The Energon Pub

News Credits: 12 · Thu Jan 13, 2022 11:08 am

My personal opinion is that Motormaster is the one exception to vehicle mode scale being somewhat important. My preference is that he and Prime should be able to pull each other's trailers just from a play value perspective.

That said, I still think it would have been cool if they had included two combined mode options: One using the trailer for a more animation accurate skeleton where the Stunticons peg on, and one without, where Motormaster became a more toy inspired torso and the Stunticons form actual limbs instead of pegging onto a structure. Definitely would have been more of a challenge to do from a design perspective, but hopefully the way it currently is allows them to do a nice looking Motormaster and Menasor.

Also, in case people are worried that Menasor won't actually need Motormaster anymore due to the trailer becoming the skeleton, leakers have said that Motormaster (and the leg bots) actually plug into the frame to fill in their rrspective sections, so the leg bots basically make up the shins while a frame keeps it stable, and Motormaster becomes the torso and head

News Credits: 22 · Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:37 pm

So if that's true, the trailer becomes basically a 6th member to make up the torso with Motormaster, like Hook and Long Haul do for Devastator.

News Credits: 14 · Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:51 pm

Rodimus Prime wrote:So if that's true, the trailer becomes basically a 6th member to make up the torso with Motormaster, like Hook and Long Haul do for Devastator.

From what we know, the trailer apparently becomes the entire body of Menasor. Feet, legs, torso, head, arms and hands. What if anything Motormaster contributes to the combination is unknown. Maybe just the chest.

Think Power of the Primes Optimus Prime's trailer for how it should essentially work based on what we know.

News Credits: 22 · Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:57 pm

Overcracker wrote:
Rodimus Prime wrote:So if that's true, the trailer becomes basically a 6th member to make up the torso with Motormaster, like Hook and Long Haul do for Devastator.
Think Power of the Primes Optimus Prime's trailer for how it should essentially work based on what we know.

That's not a bad way to do it I guess. I still wish Motormaster was the whole truck.

News Credits: 1646 · Thu Jan 13, 2022 9:27 pm

Man, the in hand images of Legacy Arcee let me down. I was pretty good with her originally, but the in hand images, I dunno, turned me off of her. She was one of maybe 2 or 3 figures from Wave 1 I wanted, and I think it's down to 1, maybe 2 now.

Also, I will pass on Kickback, but that is because I love my FOC one, and I am kinda hoping to get the other 2 to go with him at the deluxe scale. They won't really match, but I don't care, my Kickback wants a deluxe set of buddies.

News Credits: 30 · Fri Jan 14, 2022 9:46 am

I know there's all the thing about "G1 Accuracy", but in the updated figures, I never thought that should prevent Hasbro from fixing some long-standing mistakes. Like with Kickback. He was supposed to be a grasshopper (or a locust). And he had most of the features in his alt mode that one would expect. Antennae, wings, two pairs of gripping forelegs, and larger inverted hind legs for jumping. The one thing he was missing was a grasshopper-style abdomen. And that always bothered me.

I know the G1 figure had limitations which were part of the design/technology issues of the day. They couldn't figure out how to include an alt-mode abdomen with the budget and size constraints. But that was then, and this is now. The technology and design capability is much better now, and I had hoped that the new Kickback would fix this by adding an abdomen and making him look more like a grasshopper.

Yes, I know it's not a REAL grasshopper, therefore it doesn't 'need' the abdomen. But one could say the same thing about any beast alt mode. Grimlock doesn't need the forearms, Slag doesn't need the tail. But they added them because the actual dinosaurs had them. Why should Kickback be any different? Besides, they were able to do it with Deluxe Insecticon "Ransack":

And they did it with POTP Legends Kickback. So it's perfectly possible. I think they could have given Legacy Deluxe Kickback a grasshopper abdomen and still made the robot mode accurate. As for them not doing anything with the robot head for the alt mode? Well, that's a separate gripe.

News Credits: 51 · Fri Jan 14, 2022 3:45 pm

DeathReviews wrote:As for them not doing anything with the robot head for the alt mode? Well, that's a separate gripe.

To be fair, that particular gripe is actually the fault of the reviewer responsible for these pics, not the designers, because Kickback does have a piece that comes out of his back that gives his bug head a lower jaw & covers it's robot face, we've seen it before:

kickback mouth.JPG

kickback mouth 2.JPG

The reviewer responsible for the pictures in the news article just missed that transformation step, can't imagine how/why.

Fri Jan 14, 2022 6:19 pm

I'm no fan of Menasor but I legit might actually get Motormaster if he looks as cool as I think he will/could. A friend of mine had him as a kid and I really liked the toy back them, so if it's adapted the way almost every other figure has been in recent years it should turn out well.

After that I really only want a better looking Blitzwing, he's truly the only one I'd not hesitate to buy as a Leader priced item. Then again I kind of want another run at Astrotrain, something just seemed off about the Seige/ER version to me.

After the Megs, Soundwave and Jets I wasn't too big into a lot of the Decepticons. Shockwave was the standout among the, what I call third tier characters, though I guess in reality he had quite a bot of screen time. it really boils down to space and not having the room to buy all those ancillary characters especially the ones that form larger ones, because with them do you get two of each so that you can display them combined and loose at the same time or do you just buy one of each and switch it up? lol
Hence why I'll never buy the Aerial Bots or Constructicons even though I had them as a kid.

News Credits: 10 · Fri Jan 14, 2022 7:32 pm

Till-all-R1 wrote:
After the Megs, Soundwave and Jets I wasn't too big into a lot of the Decepticons. Shockwave was the standout among the, what I call third tier characters, though I guess in reality he had quite a bot of screen time. it really boils down to space and not having the room to buy all those ancillary characters especially the ones that form larger ones, because with them do you get two of each so that you can display them combined and loose at the same time or do you just buy one of each and switch it up? lol
Hence why I'll never buy the Aerial Bots or Constructicons even though I had them as a kid.

This part of the struggle is real.

News Credits: 30 · Fri Jan 14, 2022 9:56 pm

To be fair, that particular gripe is actually the fault of the reviewer responsible for these pics, not the designers, because Kickback does have a piece that comes out of his back that gives his bug head a lower jaw & covers it's robot face.

Well THAT'S good news anyway. I still would have liked a grasshopper abdomen for the alt mode, though

News Credits: 241 · Sat Jan 15, 2022 2:15 pm

DeathReviews wrote:
To be fair, that particular gripe is actually the fault of the reviewer responsible for these pics, not the designers, because Kickback does have a piece that comes out of his back that gives his bug head a lower jaw & covers it's robot face.

Well THAT'S good news anyway. I still would have liked a grasshopper abdomen for the alt mode, though

They could saving that aspect for Ransack...

News Credits: 17 · Sat Jan 15, 2022 3:05 pm

Jelze Bunnycat wrote:
DeathReviews wrote:Well THAT'S good news anyway. I still would have liked a grasshopper abdomen for the alt mode, though

They could saving that aspect for Ransack...

I wouldn't bet on it. The originals have very similar transformations and designs, with their size being the main difference. I think the most likely form for Ransack is a straight redeco of Kickback in Generations Selects.

News Credits: 19 · Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:24 pm

Kapow posted pics on farcebook of core iguanus and skywarp

**Edit his weapon looks like a sword hilt so it will be neat to see what weapon gimmicks the cores add to the line.~

Plus skywarp stole a Coyotes ACME Magnet

News Credits: 19 · Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:25 pm

Bot mode is awesome, bike mode is...kinda worse then the Grimlock that turns into a bike but hey. Likely to pick it up even if it's the second time we have pretend pretenders

News Credits: 462 · Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:26 pm

DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE! Lizard bike!

News Credits: 12 · Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:27 pm

I really like the look of him! Looks really posable and bot mode is incredible looking. Bike mode is... Well, it's certainly a Pretender's vehicle mode

News Credits: 19 · Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:30 pm

If he gets a beast wars repaint and can ride himslef...I'm also in.

News Credits: 17 · Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:37 pm

Am I petty for being disappointed there are no null rays? Should I pick up an extra Starscream and break out the paint? Pretty easy custom job, and I can hum The Stones while I do it.

News Credits: 12 · Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:39 pm

Definitely getting iguanus

News Credits: 19 · Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:44 pm

AcademyofDrX wrote:Am I petty for being disappointed there are no null rays? Should I pick up an extra Starscream and break out the paint? Pretty easy custom job, and I can hum The Stones while I do it.

He looks incomplete with out them

not something I was going to pick up anyways but kinda feels like he needed them.

News Credits: 10 · Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:47 pm

I was gonna get Iguanus anyway, but now I'm definitely getting him anyway.

News Credits: 4877 · Tue Jan 18, 2022 2:03 pm

With this being Transformers Tuesday, Hasbro chose to unveil two upcoming figures from the Legacy line. Both are core class figures Iguanus and Skywarp. Iguanus goes from reptiliam monster (homaging the G1 pretender shell) to a motorbike (homaging the alt mode of the G1 inner robot). His smaller core class size might be to homage the smaller inner G1 bot, though the class size seems rather arbitrary as this design could have translated to any standard size (be it deluxe or voyager). Skywarp is a redeco of Starscream of course, but he comes with a new accessory. These two along with a repack of Hot Rod, who has yet to be released everywhere, round out the first wave of Legacy's core class. Below are the images along with images of G1 Iguanus for comparison.

Transformers G1 1988 Iguanus Gallery

Tue Jan 18, 2022 2:23 pm

There’s clearly… more than meets the eye to these accessories.

News Credits: 56 · Tue Jan 18, 2022 2:28 pm

Wow. I really appreciate the comparison with the original Iguanas. As someone who never purchased any pretenders, I have to say the modern update to Iguanas looks amazing, and is surprisingly faithful to the original. Fans of this character appear to be in for a real treat.

I'm sure some people will be disappointed that Skywarp ditches the traditional "null rays" for the Legacy gimmick weapon.

Is the Hotrod Core Class re-release wave 1 also, or is he coming later? Since Hot Rod (and Blaster for that matter), already have their Legacy gimmicks in Kingdom, there doesn't appear to be any need to change them.

I wonder if Leader Class Glavatron's accessories will change at all to have a Legacy Gimmick weapon ? :-?

Tue Jan 18, 2022 2:38 pm

I was disappointed when the word was that Iguanus was not the Beast Wars character, but this one looks pretty good, actually, so I may get it anyway :roll: