The Energon Pub

I like the look of alpha trion and astro train. I do wonder though who at will be repainted into.

There's just not much I can bring myself to like about Trion over here. His robot mode is pretty good, but I'm holding out for Thundertron. His other two modes are...I don't even know what to call that lion. It's freaky.

BUT, I really appreciate the fact that you can "remove" those weird side-of-the-head things he has. His actual head is pretty good.

ZeroWolf wrote:I like the look of alpha trion and astro train. I do wonder though who at will be repainted into.

According to rumours, Vector Prime.

I bet anything Takara'll turn him into Lio Convoy tho

The Titan Masters remind me of sentient versions of the masks in the Zelda games. Kind of makes me wish that each one had come with a default head (which they basically do) which was supposed to be that individual's actual head (rather than an independent character) and a second "Titan Master" head (which matched the backstory Hasbro's given in its promotional materials) which they could don to 'power up'.

It'll be interesting to see what IDW does with it - in last week's Titans Return one shot, it sure seemed like Infinitus was Sentinel Prime, rather than a Titan Master who'd revived his headless body or something. If they treat the Titan Masters like Marvel's Symbiotes or DC's Reach Scarabs, that could be pretty cool, I just think it'll be a little lame if Optimus is incapacitated at some point because he dons a random Titan Master dude, and then can't find his real head afterwards. In the end, how many of these I buy will depend greatly on how many IDW convinces me I need.

Though Blurr's paint job looks so shiny he already tempts me, and given the chance, I kind of want to troop build Scourges, to make Sweeps, but give them all different heads. Since Scourge is the only one I've seen getting left behind on shelves, that might happen.

Nemesis Maximo wrote:There's just not much I can bring myself to like about Trion over here. His robot mode is pretty good, but I'm holding out for Thundertron.

If they can dual homage Thundertron (with the lion) and Tidalwave (with the ship), that'd be pretty cool. Energon Tidal Wave, at least, had the white and blue, so it might not be impossible.

I wonder who they'll retool Alpha Trion into? Leo Convoy? Razorclaw?

Broadside? That ship mode looks kinda aircraft carrier-ish.

Edit: Just saw the posts above, derp.

Seeing these pics of Alpha Trion gives me no doubt in my mind that this mold is obviously going to be used for Vector Prime. That robot mode chest looks almost exactly like Cybertron Vector Prime's Critias Gateway (but now with lion paws and V-shaped armor partially covering it), the ship mode is obviously inspired by Cybertron Vector Prime's altmode, and Sovereign is molded as a direct homage to Safeguard, Vector Prime's Mini-Con.

Even if the rumours didn't all-but-confirm it, I think that analysis would be enough to shift me in the direction of there's-no-way-this-isn't-vector.
It does bother me just a little that two members of the thirteen share the exact same mold... but on the other hand Vector Prime already has a unique mold I could pick up off of Ebay, and on yet another hand OH MY GOD A CYBERTRON CHARACTER IN GENERATIONS

RAR wrote:I'm not sure if Hasbro intends to "Clarify" how Titan Masters are supposed to work as they are giving out mixed messages upon my casual viewing of it.

I still don't know if Titan's Returns are neo-tectors by some random mini-robot (most of who we have never heard of) wearing the robots we have heard of like a skin suit.

or if they are like the headmasters (us version) and the robot in the robot and the head performs some vague (and mostly non-specified) performance upgrade to said robot.

The thing that adds so much confusion is the blurbs talk about controlling the titan masters and talks about Titans in the manner they talked about say Devsatator or even any combiner in Combiner Wars.

Yet the implication actually is that a Titan master isn't mastering any titans at all it's just some ill-defined upgrade for pretty ordinary Transformers.. this leaves me very confused indeed.

Maybe they should have said the Titan-Master upgrades reconfigured their bodies and allowed the propensity of Triple changing or something.

But I admit I'm completely confused - even more so by the titan Master mini-figure Plus mini-vehicle sets.

As a play pattern from a purely toy perspective they make some sense I guess - but as a story - they seem incomprehensible and contradictory to me.

I asked this at Botcon and I (we) felt like the question just broke them. What I mean is, it seemed like the interview went from friendly questions to nerd overdrive and the design team couldn't address it.

The Podcast team genuinely felt like they had no understanding of that question set against the US vs Japanese continuity differences for Headmasters.

Kurona wrote:It does bother me just a little that two members of the thirteen share the exact same mold...

You just gave me a thought. What if this mold is used to make ALL 13 of them!?

Good eye on the comparison between A3 and Vector, Sabr. Although I have to admit, I love Cybertron Vector so much, I don't think I could replace (or duplicate in my case ) him with a new version. We'll see how weak I am if he does become a thing.

Tell you what though. I couldn't be more excited for that A3, and I can't wait to park a few Titan Master vehicles on the deck of that carrier mode.

I want to like Alpha Trion, but...something just...bugs me about him. He doesn't look right.

Sigma Magnus wrote:I want to like Alpha Trion, but...something just...bugs me about him. He doesn't look right.

What would right look like to you?

Sigma Magnus wrote:I want to like Alpha Trion, but...something just...bugs me about him. He doesn't look right.

Is it the too much red compared to the purple and silver?

Sabrblade wrote:

Sigma Magnus wrote:I want to like Alpha Trion, but...something just...bugs me about him. He doesn't look right.

Is it the to much red compared to the purple and silver?

It could be that, in a decidedly 'G1' styled line, that he is so decidedly not very 'G1' at all, not a bad thing, not a good thing, just tends to make him stand out.

It's none of that, I'm fine with the overall design. Looking at it more, it's just...something about the proportions seems strange.

Sigma Magnus wrote:It's none of that, I'm fine with the overall design. Looking at it more, it's just...something about the proportions seems strange.

He does seem kinda... puffy.

Sabrblade wrote:

Sigma Magnus wrote:It's none of that, I'm fine with the overall design. Looking at it more, it's just...something about the proportions seems strange.

He does seem kinda... puffy.

Yeah, I noticed it to, a big cube for a torso, it's likely the lion legs widening his abdomen.

I'd say that once I see a video review, and an in-motion look at the figure, I'll decide if I buy him or not...but for the moment, the pictures aren't doing it for me.

Sabrblade wrote:Seeing these pics of Alpha Trion gives me no doubt in my mind that this mold is obviously going to be used for Vector Prime. That robot mode chest looks almost exactly like Cybertron Vector Prime's Critias Gateway (but now with lion paws and V-shaped armor partially covering it), the ship mode is obviously inspired by Cybertron Vector Prime's altmode, and Sovereign is molded as a direct homage to Safeguard, Vector Prime's Mini-Con.

Actually, it's a 50/50 chance. The mold is sculpted with three designs (robot, ship and lion) calling back to a character who's had all three:


Transformers Convention & Club Exclusives Alpha Trion Gallery
Retooled from C-Vector Prime


Proposal for Alpha Lion, an alternate version would have used BWII Lio Convoy

The latter was homaged with him:


Transformers Convention & Club Exclusives Knight Alpha Trizer Gallery
Redecoed from RiD2015 Thundertron

Given Thunderstron was a pirate, had his own ship and Alpha Trion looks like a carrier I wouldn't be surprised if instead he was chosen for the redeco/retool instead of Vector Prime. The design may have been originally Vector's, but they can be associated with more than one character, especially if they're "mere redecos" and designers are unaware of older figures.

I get the idea behind it, but I honestly can't see us getting a Thundertron retool anytime soon. Maybe I'm wrong, but one of the 13 Primes who is still relevant today would seem to take precedent over... this one guy who had one (admittedly cool) toy but no-one really cared about as a character and only appeared in one book.

Kurona wrote:I get the idea behind it, but I honestly can't see us getting a Thundertron retool anytime soon. Maybe I'm wrong, but one of the 13 Primes who is still relevant today would seem to take precedent over... this one guy who had one (admittedly cool) toy but no-one really cared about as a character and only appeared in one book.

I'd love a Vector Prime repaint. I think it would be really cool. Of course, I want the LioConvoy repaint more.

So for anyone looking to use the upcoming TR Hot Rod as their IDW Rodimus and loves how the figure looks but is a little sad about no IDW face (read: me), there's a couple replacement faces already up on Shapeways.

http://www.shapeways.com/product/C48JC7 ... d=60438182
http://www.shapeways.com/product/SNLF6W ... d=60438113 (with comms microphone thingy)

Kind of starting to think I should make a thread in the third party forum about these things. There's so MANY

Counterpunch wrote:I asked this at Botcon and I (we) felt like the question just broke them. What I mean is, it seemed like the interview went from friendly questions to nerd overdrive and the design team couldn't address it.

The Podcast team genuinely felt like they had no understanding of that question set against the US vs Japanese continuity differences for Headmasters.

TITAN CONFUSION :

I wasn't intentionally trying to be "nerdy" I was just really asking as a wonder if a kid might (especially the older ones) what the play pattern actually is.

Especially when the little figure packs throw a spanner in the works a bit.

I will take the earlier posters point though and treat the "Little guys" as Minicons - and that would therefore (somewhat bizarrely) raise the question if the mini-vehicles are Transformers in their own right or just non-sentient accessory vehicles for the heads.

The real mind bending part is lets say we say the head is (supposed) to be Ape Face then what is the mini-vehicle - is that Ape face too or instead.

I'm just confusing myself here I think.

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VECTOR PRIME :

Oh and yes Vector Prime colours would be nice on the Alpha Trion mode (especially with a slight remould to the face and horns) but I can see how he'd also work rather well for Black Lio Convoy too.

Shame the "vehicle mode" is very much an after thought - I can imagine he'd look rather boss with a set of solar Panel wings on it (in all modes).

Especially as such wings would resemble the cape Alpha Trion often has too.

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ASTROTRAIN :

I don't consider myself a huge follower of the G1 cartoon in some respects (Like a prefer Starscream's wing logos to be on the correct way up)
But one exception to that is Astrotrain I like the animated Movie colours a lot more.

I think the toy looks nice and all in black and white or black/white/purple but I think every previous toy has just always looked nicer in the dark grey and purple to me.

I'd have liked a deco something like the Timelines one too.

Sabrblade wrote:

Kurona wrote:It does bother me just a little that two members of the thirteen share the exact same mold...

You just gave me a thought. What if this mold is used to make ALL 13 of them!?

Wait, in what continuity was Alpha Trion one of the original 13?

Emerje

Emerje wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Kurona wrote:It does bother me just a little that two members of the thirteen share the exact same mold...

You just gave me a thought. What if this mold is used to make ALL 13 of them!?

Wait, in what continuity was Alpha Trion one of the original 13?

Emerje

Aligned and IDW G1.