The Energon Pub

Yes, exactly what Sabrblade said!

Do you live in Germany, LP? I'm always curious about availability of new and vintage figures in other countries. I'm fortunate to not only have all those B&Ms, but also several vintage toy stores in the area.

I have to go online for most of the Beast Wars Neo figures, though. I should have a demon lord arriving today who will need proper pics for his face-off against the Primes.

bodrock wrote:Do you live in Germany, LP? I'm always curious about availability of new and vintage figures in other countries. I'm fortunate to not only have all those B&Ms, but also several vintage toy stores in the area.

German online stores offer them quite a bit later than international ones and local retailers (your B&Ms) get them about 1 to 2 waves later. I just checked TRU Germany's website and see that wave 01 of PotP just arrived. The retailers will get them next month I guess. Maybe even in March. And wave 03 was the last one of the TR line. So we miss out "some" toys in here we have to get from international retailers. The last wave of Combiner Force still isn't available anywhere.
And for vintage figures on ebay: Most of the stuff you have to import but you can also be pretty lucky to get some rare and old figures for pretty low prices because there are not that many Transformers fans/experts in here and some parents just want to get rid of their children's old toys or their own ones.
And in general you don't need to worry that new figures are sold out that fast.
BUT we of course definitely miss exclusives like Target ones because there are no Target stores in Germany. The only ones we get are TRU ones but for TLK ones we only got Deluxe Megatron and Skullitron so far. I imported my TLK Cybertron (Cybertron Primus recolor) for a really good price (about $120 including shipping and import fees) from the US via ebay.

bodrock wrote:I have to go online for most of the Beast Wars Neo figures, though. I should have a demon lord arriving today who will need proper pics for his face-off against the Primes.

IMG_9987.PNG

Who is demon lord?

Demon Lord is just a nickname I gave Magmatron, based on his looks.

But yeah, I'm certainly glad my area (Oregon, USA) is pretty good about getting most of the waves in. I only saw Slugslinger for two weeks, but never saw TR Winsblade, Twintwist or Misfire....so I'm a but worried the same thing happens again...and I must have all the Terrorcons.

bodrock wrote:Demon Lord is just a nickname I gave Magmatron, based on his looks.

But yeah, I'm certainly glad my area (Oregon, USA) is pretty good about getting most of the waves in. I only saw Slugslinger for two weeks, but never saw TR Winsblade, Twintwist or Misfire....so I'm a but worried the same thing happens again...and I must have all the Terrorcons.

Why don't you just order them from Amazon? I mean if it's even for me the cheapest way to get them from Amazon.com (US) to Germany...
And the $ isn't that weak compared to the €.
I also noticed that PotP figures are cheaper than TR ones and maybe even than CW ones. But I can't remember US prices of the CW line.

Lunatic Prime wrote:

bodrock wrote:Demon Lord is just a nickname I gave Magmatron, based on his looks.

But yeah, I'm certainly glad my area (Oregon, USA) is pretty good about getting most of the waves in. I only saw Slugslinger for two weeks, but never saw TR Winsblade, Twintwist or Misfire....so I'm a but worried the same thing happens again...and I must have all the Terrorcons.

Why don't you just order them from Amazon? I mean if it's even for me the cheapest way to get them from Amazon.com (US) to Germany...
And the $ isn't that weak compared to the €.
I also noticed that PotP figures are cheaper than TR ones and maybe even than CW ones. But I can't remember US prices of the CW line.

That's what I did for TR Overlord & Misfire! So I may have to do the same thing, worst case -- it's just that scalpers sell there as well....not eBay bad, but still.

bodrock wrote:Yes, exactly what Sabrblade said!

Do you live in Germany, LP? I'm always curious about availability of new and vintage figures in other countries. I'm fortunate to not only have all those B&Ms, but also several vintage toy stores in the area.

I have to go online for most of the Beast Wars Neo figures, though. I should have a demon lord arriving today who will need proper pics for his face-off against the Primes.

IMG_9987.PNG

very nice shin megami tensei reference (true demon ending was a pain to achieve but worth it)

I would love to see Hasbro remake magmatron, just to see what they can do with 2018 engineering.

ZeroWolf wrote:I would love to see Hasbro remake magmatron, just to see what they can do with 2018 engineering.

I'd like to see Perfect Effect do that in the style they did Lio Convoy, Optimal Optimus and Transmetal 2 Megatron.

The official Transformers website has been updated with entries for the earlier waves of Power of the Primes. This includes the promotional and packaging artwork as well as the toy bios. They also happened to include an entry for Optimal Optimus, giving us the very first promotional artwork for the upcoming figure (we only had art for the smaller Optimus Primal toy revealed so far).

The bio and artwork is below. This leader class toy should be coming out around the summer. As with leader calss Optimus and Rodimus, this toy features an evolution gimmick were a smaller bot, Optimus Primal, combines with a larger structure to form Optimal Optimus. While Optimal Optimus retains his gorilla beast mode, it is important to note for those unaware that the smaller Optimus Primal toy does not turn into a gorilla but instead a cybertronian cargo ship. It can be seen in better detail here. This toy coming out, representing the maximal leader from Beast Wars, is a result a the fan vote asking fans who they thought should be the next Prime.

Bio

OPTIMUS PRIMAL
MAXIMAL
The loyal Optimus Primal is the leader of the heroic beast faction, the Maximals. He was once a research-vessel captain. He rose to greatness when he was thrust into a battle he had no choice but to win to save the universe from a terrible fate. Despite his legendary standing, he shows his freewheeling side through his motto: "sometimes crazy works."

ZeroWolf wrote:

bodrock wrote:Yes, exactly what Sabrblade said!

Do you live in Germany, LP? I'm always curious about availability of new and vintage figures in other countries. I'm fortunate to not only have all those B&Ms, but also several vintage toy stores in the area.

I have to go online for most of the Beast Wars Neo figures, though. I should have a demon lord arriving today who will need proper pics for his face-off against the Primes.

IMG_9987.PNG

very nice shin megami tensei reference (true demon ending was a pain to achieve but worth it)

I would love to see Hasbro remake magmatron, just to see what they can do with 2018 engineering.

Yeah it was, ZeroWolf! SMT3 is still an all-time fave.

Good call on a Perfect Effect Magmatron, LP -- their Lio Convoy was pretty cool. But if HasTak can do cool AND affordable, it'd be a whole lot cooler.

I can't wait to get PotP PRIMAL!

Does it bother anyone else that they seem to be primarily identifying this guy by his evolving form of Primal, as opposed to the other leader class figures primarily identified by their evolved forms?

Sabrblade wrote:

Sodan-1 wrote:Does it bother anyone else that they seem to be primarily identifying this guy by his evolving form of Primal, as opposed to the other leader class figures primarily identified by their evolved forms?

Not really. The "Optimal Optimus" name was only his formal name on the original toy, while in the show it was just a joke that Megatron made once or twice while the guy was still referred to as "Optimus Primal" even in that form.

Makes you wonder if the "Optimus Primal" name will be applied to the Combined "Prime" form, or the smaller one. Also, what would the other be called (please not "Optimus Minor"!).

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Cobotron wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Cobotron wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Ok, quick question for the people who own Starscream: is there a sculpted number on the inside of his Enigma and if yes, what is that number? Grimlock's has what I think is the number "1" inside his.

Also a 1.

Ok, how about the Matrix Cores of Optimus and Rodimus?

Don't have Prime, but Rod's Matrix core is molded diferently than the enigmas. It os hollow, but has structural cross braces to extend the peg farther out. There is no stamped number inside.

What theory are you conjuring Jelz?

Ah, overthinking things again. I was theorizing that the number refers to the mold used for the Matrix Core/Enigma, since they, along with the Prime Armor, seem to be cast independently from the figure itself. Like Grimlock is Type "1", Starscream is Type "2", that sorta thing. That's not the case, obviously, but you never know.

Thanks for pitching in so quickly.

I know we moved past this, but I would guess that is a cavity number. In plastic molding, when any identical parts are gang molded, the cavities are numbered, with a molded number ending up on the part. (We used to use this to determine which mold was degrading or otherwise going out of spec...)

So, this has me speculating that there may be other Enigmas coming that may be numbered differently as they close and open different cavities for different toys. It will be interesting to see if Elita 1, Starscream's mold mate, has a different number on her Enigma...

Lunatic Prime wrote:

bodrock wrote:Thanks Will -- you close to picking up a Heinraddo of your own?

I saw Rodimus Unicronus on eBay the other day from Kansas. I think it sold for $80+, but it was almost like seeing a unicrorn in the wild....

IMG_0057.JPG

Those people who can't just wait

I agree with you unless it was a reviewer that bought it as they like to review them before it hits shelves and that makes sense since a lot wait to see a review b4 buying toys.

AlexisSkrull wrote:

Lunatic Prime wrote:

bodrock wrote:Thanks Will -- you close to picking up a Heinraddo of your own?

I saw Rodimus Unicronus on eBay the other day from Kansas. I think it sold for $80+, but it was almost like seeing a unicrorn in the wild....

IMG_0057.JPG

Those people who can't just wait

I agree with you unless it was a reviewer that bought it as they like to review them before it hits shelves and that makes sense since a lot wait to see a review b4 buying toys.

That was my first thought right after I clicked Submit

bodrock wrote:I can't wait to get PotP PRIMAL!

Same here

Could we start a discussion about the small guys alt mode (and weaponry)?

Because his artwork show's him with original Optimus Primal's sabers but the toy just gets the gun barrels of Optimal Optimus mode as bats.


And his alt mode is just the space carrier on Optimal Optimus'es back. Or maybe it's the research vessel he was a captain of? But that wouldn't make sense as far as he would have been the captain of his own alt mode
But it's kinda nice because it could be his pre- BEAST WARS alt mode.


Or did we already have that and I missed it because I got in here late

I never had the original Optimal Optimus figure when I was a kid, so I'll jump on this new one as soon as it comes out. I did wonder for a while if the Optimal Optimus form would have the black and grey colour scheme of the regular Optimus Primal, but it's good to see they've kept the orange and blue.

Munkky wrote:I never had the original Optimal Optimus figure when I was a kid, so I'll jump on this new one as soon as it comes out.

I got that one 2 to 3 years ago. It looks cool in robot and beast mode but that's it.

Munkky wrote:I did wonder for a while if the Optimal Optimus form would have the black, grey and red colour scheme of the regular Optimus Primal, but it's good to see they've kept the orange and blue.

I guess the cockpit section will be bright orange because otherwise it wouldn't be accurate to the original one and look pretty off. And the rest of him will be black with a bit white and red like in the artwork.

Lunatic Prime wrote:

Munkky wrote:I never had the original Optimal Optimus figure when I was a kid, so I'll jump on this new one as soon as it comes out.

I got that one 2 to 3 years ago. It looks cool in robot and beast mode but that's it.

Munkky wrote:I did wonder for a while if the Optimal Optimus form would have the black, grey and red colour scheme of the regular Optimus Primal, but it's good to see they've kept the orange and blue.

I guess the cockpit section will be bright orange because otherwise it wouldn't be accurate to the original one and look pretty off. And the rest of him will be black with a bit white and red like in the artwork.

The neat thing is that the "Trailer" is more akin to a Pretender Shell, meaning the smaller robot except for the cockpit is hidden away.

I'd be in for a Burning Convoy into Primal Prime recolor.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Lunatic Prime wrote:

Munkky wrote:I never had the original Optimal Optimus figure when I was a kid, so I'll jump on this new one as soon as it comes out.

I got that one 2 to 3 years ago. It looks cool in robot and beast mode but that's it.

Munkky wrote:I did wonder for a while if the Optimal Optimus form would have the black, grey and red colour scheme of the regular Optimus Primal, but it's good to see they've kept the orange and blue.

I guess the cockpit section will be bright orange because otherwise it wouldn't be accurate to the original one and look pretty off. And the rest of him will be black with a bit white and red like in the artwork.

The neat thing is that the "Trailer" is more akin to a Pretender Shell, meaning the smaller robot except for the cockpit is hidden away.

Uhhhhm...nope
Look at the third picture on the upper left side:

A very rainbow gorilla. Looks like something out of the 90's.

Sabrblade wrote:

Tranzilla wrote:I'd be in for a Burning Convoy into Primal Prime recolor.

Swap out Burning Convoy for Apelinq and you got something there.

That would be really great. Maybe BotCon exclusive.
But I prefer the contruction site like color scheme of Optimal Optimus over Burning Convoy and Primal Prime. I also didn't like the Year of the Ape recolor of Supreme class Beast Machines Optimus Primal. I'm glad that I got the original one lately