Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

o.supreme wrote:Regarding Skullgrin. I was kind of hoping that the Pretender head would be like a Battle Mask/Helmet that would be removable to have the robot head underneath. I mean I understand why core class wouldn't have this. But for Deluxe, to have the complete "robot" portion of the pretender would have been cool, with the helmet being the leftover remnant/homage to his outer shell.

Ideally, I know fans of Pretenders want the whole thing (full outer shell and inner robot), hopefully someday...but I was just thinking the Helmet idea would have been cool.

This is how I would have wanted the Deluxe ones to be done, just because the inner ones were normal bot height and then we could get a core class release to match Bomb-Burst's height. Doesn't hit the gimmick quite accurately, but at least if they did that we could pretend mass shifting was real for Masterforce rep. Plus, with masks then we'd be able to have both Masterforce versions and comic versions

Sabrblade wrote:Confirmed by Mark Maher: The Energon Monsters were dropped at the last minute and replaced by Skullgrin and most likely Bomb-Burst.

It takes 2 years for a TF toy to come to market, "last minute" feels like a weird way to put it.

william-james88 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Confirmed by Mark Maher: The Energon Monsters were dropped at the last minute and replaced by Skullgrin and most likely Bomb-Burst.

It takes 2 years for a TF toy to come to market, "last minute" feels like a weird way to put it.

His words, not mine.

Sabrblade wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Confirmed by Mark Maher: The Energon Monsters were dropped at the last minute and replaced by Skullgrin and most likely Bomb-Burst.

It takes 2 years for a TF toy to come to market, "last minute" feels like a weird way to put it.

His words, not mine.

Ah, I see. Also, cool to see Seibertron pics in that post of his.

New in hand images of legacy crankcase
Mark made a post about it
"I hope everyone enjoyed watching this afternoon’s livestream, it felt great to finally show off Legacy Deluxe Crankcase!

When I saw the appearance of the Movieverse Crankcase I just had to find a way to release an update of this guy. I did love his appearance in the @idwpublishing but I felt the toy head would be the go instead of the halfway blown apart head like the comics.

Worked with Shu san in Takara on this partial of Legacy Skids mold and we went back and forth an awful lot about the trigger blasters. It was really challenging to fit the blasters with a blast compatibility and we are also wanted to keep the alt mode clean with the blasters hidden. It was a compromise in the end as I really wanted this character. I even had a rendition where the side fender compartments came off on a 5mm post to be added as ammo for the front grill blaster, but since this was a partial mold, we did our best to do the character justice within the cost alotted.

To note the silver op behind the grill was stripped to utilize those ops for the cool two tone decal on the back spare tire.

I will post some more in my story for a feature tidbit on this guy and I hope you really enjoy him!"

See the combined in hand images below. I dont know how to upload them separately, so teach me or go to tfw2005 for better quality. Thank you

Mark makes yet another behind the scenes post on Instagram

Legacy Deluxe Pretender Skullgrin was a project challenge that really wreaked havoc on my emotions.
.
Last minute these Pretenders were approved for slots slated for dropped characters. Ever since that old Straxus redeco toy Bill Rawley worked on in 2010, I’ve always wanted a proper Dauros from Super God Masterforce but also utilizing what was done as the original G1 toy. All of that equals an absolutely crucial design challenge in which I was constantly second guessing decisions the whole way.
.
Thank goodness I worked with Yuki san on this guy and his incredible ability to not only design but to advise direction was super helpful.
.
You can see here, in my concept art I worked up for Skullgrin, I wanted to keep some demon features of the character but also combine them with elements of the toy transforming robot. I really do wish I had more time to debate and draw but I felt utilizing existing artwork for the characters alt mode would really help with time and direction.
.
Then comes the engineering decisions on whats really possible to even obtain smooth transformation. Back and forth we went on redesigning this figure step by step to get the end result. Which I’m very pleased with the outcome and I hope you are too.
.
The accessory load out on this guy is unreal. The scale of robot mode I wanted was sort of a pipe dream but he maintains alot of beef and height for a deluxe. He really gives a strong decepticon presence. The colors were another challenge here as you can see some mistakes heppened in production.
.
Other notes are the cybertronian front hover tank duel gun turret blasters are effects compatible and also have alot of versatility with 5mm ports. The duel bone sword energon blasters can be utilized in multiple ways. Please peep my story for more cool tidbits about this super fun figure, in which, I hope you give him a chance to bless your collection, even if he is without his shell!

Skullgrin has such an adorable little tail for being a skeleton-demon-robot that looks like he's trying to be the Predator, I love it. I really hope they keep slotting in these fused bot-shell Pretenders, I love this style of update and really want to see an Octopunch alongside who we're already getting (especially now that they showed with Bomb-Burst they can have them basically change colors between modes).

Nemesis Primal wrote:Skullgrin has such an adorable little tail for being a skeleton-demon-robot that looks like he's trying to be the Predator

Predator was exactly what I was thinking of when I posted above about the Helmet concept for Skullgrin...But I didn't know if anyone else would think the same .

william-james88 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Confirmed by Mark Maher: The Energon Monsters were dropped at the last minute and replaced by Skullgrin and most likely Bomb-Burst.

It takes 2 years for a TF toy to come to market, "last minute" feels like a weird way to put it.

But figures show up in store computers a year or less before release which should be the then most current information, that means they're making these changes in very short time. In toy industry terms that's pretty last minute. Stores typically get this information during New York Toy Fair in April or Dallas Toy Fair in October so it's no real surprise we get our biggest computer leaks in the Spring and Fall. "Energon Monsters" were first mentioned alongside Iguanus I believe last August (yes, late summer, not fall, I know, blame COVID) and was probably still the plan at the time, so that means they changed that plan in the past year.

The thing is, what we see in computers, artwork, and on display are not the only figures they're working on at that time. They certainly have several figures being designed at the same time and since much of this is being done through CAD they can make drastic changes pretty quickly. Two years starting from preliminary designs and planning, sure, but they can probably go from final design to release in a year. In a 30 or so figure line they certainly have more in reserve. They'll probably use those Energon Monster designs later when they can fit them into a story.

Emerje

Nemesis Primal wrote:Skullgrin has such an adorable little tail for being a skeleton-demon-robot that looks like he's trying to be the Predator, I love it.

skullgrin tail.png

I really hope they keep slotting in these fused bot-shell Pretenders, I love this style of update and really want to see an Octopunch alongside who we're already getting (especially now that they showed with Bomb-Burst they can have them basically change colors between modes).

I agree, these takes on the pretenders has been fun, wonder if Metalhawk will be the only autobot to get the treatment.

Been messing with some Wreckers more. I don't think I could have appreciated Siege Springer, but this Wrecker Springer? I am loving it. Enough time has passed that he feels fresh, and it is a good robot mode, and the colors are ace with the Marvel colors. That Wreckers symbol helps a lot too. I am just loving him.

Also, Impactor with Sprindle attached is badass

D-Maximal_Primal wrote:

This is similar to what I did, but I stuck both dino legs and claws on the wrists where the harpoon goes, closed the bot head inside the torso, flipped over the canon and used the centered hole on top for the dino neck and head to make a bizarre monster.

Emerje

-Kanrabat- wrote:

blackeyedprime wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:

D-Maximal_Primal wrote:PotP Primal is pretty good to me, I like it and have never disliked it. I don't think a new one will come in a while.

I regret having passed on the Amazon's PotP Optimus Primal Throne of the Prime. Now it's nope'd priced on eBay.

Try Mandarake he was in pretty much every retail store (Bics, Kindertown etc) in Japan at the time so hopefully it might not have had the price hike there.

Unfortunately, Japan posts still "hates" Canada. So anything I buy from Japan MUST be shipped via DHL. Meaning that thing will cost at the very least 50$ to ship. Then add the fact that only Amazon.JP have that DHL super deal and only them charge taxes in advance.This means I get hit by heavy custom fees every times that I order from Mandarake or Buyee.

It suck big time that all these Japanese hot deals gets ruined by Japan Posts "emergency policies".

Do you need the throne that bad? he never had it in the original show, it's the main figure that counts.
Was the throne in anything? (probably was, but I don't know about it.)

Sabrblade wrote:Confirmed by Mark Maher: The Energon Monsters were dropped at the last minute and replaced by Skullgrin and most likely Bomb-Burst.

ah! And I was still trying to figure out who the energon monsters were
Did we get any official confirmation of the old plan? I'm curious. I started guessing bomb burst before I saw your post.

RodimusPrimeUkraine1 wrote:
Do you need the throne that bad? he never had it in the original show, it's the main figure that counts.
Was the throne in anything? (probably was, but I don't know about it.)

I don't give a flying fuk about the show. Just a crawling fuk.

And the point of the Throne of the Prime set is not the cardboard throne. It's the fact that I find the normal Optimal Optimus just "meh" while the Throne version is a sick and cool black repaint.

RodimusPrimeUkraine1 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Confirmed by Mark Maher: The Energon Monsters were dropped at the last minute and replaced by Skullgrin and most likely Bomb-Burst.

ah! And I was still trying to figure out who the energon monsters were
Did we get any official confirmation of the old plan? I'm curious. I started guessing bomb burst before I saw your post.

Likely just more gimmick figures similar to the fossilizers, only as monster-like creatures made of energy instead of dinosaur skeletons. They most likely would have broken apart into energon weapons, since that is Legacy's main play pattern.

-Kanrabat- wrote:

RodimusPrimeUkraine1 wrote:
Do you need the throne that bad? he never had it in the original show, it's the main figure that counts.
Was the throne in anything? (probably was, but I don't know about it.)

I don't give a flying fuk about the show. Just a crawling fuk.

And the point of the Throne of the Prime set is not the cardboard throne. It's the fact that I find the normal Optimal Optimus just "meh" while the Throne version is a sick and cool black repaint.

Oh. I forgot it was black. oops....

Sabrblade wrote:

RodimusPrimeUkraine1 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Confirmed by Mark Maher: The Energon Monsters were dropped at the last minute and replaced by Skullgrin and most likely Bomb-Burst.

ah! And I was still trying to figure out who the energon monsters were
Did we get any official confirmation of the old plan? I'm curious. I started guessing bomb burst before I saw your post.

Likely just more gimmick figures similar to the fossilizers, only as monster-like creatures made of energy instead of dinosaur skeletons. They most likely would have broken apart into energon weapons, since that is Legacy's main play pattern.

I just had a stupid idea: what if, weaponizer KREMZEEK?

RodimusPrimeUkraine1 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

RodimusPrimeUkraine1 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Confirmed by Mark Maher: The Energon Monsters were dropped at the last minute and replaced by Skullgrin and most likely Bomb-Burst.

ah! And I was still trying to figure out who the energon monsters were
Did we get any official confirmation of the old plan? I'm curious. I started guessing bomb burst before I saw your post.

Likely just more gimmick figures similar to the fossilizers, only as monster-like creatures made of energy instead of dinosaur skeletons. They most likely would have broken apart into energon weapons, since that is Legacy's main play pattern.

I just had a stupid idea: what if, weaponizer KREMZEEK?

Some have speculated that he could have been among them, yes. Possibly the only familiar character with the rest being all new, like with the Fossilizers.

RodimusPrimeUkraine1 wrote:I just had a stupid idea: what if, weaponizer KREMZEEK?

That's not stupid. That's actually SICK!

I dunno what "altmode" it could have (maybe a lightning "spaceship" à la Bayverse). It could be made out of clear rubbery plastics like the blast effects and cover a figure as a mighty cool LIGHTING ARMOR.

-Kanrabat- wrote:

RodimusPrimeUkraine1 wrote:I just had a stupid idea: what if, weaponizer KREMZEEK?

That's not stupid. That's actually SICK!

I dunno what "altmode" it could have (maybe a lightning "spaceship" à la Bayverse). It could be made out of clear rubbery plastics like the blast effects and cover a figure as a mighty cool LIGHTING ARMOR.

I get the feeling that the monster forms would have been the altmodes (beast modes), meaning Kremzeek (if he was to have been one of them) would have probably been given a robot mode.

Hasbro designers Evan Brooks, Mark Maher and Sam Smith (not the singer), took to Instagram to talk all about the latest reveals in the Legacy Line. This gives us a behinds the scenes (BTS, not the band) look at the design process. So we get an early look at Skullgrin which has a lower jaw, a first look at his monster tail, info on the Energon Monsters being dropped, and (my personal favourite) the reason for TM2 Megatron's head looking the way it does. Also, it turns out that from a CAD file standpoint, TM2 Megatron is the most complex design ever released by Hasbro for a Transformers line, including MPs. That's because even though it may have less parts than an MP, it has more sculpted texture than any Transformers toy ever released in this modern era of using CAD files for a mold.

Transformers Legacy – Transmetal II Dragon Megatron

What a beast of a character this turned out to be. This was an awesome project to have the opportunity to take over from Lenny, and I absolutely loved his vision for what this figure would become. This dragon form is a great homage to the original character, but takes the opportunity to update it with some modern aesthetics to fit in the legacy styling. The Claws of the dragon mode are able to be incorporated into the robot chest, and both the tail and neck feature multi tiered balljoints to allow for maximum articulation. Ejima Takio did an incredible job of bringing this character to life, and to following the initial design plan so closely.

Fun fact, due to the scale texturing applied to the entire model, the characters digital file actually surpasses our Titan and Masterpiece figures in complexity. It’s a rig killer, but that seems fitting for Megatron.

There are a lot of complex colors used across the both modes, and a lot of subtle gradients used to mimic the transitions from the more pearlescent hardened scales to the brighter underbellies. There is a darker shade used as the eyeshadow on the dragons face, and a complimentary gold used on the horns and claws. The overall body is molded in a dark matte metallic red, to help reduce the color discrepancies between the various materials used for molding. His wings are molded in a warmer translucent amber, while the translucent parts are cast out of a stark orange clear ABS.

Lastly there is a 5mm port in the mouth of the dragon to be able to accept the flame accessory. This can be used in both Robot and Dragon mode, and can also be wielded as a club in the figures right hand.

And on the topic of the head sculpt:

been seeing a bit of mixed on the head which is totally justified. This matches the initial design kick off for a blend of history toy / animation to be a unique look that is own-able for Legacy. I’m really excited to see this guy get into the hands of fans!
- Sam

Legacy Deluxe Pretender Skullgrin was a project challenge that really wreaked havoc on my emotions.

Last minute these Pretenders were approved for slots slated for dropped characters. Ever since that old Straxus redeco toy Bill Rawley worked on in 2010, I’ve always wanted a proper Dauros from Super God Masterforce but also utilizing what was done as the original G1 toy. All of that equals an absolutely crucial design challenge in which I was constantly second guessing decisions the whole way.

Thank goodness I worked with Yuki san on this guy and his incredible ability to not only design but to advise direction was super helpful.

You can see here, in my concept art I worked up for Skullgrin, I wanted to keep some demon features of the character but also combine them with elements of the toy transforming robot. I really do wish I had more time to debate and draw but I felt utilizing existing artwork for the characters alt mode would really help with time and direction.

Then comes the engineering decisions on whats really possible to even obtain smooth transformation. Back and forth we went on redesigning this figure step by step to get the end result. Which I’m very pleased with the outcome and I hope you are too.

The accessory load out on this guy is unreal. The scale of robot mode I wanted was sort of a pipe dream but he maintains alot of beef and height for a deluxe. He really gives a strong decepticon presence. The colors were another challenge here as you can see some mistakes heppened in production.

Other notes are the cybertronian front hover tank duel gun turret blasters are effects compatible and also have alot of versatility with 5mm ports. The duel bone sword energon blasters can be utilized in multiple ways. Please peep my story for more cool tidbits about this super fun figure, in which, I hope you give him a chance to bless your collection, even if he is without his shell!
-Mark

I hope everyone enjoyed watching this afternoon’s livestream, it felt great to finally show off Legacy Deluxe Crankcase!

When I saw the appearance of the Movieverse Crankcase I just had to find a way to release an update of this guy. I did love his appearance in the @idwpublishing but I felt the toy head would be the go instead of the halfway blown apart head like the comics.

Worked with Shu san in Takara on this partial of Legacy Skids mold and we went back and forth an awful lot about the trigger blasters. It was really challenging to fit the blasters with a blast compatibility and we are also wanted to keep the alt mode clean with the blasters hidden. It was a compromise in the end as I really wanted this character. I even had a rendition where the side fender compartments came off on a 5mm post to be added as ammo for the front grill blaster, but since this was a partial mold, we did our best to do the character justice within the cost alotted.

To note the silver op behind the grill was stripped to utilize those ops for the cool two tone decal on the back spare tire.

I will post some more in my story for a feature tidbit on this guy and I hope you really enjoy him!
-Mark

Following up with another Core class reveal.
Here we have some more photos of Core legacy Bombburst, or Blood if you prefer the Japanese name.
Continuing with how we’ve been implementing the decepticon pretenders, we merged the monster shell with the bot alt mode.

This is another Hasui san master piece and it amazes me how well this figure turned out.

The wings are attached by 5mm posts on the sides of the arms and can be stored on the back. There’s some bat wing sculpt detail on the undersides that you can show off if you’re so inclined.

We gave him Gold eyes following the original toy release instead of the animation model’s Red.

If you have any questions about this figure, let me know!

Thanks for reading,
-Evan

Megatron has too much purple.

I'm glad they left out the bottom jaw on Skullgrin. He just doesn't look right with a full mouth.

I hope there's another weapons pack in the works to finish Crankcases shoulder guns.

Emerje

I kinda miss having more robotic faces for ex Pretenders... it could have been cool having monster heads as removable masks.