BotCon 2014 First Guests Announced: Susan Blu, Hal Rayle, Michael McConnohie

And other pages are up as well, including the Exclusives. Seems the box set will have 3 Pirates and 2 Knights.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:And other pages are up as well, including the Exclusives. Seems the box set will have 3 Pirates and 2 Knights.

So then the souvenirs and attendee figure must consist of the remaining 2 pirates, the remaining 3 knights, and the rogue Decepticon (not necessarily in that order, though).

Anybody know if we'll get the Arcee figure in time for Sue to sign it?

The official BotCon 2014 website has revealed the faction breakdown in this year's Pirates vs. Knights boxset. The set will feature three pirates and two knights, so far know the identity of one of the pirates, their captain Cannonball. The convention attendee only add-on sets will of course add to both of their ranks. BotCon takes place June 19th - 22nd in Pasadena, CA.

Reposting this due it relevance:

Sabrblade wrote:So then the souvenirs and attendee figure must consist of the remaining 2 pirates, the remaining 3 knights, and the rogue Decepticon (not necessarily in that order, though).

Hehehehehehhee.

Staaaaaaaaar Seeeeekkerrrrssssss....

Even money the rogue Decepticon will be the attendee freebie.

Then we'll see one voyager knight vs one deluxe pirate, and one deluxe pirate vs one deluxe knight, and then an army builder pack of pirates.

PrymeStriker wrote:Hehehehehehhee.

Staaaaaaaaar Seeeeekkerrrrssssss....

And?

Sabrblade wrote:

PrymeStriker wrote:Hehehehehehhee.

Staaaaaaaaar Seeeeekkerrrrssssss....

And?

There's a 3-2 ratio in favor of the Star Seekers in this set.

The awesomeness speaks for itself.

PrymeStriker wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

PrymeStriker wrote:Hehehehehehhee.

Staaaaaaaaar Seeeeekkerrrrssssss....

And?

There's a 3-2 ratio in favor of the Star Seekers in this set.

The awesomeness speaks for itself.

Though, the overall ratio in the whole of the exclusives will still be an even 5:5.

Sabrblade wrote:

PrymeStriker wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

PrymeStriker wrote:Hehehehehehhee.

Staaaaaaaaar Seeeeekkerrrrssssss....

And?

There's a 3-2 ratio in favor of the Star Seekers in this set.

The awesomeness speaks for itself.

Though, the overall ratio in the whole of the exclusives will still be an even 5:5.

Aren't there Star Seeker army builders? I think they should outnumber the knights effectively. Unless there are knight army builders I missed.

Come on and show us some figures! This set has awesome written all over it!

PrymeStriker wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

PrymeStriker wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

PrymeStriker wrote:Hehehehehehhee.

Staaaaaaaaar Seeeeekkerrrrssssss....

And?

There's a 3-2 ratio in favor of the Star Seekers in this set.

The awesomeness speaks for itself.

Though, the overall ratio in the whole of the exclusives will still be an even 5:5.

Aren't there Star Seeker army builders? I think they should outnumber the knights effectively. Unless there are knight army builders I missed.

True. Maybe the "5 pirates vs. 5 knights" thing counted the pirate army-builders as a single pirate toy just repeated. Or maybe it just discounted the pirate army-builders.

Either way, still kind of a letdown that, aside from Cannonball, these probably won't be "pirates" so much as "Squadron X members repurposed as pirates".

Sabrblade wrote:Either way, still kind of a letdown that, aside from Cannonball, these probably won't be "pirates" so much as "Squadron X members repurposed as pirates".

Actually, that's a selling point for me, in a set I'm otherwise not too interested in. I do love having obscure Decepticons to add to my ranks of CHUG figures...

Random thought of the day....

The other day there was a post about "ROM the Space Knight" being acquired and potentially used by Hasbro in Transformers...

When I read that I immediately thought about Botcon Pirates vs. Knights

I will not be surprised if THE robot knight of all robot knights ends up in the set... I would be interested to see what mold gets used if they do.

zatara1701 wrote:Random thought of the day....

The other day there was a post about "ROM the Space Knight" being acquired and potentially used by Hasbro in Transformers...

When I read that I immediately thought about Botcon Pirates vs. Knights

I will not be surprised if THE robot knight of all robot knights ends up in the set... I would be interested to see what mold gets used if they do.

The ROM news was regarding IDW's potential use of him. For Fun Pub to use him so soon might feel like an unfair intrusion upon anything IDW's planning down the road.

Sabrblade wrote:

zatara1701 wrote:Random thought of the day....

The other day there was a post about "ROM the Space Knight" being acquired and potentially used by Hasbro in Transformers...

When I read that I immediately thought about Botcon Pirates vs. Knights

I will not be surprised if THE robot knight of all robot knights[/color] ends up in the set... I would be interested to see what mold gets used if they do.

The ROM news was regarding IDW's potential use of him. For Fun Pub to use him so soon might feel like an unfair intrusion upon anything IDW's planning down the road.

But it also mention Hasbro having secured rights for toys also...

"So, there are currently three trademarks Hasbro has applied for. The first is for comic books and was granted in April 2013. They've already used the first of their five possible extensions to use it in commerce (i.e. publish a ROM comic book). Extensions are required every six months if Hasbro doesn't have proof of use. Five extensions give them three years to do so.

The second trademark is for "toy action figures and toy robots convertible into other visual toy forms," which leads to the already existing rumor that Hasbro is going to make Rom part of the Transformers toy line. It, too, was granted in April 2013 and has had one extension filed against it.[/color]

The final trademark is for "entertainment services, namely an on-going animated television series for children." This one was only granted in June 2013 and, because I've gotten lazy, is new to me. It would seem to contradict Hasbro making Rom part of the Transformers, unless such a TV series would be a spin-off of Transformers: Prime or something. The first extension was just granted last month."

No matter what, Rom was a favorite along with Iron Man before our favorite robots hit our shores... I will be happy just seeing old toaster head again...

Yes, but wouldn't you rather see ROM in something more mainstream and available to everybody like with IDW, instead of in something that only the special folks who can afford to go the BotCon could get a hold of?

ROM has a better chance of success with IDW than he does with Fun Pub (especially since any BotCon toy of him would just be a redeco/remold on an existing toy instead of ROM getting a unique, super special extra sweet mold of his own ).

Sabrblade wrote:Yes, but wouldn't you rather see ROM in something more mainstream and available to everybody like with IDW, instead of in something that only the special folks who can afford to go the BotCon could get a hold of?

ROM has a better chance of success with IDW than he does with Fun Pub (especially since any BotCon toy of him would just be a redeco/remold on an existing toy instead of ROM getting a unique, super special extra sweet mold of his own ).

Oh I agree completely!! I was just saying my brain linked the two (Botcon and ROM) when I saw the ROM story He is after all THE Space Knight...

No we can speculate what alt mode he would have

I am still interested to see what they bring out for the knights... Pirates are cool, but SOOOOOOoooo burned out on them!!! Maybe it's because my 5yr old makes me endure Jake and the Neverland Pirates... Plus I am kinda disappointed Thundertron seems to be out of the mix. Maybe some of the swabbies can be Jack Sparrow-ish remold of the Dredds LOL

Hal Rayle was at Charticon. He did a lot more voices than just G1 Snarl by the way. He's a total class act.

So glad Im skipping this year. If I like any of the figures Ill get em off ebay. I wish they would get rid of "themes" altogether and just do obvious filler sets like 2007 and 2009.

Rated X wrote:So glad Im skipping this year. If I like any of the figures Ill get em off ebay. I wish they would get rid of "themes" altogether and just do obvious filler sets like 2007 and 2009.

Only to have Hasbro release general retail version a couple years later? The only satisfaction one could get out of "filler sets" is the fact they have exclusive (and expensive) bragging rights for only a few years.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Rated X wrote:So glad Im skipping this year. If I like any of the figures Ill get em off ebay. I wish they would get rid of "themes" altogether and just do obvious filler sets like 2007 and 2009.

Only to have Hasbro release general retail version a couple years later? The only satisfaction one could get out of "filler sets" is the fact they have exclusive (and expensive) bragging rights for only a few years.

I know what you're talking about here, but that's not even kind of correct. I own the Botcon 2007 Seekers and the general releases of Thundercraker, Thrust and Dirge, as well as had owned the Henkei TC for a while as well, and I am satisfied with all of them on a personal level, regardless of bragging rights or whatnot. The existence of the mass retail Seekers in no way diminishes my enjoyment of the Botcon ones; in fact the Botcon ones are the ones that are special to me.
I don't think that they lost any degree of specialness when the retail ones were released. I do know that some of the fandom does think that way, so save yourself the trouble of needlessly pointing that out for me, but I think it's foolish to think that the fandom as a whole lost any positive feelings for the '07 set when the retail figures were released.

I also am growing tired of theme sets. I don't think the fiction attached to them is really anything to get excited over most of the time, and I'd prefer filler sets over most of the stuff from the Animated Stunticon set until this one, honestly.

http://www.botcon.com/BotCon2014/BC14exclusives.html
http://www.botcon.com/BotCon2014/BC14canball_page.html

Official website reveal of Cannonball (as opposed to the early reveal from the magazine and from Twitter).

Technically was revealed almost a month ago, but now it's official! The BotCon 2014 website has been updated with official images of Cannonball from this year's Pirates vs. Knights convention boxset. The figure is a repaint of Transformers Prime Robots in Disguise Deluxe Ratchet with a brand new head mold. Check out the official images below:

Nice! Not my cup of tea, I want to see the other boxset members though,

Not bad, not bad at all.

I love how FunPubs definition of "official" nowadays is "let's photoshop the colors and put on a CG rendered head"

Show me the actual plastic.

Whats the difference between this photo and the ones already released ?

That's pretty cool, really feels like Cannonball owns the mold instead of just being a repaint + new head. Though I didn't realize how much the transformation cheats...

Rated X wrote:Whats the difference between this photo and the ones already released ?

The nature of the pictures' release.

And the background, I guess.

Manterax Prime wrote:I love how FunPubs definition of "official" nowadays is "let's photoshop the colors and put on a CG rendered head"

Show me the actual plastic.

even though its the actual toy except touched up with Photoshop.

I dig the vehicle mode but I hate that combination of colors on the bot mode. That gold plastic on black, aquamarine (I think ?), yellow and purple just looks messed up.

Does this mean the next month will reveal the next 4 members of the box set?

Not a theme I'm attached to, but I'm looking forward to some potential repurposing.

Henry921 wrote:Does this mean the next month will reveal the next 4 members of the box set?

They should do it sooner, before people actually start signing up for packages. To some fans the exclusives decide whether they go to the convention or not, just get the sets mailed to them, or pass on the set entirely. So the set should be revealed before the deadline for signing up for BotCon.

Henry921 wrote:Not a theme I'm attached to, but I'm looking forward to some potential repurposing.

If the other pirates all turn out to Squadron X members, then there may not need to be repurposing since they'd already be G1 characters.

Sabrblade wrote:

Henry921 wrote:Not a theme I'm attached to, but I'm looking forward to some potential repurposing.

If the other pirates all turn out to Squadron X members, then there may not need to be repurposing since they'd already be G1 characters.

Collectors' Club wrote:This is more than just a homage set though, as it brings characters from across the mythos into the Fun Publications “G1 cartoon” universe, with a couple other surprises in store for you as well!

This will be interesting to say the least. We have a Cannonball from Cybertron, who'll be next?

im surprised how many people are genuinely interested in this set given the silly nature. especially with how picky this fandom can be. personally i have no interest yet, but theres always something in every set so ill reserve judgement.

FunPub had better explain in the comic why Cannonball, a pirate, would want to transform into an ambulance.

WiseMan wrote:FunPub had better explain in the comic why Cannonball, a pirate, would want to transform into an ambulance.

No one questioned this about Cybertron Cannonball.

Cannonball's schtick is that, like the Dread Pirate Roberts, he can be anybody, for he is only a name and reputation, with many having assumed the mantle of the role. He could turn into a cotton candy machine of all things and still work as Cannonball.

Sabrblade wrote:No one questioned this about Cybertron Cannonball.

Cannonball's schtick is that, like the Dread Pirate Roberts, he can be anybody, for he is only a name and reputation, with many having assumed the mantle of the role. He could turn into a cotton candy machine of all things and still work as Cannonball.

I understand that, but there are two problems.

First, Cybertron Red Alert didn't really look like an ambulance except for the paint job. When you look at the Prime Ratchet mode from behind? Look, it's an ambulance.

And second, I don't think this Dread Pirate Roberts/Cannonball has ever fallen in love and left the pirate life. I think they're always pretty much evil and stuff.

WiseMan wrote:And second, I don't think this Dread Pirate Roberts/Cannonball has ever fallen in love and left the pirate life. I think they're always pretty much evil and stuff.

It's not the personality but the concept that he's derived from.

Kinda like what IDW Ultra Magnus is.

It'd be kinda interesting to see a bit of Cannonball's pre-pirate history, some origin of his ambulance alt. Like if he used to be a medic but decided to pursue a more lucrative career, or was shanghaied into it, or if he's rebelling against Functionism or something. I'd also love to see the previous Cannonball title holders, and if there was any attempt by them to keep a continuity going (did they all have the Oingo Boingo skeletons? or is that the current one's signature?).

Noideaforaname wrote:It'd be kinda interesting to see a bit of Cannonball's pre-pirate history, some origin of his ambulance alt. Like if he used to be a medic but decided to pursue a more lucrative career, or was shanghaied into it, or if he's rebelling against Functionism or something. I'd also love to see the previous Cannonball title holders, and if there was any attempt by them to keep a continuity going (did they all have the Oingo Boingo skeletons? or is that the current one's signature?).

All of the pirates in the two packs and army builders turn out to be Cannonball's of 2-3 varying molds and colour schemes.

Noideaforaname wrote:It'd be kinda interesting to see a bit of Cannonball's pre-pirate history, some origin of his ambulance alt. Like if he used to be a medic but decided to pursue a more lucrative career, or was shanghaied into it, or if he's rebelling against Functionism or something. I'd also love to see the previous Cannonball title holders, and if there was any attempt by them to keep a continuity going (did they all have the Oingo Boingo skeletons? or is that the current one's signature?).

I wouldn't expect much outside of Cannonball's toy bio since the most substantial, character exploration-based fiction the Club produces comes from the text stories, any of which they haven't published since 2011 and the next one coming up will return to focusing on the dimensionally-displaced G1 GoBots.

Not to mention how this year's convention comic story is supposed to be the concluding story of the Wing Universe, wrapping it up into its end; so Cannonball here will be starring in this continuity's final chapter.

Though, we did get a glimpse at one of the previous Cannonballs of the past, who was a Decepticon Warlord that led the Maraudicons, but not much else was touched upon him before Deathsaurus murdered him along with the other Warlords.

It's stupid.

This repaint is an exclusive...of a repaint, which IMO was better when it came out in 2006. And you guys are excited?

Man what will they think of next.

bvzxa wrote:It's stupid.

This repaint is an exclusive...of a repaint, which IMO was better when it came out in 2006. And you guys are excited?

Man what will they think of next.

It's no different than when e-HOBBY made that Generations Magnificus toy, which itself was an exclusive redeco/remold based on another redeco, only the one that that one was based on was also an exclusive. And yet, people wanted that Magnificus.

Sabrblade wrote:

bvzxa wrote:It's stupid.

This repaint is an exclusive...of a repaint, which IMO was better when it came out in 2006. And you guys are excited?

Man what will they think of next.

It's no different than when e-HOBBY made that Generations Magnificus toy, which itself was an exclusive redeco/remold based on another redeco, only the one that that one was based on was also an exclusive. And yet, people wanted that Magnificus.

Eh, come again?

Given past trends, we can expect the next reveals on the 10th, 17th, 24th and the 31st of March: one for every week. I wonder who's next.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Eh, come again?

He's mad that this exclusive Cannonball toy is just a mere redeco based on a character who was also just a mere redeco.

I compared it to the Generations Magnificus toy that was also an exclusive redeco based on an existing redeco (G1 Magnificus, whom I also noted was an exclusive itself).