|
|
Post by Toph on May 19, 2017 11:08:04 GMT
I think I figured out the biggest screw up in Combiner Wars handling, and it was because of a stupid behind the scenes joke.
Classic Optimus was wave 1. Which facilitated them feeling like they needed to have an Optimus on shelves when his repaint team hit in wave three, meaning we then get a pointless white Optimus repaint three months later, while the real one is still shelfwarming.
And this was all because they could reveal Optimus before they told us about CW, so they could have a privet joke of "hurr hurr, we showed 'em a new combiner and they gots no friggin' idea hurr hurr hurr!" And to do this they needed to have him pointlessly in the first wave.
If they hadn't done this, the entire shape of the line could, and likely WOULD have been different.
|
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on May 19, 2017 11:39:32 GMT
Basically I agree with you.
However by the time wave 4, the Autobots hit, Optimus was long gone from UK shelves and online dealers. eBay prices supported him being hard to find by then in the US: I know, I broke my original doing a hip transfer and had huge trouble sourcing a replacement.
Personally I'd have stuck the original Op back out again with fixed hips, there still is no fixed version of original Op in the west, and altered the box to show the Autobot team combining with him.
He'd only been available in the Wave 1 case so there was no real reason against bringing him back, like they did with the Wave 2 Motormaster who did get a fix.
My Optimus Maximus uses red Optimus rather than the white version which is serving as Ultra Magnus in the centre for my Wreckers combiner.
Still need a proper RiD Scourge version of the Optimus too.
|
|
|
|
Post by Toph on May 19, 2017 12:51:44 GMT
But see battlecore did not need to exist at all. It only existed because they put optimus in wave one, so they could have their dumb insider laugh.
He should have been wave three or four the entire time.
Kill Scattershot entirely because as pointless as Battlecore was, Scattershot was just idiotic SINCE THEY WERE DOING THE TECHNOBOT BOX SET IN THE FIRST PLACE.
Replace him with Nemesis Prime using the evil prime head, and instead of giving us a second wave of superfluous autobot stunticon repaints, instead give us a wave of superfluous decepticon repaints to go with Nemesis/Cyclonus.
I mean Skylynx is enough of a sell on it's own.
And we still have an open repaint slot with Battlecore Optimus being replaced by Classic Optimus.
Like I said, if their priorities were better than a stupid inside joke, it would have changed the entire face of Combiner Wars. (It wouldn't necessarily mean a decepticon wave instead of a second autobot wave, or that scattershot would be dropped, but Optimus would be where he belonged and we'd have something other than Battlecore)
|
|
|
|
Post by Bogatan on May 19, 2017 18:55:45 GMT
I just wish they had made Battlcore into a proper thunderclash. They still could have called it Prime just like they did with the Beast Hunters legends figure. Instead we got a figure that isnt quite Prime or Magnus or Thunderclash.
I realised after getting Grands Scourge and aside from the 5 G1 based Unite boxset sets and Sky Reign (which are close enough to western releases) Im only missing G2 Bruticus, Baldigus and Liokaiser boxsets and Sky Lynx now.
I suppose I sould bite the bullet in the next few months and complete the set.
|
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on May 19, 2017 22:23:55 GMT
Kill Scattershot entirely because as pointless as Battlecore was, Scattershot was just idiotic SINCE THEY WERE DOING THE TECHNOBOT BOX SET IN THE FIRST PLACE.We've done this one previously. Voyager Scattershot exists: Partly to fund the retooling. Partly to do a Scattershot in Scattershot colours - a CW Scattershot in Computron colours results in the wrong colour Scattershot robot arms Partly as a cheap remould cos they "apparently" didn't intend doing Comptron |
|
|
|
Post by Toph on May 21, 2017 19:49:59 GMT
I don't know whether to put this here, or in customs.
I've repurposed about half of my Combiner Wars figures. Largely the stuff that was done before, and better.
Deluxe:
Ironhide- Headswapped with Trailbreaker and repurposed as Smolder w/reprolabels
Trailbreaker- Headswapped with Ironhide, and repurposed as G2 Ironhide, w/reprolabel mixture.
Prowl- Repurposed as the Autotroopers (x4)
Wheeljack- Repurposed as Exhaust, ala Reprolabels.
Bluestreak- Repurposed as G2 Bluestreak
Counterpunch- Repurposed as Armada Side Swipe
Voyagers:
Optimus Prime- Repurposed as G2 Optimus
Battlecore- Repurposed as Thunderclash, ala Reprolabels. And given the four autotrooper prowls.
Scattershot- Repurposed as Flame, ala reprolabels.
____
Guys I still don't know what to do with:
Deluxes:
Sunstreaker- Currently stands on my G2 shelf, but I don't like it. It makes sense as Sunstreaker probably would have been a straight reissue, but with sideswipe's colorings being reversed, it seems like his should too.
Mirage- Formula racers that aren't called Mirage are really rare. And those few that are, have wildly different decos.
Smokescreen- he looks very little like Smokescreen, but then he looks too similar to pass as anyone else that I can see.
Hound- he sucks at being Hound. But the only others who share this deco are Hounds, Hound homages, or Jeeper Creeper. And his head is way too Hound. Currently considering Jeeper Creeper, and E. Ironhide.
Impactor- I prefer MMC's Impactor for Impactor. So I don't know whether to put him with Neo G2, or Neo RiD. But then without him, the idea of a wreckers combiner becomes pointless. He is the wreckers to me. The only character I ID as a wrecker. Without him, I don't acknowledge their existence, toy wise.
Cyclonus- I got two of these guys, and they're both pointless (both hasbro and UW). But neither pass as anything but Cyclonus. So I dunno whether to shunt it to my Neo G2, or even Neo RiD.
Bludgeon- I kinda dig the idea of a Mayhem Attack Squad combiner. But not revolving around Bludgeon the way this does it. (I HATE the brawl mold, but it would have been a better choice) so I dunno if I should leave it as is, or bump it to G2 Bludgeon (megatron tries to resurrect both bludgeon and thunderwing?)
Computron "B Team"- consisting of CW box Scattershot, UW Strafe, CW Nosecone, UW Afterburner, and (surprising me) CW Lightspeed, with the UW HFGs, I don't know whether to break them apart as new repurposes, or put them with G2 or RiD.
|
|
|
|
Post by Toph on Jul 2, 2017 7:12:51 GMT
You know, I'm sitting here looking at my G2 Classics shelf.
And it would not irritate me *nearly* as much that they skipped G2 Defensor, if they had also skipped G2 Menasor.
It just makes no sense to plan to do three of the four G2 combiners, when all four were available. But it does make sense to do the two that were originally made, while skipping the two that had been originally cancelled. There's an OCD balance there.
Everyone loves the rumor that the technobots were never planned, and basically put together after everyone freaked out about Scattershot. (I don't really believe this)
If there's any truth in that at all, I wonder if computron took g2 defensor's place in the lineup?
|
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 2, 2017 7:55:05 GMT
I suspect it's more likely Victorion did when they got that Voyager plus colour combination. Yet another reason to hate Victorion!
|
|
|
|
Post by blueshift on Jul 2, 2017 8:26:46 GMT
You know, I'm sitting here looking at my G2 Classics shelf. And it would not irritate me *nearly* as much that they skipped G2 Defensor, if they had also skipped G2 Menasor. It just makes no sense to plan to do three of the four G2 combiners, when all four were available. But it does make sense to do the two that were originally made, while skipping the two that had been originally cancelled. There's an OCD balance there. Everyone loves the rumor that the technobots were never planned, and basically put together after everyone freaked out about Scattershot. (I don't really believe this) If there's any truth in that at all, I wonder if computron took g2 defensor's place in the lineup? I'm of the mind that they planned a G2 Denfensor but either Victorion or Computron took the slot (or Victorion's existence meant they didn't want to do one with a fire engine so close together) and maybe retailers weren't interested in another G2 set after the others didnt sell that well. |
|
|
|
Post by Toph on Jul 2, 2017 8:38:46 GMT
I seriously doubt Victorion had anything to do with it.
And Phil is wrong. There are no reasons to hate her.
|
|
|
|
Post by blueshift on Jul 2, 2017 9:13:02 GMT
I seriously doubt Victorion had anything to do with it. And Phil is wrong. There are no reasons to hate her. I can imagine stores not wanting to take two fire engine box sets at once. How did the original Hot Spot/Defensor sell? Are fire engines more of a shelf warmer than jets? Also there are plenty of reasons to hate Victorion. In Victorion's case, the set is: Ugly - Red and teal. Ugh. Wow. Baffling choices - remolds on the figures to be uh... mirror images so you don't see the differences at all. Ugly - Looking at her makes me want to die. You may hate the character choices on Megatronia, but that's a set with the same concept that actually looks amazing. For the record, the colour 'choice' for the fan vote was Red, teal and white. There's a million better combos they could have gone with! It's mindblowing how ugly they made it!! |
|
|
|
Post by Pinwig on Jul 2, 2017 9:37:25 GMT
I quite liked it. But then I did trade it in for Megatronia.
|
|
|
|
Post by Toph on Jul 2, 2017 10:43:04 GMT
They weren't selling two individual red fire engines in the same wave at once.
They were selling two differently themed and differently decorated box sets with six toys each, and would haveikely been months apart.
And each set largely seemed to belong to different retailers.
I don't think TRU would shut down Defensor because their giant robot with a black robot, an orange robot, a blue robot, and a white robot, also had a red robot, because BBTS had a set of robots that was all red and teal.
So no, I really do not think Victorion had any impact in the fate of G2 Defensor.
|
|
Jim
Thunderjet
Micromaster Backside Monitor
Now in glorious Ultra HD 4K
Posts: 4,918
|
Post by Jim on Jul 3, 2017 13:44:52 GMT
On further reflection
Could it possibly be
That G2 Defensor
Is just plain old ugly?
-Jim
|
|
|
|
Post by Shockprowl on Jul 3, 2017 20:41:18 GMT
The only combiner you need to see
Is the brilliant and inspired Auto-Sentry!
Perchance to dream this amazing crew!
How sad I am Combiner Wars' through...
|
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Aug 20, 2017 16:12:19 GMT
Ralph has taken photos and video. They are scary.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Aug 20, 2017 21:01:35 GMT
They are.
-Ralph
|
|
|
|
Post by Shockprowl on Aug 21, 2017 6:46:37 GMT
We must see them!
|
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Aug 21, 2017 8:54:52 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Pinwig on Aug 21, 2017 9:32:22 GMT
OH MY GOD!
|
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Aug 21, 2017 9:55:39 GMT
Burns has challenged my assumption that I don't have enough combiners.
One of the Defensors needs to go, as does the Western Sky Reign (I've got a spare Smokescreen)
What with the "no space in the loft" yesterday was rather sobering.
|
|
|
|
Post by Toph on Aug 21, 2017 9:57:10 GMT
Let my gestalts goooooooooo, thus sayth The Prime!
|
|
|
|
Post by Pinwig on Aug 21, 2017 10:01:45 GMT
Wait, Ralph is telling you that you have to release some of your combiners into the wild?
There can't possibly be any ulterior motive there at all...
|
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Aug 21, 2017 10:13:37 GMT
As you can see there are quite a lot of Combiners. Exactly how many is likely to become obvious in the very near future.
Now CW Groove exists, the Defensors are nearly exact duplicates, so I can't really justify keeping both.
Similarly Sky Reign and Lynxmaster are one limb away from being the same. Lynxmaster has better deco and the Ratchet limb, which you can't get elsewhere, while, as I said above, I wisely bought a duplicate Smokescreen.
When you get into the unique combiners there are an awful lot down the list in terms of preference that I'd get rid of before I got rid of Grand Galvatron. If Ralph is using this method of getting his holy grail he's playing a very long game!
|
|
|
|
Post by Benn on Aug 21, 2017 13:31:24 GMT
He is cunning.
|
|
|
|
Post by Llama God on Aug 21, 2017 15:52:52 GMT
That is definitely some combiners, right there.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Aug 21, 2017 22:18:43 GMT
The pictures don't quite grasp the madness of how many Combiners Phil has. The video shows it better.
-Ralph
|
|
|
|
Post by Fortmax2020 on Aug 21, 2017 22:34:08 GMT
Mrs M's mind was blown. I then told her each robot was made up of five robots..
|
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Aug 22, 2017 7:15:48 GMT
Oh dear.
-Ralph
|
|
primenova
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
Posts: 6,057
|
Post by primenova on Aug 22, 2017 11:25:52 GMT
Anyone count passed Fortress Maximus? (11) they get too close
|
|
