The Energon Pub

[Jeddostotle7]

I reiterate that I wish they'd just reissued TR Arcee instead of giving us this. TR Arcee may be slightly futch, but she's good as a headmaster Arcee. And seeing as headmaster Arcee has been a canon thing since "The Rebirth", it would be nice if the 30-year-belated toy form was more accessible.

Maybe she'll be the fourth Headmaster in Wave 2 of the "Retro Headmasters" line at Walmart? I can see that being a pretty viable option, though I still hold out hope that they'll do a single release of Cerebros instead in cartoon accurate colors.

Pixelmaster over on TFW (one of the reliable leakers) said a while ago that the 8th slot in this line (which is, at least so far, limited to two waves planned) is gonna be Punch/Counterpunch. Not a Headmaster, but another Prime Wars figure Hasbro seems satisfied with and is expensive to get nowadays.

[blackeyedprime]

I'm sure Smyths will have plenty of Soundwaves. Bee might be harder to find but I can imagine him shipping in boxes of just pure Bees if they did it with Smaokescreen (even if that might have been an error or just distribution being what it is).

Hoist is faily decent since they changed the side window paint and the mismatched greens only look bad in photos. Vehicle mode the hands can be removed if desired so that they dont hang low but they kind of look like suspension of some sort. I def think Trailbreaker will look even better in black.

Just Trailbreaker and Fast Track for me from wave 3. Sunstreaker I'll stick with classics and maybe eventually upgrade to KO G1 but I've not even got the MP yet and the toy is usually in vehicle mode next to MP in my display.

Runas are still going to be cheaper than buying the chug ones but I prefer them having their own car modes anyways, so G1 for me at some point for them. Sadly the newage ones or whatever they are, look off in car mode -Hasbro have definitely beaten thrid party with all their versions of them so far even the Japanese RID 2015 versions.

[Tuned Agent]

I reiterate that I wish they'd just reissued TR Arcee instead of giving us this. TR Arcee may be slightly futch, but she's good as a headmaster Arcee. And seeing as headmaster Arcee has been a canon thing since "The Rebirth", it would be nice if the 30-year-belated toy form was more accessible.

Maybe she'll be the fourth Headmaster in Wave 2 of the "Retro Headmasters" line at Walmart? I can see that being a pretty viable option, though I still hold out hope that they'll do a single release of Cerebros instead in cartoon accurate colors.

Pixelmaster over on TFW (one of the reliable leakers) said a while ago that the 8th slot in this line (which is, at least so far, limited to two waves planned) is gonna be Punch/Counterpunch. Not a Headmaster, but another Prime Wars figure Hasbro seems satisfied with and is expensive to get nowadays.

Punch/Counterpunch? I'd be down for that.

[chuckdawg1999]

Not sure how I feel about re-releasing exclusives as part of exclusive lines that aren't as exclusive, or maybe more exclusive.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Do you collect Transformers to actually enjoy them, or are you collecting them only as trophies, or commodities to flip?
I'm the former, so I'm fine with them rereleasing former exclusives. Especially since so often they're only exclusive because either they didn't fit the regular assortment's gimmick or the regular assortment just plain didn't have the room.

[Wolfman Jake]

Do you collect Transformers to actually enjoy them, or are you collecting them only as trophies, or commodities to flip?
I'm the former, so I'm fine with them rereleasing former exclusives. Especially since so often they're only exclusive because either they didn't fit the regular assortment's gimmick or the regular assortment just plain didn't have the room.

Some people were mad when Hasbro officially released Classics Thundercracker, Thrust, and Dirge in the Generations line almost three years after the 2007 BotCon set had come out. I can see how that might have made some people feel a little upset about spending so much money on an exclusive set when they could have waited a few more years, but that's always the risk you take, right? It's not much different than buying up Hasbro figures when they first come out only to find that, a year later, Takara Tomy did the deco much more to your liking or put in extra accessories or whatnot.

[aronjlove]

Or a year later and you find that leader you paid full price for at Ross for less than half price

[Rodimus Prime]

Or a year later and you find that leader you paid full price for at Ross for less than half price

You paid an extra $25-30 to have and enjoy the figure a year sooner. That's $2-3 a month. If you can't afford $2-3 a month, you shouldn't be buying Transformers to begin with. Or not as frequently, at the least.

[aronjlove]

Or a year later and you find that leader you paid full price for at Ross for less than half price

You paid an extra $25-30 to have and enjoy the figure a year sooner. That's $2-3 a month. If you can't afford $2-3 a month, you shouldn't be buying Transformers to begin with. Or not as frequently, at the least.

Astrotrain was worth the full cost to me but it was still a shock seeing him for $17.99.

[Rodimus Prime]

Or a year later and you find that leader you paid full price for at Ross for less than half price

You paid an extra $25-30 to have and enjoy the figure a year sooner. That's $2-3 a month. If you can't afford $2-3 a month, you shouldn't be buying Transformers to begin with. Or not as frequently, at the least.

Astrotrain was worth the full cost to me but it was still a shock seeing him for $17.99.

Well like you said, it was a year later, and perhaps Hasbro thought the figure wasn't in demand as much anymore. For $18 I would gave bought it, but not for $50. And like you said, it was worth it to you at the original price, and that's what matters. Your value and your enjoyment.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

....I think I may have to be checking Ross now. Not that I would mind paying full price for Astrotrain if I had the spare cash, but even if I did there's also the issue of actually finding him. And at Target, thanks to the accursed Shockwave repack clogging the shelves...

Would I be right in thinking this $17.99 Astrotrain was in SIEGE packaging?

[chuckdawg1999]

Do you collect Transformers to actually enjoy them, or are you collecting them only as trophies, or commodities to flip?
I'm the former, so I'm fine with them rereleasing former exclusives. Especially since so often they're only exclusive because either they didn't fit the regular assortment's gimmick or the regular assortment just plain didn't have the room.

Some people were mad when Hasbro officially released Classics Thundercracker, Thrust, and Dirge in the Generations line almost three years after the 2007 BotCon set had come out. I can see how that might have made some people feel a little upset about spending so much money on an exclusive set when they could have waited a few more years, but that's always the risk you take, right? It's not much different than buying up Hasbro figures when they first come out only to find that, a year later, Takara Tomy did the deco much more to your liking or put in extra accessories or whatnot.

A little column A and a little column B, with a touch from column C.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Something I'm curious about: Does anyone know if someone has done fan-made Titans Return-style collector's cards for Earthrise Snapdragon and Scorponok (as well as SIEGE Apeface)?

[Flashwave]

Being honest, the little ramp dudes and the bass gimmick in this line really doesn't interest me much. But Slither Fang finally showed up in my local Meijer and you look pretty cool. And since he's technically supposed to be associated with quintessons, I couldn't pass up the idea of troop building a couple of snakes. So with my apologies do any collectors in Mooresville Indiana who might have been looking for Slither Fang I picked up the three on the shelves and these dudes are pretty cool for what they are. I'm picturing them burrowing into the ground in that little ramp modes I'm waiting for some unsuspecting cybertronian to step on them and get a sudden fight to the foot or something.

[LinaNui]

The base building is my favorite part! I made this since I was finally able to snag airwave! I have a lot more baseformers, but this is all I have with me now. This weekend I will make a city with all my base guys.

[Sabrblade]

It was because of that discounted price at Ross at that I bought two Siege Astrotrains at Ross after having previously bought an Earthrise Astrotrain at full price at Target, giving me three Astrotrains now, one for each of his modes.

[Rodimus Prime]

It was because of that discounted price at Ross at that I bought two Siege Astrotrains at Ross after having previously bought an Earthrise Astrotrain at full price at Target, giving me three Astrotrains now, one for each of his modes.

If he was white and purple instead of gray and purple, I'd be doing the same, even with the unnecessary extra crap included.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

It was because of that discounted price at Ross at that I bought two Siege Astrotrains at Ross after having previously bought an Earthrise Astrotrain at full price at Target, giving me three Astrotrains now, one for each of his modes.

So it is indeed specifically the SIEGE release of Astrotrain that's showing up at Ross with a markdown.

I suspected that was the case. With the SIEGE release coming so late and having difficulty getting out to shelves because of Shockwave shelfwarming, and then the Earthrise rerelease coming out in the first wave and having higher priority because it's new stock from the current subline... It makes sense that the SIEGE-packaged ones would get offloaded to discount stores ASAP.

[Sabrblade]

It was because of that discounted price at Ross at that I bought two Siege Astrotrains at Ross after having previously bought an Earthrise Astrotrain at full price at Target, giving me three Astrotrains now, one for each of his modes.

If he was white and purple instead of gray and purple, I'd be doing the same, even with the unnecessary extra crap included.

What can I say? I'm a sucker for his complete locomotive mode.

[King Kuuga]

What assortment was Siege Shockwave in that he's so prevalent? Was wave 4 just a solid case of Shockwaves?

Anyway. I finally found the Earthrise wave 2 deluxes in my area! I bought 3 out of 4 (T30 Arcee is fine for me), along with the Battle Squad Micromasters. I believe the only things I'm waiting for now from Earthrise are the wave 3 deluxes and voyagers..... and all the exclusives.

Unfortunately, the Smokescreen I picked up has a paint scratch on his face and some rub on his legs...... as well as two left hands.

[chuckdawg1999]

I do believe that Amazon just charged me for Trailbreaker and Sunstreaker, neither of whom had an expected ship date.

[Nemesis Primal]

What assortment was Siege Shockwave in that he's so prevalent? Was wave 4 just a solid case of Shockwaves?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the issue was that he was released in Wave 1 with Magnus, and then immediately repacked in with Galaxy Upgrade OP in the following wave, and since good guys sell well and Optimus especially sells well, Shockwave was evidently the least bought figure of the 3 while also being the most stocked. Amazon also discounted him a few times, all the way down to at least Voyager price at one point, which means a number of people bought him there and therefore didn't help with the fleets of Shockwaves forming in brick-and-mortar.

[Starseeker]

It was because of that discounted price at Ross at that I bought two Siege Astrotrains at Ross after having previously bought an Earthrise Astrotrain at full price at Target, giving me three Astrotrains now, one for each of his modes.

If he was white and purple instead of gray and purple, I'd be doing the same, even with the unnecessary extra crap included.

What can I say? I'm a sucker for his complete locomotive mode.

Astrotrain is great! Probably my favorite figure. A lot of playability. I enjoy the caboose/launch pad and all the weapons. I picked up an extra launch pad for base building purposes, and the weapons I find look good with a lot of other figures, particularly the AU Prime.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

It was because of that discounted price at Ross at that I bought two Siege Astrotrains at Ross after having previously bought an Earthrise Astrotrain at full price at Target, giving me three Astrotrains now, one for each of his modes.

If he was white and purple instead of gray and purple, I'd be doing the same, even with the unnecessary extra crap included.

What can I say? I'm a sucker for his complete locomotive mode.

Astrotrain is great! Probably my favorite figure. A lot of playability. I enjoy the caboose/launch pad and all the weapons. I picked up an extra launch pad for base building purposes, and the weapons I find look good with a lot of other figures, particularly the AU Prime.

It's a fuel tender, not a caboose. It's what would carry the coal (or oil) and water for the locomotive.

[D-Maximal_Primal]

while i still think Astrotrain could have been better, I do enjoy him and love his train mode. That is his winning mode.