Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

Noideaforaname wrote:

Seibertron wrote:A true "ursagryph" should have some elements of a bear. If it's got wings, then it should have a bear head. If it has other bear features, the other features should compliment the bird it is suppose to represent. Fuzors pulled this off really well. While I love Grimwing, it fails at being an "ursagryph" to me with it lacking any actual bear features in my opinion.

I think the problem here is the skin-texture these Preds have. They all got this uniform segmented, almost bug-like "skin", no scales or fur or feathers or whatever, which makes them look rather generic. Grimwing already has a bear-like body in build, bear-claws, feathery wings, and a raptor beak, yet you still have to be told it's an "ursagryph". With the old Fuzors they each had a distinct hodge-podge of skin-textures based on whatever animals they were a mix of, which really helped show that they were indeed a mix.

Agreed.

It's not an animal; it's a robot. Robots don't need fur, feathers, or skin textures. And don't tell me they need it for disguise, as these robots are clearly not trying to disguise themselves.

Also... a "true" ursagryph? Since there is no such thing, I don't see how there are any rules about what it should look like.

GuyIncognito wrote:It's not an animal; it's a robot. Robots don't need fur, feathers, or skin textures. And don't tell me they need it for disguise, as these robots are clearly not trying to disguise themselves.

Also... a "true" ursagryph? Since there is no such thing, I don't see how there are any rules about what it should look like.

Agreed on both points. However, wouldn't it be easier to sell this as an "ursagryph" if it had a bear head instead of a bird head?

Seibertron wrote:

GuyIncognito wrote:It's not an animal; it's a robot. Robots don't need fur, feathers, or skin textures. And don't tell me they need it for disguise, as these robots are clearly not trying to disguise themselves.

Also... a "true" ursagryph? Since there is no such thing, I don't see how there are any rules about what it should look like.

Agreed on both points. However, wouldn't it be easier to sell this as an "ursagryph" if it had a bear head instead of a bird head?

No, for two reasons:

An ursagryph, according to my internet searches, is a griffin with the BODY of a bear, and since a griffin has an eagle's head, an ursagryph would have an eagle's head too.

Also because most of their customer base don't know what an ursagryph is and don't care. It's a fictitious creature with almost no mentions anywhere on the internet or in popular culture, so there's nothing to compare it to anyway.

Seibertron wrote:

GuyIncognito wrote:It's not an animal; it's a robot. Robots don't need fur, feathers, or skin textures. And don't tell me they need it for disguise, as these robots are clearly not trying to disguise themselves.

Also... a "true" ursagryph? Since there is no such thing, I don't see how there are any rules about what it should look like.

Agreed on both points. However, wouldn't it be easier to sell this as an "ursagryph" if it had a bear head instead of a bird head?

Somehow, right now I'm thinking about Yogi Bear who's had a Red Bull.

GuyIncognito wrote:It's not an animal; it's a robot. Robots don't need fur, feathers, or skin textures. And don't tell me they need it for disguise, as these robots are clearly not trying to disguise themselves.

You're talking to someone who grew up with Beast Wars, specifically the Fuzors. Saying animal bots don't need to be organic is like saying cars don't need wheels; you can do it, technically, but it just doesn't seem right.


And if the ursagryph is completely made up anyways, I don't see how a bear head is any less doable than a bird head. They already got Blackbeak as a "second head" of sorts. Speaking of which, seems like they could've had one of each, a bear and bird head (hehe, Banjo Kazooie). Unless they were trying to make them "twins".

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Somehow, right now I'm thinking about Yogi Bear who's had a Red Bull.

"Hey, Boo-Boo! This Red Bull we took from that pic-i-nic basket gives me WINGS!"

Does it come with smokestacks? Or are those from a TFP RID Optimus?

bny888 wrote:Does it come with smokestacks? Or are those from a TFP RID Optimus?

No and Yes, in order.

Seibertron wrote:Any reason why you guys don't order these online?

I have 2 reasons:

1) Online = More $$$, which means less budget for buying TF's

2) I prefer to pick the best paint job from a factory batch. Ever notice that the faces can be painted horribly on some figures, for example? Ideally, I grab a 2-3 figures and inspect them for the best paint job/least blemishes.

Ironically, I AM ordering more online because of what I mentioned: store inventory is unpredictable and I'm learning that entire waves (the end ones) usually don't make it to stores at all.

Really, it's a bit of a revelation to learn so many of you guys buy online. So I might pose the same question to you: Why do you buy online and not local?

MetroSUplex wrote:Ironically, I AM ordering more online because of what I mentioned: store inventory is unpredictable and I'm learning that entire waves (the end ones) usually don't make it to stores at all.

Really, it's a bit of a revelation to learn so many of you guys buy online. So I might pose the same question to you: Why do you buy online and not local?

Gas being around $4 a gallon makes hunting for hours on end an expensive venture, not to mention that my time is money as well and now that am married, have a 4 year old daughter, and own a business, my time is very limited. You might save a few bucks buying in store, but after sales tax, your time hunting, and gas are you really saving anything?

The nice thing about ordering at BigBadToyStore.com is if you find the newest figures at your local store when you're out and about (or really want a figure like I did when Springer and Blitzwing came out a few weeks ago and I spent 4 to 6 hours hunting for them), you can just go cancel your preorder at BBTS. You can't beat it! They don't ask any questions and don't give you a hard time at all. In fact, the process is all done through your order history ... you don't have to contact them at all.

Sabrblade wrote:

Mindmaster wrote:

MetroSUplex wrote:
As much as I like seeing it used for Magnus like this, would it be too much to ask for a trailer??? Optimus seems half-finished without his trailer...

1) Optimus has only used a trailer once, in MECH's debut episode.

2) Ultra Magnus will probably go the same route and pull a very Ultra Magnus-y trailer only once in the series.

Why make a trailer when it doesn't even appear in fiction more than once, compared to the daily happenings with Generation One Optimus Prime?

Optimus also had a trailer in episode 20.

As for making toys of one-time things, Takara's TF: Prime toyline had toys for Cylas and Nemesis Prime, both one-episode guys. And both Hasbro and Takara made a Terrorcon Cliffjumper toy, as well as toys for pre-zombie Skyquake, who both also only appeared once. And Hasbro's Beast Wars 10th Anniversary line had parts for a Transmutate figure. And the Animated toyline had toys for one-timers Waspinator, Blackout, Electrostatic Soundwave, Laserbeak, Ratbat, Wingblade Optimus Prime, etc. And all Movie toylines have toys for characters who only lasted for just one of the three films. And then there's G1 Skids who was only in two episodes of the cartoon. And G1 Runabout, who also only appeared once in the show. And so on and so forth.

Thank you, Sabrblade! I'd also like to add that kids like trucks. And trucks have trailers. How exciting is it to see a trailer-less truck on the road? Not very. A truck without a trailer is a loss - these guys get paid to haul, so I imagine they don't to a whole lot of trailer-less runs. Plus, look at MP Optimus: he can fit autobots in his trailer!!! THAT. IS. BADASS. (But I suppose if he only did that ONCE in the cartoon, Hasbro/Takara has no business in introducing that feature).

Seibertron wrote:

MetroSUplex wrote:Ironically, I AM ordering more online because of what I mentioned: store inventory is unpredictable and I'm learning that entire waves (the end ones) usually don't make it to stores at all.

Really, it's a bit of a revelation to learn so many of you guys buy online. So I might pose the same question to you: Why do you buy online and not local?

Gas being around $4 a gallon makes hunting for hours on end an expensive venture, not to mention that my time is money as well and now that am married, have a 4 year old daughter, and own a business, my time is very limited. You might save a few bucks buying in store, but after sales tax, your time hunting, and gas are you really saving anything?

The nice thing about ordering at BigBadToyStore.com is if you find the newest figures at your local store when you're out and about (or really want a figure like I did when Springer and Blitzwing came out a few weeks ago and I spent 4 to 6 hours hunting for them), you can just go cancel your preorder at BBTS. You can't beat it! They don't ask any questions and don't give you a hard time at all. In fact, the process is all done through your order history ... you don't have to contact them at all.

Great points, and I must admit I was pretty moved by your query. I'm more and more in line with your thinking, as I've got a 2 yr old myself. $4 gas is the real killer. Plus how IL has one of the highest sales tax in the country (higher than NY and CA!). But tax-free online shopping is an endangered species - Senator Durbin (IL) is behind a bill to bring taxes to the internets! And good ole Amazon is with him 100%!

So in the end, you're really saving time and gas, and will likely pay more than local (as BBTS and TFSource both charge a little higher). Money is tight these days, so these things factor. But you're right: online is easier and a safer bet. My wife said that when I find just one figure at the store, I don't really get to choose the better paint job anyway... so my point about picking the best figure is becoming more and more moot as the distribution gets worse and worse...

Does anyone know or possibly heard if we can expect a Beast Hunters UM from Takara?

Nemesis Destron wrote:Does anyone know or possibly heard if we can expect a Beast Hunters UM from Takara?

Besides the platinum version?

Nemesis Destron wrote:Does anyone know or possibly heard if we can expect a Beast Hunters UM from Takara?

No word yet on any "Hunter Ultra Magnus".

Nemesis Destron wrote:Besides the platinum version?

That's Hasbro Asia, not Takara.

Sabrblade wrote:

Nemesis Destron wrote:Does anyone know or possibly heard if we can expect a Beast Hunters UM from Takara?

No word yet on any "Hunter Ultra Magnus".

Nemesis Destron wrote:Besides the platinum version?

That's Hasbro Asia, not Takara.

Oops...thanks for the reminder Sabrblade!

Nemesis Destron wrote: Oops...thanks for the reminder

No prob, Bob.

Sabrblade wrote:

PrymeStriker wrote:

RAcast wrote:Don't feel too bad about it, Baltmatrix missed it too; I'm guessing it's not in the instructions.

Again, it's step 12 in the beast to robot conversion on the instructions. I made that perfectly clear.

Yes, regarding Lazerback. The part you quoted was directly referring to Shockwave's wheels.

I'm working on the gallery for Vertebreak right now. The instructions show to leave the feathers in the up position. The instructions never show to move the feathers down. The instructions show to move the back that the feathers attach to in an upward position in step 12, but it never actually moves the feathers down, which are in the up position throughout the rest of the instructions including the final picture.

Just to do something different, I'm going to put them in the down position in Vertebreak's upcoming gallery.

The lastest galleries to be featured on Seibertron.com is wave 4 and 5 of the Transformers Prime Beast Hunters figures. They are all repaint/retool of existing figures. Wave 4 consists of Beast Hunters Arcee, Knock Out and Vertebreak which are repaint/retools of RID Arcee, Knock Out and Lazerback respectively. Wave 5 is rounded out by Night Shadow Bumblebee and Prowl. Night Shadow Bumblebee is a straight up repaint of BH Bumblebee and Prowl is a repaint of BH Smokescreen with a new head.

Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Prowl




Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Arcee




Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Knock Out




Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Night Shadow Bumblebee




Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Vertebreak

Awesome!!! I look forward to seeing these in the show...oh wait...

Prowl looks awesome, but doesn't make me think of Prowl funnily enough. It'd be better if he'd seen some screen-time. I'll probably get him.

Arcee and Knock Out simply don't impress. Couldn't care less.

Vertebreak is OK, but between Lazerback and Gaidora I think I've got enough of that mold.

Night Shadow Bumblebee is just stunning. He'll be bought and re-purposed.

Just picked up Prowl the other day. I'd prefer him with a white helmet, but not a bad figure, nonetheless.

Paint Arcee the same pale blue/silver all over, change the color of the head crest, and you'd have a decent Prime Chromia. If she can't be blue, at least she can be silver/chrome colored.

Also paint Night Shadow Bumblebee's yellow parts teal or blue and you'd have a decent stand in for a Prime-style Nightracer, since it's a totally different head.

Basically, I want more fembots.

I just noticed a couple more new galleries on the front page, including for S.2. I hate telling this over and over, but...

S.2's assembly instructions contain a nasty error!

The error's in the rods connecting the backpack to the main body. Put short, according to the instructions, the order is:

1. backpack - 2. middle of rod (stopper) - 3. wings - 4. main body

That is incorrect, the actual order is:

1. backpack - 2. wings - 3. middle of rod (stopper) - 4. main body

The wings actually cover up the stoppers, plus with the wings moving back one position everything locks properly in place (rods going all the way into the main body).

In case you're wondering his GO! repaint Jin's instructions contain the same error.

Seibertron.com is pleased to present a trio of Smokescreen galleries from Takara Tomy! Below you will find our new galleries for:

Transformers Go! Hunter Smokescreen
-A more screen accurate version the Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Deluxe Smokescreen minus the Beast Hunters armor and weapons

EZ Collection Smokescreen
-A redeco of the Cyberverse Legion Class Smokescreen

Arms Micron Smokescreen with S.2
-A reuse of the Deluxe Knock Out mold with new head mold

Transformers Go! Hunter Smokescreen








EZ Collection Smokescreen






Arms Micron Smokescreen




Arms Micron S.2

Mandatory warning, that nobody seems to know about, despite several reports:

S.2's assembly instructions contain a nasty error!

The error's in the rods connecting the backpack to the main body. Put short, according to the instructions, the order is:

1. backpack - 2. middle of rod (stopper) - 3. wings - 4. main body

That is incorrect, the actual order is:

1. backpack - 2. wings - 3. middle of rod (stopper) - 4. main body

The wings actually cover up the stoppers, plus with the wings moving back one position everything locks properly in place (rods going all the way into the main body being the main giveaway).

In case you're wondering his GO! repaint Jin's instructions contain the same error.