The Energon Pub

[Nuclearxpotato]

I hope it works out for you to get Thrust without having to go into the aftermarket, Chuck.
I only saw him at my local Target twice... The first time there were 3, the second (at least a week later) there were 2. Other than maybe the clone 2 pack, I believe he was the last ER figure I ever saw on shelves/pegs.

My usual dealer is offering $50 shipped but I'm hoping to find it on eBay for $40 shipped.

Man, I wish my usual dealer would get into toys as well.

Mine only deals in Energon Goodies

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

I saw Thrust once.

Here's something that I haven't seen, but seemed really obvious and made me feel bad for not doing it earlier...

I've had both of the WFC Ironhides and I love them both, especially after Ironhide's kinda infamous history of toys. However, the one thing that frustrated me most about ER Ironhide (ERonhide) is his kibble shield. My problem with kibble shields is that they're usually too small, but the one time we get a proper shield... it's the most awkward thing for the figure to wield.

That is until you plug his included gun into the shield and turn it into a handle!

Just slide the cannons out, plug his gun into the shield horizontally, and bam! (it's easier to plug the gun into his hand upright first and then attach the shield to that)

It's so obvious, I don't know why it took me this long to do it. The one downside is that he'll be without a firearm... but if you've bought like any other WFC figure, you have at least four spare guns lying around (Especially Astrotrain). My choice is the Doomblast because Ironhide needs two cumbersome weapons to awkwardly wield.

Sorry for the weird white-balancing, I still can't find the option for the life of me.

Ironhide being mostly red probably isn't helping.

Have you tried pegging the shield into his forearm? In some ways that's actually closer to how real-life shields are held: strapped to the arm, with one strap being used as a handle for extra angling control.

Why the obsession with that platform? I never got it. Just because was featured in the 1st issue of the Marvel comic and it was imported from Diaclone? Back in the day, I always passed on both the Ratchet and Ironhide toys because they're the posterchildren for partsforming.

Some of us consider it a fun and cool play feature. And the platform separating is a fundamental part of their G1 character design - the robot mode character models are based on the toy's robot mode minus the platform, and MTMTE proves the platform is also part of the design.

Oh, and as for being "the posterchildren for partsforming"... They're no worse about that than a certain other G1 toy. This one from 1986. The name of it's on the tip of my tongue... It's like I can see it somewhere in this post already...
I think you just perceive them as worse partsformers because they don't have robot mode heads, and compared to the cartoon and comics their arms are at their waists.

@Kanrabat It's not the G1 platform unless you add in the pod from SIEGE Ratchet and treads from Hot House.


Mocked up a gun for Scorponok. Now I need to rustle up a long-enouh 2cm-diameter tube so I can get to work making it reality.

[adamage1]

If anyone is still trying to locate the Earthrise seeker 2-pack without paying exorbitant markups, TF Source has them up for preorder again at a much friendlier price: https://tfsource.com/transformers-war-f ... ekers-set/

[Nuclearxpotato]

Welp, Thrust just went from "Unavailable" to "Sold Out" on Target.com

This could very well mean that there's no more for online distribution... which is frustrating since they cancelled my order a while back and he's my only Seeker left.

[TF-fan kev777]

Welp, Thrust just went from "Unavailable" to "Sold Out" on Target.com

This could very well mean that there's no more for online distribution... which is frustrating since they cancelled my order a while back and he's my only Seeker left.

I do wonder if he will be getting a wider re-release similar to the Thundercracker/Skywarp 2-pack.

[chuckdawg1999]

Welp, Thrust just went from "Unavailable" to "Sold Out" on Target.com

This could very well mean that there's no more for online distribution... which is frustrating since they canceled my order a while back and he's my only Seeker left.

They canceled mine too and it then went unavailable. I had to get it off eBay and after eBay's sales tax it was more than what my private dealer offered. At least I got something back from Rakuten.

[D-Maximal_Primal]

Jazz and Cliffjumper are pure joy

[Munkky]

Coneheads notwithstanding, I now have pretty much everything I want from Earthrise now. The last thing was the Dominus set, which I got a couple of weeks ago. I actually like Punch's new lighter colour scheme a lot more than the original, I'd love for the Netflix Bumblebee mould to be repainted in this lighter shade of yellow. Barricade is nice too, but on my set a bit of the gold paint on Barricade's face was worn off in the packaging, not to a "REFUND ME AMAZON!" degree, but it's still a bit annoying.

[AcademyofDrX]

Is Botropolis the last ER product to release? After next week, the line is officially over?

[TF-fan kev777]

Is Botropolis the last ER product to release? After next week, the line is officially over?

Yes, I mean assuming no further delays for the set, which might be possible since Amazon usually starts shipping them out a few days in advance (like today or tomorrow) of the release date if they have them in hand.

[o.supreme]

My Botropolis is scheduled to arrive next Wednesday (3/3/21). They are all available for purchase except the Ratchet/Paradron Medic set...wow that thing is insane on the Secondary market!

[AcademyofDrX]

That's the secondary market all over right now, though. I branched out into a couple other toy lines last year, and I had no idea how widespread resell hikes had gotten until I started looking at a wider range of toys.

[chuckdawg1999]

That's the secondary market all over right now, though. I branched out into a couple of other toy lines last year, and I had no idea how widespread resell hikes had gotten until I started looking at a wider range of toys.

It seems with the end of Toys R Us store exclusives have become more prominent, or maybe it just seems that way. Regardless, with some stores not stocking the exclusives it's a scalper paradise.

[AcademyofDrX]

8 don't think that's it, and honestly it's not just toys either. The pandemic has created production and distribution bottlenecks, and that combined with bots and other online abuse have created fewer customer contact points. It's definitely a bigger issue for items with limited quantities or other restrictions, but it's widespread. Video cards, consoles, fashion items, and so on. Doesn't mean it doesn't suck or that retailers and manufacturers don't need to make changes, but this isn't about whether an individual Target store got 0 versus 4 versus 8 Cobra Vipers or Thrusts.

[Sowndwave76]

My Botropolis is scheduled to arrive next Wednesday (3/3/21). They are all available for purchase except the Ratchet/Paradron Medic set...wow that thing is insane on the Secondary market!

I have a good feeling Ratchet (& then of course Ironhide) will be released again sooner than later.
If not an ER reissue, then maybe a whole new mold...
I like the current one for the bot mode, but I bet Hastak will be ready to give it another go and dodge the van-feet issue sooner than later.

[Emerje]

Is Botropolis the last ER product to release? After next week, the line is officially over?

Technically, yes, though Selects Deep Cover is supposedly also part of Earthrise and won't be out for a few more weeks.

Emerje

[Gauntlet101010]

And Amazon.ca STILL hasn't gotten the conehead set yet.

[Nuclearxpotato]

Since there's the licensing issues of ER Bumblebee, I kinda wish there was a separate retool that turned his alt-mode into the Classics Bee.

This is something that really only I care about, but that would probably convince me to replace my Classics Bee. I know the mold's 15 years old and doesn't scale, etc but I've really become attached to it. It's such a nice little car.

[Gauntlet101010]

TBH, I don't think Netflix BB will replace my Classics BB. He's just way too small in vehicle mode. I actually dislike that the minibots are mini when they transform into cars same as everyone else.

I know the vehicle mode scaling is all sorts of off across the classics lines, but Netflix BB just pushes it too far.

Kind of off topic since this is the ER thread and not the Netfix thread, so we can take everything I just said and apply it to Cliffjumper. ;P (Right now my main Cliff is GDO)

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

TBH, I don't think Netflix BB will replace my Classics BB. He's just way too small in vehicle mode. I actually dislike that the minibots are mini when they transform into cars same as everyone else.

Well, it's not like the toys can magically grow when they transform, so...

I know the vehicle mode scaling is all sorts of off across the classics lines, but Netflix BB just pushes it too far.

Kind of off topic since this is the ER thread and not the Netfix thread, so we can take everything I just said and apply it to Cliffjumper. ;P (Right now my main Cliff is GDO)

*Shrug* Seekers are still worse about it, just going the other way. And it's not actually too bad with the non-Minibot cars (they're mostly in the ballpark of 1:32 in altmode)

And hey, ER Cliffjumper and Netflix Bumblebee aren't too off-scale in vehicle mode compared to the also-undersize SIEGE and Earthrise Optimus toys, so there's that.

Is your main Brawn perchance ROTF Brawn?

[Gauntlet101010]

With planes and tanks you can't win. But there are so many cars. I want them all to be deluxe size. The cars, at least, can have some consistency. I'm not an expert on which cars should be which size, but as long as they're all deluxe it's something I can live with.

And, while I think ER Prime is better designed (and do have him), Henkei Prime has not been displaced in my heart. Again, vehicle mode and robot mode both win out for me. I think his vehicle mode works better with deluxe cars. Or near enough at least.

I'm a 3P guy too, so my Brawn is iGear's take. Ditto most of the minibots, actually including Gears, Beachcomber, and Cosmos. Windcharger is Xtransbots Boost, which is a deluxe car and robot. Powerglide is an upsized KO of the Combiner Wars mold (although ... it's tempting to just use the old Ultra I still have). Seaspray is Fanstoys Spindrift, which fits the robot mode size. I have the RotF mold, but it's just not G1 enough for me.

That said I have no room, so even if they're my main guys they're still put away...

[aronjlove]

Well, Amazon just informed me that the Galactic Odyssey Botropolis Rescue Mission 6-pack will be here tomorrow. I guess with that, Earthrise comes to a close...

[o.supreme]

I guess with that, Earthrise comes to a close...

A solid ending to a pretty good middle chapter. What's odd is despite the general superiority of the toys, I find myself having spent overall less money on ER than I did on Siege. And if Kingdom is any indication, I'll be spending far less on it, than I did on ER...I mean the toys are great, I guess the character choices just aren't necessary to my collection.

[Emerje]

Well, Amazon just informed me that the Galactic Odyssey Botropolis Rescue Mission 6-pack will be here tomorrow. I guess with that, Earthrise comes to a close...

What about Deep Cover?

Emerje

[AcademyofDrX]

Well, Amazon just informed me that the Galactic Odyssey Botropolis Rescue Mission 6-pack will be here tomorrow. I guess with that, Earthrise comes to a close...

What about Deep Cover?

Emerje

Technically part of Generations Selects.