TakaraTOMY Reveals Henkei Thundercracker, Skywarp and Crystal Convoy

And I'll say it was fairly obvious that it wouldn't be a Seeker from the Botcon set, because many folks were sure that Takara wouldn't break dare due to FP's "exclusive".

I had hoped Thundercracker would be one of the Henkei Henkei Transformers Exclusives. I will gladly pay $150.00 to get one. I am guessing it will go for more than that though.

Definately like this one over the FP exclusive. Prefer the colors on this one.

Can anyone comfirm what I am reading?

From what I can tell, it seems to suggest that they will be taking preorders for SW/TC on May 22nd and shipping them sometime in September?

This would make the price roughly $150 dollars...how is that climbing down? that is still expensive...though i'm not sure how much they went for before...

this TC will cost if limited enough as I suspect cost as much as a botcon TC anyway.

Something tells me we're going to be overlooked in this thread , but this is a concern for me as well. I preordered this Prime and BB with the expectation that they were going to be "uber-Premium" and all chromed-out, based on that pic we saw a while back. Guess we'll have to wait and see to be sure.

If they're just the US Premium versions with a sticker on the box/card, that's disappointing.

And I got my Botcon set for free as well.

Not for those...living in Asia! For me - I have kinda lost interest in Classics.

There's like, what, 5 or 10 people doing that? I don't know...I watch Fox News...

Thundercracker looks great! I like the darker blue much better than the light blue of the Botcon version. I hope BBTS gets him. If so, I'll preorder him in an astrosecond.

Yes, they start taking preorder on the 22nd Where did you see the Septembet bit?

My partner is Japanese and she translated the shop page for me. Although she did say that she may have misread it

Could anyone please translate the text in full?

Sorry, I don't get the joke?! Anyway, I have no worries about the toy's availability.

With a couple exceptions, I never saw the fascination with translucent figs, so crystal prime's a bit of a pass.

Thundercracker and Skywarp, however, are looking sweet. I'd consider getting them if I hadnt already blown my budget with finishing up my Busou Shinki collection.

BOTCON = PWN'd

I'm sad but happy, sad for blowing the dosh on the botcon version and happy for those who couldnt get him but can now!

Forgive me for lazyness, but time crunched right now so if someone could send me/repost here the link to preorder the clear prime, would love ya!

I have the Botcon set, I don't mind this at all. It's like the Japanese DVD Exclusive Exellion and the slightly different Hasbro release. It's not a spot on copy of the Botcon release. More people can get Thundercracker, and we all win.

Hell, I've been getting all the Henkei releases, I'm a Classics junkie. I'll probably do my damnedest to get these. I am, however, thinking that to get these in the states, we're going to pay almost $100 a pop.....let alone the eBay price surge.

Did it occur to anyone that maybe the reason why Fun Publications and Hasbro were alright with Takara releasing Thundercracker is because Takara TC is going to be as limited/more limited than the Botcon version?

Anyway, how the hell do we preorder on a site that we can't understand Japanese on? Can anyone answer me this?

First, before anything, let me say that I'm a Botcon set owner and I'm totally happy for everyone that will now be given another shot at him. Still, I wouldn't be expecting him to go for too much less than the Botcon one does. Unless you have a friend in Japan that can pick one up or you've already got a trip planed or something.

Yeah, I'm expecting the price of this to be just as high (if not higher) than the Botcon one due to it's exclusiveness. Japanese exclusives tend to be rather expensive and difficult to obtain for peopl whom don't live there. The Lawsons Movie Bumblebee is a good example, but Dark Fang Wolf, Red Armada Thrust and others have been just as expensive. I think too many people are counting their chickens before their hatched here.

Eh? Well, first off, there's more to the Botcon set than just Thundercracker. Not to mention, I'm not so sure that this would ever happen again... TC being the core character he is getting a toy that's a Japanese Exclusive kind of makes sense. I'd be surprised to see anyone else from any of the Botcon sets (save for possibly Thrust and Dirge) get a toy.

Also, just incase you missed the rest of my post, stop being a troll for two seconds and use that lump of grey matter in your head and just think for a minute. Do you honestly expect a Japanese Exclusive to not be nearly as expensive as the Botcon Thundercracker? Seriously, if you do I'd suggest pulling your head out of your backside sir.

This is the most rational post about this situation as it stands right now. There's a lot of information that we still need to know. This very well could be just as expensive as the Botcon set.

Cool. I need a T-Cracker to complete my seeker squadron. Hopefully BBTS will stock them.

Now I jsut need to figure out how to get the money for the pre-order of that Crystal Prime... He's pure sweet lovin.

Not really replying to you, just agreeing with you

Yes, they will probably skyrocket in price the moment they hit the intertubes.

However, for what it is worth, I stayed clear of the Botcon versions simply because I hate the silly plastic baggies they come in. I find that they look out of place with my misb collection. The chance to get a version of classics seekers in an actual box is too good for me to miss. And yes I understand that I could have gotten the ...deception box set, but I only really wanted the seekers and couldn't justify the cost of the box for them.

There doesn't seem to be any mention of release date yet

Not much to translate, Henkei Convoy clear version is Tokyo Toy show (21, 22/6) exclusive. Small quantity of the figure will be sold at ehobby after the event by draw. (People who want to buy the toy enters the draw to win the right to purchase it.)

Thundercracker is Ganbo Hyakkaten online shop exclusive. They will start taking preorders on 22/5 noon.

Skywarp is TakaraTomy Hobby market online shop exclusive. They, too will start taking preorders on the same day.

thank god i know a guy in japan who maybe could get me TC relatively "cheap"

so happy about this!!

Thundercracker will be MINE

Since I like the Henkei deco better, I don't really care what the seekers cost. I expect them initially to be just as expensive as the botcon versions, given what I had to pay for the Lawson's movie exclusives, and the prices that made me pass on the pink movie Arcee.

Thundercracker looks awesome, I may have to get one.

And for those complaining there is a Takara Thunder cracker. Grow up, you still have the nice case and the rest of the exclusive figures.

What's wrong with letting others who simply couldn't afford a chance to own without customising a starscream orthundercracker?

Yay! Thundercracker will finally be mine.

I wouldn't mind having that Thundercracker. That Crystal Convoy (classic repaint? wtf?!) and Skywarp = pass.

Yes I'm so glad I waited!!! Thundercraker yay!!!

Oh yes, Thundercracker and Clear Prime may be mine? Definitely Prime since its just an ehobby.

Im just waiting to see how many of the ppl here that say " TC will be mine" Yes finallya I will own a Tc" , "oh he will be mine" Etc etc. I think most of you think this will be reguler price but I highly doubt it. It all depends on how many they make and how many ppl wanting it.

I make a prediction this will cost atleast 100$ due to the high demand and probbaly low number. I hope Im wrong for the ppl here but I doubt it.

"I am Optimus Prime! But my friends call me Crystal."

Nice stuff.

I am disappointed with the lack of Sunstorm or generic seeker... but hey, second chance for those looking for Skywarp and TC. Clear Prime looks awesome though!

This thread did not deliver near the lulz I was hoping for.

Thundercracker? Old news. Move along folks, nothing to see here.

Well except maybe that crystal Convoy. I adore crystal toys.

I'm gonna be broke...so broke...

I have but one thing to say to the people that shelled out an obscene amount for the Botcon TC:

WHERE IS YOUR GOD NOW?!?

Exactly. If this news broke, I was expecting a giant tear across the sky as the internet kerploded.

But anyways, I have Botcon TC so I'm passing on this guy, but congrats to those who can get this one!

i also own the set, and am glad this is an exclusive and not a standard release...that would bug me, but this doesnt...and after looking at pictures of botcon TC and henkei TC, i prefer botcon...i like him more...only thing i like more about henkei is his missile launchers are painted a little which breaks up his color a little more...and i also expect these to hit the same prices on ebay that the botcon TC gets...so i'm not worried about the value at all...

and i also hope we now get a sunstorm US target exclusive...and the chances just got a little better too...

Wow. You didn't actually read the thread, did you?
No-one has complained; in fact, people are pleased that more get a chance to own one.
Reading threads before replying for the win!

Actually, this goes out to all the people posting comments such as "hahahaha botcon suckers got pwned!" or "where is your god now?":

We.
Don't.
Mind.

We.
Are.
Actually.
Happy.
About.
This.

And not to mention, of course:
We.
Still.
Have.
Dirge.

And.
Thrust.

So. Kindly stop trying to bait us, it's just making you look like idiots. Kthxbye.

It's ok Draven. Let em choke on it when it finally comes time to try and get a hold of these.

And a hearty RORFLOLLLLL at the thread tags, so true

^ this

On my Classics shelf, hugging my Botcon set

I hope that's not Allspark-swear-filter "hugging".
Because that'd just be wrong.

Lets stop the bickering. Everyone should be happy in the end. The people who couldnt get TC at botcon now have their long bitched about chance to get him (I know I will at any cost!) and the Botcon owners still have the satisfaction of owning a Thrust which who I really want. So lets cut the crap and demand to know how to pre-order these!

Thundercracker looks great. Here's hoping he'll be easier to obtain than the Botcon version. Still being an exclusive will still make him rare, but Takara tends to make exclusives in larger numbers than Botcon. I'd say there's a great chance that a lot of people (hopefully including myself) will finally get to complete their set of core Seekers.

And, while we're at it, kudos to Takara Tomy for not doing a Henkei Sunstorm. Let's hope that abomination never happens.

I don't mind the release of TC. I'm just happy I got my 07 box set at the club discounted price. These seekers are a pass for me and Convoy might be a different story.

I like that the Henkei versions have decepticon symbols on the wings. Plan on getting all the Henkei versions to display next to my Hasbro/Botcons versions.

I hope Sunstorm is next!

That's totally understandable. I mean, if you're a MISB collector the Boxsets do kind of take away from that I think... you kind of loose the individual packaging and the ability to look at the toy without removing it. And forget about the show only figures that are packaged in baggies only... thank god I'm an opener.

Eh? Well, he's laughing at the silliness he sees in the people whom think that just because this figure is $30 USD in Japan that they're going to be able to get him off eBay for cheap.

Btw, seen a Lawson BB or Pink Arcee recently on there? Or, how about Binaltech Black Convoy? Please, think before you type k?

Uh, um... no one's complaining... actually, most of us have expressed are happiness for those of you that will be able to get a Classics Thundercracker now. So, if you can afford him, congratulations. Seriously, no one's miffed here that I've read.

Quoted for truth and emphasis!