The Energon Pub

[bacem]

This is actually interesting. The legs transformation is muck simpler than i expected, i was expecting it yo have few more folding like siege version, but it works, so, oh well. The upper body transformation is really neat. It use the same trick as siege where the front anf dide panels are opened and then folded it, except instead of bringing it to the back, it actually folds inside the chest, which really cleans his look. This actually reminds me of rid vehicon leg transformation. Not sure if i'm going to pick up, as i don't need multiple optimus, but this is definitely one of the best voyager optimus so far.

[Nemesis Destron]

Yeah okay I'm sold. Though voyager Siege OP was cool this will easily replace him as I don't need the other...'nuff said!

[Nemesis Destron]

I can see a 3rd Party making a decent looking trailer.

[frogbat]

I ordered him but am still conflicted cos of siege prime... if only they made the latter more Cybertronian. Am pleased that the transformation is quite a bit more different that I had thought it’d be.

Still looking forward to him and hope they release some sort of roller figure. I recall his original long form bio stating that prime was in essence three components... cab, trailer and roller. Think the little guy deserves some chug homage.

Hope that if they do a megs, he’s even more diff than his siege form.... would in a way make sense if they attempt some kind of gun (nerf) gun again... or maybe a chopper form as a nod to TFA

[Sabrblade]

Think the little guy deserves some chug homage.

He's had two:

[Skritz]

So what do we even know of the 'mercenary' faction which gets mentioned? I assume those are the guys working for the Quintessons which have been also hinted at/leaked (if true!) for Earthrise? If they are a new feature of the line I'm a bit curious as to why none has been shown yet. Do they appear in later waves? Do they have their own logo? What is their roster? I'm willing to be its going to be extremely disappointing as to not get my hopes too high.

[Sentinel_Primal]

So what do we even know of the 'mercenary' faction which gets mentioned? I assume those are the guys working for the Quintessons which have been also hinted at/leaked (if true!) for Earthrise? If they are a new feature of the line I'm a bit curious as to why none has been shown yet. Do they appear in later waves? Do they have their own logo? What is their roster? I'm willing to be its going to be extremely disappointing as to not get my hopes too high.

I mean, I'm currently hoping that Doubledealer and his Powermasters, in addition to Armada Sideways and his headmasters will get new figures as a result of the Mercenary faction, but I'm probably going to get disappointed

[sol magnus]

Deadlock would be great!

[frogbat]

Think the little guy deserves some chug homage.

He's had two:

Forgot bout these cheers!, but somehow I still hope they release something to go more with the earthrise prime.

[Sentinel_Primal]

Think the little guy deserves some chug homage.

He's had two:

Forgot bout these cheers!, but somehow I still hope they release something to go more with the earthrise prime.

I mean, personally, I'd love to see a voyager, maybe taller deluxe, based on IDW Roller, with one of his accessories being a G1 Roller drone or something to that degree. That way, IDW fans get a Roller that isn't only available through an expensive boxset, G1 fans get a Roller for Earthrise Prime, and Hasbro gets more money because some people will buy the figure exclusively for G1 Roller

[Wolfman Jake]

So what do we even know of the 'mercenary' faction which gets mentioned? I assume those are the guys working for the Quintessons which have been also hinted at/leaked (if true!) for Earthrise? If they are a new feature of the line I'm a bit curious as to why none has been shown yet. Do they appear in later waves? Do they have their own logo? What is their roster? I'm willing to be its going to be extremely disappointing as to not get my hopes too high.

Did we ever get confirmation that the "Mercenaries" were going to be part of Earthrise? I thought that was just a think in the collectible card game for now.

[Jeddostotle7]

So what do we even know of the 'mercenary' faction which gets mentioned? I assume those are the guys working for the Quintessons which have been also hinted at/leaked (if true!) for Earthrise? If they are a new feature of the line I'm a bit curious as to why none has been shown yet. Do they appear in later waves? Do they have their own logo? What is their roster? I'm willing to be its going to be extremely disappointing as to not get my hopes too high.

Did we ever get confirmation that the "Mercenaries" were going to be part of Earthrise? I thought that was just a think in the collectible card game for now.

If I remember correctly we were explicitly told they'd be appearing in the Earthrise toyline.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

So what do we even know of the 'mercenary' faction which gets mentioned? I assume those are the guys working for the Quintessons which have been also hinted at/leaked (if true!) for Earthrise? If they are a new feature of the line I'm a bit curious as to why none has been shown yet. Do they appear in later waves? Do they have their own logo? What is their roster? I'm willing to be its going to be extremely disappointing as to not get my hopes too high.

Did we ever get confirmation that the "Mercenaries" were going to be part of Earthrise? I thought that was just a think in the collectible card game for now.

If I remember correctly we were explicitly told they'd be appearing in the Earthrise toyline.

I think it's more the characters rather than the "faction". The lines have had only Autobots and Decepticons as faction for years, because like in real life, there's only good and evil

[Skritz]

So what do we even know of the 'mercenary' faction which gets mentioned? I assume those are the guys working for the Quintessons which have been also hinted at/leaked (if true!) for Earthrise? If they are a new feature of the line I'm a bit curious as to why none has been shown yet. Do they appear in later waves? Do they have their own logo? What is their roster? I'm willing to be its going to be extremely disappointing as to not get my hopes too high.

Did we ever get confirmation that the "Mercenaries" were going to be part of Earthrise? I thought that was just a think in the collectible card game for now.

If I remember correctly we were explicitly told they'd be appearing in the Earthrise toyline.

I think it's more the characters rather than the "faction". The lines have had only Autobots and Decepticons as faction for years, because like in real life, there's only good and evil

'Real life' sounds a lot like the internet and politics! /terrible joke

[AcademyofDrX]

So what do we even know of the 'mercenary' faction which gets mentioned? I assume those are the guys working for the Quintessons which have been also hinted at/leaked (if true!) for Earthrise? If they are a new feature of the line I'm a bit curious as to why none has been shown yet. Do they appear in later waves? Do they have their own logo? What is their roster? I'm willing to be its going to be extremely disappointing as to not get my hopes too high.

Did we ever get confirmation that the "Mercenaries" were going to be part of Earthrise? I thought that was just a think in the collectible card game for now.

If I remember correctly we were explicitly told they'd be appearing in the Earthrise toyline.

I don't think there's any reason to assume that Mercenaries are working for the Quintessons. In the TCG, they're characters working for themselves or for the highest bidder as bounty hunters or medics. Of course, I'm also skeptical of the Quintessons "leak," so I'm not inclined to fit them in anyway.

The TCG cards have a Mercenaries faction logo in the corner. It will be interesting to see if Hasbro puts them on toys or not, since the probable figures have historical factions. Personally, I would rather have a Decepticon logo on a Lockdown, but I have the G1ish RotF figure anyway, so it doesn't matter much either way.




The Mercenary faction was announced for Earthrise by Hasbro at NYCC in a press release. This is explicitly in the context of the toyline, so it's not just for the TCG.
"As the battle rages through space, success depends on who can best adapt to the battlefield beyond. But it’s not just the battlefield that commands adaptability. Allegiances can shift just as rapidly, with a new Mercenary faction introduced into the Earthrise world alongside the Autobots and Decepticons."
(Copied from an article at Bleeding Cool.)

[Skritz]

Honestly if we get a CHUG/G1-ified Lockdown like we got Barricade I'd be so happy that I could be annoyed at the full Earthrise roster but take it purely on getting Lockdown. Honestly he doesn't even need his own mold: a Wheeljack retool with a more aggressive-looking altmode and a new head is all he need to work right for me.

[AcademyofDrX]

As for the roster, there are plenty of obvious candidates to speculate on. The TCG characters ate probably the most logical place to start. The artwork for Detritus uses Siege Hound as the model, so that would work as a redeco if Hasbro is willing to use Siege molds in Earthrise. (The vehicle is ostensibly Cybertronian, but it is no less realistic for an Earth vehicle than, say, Hound's Combiner Wars alt-mode.)

Lockdown is another slam dunk because his alt-mode and transformation scheme are so close to ER Wheeljack. His car front / feet would need to have a change to accommodate the engine block, and that could throw off the proportions, but I think it could work with only minor retooling. Lockdown is such an interesting character and makes a logical fit for the narrative, especially if IDW's new continuity leans on the Drift stories of the last one. I don't know if it's notable, but the TCG art is based on that model from the comics and the aforementioned RotF toy rather than a potential ER design.

Deadlock and/or Drift are virtually guaranteed. I'm sure he'll show up in the comics sooner than later, plus he's in Cyberverse. He's overdue for a Generations figure, too. Doubledealer is my other major pick. We've already gotten a triple-changing leader with Astrotrain, and he's the original G1 mercenary. I'd be very disappointed if we don't see him.

The TCG has a Cybertron Mudflap character, of all things. There is no reason to assume that means he would be in Earthrise, though like Detritus he's an obvious choice as a redeco, in this case from Grapple. More generally, I could absolutely see characters from non-G1 toylines being ported in as Mercenaries, especially if they have existing G1 names but fundamentally different alt-modes. (I'm thinking of Cyclonus or Jetfire as an example, though I have no reason to think they would be included, just that they might be Mercenaries if they were.)

Obviously, if there are Quintessons, and if the "Earthrise" concept is only loosely followed, then it would make sense to have Sharkticons or Allicons.

[Sabrblade]

I'd more expect to see a new Lockdown toy in the Cyberverse line what with his frequent appearances in that show as a part of Megatron's team of Decepticons.

[Skritz]

Still think Hasbro missed a good one when they didn't use the Punch/Counterpunch mold for Deadlock/Drift.

[AcademyofDrX]

I'd more expect to see a new Lockdown toy in the Cyberverse line what with his frequent appearances in that show as a part of Megatron's team of Decepticons.

I don't think that's an either/or situation.

[Sentinel_Primal]

Regarding potential Mercenary characters, what if we see some Beast Wars characters like Tarantulas, a character who was pretty much defined as being a backstabbing double agent who did whatever it took to achieve his own goal, and maybe a new version of the Ravage from that series, who, if I recall correctly, was described as a mercenary who worked for the Predacons.

Definitely a long shot, but I think it'd be nice to see a new Tarantulas

[william-james88]

So what do we even know of the 'mercenary' faction which gets mentioned? I assume those are the guys working for the Quintessons which have been also hinted at/leaked (if true!) for Earthrise? If they are a new feature of the line I'm a bit curious as to why none has been shown yet. Do they appear in later waves? Do they have their own logo? What is their roster? I'm willing to be its going to be extremely disappointing as to not get my hopes too high.

Did we ever get confirmation that the "Mercenaries" were going to be part of Earthrise? I thought that was just a think in the collectible card game for now.

There has never been any actual confirmation for toys. Not to say there wont be any, but right now thre is no clue as to what will actually happen in the toyline.

[AcademyofDrX]

So what do we even know of the 'mercenary' faction which gets mentioned? I assume those are the guys working for the Quintessons which have been also hinted at/leaked (if true!) for Earthrise? If they are a new feature of the line I'm a bit curious as to why none has been shown yet. Do they appear in later waves? Do they have their own logo? What is their roster? I'm willing to be its going to be extremely disappointing as to not get my hopes too high.

Did we ever get confirmation that the "Mercenaries" were going to be part of Earthrise? I thought that was just a think in the collectible card game for now.

There has never been any actual confirmation for toys. Not to say there wont be any, but right now thre is no clue as to what will actually happen in the toyline.

This is incorrect. Hasbro's official text promoting Earthrise, independent from the TCG's Siege II, explicitly references the Mercenary faction:

"The siege is over, but the War for Cybertron has just begun. The Autobots and Decepticons have left Cybertron, but their battle rages on as they hurtle through space in pursuit of the Allspark. With unforeseen dangers lurking ahead and the Decepticons closing in from behind, the only way out for the Autobots is to find a way through. Both sides must navigate the perils of space and instantly adapt to battle anywhere in the cosmos. With the highly advanced A.I.R. (Adaptable Interconnection Retrofitter) Locks system, the fighters don’t head to the battlefield — they become it. Bots capable of converting into Modular Battle Stations can A.I.R.-Lock together in custom configurations to fit the needs of battle. As the battle rages through space, success depends on who can best adapt to the battlefield beyond. But it’s not just the battlefield that commands adaptability. Allegiances can shift just as rapidly, with a new Mercenary faction introduced into the Earthrise world alongside the Autobots and Decepticons."

This text was provided to press outlets at NYCC 2019, where it was carried by sites like Bleeding Cool and MU Review, and it is also included in the Product Information for Earthrise figures on various storefronts like BBTS and TFSource.

[Fuseflow]

(Long Time lurker, first time poster and buyer)

Hi everyone, have'nt picked up a transformers toy in over 20 years, but the war for cybertron line got me hooked.

What started with a Sideswipe purchase for the nostalgia value, quickly turned into amazing at the articulation and detail, before grabbing Hound and Barricade.

Now I'm torn between grabbing a few more Siege figures or waiting for Earthrise, any tips from long time collectors? Are we likely to see a lot of the Siege figures re-done in earth style....like Prime and Starscream?

The figure that has me most excited is weirdly Ironworks. Oh and I'd second a Lockdown Mercenary in this line. Would'nt say no to Jazz either.

[Wolfman Jake]

You might be able to pass on some of the Siege figures, like Optimus and Starscream (and Thundercracker and Skywarp), but I don't think many others will see Earthrise redoes any time soon, such as Prowl, Bluestreak, Smokescreen, Mirage, Hound, etc. You can wait and see, but the after market prices on last year's Transformers releases usually go up fast and stay there for a good while. It all depends on how deep a dive you're willing to take on collecting.