Have you bought the two Dr Wu combiner cassette bots?
We're getting Rewind now, even if he has to be clear, so that's good. I would very much like to see Steeljaw and (the unstoppable badass) Ramhorn made sometime in the next couple years. I don't think they're ever been properly updated.
...Wait. I checked after I typed that. It seems Ramhorn had a Titan Master figure of sorts in Titans Return. I actually have that figure but couldn't remember anyway.
I still want a new cassette Ramhorn anyway.
It's interesting. My only experience with Metalhawk is in IDW so I wouldn't mind if this leaned more that way but I get that's not what they were going for here. I do hope part of the remold is addressing the mold-wear issues folks reported with later versions of Cyclonus.
Twincast is colorful but I really have no need for him.
Twincast is colorful but I really have no need for him.
Yup, I own that one. I had him in mind when typing my previous comment. At least he’s fully based on the shell. I don’t think anyone wants a Metalhawk body based on inner robot but with human head.As for our lad there...
Cow skull and lizard face fit into the “that’s rad!” category. Human faces do not. I won’t say the recent versions are the best possible execution, but they make sense to me.
For the most part, I liked what was revealed on today's fan stream. Out of what was announced, I am looking forward to preordering Metalhawk, Skyquake, and Shrapnel. The Junkion stuff is cool and all, but I'm not really all that interested; same with SS86. I'm on the fence about Twincast and will probably wait until / unless I see him at retail to decide.
I love the pipeline reveal of Devcon! He's someone I've wanted a toy of forever, it seems. I am a little confused about Beachcomber though, because I feel like they did him recently (PotP maybe?) and that version is still very nice. If I were taking a "second pass" at a recently-done minibot, I would probably have chosen Windcharger, as his PotP toy is kinda awful-looking in both modes.
Anyway, cool stuff! Thoughts?
I love the pipeline reveal of Devcon! He's someone I've wanted a toy of forever, it seems. I am a little confused about Beachcomber though, because I feel like they did him recently (PotP maybe?) and that version is still very nice. If I were taking a "second pass" at a recently-done minibot, I would probably have chosen Windcharger, as his PotP toy is kinda awful-looking in both modes.
Anyway, cool stuff! Thoughts?
Hasbro ran their Pulse stream, light on Rise of the Beasts (short "officially" revealing Scourge), but Generations got a good showing with all of wave 2, including some stuff we haven't seen!
Core wave 2: Grimlock is chonky AF! Sludge was unsightly in robot mode, Grimlock got it in Dino mode. Like with the others...I really can't justify spending the money on this set. I got the leader versions (well, short the two still in the wings), and we KNOW a Dinoking is coming, especially with all the Japanese series love going on. Redecos are both fine. Dig Nemesis getting the Energon axe accessory and Thundercracker sporting cartoon colors. They aren't AMAZING, but they're nice.
Deluxe wave 2: Shrapnel is a get (darn childhood nostalgia), we've seen the rest through unofficial channels so I'm not sure there is much to say about them at this point.
Voyager wave 2: Twincast is exactly what we saw (nods to the novel integration of the blaster for the promo pics). Metalhawk surprised me though. We already saw his FANTASTIC robot mode, but the jet mode surprised me in how much they were able to change in the tooling. On first glance, especially in jet mode, it's REALLY hard to see the Cyclonus foundation. I mean, it still looks derpy, but so was the original toy/design
Big props for all the weapons as well. Evolution is really bringing it on the accessory front.
Leader wave 1/2: Skyquake. We've seen him, most of us are already waiting for the repaints/retools to be revealed.
Announced was the well-received holiday Optimus Prime will be getting a "traditional deco" at some point this year. And taking cues from the other brand teams, they've finally started to get ahead of SOME of the leaks by revealing pipeline items:
Beachcomber, Axlegrease (new Junkion, probably the car), Devcon, Dark Leo Prime, Dirge (repackage, main line) and Armada Megatron.
I also like, in general, how they've been explaining some of the design decisions and thought processes on many of these. If nothing else, it validates a lot of our pontification we tend to do around here
Core wave 2: Grimlock is chonky AF! Sludge was unsightly in robot mode, Grimlock got it in Dino mode. Like with the others...I really can't justify spending the money on this set. I got the leader versions (well, short the two still in the wings), and we KNOW a Dinoking is coming, especially with all the Japanese series love going on. Redecos are both fine. Dig Nemesis getting the Energon axe accessory and Thundercracker sporting cartoon colors. They aren't AMAZING, but they're nice.
Deluxe wave 2: Shrapnel is a get (darn childhood nostalgia), we've seen the rest through unofficial channels so I'm not sure there is much to say about them at this point.
Voyager wave 2: Twincast is exactly what we saw (nods to the novel integration of the blaster for the promo pics). Metalhawk surprised me though. We already saw his FANTASTIC robot mode, but the jet mode surprised me in how much they were able to change in the tooling. On first glance, especially in jet mode, it's REALLY hard to see the Cyclonus foundation. I mean, it still looks derpy, but so was the original toy/design
Big props for all the weapons as well. Evolution is really bringing it on the accessory front.Leader wave 1/2: Skyquake. We've seen him, most of us are already waiting for the repaints/retools to be revealed.
Announced was the well-received holiday Optimus Prime will be getting a "traditional deco" at some point this year. And taking cues from the other brand teams, they've finally started to get ahead of SOME of the leaks by revealing pipeline items:
Beachcomber, Axlegrease (new Junkion, probably the car), Devcon, Dark Leo Prime, Dirge (repackage, main line) and Armada Megatron.
I also like, in general, how they've been explaining some of the design decisions and thought processes on many of these. If nothing else, it validates a lot of our pontification we tend to do around here
Core Grimlock - Robot mode fine. Dino-Mode Terrible. Leg mode not even any good even after ruining dino-mode.
Core TC and NP - Could not care less.
Shrapnel - Looks Great. Will Buy. But I'm more excited about the idea of a Chop Shop remold.
Crosscut - Looks fine but I'll probably pass. Just can't buy everything at current prices and he's not a character Fiction has endeared to me.
Crashbar - Looks great. The gimmick is selling these New Junkions to me. Wish there was fiction or even developed line concept to back it up though. Mark keeps referring to them as "Junkion Cadettes" and even those two tiny words give a hint of a story to them that immediately makes me care more.
Animated Prowl - A fun reinvention. I'm probably in.
Metalhawk - Looks Wonderful. I Love the Autobot Pretender shells so I'm in favor of working in details from them but I can't deny how good this looks. I'll probably buy it.
Twincast - I'd like eject but at current prices this may be a pass.
Skyquake - Looks great but I'm not a huge Prime guy. I'll likely wait and see if we get it in UKG1 / MW Starscream colors.
Beachcomber - I'm sure he'll look great but there's other mini bots (or gasp Throttlebots/Sparkabots) I'd like more. Still probably bite.
Devcon - Sold. Though I'll be surprised if the altmode is coherent.
Axel grease - Yes please. More.
Dirge - got him the first time.
Nemesis Lio - Eh.
Armada Megs - That original toy was SOOO good. Other than lacking working leg joints it's one of the best TF molds of all time. I have no doubt that it'll fix that flaw, but will the rest be even close to as good?
-ZacWilliam, Hope the Holiday Prime repaint is Combat Hero.
Core TC and NP - Could not care less.
Shrapnel - Looks Great. Will Buy. But I'm more excited about the idea of a Chop Shop remold.
Crosscut - Looks fine but I'll probably pass. Just can't buy everything at current prices and he's not a character Fiction has endeared to me.
Crashbar - Looks great. The gimmick is selling these New Junkions to me. Wish there was fiction or even developed line concept to back it up though. Mark keeps referring to them as "Junkion Cadettes" and even those two tiny words give a hint of a story to them that immediately makes me care more.
Animated Prowl - A fun reinvention. I'm probably in.
Metalhawk - Looks Wonderful. I Love the Autobot Pretender shells so I'm in favor of working in details from them but I can't deny how good this looks. I'll probably buy it.
Twincast - I'd like eject but at current prices this may be a pass.
Skyquake - Looks great but I'm not a huge Prime guy. I'll likely wait and see if we get it in UKG1 / MW Starscream colors.
Beachcomber - I'm sure he'll look great but there's other mini bots (or gasp Throttlebots/Sparkabots) I'd like more. Still probably bite.
Devcon - Sold. Though I'll be surprised if the altmode is coherent.
Axel grease - Yes please. More.
Dirge - got him the first time.
Nemesis Lio - Eh.
Armada Megs - That original toy was SOOO good. Other than lacking working leg joints it's one of the best TF molds of all time. I have no doubt that it'll fix that flaw, but will the rest be even close to as good?
-ZacWilliam, Hope the Holiday Prime repaint is Combat Hero.
Shrapnel looks perfectly fine.
Metalhawk looks... okay? I still think the Pretender approach is pretty incoherent, but this looks like a reasonable interpretation of that character. That said, a painted cockpit on a voyager retool? Ick. Costcutting at it's worst. The gaps at the front of a jet mode could have done with some intakes molded on to hide them a bit better.
I do not understand why they think explaining that Crosscut's wheels are gang molded vindicates it. Yes, we already figured they were on the same sprue. The issue is that such a bad sprue layout was done in the first place, and the obvious answer is because sprue count keeps going down for costcutting purposes. It still looks bad.
Glad some semblance of realism is coming in that they may as well admit the identities of the next wave are already public.
Metalhawk looks... okay? I still think the Pretender approach is pretty incoherent, but this looks like a reasonable interpretation of that character. That said, a painted cockpit on a voyager retool? Ick. Costcutting at it's worst. The gaps at the front of a jet mode could have done with some intakes molded on to hide them a bit better.
I do not understand why they think explaining that Crosscut's wheels are gang molded vindicates it. Yes, we already figured they were on the same sprue. The issue is that such a bad sprue layout was done in the first place, and the obvious answer is because sprue count keeps going down for costcutting purposes. It still looks bad.
Glad some semblance of realism is coming in that they may as well admit the identities of the next wave are already public.
Nah. I’m not a big 3P fan. Love what they do most of the time, I just don’t buy them.
If it helps, the product text for Scraphook and Crashbar give them this flavor text that might be charitably considered a bio blurb.
Well, I placed my pre-orders from this latest reveal, but I'm not getting all of this, I preordered:
Animated Prowl
Crashbar
Shrapnel
Twincast
MetalHawk
Also preordered a couple of Rise of the Beast Figures:
Scourge
Airrazor
Battletrap
I did consider pre-ordering Skyquake, but for a character whose existance boils down to just one ep, I just felt I didn't want him and rather wait for the repaint into Dreadwing, the core class figures, I'm passing on, Crosscut, I'm happy with the old generations figure
Animated Prowl
Crashbar
Shrapnel
Twincast
MetalHawk
Also preordered a couple of Rise of the Beast Figures:
Scourge
Airrazor
Battletrap
I did consider pre-ordering Skyquake, but for a character whose existance boils down to just one ep, I just felt I didn't want him and rather wait for the repaint into Dreadwing, the core class figures, I'm passing on, Crosscut, I'm happy with the old generations figure
So, Twincast has the retooled smirk face that showed up awhile back on a normal Blaster by mistake, which everyone thought was either a photoshopped hoax or meant for SG Blaster.
They also said that he's not Blaster himself, but a Shockwave-made clone that went awry.
They also said that he's not Blaster himself, but a Shockwave-made clone that went awry.
You already know who to blame for that one.
These new figures look great and will most assuredly make me spend too much. But I can pass on Crosscut, Nemesis Leo Prime, Core Nemesis Prime, and Core Thundercracker for being simple redecos/retools. And also maybe Twincast, though I really wanted a new Rewind. I have some time to think about that I guess...
Grimlock's leg mode is unfortunate. It's a lot shorter than I was expecting. So the combiner will be significantly shorter. Thus Dinoking won't be near Star Saber's height.
Around an inch and a half too short, I'd guess.
But I can pass on Crosscut, Nemesis Leo Prime, Core Nemesis Prime, and Core Thundercracker for being simple redecos/retools. And also maybe Twincast, though I really wanted a new Rewind. I have some time to think about that I guess...Grimlock's leg mode is unfortunate. It's a lot shorter than I was expecting. So the combiner will be significantly shorter. Thus Dinoking won't be near Star Saber's height.
Around an inch and a half too short, I'd guess.
That's not better.Grimlock is mistransformed in the official stock photography. Here's how he's supposed to look:
-ZacWilliam, if this is the best they can manage Core combiners they should have junked the whole idea. Sludges robot and Grimlock's Trex are inexcusable.
Yeah, I am skipping the Core combiners because yeesh, they are not good. I also don't have a need for Dinobots to unite into a combined form. And I know that these are small and scratch a different itch, but in recent years, I have bought multiple versions of the G1 Dinobots. I like them just fine, but I am good on them for a while*.
*Except if they made a SS86 Leader/Voyager Swoop, which I hope is in "the pipeline" at some point.
*Except if they made a SS86 Leader/Voyager Swoop, which I hope is in "the pipeline" at some point.