The Energon Pub

[Cobotron]

Finally had my first Siege Sighting today...as it appears others have as well, at the same Target store that Micromasters were reportedly first purchased at. I know there re no technical release dates, but today being December 1st, and all the mass sightings seems to be a little too coincidental.

There is a technical release, and it is December 1st. It was found in their online listings at Toysrus.ca.

And I decided not to go to Target today because I've already been there three times since Black Friday.

Emerje

Don't worry, I went to two Targets yesterday filled with hope and found squat. Actually I found the shelves packed with everything but Siege. Apparently Omaha Targets missed the memo. I have confirmation Lincoln Targets got it.

My guess is the date is not written in stone, and it all depends on the existing stock they have.
No biggie, though. If collecting TFs has taught me anything, it's patience.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

I didnt have much time today, but here's what I found:

IMG_20181202_003221761~01.jpg

Grommet holds a Titan Master pretty well, just kinda wedged in there. The Prime Master atop Gasket is just balanced up there on what appears to be a very public toilet. *shrug*

Thank you!
The intended seat on Gasket is on the back of Cog's head (as seen here). Did you try that?

I did find out something interesting about Sideswipe the hard way, though. My copy came with a bit of silver paint slop on the car hood/robot mode chest. Hearing about how a lot of the "battle damage" paint can be removed with some isopropyl alcohol and a Q-tip, I tried to fix the error myself. I thought the hood was just red plastic, but it turns out that it's red plastic PAINTED OVER WITH RED PAINT! Why!? I ended up getting rid of the paint splotch and also rubbing away a good portion of red paint around the offending spot. Now my Sideswipe has a weird shiny spot on the side of his hood where the plastic underneath has been exposed. The red paint over the top gives it more of a matte look. I'm not sure why Hasbro bothered to waist paint like that. Maybe it was for overall color consistency with some of the smoky translucent plastic? It's still a shame, because I think the natural shine of the smooth red plastic makes for a better looking figure overall. I'll be on the hunt tomorrow for another Sideswipe.

What are your plans for the one whose paint you marred?

[Skritz]

Given that Weaponizers are filled with 5mm ports and plugs, I'm sure someone could 3d print proper titan master seats to plug on them.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Given that Weaponizers are filled with 5mm ports and plugs, I'm sure someone could 3d print proper titan master seats to plug on them.

Yeah, but I was wanting to research how well they worked as-is.

[Skritz]

I think Grommet does the job well enough.

[Vic Zanzibar]

The more I think about it, the less value the Battle Masters seem to provide. They're glorified Mini-Cons that lack knees and elbows and they cost $7.00 a piece. In comparison, the Micromasters all have knees, more paint, vehicle modes, and their goofy combined gun modes offer a third thing that can be done with them. Not to mention that each individual costs $5.00 thus making them more cost effective too. Neither is much of a good value and I'd much rather have kept the Legends class in place of one of these options, but the Micromasters are definitely superior. I can't say that I regret getting the Battle Masters given that they are still pretty cheap and even though I'm quite frugal, I'm not enough of a penny-pincher to get angry about an amount that small, but I don't know that I'll get any more of them.

I was thinking of possible options for redecos/retools of the new Hound mold. Any ideas?

[Hellscream9999]

I was thinking of possible options for redecos/retools of the new Hound mold. Any ideas?

How about a , maybe in black with purple camo, with an even bigger gun?

Let's mix things up, get some new blood in here

[Jelze Bunnycat]

The more I think about it, the less value the Battle Masters seem to provide. They're glorified Mini-Cons that lack knees and elbows and they cost $7.00 a piece. In comparison, the Micromasters all have knees, more paint, vehicle modes, and their goofy combined gun modes offer a third thing that can be done with them. Not to mention that each individual costs $5.00 thus making them more cost effective too. Neither is much of a good value and I'd much rather have kept the Legends class in place of one of these options, but the Micromasters are definitely superior. I can't say that I regret getting the Battle Masters given that they are still pretty cheap and even though I'm quite frugal, I'm not enough of a penny-pincher to get angry about an amount that small, but I don't know that I'll get any more of them.

I was thinking of possible options for redecos/retools of the new Hound mold. Any ideas?

His art had him with the Cybertron Hot Shot head design, calling back to his Cybertron Defense form:


Transformers War for Cybertron: SIEGE Hound Gallery



Transformers Cybertron Cybertron Defense Hot Shot (Exigeyser) Gallery

[Hellscream9999]

His art had him with the Cybertron Hot Shot head design, calling back to his Cybertron Defense form:


Transformers War for Cybertron: SIEGE Hound Gallery



Transformers Cybertron Cybertron Defense Hot Shot (Exigeyser) Gallery

Oh yeah...

So now they're pretooling the art too?

I think he can rock those colors, I think it'd look great; get some of that cybertron era irreverence for down-to-earth color palettes up in here

[Vic Zanzibar]

The more I think about it, the less value the Battle Masters seem to provide. They're glorified Mini-Cons that lack knees and elbows and they cost $7.00 a piece. In comparison, the Micromasters all have knees, more paint, vehicle modes, and their goofy combined gun modes offer a third thing that can be done with them. Not to mention that each individual costs $5.00 thus making them more cost effective too. Neither is much of a good value and I'd much rather have kept the Legends class in place of one of these options, but the Micromasters are definitely superior. I can't say that I regret getting the Battle Masters given that they are still pretty cheap and even though I'm quite frugal, I'm not enough of a penny-pincher to get angry about an amount that small, but I don't know that I'll get any more of them.

I was thinking of possible options for redecos/retools of the new Hound mold. Any ideas?

His art had him with the Cybertron Hot Shot head design, calling back to his Cybertron Defense form:

Well, that is an unexpected reference. I like it a lot.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Funnily enough, that mold was redecoed into a character that originally had a Jeep for an alt mode, Roadbuster:


Transformers Universe - Classics 2.0 Roadbuster Gallery

[Vic Zanzibar]

Funnily enough, that mold was redecoed into a character that originally had a Jeep for an alt mode, Roadbuster:

I had that figure. Don't anymore. It never really worked for me for whatever reason. Good character choice for a redeco though.

[Skritz]

Funnily enough, that mold was redecoed into a character that originally had a Jeep for an alt mode, Roadbuster:

I had that figure. Don't anymore. It never really worked for me for whatever reason. Good character choice for a redeco though.

I think it would have worked better with a proper Roadbuster head, but head retools weren't too much of a thing back then.

[Vic Zanzibar]

Funnily enough, that mold was redecoed into a character that originally had a Jeep for an alt mode, Roadbuster:

I had that figure. Don't anymore. It never really worked for me for whatever reason. Good character choice for a redeco though.

I think it would have worked better with a proper Roadbuster head, but head retools weren't too much of a thing back then.

It wasn't the likeness. I can't recall why it didn't work for me since it has been something like seven years since I owned it, but I think it was the relatively clunky articulation and how blocky it looks. I don't really regret giving away those Target exclusive repaints except kind of the Sideways repaint into Ratbat. That mold still rocks all these years later and works well for Ratbat.

[Skritz]

Funnily enough, that mold was redecoed into a character that originally had a Jeep for an alt mode, Roadbuster:

I had that figure. Don't anymore. It never really worked for me for whatever reason. Good character choice for a redeco though.

I think it would have worked better with a proper Roadbuster head, but head retools weren't too much of a thing back then.

It wasn't the likeness. I can't recall why it didn't work for me since it has been something like seven years since I owned it, but I think it was the relatively clunky articulation and how blocky it looks. I don't really regret giving away those Target exclusive repaints except kind of the Sideways repaint into Ratbat. That mold still rocks all these years later and works well for Ratbat.

'Blocky and clunky' seem to define that era of toys.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Yeah, Cybertron Defense Hot Shot does take some hits in articulation.. I think he would have benefited from the upsizing Scattorshot and Red Alert got.

The more I think about it, the less value the Battle Masters seem to provide. They're glorified Mini-Cons that lack knees and elbows and they cost $7.00 a piece. In comparison, the Micromasters all have knees, more paint, vehicle modes, and their goofy combined gun modes offer a third thing that can be done with them. Not to mention that each individual costs $5.00 thus making them more cost effective too. Neither is much of a good value and I'd much rather have kept the Legends class in place of one of these options, but the Micromasters are definitely superior. I can't say that I regret getting the Battle Masters given that they are still pretty cheap and even though I'm quite frugal, I'm not enough of a penny-pincher to get angry about an amount that small, but I don't know that I'll get any more of them.

*shrug* For those specifically after Targetmaster Partners and the like they're cheaper than either the originals or the Takara Legends ones. On that note I hope to see Fracas, Nightstick, "Hyperfire", and "Flintlock" Battlemasters made.
That said I do want to see the Legends size class return because we're still missing some Minibots.

I was thinking of possible options for redecos/retools of the new Hound mold. Any ideas?

Easy: Detritus

[Wolfman Jake]

What are your plans for the one whose paint you marred?

I'm not sure yet. If I were daring enough, I might try to customize him into another character. I'd remove more of the paint first. I'd love to try Tigertrack or Clamp Down, but the plastic underneath the paint is still red, and I doubt I could get a good enough coat of yellow or white on by myself without suffering a lot of red bleed-through. Another possibility is Deep Cover. Black paint should resist most color bleed-through.

Oh, I also did find another Sideswipe at a different Target today. He's got a "perfect" paint job this time and transforms a little easier. The one I ruined the paint on before had really tight tabs on the shin covers. I picked up Hound too while I was at it. I know I said I would skip him, but I couldn't resist. I'm not sure if he'll replace my Autobots Specialists Hound, but at least that Hound now has a gun to hold while his holo-projector sits on his right shoulder.

I was thinking of possible options for redecos/retools of the new Hound mold. Any ideas?

Easy: Detritus

Agreed. We've gone without a proper Classics/Generations Detritus for too long. Bring on the Decepticon-aligned Junkion, Hasbro!

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

What are your plans for the one whose paint you marred?

I'm not sure yet. If I were daring enough, I might try to customize him into another character. I'd remove more of the paint first. I'd love to try Tigertrack or Clamp Down, but the plastic underneath the paint is still red, and I doubt I could get a good enough coat of yellow or white on by myself without suffering a lot of red bleed-through. Another possibility is Deep Cover. Black paint should resist most color bleed-through.

Yeah, Deep Cover would work well. Tigertrack and Clamp Down (who is separated by minor deco differences) are probably best saved for spares of Red Alert. In the case of Clamp Down something you could do is simultaneously paint up a spare Sideswipe as G2 Sideswipe except for the head, and then swap the heads.

...Although the main reason I asked is I was pondering buying him off you.

[Cobotron]

I was thinking of possible options for redecos/retools of the new Hound mold. Any ideas?

How about a , maybe in black with purple camo, with an even bigger gun?

Let's mix things up, get some new blood in here

My first thought as I was reading this and saw a ,

was CANNONBALL!

But I'd much prefer new blood over anything else.

[Hellscream9999]

I was thinking of possible options for redecos/retools of the new Hound mold. Any ideas?

How about a , maybe in black with purple camo, with an even bigger gun?

Let's mix things up, get some new blood in here

My first thought as I was reading this and saw a ,

was CANNONBALL!

But I'd much prefer new blood over anything else.

I'm gonna go against every iota of my being and say no to hound into cannonball, but only because there isn't enough room for those sweet skeleton tats and if they were crammed on there, they'd end up on his feet.

But I need a new cannonball, maybe out of siege ironhide

[Skritz]

I'm guessing Hound could become Cranckcase if they ever reuse his base mold later in the trilogy or as an exclusive of somekind.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

I was thinking of possible options for redecos/retools of the new Hound mold. Any ideas?

How about a , maybe in black with purple camo, with an even bigger gun?

Let's mix things up, get some new blood in here

My first thought as I was reading this and saw a ,

was CANNONBALL!

But I'd much prefer new blood over anything else.

I'm gonna go against every iota of my being and say no to hound into cannonball, but only because there isn't enough room for those sweet skeleton tats and if they were crammed on there, they'd end up on his feet.

But I need a new cannonball, maybe out of siege ironhide

Technically it'd have to be Ratchet, because the Cybertron and BotCon versions were redecos of ambulances

[Vic Zanzibar]

Yeah, Cybertron Defense Hot Shot does take some hits in articulation.. I think he would have benefited from the upsizing Scattorshot and Red Alert got.

Those molds are great. I have the Countdown and Dropshot versions of them. Both hold up quite well to this day. I might even say that the Scattershot mold could be released today and not seem too out of place as far as engineering quality.

Easy: Detritus

Well, if Crosscut can get a mass retail figure, maybe Detritus could to. That deco is both logical and quite nice-looking.

[o.supreme]

Don't worry, I went to two Targets yesterday filled with hope and found squat. Actually I found the shelves packed with everything but Siege. Apparently Omaha Targets missed the memo. I have confirmation Lincoln Targets got it.

My guess is the date is not written in stone, and it all depends on the existing stock they have.
No biggie, though. If collecting TFs has taught me anything, it's patience.

Did you check happen to check other toy aisles/spots? Like I said initially, I almost missed Siege because while the standard TF shelf space was filled with all the other lines, my local Target put Siege (and Op Op for some reason), on another aisle...so frustrating.

[Cobotron]

Don't worry, I went to two Targets yesterday filled with hope and found squat. Actually I found the shelves packed with everything but Siege. Apparently Omaha Targets missed the memo. I have confirmation Lincoln Targets got it.

My guess is the date is not written in stone, and it all depends on the existing stock they have.
No biggie, though. If collecting TFs has taught me anything, it's patience.

Did you check happen to check other toy aisles/spots? Like I said initially, I almost missed Siege because while the standard TF shelf space was filled with all the other lines, my local Target put Siege (and Op Op for some reason), on another aisle...so frustrating.

You bet your buttermilk biscuits I did! I checked every aisle, and every end cap of both stores. Even asked some seemingly disgruntled employees.

It's fine. They'll show up soon.