The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next

[mikeszekely]

Hasbro confirmed the Ravage set. It'll be a Pulsecon exclusive, like I suggested, with a $45 price tag and an expected November release. I guess the question now is "when is Pulsecon so I can preorder?"

More interesting news is that Hasbro announced a new HasLab will be coming soon, with the Transformers Victory logo. Nothing beyond that. Personally, I'm hoping for a WfC-style Star Saber and/or Deathsaurus. That said, an MP Deathsaurus to go with MP Star Saber, or a Liokaiser to go with the other Prime Wars combiners seem like possibilities.

[Scyla]

2 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

Hasbro confirmed the Ravage set. It'll be a Pulsecon exclusive, like I suggested, with a $45 price tag and an expected November release. I guess the question now is "when is Pulsecon so I can preorder?"

More interesting news is that Hasbro announced a new HasLab will be coming soon, with the Transformers Victory logo. Nothing beyond that. Personally, I'm hoping for a WfC-style Star Saber and/or Deathsaurus. That said, an MP Deathsaurus to go with MP Star Saber, or a Liokaiser to go with the other Prime Wars combiners seem like possibilities.

Would a WfC style commander class like Star Saber really be worth a HasLab project?

I could see a Victory Leo Star Saber two pack though.

Maybe a CW Devastator scaled Dinoking/Monstructor with shells?

[tekering]

33 minutes ago, Scyla said:

Would a WfC style commander class like Star Saber really be worth a HasLab project?

I would think not.

After Unicron (and the upcoming Ark), the only Transformers-related product worth a HasLab investment would be a Cybertron playset... something like a Space Bridge elevator, perhaps.

[mikeszekely]

1 hour ago, Scyla said:

Would a WfC style commander class like Star Saber really be worth a HasLab project?

Hard to say. I know that they don't make much money on Titans, and basically none on Unicron. A smaller project could be more profitable if successful, and they could be more willing to let if fail if they have trouble getting it funded.

30 minutes ago, tekering said:

After Unicron (and the upcoming Ark), the only Transformers-related product worth a HasLab investment would be a Cybertron playset... something like a Space Bridge elevator, perhaps.

Right... Except we know it's something Victory.

[mikeszekely]

Power of the Primes wasn't great, and I think the Dinobots got shafted the hardest in that line.  Of the four, though, I think Swoop came out the best (or at least, the least worst).  Dorkside Toys had the Generations Selects version on clearance, so on a whim I bought him.  This is more like a Repaint Roundup, even though I don't think I ever reviewed the original figure.

If you're familiar with the original figure, there's not a lot going on here.  GS Swoop comes with the same sword and the same fist/backpack/shield, and the same lack of wing-mounted missile launchers.  There's zero changes to the mold of the figure itself, aside from the joints on the newer figure being noticeably looser.

If I zoom in close on the upper torso you can see every change they've made.  The most obvious change is that the gray plastic is a flatter gray color and not the swirly silver used on the PotP version, and they used red plastic for his torso instead of blue.  Likewise, they didn't paint the inside of the dinosaur head gold, leaving the entire thing clear, but they didn paint some of the molded detail on his abs instead.  This is all to homage the G1 toy, of course.  However, the differences don't exactly boil down to toy vs toon.  For one, the head wasn't remolded with the visor to me more toy-accurate.  For two, the PotP version isn't really toon-accurate; the black trim around his head, the teal bands around his wrists, the black shoulders, biceps, pelvis, and thighs, and the red dinosaur feet were all toy-like in the first place.  

Flipping them into alt mode, I'll note the red lower jaw on PotP Swoop, carried over to GS Swoop, was also a G1 toy detail.

So, yeah, I don't really recommend any of the PotP Dinobots.  However, if you already have them then for $10 it might be worthwhile to replace the original release of Swoop with the Gen Selects version, if only to give the combined Volcanicus a more unified red on all his limbs.  In the meantime, I'm looking forward to the heavily-rumored Studio Series Swoop, which I expect to be a lot more cartoon accurate, and would consider a toy-style repaint of that figure if it's good.

[troyness]

On 7/10/2021 at 4:50 PM, treatment said:

hmm.

I finally put MP-52 back to jet-mode and discovered a surprise:

 

Seems like he's actually got more ground clearance now than when I first got him out of the box some time ago.:

 

😄

That's probably because your front landing gear is more vertical elevating the underside compared to your 1st outta the box pic.

[treatment]

14 minutes ago, troyness said:

That's probably because your front landing gear is more vertical elevating the underside compared to your 1st outta the box pic.

 

Not quite.

The faux-cockpit chest-cover can be adjusted more than when it was fresh out of the box.

 

 

[troyness]

14 minutes ago, treatment said:

 

Not quite.

The faux-cockpit chest-cover can be adjusted more than when it was fresh out of the box.

 

 

Ahh yeah I see. Good to know.

[JB0]

5 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

However, if you already have them then for $10 it might be worthwhile to replace the original release of Swoop with the Gen Selects version, if only to give the combined Volcanicus a more unified red on all his limbs.

Tempting. Not for Volcanicus, but my Sky Lynx-cored "Dino-Soar".

... 

Sky Lynx and four Swoops! Genius!

[Scyla]

My Kuro Kara Kuri Victory Leo arrived today. Took it out of the box, attached all the „stuff“ and took a quick picture. This thing is insanely pointy. I think I need to buy new cotton gloves.

Interestingly he has ratchets in his knees which is a first for the line. I couldn’t test articulation yet but because the joints are tight and he is meant to come apart I‘m worried that I might rub off some of the paint, especially with all the extra bits attached.

Because he is the worlds most expensive Barbie dress he doesn’t have the cool engineering that the other figures in the line have to facilitate the articulation. The wings and the main guns have some moving and spring loaded pieces but nothing as cool as Drifts knees for example. All in all I don’t know if the juice is worth the squeeze so to speak.

On the upside all the beautiful paint is present and he will look good next to the other K3 figures on a shelf. He is also surprisingly solid for an glorified accessory set but I wished he would transform more especially the big feet parts for Star Saber to maybe include a tail and fill out the back spine section.

[mikeszekely]

Nothing to see here, move along.

Edited July 16, 2021 by mikeszekely

[sh9000]

@mikeszekely I think you meant to post your FT Spindrift review in the 3rd Party Transformers thread.

[mikeszekely]

5 minutes ago, sh9000 said:

@mikeszekely I think you meant to post your FT Spindrift review in the 3rd Party Transformers thread.

Whoops.  I'll fix it.

[mikeszekely]

Someone wanna explain to me why this is Mirage, not Jazz?

[M'Kyuun]

Good question. Another vid shows them using the yellow Bumblebee Camaro. It seems they're not ready to divorce themselves of Bayverse, which just means more of the same.

I'm guessing they're keeping the beastie designs close to the vest for now, but I have a feeling they're gonna be something like this 

and this 

and not much of this

In the words of a certain galactic smuggler, "I have a bad feeling about this".

[anime52k8]

5 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

Someone wanna explain to me why this is Mirage, not Jazz?

because jazz is still cut in half?

 

[Scyla]

5 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

Someone wanna explain to me why this is Mirage, not Jazz?

Maybe a 3rd party company will release a toy that looks just like that and they gonna name him Jazz. 🥷

[mikeszekely]

31 minutes ago, anime52k8 said:

because jazz is still cut in half?

 

Nah. Even if they say this is still sweet in the Bayverse Rise of the Beasts is supposed to be set in the ’90s. Well before he went to pieces.

[anime52k8]

8 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

Good question. Another vid shows them using the yellow Bumblebee Camaro. It seems they're not ready to divorce themselves of Bayverse, which just means more of the same.

I'm guessing they're keeping the beastie designs close to the vest for now, but I have a feeling they're gonna be something like this 

ngl, I don't hate either of those concepts. They give of a strong transmetal vibe.

Edited July 17, 2021 by anime52k8

[M'Kyuun]

18 hours ago, anime52k8 said:

ngl, I don't hate either of those concepts. They give of a strong transmetal vibe.

TBH, I don't mind the Primal design if Trans-metal is indeed what they're going for. I just think it completely negates the disguise excuse for transformation, as nobody, animal or human, is gonna be fooled. Too, I wonder if the beastie bots are going to be scaled appropriately to their alt modes, or if they're going to do the mass-shifting thing like G1, or if their beast modes are going to be the size of typical kaiju?  I think it'd be more interesting if they were scaled appropriately, and like the original Beast wars, the characters at least started off looking like organic animals. And maybe make the switch to a more Trans-metal-like form once they're discovered. I still think it'd be cool if the Beast characters were living apart from humans as animals in the wild to avoid detection for thousands of years, and only upon inadvertent discovery by their recently arrived Cybertronian cohorts, came out of hiding, adopting a more Trans-metal beast form, since they'd likely be comfortable in those alt modes having adapted to them for such a long period of time. That's how I'd adapt the story, anyway.

Referring to the pics, I'm not too crazy about the Dino-bot pic, as it skews too close to the uber-shardy bot modes of the Bayformers, and it's an aesthetic that I'd like to see banished from Transformers forever, along with the director who ok'd it in the first place. G1 all day, no more Bay!

[Scyla]

On 7/17/2021 at 3:54 PM, M'Kyuun said:

Good question. Another vid shows them using the yellow Bumblebee Camaro. It seems they're not ready to divorce themselves of Bayverse, which just means more of the same.

I'm guessing they're keeping the beastie designs close to the vest for now, but I have a feeling they're gonna be something like this 

and this 

and not much of this

In the words of a certain galactic smuggler, "I have a bad feeling about this".

Is that Primals robot- or alt-mode head? I can’t tell. 

[M'Kyuun]

1 hour ago, Scyla said:

Is that Primals robot- or alt-mode head? I can’t tell. 

Me neither. Looks like a hybrid of both.

[mikeszekely]

Robots turning into organic animals never jived with me, regardless of the in-universe explanation. That concept art looks ok to me. And whatever will be, will be. As a Transformer fan who's watched all the other films I've learned to expect the worst, knowing full well I'll watch it anyway. That way, if it turns out to be moderately ok like Bumblebee then I'm pleasantly surprised.

[M'Kyuun]

What, you don't buy that a thin furry veneer would protect a robot from energon overload?  While the explanation was thinner than their hairy/scaly/chitinous facades, Beast Wars is a terrific show, and I'm willing to overlook the ludicrousness of the reason for their organic forms for all the fun they had exploiting those forms in new and interesting ways that wouldn't be possible had they merely been mechanical critters. It remains a unique show within the franchise, both for the choice of alt modes, but also the brand of humor employed throughout, and I think it's the combination of writing/voicing, as well as the storytelling, that set it apart and lured TF fans in despite themselves, myself included.  At heart, I'm a trukk, not munky guy; any  day of the week, I'd prefer mechanical alt modes, even if those alt modes are creatures, like the Insecticons or the Dinobots. Robo-critters, like the Zoids line, or the recent 52Toys Mega/BeastBox line, have always held a strong appeal for me, and when BW transitioned to Trans-metals, and then to their Beast Machines forms, I was digging those changes, and the toys, of course. I still lament that the Trans-tech follow-up to Beast Machines never materialized. I liked a few of those concepts. At least Cheetor's Trans-tech design, my favorite, was realized, in part, in Animated's Blurr, who also got a Cheetor recolor, bringing it full circle.💞 

 

Edited July 18, 2021 by M'Kyuun

[mikeszekely]

At the time Beast Wars came out I was 16 and wrote the whole premise off as incredibly stupid.  I ignored the franchise entirely until Robots In Disguise was on and a friend pointed out that it had Optimus and Ultra Magnus and they were both trucks again.

I did watch the show eventually as an adult, and I grew to accept it with its strong writing (for a kids show) and G1 ties.  I can admit that it was good, and I've been buying the Kingdom figures.  But to this day I still prefer mechanical beasts like the G1 Predacons to robots that turn into organic-looking animals.  Yes, I get that a big robo-monkey isn't much of a disguise, but robots turning into actual gorillas seems worse to me somehow.

[JB0]

Optimus Primal makes no sense because he transfoms from one primate form to another. Humanoid to gorilla isn't a transformation, it's just standing up straight.

Edited July 18, 2021 by JB0

[anime52k8]

3 hours ago, JB0 said:

Optimus Primal makes no sense because he transfoms from one primate form to another. Humanoid to gorilla isn't a transformation, it's just standing up straight.

Hey, he also takes off his face and has another face under it. 😋 (I'm not sure if bayverse prime would love him or hate him).

[JB0]

17 hours ago, anime52k8 said:

Hey, he also takes off his face and has another face under it. 😋 (I'm not sure if bayverse prime would love him or hate him).

That depends entirely on whether he gives his monkey face to Crazimus after he takes it off.

[Drad]

Hot Rod looks so much better with a few decals from Toyhax. I only used the ones I thought were the most important for him to have.

[no3Ljm]

2021 Hasbro Fans Expo (July 22 - 30) Tai Koo Shing, Hong Kong

Transformers starts at 0:25 and 4:57

For more photos: https://www.taghobby.com/archives/551790

 

Edited July 22, 2021 by no3Ljm

[sh9000]

[technoblue]

I was expecting a repaint/redeco or two from MP Arcee but Takara really likes Nightbird. She gets first dibs.

[no3Ljm]

From ACGHK 2021:

Action Toys.

 

ThreeZero:

 

Flame Toys:

 

Edited July 22, 2021 by no3Ljm

[mikeszekely]

Speaking of Galvatron, a lot of people with the misassembled shoulders on the Kingdom version are just turning them around, so the pins face outward.  Some people have even started making 3D-printed fillers for the pin holes.  While it does fix his robot proportions, I haven't been totally satisfied with that solution.  For one, the pin holes are potential 5mm ports for attaching Weaponizers and Fossilizers.  Two, there's a tab on the treads on the backs of his arms that can tuck into those holes.  For three, it leaves his shoulders still misaligned in cannon mode.

Fortunately, Youtuber Patriot Prime has a solution.

The gist is pretty simple.  You want a visit your local NAPA and look for this specific set of trim removal tools.  They run about six bucks.  In my case, they didn't have it in stock but I was able to have them order it for me to pick up in-store the very next day.  Oh, and while there's four pieces in the set you really only need the one that's flat on one end and forked on the other.  They're nylon tools, so they shouldn't scratch your figure, and the forked end allows the tool to slide into the joint and kind of wrap around where the pin goes through.

Next, run a hair dryer over the shoulder and bicep to make the plastic a bit more pliable, then wedge the forked end into the seems on Galvatron's shoulder.  You want to work them apart enough to really slip the whole thing down the side with the pin.  Carefully pry the joint apart; you'll feel the pin pop.  Work the pin out and set it aside.

OK, now this is the scary part.  The pin actually fits into a tube that runs through the shoulder joint.  Turn the bicep so that the seem in the bicep is lined up with the side of the shoulder, and pry the whole thing apart enough that the tube slides out of the ring in the joint and you can work the whole arm off.  Now, note the orientation of the joint.  It's sort of D-shaped, with a smooth curve and a flatter side with molded detail.  You want to line things up so that the smooth side is facing up, and the pin side is on the back, then pry the shoulder open enough to get the tube back into the ring.  Smush the whole thing together, then put the pin back in.  Find something with a 5mm peg- Patriot recommends a Power of the Primes combiner foot, because it gives you a lot of surface area to push on.  Put the peg into the hole behind the pin, and push the pin back in.  Voilà!  If everything goes well your Galvatron should be right as rain, with the shoulders the way they were designed to go together.  I did this to mine, and while it's a little scary to be bending the plastic so much there's no obvious scratches or stress marks after I got him back together, and the joints are as tight or tighter than before I fixed them.  Hopefully later batches of Galvatron and the toy-style Gen Selects ones will already be fixed at the factory, but in the mean time if you get a Galvatron with bad shoulders it's definitely fixable with the right tools.

[Scyla]

K^3 Shattered Glass Optimus Prime looks great. I hope he keeps his August release slot.

Jazz looks good too. I wonder if he or Rodimus will be next (they shown a prototype of Rodimus last year I think). I wonder if Jazz will be the same size as their Drift.

The Jetfire armor for Prime looks soso. And while I’m liking their Victory Leo only being armor parts is underwhelming. Especially if it carries the same price tag as their other releases.