The Energon Pub

News Credits: 5749 · by **El Duque** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 11:33 am

The highly sought after Transformers Prime First Edition Voyagers Bulkhead and Optimus Prime are now available at Toys"R"Us.com. Both are in-stock and ready to ship and priced at $24.99.

Product Description
Re-enact your favorite adventures from the TRANSFORMERS PRIME TV Series with this awesome BULKHEAD figure! Convert your figure from fierce robot mode to combat truck mode! When he's in robot mode, his Energon battle mace will make his enemies think twice before taking him on! In either mode, you can set your figure on its display stand in your collection. Keep switching your BULKHEAD figure from robot mode to vehicle mode as the battle rages on! Figure comes with display stand. Ages 5 and up.

Product Description
This fierce Transformers Prime Voyager Optimus Prime figure robot-to-vehicle warrior converts from robot mode to truck mode! Attach his Cybertronian battle sword and plasma cannon to his arms in robot mode. Figure comes with display stand.

News Credits: 251 · by **Mindmaster** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 11:55 am

Seriously? This late into the game?

Just like Soundwave and company, this is going to have to wait until after Christmas. :-x

by **optimuscarlos** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 11:57 am

I had bought optimus from a retailer at $50, just a few days ago.
And yesterday I found the shelves of a local toystore completely full of these guys at half the price.
I felt like a jerk, but well...at least I was able to got bulkhead at fair price. :APPLAUSE:

by **fordprefect294** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 12:21 pm

optimuscarlos wrote:I had bought optimus from a retailer at $50, just a few days ago.
And yesterday I found the shelves of a local toystore completely full of these guys at half the price.
I felt like a jerk, but well...at least I was able to got bulkhead at fair price.

I know that feel bro. I got my Bulkhead at robotkingdom over the summer for $60, then word came out of the TRU exclusives. Glad I at least got OP for $30.

by **gothsaurus** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 12:42 pm

Yeah, while I appreciate Hasbro eventually getting these out to the public, I know there are a LOT of people burned. I know I overpaid for a few of these, scrambling to find them or import them early on. I hope someone gets demoted to a dim, basement office over it. :lol:

and that we see a better distribution plan, including an end to short-packing the troop builder characters like the Vehicons and Insecticons.

by **fordprefect294** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 12:48 pm

gothsaurus wrote:Yeah, while I appreciate Hasbro eventually getting these out to the public, I know there are a LOT of people burned. I know I overpaid for a few of these, scrambling to find them or import them early on. I hope someone gets demoted to a dim, basement office over it. and that we see a better distribution plan, including an end to short-packing the troop builder characters like the Vehicons and Insecticons.

I'd be willing to bet troop builders will always be in short supply. As has been said many times over, we the fandom/collectors don't drive distribution, kids do. And their parents. And odds are a kid asking for 3-4 vehicons is going to get a "don't you already have that figure?" response. If 90% of their audience is held captive by their parents' purchasing power, they're not going to sell armies.

by **Philosophus Prime** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 12:59 pm

I snagged mine at a brick and mortar TRU when the first sightings came in. Got the last of each, and thankfully the paint was good. :KREMZEEK:

I know a lot of folks are going to disagree with me on this, but I'm really hoping Hasbro makes good on reissuing all of the FEs at some point, as I still need Bee and Cliff. They could at least get the Bee and Screamer box with Silas out to us stateside.

by **fordprefect294** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:02 pm

Philosophus Prime wrote:I snagged mine at a brick and mortar TRU when the first sightings came in. Got the last of each, and thankfully the paint was good. I know a lot of folks are going to disagree with me on this, but I'm really hoping Hasbro makes good on reissuing all of the FEs at some point, as I still need Bee and Cliff. They could at least get the Bee and Screamer box with Silas out to us stateside.

Yeah, my OP is missing the dark grayish/brown paint app on the vent on his chest right below the fake window.

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:19 pm

Philosophus Prime wrote:I snagged mine at a brick and mortar TRU when the first sightings came in. Got the last of each, and thankfully the paint was good.

W-What?!

Are you saying you bought one from this 2012 reissue of FE toys, and it doesn't have the missing truck side paint apps?

That fills me with so much hope!

Though, there's still no way to tell in the packaging if it does or doesn't have the missing paint, so it's still a gamble. :-(

by **fordprefect294** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:22 pm

Sabrblade wrote:
Philosophus Prime wrote:I snagged mine at a brick and mortar TRU when the first sightings came in. Got the last of each, and thankfully the paint was good.
W-What?! Are you saying you bought one from this 2012 reissue of FE toys, and it doesn't have the missing truck side paint apps?

That fills me with so much hope!

Though, there's still no way to tell in the packaging if it does or doesn't have the missing paint, so it's still a gamble.

Mine is also missing the red around the truck mode side windows. I think it's as others have said, it's the same paint mapping from the transparent version, that whole piece is one solid piece from one side, across the windshield to the other side, molded out of brown plastic.

News Credits: 251 · by **Mindmaster** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:25 pm

Sabrblade wrote:
Philosophus Prime wrote:I snagged mine at a brick and mortar TRU when the first sightings came in. Got the last of each, and thankfully the paint was good.
W-What?! Are you saying you bought one from this 2012 reissue of FE toys, and it doesn't have the missing truck side paint apps?

That fills me with so much hope!

Though, there's still no way to tell in the packaging if it does or doesn't have the missing paint, so it's still a gamble.

This is totally what's going what's going through your head when you read his post.

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:38 pm

fordprefect294 wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
Philosophus Prime wrote:I snagged mine at a brick and mortar TRU when the first sightings came in. Got the last of each, and thankfully the paint was good.
W-What?! Are you saying you bought one from this 2012 reissue of FE toys, and it doesn't have the missing truck side paint apps?

That fills me with so much hope!

Though, there's still no way to tell in the packaging if it does or doesn't have the missing paint, so it's still a gamble.

Mine is also missing the red around the truck mode side windows. I think it's as others have said, it's the same paint mapping from the transparent version, that whole piece is one solid piece from one side, across the windshield to the other side, molded out of brown plastic.

Kindly reads the post again. He said the paint on his was GOOD.

by **fordprefect294** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:39 pm

Sabrblade wrote:
fordprefect294 wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
Philosophus Prime wrote:I snagged mine at a brick and mortar TRU when the first sightings came in. Got the last of each, and thankfully the paint was good.
W-What?! Are you saying you bought one from this 2012 reissue of FE toys, and it doesn't have the missing truck side paint apps?

That fills me with so much hope!

Though, there's still no way to tell in the packaging if it does or doesn't have the missing paint, so it's still a gamble.

Mine is also missing the red around the truck mode side windows. I think it's as others have said, it's the same paint mapping from the transparent version, that whole piece is one solid piece from one side, across the windshield to the other side, molded out of brown plastic.
Kindly reads the post again. He said the paint on his was GOOD.

Sorry, that was meant in addition to an earlier post of mine. It's missing a vent paint app on the chest and also the window thing

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:55 pm

fordprefect294 wrote:Sorry, that was meant in addition to an earlier post of mine. It's missing a vent paint app on the chest and also the window thing

Isn't that still gray/brown on the 2011 version?

by **fordprefect294** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:57 pm

Sabrblade wrote:
fordprefect294 wrote:Sorry, that was meant in addition to an earlier post of mine. It's missing a vent paint app on the chest and also the window thing
Isn't that still gray/brown on the 2011 version?

No, it's a lot more brown now

Original

2012 TRU

by **gothsaurus** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 2:06 pm

oook. Okay, I'm still glad I got the original.

Looking on the bright side, I think the 2012 toys' missing paint apps may have gotten few million more kids into customization. Snicker. #-o

Seriously, we need to have the new galleries posted with their best match paint colors in the accompanying text. :-?

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 2:12 pm

fordprefect294 wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
fordprefect294 wrote:Sorry, that was meant in addition to an earlier post of mine. It's missing a vent paint app on the chest and also the window thing
Isn't that still gray/brown on the 2011 version?

No, it's a lot more brown now

You said on the chest. That's the side, which is plenty old news.

by **fordprefect294** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 2:14 pm

Sabrblade wrote:
fordprefect294 wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
fordprefect294 wrote:Sorry, that was meant in addition to an earlier post of mine. It's missing a vent paint app on the chest and also the window thing
Isn't that still gray/brown on the 2011 version?

No, it's a lot more brown now
You said on the chest. That's the side, which is plenty old news.

Mine in particular is ALSO missing a paint app on the chest which is supposed to be there. QC problem

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 2:19 pm

Okay, what is it you're trying to get at here? We know about the missing paint on the truck sides and why that is. What was it that I wrote that you were responding to?

by **fordprefect294** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 2:24 pm

Idk, I guess just chiming in with a confirmed case of missing paint since he was seemingly saying his wasn't missing it. Can't make too strong a case for it going one way or the other without anecdotal evidence from both sides.

~edit, I just read where the confusion is coming from I think. I misunderstood your question. Mine is a small vent that should be painted gray, which isn't, inside the larger red chest piece just below the fake window, not the larger gray area underneath.

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 2:29 pm

fordprefect294 wrote:~edit, I just read where the confusion is coming from I think. I misunderstood your question. My a small patch of gray painted vent inside the larger red chest piece just below the fake window, not the larger gray area underneath.

Is this a difference that is visible in robot mode in the packaging?

by **fordprefect294** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 2:34 pm

Sabrblade wrote:
fordprefect294 wrote:~edit, I just read where the confusion is coming from I think. I misunderstood your question. My a small patch of gray painted vent inside the larger red chest piece just below the fake window, not the larger gray area underneath.
Is this a difference that is visible in robot mode in the packaging?

It's what I circled in yellow. Mine is solid red, no paint on the lines. Def visible in package. Not horrible, but a bit of a bummer.

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 2:48 pm

fordprefect294 wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
fordprefect294 wrote:~edit, I just read where the confusion is coming from I think. I misunderstood your question. My a small patch of gray painted vent inside the larger red chest piece just below the fake window, not the larger gray area underneath.
Is this a difference that is visible in robot mode in the packaging?

It's what I circled in yellow. Mine is solid red, no paint on the lines. Def visible in package. Not horrible, but a bit of a bummer.

So the chest vents are gray on the 2011 version and red on the 2012 version, or vice versa?

by **fordprefect294** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 2:50 pm

Sabrblade wrote:
fordprefect294 wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
fordprefect294 wrote:~edit, I just read where the confusion is coming from I think. I misunderstood your question. My a small patch of gray painted vent inside the larger red chest piece just below the fake window, not the larger gray area underneath.
Is this a difference that is visible in robot mode in the packaging?

It's what I circled in yellow. Mine is solid red, no paint on the lines. Def visible in package. Not horrible, but a bit of a bummer.
So the chest vents are gray on the 2011 version and red on the 2012 version, or vice versa?

They're both gray on 2011, and my 2012 has one gray, one unpainted.