The Energon Pub

[william-james88]

Holy crap, Seibertron actually loaded all the images in Shajaki's post instead of half of them being left as the "Image" placeholder text.

Also, Shajaki... Considering that you broke Lockdown after removing him from the box, you might have a hard time returning him.

Not in canada. customer satisfction is a big deal here. And how are they to know when lockdown broke, could have been broken like that from the get go. Plus worst case scenario, he can write to hasbro and they send him a new one and regardless of waht it is, Shajaki can bring that new toy to toysrus and get his money back for lockdown.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Ah, I see. Good to know. And yeah, writing to Hasbro is always an option.

Satisfaction from stores in the USA is a bit harder to get, probably due in part to people abusing the system (and in the process, the employees) so much..

It's kind of a shame to see quality control issues like this after the brand unification... Hopefully they'll diminish with time.

Something I forgot to comment on last night:
That gap in SS Megatron's torso (which I learned about reading through the thread).. Personally, it doesn't bug me. It's decently camouflaged, and I'd rather have a hollow, gappy torso that helps the figure's transformation than a solid one that hinders it (like the ROTF Leader and his obligatory electronics).
Also, someone totally needs to take pictures of Studio Series Megatron with Cybertron Leader-class Megatron (or Galvatron) including side-on shots with their arms lifted. Because, well, guess which other Megatron had a big torso gap (And I don't care, he is awesome).

[EvasionModeBumblebee]

This guy's serving as my SS Prime unless/until we get a DOTM remold of SS Prime. It's kind of a pain though, you can hardly move the legs on it without untabbing his waist. At least standing still he looks pretty cool!

[Ig89ninja]

This guy's serving as my SS Prime unless/until we get a DOTM remold of SS Prime. It's kind of a pain though, you can hardly move the legs on it without untabbing his waist. At least standing still he looks pretty cool!

IMG_E0189.JPG

Woah, nice job on bee so far, what color paint did you use for the custom bits? Be specific, please

[EvasionModeBumblebee]

Woah, nice job on bee so far, what color paint did you use for the custom bits? Be specific, please

Thanks! I used Testor's enamels, the yellow is their flat yellow (which I've realized is a little darker than the yellow already on the figure - I'd recommend mixing some lighter yellow in with it for optimal results). The silver on the grill and feet is their silver metallic enamel, and the gray for the body is like a 50/50 mix of that silver and flat gunmetal. The dark gray/black sections on his head were supposed to be flat gunmetal but I think I may have used my flat black instead (oh well, still looks pretty good), and I used a silver paint pen on the helmet pieces that stick up. Oh, and the inside of the cannon barrel is painted with Testor's gloss tangerine.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

And these Testor's enamels actually dried on TF plastic instead of staying perpetually tacky? What sorcery did you use to pull that off?

[EvasionModeBumblebee]

And these Testor's enamels actually dried on TF plastic instead of staying perpetually tacky? What sorcery did you use to pull that off?

Yep, they seem to work pretty well! To be honest, I know absolutely nothing about painting transformers, I just used the paint I've used on models in the past. Do acrylics usually work better?

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

And these Testor's enamels actually dried on TF plastic instead of staying perpetually tacky? What sorcery did you use to pull that off?

Yep, they seem to work pretty well! To be honest, I know absolutely nothing about painting transformers, I just used the paint I've used on models in the past. Do acrylics usually work better?

In my experience, yes. My attempts at painting TFs with Testor's enamels, the paint never fully dried like it did on models, it stayed tacky forever and got filthier and filthier over time, and was prone to rubbing off on my hands. The metallic paints were especially bad about this.
Never had that problem with acrylics. You've got to be careful what brand you pick, though: Avoid Americana, it tends to be a little on the chunky side and not come out smooth. I've generally had good results with Apple Barrel, CraftSmart, and DecoArt. Tamiya (which is pricier) is the brand you always here "pro"'s and magazines bleating about, and it is decent quality... at first. But it's vulnerable to turning to gum in the jar, especially the red (also had that happen to me with the Testor's Enamel red). Apple Barrel, DecoArt, and CraftSmart have never done that to me. Despite being cheap brands.


More comments on SS Megatron: As I was saying, the main purpose of the gappy torso would seem to be to enable transformation into an accurate tank mode. On the CGI model, Megatron's arm performs a somewhat complex transformation to become the main gun (the claw folding back and flattening out, his hidden right-hand fingers or at least what look like them forming a muzzle extension - possibly a focusing array - for his fusion cannon, etc). That'd be fancy hat trick to pull off in toy form, especially at Voyager size, and even if they did manage it at that size... from what I've seen it would probably just end up being bashed as overly fiddly . So instead a main gun that doesn't actually transform from anything is stored in his torso in robot mode, and his arms have to tuck away into the torso in tank mode. The torso is hollow to make room for that, and has exposed gaps because it doesn't look like there wouldn't be anywhere to hide the cover panels in tank mode without them partsforming

Moving on from his torso, I'm not sure if I've seen him configured into the "flying tank" mode. Can the Studio Series toy actually assume that mode?

[hushed]

The hands on the Blackout really bother me. They are turned sideways, with the thumb down permanently. So he is doing crab claw motion only.

The tail doesn't tab together quite properly when chopper mode, but I really buy them for their bot mode, not the alt mode, so I can stomach it.

I hope someone comes out with a fix for the hands.

[RotorstormNZ]

Moving on from his torso, I'm not sure if I've seen him configured into the "flying tank" mode. Can the Studio Series toy actually assume that mode?

Thank you for asking, as I’ve been wondering the same. I have a strong feeling he can’t.

Perhaps the suggested 3P side-filler fix will double as a flightmode kit?

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

The hands on the Blackout really bother me. They are turned sideways, with the thumb down permanently. So he is doing crab claw motion only.

The tail doesn't tab together quite properly when chopper mode, but I really buy them for their bot mode, not the alt mode, so I can stomach it.

I hope someone comes out with a fix for the hands.

Personally I'm okay with the orientation of the hands, since that's the way his hand seems to be turned when he first grabs the big mainframe/server tower (and since that's the best look we get at his hands, well..). I can understand your frustration though.

[-Kanrabat-]

The hands on the Blackout really bother me. They are turned sideways, with the thumb down permanently. So he is doing crab claw motion only.

The tail doesn't tab together quite properly when chopper mode, but I really buy them for their bot mode, not the alt mode, so I can stomach it.

I hope someone comes out with a fix for the hands.

Personally I'm okay with the orientation of the hands, since that's the way his hand seems to be turned when he first grabs the big mainframe/server tower (and since that's the best look we get at his hands, well..). I can understand your frustration though.

Someone have shown a mod with pictures many pages ago.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Welp. If Studio Series Megs doesn't have the tank mode wings, then that's quite a problem. I just went on an ROTF screencapping binge to get customization refs, including for Megatron since I have the ROTF Leader figure inbound.
And in the film, his tank mode has the wings even when driving around on the ground. Sigh...

[william-james88]

Amazon.ca has new preorders up for the Transformers Studio Series line. These are all toys that have yet to hit Canadian retail but some are toys that have also yet to hit US retail and some even global retail,such as the upcoming new Bumblebee deluxe that is rumoured to be in the Volkswagon body seen in the Bumblebee movie. All these preorder listings give us some dates which give us an idea of when these toys will be made (more) available at retail. As will be seen, some of these toys have already been released in the US so these dates are more of an aproximation.

Voyager Ironhide has a release date of September 1, 2018

Voyager Brawl and Megatron have a release date of July 1st, 2018

New Deluxe Bumblebee has release date of September 24, 2018

Please remember that the Bumblebee movie's deluxe and voyager toys (if any) are part of the Studio Series line and not part of its own movie line so this means that we would probably be getting the delayed Bumblebee movie toys starting end September. That is of course if this Bumblebee toy is for the new film or if it is simply Bee in another body he has had throughout the live action movie franchise.

[Emerje]

Voyager Ironhide has a release date of September 1, 2018

Voyager Brawl and Megatron have a release date of July 1st, 2018

Incidentally these are the same dates from the "big leak" which also had the 4/20 wave one street date correct so Bee's date is probably accurate as well.

Emerje

[Munkky]

I got hold of a Voyager Optimus today, and he isn't a bad figure at all. The first thing that really stuck out to me was that the transformation, especially the arms and chest windows, is quite similar to the Transformers Prime First Edition Optimus, so I got some warm and fuzzy nostalgia for that toy while I was transforming him. The only tiny nitpick I have are the vehicle's smoke stacks are too short, they should be about half an inch longer.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

The shortened stacks are due to a combination of safety regs and the simplified engineering.
You could drill them open and cut a notch for a slide lever, and get some stiff rubber tubing or w/e that fits inside, stick it in, glue a piece of scrap styrene on as the lever, and cut it to length.

[-Kanrabat-]

Some new English reviews of SS Ironhide are creeping up. Have Emgo's:

[D-Maximal_Primal]

Unbelievable that the system is 2 waves ahead of me for both SS and PotP. Damn

[-Kanrabat-]

Unbelievable that the system is 2 waves ahead of me for both SS and PotP. Damn

Same thing for us...

[TulioDude]

There is an offcial confirmation that all of the Bumblebee's movie toys will be in the Studio series?
I'dont want depend solely on it for them all.

[D-Maximal_Primal]

There is an offcial confirmation that all of the Bumblebee's movie toys will be in the Studio series?
I'dont want depend solely on it for them all.

All the generations Bumblebee movie toys will be under the Studio Series banner yes

[Sabrblade]

There is an offcial confirmation that all of the Bumblebee's movie toys will be in the Studio series?
I'dont want depend solely on it for them all.

All the generations Bumblebee movie toys will be under the Studio Series banner yes

And there's only four Transformers in the Bumblebee movie: Bee himself and three Decepticons, who are a jet and two cars.

[william-james88]

There is an offcial confirmation that all of the Bumblebee's movie toys will be in the Studio series?
I'dont want depend solely on it for them all.

All the generations Bumblebee movie toys will be under the Studio Series banner yes

And there's only four Transformers in the Bumblebee movie: Bee himself and three Decepticons, who are a jet and two cars.

There are 5, Optimus Prime is also confirmed to show up in some capacity.

[-Kanrabat-]

There is an offcial confirmation that all of the Bumblebee's movie toys will be in the Studio series?
I'dont want depend solely on it for them all.

All the generations Bumblebee movie toys will be under the Studio Series banner yes

And there's only four Transformers in the Bumblebee movie: Bee himself and three Decepticons, who are a jet and two cars.

There are 5, Optimus Prime is also confirmed to show up in some capacity.

I'm pretty sure Bee himself will have at least 2 toys. Let's hope for radically different molds.