The Energon Pub

Online Store <a href="http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS14331&mode=retail" target="_blank">Bigbadtoystore</a> has placed a pre-order up for the 2008 Fast Action Battlers.

The set includes: Pulse Cannon Ironhide, Claw Slash Ramjet, Fire Blast Optimus Prime & Sonic Shock Smokescreen.

The set is due for release in January 2008. Currently there are no pictures of these upcoming figures, but stay tuned to <a href="/news/index.php">Seibertron.com</a> for more information.

To check out the pre-order page, please <a href="http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS14331&mode=retail" target="_blank">click here</a>.

Smokescreen?

Ramjet?

BBTS has been quick on the preorders this week!

Still, I'm guessing repaints...

Ramjet = Starscream repaint

Smokescreen = Jazz repaint

no new molds (still no Bonecrusher...) = sucks

Skowl wrote:
no new molds (still no Bonecrusher...) = sucks

quoted for the truth

I hope they release news about the upcoming Classics/Universe, I don't care much for the FABs.

Recolored FABs that aren't movie characters may as well be "Universe" toys seeing as how the old Universe took old molds and repainted them into new characters.

I am interested in seeing these, even if i don't buy them.

It's likely that Ramjet is a repaint given the claw slash feature, but I'll be happy with the figure if it's an attractive repaint and even happier if they give him a more fitting head sculpt. I just wish they'd made him Thrust or Dirge instead! Then at least he could join my G1-themed Classics and Energon seekers alongside movie Thundercracker (since Classics TC is virtually dead to me by being a Botcon exclusive, I have designated movie TC as a giant re-created Frankenstein version of his Classics self).

I'm not sure what to make of Fire Blast Prime and Pulse Cannon Ironhide, though. Yes, they could be repaints... but what could their color schemes be? G1 colors seem likely for Prime -- in which case I may pounce on this guy -- but Ironhide is a mystery to me. Will they do him in the classic red? One can only hope...

Skowl wrote:Ramjet = Starscream repaint

Smokescreen = Jazz repaint

no new molds (still no Bonecrusher...) = sucks

I wouldn't rule out the possibility of Smokescreen being a Bumblebee recolor.



That said, yeah, where's our FAB Bonecrusher? Or a Cyber Slammmers version for that matter? We're getting three versions of Cliffjumper, who wasn't even in the movie, and only two of Bonecrusher? That doesn't seem right to me!

Wes Crayon wrote:Ironhide is a mystery to me. Will they do him in the classic red? One can only hope...

I think he'll be blue, like the upcoming voyager Offroad Ironhide from the Allspark Power line. Especially since FAB Brawl got repainted into Desert Brawl, thus representing the normal line's Deep Desert version.

Rushie wrote:

Wes Crayon wrote:Ironhide is a mystery to me. Will they do him in the classic red? One can only hope...

I think he'll be blue, like the upcoming voyager Offroad Ironhide from the Allspark Power line. Especially since FAB Brawl got repainted into Desert Brawl, thus representing the normal line's Deep Desert version.

You're probably right, but I'll still hold out hope for a red version!

Speaking of the FAB Brawl repaint, have we gotten any new news on him? Or was that prototype eBay auction the extent of it?

Smokescreen will probably be either an all blue or a blue and red repaint of Jazz. I doubt they'd use the Bumblebee mold since they are already repainting him into Cliffjumper. Either way, I'll be getting Smokey for sure.

They're down to repainting F.A.B.s now? Seriously?

...pathetic.

Smokescreen and Ramjet I'm getting.

Wes Crayon wrote:I'm not sure what to make of Fire Blast Prime and Pulse Cannon Ironhide, though. Yes, they could be repaints... but what could their color schemes be? G1 colors seem likely for Prime -- in which case I may pounce on this guy -- but Ironhide is a mystery to me. Will they do him in the classic red? One can only hope...

Prime = Night Watch Prime deco
Ironhide = Offroad Ironhide deco

Why shouldn't they, Autobot032?

Nemesis Primal wrote:

Skowl wrote:Ramjet = Starscream repaint

Smokescreen = Jazz repaint

no new molds (still no Bonecrusher...) = sucks

I wouldn't rule out the possibility of Smokescreen being a Bumblebee recolor.

Eh no, Bumblebee will be recolored into *gasp* Cliffjumper!

Autobot032 wrote:They're down to repainting F.A.B.s now? Seriously?

...pathetic.

I've never understood the FAB hate, sure they are watered down figures, but some of them are superior to their deluxe counterparts.

Bet Ramjet is a far better looking toy than Starscream. Wonder if we will get a proper Smokescreen repaint, or if he will just have his name.

i_amtrunks wrote:Bet Ramjet is a far better looking toy than Starscream. Wonder if we will get a proper Smokescreen repaint, or if he will just have his name.

I think so too -- main reason I passed on that FAB Starscream I saw this evening. I wonder if they'll give him a more fitting headsculpt, though?

Autobot032 wrote:They're down to repainting F.A.B.s now? Seriously?

...pathetic.

Bass X0 wrote:Why shouldn't they, Autobot032?

&

i_amtrunks wrote:I've never understood the FAB hate, sure they are watered down figures, but some of them are superior to their deluxe counterparts.

Bet Ramjet is a far better looking toy than Starscream. Wonder if we will get a proper Smokescreen repaint, or if he will just have his name.

It's not actually F.A.B. hate. Other than Frenzy, I'm unimpressed with the rest of the molds, though I wouldn't consider it hatred. Dislike, yes. Hatred, no. Not that extreme.

My point is I'm sick and tired of repaints. I realize they have to to keep afloat and keep enough product until Summer, but there's so many other things they could do. Like...oh, I dunno...give us a Voyager Class Bonecrusher.

Autobot032 wrote: but there's so many other things they could do. Like...oh, I dunno...give us a Voyager Class Bonecrusher.

Or a FAB Bonecrusher, seeing as how he and Scorponok are the only movie chracters that haven't gotten any (not counting the robots made from the Allspark). I can also see him working as a Cyber Slammer.

In general, more Bonecrusher would be nice.

For that matter, the Voyager Bonecrusher rumor that seems to have fizzled out also involved a leader-class Starscream. I'm surprised Hasbro didn't decide to do that.

And why aren't we getting those four Allspark robots, anyhow? The Nokia-bot got enough screentime to support a toy, there's plenty of wiggle room for designing the X-box 360 robot that we never saw, and a steering wheel and a Mountain Dew machine would cetainlybe new and different. Don't lie, you'd buy a Dew-bot.

I understand why there are redecoes... I just wish the movie line could support some more molds so they could get stuff into it like Shockwave, Mixmaster, Scrapper, and the Chevy Autobots. There's plenty of stuff in the video games, sponsor stuff, etc., that deserves a chance in plastic.

Nemesis Primal wrote:And why aren't we getting those four Allspark robots, anyhow? The Nokia-bot got enough screentime to support a toy, there's plenty of wiggle room for designing the X-box 360 robot that we never saw, and a steering wheel and a Mountain Dew machine would cetainlybe new and different. Don't lie, you'd buy a Dew-bot.

I understand why there are redecoes... I just wish the movie line could support some more molds so they could get stuff into it like Shockwave, Mixmaster, Scrapper, and the Chevy Autobots. There's plenty of stuff in the video games, sponsor stuff, etc., that deserves a chance in plastic.

Mold costs.

And sure, many many many people would buy a Dewformer, but seriously who would buy a Steering Wheel-former, and why buy a Nokia-bot when there are the Real Gear phones?

i_amtrunks wrote:

Nemesis Primal wrote:And why aren't we getting those four Allspark robots, anyhow? The Nokia-bot got enough screentime to support a toy, there's plenty of wiggle room for designing the X-box 360 robot that we never saw, and a steering wheel and a Mountain Dew machine would cetainlybe new and different. Don't lie, you'd buy a Dew-bot.

I understand why there are redecoes... I just wish the movie line could support some more molds so they could get stuff into it like Shockwave, Mixmaster, Scrapper, and the Chevy Autobots. There's plenty of stuff in the video games, sponsor stuff, etc., that deserves a chance in plastic.

Mold costs.

And sure, many many many people would buy a Dewformer, but seriously who would buy a Steering Wheel-former, and why buy a Nokia-bot when there are the Real Gear phones?

They could sell out of Dewbots if they packed them alone in cases. And imagine the redeco possibilities! Depending upon how big they are, they could sell the suckers in a 4-pack and make the markings such that they formed a transforming allspark. And again, imagine the redeco possibilities! Assuming he was a VERY simplistic shellformer -- and really, who would complain if he was?! -- a 'bot like that could be easy as heck to pull off.

And yeah, the fandom would SO be about a Shockwave -- they wouldn't even have to make it a triple-changer or an artillery cannon or a helicopter. They could stick a Robot Heroes Shockwave head on one of the FAB bodies (there are certainly enough of them with one hand; it could work) and cast the sucker in purple plastic and guy would sell like mad.

Repaints are a-okay with me when characters are repainted into guys I want (which I imagine is why hardly anyone is complaining about Cliffjumper).

Personally I think repaints are fine, as long as they are either vastly different, or even better than the original toy. If it's a totally different character, all the better.

Dewformer has dozens of configurations they can use for repaints, all the Pepsi-Cola brands, as well as having access to all the "classic" branding for their brands from the 70's through 90's.

Fido Dido mid 90's 7-up stlye Dewformer anyone?