It looks like a smart use of resources. Don't spend the money to make a new arm/foot when you've got a perfectly usable existing part sitting right there on another toy. Take the savings and make a larger variety of overall ideas.

 

Huh! And here I was thinking that we'd see Tidal Wave before Broadside. Not that I'm complaining; Broadside is the last Autobot triple changer we needed to fill out the line. I'm loving the design so far, especially small touches like the asymmetrical shoulders. Let's hope the alt modes look just as good. Moar pics plz!

 

I think I'm actually more excited for the Tidal Wave version.

 

Ditto. I wonder if the smaller titan master figure will be called "Ramjet" or something.

 

Nah. It'll be called Leader-1.

 

*THIS*

It's like how CW shared elements between even uncommon molds. Think like how Breakdown and Brawl had similar leg transformations. Or the jets and Offroad/Groove/Bravo...

Since they can't have as extensive engineering as they used to, they've come up with ways to incorporate elements of a bot or alt mode into the transformation and then reuse them in different combos to create a new figure.

Beast molds are especially great for this. You can put all kinds of kibble and bot limbs into the animal limbs and then tie it together through a handful if similar torsos.

 

Nice looking figure

 

Ditto, but Broadside wants s place on my Wreckers shelf and I don't have room for repaints anymore.  

 

Tidal waaaaaaaave!!!

 

Guys, I think Tidal Wave might actually be a retool of CW Dead End.

 

Must be true. They both use plastic, after all  
This guy does actually look good though. I'll see how Tidal Wave looks in this mold to decide which one to get.

 

So do we call it a retool, or is that no longer up to par with what's being done with the Trion mold?

 

I'm in for Tidal Wave, for sure. I have FP Assaulter, so I'll be needing to see more before deciding to own two Broadsides.

OTOH, if someone suggests a great TM head I can use with the body to make a different character, I'll get him for that!

I prefer "shares engineering with" - it's a nice, vague, catch-all term that encompasses having a few shared parts or, like Deadend/Chromedome, covers having identical transformation schemes

 

I'd say wait till we actually see all three molds before calling it anything but the new Broadside figure.

 

But it has Alpha Trion's feet. That's not shared engineering, that's shared parts. They share tooling.

It's a retool. A great retool. A so-extensive-you-question-the-decision-to-be-a-retool-at-all retool.

 

Tidalwave  

 

It looks like his transformation may actually involve multiple steps. I find this oddly disappointing.

 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes!!! Everyone's favorite loser (and my 4th favorite Autobot) finally gets his due!!!

 

Looking on my phone, so I haven't gotten to do in depth observations, but is it more of a case of "sharing parts" ala Scourge and Highbrow (who I'd never call retools of each other, and which seems to be the new TR mantra for cost savings) then a retool?

 

Cool to see Broadside show up. That gives us an idea of what we'll see form Tidal Wave,