Transformers BotCon 2016 Dawn of the Predacus Predacon General Seaclamp revealed

The BotCon Twitter has something to say about this new headsculpt - https://twitter.com/BotCon/status/659372098146672641

Two things. Seaclamp's is the UGLIEST head we have ever sculpted. That said. It turned out BEAUTIFULLY!

1 little, 2 little, 3 little repaints....

YoungPrime wrote:1 little, 2 little, 3 little repaints....

Remold. New headsculpt.

Cicadacon's the only redeco.

I'm really not into this set. The last set I was detesting this much was Machine Wars and I came around on it.

This set though...

I thought I might like this. I don't. Nothing I've seen about these toys makes me really care about them. Ramhorn looks neat. The other four just exist.

Any Beast Wars mega-fans just totally stoked by this set? I like Beast Wars, but don't love it so much as to pore over all the content like I know some do. Curious what the take on these is from that perspective.

YoungPrime wrote:1 little, 2 little, 3 little repaints....

Posts like this add nothing of value to the discussion. Broadly speaking, this is what TFCC and Botcon toys have been, are, and will continue to be.

That head is a little creepy like a skeleton.



Has some customizing/kitbash potential

oh hey, another re-use of that mold. That whore-of-a-mold is sure getting rode hard and put up wet.

People have said that it was too bad these had no indication or homage to their beast forms and I always disagreed with saying that there were some nice homages and callbacks here and there. That being said, I see none here this time. Aside from the fact that he has the color of a boiled lobster.

Can someone fan mode its alt mode it a lobster like alt mode?

Starsaber468 wrote:An someone fan mode the alt mode it a lobster ish thing

Scattershot's not out yet.

Starsaber468 wrote:An someone fan mode the alt mode it a lobster ish thing

Huh?

The tail fin of the "plane" mode looks fantastic as a lobster tail hanging down the robot mode's back side. And I think the "shield" on the forearm is a clever clamp-like homage to the beast mode as well.

Add that to the alt mode not looking too absurd as a futuristic submersible and I do kind of like this mold as a pre/non-beast Seaclamp.

ScottyP wrote:I thought I might like this. I don't. Nothing I've seen about these toys makes me really care about them. Ramhorn looks neat. The other four just exist.

Any Beast Wars mega-fans just totally stoked by this set? I like Beast Wars, but don't love it so much as to pore over all the content like I know some do. Curious what the take on these is from that perspective.

I am a big Beast Wars fan since that is what I grew up with and those were my first toys. I find these fun but not worth the asking price. If they were available at retail for the standard retail MSRP, I would have bitten. What I am curious about Scotty, is seeing what the fan reaction would have been if these were issued by Takara. I would imagine people complaining that they arent getting them released stateside.


Also, to anyone complaining about redecos, are you aware of what Botcon toys are? They are NEVER new molds. No one should expect a new mold from these since thats simply not what it is. It's like E-hobby exclusives or the subscription service. I can understand ignorance but in that case, those who are unaware of what botcon exclusives or TF Club toys are will be happy since they will never see them in stores and thus these repaints wont bother them

Despite what everyone says, I am diggin the set and can't wait for the combined mode picture. I will try my damndest to get this set as long as combined mode is boss

Oddly enough, I like this one the best of the Tripredacus trio thus far. I have no emotional investment with the originals (indeed, I prefer to see the show versions/these guys as distinct entities from the toy trio... they're just too different to reconcile in my mind, so I think of them as either "guys who happen to share names" or "this universe's version") and so have never desired to see them in "toy colors" vs. the "show colors" we're getting. I have felt that the red on the other two was a bit overdone, and don't really know why this one doesn't make me think the same thing.

For whatever reason, I just feel that this one "works."

Now I'm starting to wonder. At the end of the Botcon 2006 comic, we seen Botcon Razorclaw and his new batch of Predacons as those in charge of Laserbeak and Buzzsaw.

I see them as being another Predacon faction we'll see the Council fight for power. Predaking version 2.0 vs. Quin-Predacus in the comic perhaps?

This has the potential be an interesting Civil War story. We already have 3 established Predacon factions.

1. Tripredacus Council + Agents
2. Razorclaw + Predacons v2.0
3. Cryotek + Megatron's Crew

Should be interesting to see if we get any explanation why the cassettes were split between factions 1 and 2. What if they repurpose Classics Ratbat from that Target 2 Pack as Predacon Ratbat in the comic and make him another agent or faction leader?

Despite the toys not interesting me, the fiction does.

I'm still not quite understanding this concept, presented a couple of times now, of the Tripredacus guys (and their allies) as on a different side than the Predacons. It seems to me that they ARE the Predacons (or, at least, their leaders) and always have been. This is speculative, to be sure. I'm just not seeing where any suggestion that the Tripredacus folks had to wrest control away from some other Predacons as any less speculative.

(By the way, I'm going under the assumption that Megatron and his Predacons were rebels vs. the "main" Predacons of Beast Wars-era Cybertron. This is, I think, firmly established. Thus, any on-screen machinations by the Tripredicus Council against Megatron's Predacons in no way establishes them as opposed to Predacons, in general.)

ScottyP wrote:Any Beast Wars mega-fans just totally stoked by this set? I like Beast Wars, but don't love it so much as to pore over all the content like I know some do. Curious what the take on these is from that perspective.

I'm always excited for new Beast Wars toys, but I'm not overly fond of this BotCon set. I barely remember the Tripredacus Council from the show, when I first saw them (I was about seven) I didn't even realise they were Predacons, or Transformers at all, so I have no real attachment to them. And while I know the colours of the BotCon set are based on the show, I would probably be more interested if Sea Clamp and Cicadacon were in their toy colours (green and white for Cicadacon, brown and purple for Sea Clamp).

G.B. Blackrock wrote:I'm still not quite understanding this concept, presented a couple of times now, of the Tripredacus guys (and their allies) as on a different side than the Predacons. It seems to me that they ARE the Predacons (or, at least, their leaders) and always have been. This is speculative, to be sure. I'm just not seeing where any suggestion that the Tripredacus folks had to wrest control away from some other Predacons as any less speculative.

(By the way, I'm going under the assumption that Megatron and his Predacons were rebels vs. the "main" Predacons of Beast Wars-era Cybertron. This is, I think, firmly established. Thus, any on-screen machinations by the Tripredicus Council against Megatron's Predacons in no way establishes them as opposed to Predacons, in general.)

The box set is literally called "Rise of the Predacus"

They can't rise if they are at the top from the beginning. I'd be inclined to agree with you speculation that they were on top if the set were called "Rise of the Predacons" instead though. That'd show that the whole faction exists due to the council leading them. Right now the name implies that the Tripredacus Council doesn't have power and has to seize it first.

G.B. Blackrock wrote:I'm still not quite understanding this concept, presented a couple of times now, of the Tripredacus guys (and their allies) as on a different side than the Predacons. It seems to me that they ARE the Predacons (or, at least, their leaders) and always have been. This is speculative, to be sure. I'm just not seeing where any suggestion that the Tripredacus folks had to wrest control away from some other Predacons as any less speculative.

(By the way, I'm going under the assumption that Megatron and his Predacons were rebels vs. the "main" Predacons of Beast Wars-era Cybertron. This is, I think, firmly established. Thus, any on-screen machinations by the Tripredicus Council against Megatron's Predacons in no way establishes them as opposed to Predacons, in general.)

Yes, megatron and his crew are rebels. On Cybertron, Predacons and Maximals are at peace with oneanother though they dont really get along. I always found it kind of mean how Rattrap and Cheetor hated predacons and talked of them like they were second class citizens (they even had racial slurrs and catchphrases).

And yes, the pradacus counsil was always simply Predacons, but higher ups.

Bed Bugs wrote:

G.B. Blackrock wrote:I'm still not quite understanding this concept, presented a couple of times now, of the Tripredacus guys (and their allies) as on a different side than the Predacons. It seems to me that they ARE the Predacons (or, at least, their leaders) and always have been. This is speculative, to be sure. I'm just not seeing where any suggestion that the Tripredacus folks had to wrest control away from some other Predacons as any less speculative.

(By the way, I'm going under the assumption that Megatron and his Predacons were rebels vs. the "main" Predacons of Beast Wars-era Cybertron. This is, I think, firmly established. Thus, any on-screen machinations by the Tripredicus Council against Megatron's Predacons in no way establishes them as opposed to Predacons, in general.)

The box set is literally called "Rise of the Predacus"

They can't rise if they are at the top from the beginning.

You're interpreting that rather differently than I am.

We already know that the Beast Era takes place after the G1 era. Thus, ANY group in power in the Beast Era had to rise to power.

This doesn't assume who they rose to power over. It could have been over the Autobots and Decepticons, for example. It could detail the mutual risings of the Maximals and the Predacons (but we're focused more on this side for narrative reasons).

It certainly need not assume rising over other Predacons. We could talk about the rise of a specific American President, for example, without assuming that the rising President was opposed to Americans in general. Or thinking of the rising President as part of a different faction than "Americans."

william-james88 wrote:

G.B. Blackrock wrote:I'm still not quite understanding this concept, presented a couple of times now, of the Tripredacus guys (and their allies) as on a different side than the Predacons. It seems to me that they ARE the Predacons (or, at least, their leaders) and always have been. This is speculative, to be sure. I'm just not seeing where any suggestion that the Tripredacus folks had to wrest control away from some other Predacons as any less speculative.

(By the way, I'm going under the assumption that Megatron and his Predacons were rebels vs. the "main" Predacons of Beast Wars-era Cybertron. This is, I think, firmly established. Thus, any on-screen machinations by the Tripredicus Council against Megatron's Predacons in no way establishes them as opposed to Predacons, in general.)

Yes, megatron and his crew are rebels. On Cybertron, Predacons and Maximals are at peace with oneanother though they dont really get along. I always found it kind of mean how Rattrap and Cheetor hated predacons and talked of them like they were second class citizens (they even had racial slurrs and catchphrases).

And yes, the pradacus counsil was always simply Predacons, but higher ups.

Plus, this guy just said it right here. Maximals and Predacons are at peace. Who is the Tripredacus Council going to fight then?

Bed Bugs wrote:Plus, this guy just said it right here. Maximals and Predacons are at peace. Who is the Tripredacus Council going to fight then?

Well, it is canonically demonstrated the the Council is plotting for the Predacons to take power over the Maximals in the Beast Era itself. They need not be in open warfare to have conflict sufficient for a story.

(As to "who else"? I've already given a possibility in my previous post)

G.B. Blackrock wrote:

Bed Bugs wrote:Plus, this guy just said it right here. Maximals and Predacons are at peace. Who is the Tripredacus Council going to fight then?

Well, it is canonically demonstrated the the Council is plotting for the Predacons to take power over the Maximals in the Beast Era itself. They need not be in open warfare to have conflict sufficient for a story.

(As to "who else"? I've already given a possibility in my previous post)

You honestly believe a Combiner isn't going to be used in open warfare?

Bed Bugs wrote:

G.B. Blackrock wrote:

Bed Bugs wrote:Plus, this guy just said it right here. Maximals and Predacons are at peace. Who is the Tripredacus Council going to fight then?

Well, it is canonically demonstrated the the Council is plotting for the Predacons to take power over the Maximals in the Beast Era itself. They need not be in open warfare to have conflict sufficient for a story.

(As to "who else"? I've already given a possibility in my previous post)

You honestly believe a Combiner isn't going to be used in open warfare?

*sigh* are you going to actually engage this discussion, or would you rather just trade pot shots?

We don't even know how much the Combined form is going to factor into the story. It can be a battle, even violent, without negating anything I've said.

I just think that it's very unlikely that a group that is able to combine, especially in a Botcon set, and especially because the combined forms head will be remolded, that we won't see the combiner in action fighting something.

The council isn't going to lower itself to combine with their 2 agents because they enjoy it. They are going to need to do it to fight something that is just as strong.

Bed Bugs wrote:I just think that it's very unlikely that a group that is able to combine, especially in a Botcon set, and especially because the combined forms head will be remolded, that we won't see the combiner in action fighting something.

The council isn't going to lower itself to combine with their 2 agents because they enjoy it. They are going to need to do it to fight something that is just as strong.

That's fine. One of my theories is that this isn't set in the "Wings" universe (it might be), but rather the "Beast Wars Uprising" universe. In either universe (but especially in Uprising) it's pretty easy to imagine a scenario where they combine to battle the last remnants of the Autobot/Decepticon alliance that are the Maximals' and Predacons' forebears, thus paving the way for the New Order.

Bed Bugs wrote:Now I'm starting to wonder. At the end of the Botcon 2006 comic, we seen Botcon Razorclaw and his new batch of Predacons as those in charge of Laserbeak and Buzzsaw.

That scene with Razorclaw took place many years later from the rest of the comic's setting, in the far future post-Beast Machines, even after the Universe War (it'd kinda have to take place there since the Universe War began very shortly after Beast Machines).

G.B. Blackrock wrote:I'm still not quite understanding this concept, presented a couple of times now, of the Tripredacus guys (and their allies) as on a different side than the Predacons. It seems to me that they ARE the Predacons (or, at least, their leaders) and always have been. This is speculative, to be sure. I'm just not seeing where any suggestion that the Tripredacus folks had to wrest control away from some other Predacons as any less speculative.

(By the way, I'm going under the assumption that Megatron and his Predacons were rebels vs. the "main" Predacons of Beast Wars-era Cybertron. This is, I think, firmly established. Thus, any on-screen machinations by the Tripredicus Council against Megatron's Predacons in no way establishes them as opposed to Predacons, in general.)

Megatron's crew were a bunch of criminals while the Tripredacus Council are a governing body of politicians. All Predacons, but with differing agendas. The Council already had their own longterm plans of taking back Cybertron from the Maximals, but Megatron's crew took matters into their own hands, which was illegal even by Predacon standards, which is why Ravage was sent to arrest Megatron for defying the terms of both the Pax Cybertronia and the Predacon Alliance.

Bed Bugs wrote:The box set is literally called "Rise of the Predacus"

No it isn't. Kindly read the title of this thread, which is visible at the top every post.

So by a show of emoticons, who is really sick of the silverbolt retools?



I AM!!!!!!

Wheeljack808 wrote:So by a show of emoticons, who is really sick of the silverbolt retools?



I AM!!!!!!

Thus far there's only been Cyclonus.

Scattershot's not out yet.

Sabrblade wrote:

Bed Bugs wrote:The box set is literally called "Rise of the Predacus"

No it isn't. Kindly read the title of this thread, which is visible at the top every post.

Dawn or rise. Doesn't matter the term. Point being it's the beginning story of the Tripredacus Council, not necessarily the beginning of the Predacon faction.

Doesn't matter whether its out yet or not, its still coming.

Worst of all this is barely different from Scattershot

Also don't forget that Sky Lynx will be a retool of this mold as well (albeit a VERY extensive one)

G.B. Blackrock wrote:

Bed Bugs wrote:I just think that it's very unlikely that a group that is able to combine, especially in a Botcon set, and especially because the combined forms head will be remolded, that we won't see the combiner in action fighting something.

The council isn't going to lower itself to combine with their 2 agents because they enjoy it. They are going to need to do it to fight something that is just as strong.

That's fine. One of my theories is that this isn't set in the "Wings" universe (it might be), but rather the "Beast Wars Uprising" universe. In either universe (but especially in Uprising) it's pretty easy to imagine a scenario where they combine to battle the last remnants of the Autobot/Decepticon alliance that are the Maximals' and Predacons' forebears, thus paving the way for the New Order.

If they used toy colors, I'd be inclined to think it was this new Uprising Universe. I'm thinking Wings Universe since they opted for show colors on the Council.

Also inclined to believe that with Uprising being G1 vs. Beast Wars, that the Ravage in this set wouldn't be working for the Predacons. So again, I'm thinking Wings Universe.

Wheeljack808 wrote:Doesn't matter whether its out yet or not, its still coming.

Worst of all this is barely different from Scattershot

Also don't forget that Sky Lynx will be a retool of this mold as well (albeit a VERY extensive one)

We've been over this before with someone else, son.

Sky Lynx is not a daggum Silverbolt retool!!!!

Wheeljack808 wrote:Doesn't matter whether its out yet or not, its still coming.

Worst of all this is barely different from Scattershot

Also don't forget that Sky Lynx will be a retool of this mold as well (albeit a VERY extensive one)

Skylynx is not a remold. He's 100% new.

Wheeljack808 wrote:Doesn't matter whether its out yet or not, its still coming.

Worst of all this is barely different from Scattershot

Barely different?





Hardly.

Wheeljack808 wrote:Also don't forget that Sky Lynx will be a retool of this mold as well (albeit a VERY extensive one)

No he won't. Sky Lynx is a new mold.

Wow, now THAT is boring and lazy.

Sabrblade wrote:

Wheeljack808 wrote:Doesn't matter whether its out yet or not, its still coming.

Worst of all this is barely different from Scattershot

Barely different?





Hardly.

Wheeljack808 wrote:Also don't forget that Sky Lynx will be a retool of this mold as well (albeit a VERY extensive one)

No he won't. Sky Lynx is a new mold.

So we either have wildly different ideas of what the word "Hardly" means or you're pretty blind given that the only differences I see are a different head and a slightly different chest, Yeah they're pretty different alright

As for Sky Lynx....you may be right about that. I thought when it was announced though they said it was an extensive retool of Silverbolt using the main body (undercarriage) as the base for sky lynx but after looking at it again...yeah I'm not sure. So if you're right then fair enough.

Still sick of the repaints/retools. a few is fine but this is WAY too much. I'm getting Bruticus and Sky Lynx but I may pass on the Optimus Maximus guys and the Wave 6 stuff as well.

Bed Bugs wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Bed Bugs wrote:The box set is literally called "Rise of the Predacus"

No it isn't. Kindly read the title of this thread, which is visible at the top every post.

Dawn or rise. Doesn't matter the term. Point being it's the beginning story of the Tripredacus Council, not necessarily the beginning of the Predacon faction.

For what it's worth, on this we agree. I'm not as ready to assume your interpretation of how that comes to pass, but I do agree that this is about the characters who will become the Council, first and foremost.

Wheeljack808 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Wheeljack808 wrote:Doesn't matter whether its out yet or not, its still coming.

Worst of all this is barely different from Scattershot

Barely different?





Hardly.

Wheeljack808 wrote:Also don't forget that Sky Lynx will be a retool of this mold as well (albeit a VERY extensive one)

No he won't. Sky Lynx is a new mold.

So we either have wildly different ideas of what the word "Hardly" means or you're pretty blind given that the only differences I see are a different head and a slightly different chest, Yeah they're pretty different alright

As for Sky Lynx....you may be right about that. I thought when it was announced though they said it was an extensive retool of Silverbolt using the main body (undercarriage) as the base for sky lynx but after looking at it again...yeah I'm not sure. So if you're right then fair enough.

Still sick of the repaints/retools. a few is fine but this is WAY too much. I'm getting Bruticus and Sky Lynx but I may pass on the Optimus Maximus guys and the Wave 6 stuff as well.

I am SO with Wheeljack808 on this. A new color scheme and head/bits and bobs of the chest do NOT make this wildly different, especially compared to some of the remolds I've seen.

Beast Wars is getting screwed by this.

Experimenting with Cyclonus, you can get sort of a robot lobster thing going, though I think it works better with Cyclonus's mold than Scattorshot's mold (Scattorshot's tail is going to look weird as the lobster's nose).

RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:

Wheeljack808 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Wheeljack808 wrote:Doesn't matter whether its out yet or not, its still coming.

Worst of all this is barely different from Scattershot

Barely different?





Hardly.

Wheeljack808 wrote:Also don't forget that Sky Lynx will be a retool of this mold as well (albeit a VERY extensive one)

No he won't. Sky Lynx is a new mold.

So we either have wildly different ideas of what the word "Hardly" means or you're pretty blind given that the only differences I see are a different head and a slightly different chest, Yeah they're pretty different alright

As for Sky Lynx....you may be right about that. I thought when it was announced though they said it was an extensive retool of Silverbolt using the main body (undercarriage) as the base for sky lynx but after looking at it again...yeah I'm not sure. So if you're right then fair enough.

Still sick of the repaints/retools. a few is fine but this is WAY too much. I'm getting Bruticus and Sky Lynx but I may pass on the Optimus Maximus guys and the Wave 6 stuff as well.

I am SO with Wheeljack808 on this. A new color scheme and head/bits and bobs of the chest do NOT make this wildly different, especially compared to some of the remolds I've seen.

Beast Wars is getting screwed by this.

I'm with Sabrblade. The paint apps are vastly different (at least in robot mode).

I dont get it, how are any of these inferior to the effort brought to these sets:

william-james88 wrote:I dont get it, how are any of these inferior to the effort brought to these sets:

Yeah I agree plus William is always right with those bsing some of the best boxsets just look at them...

Sabrblade wrote:

Starsaber468 wrote:Can someone fan mode the alt mode it a lobster ish thing

Scattershot's not out yet.

But the silverbolt is XD Its the same mide scattorshot just has remolded parts, some new parts a new head and paint scheme still the same mold but anyway I would like to see some kind of fan mode

All I can, and will, say is this:

In robot mode, Scattershot is just Silverbolt with a new head. It's the vehicle mode that makes the difference between the two. Period. By the by, this leads to further support the theory of the parts being built into the mold from the beginning.

And I'm glad FunPub went with the Scattershot parts, it makes him just that more unique. As for the likeness to Scattershot himself: while they make use similar colors, they're not exact, different in brightness and hues, plus they're in different areas and ratios.

Starsaber468 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Starsaber468 wrote:Can someone fan mode the alt mode it a lobster ish thing

Scattershot's not out yet.

But the silverbolt is XD Its the same mide scattorshot just has remolded parts, some new parts a new head and paint scheme still the same mold but anyway I would like to see some kind of fan mode

I really think that is expecting too much. And it never happened before.
What I meant before with my images (thanks for the vote of confidence by the way) was just to show that the previous years were just repaints too, sometimes with new heads. So I dont get why this being repaints is the big negative being taken away.

Would you guys have preffered show accurate colours of the original BW Tripecidus combiner? Would that have even worked?

william-james88 wrote:

Starsaber468 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Starsaber468 wrote:Can someone fan mode the alt mode it a lobster ish thing

Scattershot's not out yet.

But the silverbolt is XD Its the same mide scattorshot just has remolded parts, some new parts a new head and paint scheme still the same mold but anyway I would like to see some kind of fan mode

I really think that is expecting too much. And it never happened before.

Well, there is a minor precedent for a fan mode being "officially" used by Fun Pub. Punch/Counterpunch uses a leg transformation for Punch's robot mode that originated with fans. (That mode has certain difficulties, of course, in not really being able to stand on its own)

What I meant before with my images (thanks for the vote of confidence by the way) was just to show that the previous years were just repaints too, sometimes with new heads. So I dont get why this being repaints is the big negative being taken away.

I know that some folks are newer than others of us, but I really do think that any comments complaining about the fact that club/convention exclusives are (and always have been, and always will be) reused/recolored/retooled molds reflects a failure to understand or respect what is possible with the resources at FunPub's disposal. There's really no excuse not to know by now that this is how things work.

william-james88 wrote:Would you guys have preffered show accurate colours of the original BW Tripecidus combiner? Would that have even worked?

I wouldn't think so, as the combiner never appeared. The similar Tripledacus (as in "triple") did appear in the Beast Wars II anime, but they were nothing more than a stereotypical Mexican mariachi band

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

william-james88 wrote:Would you guys have preffered show accurate colours of the original BW Tripecidus combiner? Would that have even worked?

I wouldn't think so, as the combiner never appeared. The similar Tripledacus (as in "triple") did appear in the Beast Wars II anime, but they were nothing more than a stereotypical Mexican mariachi band

And Maximals as well.