The Energon Pub

[aronjlove]

Thanks kev, I think even with the matrix and saw he would be only 80 grams or so. Definitely lighter than Scourge, so about $25 would have been appropriate. So basically if you bought Hot Rod at full price you paid $5 for extra bubble and cardboard. I mean, it's a nice box, but not that nice. And yes, I know I bought him of my own volition without anyone forcing me. I just didn't think it would be thus bad, even with reviews.

As for Blackarachnia, same thing. I own her as well, and it's a great figure, but if she was in spider mode with her legs folded under, she would most likely have fit into a core class bubble. Once I open both her and Rattrap, I'll test it out. Unless someone else has them handy. I wonder if Kingdom Rattrap is lighter.

Kingdom Rattrap is 23.3g with his gun.

[TF-fan kev777]

Her spider body is thicker than the core class packaging, so that won't work. She is heavier than both Rattrap and Vertabreak who are 22 and 17 grams respectively.

[aronjlove]

Kingdom Core-class Buzzworthy Bumblebee and Spike are a combined 29 grams...

[blackeyedprime]

dang is blackarcacnia made out of helium

[aronjlove]

Her spider body is thicker than the core class packaging, so that won't work. She is heavier than both Rattrap and Vertabreak who are 22 and 17 grams respectively.

The lil Wheelie that comes with SS86 Grimlock is 11.9 grams. Grimlock and gun are 321.2 grams. Total of 333.1 grams for $49.99.

[ZeroWolf]

I don't know why, but I'm amused at the point we've reached with figures here...weighing them. If you take a step back and look at it, it seems obsessive but also hilarious.

As for Hot Rods pricing, blame having to fit within a pricing structure on the retail side and the available size class slots of course. Imagine if he was an exclusive, how many people would start complaining about it? Not to mention how to handle international markets.

[aronjlove]

I don't know why, but I'm amused at the point we've reached with figures here...weighing them. If you take a step back and look at it, it seems obsessive but also hilarious.

As for Hot Rods pricing, blame having to fit within a pricing structure on the retail side and the available size class slots of course. Imagine if he was an exclusive, how many people would start complaining about it? Not to mention how to handle international markets.

Personally, I look at Hot Rod just like I do ER Cliffjumper, the price we pay for MP-like engineering in a consumer-line product.

[Rodimus Prime]

I don't know why, but I'm amused at the point we've reached with figures here...weighing them. If you take a step back and look at it, it seems obsessive but also hilarious.

I don't think it is ridiculous at all. If Hasbro determines prices according to mass of material required per figure, I think we have every right to know exactly what the price per weight of such figures are. Like its been said, both Blackarachnia and Cheetor are sold at the same price as deluxes, yet we get much less actual material for the same amount of money for the spider. Unless the difference is made up in packaging? Same with Scourge and Hot Rod. I highly doubt that all of Hot Rod's accessories put together adds up to the weight difference between he and Scourge, assuming the packaging weighs the same.

As for Hot Rods pricing, blame having to fit within a pricing structure on the retail side and the available size class slots of course. Imagine if he was an exclusive, how many people would start complaining about it? Not to mention how to handle international markets.

That's what Hasbro has to weigh in. Like I said before, if hot rod had actually cost the same as other deluxes in price per gram, it would have come out to $24 or $25 instead of $30. That $5 would have been worth it having him be an exclusive, even if it would have been online only due to the odd pricing, even if he still fit into a deluxe box. It would have saved us who purchased him $5 on packaging, if we still got all his accessories. That's not much for 1 person, but just think how many units get sold worldwide. That's a lot of money Hasbro takes in, and for what? Empty space inside the box along with a gram or 2 of extra plastic in the bubble. Because it sure as hell isn't going to the toy.

[bacem]

I don't know why, but I'm amused at the point we've reached with figures here...weighing them. If you take a step back and look at it, it seems obsessive but also hilarious.

As for Hot Rods pricing, blame having to fit within a pricing structure on the retail side and the available size class slots of course. Imagine if he was an exclusive, how many people would start complaining about it? Not to mention how to handle international markets.

Agreed with this. I am glad that hot rod is a retail release. Coming from someone who lives in south east asia here, retail release and selects are the only hope i have to be able to aquire figures with decent price. All the walmart, target, and walgreen exclusives, they have very minimal chance to be found here, and my only choice is i do want them is paying an MP price for what is pretty much deluxe figure, not a route i am fond of, hence i end up giving up on ER seekers, as well as prowl, ironhide, ratchet, and lifeline.

[william-james88]

I thought hot rod cost more due to parts count and complexity, not weight or accessories (they just make an easy visual excuse for an increase in price)

[TF-fan kev777]

I don't think Hasbro ever has (or will) given any exact details, but some combination of basic material weight and number/complexity of parts generally appears to apply to each class. Typically the larger the figure (mass-wise) the less complex and fewer parts they would have, more hollow spots, etc. It would make sense to be on some sort of a sliding scale for each class.

Hot Rod is kind of an in-betweener. Larger on the deluxe scale on both mass and parts count, but not really that much more to justify full Voyager price, even with the extra bits. He definitely feels more complex than Jazz, Blurr or Kup, but not incredibly so.

[Spider5800]

to me, Topspin is one of the few bots whose old toy was actually the superior toy. There was more they could have done with the new one they didn't, and it didn't come out as well

I am still glad I got this Topspin and the sculpting is top-notch, but I agree that the old deluxe is a better figure.

I think that's the only Studio Series figure (at least of the ones I have) that doesn't feel like a big upgrade from the prior figure(s).

I have most, and to me most of them are glowups from the prior releases.

From what I've heard, people consider SS Sentinel a downgrade, but they are referring to the leader figure, which I never got and isn't really in scale with the rest of the line.

Maybe SS Crankcase to the DotM one, but I never got the OG so I am not sure. SS Barricade is also one of my weaker ones, but I don't have the DotM deluxe to compare.

Outside of that, I'm not sure what else to debate. Maybe Long Haul, but this one had to combine so some stuff that could have been done better wasn't, and I don't have the OG toy, so I can't say for sure

Long Haul and Mixmaster are definitely downgrades from their RotF molds in terms of robot and vehicle mode (heck, Mixmaster even had his tank mode in the original). However, I feel like 90% of the people who got those two wanted them for Devastator, so it doesn't really matter much.

Sentinel is a pretty big upgrade from his prior voyager version, but I'd agree he's a downgrade from the leader, which makes a lot more sense for him because those firetrucks he's based on are HUGE.

Brawl is kind of a weird case, because this was the first voyager version of him. Prior to this he only had a deluxe and a leader. Also kind of weird because even though he's technically more screen accurate than the prior versions, he looks kind of gangly and thin. He doesn't "feel" right for the character, if that makes sense, compared to the prior versions. Think this one is down to personal preference.

I think scale probably also plays a big role for people's opinions on this stuff. If I was building my movie bots shelf around, say, RotF Leader Optimus, then a lot of the SS figures just don't work, even when they are technically superior. Scale wise it makes way more sense to get leader Sentinel or leader Brawl, because they looks more correct next to that figure. I still think Battle Blade Bumblebee is easily the best deluxe version of Bee, but no way I'd put that next to SS Leader Optimus, I think he's actually TALLER than that version of Prime. Sometimes the "inferior" figure makes more sense depending on what you're focusing on for your collection.

[Spider5800]

Let's settle the debate on whether Jazz is lighter than the rest right here, and possibly start or further along some other weight debates.

Here are the weights of all the SS86 and Kingdom wave 1 figures I have. All weights in grams. All figures were weighed with their weapons (but Hot Rod without the matrix or saw).

SS86 Jazz - 72
SS86 Kup - 69
SS86 Blurr - 76
SS86 Hot Rod - 79 (definitely not worth $30)
SS86 Scourge - 139
Kingdom Warpath - 74
Kingdom Cheetor - 60
Kingdom Paleotrex - 53
Kingdom Black Arachnia - 37 (yes you read that correctly)
Kingdom Optimus Primal - 131
Kingdom Cyclonus - 149
Kingdom Megatron - 333

I mentioned earlier in the thread how hefty Primal feels, so his weight makes sense. He's short, but he doesn't have the hollow arms and legs and empty back we've been seeing more and more of.

I AM shocked by Blackarachnia, though. I knew she was smaller than most deluxes (her spider mode looks great, but it is pretty tiny), but not THAT much smaller, she's almost the same weight as core class figures. At least her paint apps are pretty good.

[ZeroWolf]

I don't know why, but I'm amused at the point we've reached with figures here...weighing them. If you take a step back and look at it, it seems obsessive but also hilarious.

As for Hot Rods pricing, blame having to fit within a pricing structure on the retail side and the available size class slots of course. Imagine if he was an exclusive, how many people would start complaining about it? Not to mention how to handle international markets.

Agreed with this. I am glad that hot rod is a retail release. Coming from someone who lives in south east asia here, retail release and selects are the only hope i have to be able to aquire figures with decent price. All the walmart, target, and walgreen exclusives, they have very minimal chance to be found here, and my only choice is i do want them is paying an MP price for what is pretty much deluxe figure, not a route i am fond of, hence i end up giving up on ER seekers, as well as prowl, ironhide, ratchet, and lifeline.

Exactly, the situation isn't much better in the UK. Having hit rod as a general release increases the chance of it appearing in Smyths/the Entertainer then it will be worth it.

[Emerje]

I thought hot rod cost more due to parts count and complexity, not weight or accessories (they just make an easy visual excuse for an increase in price)

That was my understanding. I haven't opened mine yet, but everything I've seen points to it being a more complex figure than most basics, the same way ER Cliffjumper is more complex than most Legends/Core figures.

Emerje

[aronjlove]

It took a bit to find the Twitter thread but here is why Hot Rod is $29.99

ArchivistPrime-1347334757739352073-20210107_171013-gif1.gif (428.42 KiB) Viewed 19686 times

Find me a figure that can recreate a transformation from the movie. I'll wait...

[Sabrblade]

Doesn't the MP do the arm rotation too?

[D-Maximal_Primal]

Doesn't the MP do the arm rotation too?

Negative

[Sabrblade]

Doesn't the MP do the arm rotation too?

Negative

Then what was everyone talking about when the MP came out?

*checks*

Ah, it's the Lookout Mountain transformation that the MP imitates frame-by-frame.

[TF-fan kev777]

Anyone else concerned about that persons' collection? I see the top 2 bins with guns and parts, can't tell what is in the next bin, but the thermometers in the bottom bin have me intrigued/concerned.

[Sabrblade]

Anyone else concerned about that persons' collection? I see the top 2 bins with guns and parts, can't tell what is in the next bin, but the thermometers in the bottom bin have me intrigued/concerned.

Cheetimus is a professional customizer.

[chuckdawg1999]

Doesn't the MP do the arm rotation too?

Negative

Then what was everyone talking about when the MP came out?

*checks*

Ah, it's the Lookout Mountain transformation that the MP imitates frame-by-frame.

Basically, we live in a time where every variation of Hot Rods Transformation is now represented in toy form.

[william-james88]

Doesn't the MP do the arm rotation too?

Negative

Then what was everyone talking about when the MP came out?

*checks*

Ah, it's the Lookout Mountain transformation that the MP imitates frame-by-frame.

Dare, dare to keep all of your dreams alive
It's time to take a stand
And you can win, if you dare

[Sentinel_Primal]

Speaking of Hot Rod, I saw someone point out that the Matrix can be stashed in his stomach in robot mode, which makes me kind of want to get him more than I already did. I'm holding out till we see Commander Rodimus because I wanna see how that version looks, but I know I'll probably get this Hot Rod too just because of some of the neat tricks and features he has

[aronjlove]

I regret not picking up SS86 Scourge the one time I saw him in-store, but Target is actually shipping him on time. I don't know if he will arrive by the February 1st street date, but it is nice to have my first shipment of the year from Target isn't delayed