The Energon Pub

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Still, Dead End's engineering has been used for Chromedome while the Aerialbots' has been used for Stormshot..........

.....and TR Megatron, and Topspin, and Galvatron, and Blurr, etc. etc.

I think we just have to accept that this leg transformation design is the new standard to replace the old telescoping leg design of old. Which I'm sure became to expensive to produce under Hasbro's new budget guidelines. But you know what? It works really well and it may be less likely to break over time like the telescoping method.

I think he meant the total transformation, not just the legs

I like the new method of transforming the legs a whole lot better compared to the telescoping method, less shorties in my collection's future

[Cobotron]

Still, Dead End's engineering has been used for Chromedome while the Aerialbots' has been used for Stormshot..........

.....and TR Megatron, and Topspin, and Galvatron, and Blurr, etc. etc.

I think we just have to accept that this leg transformation design is the new standard to replace the old telescoping leg design of old. Which I'm sure became to expensive to produce under Hasbro's new budget guidelines. But you know what? It works really well and it may be less likely to break over time like the telescoping method.

I think he meant the total transformation, not just the legs

I like the new method of transforming the legs a whole lot better compared to the telescoping method, less shorties in my collection's future

Yeah! I think you're right. On second read I think that is what she meant. But that leg style is gonna be around for a long time to come. For sure.

[Kurona]

Yeah I meant all of Stormshot (aside from that cool backpack thing he has going on; that's pretty neat). At first it seemed like the accordion legs were another borrowed engineering case, but looks like it is indeed the new standard...

... which really makes me wonder about CW Drag Strip/Mirage.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Yeah I meant all of Stormshot (aside from that cool backpack thing he has going on; that's pretty neat). At first it seemed like the accordion legs were another borrowed engineering case, but looks like it is indeed the new standard...

... which really makes me wonder about CW Drag Strip/Mirage.

Despite wanting to be the winner, he got the memo dead last

[Cobotron]

... which really makes me wonder about CW Drag Strip/Mirage.

The last of their breed.

[D-Maximal_Primal]

Yeah I meant all of Stormshot (aside from that cool backpack thing he has going on; that's pretty neat). At first it seemed like the accordion legs were another borrowed engineering case, but looks like it is indeed the new standard...

... which really makes me wonder about CW Drag Strip/Mirage.

Despite wanting to be the winner, he got the memo dead last

Guess you could say Dragstrip hit a deadend when it came to choosing his leg transformation

[o.supreme]

I would have loved to see more characters that used the Formula-1 Racer mold. It along with the UW Space Shuttle and the Deluxe Motorcycle were the least used Deluxe molds in the entire line (only 3X each)

[Cobotron]

I would have loved to see more characters that used the Formula-1 Racer mold. It along with the UW Space Shuttle and the Deluxe Motorcycle were the least used Deluxe molds in the entire line (only 3X each)

The formula-1 mold would have made great Fembots!

[o.supreme]

^ Just think if TT had used it in their Megatronia, to make a Crasher inspired character, replacing one of the Helicopter twins. May have messed up the symmetry, but I bet it would have increased the popularity of that release quite a bit.

[Kurona]

I'd love a Crasher... I also certainly wouldn't mind a Pathfinder out of T30 Cosmos.

[RiddlerJ]

I know this has been discussed before but that’s no reason we can’t beat it into the ground now:

Beast Combiners!!!


So if HasTak were to do a line of Beast themed combiners how would it play out (how would I play it out)? Looking at Combiner Wars, I assume we’d have 12 deluxes and 4 voyagers to work with, plus some retools:

The first group would most likely be the Predacons. It’s the one everyone would probably demand and it provides a number of repaint opportunities. I remember hearing something about Predaking being a Titan class though I would argue that actually works against Hasbro since it takes a away a number of repaintable molds, so well just shelve that for now

Razorclaw – Voyager New Mold
Rampage – Deluxe New Mold
Tantrum - Deluxe New Mold
Headstrong – Deluxe New Mold
Divebomb – Deluxe New Mold

4 Deluxes, 1 Voyager

Who is the next group? I’m assuming Hasbro would want an Autobot group and a popular one at that. Most likely, it would be the Dinobots. Yeah, I know, but it would allow Hasbro to put out all five Dinobots with less a risk of five similar molds, something that always seems to be an argument about why Hasbro doesn’t do them (remember the movie Dinobots all had to be in different colors).

Grimlock – Voyager New Mold
Slag – Deluxe New Mold
Sludge – Deluxe New Mold
Swoop – Deluxe New Mold
Snarl – Deluxe New Mold

8 Deluxes, 2 Voyagers

Time to get into repaint and retool territory. And because of this, I would think the Terrorcons would be next on the list. They’re somewhat well known, and they’re monsters which gives Hasbro some leeway when it comes to retools.

Hun-Grrr –Voyager New Mold
Cutthroat – Swoop Retool
Sinnertwin – Rampage Retool
Blot – Deluxe New Mold
Rippersnapper - Deluxe New Mold

10 Deluxes, 3 Voyagers

Now, here’s where things get strange. Obviously, the Seacons should be next in line, but there’s just no way to make five or six sea animals that would have little repaint potential, even if you used all new molds. They’re too limiting. So instead we’re jumping to the Pretender Monsters (sans shells). Being monsters and less known there’ a lot of room to work with.

Birdbrain – Razorclaw Retool (change lion head to bird head)
Bristleback – Snarl Retool
Firefly - Cutthroat Repaint
Scowl - Blot Repaint
Icepick – Blot Retool
Slog –Legends New Mold (also turns into gun)

Still 10 Deluxes and 3 Voyagers, 1 Legends

Now, Hasbro can branch out a little bit. So it’s on to Beast Wars. Personally I believe they should go the Transmetal route since it would make repainting the robotic beast molds more palpable, but whatever. There would still have to be squinting involved as they won’t match their previous versions much like Prowl, Ironhide, et all didn’t match theirs.

Optimus Primal – Voyager New Mold
Rhinox – Headstrong Redeco
Cheetor – Rampage Redeco
Airazor – Divebomb retool
Dinobot - Voyager New Mold
Rattrap –Legends New Mold (also turns into a gun)

11 Deluxes, 4 Voyagers, 2 Legends

BW Megatron – Grimlock Retool
Terrorsaur – Swoop Redeco
Hardhead – Dinobot Redeco
Tarantulas – Deluxe New Mold
Blackarachina – Tarantulas Redeco
Waspinator –Legends New Mold (turns into a gun)

12 Deluxes, 4 Voyagers, 3 Legends

Finally, we get Dinoforce which would either be a straight redeco set of The Pretender Monsters or Dinobots.

And that’s seven sets.

[o.supreme]

A couple of things...

I too agree I would want Predaking to be a standard size Combiner rather than a Titan Size for integration with all the others

And...You have to have the Seacons...even if they are an exclusive set...the 6th member could also be a legends class of some sort.

Also just because this is a "Beast" themed series doesn't mean we cant bring back some other vehicle retools and throw a few new ones in the mix. I'd love to see a Raiden set (I bet Hasbro would use the Railracer name though...) Its been noted how easily the CW Deluxe Helicopter mold can be stripped down into a bullet train...Just having a larger Voyager train as the leader might make for some aesthetic issues...If anything I would actually want TT to release Raiden as a Titan similar to Devastator- 6 Voyager size trains that can combine, and actually function as a train...I know they could do it if they wanted, I doubt it would be released outside of Japan however.

Then there's Road Caesar & Landcross which would largely be repaints/retools of existing CW vehicles.

RoadCaesar originally consisted of 3 members, (all car molds that already exist in CW) but for CW, I could see a retool of the Silverbolt Mold into Star Saber, and for the 5th member...some sort of "Victory Leo" modification, a new deluxe mold, and with Holi as a 6th member legends class. Essentially this would be combining Road Caesar and Victory Saber into one combiner

Landcross could all be made up of existing CW/UW deluxes and the 6th member would possibly be a new legends class Boat.

[Kurona]

To me it seems like Headstrong and Tantrum would share a mold; as would Divebomb with Cutthroat. Considering all the mold re-use we saw in this line, that just makes sense to me.

[Optimum Supreme]

Grimlock – Voyager New Mold
Slag – Deluxe New Mold
Sludge – Deluxe New Mold
Swoop – Deluxe New Mold
Snarl – Deluxe New Mold

I get the urge to make Grimlock, as leader, the torso, but really he should be a limb (hopefully an arm officially, with a jaw for a hand, but with the usual alternate leg mode.) with big Brontosaurus Sludge as the guy that should get the voyager treatment.

[Agamemnon]

It'd be cool to have the original 6 Seacons, with all of the deluxes also having a weapon mode...

[Kurona]

I do get the feeling they'd got the Superion + Powerglide/Bruticus + Shockwave route with Piranhacon...

[RiddlerJ]

Ideally they'd save the titan class for Piranacon since, like Devastator, each figure/component has little repaint potential and is somewhat too similar to sell as individual figures (6 sea creatures). They would work as a set, though Hasbro probably considers them too obscure to use a titan class budget for.

[TF-fan kev777]

It'd be cool to have the original 6 Seacons, with all of the deluxes also having a weapon mode...

The main problem with that would be joint stability. Even with the a legends weapon, over time, Superion has a hard time at the elbows when Powerglide is attached to Superion's gun. A delxue would be even heavier. You'd have to rotate the deluxes so that you aren't wearing out their knees when they are in arm mode.

[Overcracker]

Which is why the original had weapon stands:



Give the new deluxes stands and you're set. No weight placed on the combiner arm, and the legs can be propped up by the stand.

[Sabrblade]

Which is why the original had weapon stands:



Give the new deluxes stands and you're set. No weight placed on the combiner arm, and the legs can be propped up by the stand.

I agree. Instead of the combiner holding the sixth member's weapon mode in hand (like with Powerglide and Shockwave), the stands could enable the weapon mode to be wielded by the combiner in the way that G1 Megatron wielded his altmode kibble cannon:



And to prevent each stand from being too big, since there would only be need of one member in weapon mode at a time for the combiner to use, all five stands could combine together to make one big stand that would be tall enough to bring the weapon mode to the proper height for the combiner to use it.

[Overcracker]

Which is why the original had weapon stands:



Give the new deluxes stands and you're set. No weight placed on the combiner arm, and the legs can be propped up by the stand.

I agree. Instead of the combiner holding the sixth member's weapon mode in hand (like with Powerglide and Shockwave), the stands could enable the weapon mode to be wielded by the combiner in the way that G1 Megatron wielded his altmode kibble cannon:



And to prevent each stand from being too big, since there would only be need of one member in weapon mode at a time for the combiner to use, all five stands could combine together to make one big stand that would be tall enough to bring the weapon mode to the proper height for the combiner to use it.

Excellent, how do we get Hasbro to start working on this?

[william-james88]

Excellent, how do we get Hasbro to start working on this?

You pray

[Agamemnon]

Excellent, how do we get Hasbro to start working on this?

You pray

[Overcracker]

Excellent, how do we get Hasbro to start working on this?

You pray

[Sabrblade]

Okay, guys. Now that the line is over on all fronts, here's I my combiner roster (made from both CW and UW combiners) that I hope to some day complete, consisting of 11 pairs of rival combiners:


1. Superion vs. Menasor (Air vs. Land)

* UW Silverbolt
** UW Firebolt
** UW Sling
** UW Air Rider
** UW Skydive
*** CW Powerglide

* UW Motormaster
** UW Drag Stripe
** UW Dead End
** UW Breakdown
** UW Wildrider
*** CW Blackjack


2. G2 Superion vs. G2 Menasor (Air vs. Land, now with Forestonite!)

* CW G2 Silverbolt
** CW G2 Firefly
** CW G2 Quickslinger
** CW G2 Air Raid
** CW G2 Skydive
*** CW G2 Powerglide

* CW G2 Motormaster
** CW G2 Drag Strip
** CW G2 Dead End
** CW G2 Breakdown
** CW G2 Brake-Neck
*** CW G2 Blackjack


3. Optimus Maximus/Convoy Grand Prime vs. Grand Galvatron (Dueling Leaders)

* UW Convoy
** UW Ironhide
** UW Prowl
** UW Sunstreaker
** UW Ligier
*** CW Rodimus

* UW Tactician Cyclonus
** UW Curse Armada Thrust
** UW Ghost Starscream
** UW Zombie War Breakdown
** UW Wandering Roller


4. Defensor/Guardian vs. Bruticus (Defense vs. Offense)

* UW Hot Spot
** UW Streetwise
** UW First Aid
** UW Graze
** UW Groove
*** CW Groove

* UW Onslaught
** UW Swindle
** UW Brawl
** UW Vorter
** UW Blast Off
*** Legends Shockwave


5. UW Computron/Computicon vs. G2 Bruticus (Mind vs. Might)

* UW Scattershot
** UW Strafe
** UW Nosecone
** UW Lightspeed
** UW Afterburner

* CW G2 Onslaught
** CW G2 Swindle
** CW G2 Brawl
** CW G2 Vorter
** CW G2 Blast Off
*** CW G2 Shockwave


6. CW Computron vs. Baldigus (Matching Hands and Feet)

* CW Scattershot
** CW Strafe
** CW Nosecone
** CW Lightsteed
** CW Afterbreaker
*** CW Scrounge w/ Cybaxx

* UW Dolrailer
** UW Shuttler
** UW Hepter
** UW Dangar
** UW Greejeeber


7. Sky Reign/Lynxmaster v. Liokaiser (Cat Fight!)

* UW Sky Lynx
** UW Hound
** UW Trailbreaker
** UW Wheeljack
** UW Ratchet
*** CW Wreck-Gar (using a fan mode way to attach him)

* CW Dezaras
** CW Guyhawk
** CW Fellbat
** CW Ironbison
** CW Drillhorn
*** CW Ion Scythe


8. Victorion vs. Megatronia (Cat Fight! )

* CW Pyra Magna
** CW Jumpstream
** CW Dust Up
** CW Skyburst
** CW Stormclash
*** CW Rust Dust

* UW Megaempress
** UW Lunaclub
** UW Moonheart
** UW Flowspade
** UW Trickdiamond


9. Magnaboss vs. Predacus (Political Warfare)

* CW Silverbolt (stickered)
** CW Ironhide (stickered)
** CW Prowl (stickered)
** BotCon 2016 CW Tigatron
** BotCon 2016 CW Unit-3

* BotCon 2016 CW Sea Clamp
** BotCon 2016 CW Ramhorn
** BotCon 2016 CW Cicadacon
** BotCon 2016 CW Ravage
** BotCon 2016 CW Tarantulas


10. Wreckage vs Thunder slaggin' Mayhem (Monster vs. Monster)

* TFSS 5.0 CW Toxitron
** TFSS 5.0 CW Counterpunch
** TFSS 5.0 CW Fractyl
** TFSS 4.0 CW Impactor
** TFSS 4.0 CW Bluestreak (unstickered)

* TFSS 4.0 CW Bludgeon
** TFSS 4.0 CW Needlenose
** TFSS 4.0 CW Grabage
** TFSS 4.0 CW Spinister
** TFSS 4.0 CW Windsweeper


11. Modulus vs. Galvatronus (The Odd Ones Out)

* CW Scattershot (single packed version)
** CW Rook
** BotCon 2016 CW Ratchet
** TFSS 5.0 CW SG Starscream
** Instead of Medix, a second TFSS 4.0 CW Bluestreak (stickered)

* CW Cyclonus
** CW Alpha Bravo
** CW Offroad
** CW Blast Off
** CW Smokescreen
*** CW Viper


Plus, Battle Core Optimus Prime vs. Grand Scourge (Holy Light vs. Malefic Darkness) as a pair of dueling leftover torsos who borrow/steal other combiners' limb sets for their combined forms.

And BotCon 2016 CW Reflector (all three of him) could potentially go with any Con-biners who need a gun(s).

And, of course, UW Devastator/Devastor would stand on his own as a single centerpiece.


BotCon 2016 CW Terrorsaur would not be party to any of this since he's strictly hanging out with the pre-Beast Wars toys. I'd also like to get a second TFSS 4.0 CW Spinister to have as the IDW version of the character, whom I would give the black-masked eye sticker to (and, like Terrorsaur, keep separate from these Combiners) while the one who forms part of Thunder Mayhem would wear the teal-masked eye sticker.

I don't ever imagine being ever able to own BotCon 2016 CW Flash Sentry what with how much he's going for on the secondary market, and I omit all of the Adventure guys (Override, Runabout, Runamuck, and Dogfight) since I wanted to keep this confined to just CW and UW.


Are there any other unique CW/UW Combiner-component figures that I've missed?