The Energon Pub

[Stargrave]

Found Ironworks and he’s just as fun as I thought he’d be. I can’t believe it but I passed on Hoist and Grapple. Even Cliffjumper I might get them down the road but for now, road as armor:

[Nexus Knight]

if there aren't any QC issues with sky lynx, he's easily shaping up to be one of the most impressive figures released. The commander class size is great as it seems to allow the designers get lots of detail and be true to the anime...

Not that many other characters off the top of my head I could think of that haven't been done already. Powermaster prime and overlord would've been quite cool, though I really enjoy the last versions of those we got. A downsizes Fort Max and Skorponok for the coming book fans? Maybe a transforming Ark or nemesis taking the micromaster base approach...

I think a transforming Ark would be better in the Titan Class, especially because Scorponok is the last big cityformer. Yeah, they might redo Metroplex, but at the end of the day, they're still running low on Titans

Or even if not Titan class specifically, around the same price age. It's about time with the last of the Titans released for a new large "playset" type of size class.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Frankly I think trying to make a robot out of the Ark would diminish the playset possibilities. Much better to have a straight-up playset. Like the old Transformers Activity Center by Warren, but bigger and possibly not cardboard

Stargrave, that's a nice pic!

[Nemesis Destron]

Nah...Earthrise Smokescreen is a total pass for me. I'm totally happy with Siege Smokescreen...'nuff said!

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Well, I don't have SIEGE Smokescreen, and even if that wasn't hard to get now I'd find this one a bit more appealing because of the spoiler and the air dam (and the color layout). Prowl and Bluestreak I'm good with just the SIEGE version even with them being more overtly alien than Sideswipe, but ER Smokescreen has the benefit of adding Smokescreen's car-mode mods.

[Wolfman Jake]

Well, I don't have SIEGE Smokescreen, and even if that wasn't hard to get now I'd find this one a bit more appealing because of the spoiler and the air dam (the color layout). Prowl and Bluestreak I'm good with just the SIEGE version even with them being more overtly alien than Sideswipe, but ER Smokescreen has the benefit of adding Smokescreen's car-mode mods.

I think a lot of people tend to forget that the original Smokescreen toy was quite an overhaul of the Datsun mold that was used in 1984 for Prowl and Bluestreak. Like you said, it has a spoiler on the back, which Prowl and Bluestreak lacked, and a new front end with a larger "bumper" on the front to help it resemble the Electramotive Davendorf/Sharpe touring car it is based upon. The Siege Selects version is lacking those distinctions, so the Earthrise version is in many ways a better compliment to Siege Prowl and Bluestreak as it includes those alt-mode differences from G1.

[adamage1]

Earthrise Smokescreen looks rather cheap, particularly the complete lack of paint apps on the rear of the alt mode, the simplistic head sculpt, and the wheels, which is a surprise after how Wheeljack turned out. It’ll be a pass for me.

[Hellscream9999]

Earthrise Smokescreen looks rather cheap, particularly the complete lack of paint apps on the rear of the alt mode, the simplistic head sculpt, and the wheels, which is a surprise after how Wheeljack turned out. It’ll be a pass for me.

The thing tha bugs me most are the flagrantly empty feet, that just looks awful, just as it does on impactor

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

The hollow feet are a tradeoff - the SIEGE mold has incredibly hollow lower legs. Something had to be hollow somewhere to allow it all to fold up.

Earthrise Smokescreen looks rather cheap, particularly the complete lack of paint apps on the rear of the alt mode,

Hm...

Gosh, all that red and the white striping sure isn't painted at all!

the simplistic head sculpt,

It's because that's how his animation model head was. MP Smokescreen is similarly simplistic:

and the wheels, which is a surprise after how Wheeljack turned out. It’ll be a pass for me.

They look like Datsun wheels to me, minus the visible mounting posts. Do you mean the mounting posts being visible? Sometimes that can't be helped. Or is it the lack of paint? Smokescreen might have required a smidge more than Wheeljack.

On balance, Smokes comes with three accessories to Wheeljack's one.

[blackeyedprime]

The siege mold kinda looks like it's got a head between its legs so I'm glad the earthrise one doesn't have that. Would have been nice to have had the rear lights and exhausts painted. In no rush for most of the deluxes in case they get netflix better paint releases down the line.

[M. Spector]

I dont have a huge personal attachment to classic Smokescreen but the Earthrise variation is looking pret-ty sharp AND most importantly (perhaps)he is distinct enough from Siege Bluestreak where I could feel okay about picking him up. Something tells me there might be an influx of car bots in my collection this year ..

[Tuned Agent]

The Earthrise datsun mold looks better than the Siege one on-the-whole, even if the hollow legs are annoying. That said, his headsculpt looks so... bland. It's so devoid of any aesthetic detail that it just looks boring. And I know it's supposed to be cartoon-accurate, but that doesn't mean it looks good.

Also, I guess this is confirmation that Arcee's "hoverboard" can attach to her back.

And, of course, Skylynx continues to look magnificent.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

The Earthrise datsun mold looks better than the Siege one on-the-whole, even if the hollow legs are annoying. That said, his headsculpt looks so... bland. It's so devoid of any aesthetic detail

A look at the back and a close look at the "dynamic pose" pic say otherwise.


There seems to be plenty of molded detail on the back and sides, and the front of his headcrest has a small raised area on it.

[Rodimus Prime]

Yeah, the phrase "cheap toy" was the 1st thing I thought when I saw those shots. The rear end is just bland blue. Probably still gonna get it.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Smokescreen's racing livery hogged all the paint, it seems. All that red is paint.

[GeekyGamer Gal]

Okay, I am loving how absolutely dorky this picture looks. All it needs is a "HI!" and "!!" text/thought bubbles to make this sheer perfection.

[Emerje]

I'm really not sure how they could have done Smokescreen's legs any differently. They already added one extra panel to the inside of the lower leg in an effort to fill in the legs, maybe the could have added one to the inside of the feet as well, but it wouldn't have filled the whole thing since the foot still needs to be able to tilt and the legs still have to transform causing the backs to be open. I'm fine wit that on a $20 figure, this isn't a price point that I expect a lot of small parts and extra panels on. I do on Voyager and so far so good. Grapple covers the back of the cab in both modes and Starscream has extra side panels that partially hide the torso gaps in bot mode.

Speaking of price points I still think Transformers are the best value for the money. Looking at other figures at the $20 price point and they're just 6" action figures that don't do anything else. A Deluxe Transformer is nearly as well articulated as those figures and do way more. Of course I wish Transformers were cheaper, but I feel like we get a comparatively better deal for the price.

Emerje

[Tuned Agent]

The Earthrise datsun mold looks better than the Siege one on-the-whole, even if the hollow legs are annoying. That said, his headsculpt looks so... bland. It's so devoid of any aesthetic detail

A look at the back and a close look at the "dynamic pose" pic say otherwise.
*images snipped for length's sake*
There seems to be plenty of molded detail on the back and sides, and the front of his headcrest has a small raised area on it.

Ok, so there's a couple of bits of detail towards the back of his head, and probably the little triangle on his forehead (it's hard to tell on that one, it only stands out due to the slight break in the lighting). The line running down the side of his head is almost certainly just the seam between the two halves of his head mold. There's still a lot of smooth plastic surfaces, and it's a stark difference between the nicely detailed headsculpts from Siege.

I'm really not sure how they could have done Smokescreen's legs any differently. They already added one extra panel to the inside of the lower leg in an effort to fill in the legs, maybe the could have added one to the inside of the feet as well, but it wouldn't have filled the whole thing since the foot still needs to be able to tilt and the legs still have to transform causing the backs to be open. I'm fine wit that on a $20 figure, this isn't a price point that I expect a lot of small parts and extra panels on. I do on Voyager and so far so good. Grapple covers the back of the cab in both modes and Starscream has extra side panels that partially hide the torso gaps in bot mode.

Speaking of price points I still think Transformers are the best value for the money. Looking at other figures at the $20 price point and they're just 6" action figures that don't do anything else. A Deluxe Transformer is nearly as well articulated as those figures and do way more. Of course I wish Transformers were cheaper, but I feel like we get a comparatively better deal for the price.

Emerje

Very well put. As much as the hollowness stinks, this is a case where I don't think it was avoidable, given budgets and how he transforms. And I agree that Transformers are a better value than other $20 action figures, we're essentially getting two toys for that price.

*image snipped for length's sake*

Okay, I am loving how absolutely dorky this picture looks. All it needs is a "HI!" and "!!" text/thought bubbles to make this sheer perfection.

Wish granted!

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Sky Lynx has become the Winslow!

Ok, so there's a couple of bits of detail towards the back of his head, and probably the little triangle on his forehead (it's hard to tell on that one, it only stands out due to the slight break in the lighting). The line running down the side of his head is almost certainly just the seam between the two halves of his head mold.

I'm not talking about the line running down the side of his head, I'm talking about the horizontal bar that starts at that line and runs around to the back. Look above where the mold seam zags toward the front of his head.
The raised shape on his forehead crest actually looks to be a rectangle. It's definitely there - zooming in confirms.
And don't forget that there's more to the back of his head than we can see, the lower half of it is obstructed in the photo.

[aronjlove]

I must say I am having a rather good time messing around with Cliffjumper's guns. The tripod/ski feet look like gun clips, and if you stick it all on his right arm, it makes a good Megatron impression. Also, today is the day I realized that on quite a few Siege effects pieces, there is a 5mm part outside the 3mm hole. Not all of the effects have the protrusion, but those that do fit in barrels or hands just fine.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

I would have thought Omega Supreme's stock photos had demonstrated that to you before now.
And indeed, that's quite by design. Otherwise the pieces wouldn't work with larger guns like Ultra Magnus' rifle or Megatron's fusion cannon. Or with folks' missile launchers

[aronjlove]

I would have thought Omega Supreme's stock photos had demonstrated that to you before now.
And indeed, that's quite by design. Otherwise the pieces wouldn't work with larger guns like Ultra Magnus' rifle or Megatron's fusion cannon. Or with folks' missile launchers

Oh, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed I knew the bigger pieces like those with Jetfire fit that way but didn't realize the smaller ones that came with the Battlemaster did as well.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

...You know, I was overall fine with SIEGE Soundwave. I'm still fine with his looks and all, including the flying barge mode. And I would still like to get him. Buuut I wasn't fully cognizant til now when I was looking up pictures of the SIEGE cassettes... of how he's a bit shorter than G1 Soundwave and his chest compartment is correspondingly smaller. In light of that, I kinda wish they would do an Earth mode version that's retro-compatible since I think the G1 Recordicon toys are actually at a better size than the SIEGE Micromasters to play with Generations stuff. But that's a bit of a long shot...
Hopefully they'll at least make Blaster's chest retro-compatible.

[Sentinel_Primal]

Siege Soundwave is a good figure, only major complaint I have was the chest door being too small for the Siege Cassettes. I doubt that they'd do a retro-compatible version because otherwise they wouldn't be able to sell the cassettes as easily, but I really hope that we get a new version for Earthrise that at least can fit the cassettes from the Siege. Plus, I'd be interested in seeing how they handle it. No doubt he'd turn into a music device, but would they do a stereo again, or go with his usual alt mode?

Or, would they do something similar to Shockwave and make him a leader class? The voyager could be standard Soundwave with his cassette player alt mode, with the extra armor giving him a "Box Van that Happens to Also have a Giant Cassette Dispensor" mode. I mean, it's so unlikely, I think I'd see a unicorn win the lottery before it happened, but it'd be interesting to see

[sol magnus]

Siege Soundwave is a good figure, only major complaint I have was the chest door being too small for the Siege Cassettes. I doubt that they'd do a retro-compatible version because otherwise they wouldn't be able to sell the cassettes as easily, but I really hope that we get a new version for Earthrise that at least can fit the cassettes from the Siege. Plus, I'd be interested in seeing how they handle it. No doubt he'd turn into a music device, but would they do a stereo again, or go with his usual alt mode?

Or, would they do something similar to Shockwave and make him a leader class? The voyager could be standard Soundwave with his cassette player alt mode, with the extra armor giving him a "Box Van that Happens to Also have a Giant Cassette Dispensor" mode. I mean, it's so unlikely, I think I'd see a unicorn win the lottery before it happened, but it'd be interesting to see

I thought he could fit one, but Soundblaster could fit two? I didn't ever try it, so somebody can confirm that.