The Energon Pub

Update - 20131112


WB02 - 5 car (vehicle) combiner, rumored to be Menasor based on a tweet (deleted)


- Update from warbotron.com aas of 8:30AM EST:

The ongoing,Published in 2014 WB02 There are 4 cars and a Truck, WB03 A secret, which is you want?

Nov 1 @ approximately 9AM EDT.

warbotron ‏@warbotron

WB01 more news very soon ，The upcoming sales，There are two giant robots is designed，not Menasor and ? @Peaugh

It will be interesting to see this. I won't have the money for it, and I am invested in FP right now, but I'd love to see another take on it.

So by the time WB02 gets the first order up i will have enjoyed the FP menasor and should be ready to trade and move on to this project

I'll admit part of me wishes FansProject's Stunticons were bigger, but I would never say they were too small. However, if these guys are planning on making their own Menasor and if they plan on having him stand eye-to-eye with their Bruticus, then I would have to say they'd be too big.

I know the main appeal of the Special Teams is a big combined form, but I personally couldn't invest in a set where a great gestalt came at the cost of poor individual figures, and a Stunticon that's potentially as big as Universe Inferno is my idea of poor. Not to mention bigger and bigger gestalts increasingly take away from the magnificence of Generations Metroplex. I actually find it quite arrogant that these newbies would join the party so late and then try to set a new size standard for 3rd party combiners.

Sodan-1 wrote:I'll admit part of me wishes FansProject's Stunticons were bigger, but I would never say they were too small. However, if these guys are planning on making their own Menasor and if they plan on having him stand eye-to-eye with their Bruticus, then I would have to say they'd be too big.

I know the main appeal of the Special Teams is a big combined form, but I personally couldn't invest in a set where a great gestalt came at the cost of poor individual figures, and a Stunticon that's potentially as big as Universe Inferno is my idea of poor. Not to mention bigger and bigger gestalts increasingly take away from the magnificence of Generations Metroplex. I actually find it quite arrogant that these newbies would join the party so late and then try to set a new size standard for 3rd party combiners.

Starting a new size when many/most already have two or three complete sets in one of the existing sizes is kinda stupid. While I will most likely replace FP's rather crap attempt at the Stunticons, if this guy is as big as WB01 then he will be an easy pass.

FP "crap attempt"? Wow.

I am going to need to see come pics and prices before I post any comments. I think the Fanprojects Menasor is perfect in size sculpt and price. It looks like Hasbro TF4 toy line will be creating a Menasor and Superion. So I might buy the Hasbro versions instead since there going to be much cheaper in prices.

Agamemnon wrote:FP "crap attempt"? Wow.

I'm allowed my opinion. FP have been dropping the ball everywhere except for their headmasters line. Just read the Intimidator thread again, quite a few QC issues

Arctorro wrote:

Agamemnon wrote:FP "crap attempt"? Wow.

I'm allowed my opinion. FP have been dropping the ball everywhere except for their headmasters line. Just read the Intimidator thread again, quite a few QC issues

I'm in the oppossite camp. I think the fanprojects City commander,Protector,Insecticons and Menasor are all superb products. While I always viewed the FP Headmasters as too small and flimsy. I think the Toy world Headmasters toys are more superior toys compared to the FP versions.

Arctorro wrote:

Agamemnon wrote:FP "crap attempt"? Wow.

I'm allowed my opinion. FP have been dropping the ball everywhere except for their headmasters line. Just read the Intimidator thread again, quite a few QC issues

Oh, for sure I am disappointed with the QC issues, especially with what we have come to expect from FP. Size will always be debated. But I still think "crap attempt" is unnecessarily harsh. Creating a combiner from scratch, and working the size differences of the individual vehicles, I think FP deserves some credit. :SHRUG:

They haven't even posted pre orders for their first project and they're already talking about the next projects. I like the enthusiasm and all but lets see some proof of concept before the hyperbole gets too out of hand (not talking about here, all seems level headed in these parts). There's still a lot to be announced for their first project that could win or lose these guys customers before they get anywhere near producing a second project.

If it ends up looking better than FP's (which wouldn't be too difficult), I'll probably buy this set.

Agamemnon wrote:

Arctorro wrote:

Agamemnon wrote:FP "crap attempt"? Wow.

I'm allowed my opinion. FP have been dropping the ball everywhere except for their headmasters line. Just read the Intimidator thread again, quite a few QC issues

Oh, for sure I am disappointed with the QC issues, especially with what we have come to expect from FP. Size will always be debated. But I still think "crap attempt" is unnecessarily harsh. Creating a combiner from scratch, and working the size differences of the individual vehicles, I think FP deserves some credit. :SHRUG:

Nothing even remotely harsh about what I said, and I did give them all due credit Don't get me wrong, I've pre-ordered Diesel and Intimidator will be my Menasor for now, but they are already on my replacement list.

Tsutsukakushi wrote:I'm in the oppossite camp. I think the fanprojects City commander,Protector,Insecticons and Menasor are all superb products. While I always viewed the FP Headmasters as too small and flimsy. I think the Toy world Headmasters toys are more superior toys compared to the FP versions.

I've got City Commander, Protector and the Insecticons and like them all. Toyworld's Hardbone is a great figure (if poorly named ) but their version of Brainstorm is a Star Wars crossover Besides, FP's size fits my collection better.

xyl360 wrote:If it ends up looking better than FP's (which wouldn't be too difficult), I'll probably buy this set.

Well, it'll definitely be bigger!

Tsutsukakushi wrote:

Arctorro wrote:

Agamemnon wrote:FP "crap attempt"? Wow.

I'm allowed my opinion. FP have been dropping the ball everywhere except for their headmasters line. Just read the Intimidator thread again, quite a few QC issues

I'm in the oppossite camp. I think the fanprojects City commander,Protector,Insecticons and Menasor are all superb products. While I always viewed the FP Headmasters as too small and flimsy. I think the Toy world Headmasters toys are more superior toys compared to the FP versions.

Toyworld makes toys, FP makes collector's items. It's all about what you're looking for.

megatronus wrote:

Tsutsukakushi wrote:

Arctorro wrote:

Agamemnon wrote:FP "crap attempt"? Wow.

I'm allowed my opinion. FP have been dropping the ball everywhere except for their headmasters line. Just read the Intimidator thread again, quite a few QC issues

I'm in the oppossite camp. I think the fanprojects City commander,Protector,Insecticons and Menasor are all superb products. While I always viewed the FP Headmasters as too small and flimsy. I think the Toy world Headmasters toys are more superior toys compared to the FP versions.

Toyworld makes toys, FP makes collector's items. It's all about what you're looking for.

Hehe, really? I see it the exact opposite. FP makes toys much closer to what Hasbro makes while Toyworld makes figures much closer to the MP line .

xyl360 wrote:

megatronus wrote:

Tsutsukakushi wrote:

Arctorro wrote:

Agamemnon wrote:FP "crap attempt"? Wow.

I'm allowed my opinion. FP have been dropping the ball everywhere except for their headmasters line. Just read the Intimidator thread again, quite a few QC issues

I'm in the oppossite camp. I think the fanprojects City commander,Protector,Insecticons and Menasor are all superb products. While I always viewed the FP Headmasters as too small and flimsy. I think the Toy world Headmasters toys are more superior toys compared to the FP versions.

Toyworld makes toys, FP makes collector's items. It's all about what you're looking for.

Hehe, really? I see it the exact opposite. FP makes toys much closer to what Hasbro makes while Toyworld makes figures much closer to the MP line .

I couldn't disagree more. Fansproject makes more stylized and detailed figures, where Toyworld's designs tend to be blocky and basic looking (though the transformations might not be). Hence the collector's items vs. toys comments:



Of course, we could look at this picture and come away with two very different interpretations.

Also, don't get me started on MPs...

megatronus wrote:

xyl360 wrote:

megatronus wrote:

Tsutsukakushi wrote:

Arctorro wrote:

Agamemnon wrote:FP "crap attempt"? Wow.

I'm allowed my opinion. FP have been dropping the ball everywhere except for their headmasters line. Just read the Intimidator thread again, quite a few QC issues

I'm in the oppossite camp. I think the fanprojects City commander,Protector,Insecticons and Menasor are all superb products. While I always viewed the FP Headmasters as too small and flimsy. I think the Toy world Headmasters toys are more superior toys compared to the FP versions.

Toyworld makes toys, FP makes collector's items. It's all about what you're looking for.

Hehe, really? I see it the exact opposite. FP makes toys much closer to what Hasbro makes while Toyworld makes figures much closer to the MP line .

I couldn't disagree more. Fansproject makes more stylized and detailed figures, where Toyworld's designs tend to be blocky and basic looking (though the transformations might not be). Hence the collector's items vs. toys comments:



Of course, we could look at this picture and come away with two very different interpretations.

Also, don't get me started on MPs...

See, that picture illustrates exactly what I'm referring to. I don't have FP's Weirdwolf, but I do have City Commander, Protector, their not-Combaticons (and the two repaints they made from them), all 4 of their not-Stunticons they've released so far as well as one of their not-Insecticons and with regards to their standalone figures (not the upgrade sets, which are very different in composition/plastic thickness), they are very fidgety (similar to TF Movie figures), have a lot of very thin plastics, panel-form a lot, frequently don't fit together well (though that started with their not-Insecticons for me and I've experienced it with 3 out of 4 of their not-Stunticons) and they're largely lacking in paint apps (much like Hasbro's current offerings).

On the other hand, Toyworld's figures of which I have 5 so far (Hegemon, the 2 Throttlebots and the 2 Headmasters), other than Hegemon, are spot on with thick/nice plastics, paint details, transformations and mold details. Not once did I pinch my fingers or feel like I was going to break a panel transforming those TW figures the way it always seems with the recent FP figures. I mean just look at their not-Weirdwolf's legs. He's got thin chicken legs and his body frame overall is slim and tiny, just like most of the stuff Hasbro designs these days for their Generations line. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but for the Headmasters for me it is because to me, the Headmasters are all supposed to be big and bulky. Of course their appearance in the show vs the comics has a lot to do with that as well I'm sure, as I never read the comics, but those who did seem to prefer FP's.

This is going to sound soo bad for me. but I have to say it...

My Hardbone was floppy right out of the box.

Fansproject tend to be slightly too complex and they also don't always think of real-world tolerances outside of their 3D models. That's why removing City Commander's leg armour is so scary, and also how I conspired to gouge part of one of the not-Stunticon's leg panels.

Toyworld's QC issues seem to stem from the fact that they are sloppily made. Neither is ideal, but there you go. Both are decent enough provided they are treated with care.

Also, can one of these bloomin' 3rd parties please make Defensor? Do we really need 2 Menasors, 2 Devastators, 3(!) Predakings, and lord knows how many Bruticii? What's so wrong with the Protectobots, and why are we getting Technobots before them? Bonkers.

Banjo-Tron wrote:Also, can one of these bloomin' 3rd parties please make Defensor? Do we really need 2 Menasors, 2 Devastators, 3(!) Predakings, and lord knows how many Bruticii? What's so wrong with the Protectobots, and why are we getting Technobots before them? Bonkers.

I quite agree with you! I speculate that there is a great challenge in trying to make a police cruiser motorcycle for one leg and an ambulance for the other, yet have the alt modes still look good together. Scale can be hidden more easily with Bruticus, in my opinion, as there are multiple sizes of some of those vehicles. (Tanks can be pretty small.) But rescue/enforcement vehicles are more recognizable, and scale differences within the team may be more glaring. Perhaps this can be accomplished with a tricycle instead of a motorcycle.

However, to bring this back around to on-topic, while it is hard to say for sure until we have Diesel in hand, I do have to give FansProject props for decently handling the scaling issue. If this Warbotron company is going to compete, they'll have to be quite innovative, I think.

Banjo-Tron wrote:Also, can one of these bloomin' 3rd parties please make Defensor? Do we really need 2 Menasors, 2 Devastators, 3(!) Predakings, and lord knows how many Bruticii? What's so wrong with the Protectobots, and why are we getting Technobots before them? Bonkers.

Totally agree. Fortunately....
tfc-ares-t94732s50.php

Check out the fourteenth post on that page. I didn't want to post the image itself as it's one of those multiple image images and so quite large. I like how Streetwise is looking there.

if size is any indication these things could run 130 a piece making it an almost $700 if were lucky. and all this for a company with no other products to speak of(track record)
the difference between MMC, FP, make toys,TFC and most of the 3rd party market making combiners is they've established themselves through smaller add-ons and figures
until we get a prototype or an early review of even one of these figures its really premature to say definitively which will be better.

we've got intimidator nearing completion and these startups as far as im concerned announcing not one but two combiners??? don't hold your breath peeps...

daimchoc wrote:

Have to admit, I'm in love with this silhouette (proportions are reminiscent of how FOC Bruticus looks with the Microblaze Onslaught), but these guys really need to release at least the first 3 or 4 bots in their Bruticus set before even thinking about hawking more totally-out-of-Classics-scale product on us.

I'd like to see exactly how their Bruticus turns out myself ... but I can see myself getting this if $$$ permits. FP's take is pretty good, but it's small compared to the Autobot cars.

Still, it's very early to start talking about this before even one Bruticus member is released. We don't even know exactly how tall Bruticus will be. It'd be nice if they complimented TFC's scale, but they have no reason to do so.

And, yeah, Defensor already! Well, TFC has already teased a prototype for Streetwise. So it's coming. Just gotta be patient.

Gauntlet101010 wrote:Still, it's very early to start talking about this before even one Bruticus member is released. We don't even know exactly how tall Bruticus will be. It'd be nice if they complimented TFC's scale, but they have no reason to do so.

People were throwing out 18 inches as the combined size.