The Energon Pub

Wolfman Jake wrote:

adamage1 wrote:Around here, TRU and Target have Sentinel and Galvatron, but no Blaster or Prime. Blaster and Prime just started showing up at Walmart. I have a feeling our stores are a good 4–6 weeks behind southern and coastal state stores. TRU does have a couple Fort Max on hand, which has been available for a couple weeks, though, so I decided to snag one of those. I am just getting tired of waiting for Chromedome and Highbrow to hit the shelves.

Try Walgreens. That's where Titans Return deluxe Wave 2 has been showing up in the Minnesota Twin Cities area. I snagged my Highbrow and Chromedome there. Be warned, Walgreens sells the deluxes for a whopping $20 USD! I also spotted a lone Chromedome about a week or two ago at the T1 Target in Roseville, MN. The wait should be almost over, I imagine.

Odd, my Walgreens is selling thembfor $13.99.

Wolfman Jake wrote:

adamage1 wrote:Around here, TRU and Target have Sentinel and Galvatron, but no Blaster or Prime. Blaster and Prime just started showing up at Walmart. I have a feeling our stores are a good 4–6 weeks behind southern and coastal state stores. TRU does have a couple Fort Max on hand, which has been available for a couple weeks, though, so I decided to snag one of those. I am just getting tired of waiting for Chromedome and Highbrow to hit the shelves.

Try Walgreens. That's where Titans Return deluxe Wave 2 has been showing up in the Minnesota Twin Cities area. I snagged my Highbrow and Chromedome there. Be warned, Walgreens sells the deluxes for a whopping $20 USD! I also spotted a lone Chromedome about a week or two ago at the T1 Target in Roseville, MN. The wait should be almost over, I imagine.

That’s actually not too far from what other retailers are pricing them, generally around $18 from what I have seen.

adamage1 wrote:I am just getting tired of waiting for Chromedome and Highbrow to hit the shelves.

I was right where you were one week ago. Almost going to e-bay (almost), but good sense got the better of me and it paid off. Walmart finally stocked wave 2 online in Canada and I got them there. So dont give up, they should be right around the corner.

Oh and just to see if they were indeed available anywhere online right now from standard retailers (surprise, they are not), I did spot TR Optimus prime for only 36$ on amazon. A decent price for the figure:

https://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Gen ... ans+return

adamage1 wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

nycPrime wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

adamage1 wrote: I hear Walmart and Toys R Us purchased large quantities of wave 2 product, and they will likely be placing them on shelves in the next few weeks. This is why many online sellers are out of stock of many wave 2 figures.

Yes, this was confirmed by Hasbro directly, all their wave 2 stock was sold away, and of course the biggest purchasers would be Walmart and TRU.

Why are they waiting so long to make it available? The only non-online store carrying wave 2 now is walgreens argh!

Its odd, I will give you that. Very much unlike last year where the last wave of the year was available at the start of the 4 th quarter at least. Is wave 1 stocked well anywhere? Because that would be my main guess as to why the rest isnt stocked yet. I know my TRU has Galvatron, Sentinels, Prime and Blasters up to the wazoo, so it would make sense to wait before putting wave 2 on the shelves (since there is no place to put it).

Around here, TRU and Target have Sentinel and Galvatron, but no Blaster or Prime. Blaster and Prime just started showing up at Walmart. I have a feeling our stores are a good 4–6 weeks behind southern and coastal state stores. TRU does have a couple Fort Max on hand, which has been available for a couple weeks, though, so I decided to snag one of those. I am just getting tired of waiting for Chromedome and Highbrow to hit the shelves.

TRU by me is stuffed with wave 1 and RiD. Also a ton of wave 2 legends. Target has been a ghost town for TFs, just a few wave 2 legends and wave 1 deluxes.

Just curious guys, when people say they dont see wave 2 and would buy it if they saw it, your just talking about the deluxes right? Because the leaders, legends and voyagers are all at standard retail prices online right now. https://tfsource.com/search/view/status ... %20return/

And if anyone does have Fort Max yet, he is currently on sale for 130$ and free shipping here: http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodi ... AZvSbcveM8

william-james88 wrote:Just curious guys, when people say they dont see wave 2 and would buy it if they saw it, your just talking about the deluxes right? Because the leaders, legends and voyagers are all at standard retail prices online right now. https://tfsource.com/search/view/status ... %20return/

And if anyone does have Fort Max yet, he is currently on sale for 130$ and free shipping here: http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodi ... AZvSbcveM8

I only mean deluxes, and I only mean at stores excluding BBTS aND the like. Ideally HTS so I can use that 20% off code. Our Target.com which has a $25 off $100 right now.

I'll be brief with what's in my area:

Titan Masters: Wave 1 at both, Wave 2 at Walmart
Legends: Wave 1 & 2 at Target
Deluxe: Flooded with Wave 1 at both
Voyager: Wave 1 at both
Leader: Just started Wave 1 at Walmart, thanks to Skywarp blocking the shelf space.

The situation is pretty much the same as what Jelze just wrote here in Nebraska.

Although there was a brief moment were all the Targets had Wave 2 deluxes, but quickly disappeared and restocked with a ton of wave one.

Walgreens around here are fully loaded with wave 2 Deluxes.

So I guess that explains it: when it comes to deluxes, the big box stores want to get rid of all their wave 1s before stocking their wave 2s. I have a feeling that means we wont be getting wave 3 earlier like previous years and will indeed only get them in 2017, in stores.

Also, those waiting for HTS for wave 2 might not get it since the other retailers bought all of Hasbro's stock. I dont know if Hasbro reserves any for HTS.

My Target barely has anything TR-related. Maybe one or two of the Wave 1 Deluxes, a bunch of the Soundwave minions, that Skywarp and Starscream that've been there for some time now, and nothing else. There's not much I really want from the first two waves, but it's not leaving me optimistic for the more exciting upcoming waves.

william-james88 wrote:Just curious guys, when people say they dont see wave 2 and would buy it if they saw it, your just talking about the deluxes right? Because the leaders, legends and voyagers are all at standard retail prices online right now. https://tfsource.com/search/view/status ... %20return/

And if anyone does have Fort Max yet, he is currently on sale for 130$ and free shipping here: http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodi ... AZvSbcveM8

Correct, since most collectors are likely trying to complete the original G1 headmaster lineup with Chromedome, Highbrow, and Weirdwolf.

Not to mention the MTMTE collectors getting a Chromedome. They also get Ravage from the legends wave but that one's a bit crap from what I've heard.
To be quite honest I'd be surprised if Chromedome wasn't the biggest seller from this wave.

Kurona wrote:Not to mention the MTMTE collectors getting a Chromedome. They also get Ravage from the legends wave but that one's a bit crap from what I've heard.
To be quite honest I'd be surprised if Chromedome wasn't the biggest seller from this wave.

To be honest, I don’t mind Ravage at all. He is quite poseable. He is a little squarish, but his head sculpt (like virtually every Hasbro figure in TR and CW) is almost perfect. He is the weakest of the three legends, but he is by no means a bad figure.

adamage1 wrote:

Wolfman Jake wrote:

adamage1 wrote:Around here, TRU and Target have Sentinel and Galvatron, but no Blaster or Prime. Blaster and Prime just started showing up at Walmart. I have a feeling our stores are a good 4–6 weeks behind southern and coastal state stores. TRU does have a couple Fort Max on hand, which has been available for a couple weeks, though, so I decided to snag one of those. I am just getting tired of waiting for Chromedome and Highbrow to hit the shelves.

Try Walgreens. That's where Titans Return deluxe Wave 2 has been showing up in the Minnesota Twin Cities area. I snagged my Highbrow and Chromedome there. Be warned, Walgreens sells the deluxes for a whopping $20 USD! I also spotted a lone Chromedome about a week or two ago at the T1 Target in Roseville, MN. The wait should be almost over, I imagine.

That’s actually not too far from what other retailers are pricing them, generally around $18 from what I have seen.

The Targets, Walmarts, and even TRUs in my area are selling Titans Return deluxes right around the $15 USD price point.

Cobotron wrote:The situation is pretty much the same as what Jelze just wrote here in Nebraska.

Although there was a brief moment were all the Targets had Wave 2 deluxes, but quickly disappeared and restocked with a ton of wave one.

Walgreens around here are fully loaded with wave 2 Deluxes.

Same down in Louisiana. Wave two hit like an outbreak of herpes, then poof it was gone, lying dormant, waiting

I did find me a Highbrow this week, but then it got strange.



Very strange

Just a Drive By Comment ;

What would you prefer to be the initial repaint of Blaster/Soundwaves Titans Returns toy ?

And how would you like to see them sold as mainline leaders or as a Platinum Boxed set or Japanese exclusive.

the choices that seem most obvious being.

Shattered Glass Blaster Vs Shattered Glass Soundwave
Or Twincast & Soundblaster.

The advantages of the Shattered ones is they can redeco the data pads too the advantage of the others is it might offer an excuse to include the Steeljaw Hasbro is shy of making due to RID brand recognition issues with the name Steeljaw if it's in a gift set.

The advantage of a Soundblaster retail or Japanese exclusive is perhaps it might encourage them to make a ratbat pad - which I would guess would be very well received.

If Soundblaster and Twincast were simply slotted in the middle somewhere of Prime wars 3.0 (even if they don't fit the theme) they can keep wading through the datapads/Cassettes and if there is some sort of partial Beast Theme to Prime Wars 3.0 then things like the Dino-Cassettes would be an ideal fit - I'd say as well as still making some use of base interaction from Prime Wars 2.0 as in a way Titans Returns ended up being as much about Micro-playset play pattern as it was specifically about paying homage to Headmasters/Targetmasters/Powermasters.

Even if the theme changes I'd like to see that micro-interaction play pattern carry over in some for or other even if it is only via the use of Legends Scale Data-pads still being made in some form.

Having a 3 part line gives them a unique chance to really dig deep on things like other Seeker Leaders or Data Pads that otherwise would be just cast off. - But I can't see them being in a hurry to make Leader Class Acid Storm and Sunstorm - but surely if they re-moulded them into the Coneheads that would garner some interest ?

I think it's just a matter of what will fit the theme in 2018.

Twincast. We don't have a modern toy of him yet beyond the G1, and it'd be nice to get some of his obscurer dudes like Flip-Sides which don't have as much of a chance as Soundwave's obscurer tapes.

Also I kind of want him to go with MP Road Rage for some weird reason. I don't even know why. I just do.

RAR wrote:Just a Drive By Comment...

Man, a boxed set with two leaders and a bunch of legends, that would be something to see.

I think Twincast and Soundblaster would be the most likely if at all and would be my preferred, but I'm not honestly interested in them. I am however interested in more datapad / tabletbots, especially new molds with Ratbat being on the top of that list.

I'd love to see some new coneheads, but in a smaller class and only with actual coneheads.

The playset modes are fun and add play value as actual toys, but not something I'm actually interested in. Sure, try it once for novelty, but my TFs are displayed as bots 99% of the time. I'm ok with them dropping that feature and moving on with what ever gimmick PW3 brings us.

If we're going to rampantly speculate, what's the next gimmick going be?

carytheone wrote:If we're going to rampantly speculate, what's the next gimmick going be?

Think this is like... what, tenth time now?

-All other gimmicks are either exhausted or for some reason unviable
-Beasts or a make-up line for completing groups could be likely
-Either no gimmick, return of combiners or a new gimmick
-Micromasters could replace Titan Master class
-Goddammit, give us Predaking already


That about sums up my feelings on it

Kurona wrote:

carytheone wrote:If we're going to rampantly speculate, what's the next gimmick going be?

Think this is like... what, tenth time now?

There is I guess the question of "Theme" "Play pattern" & "Gimmick"

So theme this year that would cover

Interaction between Titanmasters and bases (a great deal of Aircraft carrier to with not a lot to sit on them bar some tiny Aerialbots).

And head swapping - which seems to be a bit of a 5 minute novelty I guess. sort of like how in theory you can give 1980's Targetmasters each others weapons - but why would you want too ?

If they'd made the Titan-master Minivehicles themed around the larger characters or sold Titanmasters in little giftsets of their own in other colours or with other expressions (no Nightbeat's crazed screaming look).
Then perhaps the swapping might be more noticeable.

Personally I kinda like the way Takara does it as the mini-vehicles selling with the deluxe encourages you to swap things around a bit more and experiment a bit more when the extra heads get sold elsewhere and not with the mini-vehicles.

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There isn't much on over arching theme in the actual source of Titan's Returns and even Combiner Wars is a bit scatter brained with it's approach as shown with Cyclonus and Sky Lynx.
It's not like Leader Megatron/s have much to do with the theme for example.

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The Datapad thing seems to have become it's own thing - what with Titanmaster interaction being at best vague with them they seem to have developed as a theme-within a theme really.

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As for gimmicks - I guess that would be pondering about if they wanted to look at that as an idea rather than themes related to the teams.

Could gimmickery be a theme in itself ? instead of Voyagers being Triple changers still in 2018 they could each showcase some gimmic or other.

Some possible examples might be :

Triggercons/triggerbots (wind up motor powered pieces)
Triggerbots/Triggercons (sprung pieces)
Weaponsizer like mechanically sprung spinning pieces like Weaponizer Prime toys.
Secret weapons (abandoned G2 concept) hidden armour
Armoured vehicles / robots- possibly swappable pieces (bit like RID had)
Sparkabots (bit dangerous perhaps ?)
Aquaspeeder (colour changing / or light based colour changing like a Gi Joe Zartan figure).
Glow-in-the-Dark (Like the KOLD Knock off Rainmakers)
Further combiners or Triple changers if appropriate.
Duocons - with swapable parts (seems to have been done to some degree with RID already though).

That is part of the problem here - many of the ideas that spring to mind have already been co-opted by RID in some form or other.

There is always the option to steal ideas from other peoples lines like the cargo pods idea from Tomica lines. heck if they want rip off Tomica I'd not mind - Tomica has some cool ideas.

for example :



More of the line here (as you can see it has some ideas easily co-opted to Transformers lines) :

http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/to ... lineup/hr/

Perhaps even some ideas can be nicked from Starcom or MASK too (like Stealth force kinda was already).
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So I'd be happy with some random crazy mash up of Micromasters, Pretenders,
Trigger-bots and a continuation of the playset interaction function in some form. as well as some Beast themed combiners.

Even if some of this stuff has to be packed as Platinum to get it to work - I don't much care if they did that to allow them to make Leader Cone heads for example - and they simply didn't fit in - if they are platinum sets instead - problem solved.

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But that we can't seem to nail down what "would" work for sure is perhaps a small worry.

So I dont like Hasbro or Takara's Mindwipe head one bit. I dont know the character from g1, nor the original toy, so I see that head through fresh eyes and... its really not great.

So here is how I will be having Mindwipe from now on



Looks awesome!

Also, lets play a game, can anyone find the 1 difference?

I brought my T30 Brainstorm back with me, so when I find the wave 2 deluxes I can snap some pics of the 7 original smaller headmasters together in their regular retail non-exclusive form!

william-james88 wrote:Also, lets play a game, can anyone find the 1 difference?

Yeah, the camera angle is slightly shifted between the two pics.

Also, Blurr's wearing Apex in the first, and Hyperfire in the second.

william-james88 wrote:Also, lets play a game, can anyone find the 1 difference?

Blurr has a different head.

Kurona wrote:

carytheone wrote:If we're going to rampantly speculate, what's the next gimmick going be?

Think this is like... what, tenth time now?

-All other gimmicks are either exhausted or for some reason unviable
-Beasts or a make-up line for completing groups could be likely
-Either no gimmick, return of combiners or a new gimmick
-Micromasters could replace Titan Master class
-Goddammit, give us Predaking already


That about sums up my feelings on it

I have a feeling part 3 of the Prime Wars will be beast/animal-themed, allowing them to both complete the rest of the G1 combiners with the beast combiners along with bringing back Beast Wars characters.