The Energon Pub

[LeL]

Any news if we are ever going to see a masterpiece G1 style Astrotrain or a Voyager class ?

[robotmel]

Unless Takara decide to change things up a little, I wouldnt think we will see Masterpiece Astrotrain for a long time as he was one of the 1985 Decepticons, and assuming Takara stick with producing the 1984 cast first (including the mighty Devastator) heres a list of what (maybe) is to come...

G1 ’84 Autobots
Bluestreak – CHECK
Brawn
Bumblebee – CHECK
Cliffjumper
Gears
Grimlock – CHECK
Hauler
Hound
Huffer
Ironhide
Jazz
Mirage
Optimus Prime – CHECK
Orion Pax
Prowl – CHECK
Ratchet
Sideswipe – CHECK
Slag
Sludge
Snarl
Sunstreaker
Swoop
Trailbreaker
Wheeljack – CHECK
Windcharger

G1 ’84 Decepticons
Acid Storm – CHECK
Bitstream
Bombshell
Bonecrusher
Devastator
Frenzy – CHECK
Hook
Hotlink
Kickback
Laserbeak – CHECK
Long Haul
Megatron – CHECK (V1)
Mixmaster
Ramjet
Ravage – CHECK
Reflector
Rumble – CHECK
Scavenger
Scrapper
Shrapnel
Shockwave
Soundwave – CHECK
Starscream – CHECK
Sunstorm – CHECK
Thrust
Thundercracker – CHECK

So, quite a few more to go yet.
One could expect to see a 3rd Party version before Takara get around to doing the '85 guys!

[GuyIncognito]

A Masterpiece version seems unlikely, at least for the foreseeable future, but maybe we'll get a Generations version. It wouldn't surprise me, after the recent releases of other Voyager Triple-Changers. We got Blitzwing, and then a surprising repaint as Double-Dealer, and we got the excellent Springer mold with got completely retooled to make Sandstorm, and is now being used as Rodimus. So it would make sense to do an Astrotrain, which they could also repaint and repurpose.

[RhA]

A Masterpiece version seems unlikely, at least for the foreseeable future, but maybe we'll get a Generations version. It wouldn't surprise me, after the recent releases of other Voyager Triple-Changers. We got Blitzwing, and then a surprising repaint as Double-Dealer, and we got the excellent Springer mold with got completely retooled to make Sandstorm, and is now being used as Rodimus. So it would make sense to do an Astrotrain, which they could also repaint and repurpose.

The classics toy fits that bill perfectly.

[GuyIncognito]

A Masterpiece version seems unlikely, at least for the foreseeable future, but maybe we'll get a Generations version. It wouldn't surprise me, after the recent releases of other Voyager Triple-Changers. We got Blitzwing, and then a surprising repaint as Double-Dealer, and we got the excellent Springer mold with got completely retooled to make Sandstorm, and is now being used as Rodimus. So it would make sense to do an Astrotrain, which they could also repaint and repurpose.

The classics toy fits that bill perfectly.

No, it doesn't. for one thing, it's a Deluxe, not a Voyager. And for another, it's no longer available at retail. If Has-Tak went by your logic, they wouldn't have made the Classic version because "the G1 version already fit the bill". This hobby would be dead if they stopped making new molds because they "already had one that fit the bill".

[Rodimus Prime]

I'm using the TFCC 2009 Astrotrain (Armada Jetfire repaint) as my Astrotrain. it's the only 1 I own. He scales well with Generations Blitzwing. Now if only a decent-sized Octane would be on the way...

With the arrival of MP-22, I think we can expect Takara to skip the line once in a while. But probably not for Astrotrain.

[RhA]

A Masterpiece version seems unlikely, at least for the foreseeable future, but maybe we'll get a Generations version. It wouldn't surprise me, after the recent releases of other Voyager Triple-Changers. We got Blitzwing, and then a surprising repaint as Double-Dealer, and we got the excellent Springer mold with got completely retooled to make Sandstorm, and is now being used as Rodimus. So it would make sense to do an Astrotrain, which they could also repaint and repurpose.

The classics toy fits that bill perfectly.

No, it doesn't. for one thing, it's a Deluxe, not a Voyager. And for another, it's no longer available at retail. If Has-Tak went by your logic, they wouldn't have made the Classic version because "the G1 version already fit the bill". This hobby would be dead if they stopped making new molds because they "already had one that fit the bill".

There aren't many cases of character getting a new generations toy, when a previous version exsists. With Astrotrain already being pretty close to his cartoon likeness, I certainly don't see it happening anytime soon.

[Archanubis]

I can't imagine the engineering that would go into any of the Triple Changers for a Masterpiece figure. As for the aforementioned Devestator - that would be one BIG figure.

[gavinfuzzy]

A Masterpiece version seems unlikely, at least for the foreseeable future, but maybe we'll get a Generations version. It wouldn't surprise me, after the recent releases of other Voyager Triple-Changers. We got Blitzwing, and then a surprising repaint as Double-Dealer, and we got the excellent Springer mold with got completely retooled to make Sandstorm, and is now being used as Rodimus. So it would make sense to do an Astrotrain, which they could also repaint and repurpose.

The classics toy fits that bill perfectly.

No, it doesn't. for one thing, it's a Deluxe, not a Voyager. And for another, it's no longer available at retail. If Has-Tak went by your logic, they wouldn't have made the Classic version because "the G1 version already fit the bill". This hobby would be dead if they stopped making new molds because they "already had one that fit the bill".

There aren't many cases of character getting a new generations toy, when a previous version exsists. With Astrotrain already being pretty close to his cartoon likeness, I certainly don't see it happening anytime soon.

I thought so too until generations soundwave.

[RhA]

A Masterpiece version seems unlikely, at least for the foreseeable future, but maybe we'll get a Generations version. It wouldn't surprise me, after the recent releases of other Voyager Triple-Changers. We got Blitzwing, and then a surprising repaint as Double-Dealer, and we got the excellent Springer mold with got completely retooled to make Sandstorm, and is now being used as Rodimus. So it would make sense to do an Astrotrain, which they could also repaint and repurpose.

The classics toy fits that bill perfectly.

No, it doesn't. for one thing, it's a Deluxe, not a Voyager. And for another, it's no longer available at retail. If Has-Tak went by your logic, they wouldn't have made the Classic version because "the G1 version already fit the bill". This hobby would be dead if they stopped making new molds because they "already had one that fit the bill".

There aren't many cases of character getting a new generations toy, when a previous version exsists. With Astrotrain already being pretty close to his cartoon likeness, I certainly don't see it happening anytime soon.

I thought so too until generations soundwave.

I doesnt happen often. And let's agree that Soundwave is the 'bigger' character of the two.

[Amelie]

G1 ’84 Autobots
Bluestreak – CHECK
Brawn
Bumblebee – CHECK
Cliffjumper
Gears
Hauler
Hound
Huffer
Ironhide
Jazz
Mirage
Optimus Prime – CHECK
Prowl – CHECK
Ratchet
Sideswipe – CHECK
Sunstreaker
Trailbreaker
Wheeljack – CHECK
Windcharger

G1 ’84 Decepticons
Frenzy – CHECK
Laserbeak – CHECK
Megatron – CHECK (V1)
Ravage – CHECK
Reflector
Rumble – CHECK
Shockwave
Soundwave – CHECK
Starscream – CHECK
Sunstorm – CHECK
Thundercracker – CHECK
Skywarp - CHECK

Fixed. Constructicons, Insecticons, Coneheads and Dinobots were all 1985 releases. A lot of toys people think were '85 toys (Menasor, Superion ECT) are actually 1986 ones. That said - Astrotrain is still an 85 release P:

[robotmel]

[Fixed. Constructicons, Insecticons, Coneheads and Dinobots were all 1985 releases. A lot of toys people think were '85 toys (Menasor, Superion ECT) are actually 1986 ones. That said - Astrotrain is still an 85 release P:

Are Takara going by the toy release years or the cartoon appearance years?

[Amelie]

If they're going by cartoon, then its 1985 anyway - when Super Robot Life! first aired.

[GuyIncognito]

The decisions are probably based on a combination of original toy release order, cartoon appearance order, engineering/production time tables, and marketing strategies.