The Energon Pub

[Microbot]

Some one just make a proof of Slapdash from Mirage...

[Skritz]

I've been on an Euro G1/G2 kick today (as seen by my posts on Toyhax) and since none of those characters (except maybe Leadfoot) seem like prime material for a whole new figure this got me thinking about retools. Now since we know Siege was one big GEEWUN wankery (with a few welcome oddball additions!) this got me thinking on what characters seems like they belong on the list of badly-need-a-new-CHUG figure. Its worth noting that Combiner Wars was fairly into '84 and '85 Autobots as quick and cheap rehash and clearly Hasbro saw that giving these characters a 'proper' modern toy would be very profitable. As such, here's a fairly in depth but non-exhaustive list and you'll see there's quite a bit of a repeat of guys who just had a toy...as a cheap retool.

• Trailbreaker & Hoist: These guys had T30 toys and Trailbreaker had a CW toy. However there is no direct remake of the G1-styled Trailbreaker body type.
• Wheeljack: Lost a fan poll but we can assume he could easily show up later in the line. Bonus point for being the very first Cybertronian mode ever shown in the TV show to boot! Has a quick and cheap retool option as Slicer.
• Sunstreaker: You know he's going to show up at some point!
• Blaster: Soundwave retool?
• Warpath: If one mini bot need a bigger figure it would be Warpath.
• Inferno: Yes he's had a toy in POTP but it was a cheap redeco of Hot Spot. Him being a new Voyager would also mean...
• Grapple: ...this guy.
• Tracks: Obviously another guy in the pipeline.
• Crosshair: One of the Autobot Targetmasters missing from Titans Return. Already has a futuristic altmode and this is a line with Targetmasters.
• Pointblank: Same as the above,
• Sureshot: Ditto. Not only that but his altmode is some futuristic Baja buggy, just like...
• Joyride: ...this guy. Now I don't expect him to have a Powermaster, mind you.
• Slapdash: The guy who sparked the whole list and an easy retool of Mirage.
• Getaway: Could be skipped as he had a Titans Return figure but that one was just a cheap retool of someone else so I suppose giving this guy a second cheap retool is pointless but still plausible.

There's also a TON of retools you could do if even a quarter of these guys came true but right now these seems like the guys on Hasbro's bucketlist when it come to completing lineups. So these all seem likely candidates for the other two lines, especially the first list. I know we'd all love to see Star Saber and Deathsaurs but part of me think that's a 50/50 for this trilogy. I'd love to see them done in the Siege style but do they fit in? Maybe. Maybe not. I know we've all been begging for Star Saber since Titans Return.

[PushYouDown]

I'd really like a G1 homage-ing but modern take on Hoist to show up. Not crazy about the Generations one.
I just want that "fat dad in cargo shorts" charm of the first figure.

[Microbot]

Someone maybe blames me but I like really few of the PoP line robots I see and Siege have the right appeal for me to be a great series with a lot of nice came back, like the list I read 2 posts up. Love the idea of Inferno end Wheely, and for sure some better and balance Dinobots not combine... also you know...BB maybe not soon but I hope to get into. For now, I really hope Siege continues to give us great toys model like these really great and awesome to collect!

[Skritz]

I'd really like a G1 homage-ing but modern take on Hoist to show up. Not crazy about the Generations one.
I just want that "fat dad in cargo shorts" charm of the first figure.

Hoist and Trailbreaker were mold-mates in G1 so getting one should yield the other. The issue here is that one is more toy-accurate in animation models. So the mold is going to have to look more like one than the other but can't quite be accurate to both.

[Sentinel_Primal]

Someone maybe blames me but I like really few of the PoP line robots I see and Siege have the right appeal for me to be a great series with a lot of nice came back, like the list I read 2 posts up. Love the idea of Inferno end Wheely, and for sure some better and balance Dinobots not combine... also you know...BB maybe not soon but I hope to get into. For now, I really hope Siege continues to give us great toys model like these really great and awesome to collect!

While I enjoyed how the robot modes in POTP looked because they were new, more stylized versions with ques to the original designs, I certainly won't say no to revisiting the figures from that line. Especially the dinobots. I love Volcanicus, but Swoop definitely suffers some stability issues. When I first got my blue Swoop his legs refused to tab together and when my friend got theirs, they had the same issue, and Grimlock's T-Rex mode certainly could be better. And if Siege is anything to go off of, Hasbro and Takara have certainly stepped up their game from the what the Prime Wars lines was for future lines so no matter what designs end up being made, the figures themselves will certainly be a blast I just hope that at some point they end up revisiting the Unicron Trilogy's figures that need it most, like Armada Scavenger. Preferably not in an entire line dedicated to them because some designs are... Not good Energon Optimus Prime

[Skritz]

Honestly I'm shocked Takara never retooled CW Optimus into Energon Grand Convoy. The core cab robot just need toolings to match the vehicle, it need a new head (for both forms) and some proper deco. As for the limbs they are doable from standard CW engineering even if in Energon the Mini-Con drones lacked individual robot modes.

[william-james88]

Honestly I'm shocked Takara never retooled CW Optimus into Energon Grand Convoy. The core cab robot just need toolings to match the vehicle, it need a new head (for both forms) and some proper deco. As for the limbs they are doable from standard CW engineering even if in Energon the Mini-Con drones lacked individual robot modes.

They didnt need to, they released him as an homage to two versions of that same mold.

[Skritz]

Honestly I'm shocked Takara never retooled CW Optimus into Energon Grand Convoy. The core cab robot just need toolings to match the vehicle, it need a new head (for both forms) and some proper deco. As for the limbs they are doable from standard CW engineering even if in Energon the Mini-Con drones lacked individual robot modes.

They didnt need to, they released him as an homage to two versions of that same mold.

True, but still...

[william-james88]

Honestly I'm shocked Takara never retooled CW Optimus into Energon Grand Convoy. The core cab robot just need toolings to match the vehicle, it need a new head (for both forms) and some proper deco. As for the limbs they are doable from standard CW engineering even if in Energon the Mini-Con drones lacked individual robot modes.

They didnt need to, they released him as an homage to two versions of that same mold.

True, but still...

Still what? That design was never a fan favourite. Takara turned it into an amazing homage in CW, and even gave us a kick ass gen style release of it's redeco. There is no need for another energon prime. We have the original, we have the homage as an update, everybody wins. No need to go back to something already done.

[Skritz]

Hey I just wanted a CW submarine limb, okay!?

[william-james88]

Hey I just wanted a CW submarine limb, okay!?

Thats fair, I wouldnt mind that either

[Stargrave]

Two words - Road Caesar...salad...gah dang it, that’s three words, sorry sorry I can never not do that...I have a problem.

But it’s time to get brainy. I want minifigs that turn into faces. I want a gestalt that’s 70% legs, 20% sword, 10% arms, and 100% brains.

It’s time.

[Stargrave]

And so help me you’re getting that submarine. There will be nautical justice.

[Sentinel_Primal]

Two words - Road Caesar...salad...gah dang it, that’s three words, sorry sorry I can never not do that...I have a problem.

But it’s time to get brainy. I want minifigs that turn into faces. I want a gestalt that’s 70% legs, 20% sword, 10% arms, and 100% brains.

It’s time.

Strictly speaking, Road Caesar is achieveable already. Some remolding to combiner limbs and you could easily have the Brainmasters. I'd love to see the next part of the trilogy focus on more Japanese G1 characters like Star Saber, Victory Leo, Ginrai (though, Hasbro would probably just go with Optimus Prime and the Apex Armor)

[Wolfman Jake]

You know, I just now realized you can make a fantastic Energon/Super Link Grand Scourge homage using the G2 Stunticons! They match up with the original drones almost perfectly, covering black, yellow, and teal. The only issue is purple, which isn't a great match for Dead End's bright red, but still, it's 3 out of 4!

[Sabrblade]

Two words - Road Caesar...salad...gah dang it, that’s three words, sorry sorry I can never not do that...I have a problem.

But it’s time to get brainy. I want minifigs that turn into faces. I want a gestalt that’s 70% legs, 20% sword, 10% arms, and 100% brains.

It’s time.

Strictly speaking, Road Caesar is achieveable already. Some remolding to combiner limbs and you could easily have the Brainmasters. I'd love to see the next part of the trilogy focus on more Japanese G1 characters like Star Saber, Victory Leo, Ginrai (though, Hasbro would probably just go with Optimus Prime and the Apex Armor)

We just got Ginrai in Legends.

[Skritz]

I mean, let's be real here: with Dai Atlas now existing in CHUG form (even if he's a Legends-EX boxset) its really Star Saber who is shining with his conspicuous absence. That he was on top of the Prime vote poll and very much the guy Hasbro intended to win show he was in the pipeline somewhere.

What I wonder is...did Hasbro take his loss as "Well people don't want him so lets shelf him indefinitely"?

[Jeddostotle7]

I mean, let's be real here: with Dai Atlas now existing in CHUG form (even if he's a Legends-EX boxset) its really Star Saber who is shining with his conspicuous absence. That he was on top of the Prime vote poll and very much the guy Hasbro intended to win show he was in the pipeline somewhere.

What I wonder is...did Hasbro take his loss as "Well people don't want him so lets shelf him indefinitely"?

I don't know, it's only been one line since the one he was in the vote for. I think they might be waiting for a line where he'd fit in more, given Siege's 1984-85 focus. Maybe as the Commander class figure in a later part of the WFC trilogy.

[o.supreme]

What I wonder is...did Hasbro take his loss as "Well people don't want him so lets shelf him indefinitely"?

I don't think so... I mean it may seem kind of paradoxical, since Siege is presenting Cybertronian modes (which are in themselves futuristic, although taking place in the past)......I hope either the 2020 or 2021 line will present Cybertronian's of the Future in which case Star Saber & Deszaurus could be included (although they themselves have presumably had the same form since their creation millions of years ago).

Victory was created with the future in mind from the POV of human history, and with IDW rebooting, and brand unification, hopefully Hasbro will take a page from TT and make a futuristic line including Star Saber, along with some old favorites.

...Not to mention, 2019 is the 30th anniversary of Victory...I know Hasbro would never acknowledge it, but at SDCC this year, it would be awesome if a new Star Saber toy was revealed to be in the first wave of the new line...though it technically would not hit store shelves until early 2020...It would still be pretty great timing

[Skritz]

Siege hasn't been 'pure' 1984-1985 pandering, mind you. It has Ultra Magnus and Springer (who are from The Movie era), Flywheels (a Rebirth-era guy) and a frickin' homage to Galaxy Convoy (He's not even from the right continuity!). If anything it seems that outside of Deluxe Autobots and Voyager Decepticons its one whacked out line.

No seriously, this is a line with a G1 accurate, brand new mold FLYWHEEL! Pretty sure that dispel the notion its going to be just GEEWUN pandering. They can clearly fit in whackier and more obscure stuff in that Trilogy and I'm sure they will even if its just 4-5 figures a line. Weaponizers might be G1 characters but lets be real that they have less of a draw/a fanbase than Unicron Trilogy homages in spite of being technically G1.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Siege hasn't been 'pure' 1984-1985 pandering, mind you. It has Ultra Magnus and Springer (who are from The Movie era), Flywheels (a Rebirth-era guy) and a frickin' homage to Galaxy Convoy (He's not even from the right continuity!). If anything it seems that outside of Deluxe Autobots and Voyager Decepticons its one whacked out line.

Not to mention Pteraxadon and Smashdown are completely new, and the exclusives have Slamdance who was toy-only until the Dreamwave comics (a whopping 14 to 15 years post G1 release) and frickin' G2 Sideswipe (without all the armaments).

No seriously, this is a line with a G1 accurate, brand new mold FLYWHEEL! Pretty sure that dispel the notion its going to be just GEEWUN pandering. They can clearly fit in whackier and more obscure stuff in that Trilogy and I'm sure they will even if its just 4-5 figures a line. Weaponizers might be G1 characters but lets be real that they have less of a draw/a fanbase than Unicron Trilogy homages in spite of being technically G1.

I'd consider non-G1 pieces to be more of a bonus, really. Very welcome bonuses indeed. Bring on Hot Shot!

[sol magnus]

Siege hasn't been 'pure' 1984-1985 pandering, mind you. It has Ultra Magnus and Springer (who are from The Movie era), Flywheels (a Rebirth-era guy) and a frickin' homage to Galaxy Convoy (He's not even from the right continuity!). If anything it seems that outside of Deluxe Autobots and Voyager Decepticons its one whacked out line.

No seriously, this is a line with a G1 accurate, brand new mold FLYWHEEL! Pretty sure that dispel the notion its going to be just GEEWUN pandering. They can clearly fit in whackier and more obscure stuff in that Trilogy and I'm sure they will even if its just 4-5 figures a line. Weaponizers might be G1 characters but lets be real that they have less of a draw/a fanbase than Unicron Trilogy homages in spite of being technically G1.

What is with "1984-1985 pandering" and "GEEWUN pandering"? Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, and I get that. But, it's beyond reason to me that people say it like Hasbro didn't do their homework on who their customer's are.

I don't feel like they're "pandering" to me. I would probably think they were pandering if they were making a bunch of Armada and outlying suburbs style characters and throwing in G1 "homages" in, but then I would say to myself "Well, this must be what the market is saying they should be making" and buy or skip as suits me, rather than kind of take shots at a particular part of fandom (who tend to have spare money for Hasbro to get).

I for one, love the infusion of Car Robots/G1 Ultra Magnus and Galaxy Prime and what they represent as toys. They weren't my TV shows, but I don't find any of it to be "pandering".

My two cents.

[Sabrblade]

I mean, let's be real here: with Dai Atlas now existing in CHUG form (even if he's a Legends-EX boxset) its really Star Saber who is shining with his conspicuous absence. That he was on top of the Prime vote poll and very much the guy Hasbro intended to win show he was in the pipeline somewhere.

What I wonder is...did Hasbro take his loss as "Well people don't want him so lets shelf him indefinitely"?

Back near the beginning of POTP (but AFTER Optimus Primal won the fan poll), there was an interview with John Warden that implied Star Saber and/or Deathsaurus to be in the works for POTP, but this was before it was confirmed that POTP was going to be a short line ending with Optimal Optimus and Novastar. So, perhaps if POTP had been allowed to last as long as CW and TR, we might have gotten Star Saber and/or Deathsaurus in that line in spite of their both having lost the fan poll.

In the meantime, Star Saber's MP toy is perfectly scaled to fit better with CHUG toys than with MP toys, making it a decent CHUG stand-in.

[Autobot N]

very much the guy Hasbro intended to win

I dunno, it kinda seemed like they wanted Deathsaurus to win