The Energon Pub

I was taking a look at my Power Core combiners. I have four of the main robots, and two sets of the combiner vehicles. I may be wrong but as far as I know, these are some of the last combiners of any sort, that we will see for quite some time. Although it's possible I may have missed something. Personally, I thought these figures/sets were some of the more creative things that I've seen. But, what if we were to see a new series of combining robots? I'm not expecting it but I'd like to see something like this but with the arms and legs actually being there own robots as well. Kind of like the Constructicons. I know they have done this sort of thing before. So anyone think we will see more combiners some day?

New combiners of any kind are always welcome. If they do release more, I'd prefer teams of three, and six, instead of all the stale 5-team groupings. That was already stale by '87.

We did get Bruticus and Ruination.



And Abominus!

Va'al wrote:We did get Bruticus and Ruination.



And Abominus!

Good figures, though, naming Abominus would help to not confuse anyone who isn't a nerd like like you and I



Still, you see my point. Lately we've had a lot of 5 set teams, or a 5 + 1, with a sentai-like extra added as wings, [sentai = power rangers or what goes as the Japanese super hero].

There are other sentai combiners that are made of sets of more than or less than 5, but that's the norm, & the easiest to engineer.



The "Seacons" were still pretty close to this 5 + 1, but, I do love the idea of almost any limb becoming a unique weapon, instead of just wings. That's very creative. I prefer imagination, expression, and creativity, in place of a no-risk approach.




http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=has19150&mode=retail 12/08/2013 [or Dec. 8th]

The "5-man teams" or "5+1" are there for a simple reason - it's easier to design.

Torso/head, plus each arm, plus each leg. Five right there. Though it would have been better if the torso of Bruticus / Ruination had been a Voyager, IMHo (torso as a size class larger always works better).

With three, you have a much more difficult design, plus with 3 and 4 you have to split up some figures on opposite sides of the figure.

As for 2-man teams, we've pretty much already seen every possible design - the "pants / shirt" combos of Energon, and the side by side of Animated's Jetfire and from those emergency vehicles from GaoGaiGar.

On the other hand, 6-7+ teams are paradoxically easier - multiple figures make up the torso / thighs, until you get all the way to Dairiggur 15, aka 15 Vehicle Voltron. But then you have a LOT to lose.

So 5-man teams, or 5+1, will likely be the way to go for quite a while.

Whats the right way to display old Piranacon anyway? Extended legs or retracted form?

I love Powercore combiners and I was hope they were going to bring out a train set and an insecticon set. A tip for "pccs" is use matching limbs, they look fantastic with matching arms and legs.

Valandar wrote:The "5-man teams" or "5+1" are there for a simple reason - it's easier to design.

I did say that already didn't I? I used the word "engineer", you used "design", it's the same in this context



Oh, remember the Duocons?



The art is a lie...



Of course "Flywheels" should just be called a "mono-con"

BEHOLD; BIG FOOT...SINGULAR! [...not like that imaginary gorilla - who should be call big feet.]

http://transformers.wikia.com/wiki/Flywheels

If they made more combiners I'd like it if they were actually good.

Mykltron wrote:If they made more combiners I'd like it if they were actually good.

PCCs are good. After a fashion.

fenrir72 wrote:Whats the right way to display old Piranacon anyway? Extended legs or retracted form?

Retracted. Seawing has his connector port between his legs (that sounds so wrong ) so it doesn't move with the legs. The whole body section is the same height as the other Seacons with retracted legs.

And because he (as King Poseidon) and God Neptune were portrayed as such in the cartoons.

PCCs were pretty cool, especially the later waves. I always like the idea of other Constructicons or Dinobots or whatever existing team, independent of the "classic" ones. Plus, Large Scout core + Cyberverse limbs is a nice size for a gestalt. As much as I'd like the limbs to have their own robot mode (or at least give a hint of personality), just removing the spring gimmick (and casting the connecting pegs in a color besides Allspark blue) would've helped immensely.
I also wish they had done an Insecticon and Train-themed (where all the drones are different train cars that can connect to the Commander in alt mode) PCC set.


I wouldn't mind seeing more larger scale Combiners like Bruticus, though without so much corner-cutting. I think I'd prefer more Cyberverse-scaled ones, like RotF Devastator, Prime Abominus, and the upcoming Mini-Con team. But no repeats of the whole Rippersnapper not being anywhere craziness.

Noideaforaname wrote:PCCs were pretty cool, especially the later waves.

I agree, the line got better and better as it went on. Heavytread and Undertow are both excellent figures even outside of their gimmick.

I really don't mind the standard 5 man teams, a combined form that is easier to engineer means better individuals, right? But if Hasbro does decide on rolling more new combiners our way I really hope the bump the size of the torso bot. I also really hope that people don't cry when they're not in scale with each other. I'm looking at you Nemean

spongedude93 wrote:But if Hasbro does decide on rolling more new combiners our way I really hope the bump the size of the torso bot.

Definitely, or make the torso out of 2 or 3 bots.

Though I'd like to see more gestalts like Tripredacus or Rail Racer, where it isn't 'each limb is a distinct bot'. Though I realize that often results in especially weird individual bot modes, but they could always go with intentionally disproportionate/ugly bots.

Noideaforaname wrote:

spongedude93 wrote:But if Hasbro does decide on rolling more new combiners our way I really hope the bump the size of the torso bot.

Definitely, or make the torso out of 2 or 3 bots.

Though I'd like to see more gestalts like Tripredacus or Rail Racer, where it isn't 'each limb is a distinct bot'. Though I realize that often results in especially weird individual bot modes, but they could always go with intentionally disproportionate/ugly bots.

I think they tried that. With RotF Devastator.

Revenge' Devastator was very cool on screen. It came from people who wanted to do the the original idea justice, but, was made at a HORRIBLE time. If the script had not been done by just Bay, & if other people had looked at some of the weird designs and balanced them out better, then, cyclone/vacuum - Devastator could have been one of the best things from that movie. Sadly, the toy was disappointing & flawed, & the character was just a giant gestalt of bad jokes.

Va'al wrote:

Mykltron wrote:If they made more combiners I'd like it if they were actually good.

PCCs are good. After a fashion.

I'm sticking to my opinion!

One combiner group I absolutely wish they would go back and remake are is the Breastforce. Their combination into Liokaiser is pretty unique, especially since they did not have combiner kibble, with the exception of the head.

As for combiners in general, yes, I'd love to see more. Just not with the quality of the Fall of Cybertron Combaticons.

Let's hope some Classics combiners are pumped out during Generations: Thrilling 30, which I kinda doubt, since Hasbro likes to troll the fans by not giving us legit, new-mold Classics combiners.

While we're wishing for more unique combiners some non Has/Tak has caught my interest. Namely Toyworld's Not-Throttlebots, a six man team that combines into an original gestalt.
Also the new Super Sentai series has an... interesting design

I'm definitely holding off on it now but I'm curious how it may combine with other mechs in the series

Mindmaster wrote:One combiner group I absolutely wish they would go back and remake are is the Breastforce. Their combination into Liokaiser is pretty unique, especially since they did not have combiner kibble, with the exception of the head.

This is an absolutely awesome combiner. And with modern engineering, they could give the overall gestalt (let alone the individual bot-modes) added articualtion over the originals!

Tronus_Rex wrote:
Of course "Flywheels" should just be called a "mono-con"

BEHOLD; BIG FOOT...SINGULAR! [...not like that imaginary gorilla - who should be call big feet.]

http://transformers.wikia.com/wiki/Flywheels

Honestly, even as a kid having Flywheels, I thought that the addition of shoulder swivels and a split down the middle of that giant foot would have made that figure much better. I think the Duocons are a real interesting concept that, if revisited now, could be something very good.

I love combiners,and I love the G1 combiners probably best of all. You have to think that, fiction-wise, a combination of multiple robots wouldn't be fast and lithe of movement, but rather blocky and cumbersome. It's not like I don't like posability, but I suppose being able to combine is often a good enough thing for me when it comes to combining figures.

I'd be a very happy collector. I love combiners

With the odd exception like FOC Bruticus, RID Landfill and the G1 Predacons, most combiners tend to be too small.

Even as a kid, I thought that Motormaster looked stupid next to Prime especially since the tech spec portrayed them as rivals.

Even I didn't hate the annoying small Legion class, that Abominus looks terrible.

Sorry to be so negative it's just that every year the transformers toys disappoint me more and more.

The Powercore Combiners did disappoint me in that the initial promotion for them made it sound like the the Powercore Commanders would each be capable of themselves becoming a limb for another, larger (deluxe class) Transformer. Really the initial information made them sound more like the Ammonites...

Windsweeper wrote:Even as a kid, I thought that Motormaster looked stupid next to Prime especially since the tech spec portrayed them as rivals.

I always thought Motormaster and Optimus Prime's "rivalry" was more along the lines of:

Motormaster: "I am your nemesis, your archenemy! I'll smash you off the road, and drizzle oil on your corpse!"

*collision, Prime keeps going while Motormaster is a hunk of junk*

Prime, in all honesty: "Say, Bumblebee, was that a speed bump back there, or do we need to call the DOT and get some potholes fixed?"