TFcon Chicago 2014’s Third Party Panel just ended, and we have a full set of slides available for those that couldn’t be there to live vicariously through. Included are upcoming releases from:
- BMOG
- Play With This Too
- BadCube
- OmniGonix
- Shapeshift Inc
- TFC Toys
- GigaPower
- Bold Forms
- ToyWorld
- DMY
- G.I. Eddie / Echo TF
- KFC Toys
- X-Transbots
- Renderform
- Mastermind Creations
- Planet X
- MakeToys
- FansProject
Check out over 250 slides after the break! Also after the break – our notes of the information shared through the panel including a big reveal from FansProject in the form of a third party Dinoking (aka Japanese Transformers Victory Monstructor) Here are Sol Fury’s notes on the third party panel – there was a lot to go through so please excuse any brevity in the notes or misheard names.
We kick off with Aaron Archer’s view on third party (from his panel before the third party panel) – he’s not against them as much as used to be when at Hasbro; he would like to see more originality / less cribbing of Hasbro designs. He encourages people to embrace whatever transforming robots they like or enjoy.
On to the third party coverage!
Kicking off with Octavirate Forge – a new group who are an offshoot of BMOG. They are making third party Battle Beasts. We saw some CG mockups such as Rampaging Rex figure, who has little t-rex arms operating bigger robot arms. Look pretty cool, all quite faithful to the original concepts – they will be available online some time after the show. Arms articulated only like classic Battle Beasts. They are coming in two sizes, 2.5 inches and 1 inch. They are also doing some other oddities like a Sprite bot.
Octavirate Forge are also making Bob the Insecticon from IDW, and weapons based off of characters who turned into guns like Sixshot.
They are also making (for fun) My Little Pony Twilight Sparkle as a Battle Beast
BMOG are making Rob the NES robot made from various Nintendo accessories like Zappers etc. Same thing shown at TFcon Toronto.
Play With This Too are making 6 inch figures with Tech Drones. They come with alternate interchangeable hands, and alternate heads which are also designed to fit on other lines like Marvel Legends etc. There are individual heads being designed by various creators which are intended to let the creators be as creative as they want to be.
All the figures come with Tech Drones which like BMOG can be disassembled into weapons etc for the main figures and combined with different figures.
Of the main figures, Astroblast is based on Cloudburst and has alternate heads (human head, robot head) and hands. Also shown were Desolataur (based on Skullgrin), Bloodbath (based on Bomb Burst), Bloodbath (based on Pretender Grimlock), and Jetwash (may later be called Jetstrike, he’s a Pretender Starscream). Jetwash is going to have an option for people to buy their own head on the toy. On the more unique side of things there is the Ancient Astronaut, who is the core of the story, becomes infected in a mission and turns into the main villain who looks a bit like Octopunch and has loads of 5mm pegs.
Badcube, breakaway from Cubex, what we saw was their Brawny and Backland aka Brawn and Outback, who come with lots of accessories, and alternate faces. Badcube has four more figures slated for 2015.
Next up was Omnigonix. Their Sunstreaker was shown, still an early prototype. We saw the weapon gimmick and range of motion. Potential repaints as Sideswipe, Deep Cover and Clamp Down were shown. Also a Tiger Track?
Next up – Shapeshift Inc. They are going to do Thuncercracker and Skywarp versions of their Legends class FoC Starscream.
After that they have a FoC Optimus Prime in the Legends class scale, plus plans to make Legends class versions of the FoC Combaticons, which will combine into Bruticus. There’s also a possibility of making some armor for the Optimus Prime.
TFC Toys were next up, and we saw the rest of their Prometheus figures, namely First Aid / Redline (or Red Cross?) – lots of pictures showing off his design. Vertiaid / Blades was also shown, he can attach the blades on the arms like on Evac / Live Convoy. This was topped off with the Prometheus combined mode, very stocky
Next up we had Gigapower, who showed the Guttur not-Snarl – main thing I took from that was that the weapons store on the back.
Bold Forms followed with a showing for their Gladius / Megatron, who triple changes into a tank and into a gun, along with Lone Wolf / Motormaster (I believe they said we should see some more of this combiner project shortly)
ToyWorld followed, showing off their Roar, along with Muddy / Sludge. Corelock, is their third release, based on Grimlock. He’s very strongly based on G1 Grimlock. Their Slag, not yet named, was also shown.
TFSource exclusive Grant, 180 pieces, based on Grand Maximus was also shown – he’s for sale at the show (I bought one – Sol!)
DMY was shown next. Kicked off showing their past upgrade kits – Doubledealer etc. Things like their Prime Magnus missiles were also shown, and good news – their Prime Voyager Megatron kit is also coming soon. Lastly we had a confirmation that the G.I. Eddie / Echo TF / DMY collaboration on FansProject M3 upgrade is still happening.
KFC kicked off by showing their Junkions – Crashhard, Sanford, Wastor Delta. Transistor Masterpiece Blaster was also shown, he scales well with Soundwave. His weapons store in his back, and he comes with two heads – comic / toy and cartoon.
X-Transbots was shown off next – they showed the show exclusives, Axis and Shafter.
Andras and the Swarm were shown next, a Voyager size Scourge with a Targetmaster named Rimfire.
X-Transbots are also making Appollyon, a Masterpiece scale Megatron, comes with full stock and silencer and scaled with MP-10
Renderform came next. The Death Czar kit shown, along with the Darkwind upgrade, Orion upgrade head, and the head for the black version of Orion, which comes with a blade. That last one is a ToyDojo exclusive.
More heads included Chromey, IDW inspired head for Code, also cartoon inspired head; Stormy, IDW inspired head for Smart Robin; and the Steel Core upgrade homaging Energon Ultra Magnus
MMC was the next one. They showed off Commotus / Turmoil, Felisaber, Cynicus (aka Vos of the DJD), and teased the G1 themed Terminus Hexatron. They also showed off the show-exclusive Azalea Asterix. Also they showed off the Royal Arsenal for Feral Rex.
A lot of attention was given to Annarchus. His head was shown along with his electric chair alternate mode. He’s a 7 inch figure who can seat other figures like Feral Queen in electric chair mode.
Another new one that was shown off was Jaegertron, a version of Lockdown. He has a hook hand, a gunface, and a locker with a weapon and a collection of faces. He’s styled like the Animated one rather than AoE.
Lastly in 2015 MMC are making a Masterpiece Mirage named Sphinx, who stands approximately 6.5 inches tall and seems to be strongly based on the Generation 1 design.
Planet X was next. Neptune not-Sludge was on show along with their Sumanus, aka not Snarl.
Maketoys was the next up. The main things they showed off along with existing releases like Quantron & Giant were some images of the Guardia testshot (prototype out for display, please see our earlier coverage).
There was also a look at the Manga-Mech Tailgate / Rear End – he stands the same height as the Maketoys Swerve. He’s got the “running crying face” and a sad face
Lastly there was FansProject. We saw the Cubrar, a Diaclone version is available at the show, and the regular retail version out shortly. The Function X-5 Skullcruncher was also shown.
Lastly the big reveal, FansProject are doing a Dinoking, who is slightly larger than the FansProject Stunticons, a six member team. A prototype was shown, a very impressive design, with a huge axe and guns that can combine into a larger weapon. He stands around the same height as the M3 (roughly) and is based on the Ox design. He seems very faithful to the style of the original Dinoking / Monstructor design.
Scaleface
Has anyone actually posted a video of the panel yet? I have not seen one.
Theonlycyclonus
He's not g1 themed he's idw themed just take a look at 2 or 3 of the spotlight comics
Trentulas
They are, indeed, a Shapeways only product right now. There are some disadvantages when it comes to material options at the moment, but it gives us the option of making figures rapidly and without many of the limitations of mold-injected plastic (Rampager Rex's arms, for instance, would be difficult to do with a steel mold setup)
We just added Radioactive Roach, a Fallout-themed mutant roach character.
Modified Ninja
Anyone else have this problem with the FP exclusive cubrar?!
sifu74
Here is a company that is giving us an MP Megatron that everyone had been waiting for TT to make for years and you wish them ill will, Being a D..k much?
Roadbuster25
Blades arm is stick out in MakeToys Defensor Gestalt mode. I hope that he is just mistransformed.
dedguy
I believe you can buy them currently. There's a link somewhere in here to the Shapeways store.
WhiteMocha
Ah, thanks for the information. Kind of a bummer. Ah well, I'll probably still try a few. Couldn't hurt.
dedguy
I believe they're all Shapeways so they won't be cast in vinyl. They'll be in either sandstone or a their flexible plastic.
WhiteMocha
I'm so in for those 3rd-party Battle Beasts, as long as they retain the same rubbery feel as the originals.
RustyBarnacles
That's my reservation as well. Same thing happened with MP Soundwave.
BairdimusPrime
pre-ordered Megs… have no choice lol
Honesty
I think you're in the wrong section. Toy Section (I know, always a constant less of people/current viewers in that section, so it moves slower, but…) is that way –>
Honestly, I am tired of hearing this. Sure, some 3rd party figures are more expensive than say, Masterpiece, but not by much. When you consider you're getting an item that isn't mass produced by multimillion dollar companies, and usually a version that is far greater than their "official" counterparts, the cost starts to feel better/make sense.
To counter this, you could for example, put off on buying HasBlow figures with their shitty QC/paint apps/articulation, and just strictly go 3rd party/masterpiece — using the savings from the hasblow stuff. That, and you can mow a few lawns for that extra 20 dollars.
Lastly, if/when an official MP Meg's is announced: how much do you think it's going to be? Isn't UM around $120.00? Isn't this 3rd party Meg's around 130? I'm failing to see the process here. That new Skywarp is $200.00
Seeker
That Megatron almost makes me want to invest in 3rd party stuff. Due to the cost involved I will have to wait for the (hopefully) new MP Megs.
screamybutt
Okay so when I saw this in the dealer's room I laughed out loud and had to ask if that was seriously this character's name. Unfortunately the dude at the table didn't seem thrilled about me pointing out the blatant Pretender designs and he gave me (what I thought to be) a very serious, "Yes" in response.
GuitarPrime1986
Drill Sergeant Gunnery Hartman, is that you?
MenaceRx
Wow that Gigapower Snarl is huge. Might have to pick him up after all.
And very impressed with the Toyworld Dinobots. So many dino's only so much money.
Xaxis
Regarding the Megatron, I'm hoping we end up with a situation similar to what we had with Citizen Stack and the unveiling of MP Ultra Magnus. By that I mean, we soon find out that Takara is releasing a new MP Megatron and it kicks this one's tail across the galaxy.
TheGame2K5
Please point me in the direction of Predaking from Hasbro. Also since when are options a bad thing? Sorry that you have some limited list of figures you would want from third parties. I'd rather not wait on Takara to get around to all of the dinos, Huffer , Shockwave, etc. Hell we only managed one dino from fall of cybertron in official form. There are many third party figures out there that don't have any recent official versions.
Raining8s
No way they make a December shipment. It's not even 100% finished.