The Energon Pub

Deadput wrote:Lack of creativity is what the fans want apparently this whole damn G1 Collector focused line exists because of a large group of fans I mean come on how else is it supposed to be done you want creativity and something different then go collect the Rid and the upcoming movie lines since that's what it's supposed to be for.

I really liked Thrilling 30 (when I got into collecting, post-classics seeker mold and all that) because it had updates. It wasn't an old toy with new tricks, it was an old toy putting on a new look and updating itself, and it really worked. It gave us Skids, which I love, a good Trailcutter, a good Hoist, among others. I do collect the RiD line and if it weren't for the fact that the current wave in stores right now has re/pre-paints and a jet mold I'm not interested in, I would be picking those up. That line has been great with figures. And I fully intend to collect movie lines.

But, I do want these figures in TR, I really do, but the same thing being repeated in figures has started to tire me.

Deadput wrote:Owning Broadside myself I can say he is pretty darn good actually in Bot and Boat modes the jet is different but you can justify it as a bomber vehicle or change the legs to make a different looking jet.

You do you man, I personally think that is the worst jet mode we've gotten since I started collecting. Broadside will stay in aircraft carrier mode for me.

Deadput wrote:Not talking about the repaints for Dead End and Streetwise just these two and if that's all that existed no one would be giving a darn about it we only got worn out once it started getting into the second half of the line at least from what I saw.

Optimus Maximus is where CW went downhill. That's when the line ran out of good tricks.

Deadput wrote:Are you really talking about the part sharing from these three cons look at them!





The jet modes are so vastly different they don't even look like their the same mold in fact the only thing the same is the legs which in of itself are pretty darn unique legs with the fins and the hands like what is the bloody problem!

The thing I see is that they all share a transformation scheme. Sure the jet parts are all new, but on Misfire and Slugslinger they end up in the exact same spots. It's like Dead End/Streetwise: reshell, but it still all functions the same, and they still look like Triggerhappy. Plus, I intend to get the boxsets, which have another use of the mold. So it's still feeling that mold reuse. One reuse is alright, that's completely natural. But when you go over 2, then it starts to slack off.

Deadput wrote:When was the last time we had retail versions of G1 Slugsliner, Triggerhappy and Misfire or heck where were the previous versions of G1 Sentinel Prime, Doublecross, the headmasters as headmasters, a non earth Galvatron, Sharkticons, good molds of Octance and Blitzwing?

Which I agree with you on. Which is why I still intend to buy because these are very low toy count characters. Now Blitzwing I will contend with you because the Thrilling 30 one blows the TR one away. I have both him and the TR Megatron, and TR Megatron can't hold a light to him, bum shoulders or not.

I like getting new characters as toys, or characters that haven't had a toy in a long time, but when those characters keep sharing a skeleton, I've started to lose interest.

Deadput wrote:We should be giving Hasbro our gratitude for how generous they have been when they could just be putting more effort into modern series like Rid and making them better instead of juggling all these different lines and having resources split into different projects!

RiD is a good line and has hit some real slammers. Fracture is easily one of the best motorcycle Transformers out there and on my list second only to animated Prowl. Thunderhoof is a perfect deluxe with no kibble and completely show accurate and very fun. other Decepticons are right up there with them. I look at the movie line and half are repaints/reshells, but the new figures are amazing! They nailed those ones! Megatron! Scorn! Hound! Bee! Perfect!

And while Hasbro has been generous, and I thank them for 3 lines that have some good figures, TR is again showing signs of getting old and losing tricks. To me, it seems TR is the line that is losing steam in the upcoming months, with the movie line having some real bangers and RiD's Combiner Force really working out cool.

I want these figures, but I'm feeling bored. The voyager class in particular have been a major letdown. The Leader class have also partially failed to really be good figures, pretty much being "oh just grab it you don't have it and it fills that hole in your collection!" instead of "holy crap this is awesome!"

Deadput wrote:

Albatross250 wrote:Oh right speaking of the Triple Trouble Decepticon Triple Changers...
I Expect Astrotrain will be re-issused on the next wave together with Blitzy and Octone (Regional name, kinda more like it)
Also, is he available online, i mean for Astrotrain, and i always see him out of stock

Possibly, but we haven't had a three figure case selection all of prime wars, and would make more sense to be rereleased in the wave 6 case. I wonder if they will make any running changes, especially since min has an abominably loose Titan hip and head connection.
On a slightly related topic, I remember seeing an Astrotrain that had been pairing with a sharpie then hastily repackaged :p best part was the gun looked nice, but they messed up and made the feet blue! this store also has rampant repackaging with different or missing accespries and sharpie paint applications.

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Which I agree with you on. Which is why I still intend to buy because these are very low toy count characters. Now Blitzwing I will contend with you because the Thrilling 30 one blows the TR one away. I have both him and the TR Megatron, and TR Megatron can't hold a light to him, bum shoulders or not.

That, my friend, is a matter of opinion and QC. I have T30 Doubledealer, and he can't hold a candle to my TR Megatron.

Autobot N wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Which I agree with you on. Which is why I still intend to buy because these are very low toy count characters. Now Blitzwing I will contend with you because the Thrilling 30 one blows the TR one away. I have both him and the TR Megatron, and TR Megatron can't hold a light to him, bum shoulders or not.

That, my friend, is a matter of opinion and QC. I have T30 Doubledealer, and he can't hold a candle to my TR Megatron.

I too preffer the new triple changer tank/jet/robot mold over the thrilling 30 one. I really hated that jet mode with the empty back. Tank mode was ok but ts not better than the new one. And the robot mode is better on the new one too. I dont hate the older mold but I do preffer the new one and it will be fin for Doubledealer to now have his own mold to himself in my classics collection.

And here is an extra photo of the new reveals:

Misfire and Slugslinger, bought on sight...

william-james88 wrote:And here is an extra photo of the new reveals:

Looks like they use a similar method to scourge to transform and tacked on triggerhappy's legs. They're basically simplistic clones of each other...

Insurgent wrote:Looking close at the top of the jets, both of them do have hinges for swinging the wings back in robot mode/upwards in jet mode.

Ah, but in robot mode, the cockpit area is brought down onto misfire's back preventing you from folding back the wings:

william-james88 wrote:

Insurgent wrote:Looking close at the top of the jets, both of them do have hinges for swinging the wings back in robot mode/upwards in jet mode.

Ah, but in robot mode, the cockpit area is brought down onto misfire's back preventing you from folding back the wings:

Yeah, but they probably don't have to lock into place, leaving you wiggle room to do what you want with them

Comparisons to the G1 toys at Australia Toy Fair





















Also, yes that is TR Hot Rod with the upcoming Rodimus head.

Gotta be honest, it's kind of shocking how Octane doesn't resemble his original toy in the slightest. At that point they might as well have kept Optimus' window chest to at least help his resemblance to the IDW/Universe (2008) design.

Kurona wrote:Gotta be honest, it's kind of shocking how Octane doesn't resemble his original toy in the slightest. At that point they might as well have kept Optimus' window chest to at least help his resemblance to the IDW/Universe (2008) design.

agreed

Okay, first of all... OMG I AM SO HAPPY YESSSSSSS!

Now that that is out of the way, I find Misfire you have a strange color scheme. His helmet I feel should be black, and though the red visor is cartoon accurate, I prefer the green eyes. Still looks alright overall, but the head needs some TLC.

Regarding Slugslinger; The colors on him are utterly perfect in my opinion. Great G1 toy color match especially. I find the narrow eyes to be sort of odd though especially since I'm used to him having a visor. Looks decent though.

Edit: I just realized that Misfire has not only strange colors on his head, but looks ENTIRELY inaccurate in molding! His head looks neither like the G1 toy or cartoon models. And also, where in the world did that magenta helmet come from?

Another edit: Blue visor on Misfire? Really??

I would have really liked slugslinger to have a visor. Hasbro was going toy accurate for their releases, they should stick to it.

I hope the change from painted sample to final product is kind to Slugslinger. and they replace the stickers with proper tampographs

Also speaking of stickers I'm bummed out that Blitwing still has them

Also Octane has hollow legs I wonder if that means a Titanmaster can sit inside the nose of the jet now if they reshaped it enough to allow that.

I think Octane looks fine design wise he's pretty cartoon like overall.

william-james88 wrote:

Kurona wrote:Gotta be honest, it's kind of shocking how Octane doesn't resemble his original toy in the slightest. At that point they might as well have kept Optimus' window chest to at least help his resemblance to the IDW/Universe (2008) design.

agreed

I think he'll probably look a lot closer with just a few adjustments, one of which is totally possible and the other I hope is. Flipping the shoulder pylons away makes his arms a lot closer to the older version, and assuming (hoping) that the wings can swivel as well as swing backward, they could be flipped up behind his head a la the G1 toy. Sure he's not 1:1 perfect (even with those potential tweaks), but he definitely gets the feeling of Octane across, and that's what I think really matters most with a Generations update. After all, how much does it matter to most people that Gen Springer doesn't look exactly like his G1 toy?

(Not too much I'd imagine )


Assorted thoughts on some of the other Australia Toy Fair pics:


I love that Trypticon can stand "realistically" like dinosaurs actually would - and I'm impressed he can hold his balance that way too!


Loving this pic


I still can't tell if the Rodimus head looks good on Hot Rod or not! Looking forward to a picture that's taken from a better angle (and not posed like he just dislocated his hip).

Yeah that Trypticon looks a thousand times better now.
Also thrilled for misfire, already have a shapeways custom crankcase and the club krok so that's three scAVENGERS down. Four if you count foc grimlock, which I do.
Don't know jack about slugslinger, except that three cockpits seem redundant.

LE0KING wrote:Don't know jack about slugslinger, except that three cockpits seem redundant.

And yet somehow, still less redundant than one cockpit on most Transformers who don't even have a driver at all. Transformers are strange sometimes

Qwan wrote:

LE0KING wrote:Don't know jack about slugslinger, except that three cockpits seem redundant.

And yet somehow, still less redundant than one cockpit on most Transformers who don't even have a driver at all. Transformers are strange sometimes

Yeah that's fair. Tbh I still don't care for them making every figure a headmaster, but the little pilots are awesome.

LE0KING wrote:

Qwan wrote:

LE0KING wrote:Don't know jack about slugslinger, except that three cockpits seem redundant.

And yet somehow, still less redundant than one cockpit on most Transformers who don't even have a driver at all. Transformers are strange sometimes

Yeah that's fair. Tbh I still don't care for them making every figure a headmaster, but the little pilots are awesome.

Totally agree, I thought I'd have a lot more of a problem with it than I actually do. In theory I just couldn't reconcile, for example, Astrotrain being a Headmaster - but it barely bothers me at all, especially when it means there's a cool little dude piloting the spaceship!

The whole gundam/mecha pilot thing going on sells the whole line for me.

It's also a cool callback to the original diaclone that had the same gimmick except not as headmaster.

Qwan wrote: especially when it means there's a cool little dude piloting the spaceship!

Even if he pilots the spaceship from the thrusters.
The one that bothers me is still galvatron, love the pilot for the spaceship, hate hate hate the headmaster.

For me it's gone from 'It's a cool harmless gimmick that increases the play value and lets us get the obscure Headmasters done right' to 'OH MY GOD I WANT EVERYONE AS A HEADMASTER NOW'. I might have a problem

Kurona wrote:For me it's gone from 'It's a cool harmless gimmick that increases the play value and lets us get the obscure Headmasters done right' to 'OH MY GOD I WANT EVERYONE AS A HEADMASTER NOW'. I might have a problem

Don't we all.

Kurona wrote:For me it's gone from 'It's a cool harmless gimmick that increases the play value and lets us get the obscure Headmasters done right' to 'OH MY GOD I WANT EVERYONE AS A HEADMASTER NOW'. I might have a problem

Exactly these guys are the most fun I've had with Transformers toys in a long very time for example I transform Triggerhappy multiple times a gay I've never done that with any other figure since I prefer to keep them in Robot mode for displaying!

I just started receiving disability money so I can actually for once get all the figures I want which is all of them something that has never happened with any Transformer's line before.

In an ideal world a "master" figure should become heads,guns,and power engines for other figures this might sound like it's not a good idea but let me explain.

1: The headmaster part is already handled well in this line only thing I would change is a way to hide the faces in robots like flip down helmets like Titans Return Maximus when his head turns into Cerebros.

2: The Targetmaster part would probably be the trickiest but you know where the hole where screws are on the Titanmaster's robot modes? Either replace the hole with a 5mm peg, make the hole a 5mm hole so the "Masters" can fit on the side of the arm like this or instead make the bigger partners able to fold ther fists in which exposes a hole to stick the Titan master's small head in just like the neck.



3: The Powermaster thing would just be like what goes on with the small Titanmaster vehicle weapons and Overlord's face nipple thing.

Looks like Breakaway coudln't "Break Away" from those Insecticons