The Energon Pub

[Randomhero]

I found Springer this morning at a Walmart in Canton, MI. Haven’t had a chance to take pics yet, it his transformation is challenging. It’s fun.

I found Springer at a Target today, but they wouldn't let me buy it.

Why is that???

They block them in their system. It happened to me memorial weekend with Galaxy Force Optimus Prime. I found him and he wouldn’t ring up in self check out. Said release date was June 1st. I argued and said it’s on the shelf you have to sell it and they said we can’t and took it away. Some stores won’t care and just override it with the manager code but some are strict and won’t do it. I’ve dealt with both. My one news credit is because targets were releasing age of extinction Blu-ray weeks early. I found it on the shelf and took it up and they over rid it and sold it to me.

Targets are notorious for getting stuff in and just stocking it without following the instructions on the delivery cases that specifically say when to stock it. They broke release date for halo 3, ODST and Reach

[o.supreme]

As stated above, Walmart has been guilty in the past as well. Now you know, (and hopefully others do as well) so if it happens again, just cancel your transaction, go back to the toy aisle and get another of whatever you are trying to buy (say a Leader Shockwave), and ring it up, set it aside, and just walk out with the Leader Prime paid for.

Also as stated, some stores (Walmart or Target) will do overrides, and some will not, it's all random. But the fact that breaking these dates doesn't seem to have any real consequences shows that they are basically perfunctory. The *best* argument (if you could call it that) against this practice I've heard from employees is that it throws off their inventory. I'd wager that the amount of inventory discrepancy due to product pre-sale isn't even measurable next to inventory loss (i.e. theft), and overall mislabeling of product in general.

[Randomhero]

As stated above, Walmart has been guilty in the past as well. Now you know, (and hopefully others do as well) so if it happens again, just cancel your transaction, go back to the toy aisle and get another of whatever you are trying to buy (say a Leader Shockwave), and ring it up, set it aside, and just walk out with the Leader Prime paid for.

Also as stated, some stores (Walmart or Target) will do overrides, and some will not, it's all random. But the fact that breaking these dates doesn't seem to have any real consequences shows that they are basically perfunctory. The *best* argument (if you could call it that) against this practice I've heard from employees is that it throws off their inventory. I'd wager that the amount of inventory discrepancy due to product pre-sale isn't even measurable next to inventory loss (i.e. theft), and overall mislabeling of product in general.

It’s true. It really doesn’t. I’m a vendor, it’s my job and I deal with Walmart’s, targets and grocery stores and some places will be very strict over inventory of items and need to follow them exactly but in reality inventory is never accurate. 9/10 they’ll do exactly what you said which is take an item of the same wave and series and just ring it up if it’s not in file.

[o.supreme]

^ Just curious, I used to be in retail years ago, and we would do a store wide inventory once a year, which would have several purposes, but also used to bring actual product in store closer to *true* accuracy. It seems that some chains do it bi-annually, or even quarterly now, but it could just be that time is seemingly accelerating the older I get

[Jtprime17]

Full gallery of the Decepticon Phantomstrike squadron (Skywarp, Terror-Daxtyl, Fracas and Shrute).

https://home.gamer.com.tw/creationDetai ... aGFT3MRS8E

(More photo's in the link)

[Sabrblade]

Shrute, eh? Another Fun Pub-original thing makes it into the mainstream.

[o.supreme]

Full gallery of the Decepticon Phantomstrike squadron (Skywarp, Terror-Daxtyl, Fracas and Shrute).

Awesome, right on the heels of the Greenlight reveal/release. I have a strong feeling this will be available on Amazon late July...if last years trend continues

Also, Is this the first TF named after a character from The Office....

[Sabrblade]

Also, Is this the first TF named after a character from The Office....

Shrute, eh? Another Fun Pub-original thing makes it into the mainstream.

[o.supreme]

Also, Is this the first TF named after a character from The Office....

Shrute, eh? Another Fun Pub-original thing makes it into the mainstream.

yeah but c'mon....we all know what FP was thinking...., ya'll even poke fun at it on TF wiki

[Sabrblade]

Also, Is this the first TF named after a character from The Office....

Shrute, eh? Another Fun Pub-original thing makes it into the mainstream.

yeah but c'mon....we all know what FP was thinking...., ya'll even poke fun at it on TF wiki

I'm just saying that Fun Pub's Shrute used the Office guy's name first.

[Skritz]

So the Firedrive repaint is Fracas, huh? I guess that mean he and Nightstick ain't getting new toys in the next lines. What a shame.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Also, Is this the first TF named after a character from The Office....

Shrute, eh? Another Fun Pub-original thing makes it into the mainstream.

yeah but c'mon....we all know what FP was thinking...., ya'll even poke fun at it on TF wiki

I'm just saying that Fun Pub's Shrute used the Office guy's name first.

Looks like another case of name-reuse just 'cause. I bet if you asked Hasbro what it means or where it came they'd be like "Huh?".

And people, we got a new Fracas.

[Skritz]

Given its supposed to be Fracas they should have made in his legs in black buuuut I suppose that would screwed with how Battlemasters are molded.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Firedrive as Fracas works okay in detail terms even if the # of barrels is wrong. However, that lack of a new barrel piece combined with his fireblast parts being orange rather than purple... It makes him feel more like a Premium Edition Firedrive than a Fracas. Which IMO undercuts his value. I don't suppose it's too late for them to either drop him (and part of the price along with him?) or change the fireblasts?

The Aimless version of the Blowpipe mold has double barrels doesn't look that much like the character "Shrute" is supposed to be (who is NOT a FunPub original, although they are the ones who finally gave him a personality). But I'll probably be accused of splitting hairs for saying this.

So the Firedrive repaint is Fracas, huh? I guess that mean he and Nightstick ain't getting new toys in the next lines. What a shame.

Not necessarily.

[Sabrblade]

By "Fun Pub-original thing", I meant the NAME of that particular Office character being used for a Targetmaster-type character.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

The Aimless version of the Blowpipe mold has double barrels doesn't look that much like the character "Shrute" is supposed to be (who is NOT a FunPub original, although they are the ones who finally gave him a personality). But I'll probably be accused of splitting hairs for saying this.

[Skritz]

Honestly at this rate I'm hoping we see more 3d printed pieces so people can just make their own lineup of slightly-more-toy/toon-accurate Targetmaster partners.

[o.supreme]

Im sure we will, I just saw some 3D printed parts for Chromia to allow her to be a combiner. If it wasn't for the near certainty that we will be getting Lancer at some point, I'd be all over that.

[Skritz]

Im sure we will, I just saw some 3D printed parts for Chromia to allow her to be a combiner. If it wasn't for the near certainty that we will be getting Lancer at some point, I'd be all over that.

Honestly all I want are different barrels so they can at least look the part in gun mode, since the robot mode is secondary to a targetmaster that its a non-issue if they look too similar. Right now for the gun-type Battle Masters we only have two variations of a mold (the Aimless and Blowpipe variations) and a mold with no alternate tooling (Firedrive).

[o.supreme]

Yeah, I get that. Honestly, just looking at them, I cannot tell the humanoid Battlemasters apart, anything to make them more unique would be welcome.

[RodimusConvoy13]

Ugh, f-in' Hasblow. They're screwing the fans again.
They still haven’t given the rotors enough clearance to do this!! Where is my cartoon accuracy????

[chuckdawg1999]

Did not know Skywarp came with three Battlemasters, nice.

[Skritz]

Yeah, I get that. Honestly, just looking at them, I cannot tell the humanoid Battlemasters apart, anything to make them more unique would be welcome.

Given how simple their engineering is you'd think Hasbro would jump at the occasion to milk their molds/core engineering and do the entire Targetmaster lineup. But, no, clearly they do not realize the potential in a Battlemaster collect-a-thon!

Is it wrong I'm hoping next trilogy does a major Unicron Trilogy homage so we can see Micromasters/Mini-cons up the wazoo? Honestly, if you think about it all they need to 'fix' them is to make the peg on the micromaster/mini-con so they can retroactively interact with any figure with 5mm ports, rather than the UT mini-con having the hole.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Yeah, I get that. Honestly, just looking at them, I cannot tell the humanoid Battlemasters apart, anything to make them more unique would be welcome.

You can't tell the difference between a black body with off-white lims, a gray body with blue limbs, and a blue body with gray limbs? Man, I would hate to be around you when you're driving

Detailed painting would help. As would varying up the ways their barrel pieces were mounted instead of doing it "G1-inaccurate hinge behind the head for everyone!", which results in them all having basically the same transformation scheme (relative to the handle peg) and thus having overly-samey G1-inaccurate gun modes. Take Firedrive for example: if his hinge was on his butt instead, and his handle peg farther up his back, he'd be more distinct and more accurate. I actually modified mine thus.

[Burn]

I for one cannot wait to not be able to get that Skywarp boxset because it'll be some over priced **** exclusive.