The Energon Pub

[Bumblevivisector]

Oh, I guess I didn't understand: I knew Ramhorn was scarce, but he NEVER showed up at bigger retailers?

I guess I should've mentioned finding mine in Meijer last December in the sightings forum. Same chain I amassed my Sharkticon army from last year, so I just took it for granted.

Now to see if Slugslinger and the Twin/Wind/Misfire wave show up there too, like that one PRID case with the Vehicon about 5 years below ago!

Better start checking Ollie's and TJMarshaxx too; been slacking off the past month or so...

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Oh, I guess I didn't understand: I knew Ramhorn was scarce, but he NEVER showed up at bigger retailers?

Not in the US, being a tail-ender that's not that surprising. Even more surprising was that he was sighted at discount supermarket Aldi. Furthermore, two other new figures were rumored to ship with him: Optimus Primal (out of Apeface) and Trizer (out of Sawback). Their product codes precede Ramhorn's no less, but both were apparently pulled.

I guess I should've mentioned finding mine in Meijer last December in the sightings forum. Same chain I amassed my Sharkticon army from last year, so I just took it for granted.

Now to see if Slugslinger and the Twin/Wind/Misfire wave show up there too, like that one PRID case with the Vehicon about 5 years below ago!

Better start checking Ollie's and TJMarshaxx too; been slacking off the past month or so...

With the big chain overstock being shipped to liquidators, now's the time. I visit my local Ross, Five Below and TJMaxx when I get the chance, you never know what you find, especially now that Easter is a month away. April Fools!

[o.supreme]

TJ Maxx/Ross/Marshalls were a treasure trove when it came to CW, not so much for TR. Sure there were the sparse $50 Fort Max sightings, but I don't recall anything else. If deluxe wave 5 does happen to show up at these discount retailers that will be a HUGE WTH?!? moment for me, I really don't expect to see them at all at this point.

[Targetmaster Kup]

Oh, I guess I didn't understand: I knew Ramhorn was scarce, but he NEVER showed up at bigger retailers?

I guess I should've mentioned finding mine in Meijer last December in the sightings forum. Same chain I amassed my Sharkticon army from last year, so I just took it for granted.

Now to see if Slugslinger and the Twin/Wind/Misfire wave show up there too, like that one PRID case with the Vehicon about 5 years below ago!

Better start checking Ollie's and TJMarshaxx too; been slacking off the past month or so...

He was at my local Wal-Mart. I was surprised to see people saying he was never anywhere before. :-/

[Rysquad]

Picked up Ramhorn and Apeface from Five Below today.

Was so excited to see Ramhorn that I didn't look too closely at Apeface, which was missing the nosecone piece for his jet mode.

[X3ROhour]

Oh, I guess I didn't understand: I knew Ramhorn was scarce, but he NEVER showed up at bigger retailers?

I guess I should've mentioned finding mine in Meijer last December in the sightings forum. Same chain I amassed my Sharkticon army from last year, so I just took it for granted.

Now to see if Slugslinger and the Twin/Wind/Misfire wave show up there too, like that one PRID case with the Vehicon about 5 years below ago!

Better start checking Ollie's and TJMarshaxx too; been slacking off the past month or so...

He was at my local Wal-Mart. I was surprised to see people saying he was never anywhere before. :-/

my wife works the frikkin graveyard shift at Walmart.
i have NEVER seen Ramhorn.
i have NEVERseen Wind/Mis/Twin!

frakfrikkfrakityfrukFREL!

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Happy to report that my "Wolfwire"'s canopy remains unbroken months later. And that's with frequent transformation and being carried to and from campus in my bag.

Does anyone know a good pin removal technique for TR deluxes, and can anyone suggest an optimal way to get Blurr's canopy pin out? I want to repaint him into cartoon colors (which Hasbro should have made him in to start with because they look better and would have been more eyecatching to kids in the stores), but getting him dismantled for painting is being a royal pain (as was dismantling Breakaway for my still-unfinished Minerva custom).

I swear, the designers for Titans Return and Combiner Wars must have had a psychotic hatred of customizers...

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Quoted from the Legends thread:

Hey, I found Titans Return Deluxe at TJMaxx tonight!

BUUUUUUUT, it's just two Triggerhappys and they were $17 each. Would have been a great price for the elusive Misfire, but terrible for this peg warmer.

20180302_195550.jpg

Also hit the 5 Below next door, but instead of Titan Masters wave 5 with Ramhorn everyone else was finding all they had was wave 4 with Shuffler and Repugnus. Not that I need another Ramhorn, I just haven't seen one in the wilds (I got mine from HTS). Still never seen a Clobber in person...

Emerje

I hit TJMaxx without much, but 5 Below having the Wave 4 leftovers as well is interesting. Repugnus was the one I'm eyeing, but the announcement of a Deluxe PotP Repugnus has me weary.

[Emerje]

Quoted from the Legends thread:

Hey, I found Titans Return Deluxe at TJMaxx tonight!

BUUUUUUUT, it's just two Triggerhappys and they were $17 each. Would have been a great price for the elusive Misfire, but terrible for this peg warmer.

20180302_195550.jpg

Also hit the 5 Below next door, but instead of Titan Masters wave 5 with Ramhorn everyone else was finding all they had was wave 4 with Shuffler and Repugnus. Not that I need another Ramhorn, I just haven't seen one in the wilds (I got mine from HTS). Still never seen a Clobber in person...

Emerje

I hit TJMaxx without much, but 5 Below having the Wave 4 leftovers as well is interesting. Repugnus was the one I'm eyeing, but the announcement of a Deluxe PotP Repugnus has me weary.

Whoops! Thought I put that in this thread. I don't think I can report my own post (hey, I can), someone want to move that post over here for me?

Emerje

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Ok, wow, not a difference I'd expect between TR and Legends figures, but really worth noting, especially for aficionados of a certain part of anatomy.

Slugslinger and Misfire. I dare anyone who has both versions of the two figures to compare... their crotch pieces. In fact, I double-dare you!

Legends Misfire has TR Slugslinger's crotch piece, and vice-versa. Funnily enough, the Legends toys reflect the TR stock photos. Check it out!

[trence5]

When we thought Wave 6 was going to have more than just Slugslinger, my theory was that Sureshot would be the only new mold (if maybe sharing parts like Blurr/Chromedome or Alpha Trion/Broadside); with Crosshairs a redeco of Kup and Pointblank a fairly major retool of Hot Rod (not terribly unlikely, considering the lengths we've seen retooling go to in this line).

Though the idea of Pointblank being a retool goes beyond them just being Cybertronian cars. If you show Hot Rod back-to-front and take off his spoiler section, you see there's a fair few similarities that could have been used. Most obviously is the cockpit section being exactly where Crosshairs' is, and I think with clever deco choices the lower leg design could be made out to be an 'update' of Crosshairs' G1 leg detailing. The spoiler section would need to be a new detachable weapon part, and the biggest change to the figure itself would of course need to be the arms -- making sure they go sideways instead of upwards, and making that still work with the transformation. Still, it seems like it could have been done fairly easily.

Agreed. This another use Hasbro could have gotten out this mold.

[X3ROhour]

When we thought Wave 6 was going to have more than just Slugslinger, my theory was that Sureshot would be the only new mold (if maybe sharing parts like Blurr/Chromedome or Alpha Trion/Broadside); with Crosshairs a redeco of Kup and Pointblank a fairly major retool of Hot Rod (not terribly unlikely, considering the lengths we've seen retooling go to in this line).

Though the idea of Pointblank being a retool goes beyond them just being Cybertronian cars. If you show Hot Rod back-to-front and take off his spoiler section, you see there's a fair few similarities that could have been used. Most obviously is the cockpit section being exactly where Crosshairs' is, and I think with clever deco choices the lower leg design could be made out to be an 'update' of Crosshairs' G1 leg detailing. The spoiler section would need to be a new detachable weapon part, and the biggest change to the figure itself would of course need to be the arms -- making sure they go sideways instead of upwards, and making that still work with the transformation. Still, it seems like it could have been done fairly easily.

Agreed. This another use Hasbro could have gotten out this mold.

now i know what to do with TR Rod.
the POTP Rod/Rodimus being the superior Rod.

[Sjeng]

Those 3 would be a welcome addition...

[Munkky]

For those who own the Voyager Optimus Prime mould, is it worth owning? Kapow Toys still have it for relatively cheap, and the stock images look decent enough, but I don't know if I should get one.

[william-james88]

For those who own the Voyager Optimus Prime mould, is it worth owning? Kapow Toys still have it for relatively cheap, and the stock images look decent enough, but I don't know if I should get one.

I like it a loy, but I completely ignore the jet mode.

[blackeyedprime]

For those who own the Voyager Optimus Prime mould, is it worth owning? Kapow Toys still have it for relatively cheap, and the stock images look decent enough, but I don't know if I should get one.

Wouldn't pay £28 for it, no doubt he will turn up cheaper at some point as most of the TR stuff has, it doesnt scream Optimus enough to be a main display Optimus but it is nice and has various options available to make it look different next to his repaints (Drone mode, 2 base modes, shoulders up/down, wings out or not) and it does homages to multiple past version Optimus in it's own way (Cybertron, action master and g2) which makes it worth owning to me (and eventually the street fighter mold will be a 5th version for me, which is crazy.)

[Overcracker]

For those who own the Voyager Optimus Prime mould, is it worth owning? Kapow Toys still have it for relatively cheap, and the stock images look decent enough, but I don't know if I should get one.

The truck mode is o.k, the plane mode is very weak, and manages to get in the way of the truck mode since the pegs on the wings block each other preventing the tanker halves from being flush with each other or correctly aligned depending on how you have it.

The robot mode is pretty decent, but has a somewhat large backpack with most of the plane parts there.

Unless its way below retail price, its not really worth it imho.

[Counterpunch]

[Jelze Bunnycat]

[Sjeng]

Seriously cool! Which Scorponok is that? It's perfect! Did you 3D print that adapter?

edit: Iron Factory Lord Scorpion, google told me.
A bit expensive for a Deluxe sized figure sadly.
He seems to have a small headmaster of his own, am I right?

[Counterpunch]

Seriously cool! Which Scorponok is that? It's perfect! Did you 3D print that adapter?

edit: Iron Factory Lord Scorpion, google told me.
A bit expensive for a Deluxe sized figure sadly.
He seems to have a small headmaster of his own, am I right?

He does, but it's kind of a throw-away inclusion. I wanted to make him a scaled Titan Master ala the comics where he's relatively short in stature.

[Skritz]

Been hit by a random thought about hypothetical retools-that-never-were after the Power of the Primes thread had someone (sorry, forgot who) mentionning how perfectly it lined up that Arcee and Grotusque (alongside their little titan master buddies) are leftovers from cancelled boxset. Given these two are deluxes there was a brief talk of hypothetical Voyagers and it suddenly hit me.

Okay so, bear with me on this one but...what if...there was a scrapped Titans Return Victory Leo. No, really think about it, one of the never-reused-by-Hasbro Voyager molds is Alpha Trion. Now what are hid alt modes? A lion and some plank-like spaceship.





Hmmmm.... So what do you think? Plausible scrapped redeco or am I just grasping at straws?

[Sabrblade]

Victory Leo's original toy could only officially turn into the robot and lion modes. The jet mode was made up by the Japanese cartoon staff fiddling with the toy, just like they made up sixshot's Wingwolf Mode, Overlord's Superjet Mode, BlackZarak's Dakatsu Mode, etc.

[Skritz]

Victory Leo's original toy could only officially turn into the robot and lion modes. The jet mode was made up by the Japanese cartoon staff fiddling with the toy, just like they made up sixshot's Wingwolf Mode, Overlord's Superjet Mode, BlackZarak's Dakatsu Mode, etc.

Really? I just always assumed he was some sort of proto-Transmetal in design, of sorts: a beastformer with some crummy vestigial 'vehicle' mode.

[Sabrblade]

Victory Leo's original toy could only officially turn into the robot and lion modes. The jet mode was made up by the Japanese cartoon staff fiddling with the toy, just like they made up sixshot's Wingwolf Mode, Overlord's Superjet Mode, BlackZarak's Dakatsu Mode, etc.

Really? I just always assumed he was some sort of proto-Transmetal in design, of sorts: a beastformer with some crummy vestigial 'vehicle' mode.

They basically just fiddled around with the configuration of Victory Leo when he forms the back end of Victory Saber's combined vehicle form and worked out a jet mode from it. The cartoon model added a cockpit to it that the toy lacks to make it look more convincing.

Here's a copy of Victory Leo's original instructions, showing the steps for the lion, robot, Victory Saber vehicle, and Victory Saber robot modes: