Always thought Thunderclash, myself. But then I think about him a lot.
Transformers: Age of the Primes Thread: ll First Post All Listings II Update : April 12th, 2027 Bonus Wave: Repaint fun, Beast Wars, G2, Machine Wars
- Thread starter TriBlurr
- Start date
When I hear "blue Optimus", I think to myself, "I wonder if he's asked Ratchet if Zoloft is right for him?"
Yeah, it was definitely a Thunder Clash homage, right down to the wing design on the top of the cab.
He's also more "gray Optimus" than "blue Optimus":
Come to think of it, Thunder Clash wasn't dull gray, but Machine Wars Optimus was, so it's a dual-homage deco to both.
Ugh, that needs to be a Commander class to do it any justice. But Commanders rarely get repainted, let alone remolding (they'd probably give MW Optimus a face plate, right? Coin toss, there).
Well, that would make it box-art-accurate. A win-win scenario would be if they gave it a retractable mouthplate a la Cybertron Optimus. I always headcanon'd that Machine Wars Optimus had one so as to explain the discrepancy between the mouthplated box art and the mouthplate-less toy.
Im honestly shocked with this retouching of older generations, we have not gotten anything from the MW era. Especially with that Dreadwing mold we got.
Apparently Mark pushes for a MW capsule every year.
The rest of the team will break eventually!
Just so long as it's done right without any compromised designs like the aforementioned Legacy Skyquake/Dreadwing mold being the secret lovechild between G1 Skyquake and the Prime twins, looking just enough like both to be too unique to properly and faithfully resemble either with some kind of upgrade kit.Apparently Mark pushes for a MW capsule every year.
The rest of the team will break eventually!
Funnily enough, I've seen that mould customized into MW Starscream and I think it works really well.
I'm shocked they never did it up as G1 Skyquake though, since that was so clearly the design intent.
In Hasbro's minds, Legacy Skyquake likely represents both G1 and Prime Skyquake, hence why they made the mold a mashup design.
But, your desire for a G1 Skyquake version of the mold tells me that you don't agree with that notion, which further proves my point about how that mold had a compromised design that works for Hasbro but not for fans.
For me, the majority of the mould screams G1 Skyquake with Prime Skyquake stylings. The thing that makes it inadequate in being an updated G1 Skyquake, IMO, is the colour scheme. Which is firmly rooted in Prime Skyquake's muted and dark tones.
I think the mould as it is, in G1 Skyquake's colours, would be suitable even if not perfect.
Just label it as G2 Universe Skyquake and it's good to go. Yes, I know, the Europe-only figures aren't G2, but close enough for someone to pick up the capsule.
With this in mind, imagine if they had released the Legacy Skyquake toy with G1 Skyquake's colors as the default release of Legacy Skyquake, complete with the "Prime Universe Skyquake" label that it was marketed as.
You desire a more G1-colored Skyquake because the Legacy Prime Universe Skyquake was inadequate due to its more Prime Skyquake-based colors. Had it had a more G1 Skyquake-based colors while still being label as "Prime Universe Skyquake", then those who were hoping for a "Prime Universe Skyquake" to live up to its name would be left wanting just as you feel left wanting for a more G1-colored Skyquake.
And all the while, Hasbro's just sitting there smiling naively, thinking to themselves, "We sure made a great Skyquake that's both G1 and Prime at the same time, didn't we."
We can just call it G2. It's okay.
"Um, ackchyually, it wasn't officially-"
Shut it, TFWiki. The box doesn't call it G1 either. We're giving it a retroactive label either way.
Is it a G1 mould released in the 90s? Is it in garishly 90s colours? If yes then it's G2, at least spiritually.
Sure.
Doesn't make what I said incorrect.
Apparently Mark pushes for a MW capsule every year.
The rest of the team will break eventually!
This guy is awesome.
But at this point maybe it's a blessing in disguise that this has taken so long. Maybe in the interim they can make a new Deluxe jet mold that has the look of the flipchangers (and can maybe be retooled into a Cyberjet or two). They already have the Mirage mold (although I wouldn't mind a better take on that design) and a pickup truck mold, so that's a good capsule-sized chunk of the cast. They can also toss in either a Doubledealer retool or a Skyquake retool to be the sole Leader class figure in the capsule. But now I'm thinking of a Shattered Glass Collection style capsule, which also had a Commander... but no existing molds work well enough for Thunder Clash. Besides, the Commander price point is pretty much occupied for the next several
Legacy Skyquake is definitely one of those "let's incorporate elements from both characters we want to squeeze out of this" designs that seems to be common with this design team. Sometimes it's fudgeable enough and turns out all right (Bludgeon works fine, I just wish there a BIT more retooling), and sometimes it's a mixed bag like the Side Burn Trio or the Elita Trio. It's just the way things have to be done these days, maybe. There is a retooling budget and it's already pretty smartly deployed, but some things they just have to put in there from the get-go. But the risk of being so much of A and B that it ends up not fully being A or B is always present.
The compromises do show. The chest is visibly not the Prime design's plane nose/cockpit. The shoulder things in robot mode are right out for G1 and perfect for the Prime design. The altmode has an F15 cockpit and wide intakes grafted onto an SR71 back that also has a wee version of the scope. Somehow the legs are neither, utterly not-G1 while retaining only part of the Prime design vibe (chonky but squared off).
And yet, for all of that, it's one of those cases where it's understandable and might work. I've seen digibashes and customs lay the Predator Skyquake colors onto this mold and it's pretty nice (and MW Starscream colors would be even better at hiding the design seams). But I'd like more retooling to be done despite the mold already having the design elements from G1 worked in. Aside from the expected new head, finish out the altmode: new cockpit, lose the intakes/shoulderpad things (some customs did this). I'd also like for the scope and missile drums to be less weedy and more visible in robot mode (removing the shoulderpads will help, but the originals were towering things). Still, they ARE already there.
But really, at this point I just want this done at all. They clearly had the intent for it, and interest in it.
Last edited:
I'd take MW Starscream out of that mold as is. Even with those legs it would be superior to Fun Pub's MW Starscream in every way.
I mean, when the bar is underground, it's easy to clear. (And this is coming from someone who likes that particular toy.)