo V/PR Lightspeed Rescue is the only multi-component megazord that can switch between combined modes without disassembly, and its non-robotic form is basically just the robot crabwalking. I think that a combined robot made of smaller transformable robots being able to itself transform into a reasonable semblance of a vehicle form without disassembly would either require a large mass to work with or a ton of cheating.

Yeah, it's certainly no easy task; but I really liked the Omega Megazord's crab-walk mode, especially with the arms that extend from the front legs, really lends precedence to the purpose of the extra mode