The Energon Pub

[ScottyP]

Whereas the build of a Tiger is bulkier than a Cheetah, so it will be interesting to see how they hide that extra mass and leave them looking superficially similar in Bot Mode.

Back on topic, how long until we see this guy? The Megatron mold is too expensive for them to only use once after all....

Show-wise, Tigatron is way bigger than Cheetor in robot mode.
Beast Wars is a little inconsistent with scale on purpose with the shot looking good taking precedence over scale, so sometimes it's even more pronounced!

I'd love a T-Wrecks. Using precedent, it won't happen since T-Wrecks was a Hasbro release and I'd expect something like a "toy deco" in very light purple as the redeco. Perhaps even something not identical to but similar to the United release of the Cybertron/BW 10th deluxe with very loud purple:


However, it's a crazy new era without rules in the MP lineup so T-Wrecks is what should happen!

[william-james88]

Back on topic, how long until we see this guy? The Megatron mold is too expensive for them to only use once after all....

Why can't it be the reverse:

Like, this Megatron is expensive because they they won't reuse the mold.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Show-wise, Tigatron is way bigger than Cheetor in robot mode.

Yes. That is why aesthetically they will look similar (in Bot Mode) but the mold involved for MP Tigatron will be larger and not a mere redeco, as per MP Shadow Panther and the original toy.

Beast Wars is a little inconsistent with scale on purpose with the shot looking good taking precedence over scale, so sometimes it's even more pronounced!

This is what we have to work with. They have already broken their own mandate of Show Accuracy though, as MP Blackarachnia is clearly bigger than she should be.

I'd love a T-Wrecks. Using precedent, it won't happen since T-Wrecks was a Hasbro release and I'd expect something like a "toy deco" in very light purple as the redeco.
However, it's a crazy new era without rules in the MP lineup so T-Wrecks is what should happen!

Why can't it be the reverse:
Like, this Megatron is expensive because they they won't reuse the mold.

Because the MP Seekers, Datsun brothers, Lambor brothers etc etc exist and more pertinently to MP Beast Wars, MP Shadow Panther exists.
They have known how to recoup the expense of any mold for as long as the series has existed. Rip out the electronics and instantly they have two immediate (and cheaper to reproduce) redecos of Dinobot and Megatron, in Grimlock and T-Wrecks respectively.
Without any real effort at all, they are free to re-release the two most expensive figures of the Beast Wars line to date. From a business standpoint, how could they not capitalise on that opportunity?

[Nemesis Maximo]

Given the kinds of re-shelling we’ve seen of late from Combiner Wars and Titans Return, I would be neither surprised nor very disappointed if Tigatron is merely a reshell of Cheetor.

That said I will also not be surprised if he is new larger mold. However that just strikes me as very unlikely considering the only tangible difference between Cheetor and Tigatron is the beast mode details.

So basically, it’s a 50/50 chance.

[william-james88]

Why can't it be the reverse:
Like, this Megatron is expensive because they they won't reuse the mold.

Because the MP Seekers, Datsun brothers, Lambor brothers etc etc exist and more pertinently to MP Beast Wars, MP Shadow Panther exists.
They have known how to recoup the expense of any mold for as long as the series has existed. Rip out the electronics and instantly they have two immediate (and cheaper to reproduce) redecos of Dinobot and Megatron, in Grimlock and T-Wrecks respectively.
Without any real effort at all, they are free to re-release the two most expensive figures of the Beast Wars line to date. From a business standpoint, how could they not capitalise on that opportunity?

Many reasons. Firstly, every toy you mentioned above is a much lower price than megatron. As I said, maybe the reason for Meg's high price is because he will be used less than the other lower priced molds. I don't know, but I just don't think it's as obvious to say they are gonna make hasbro based repaints when they made other repaints in the pat for cheaper molds.

Another thing is that nothing is free. Making a redeco of BW Megs as T-Wrecks means it costs them both all that production cost AND the cost of not doing something else with the same resources (Transformers are still assembled and painted in human production lines). So they have to see if there is a market for it. just because a redeco potential exists, that doesnt mean we will get it if they dont think it will sell enough. Unsold units are very bad on a balance sheet, and one of the main things investors care about, as I have come to learn from listenting to quarterly calls from Hasbro.

All to say, its not all that simple, hence why I suggested the idea that Megatron's high price was based on the fact that they wouldnt recoup mold costs with redecos.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

True, Maximo. He is bigger though, so even though they might look of the same [in universe] Cat Bot mold, if Tigatron were a larger version, they might get more creative with it IE The tiger head on his chest might not be fake, but integrate the real Beast Mode head. Differences like that, previously unachievable with MP Cheetor, for whatever reason. Plus of course, Tigatron did have one extra Cheetor didn't...

[Sabrblade]

True, Maximo. He is bigger though, so even though they might look of the same [in universe] Cat Bot mold, if Tigatron were a larger version, they might get more creative with it IE The tiger head on his chest might not be fake, but integrate the real Beast Mode head. Differences like that, previously unachievable with MP Cheetor, for whatever reason. Plus of course, Tigatron did have one extra Cheetor didn't...

Fluttershy accessory confirmed!

[AllNewSuperRobot]

True, Maximo. He is bigger though, so even though they might look of the same [in universe] Cat Bot mold, if Tigatron were a larger version, they might get more creative with it IE The tiger head on his chest might not be fake, but integrate the real Beast Mode head. Differences like that, previously unachievable with MP Cheetor, for whatever reason. Plus of course, Tigatron did have one extra Cheetor didn't...

Fluttershy accessory confirmed!

Indeed. I didn't notice that thing in the background when I was looking for the specific image I intended

^ Regardless, MP Starscream was a very expensive mold once upon a time. Yet MP Sunstorm, Acidstorm etc exist today. There is a lot of possibilities with the Season One cast, in terms of redecos and retools. They have certainly taken note of that fact, at the very least.

[william-james88]

Yet MP Sunstorm, Acidstorm etc exist today.

Both Hasbro initiatives. And Takara never did release their own version of Acid Storm.

[Sabrblade]

Yet MP Sunstorm, Acidstorm etc exist today.

Both Hasbro initiatives. And Takara never did release their own version of Acid Storm.

Takara did their Sunstorm first.

[william-james88]

Yet MP Sunstorm, Acidstorm etc exist today.

Both Hasbro initiatives. And Takara never did release their own version of Acid Storm.

Takara did their Sunstorm first.

Thanks, good to know.

[Sabrblade]

Yet MP Sunstorm, Acidstorm etc exist today.

Both Hasbro initiatives. And Takara never did release their own version of Acid Storm.

Takara did their Sunstorm first.

Thanks, good to know.

And with all of the extra MP-11 accessories that Hasbro MP Sunstorm lacked.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Some BW molds already have their limits. Optimus Primal, other than the "burning" variant, hasn't got anywhere else to go. Cheetor has one more variant that is perhaps too unlikely to actually happen, in Nightprowler:


Rhinox is a one and done, as is Airazor. The Spider Bots are just a pair. The rest have some potential to mine and that isn't uncommon knowledge.




Oh and, as per earlier discussion of scale, specifically regarding the Cat Bots, this little nugget of knowledge from the Wiki:

Cheetor and Tigatron are the only characters in Beast Wars who are definitely in the correct scale to the life form they have adopted as a beast mode, since Cheetor specifically was seen near a real cheetah in the pilot episode. As a result, Cheetor and Tigatron have the odd distinction of being the yardstick by which other Beast Wars characters' scale inconsistencies can be measured.

[william-james88]

Some BW molds already have their limits. Optimus Primal, other than the "burning" variant, hasn't got anywhere else to go.

He has more than that (though I do not think they will do it)

[ZeroWolf]

*looks at the face paint of that Primal redeco*

Huh, who knew Primal was a Bowie fan.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

I think given the reputation of the translucent MP Starscream, they wouldn't try that again. As for the other one... MP Shattered Glass Optimus Prime exists, so I wouldn't discount his BW equivalent.

*looks at the face paint of that Primal redeco*

Huh, who knew Primal was a Bowie fan.

[Jumpstart1083]

Looks freaking gorgeous...

Although they're just matching the original tech specs, I never understood the "9" intelligence stat though, considering he's easily the most "cunning, yyeessss" Megatron ever. His intelligence should be like, 11! He easily outclassed Primal in intelligence. And, if anything, it would have made more sense to put the "9" in speed since he was more of a bulky Rhinox-like fighter than a quick moving Dinobot. TOY RUINED!!! Just kidding. =P

[-Kanrabat-]

Fellow Seibertronian TMan978 have uploaded his video review of MP-43 Beast Wars Megatron!
Check it out!

[Sabrblade]

Looks freaking gorgeous...

Although they're just matching the original tech specs, I never understood the "9" intelligence stat though, considering he's easily the most "cunning, yyeessss" Megatron ever. His intelligence should be like, 11! He easily outclassed Primal in intelligence. And, if anything, it would have made more sense to put the "9" in speed since he was more of a bulky Rhinox-like fighter than a quick moving Dinobot. TOY RUINED!!! Just kidding. =P

To be a little fair, his mastermindedness didn't get fully realized in the show until about two years after the original Ultra class toy was released. Watching just the first season by itself, Megatron had no long term plans or machinations by all appearances, and was much more comical a character than the Machiavellian Bond Villain that he would become in the second and third seasons.

Not to mention that the original Ultra class toy was originally meant to represent G1 Megatron in a new body, and G1 Megs wasn't exactly a genius back in most of the 1980s fiction.

[D-Maximal_Primal]

He looks really good and I expect to see a dispatch notice from Kapow... any day now.

It's funny but I am glad he is out of the way now. I've mentioned before but I don't like Megatron's Season One design. There was no cohesion or uniformity to the aesthetic, just random lines and colour patches. Which is why, in contrast, I think Megatron's Transmetal design is one of the best in the entire series.
As for MP Beast Wars, I'm more interested now in what comes next, MP Terrorsaur, Rhinox, Tarantulas etc

I agree, his Transmetal design was my absolute favorite has ever gotten. If it weren't for the breakage issues, I probably would have gotten one.

But I do like this design too, and the MP rendered it so well too!

I'm super happy for Blackarachnia cause she is so small and she is one of 3 bots I still need to complete the series cast.

I'm predicting that after BA, Rhinox, Waspinator, or Terrorsaur will be next, and I am willing to bet a ton that Inferno or Scorponok will be the last Season 1 figure done.

[SpikeyTigertron]

Can agree with Will about the stress marks on pins. If anyone is curious about his over-all scale see below. I was personally expecting him to give Ultra Magnus a closer run for biggest MP**

** not sure if Star Saber is bigger than Magnus

[RustedCross]

Megatron has arrived. No QC issues.
Love this figure.

[Jumpstart1083]

Looks freaking gorgeous...

Although they're just matching the original tech specs, I never understood the "9" intelligence stat though, considering he's easily the most "cunning, yyeessss" Megatron ever. His intelligence should be like, 11! He easily outclassed Primal in intelligence. And, if anything, it would have made more sense to put the "9" in speed since he was more of a bulky Rhinox-like fighter than a quick moving Dinobot. TOY RUINED!!! Just kidding. =P

To be a little fair, his mastermindedness didn't get fully realized in the show until about two years after the original Ultra class toy was released. Watching just the first season by itself, Megatron had no long term plans or machinations by all appearances, and was much more comical a character than the Machiavellian Bond Villain that he would become in the second and third seasons.

Not to mention that the original Ultra class toy was originally meant to represent G1 Megatron in a new body, and G1 Megs wasn't exactly a genius back in most of the 1980s fiction.

True. You could certainly look at it that way, for sure. Hindsight being 20/20 and all!

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Dispatch notice!

[Nathaniel Prime]

Some BW molds already have their limits. Optimus Primal, other than the "burning" variant, hasn't got anywhere else to go. Cheetor has one more variant that is perhaps too unlikely to actually happen, in Nightprowler:


Rhinox is a one and done, as is Airazor. The Spider Bots are just a pair. The rest have some potential to mine and that isn't uncommon knowledge.




Oh and, as per earlier discussion of scale, specifically regarding the Cat Bots, this little nugget of knowledge from the Wiki:

Cheetor and Tigatron are the only characters in Beast Wars who are definitely in the correct scale to the life form they have adopted as a beast mode, since Cheetor specifically was seen near a real cheetah in the pilot episode. As a result, Cheetor and Tigatron have the odd distinction of being the yardstick by which other Beast Wars characters' scale inconsistencies can be measured.

Actually Rhinox would have one repaint potential

DarkDesigns_Rhinox_monologues.jpg (54.25 KiB) Viewed 17341 times