I've said it before, but IMO this is the Blast Off we should've gotten in CW. I agree with some people that a team of military vehicles should have a jet instead of a space shuttle, but that's how Blast Off was in G1, and again that's what his CW toy should've been, not a brown Slingshot (which is not a bad toy in general, but was not a good Blast Off toy IMO). I am definitely getting this and the rest of the CW Combaticons, which I initially skipped due to that version of Blast Off. Sounds picky, I know, but I want my CHUG toys to properly update G1 characters, and not just be a bunch of lazy repaints. Hopefully we'll get a G2 version of UW Blast Off, and then I'll get the G2 Bruticus set as well. I also hope they will chill out with using the Aerialbot molds after POTP is over, but they probably won't.

 

I don't mind a new Blast-Off.
But I'm already contended with CW version.
Let's see.

As for Hasbro releasing UW Technobots, I'm all for it. I didn't manage to get the CW Technobots Boxset.
I really do hope Hasbro releases the UW version under Hasbro Colors. I mean, it's money. Why don't they?

Unless they don't want to destroy the "Beast Theme" of POTP Combiners. (Dinos, Predaking, Abominus).
But... they made Starscream a combiner torso.

I think we need to pressure Hasbro to release UW Technobots.

 

I have the G2 CW Blast Off and I’m perfectly fine with having that one alone. Plus, it just seems a little silly to me that Blast off (so far) is the only combaticon that is being made for the Power of the Primes line. 

 

Yeah, at least Firefly somewhat resembled him better.

(no b.s. but I wouldn't hold my breath though)

 

The Aerialbots were only reused three times at retail after Wave 1/2 of CW. Besides Rook they're some of the more limited use of the line.

 

I don't class brown Slingshot as Blast Off, no matter how 'official' Hasbro says it is. Looks nothing like him. I'm fine with them making him a jet but at least give him a head that actually looks like the character! Such a lazy cash grab. Maybe Fireflights head on Skydives body would have been acceptable and shown a slight bit of effort to make him actually look like Blast Off and seem a bit creative. Not only that but I have Slingshot already. Where is the fun in having the exact same Transformer? I already know the sculpt and transformation so it's not interesting to buy another of the same. So no way was I ever buying this cheap rehash they attempted to pass off as Blast Off. Saved my money for when the real thing came out.

 

This makes me wonder how often teams have only had a single member released in a given line...

 

I would have been ok with BO had they given him the faceplate version of the jet mode. My 2 big issues wit CW was

1 the other 3 'scramble' teams got exclusive releases for G1-goodness

2 if you bought ALL CW deluxes (including exclusives) you were 1 bot short of making a custom combiner. Now my custom "misfit deluxes" galvatronus will finally be complete!

 

Sorry, I don't exactly know what you mean. I wasn't just talking about the regular CW line, I was including some of the boxset figures and then of course Darkwing and Dreadwind. They sure as hell used the crap out of those Deluxe molds to make a lot of figures. It's kind of hard to believe that they used three molds total (minus Alpha Bravo and Powerglide) for the original line-up of Aerialbots, but of course with some retooling. I just think they need to give some of those CW molds a rest, that's all. Would've been nice to get a completely new toy for Inferno too, but no, they had to use the Hot Spot mold again. Just give us a few more G2 sets, maybe a toy-accurate version of UW Computron, and then I'm good.

 

Eh, I'm completely fine with giving people the option. There was a ton of negative feedback on the boards about a combat jet being a Combaticon, so it's nice that those folks can make their dreams come true. I really hope Hasbro did the right thing and released him in alternative bot mode with a purple back chest and swapped arms. Either way, I'm getting him because I want them to keep releasing CW molds or retools of them, ie. Jazz, and I don't own the Takara Blastoff.

 

Another thing: I loved CW very much, and of course most of the toys themselves. But like many people I didn't care for how much retooling/repainting went on during CW. Boxsets and exclusives are somewhat excusable, but again, some characters got the short end of the stick and just got a simple repaint or just a new head besides the repaint. And of course Blast Off is a good example of what I'm talking about.

 

I still found odd that for a military theme vehicles, there's a shuttle among them.
For logical reason making Blast Off as a Harrier Jet is just right.

Always view shuttles as space exploration vehicle. Thanks to NASA.
Of course there's still some going against it. Like the Purists saying, "It's not Gee-Wun!".

 

I'm curious if the supposed Megatronus that comes with Blast-Off will be die cast like what they did with the exclusive titan masters.

 

I REALLY hope Blastoff is dark brown... I don't care about any other deco choices other than that, i can make him accurate to whichever version of Blastoff i want after that just want the dark brown plastic.

is this what we have become? wanting takara to fix the crappy Brown Slingshot with a new mold Blastoff only to hope that hasbro fixes the crappy Orange Blastoff? what madness is this?

hopefully if he's gonna be toy accurate, i have a feeling that this Hasbro Blastoff might use the backwards torso like that of UW Shuttler/Movor

also seeing as how the paint app map for this particular figure already exists, i could totally see a dark brown Blastoff still using the UW toon accurate paint job, but with a backwards torso, that way everyone gets what they want. People who want the toon accuracy can flip the torso or vice versa depending on how he ends up.

i mean all you have to do to swap the torso back to front is swap the arms at the bicep swivel and ur done. it just adds (or removes) a waist spin during transformation depending on which chest you want

EDIT: or hell better yet, if god forbid he's got some weird color layout, but still has the dark brown plastic many of us want. it might be possible to swap parts between the hasbro and the takara one to create the perfect blastoff.

I know!!! honestly i REALLY wish that the Brown Slingshot had just had a new name entirely and he was like a Blastoff sub if they needed Bruticus, but Blastoff himself was busy in space or something. That and had we gotten a completely new character in the torso department then we could have made an entirely new combiner team that isn't Victorion to please the people who hate her. it would have been the perfect way to introduce something like that under the radar.

As it is though, only getting the 3 new characters (Rook, AB, and Offroad) and a repurposed brown slingshot being attached to any torso does not a new combiner make.

SOO CLOSE but not close enough.

 

Alpha Bravo, later Slingshot.
Offroad, later Wildrider/Breakneck.
Rook, later Groove.
Don't worry folks Hasbro has a long term plan to have you put your hand in your pocket a second time every time.

 

But, OTOH, you now have a full set of limbs for Galvatronus

 

Just to let people know, Takara Blast off and Movor use the SAME bodies. All that was done was the arms were attached on the opposite shoulders, which can be removed and attached as you wish. The only "difference" is the paint application positions.

 

But they are not called the Militarycons, they are called the Combaticons. The Decepticons already had Astrotrain so having a second space shuttle (in 1986) outfitted for combat in space is hardly a big deal. A Decepticon space shuttle wouldn't have "space exploration" as their main function. Also, not all the Dinobots are dinosaurs and not all the Predacons are predators. It's just something you accept from when you first become a fan of Transformers.

I would object to a stunt plane being part of the Stunticons though. But if one had been part of the team ever since 1986, I would have just accepted it.

 

Classified Shuttle Missions: Secrets in Space

The early days of the shuttle program had the space shuttles deliver military payloads into space, many which are still classified to this day. Military actions aren't ALL combat actions. And if we want to be nit picky, Onslaught and Swindle aren't technically vehicles intended for combat either. Onslaught is a tank carrier with weapons that would be intended to be deterrents and defensive weapons, while Swindle is lightly, or not even armored in the case of the G1 Jeep. Jeeps are used to carry people around or to do recon, and at the first sign of danger they're to get the hell out of dodge. The weapon on top is for defensive purposes in the hopes that an attacker would be deterred from attacking on the threat of death. Hell, Vortex in G1 is based off of the SH-2 Seasprite helicopter, a multi-role naval helicopter who's duties includes ASW and SAR missions. The Alpha Bravo mold is based off the AS365 Dauphin medium helicopter, or the AS565 Panther if we want to talk about military variants. It is ALSO a multi-role utility helicopter like the Seasprite is. These helicopters do mount ordnance for combat roles such as assault and ground support, but it isn't what they were purpose built for.

So that literally leaves Brawl as the ONLY purpose built "combat vehicle" on the entire team. 1 vehicle that acts as a heavy vehicle hauler, 1 vehicle that is a scout car or personnel transport, 1 vehicle that is a multirole rotorcraft, 1 vehicle that is space shuttle, and finally 1 vehicle that is a legit combat vehicle.

So much for "Combaticons."

That's why I'm absolutely A-okay with a space shuttle being on the team.

 

Yeah boi!