The Energon Pub

Overcracker wrote:Seriously? After all that... They make entirely new molds for everybody, go to the lengths of making 2 figures that have a release mechanism so they split in half when combined with the arm and the arm is extended. They design a rather complex motor master and trailer skeleton, and then just cheap out with the last limb by making him a straight repaint?

Something seems off about this.

Or is the plan to release an actual Breakdown later, like they did with CW Wild Rider and CW Blastoff?

Make you buy a limb twice....

You do make a good point, because from the pictures that is directly a Wildrider repaint. But! There's hope. Breakdown is on the Motormaster box, and if I recall, he looks like a Lambo.

Hey, uh, guys?

How do we know for certain that this Breakdown is a final copy and not just a test shot sample meant to simply stand-in for the final Breakdown in this display, merely meant to give viewers an impression of what a complete Menasor looks like?

Sabrblade wrote:Hey, uh, guys?

How do we know for certain that this Breakdown is a final copy and not just a test shot sample meant to simply stand-in for the final Breakdown in this display, merely meant to give viewers an impression of what a complete Menasor looks like?

That's what we're getting at. I added a picture.

Sabrblade wrote:Hey, uh, guys?

How do we know for certain that this Breakdown is a final copy and not just a test shot sample meant to simply stand-in for the final Breakdown in this display, merely meant to give viewers an impression of what a complete Menasor looks like?

That's what I was thinking....

sol-magnus wrote:That's what we're getting at. I added a picture.

Yeah the pic on the box definitely does not look like Wild Rider.


Something weird about this.

Even if they did re-use the engineering which would be understandable since it needs to do the same thing, I would expect the car shell would at least be different.

We'll find out soon enough, and best advice I can give is for everyone to expect that this is the breakdown we'll be getting . That way you won't be disappointed if its true, and you get to be pleasantly surprised when it turns out to be different.

ZeroWolf wrote:We'll find out soon enough, and best advice I can give is for everyone to expect that this is the breakdown we'll be getting . That way you won't be disappointed if its true, and you get to be pleasantly surprised when it turns out to be different.

Yeah...no. I'm not doing that. I'm confident he'll have the same transformation but be different.

sol magnus wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Hey, uh, guys?

How do we know for certain that this Breakdown is a final copy and not just a test shot sample meant to simply stand-in for the final Breakdown in this display, merely meant to give viewers an impression of what a complete Menasor looks like?

That's what we're getting at. I added a picture.

Remember, this Breakdown is not a straight redeco: the back of the car mode is retooled, with the 5mm ports in the back instead of the front like on Wildrider. That's possibly all they'll do for the car (maybe add the spoiler as an accessory), but the robot mode is still hidden. Head and chest is what's most important here.

Plus, art hasn't always matched the final toy 100%, especially when last-minute changes are concerned.

Sabrblade wrote:Hey, uh, guys?

How do we know for certain that this Breakdown is a final copy and not just a test shot sample meant to simply stand-in for the final Breakdown in this display, merely meant to give viewers an impression of what a complete Menasor looks like?

Can't say I'm very optimistic about that. They didn't just take a Wild Rider and paint it white. That's molded plastic, new parts and appears to be factory paint. Even the clear plastic is different. It's possible they didn't use all the new parts available for the mold and mixed in more Wild Rider parts than necessary and ran it through all the steps to make it look authentic, but that's some next level subterfuge for a company that doesn't shy away from using gray models at events.

Emerje

Jelze Bunnycat wrote:

sol magnus wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Hey, uh, guys?

How do we know for certain that this Breakdown is a final copy and not just a test shot sample meant to simply stand-in for the final Breakdown in this display, merely meant to give viewers an impression of what a complete Menasor looks like?

That's what we're getting at. I added a picture.

Remember, this Breakdown is not a straight redeco: the back of the car mode is retooled, with the 5mm ports in the back instead of the front like on Wildrider. That's possibly all they'll do for the car (maybe add the spoiler as an accessory), but the robot mode is still hidden. Head and chest is what's most important here.

Plus, art hasn't always matched the final toy 100%, especially when last-minute changes are concerned.

True, but to make all the others original tools and then end it with a redeco definitely goes against the pattern.

Looking more closely at the pictures, yes, it does appear slightly retooled. and by slightly I just mean a coupe of ports for a spoiler maybe, and the removal of the ports for the guns wild rider had.

That's pretty much it.

Pretty weak way to end the set if you ask me.

The front is still just Wild Rider

Its like if they had just repainted Dragstrip brown and called him Dead End.

We're probably getting the official reveal in just one week, it makes a lot more sense to think WYSIWYG than the alternative

Perhaps repainting Wild Rider was easy enough to do just for display purposes for Menasor so as to not reveal the final tor prematurely. Surely they wouldn't cheap out that bad? I'm really looking forward to a Lambo that doesn't transform the exact same way as all the others!

So, it appears from comments in the past few days several of us finally got Wild Rider. His leg transformation into car mode was a bit more fiddly than I expected. Still everything tabs in nicely except the feet underneath. I really don't like their placement. They basically scrape bottom, not allowing the rear wheels to move across smooth surfaces. I'm changing his name from Wild Rider to Low Rider. .

Till-all-R1 wrote:Perhaps repainting Wild Rider was easy enough to do just for display purposes for Menasor so as to not reveal the final tor prematurely. Surely they wouldn't cheap out that bad? I'm really looking forward to a Lambo that doesn't transform the exact same way as all the others!

Both of the original leg bots had wheels on their arms, which Wild Rider's transformation approximates. It makes sense that the hood transformation for Breakdown would be the same thing. Plus the hood/heel function needs to work the same way.

You can adjust your expectations or be disappointed, the choice is yours.

sol magnus wrote:True, but to make all the others original tools and then end it with a redeco definitely goes against the pattern.

The is the correct pattern from a business perspective. Put the most disappointing one last when people have already sunk in over $100.

ZeroWolf wrote:We'll find out soon enough, and best advice I can give is for everyone to expect that this is the breakdown we'll be getting . That way you won't be disappointed if its true, and you get to be pleasantly surprised when it turns out to be different.

I know I originally shot this down, but looking at the pics, while the hood is the same as Wildrider, the back portion of the car is not the same. Which, unless it's just a bunk prototype, means he's a partial retool of Wildrider with the same hood. So not a total copy, but not a win, either.

sol magnus wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:We'll find out soon enough, and best advice I can give is for everyone to expect that this is the breakdown we'll be getting . That way you won't be disappointed if its true, and you get to be pleasantly surprised when it turns out to be different.

I know I originally shot this down, but looking at the pics, while the hood is the same as Wildrider, the back portion of the car is not the same. Which, unless it's just a bunk prototype, means he's a partial retool of Wildrider with the same hood. So not a total copy, but not a win, either.

Oh I understand However, you have to admit, the complete Menasor looks fun to mess around with!

ZeroWolf wrote:

sol magnus wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:We'll find out soon enough, and best advice I can give is for everyone to expect that this is the breakdown we'll be getting . That way you won't be disappointed if its true, and you get to be pleasantly surprised when it turns out to be different.

I know I originally shot this down, but looking at the pics, while the hood is the same as Wildrider, the back portion of the car is not the same. Which, unless it's just a bunk prototype, means he's a partial retool of Wildrider with the same hood. So not a total copy, but not a win, either.

Oh I understand However, you have to admit, the complete Menasor looks fun to mess around with!

Yes. I have vowed not to combine the Stunticons until I get all five. I stated this in my Menasor review.

Earlier, people were trying to figure out alternate stuff for what the combiners do when they combine. I thought about it, but I never came up with anything I liked because to me, the combiner's mind is an amalgamation of the the five that make him...which is why I never liked Scramble City style mixing very much.

sol magnus wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:

sol magnus wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:We'll find out soon enough, and best advice I can give is for everyone to expect that this is the breakdown we'll be getting . That way you won't be disappointed if its true, and you get to be pleasantly surprised when it turns out to be different.

I know I originally shot this down, but looking at the pics, while the hood is the same as Wildrider, the back portion of the car is not the same. Which, unless it's just a bunk prototype, means he's a partial retool of Wildrider with the same hood. So not a total copy, but not a win, either.

Oh I understand However, you have to admit, the complete Menasor looks fun to mess around with!

Yes. I have vowed not to combine the Stunticons until I get all five. I stated this in my Menasor review.
You been tempted at all to break that vow?
Earlier, people were trying to figure out alternate stuff for what the combiners do when they combine. I thought about it, but I never came up with anything I liked because to me, the combiner's mind is an amalgamation of the the five that make him...which is why I never liked Scramble City style mixing very much.

ZeroWolf wrote:

sol magnus wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:

sol magnus wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:We'll find out soon enough, and best advice I can give is for everyone to expect that this is the breakdown we'll be getting . That way you won't be disappointed if its true, and you get to be pleasantly surprised when it turns out to be different.

I know I originally shot this down, but looking at the pics, while the hood is the same as Wildrider, the back portion of the car is not the same. Which, unless it's just a bunk prototype, means he's a partial retool of Wildrider with the same hood. So not a total copy, but not a win, either.

Oh I understand However, you have to admit, the complete Menasor looks fun to mess around with!

Yes. I have vowed not to combine the Stunticons until I get all five. I stated this in my Menasor review.

Earlier, people were trying to figure out alternate stuff for what the combiners do when they combine. I thought about it, but I never came up with anything I liked because to me, the combiner's mind is an amalgamation of the the five that make him...which is why I never liked Scramble City style mixing very much.

You been tempted at all to break that vow?

I have not.

sol magnus wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:

sol magnus wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:

sol magnus wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:We'll find out soon enough, and best advice I can give is for everyone to expect that this is the breakdown we'll be getting . That way you won't be disappointed if its true, and you get to be pleasantly surprised when it turns out to be different.

I know I originally shot this down, but looking at the pics, while the hood is the same as Wildrider, the back portion of the car is not the same. Which, unless it's just a bunk prototype, means he's a partial retool of Wildrider with the same hood. So not a total copy, but not a win, either.

Oh I understand However, you have to admit, the complete Menasor looks fun to mess around with!

Yes. I have vowed not to combine the Stunticons until I get all five. I stated this in my Menasor review.

Earlier, people were trying to figure out alternate stuff for what the combiners do when they combine. I thought about it, but I never came up with anything I liked because to me, the combiner's mind is an amalgamation of the the five that make him...which is why I never liked Scramble City style mixing very much.

You been tempted at all to break that vow?

I have not.

You're a stronger man then me

AcademyofDrX wrote:

Till-all-R1 wrote:Perhaps repainting Wild Rider was easy enough to do just for display purposes for Menasor so as to not reveal the final tor prematurely. Surely they wouldn't cheap out that bad? I'm really looking forward to a Lambo that doesn't transform the exact same way as all the others!

Both of the original leg bots had wheels on their arms, which Wild Rider's transformation approximates. It makes sense that the hood transformation for Breakdown would be the same thing. Plus the hood/heel function needs to work the same way.

You can adjust your expectations or be disappointed, the choice is yours.

Agreed. There's a chance they might change the hood to be more Lambo like, but we've known all along that Wild Rider fits perfectly in both legs and therefore the two would probably share molds. Takara Tomy did cover themselves by sticking a "not final" sticker on Menasor even though 4/5 of the combiner is final.

Emerje

I hope that Breakdown looks like the other Lambos we've gotten but it's ultimately not a big deal. Speaking of Stunticons, I bought Wild Rider last night at my local target!

He's not bad, Dragstrip is like a 9 and WR is a solid 7. The back pack car bits really is not anywhere as bad as I feared, being able to split the two sides and swing them down helps tremendously. Another side note, I had to trim a little bit of spru or mold flashing off the inner part of the windshield, where it folds back to allow the front bumper chunk to settle down further. Not a big deal but just thought y'all should know in case you get him and are frustrated

Also the car mode is really sharp

Just curious if you have issue with the feet pegging in underneath in car mode. Mine don't really stay and scrape bottom whenever you try to roll him across a surface in car mode

This guy isn't going over any speed bumps without taking major damage

sol magnus wrote:True, but to make all the others original tools and then end it with a redeco definitely goes against the pattern.

I have to ask: what pattern? What Combiner has had 100% original molds from the get-go starting with Combiner Wars (taking Superion with Slingshot and Menasor with Brake-Neck into account)?