What kind of characters do you prefer for Botcon/Club exclusives?

Well known characters who have a lot of toys already
(examples: Optimus Prime, Megatron, Starscream)

Obscure forgotten about characters who have only one or two toys to their name
(examples: Punch/Counter-Punch, Dion, Flak, Banzai-Tron, Skyquake, Thunderclash, Weirdwolf)

Fiction only characters who have never had a proper toy before
(examples: Elita-1, Alpha Trion)

Brand new characters who have never been seen before and likely never to be seen again
(examples: Landshark)


Me, I would go for obscure forgotten about characters and characters only previously seen in the fiction. I get a kick out of seeing someone who hasn't had a toy in twenty years to get a new toy (even if the new toy is just a repaint).

With brand new characters, there's little or nothing connecting me to them. I've not read the Wings of Honor comic but Landshark is just a new character for the sake of having a new character it seems. He has no history and could probably have been replaced by an existing character and fulfilled the same role. Brand new characters are only okay when they fill a unique role that nobody else could have filled.

Although Shattered Glass characters are mirror versions of the regular characters, I still consider them versions of the regular characters. Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumblebee, Starscream and others; all have a lot of toys already. The SG concept worked well and I like what few stories I can read of it but using such high profile characters is not something I want them to do often. Botcon 06 was okay though. Despite the characters being well known, it had been a while since many had gotten new toys so I didn't have a problem with them. Besides, they all had vehicle alternate modes so it made them fresher than if they had been repainted from toys with a similar beast alt mode that they had in the show.

Well, I haven't bought any BotCon exclusives (yet), but this is the type of toys I like seeing from BotCon - obscure characters that are less likely to get normal toys from Has/Tak.

nothing, I hate exclusives ,

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Something that's affordable. I know it will cost an arm and a leg We will see

On the whole I'm happier if well known characters aren't overused, but it depends on the context. Thundercracker, Thrust and Dirge were great, if Hasbro weren't going to do them then I'm glad to have got them. Having said that non are A list to start with.

DOFP worked to because it was a new take on the characters and crated a BW trilogy. Shattered Glass was OK, if your going to get the absolute most well known A list characters in a set this is probably the best way to make it stand out from the next mass retail version of them.

Obscure have been my favourites so far. Dreadwind, Huffer, Leozack, Skyquake, Banzaitron all great.

Fiction only characters are great too, though bring on the comic characters.

I don't mind brand new characters at least in theory, but if all they have is a tech spec and one comic to bring to life a new character then he or she needs to be the star of the comic. It has to be like the IDW spotlights or FPs Nightbeat comic. The rest of the set acting as a supporting cast. Landshark was a waste of time for me. He didn't do anything to warrant his existence. Even if he'd been created as redshirt to be randomly killed off or given a heroic death that would have been almost something. (actually maybe that did happen, it took me a good 4 or 5 attmpts to get all the way through it and it didn't stick in my memory afterwards, thankfully)

And if you aren't going to do something interesting with the character:
Don't make it the largest toy in the set.
Don't give it an uninspiring slightly drab colour scheme.
Don't make its drab colour scheme look like just a greener version of the retail version orange scheme which at least was a bit bright.
Don't give it a name similar to the retail release.

The mould would have made a great Thunderclash, it would have worked as a leader, the toy would have been bright and interesting and Landshark could have used the Rodimus mould and ... been there too.

Erm, sorry for the rant. Landshark annoys me I'd rather have had a boxset that was $30-40 cheper and comic with one less character crammed in (or with one of the far more interesting obscure decepticons instead).

Sadly I'm not convinced FP can do new characters. The club had 5 comics to try and make the combiner chaps interesting and I still don't know whose who as most of the focus was on the Prime/Megatron/Alpha Trion of whichever universe they were in.

For how to do new characters see Fractyl and Packrat. A great stand alone comic. Good toys, New and interesting colours.

Bogatan, I like the cut of your jib.

Exactly . Characters like Devcon, G1 Arcee (based on the G1 Blurr mold?), Classics Arcee, BW characters who never got figures etc. Why aren't I working for FunPub?

Well, I can't afford anything either. But that doesn't stop me appreciating which characters do get released as toys.

This. My favorites have been Deathsauras, Weirdwolf, Dreadwind, Nightbeat, Banzai-Tron, Leozack, Skyquake, and Thunderclash. I'm really looking forward to Punch/Counterpunch, too.

My preference would be for obscure characters who only have a few toys and/or are unlikely to be produced as a mass release. Partially because it makes it easy for me to skip those sets if I don't care about the obscure characters in question, but also because it avoids all the massive nerd-rage that comes from releasing high-profile characters as BotCon exclusives (eg - the 07 Seekers and Dreadwind). Another option I like is alternate versions of established characters, such as the "Dawn of Futures Past" set, with Cybertronian bodies for the BW cast.