The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next

[technoblue]

*Runs to TFWiki*

Oh yes. That would be a cool group to revisit with today's WFC designs or whatever comes after. More Decepticons, more transforming jets...all very good things. And Skyquake had the benefit of re-appearing on TF Prime to boot.

 

[mikeszekely]

So my wife wanted a few things at Target today.  I hit up the Transformers section while she and my kid went to pick up a prescription; nothing particularly interesting.  But after we link back up my kid starts begging me to take her to look at the toys.  Now on my first trip I followed the main aisle from the doors around to the toy department, looked in, and didn't see anything.  But going back with my kid I kind of went through the middle, through the bed and bath section and between the gaps so I entered the toys facing the back endcaps... where I found a whole endcap for Transformers.  It was mostly Earthrise, a little Studio Series.  I could have picked up Studio Series Topspin, but I'm not sure how much I really want that one.  Otherwise nothing I didn't already have... oh, except a certain two-pack...

Interestingly enough I'd actually signed up for the "notify me when it's in stock" thing on Target's website, and three or four times I'd get an email early in the morning with an in-stock notice but they'd be sold out by the time I actually got up and checked.  That happened most recently today, but the website showed them in stock in a store around 9 or 10 miles away.  Not at my local store, but close enough that I was tempted (I ultimately passed because that neighborhood is a pain to get around in).  So yeah, I was pretty thrilled when I found them at my local store that wasn't even supposed to have any in stock.  I mean, the Siege versions are good, and I'm totally content with the Tetrajet design for Novastorm, Ion Storm, Acid Storm, Red Wing, and Hotlink (if Walmart ever sends the one I preordered way back in February).  But once I got an Earth mode Starscream the need for a Thundercracker and Skywarp that turn into F-15s became very real.

I'm not going to do another detailed review.  I already reviewed Starscream here, and everything I said there still stands.  While they have a number of improvements in aesthetics, proportions, and articulation they're still extremely similar to the Classics Seeker mold from all the way back in 2006.  And so they're good figures, but less impressive than some of the other figures in the Earthrise line.

Thundercracker is Starscream in different colors.  Colors I expect David will have some thoughts on.  The look is definitely leaning hard toward the cartoon and as such is a bit lighter than the Classics version, and it doesn't have that subtle undercurrent of turquoise that the G1 toy had.

Skywarp is 99.9% the same figure as the other two, but he actually does have one small difference.  Instead of the more neutral, stoic expression the other two have Skywarp's mouth is slightly agape, like he can't believe someone took his lunch out of the break room fridge because it clearly had his name on it.  Like his fellow Earthrise Seekers, Skywarp's colors are cartoon-inspired, but I guess that's less of a problem for black and purple.  Speaking of purple, the Earthrise version is definitely sporting a more traditional violet color than the borderline magenta on the Classics version, but I'd say that's more accurate regardless of whether you're comparing him to the cartoon or the G1 toy.

The jet modes are unsurprisingly cartoon-inspired, with narrow stripes on the wings and solid colors on the noses, horizontal stabilizers, and (excluding Starscream) vertical stabilizers.  It's fine for Starscream, who has some color on his vertical stabs, and I don't mind the all-black nose on Skywarp.  I do kind of wish Thundercracker had some black on the tip of his nose, though, and if Reprolabels makes a set for these guys I might pick it up to put a little color on their vertical stabs.

As I said before, I'm fine with the Siege versions of Acid Storm, Novastorm, Ion Storm, Red Wing, and Hotlink.  And I don't need every Seeker; if I never get Nacelle or Bitstream it's not the end of the world.  It'd be nice to get a proper creamsicle-colored Sunstorm, though, maybe as a Generations Selects figure (if I'm being honest, though, I'll buy whatever Seekers they put out).  But with the Season 1 Seekers done (twice) now in the War for Cybertron Trilogy, what I think most of us really want now are proper Voyager-class updates of these guys.

And on that note...

I mentioned Thrust being part of a Weibo leak awhile back that included a very promising Cyclonus.  Now this image of a possible Dirge turned up late in the week.  Dunno if they're real or fake, but they're both looking just fine to me and I'd buy both in a heartbeat.  Do Ramjet, too, and I'll be mostly content (still want Sunstorm).  I just hope they're regular retail releases or, failing that, more broadly available Generations Selects releases and none of these pain-in-the-rear, sold out in minutes store-exclusives.

[sh9000]

[M'Kyuun]

It vexes me still when I see good engineering applied to any number of figs in  Earthrise, and then the absolute lack of effort applied to Arcee, who should have been an upgrade to the Generations figure.  Even  Cyberverse Arcee appears to have an integrated transformation, and that line is generally less complex than the mainline.  I know opinions differ on the question of parts-forming, but in my mind, a huge part of the evolution of the mainline is eschewing it totally; to resort to it is a step backwards, and stands in contrast to the point of these toys, with a few acceptable concessions (interchangeable fixed pose hands, interchangeable faces, removable weapons/accessories). But in all cases, IMHO, the entirety of the core bot should be able to transition to alt mode without removing anything. Honestly, if I had my druthers, part of the engineering evolution to the mainline would be total integration of the weapons, or at minimum, internal storage in alt mode. I hate pegging a giant gun or missile launcher on top or on the side of a realistic looking vehicle mode.  It's tacky, and with 30+ years to improve engineering, should be another of those anachronisms that plagued older toys, and that we look upon with good-humored disdain. Alas, it doesn't seem like the weapon storage situation is improving anytime soon, and if anything, the tendency towards reverting to parts-forming  when  they can't be bothered to work out a proper transformation mechanic is, I fear, becoming a norm. 

Now that that's off my chest, I kinda dig Cyberverse Arcee- she even appears to have ankle tilts. Thunderhowl is interesting, too. A bit simple, but that's par for Cyberverse.

Edited June 28, 2020 by M'Kyuun

[mikeszekely]

Went to Walmart for address labels. Found Netflix Hotlink. I bought it, but I'm kind of mad that I pre-ordered him and Mirage back in February and the status was still "Delayed" when I went to cancel. Maybe fill your preorders before filling endcaps, eh?

Would still like to find Scrapface, but my local Walmart had a pile of every figure expect him and Magnus.

 

edit: Speaking of Hotlink, I'm always happy to troop build with more Seekers, but I'm not a fan of the deco.  He's a pretty obvious purple in the G1 cartoon with mostly black accents, almost as if you took Skywarp and inverted his colors then added a little white for good measure..  The Netflix version uses a very muted purple, then goes overboard with the scorch marks (which seems to be the Netflix version of Siege's dirt) and loses the white entirely.  The result is a technically a purple Seeker with black accents that could easily be mistaken for a black Seeker with purple accents.  Or, y'know, Skywarp.

Still need a Sunstorm, Hasbro.  Although, with the Earthrise Seekers all in hand I wonder how difficult it'd be to repaint the Siege versions of Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp into Sunstorm, Nacelle or Bitstream, and G2 Blackout...

Edited June 28, 2020 by mikeszekely

[technoblue]

Out of curiosity, I picked up Earthrise Starscream. I wasn't going to, but then I decided it was worth trying out the mold for myself at least once. I have read a lot about the old classics mold, but never had the chance to hold it in hand. So yeah, like most Transformer aircraft Screamer carries a lot of his bot torso beneath him in fighter mode but I'm looking at this and G1 Screamer and I can't help shaking that this is the closest the mainline has come to the G1 toy in quite some time. Sadly, no landing gear, but I feel it's still a worthy update. Yeah, I'm really impressed. I think I'm going to try and pick up some spare G1 missile parts for fighter mode to arm up Earthrise Screamer with. It's a missed opportunity, I think, that these weren't included given Hastak's proclivity to pack in extra accessories with other WFC toys.

LoL! The only bad news is that I now need to search around for ER Thundercracker and Skywarp. No big deal. I'm not going to rush it.

Sticking with Earthrise topics, I decided to take a closer look at Arcee given the current partsforming discussion.

Here's a nice pic from Reddit comparing T30 to ER Arcee:

https://www.reddit.com/r/transformers/comments/f6xmgi/lg_generations_arcee_x_earthrise_arcee/

Yeah, I still prefer ER Arcee to Legends/T30 Arcee myself. Maybe it is because my eyes are getting older and more nearsighted but she does appear proportionally improved over the the older Generations release, and the face has a touch more detail too.

In the same reddit thread, someone noted that Arcee's partsforming is optional. That would be a fun switcheroo: making her backpack work differently from the one on the Cliffjumper/Hubcap mold. I guess that's something that remains to be seen as it could just be a rumor too. I do agree that both versions make compromises to her character design, although I find myself not as fussed by the ER compromises. 

One thing I am nervous about with ER Arcee is that paint job. The render looks nice, yeah, but the magazine images do not inspire the same confidence. I hope that HasTak didn't cheap out on the paint apps, giving ER Arcee a bland look in hand. It's obvious when comparing ER to Cyberverse Arcee in the magazine shots. It almost looks like ER Arcee needs her own accent color to better highlight her G1 features. 

[JB0]

20 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

I know opinions differ on the question of parts-forming, but in my mind, a huge part of the evolution of the mainline is eschewing it totally; to resort to it is a step backwards, and stands in contrast to the point of these toys, with a few acceptable concessions (interchangeable fixed pose hands, interchangeable faces, removable weapons/accessories)

I'm okay with taking parts off or swapping them around sometimes*, but this is a lazy half-butted way to do it. You don't just toss half the friggin' car aside and go "there, transformation finished"

 

 

*I'm actually harsher on scorpion-tail assemblies that exist only so the part you're swapping is never technically detached. They get in the way and do not meaningfully change the part's relationship with the rest of the toy.

[M'Kyuun]

16 hours ago, technoblue said:

Out of curiosity, I picked up Earthrise Starscream. I wasn't going to, but then I decided it was worth trying out the mold for myself at least once. I have read a lot about the old classics mold, but never had the chance to hold it in hand. So yeah, like most Transformer aircraft Screamer carries a lot of his bot torso beneath him in fighter mode but I'm looking at this and G1 Screamer and I can't help shaking that this is the closest the mainline has come to the G1 toy in quite some time. Sadly, no landing gear, but I feel it's still a worthy update. Yeah, I'm really impressed. I think I'm going to try and pick up some spare G1 missile parts for fighter mode to arm up Earthrise Screamer with. It's a missed opportunity, I think, that these weren't included given Hastak's proclivity to pack in extra accessories with other WFC toys.

LoL! The only bad news is that I now need to search around for ER Thundercracker and Skywarp. No big deal. I'm not going to rush it.

Sticking with Earthrise topics, I decided to take a closer look at Arcee given the current partsforming discussion.

Here's a nice pic from Reddit comparing T30 to ER Arcee:

https://www.reddit.com/r/transformers/comments/f6xmgi/lg_generations_arcee_x_earthrise_arcee/

Yeah, I still prefer ER Arcee to Legends/T30 Arcee myself. Maybe it is because my eyes are getting older and more nearsighted but she does appear proportionally improved over the the older Generations release, and the face has a touch more detail too.

In the same reddit thread, someone noted that Arcee's partsforming is optional. That would be a fun switcheroo: making her backpack work differently from the one on the Cliffjumper/Hubcap mold. I guess that's something that remains to be seen as it could just be a rumor too. I do agree that both versions make compromises to her character design, although I find myself not as fussed by the ER compromises. 

One thing I am nervous about with ER Arcee is that paint job. The render looks nice, yeah, but the magazine images do not inspire the same confidence. I hope that HasTak didn't cheap out on the paint apps, giving ER Arcee a bland look in hand. It's obvious when comparing ER to Cyberverse Arcee in the magazine shots. It almost looks like ER Arcee needs her own accent color to better highlight her G1 features. 

I concede that the proportions of ER Arcee are better, but at the cost of her transformation. The T30's legs formed her back fenders and part of the sides of her car mode, while her chest formed the center front of the car. The concession for her transformation is a set of linkages to allow her thighs to spread out, and unfortunately it gives her 'birthing hips'. But at least she can transform. If you misplace the the 2/3 car shell from ER Arcee, then only the front portion of her car mode, of which it appears that none of her bot mode is involved, will be possible. She's 1/3 shellformer, and 2/3 partsformer. As someone on Reddit posted, I don't know why they didn't take a cue from MMC's design philosophy, collapsing the rear fender shells over the front to form her pods. Azalea is about as close to perfect as you're going to get in a transforming Arcee, IMHO.  ER Arcee is essentially a nice action figure with a convertible hoody and a snap on car shell. In my eyes, a serious step backwards in a toyline where the transformation gimmick is at the forefront of its existence and its namesake.

Edited June 29, 2020 by M'Kyuun

[mikeszekely]

Hasbro put out a little guide to accessories that are coming with the Centurion pack.  Most of it is pretty obvious - a cage for Ravage, some Energon cubes, a new blaster, energon ax, and Roller for Prime, and Energon Mace for Megatron, a radar dish for Trailbreaker, an Optimus mini-figure (I guess to display with the Titans or Unicron to make them seem bigger), a mini Reflector in camera mode and Soundwave in tape mode, mini Megatron and Shockwave gun modes with 5mm peg handles, a jetpack for Sideswipe, a "drill blaster" meant for Ironhide, and a glass gas gun for Cliffjumper.  The last item, though, is a pretty generic blaster.  What's interesting is that it's labeled "Bumblebee Blaster," and it's interesting because Hasbro hasn't officially announced a Bumblebee figure in the War for Cybertron line.

 

[technoblue]

2 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

As someone on Reddit posted, I don't know why they didn't take a cue from MMC's design philosophy, collapsing the rear fender shells over the front to form her pods. Azalea is about as close to perfect as you're going to get in a transforming Arcee, IMHO.  ER Arcee is essentially a nice action figure with a convertible hoody and a snap on car shell. In my eyes, a serious step backwards in a toyline where the transformation gimmick is at the forefront of its existence and its namesake.

Yeah, I'm surprised by that too. HasTak has shown a willingness to borrow good third-party methods and add them to their own designs in the past and I have to wonder why it didn't happen with this figure? At the very least, I would have thought the partsforming piece could have its own independent transformation that allows it to look like a more believable accessory and not like a piece that Arcee ripped off herself and decided to go all Captain Morgan on.

[mikeszekely]

Maybe Hasbro saw how many people were buying Weijiang's KO Arcee with the detachable kibble and thought that's what people wanted?

Anyway, I'm not saying that I disagree that Earthrise Arcee's engineering is lazy, but the partsforming didn't bother me much on Cliffjumper, and honestly I'm a lot more forgiving of stuff like that on a $20 Deluxe than on a premium figure.  Still plan on picking her up.

...although I might have to cut back on my budget for them if I don't stop buying old Optimus figures on ebay.  I got a Machine Wars Optimus that was missing some accessories but mostly in good condition last week, today I got a G2 Hero Optimus (the bellows don't seem to work anymore, but he was otherwise totally complete).  I made an offer on a Powermaster Optimus reissue with "Apex Armor," and I'm watching a Star Convoy and a few G2 Laser Optimus Primes.

[technoblue]

5 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

...although I might have to cut back on my budget for them if I don't stop buying old Optimus figures on ebay.  I got a Machine Wars Optimus that was missing some accessories but mostly in good condition last week, today I got a G2 Hero Optimus (the bellows don't seem to work anymore, but he was otherwise totally complete).  I made an offer on a Powermaster Optimus reissue with "Apex Armor," and I'm watching a Star Convoy and a few G2 Laser Optimus Primes.

Oof. I can totally understand given my own situation.

My search to pick up G1 accessories for ER seekers put me on a similar path. Now I'm watching G1 auctions for complete vintage seekers to go with the one G1 Starscream that survived all this time from childhood. Sadly, those G1 toys get expensive right quick if they are in decent condition. Even the Takara reissues are fetching some high prices that would command my hobby budget for the month if I decided to cave.

With Bandai releasing Roy's VF-1, I don't really want to kill my budget so I think I'll wave off for now and see how things look in August.

[M'Kyuun]

3 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

Hasbro put out a little guide to accessories that are coming with the Centurion pack.  Most of it is pretty obvious - a cage for Ravage, some Energon cubes, a new blaster, energon ax, and Roller for Prime, and Energon Mace for Megatron, a radar dish for Trailbreaker, an Optimus mini-figure (I guess to display with the Titans or Unicron to make them seem bigger), a mini Reflector in camera mode and Soundwave in tape mode, mini Megatron and Shockwave gun modes with 5mm peg handles, a jetpack for Sideswipe, a "drill blaster" meant for Ironhide, and a glass gas gun for Cliffjumper.  The last item, though, is a pretty generic blaster.  What's interesting is that it's labeled "Bumblebee Blaster," and it's interesting because Hasbro hasn't officially announced a Bumblebee figure in the War for Cybertron line.

 

I have little use for most of that stuff, but Roller is a nice addition. Then again, he should have come with Prime from the get-go. I've already paid for a blue kit from Nonnef when I finally get my ER Prime. 

 

2 hours ago, technoblue said:

Yeah, I'm surprised by that too. HasTak has shown a willingness to borrow good third-party methods and add them to their own designs in the past and I have to wonder why it didn't happen with this figure? At the very least, I would have thought the partsforming piece could have its own independent transformation that allows it to look like a more believable accessory and not like a piece that Arcee ripped off herself and decided to go all Captain Morgan on.

And why not if it's a good and relatively simple solution that improves a figure? I wonder if there were attempts made to make a transformation work and they just couldn't get it, or if they just said 'F-it' from the beginning. My money's on the latter. At least the figure, if promos are any indication, looks nice. 

2 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

Maybe Hasbro saw how many people were buying Weijiang's KO Arcee with the detachable kibble and thought that's what people wanted?

Anyway, I'm not saying that I disagree that Earthrise Arcee's engineering is lazy, but the partsforming didn't bother me much on Cliffjumper, and honestly I'm a lot more forgiving of stuff like that on a $20 Deluxe than on a premium figure.  Still plan on picking her up.

I'm not as forgiving, as we've seen any number of deluxe figures from Titans Return, PotP, and Siege that had really sound engineering and clever transformations, not to mention some of the amazing plastic origami they've done over the last decade or so with the Movieverse toys, Prime, and Animated. I don't doubt Takara's ability to make a decent transforming figure, but I question their willingness to try when the transformation is a bit challenging. That said, MMC have already solved the difficult part for them.  I also wonder how much of Hasbro's input has affected the WFC lines; two very different philosophies towards toy design at play, and I could see Hasbro going the shellformer route as opposed to going over budget to give her an actual transformation.

I've got ER Arcee PO'd as well, but I doubt she'll supplant T30 Arcee in my collection. The transformation means more to me than a nicer looking Arcee action figure. I also have a secret hope that a third party will come up with a better solution towards giving her a more involved transformation.

[mikeszekely]

17 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

have little use for most of that stuff, but Roller is a nice addition. Then again, he should have come with Prime from the get-go. I've already paid for a blue kit from Nonnef when I finally get my ER Prime.

Yeah, I ordered a Nonnef blue kit, too, and that's after getting a silver 3D-printed one.  The one that comes with Centurion will be my third Roller.  The accessories I'm actually the most interested in are the guns and the mini alt-modes for Reflector, Soundwave, Megatron, and Shockwave.  But really I preordered Centurion because Brunt's my favorite of the weaponizers and I could go for another copy of the mold.

17 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

I'm not as forgiving, as we've seen any number of deluxe figures from Titans Return, PotP, and Siege that had really sound engineering and clever transformations, not to mention some of the amazing plastic origami they've done over the last decade or so with the Movieverse toys, Prime, and Animated. I don't doubt Takara's ability to make a decent transforming figure, but I question their willingness to try when the transformation is a bit challenging. That said, MMC have already solved the difficult part for them.  I also wonder how much of Hasbro's input has affected the WFC lines; two very different philosophies towards toy design at play, and I could see Hasbro going the shellformer route as opposed to going over budget to give her an actual transformation.

I have no doubt that HasTak can do better; like yourself, I've seen them do it.  And sure, I'm going to rate figures with clever engineering higher than those that take a lazier approach.  I guess what I mean by "more forgiving" is that I'll look at something like ER Arcee and say, "Boy, that's pretty lazy.  But it's a good-looking Arcee, and it's only $20, so I'll buy it anyway."  Compare that to, say, ToyWorld's Leah, where it seemed like they couldn't figure out what to do with the rear of her alt mode so they just left it off.  I look at that and say, "Boy, that's pretty lazy.  There's no way I'd pay $70 for that, I don't care how good the robot mode looks!"

Anyway... the seller accepted my offer for PM Prime.  It's a reissue, which I guess matters to some vintage collectors, but I'm happy because (from the photos) it looks almost brand new and it's 100% complete with God Bomber.  I've got a little cash left over after selling a few things and I'm going to try to track down Laser Optimus, then maybe I'll do a little write up on Primes throughout the years.  I'd try to get Star Convoy, too, but he's a tad expensive.  Laser Op is cheaper (but harder to find complete).

EDIT: Made an offer on a Laser Op that's missing a gun and the instructions, but has all the missiles and the sword.  Seller didn't reply to my offer.  Found another one that looks like it's in excellent condition and is listed as complete.  I sent a message to the seller to confirm that the gun is included, if it is I'll pull the trigger, but I'll already be over budget so Star Convoy's going to have to go on the back burner.

Edited June 30, 2020 by mikeszekely

[sqidd]

Thank goodness this is not a "toon" version of Prime......or I would probably do something stupid like buy it.

It's super cool though!

Went on PO today.

https://www.yolopark.com/collections/tf-iies/products/tf-iies-op-deluxe-version?fbclid=IwAR2H_OuC8eR_pfBRUuVBiccKtZ-REERNGZqGsVN_jbC1h3rgyD_qxn6HnWs

[mikeszekely]

Gigawatt (or should I say Jiggawatt?) has been revealed.  I admit, I was wrong, it's not Titans Return Chromedome.  Can't say for sure, but it looks like Siege Sideswipe to me, which is fine.  Sideswipe's a good mold.  Now we just need the preorders to start...

[tekering]

Wow, that may be the worst DeLorean toy I've ever seen.  

[jenius]

I haven't seen Back to the Future in a long time... was the windshield really covered with pipes or something? Seems hard to drive that way.

[mikeszekely]

1 hour ago, tekering said:

Wow, that may be the worst DeLorean toy I've ever seen.  

I'm cutting it some slack, as long as it isn't too expensive.  It does have to transform, after all, and it is only a Deluxe.

58 minutes ago, jenius said:

I haven't seen Back to the Future in a long time... was the windshield really covered with pipes or something? Seems hard to drive that way.

Nope.

[Dangard Ace]

 How does it scale to Ecto-1?   

[mikeszekely]

2 hours ago, Dangard Ace said:

 How does it scale to Ecto-1?   

Aside from saying that Ectotron was a Voyager and Gigawatt's a Deluxe, it's hard to say for sure.  Even if I'm right that Gigawatt's based on Siege Sideswipe (I'm 90% sure though) we don't know the extent that the mold has been modified to make Gigawatt (although I don't see anything that would drastically alter the height of the robot mode the front of the car looks significantly longer).  But this should give you a rough idea.

Not perfect, but if the cart is a little longer and taller not too bad, either.

Word is the gull wing doors work (but as you can see in my earlier post there's no interior, just his robot arms) and the tires do bend 90 degrees into hover mode.

Anyway, it seems the first run will be limited to 1985 copies, and the preorders were supposed to go up on Walmart.com at 1:00 EST today, so we probably missed it (I tried, but I just get an error page).  However, a second version of Gigawatt will see a wider release (including at Hasbro Pulse) on October 1st.  It's not clear what's going to be different about the two releases; hopefully they're just losing the hooked pole and tweaking the rear to reflect the differences between the first and second movies and not applying the more drastic changes the time machine saw in the third movie.

[sh9000]

That windshield is ugly.  They should have found a way to not have that piece or just make the windshield black.  I’ll still get it though.  It sold out earlier and I hope that Hasbro Pulse has one put up with the difference being just a numbered sticker.

[Negotiator]

9 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

Gigawatt (or should I say Jiggawatt?) has been revealed.  I admit, I was wrong, it's not Titans Return Chromedome.  Can't say for sure, but it looks like Siege Sideswipe to me, which is fine.  Sideswipe's a good mold.  Now we just need the preorders to start...

 

i want one, but WTH is going on with that windshield?

[mikeszekely]

28 minutes ago, Negotiator said:

i want one, but WTH is going on with that windshield?

I wish I knew.

[Dobber]

Yeah, what’s the point in keeping it clear if it has THAT on the inside surface! Just paint it black or dark blue or something.

Chris

[Mechapilot77]

dang already missed the preorder already?  hopeuflly 2nd version still has the g1 80s style pacakging and the rod.  if i get it i am tinting that thing real dark or really reflective because its nuts they are releasing as is like that.

[M'Kyuun]

I'm glad they used the ER Sideswipe mold instead of of one of the lackluster CW  molds. Like everyone else, I question the use of a clear windscreen when it's completely obscured by structure underneath. Like Sideswipe and Red Alert, a dark tint would serve to help the aesthetics a lot. This really begs for a nice painted silver finish, but I have a feeling, in usual Hasbro style, they're going to go the cheapest route possible and mold it in some flat silver plastic that doesn't do it any favors. I'm pleasantly surprised that they gave it working gull wing doors (a step in the right direction towards remolding this into Omnibot Downshift!), and equally so with the folding wheels. They didn't have to do either, so I appreciate the extra effort. Even if there's no appreciable interior, the gull wing doors are iconic to the Delorean, and it's nice to see them included in the design. I'm hoping to snag a copy once it goes PO on Pulse.

So, July's finally here. It's the month that any number of figs are supposed to release/rerelease (really excited to get ER Prime), but I'm wondering if the resurgence in Covid is going to further delay these releases. I know I've been saving a lot of money over the past couple of months, as my usual money pit, LEGO, hasn't really enthralled me with the first half of 2020 releases, although there are a number of sets due in August that are looking more promising.  On the TF and other toy front, the vast majority is in PO status, and like many, I'm playing the waiting game, watching my email for payment/shipping notices that never seem to come. I've been looking longingly at the Sentinel Legioss that just released, and which I have PO'd with TFSource, but probably won't get until next month. I keep checking my local Targets for the Seeker two-pack, but the refrain is always the same: sold out. At the very least, I wish you could order/PO it through Target instead of this store pickup only option. It's a situation that greatly benefits scalpers over fans who just want a copy for themselves, and it's deeply frustrating. I fear it'll be the same when they release the Wingspan/Pounce Clone set, which I also want, as I missed out on all the clone releases back during the TR timeframe. I'm happy to see them rereleased, but it's bittersweet given the exclusivity.

Edited July 3, 2020 by M'Kyuun

[mikeszekely]

I need to stay off Ebay for awhile.  Either that or I need to come up with $150-ish more bucks for a Star Convoy.

[David Hingtgen]

On ‎7‎/‎3‎/‎2020 at 9:48 AM, Mechapilot77 said:

dang already missed the preorder already?  hopeuflly 2nd version still has the g1 80s style pacakging and the rod.  if i get it i am tinting that thing real dark or really reflective because its nuts they are releasing as is like that.

The pre-order for Gigawatt, put any DX Valkyrie to shame.  Only like 1 or 2 confirmed orders, in the entire TFW forum AFAIK.   

[Dobber]

Any new pictures of The Top Gun “Maverick”? Would love to see what they did with the F-14.

Chris

Edited July 4, 2020 by Dobber

[sh9000]

[mikeszekely]

2 hours ago, Dobber said:

Any new pictures of The Top Gun “Maverick”? Would love to see what they did with the F-14.

Chris

Nothing yet, but I'll post here when they're available.

[mikeszekely]

On 7/3/2020 at 11:42 AM, M'Kyuun said:

I keep checking my local Targets for the Seeker two-pack, but the refrain is always the same: sold out. At the very least, I wish you could order/PO it through Target instead of this store pickup only option. It's a situation that greatly benefits scalpers over fans who just want a copy for themselves, and it's deeply frustrating. I fear it'll be the same when they release the Wingspan/Pounce Clone set, which I also want, as I missed out on all the clone releases back during the TR timeframe.

The irritating thing about the clones is that I clicked the button to be notified when they're in stock on Target.com.  Every day I'll get an email around 4:00 or 5:00 am telling me they're in stock, but of course by the time I actually wake up and check the email they're showing as sold out, if they ever were actually in stock.

That being said, hang in there and keep checking.  I got lucky and found the Seekers at my local Target, and at a different Target I found a spot on the shelf with a price label for the clones.  Just be aware that they're going to be on an endcap, not the regular Transformers section, and that the endcap will be on the back side, not the side facing the main aisle.

While demand is high and they're selling out fast and not available online Target's usually better than other stores for exclusives (I never saw a Siege Ratchet in the wild; I got one online).  The three-pack of Siege Seekers was fairly easy to get, and the Micromaster pack shelfwarmed for awhile.

[M'Kyuun]

Thanks for the encouragement, Mike. Ironically, I managed to get Siege Ratchet at one of the many Walgreens dotted about the Spokane area. Admittedly, I don't go out much, so I haven't been canvasing Targets like I should if I really want the thing, relying instead on the notification system, which hasn't been promising, since they sell out within minutes of being posted. There are three Targets in Spokane, and all of them show out of stock 99% of the time I check. Back when Covid restrictions were at their peak, Target was only allowing so many people into the store, and there was a queue of about twenty people waiting, which hadn't budged within the 15 minutes or so I hung around. The weather was chilly, and I didn't bring a coat, as I wasn't expecting an outdoor wait, so I just went home. As it's about a 16 mile journey to the closest Target, it's not one I like to make for nothing.  Fortunately, there's a really good fried chicken place across the parking lot from that Target, so I assuage my empty-handed sorrow in some artery clogging deliciousness. Anyway, I've visited a different Target, as well, and it also yielded zero results, no endcap to be seen. Fortunately, that Target has an Olive Garden across the parking lot, in which I seek succor from my disenchantment. This hobby's gonna be the death of me; first it breaks my heart, then fills the gaps with butter and grease. Yum.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

 

Maybe Hasbro is finally taking cues for inspiration.  The pic above was already pointed out here a long time ago, but here is the source.  The A-Team van as a Bulkhead-style character would be an insta-buy for me.