Transformers Generations Classics 3.0

Ordinarily we'd not report on a toy showing up at every retail outlet in the land - but I think you will agree this is not any ordinary toy sighting. The much-sought after Reveal the Shield Voyager assortment - which includes Lugnut and the much-desired Grapple - was sighted earlier this week at Ross stores along with Windcharger. They are now also turning up at TJ Maxx as well! The implication seems to be thus - check those discount and close-out stores folks, the last unreleased waves of Reveal the Shield are filtering through to these outlets! Don't pay the silly Ebay markups without checking out you local stores first! Find out if anyone near you has been finding these hot toys - and share news of your own findings - in our Transformers Sightings section.

A small update for you from our sponsors over at Big Bad Toy Store. The shared exclusive Dinobot Minicons (and the latest release of the Optimus Prime Megatron Classics 1.0 two pack, if anyone cares about that) has been released! The Dinobot Minicons consist of Dualor, Rav, Triceradon, and a sabertooth tiger we've never been able to put a name to (Catilla, perhaps?).

Check out the listing here - there's some sets still in stock if you love your Mini-cons and want some Generation 1 themed Dino Mini-Cons to add to your shelves.

Update - The Optimus Prime / Megatron Ultimate Battle set is, in fact, repackaged in a Generations style box! The toys within appear to be the same, though.

Here's your other sighting - Reveal the Shield Windcharger! Yes, the little guy with the big big pricetag has been found at Ross stores, $4.99 is all he will set you back. Be sure to check out your Ross stores for this and the Reveal the Shield Voyagers before you pay the crazy asking prices for this guy on Ebay!

We've got a pair of good new sightings to you from Ross tonight - the first, the long awaited Reveal the Shield Voyager Assortment. Finally available at US Retail, it's Solar Storm Grappel, Lugnut and Deep Dive! They are being sighted in Ross stores, priced at the scalper-busting $9.99. Before you shell out on those absurd aftermarket prices, go check out your Ross stores - or if you don't have one locally, find a friend who does! Trust me, with the other toy that's in massive demand which has been found at Ross stores, you'll want to find a way to check them out!

Check out new images from the dealer room of Botcon 2011 on Sunday. Here we have another retailer exclusive, called Rage Over Cybertron, featuring Cybertronian Megatron, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee in new decos and a 3 pack box.

Check out some high res shots of the currently available Transformers Generations, Yellow Box, HFTD lines, aka Classics as they were seen on display at Botcon 2011.

UPDATE: As more details begin to emerge, it would appear these figures were returned by a collector who ordered a case and simply did not want the other figures in the assortment. What's the old saying? When something seems to good to be true...

We apologize for any broken hearts. Yeah, we wanted it to be true too.

ORIGINAL STORY:
We have a report from 2005 Boards member Sidecutter that a new case of Reveal the Shield Scouts - sans Windchargers - has been found in a Walmart in Louisville, KY. On the pegs were a pair of Chopsaws, together with the other toys in the case, in the correct numbers to be the Windcharger case. Windcharger himself was absent though.

Take this report with a pinch of salt of course, because it is possible this is someone purchasing the entire case online, then returning the rest of the toys to Walmart to recoup costs. Although, as Sidecutter himself points out, "the idea that someone returning ten other toys, with numerous duplicates and no receipt, wouldn't raise some eyebrows even at Walmart doesn't really seem plausible. Also, it wouldn't help the person doing it much, at $5 a figure."

Of course, with mere days remaining until Dark of the Moon is unleashed upon the world, it is questionable just how plentiful these toys will actually be at retail - if this isn't a return.

Good news, everyone! Generations Warpath has been released at US retail! Warpath was found by 2005 Boards member shiftypenguin at a Target in Ames, Iowa! Yes indeed, we've got a first sighting from the food capital of the world!

Keep up to date with the Transformers sightings in your area in our Transformers Sightings board!

He might well be the last release in the Generations line - but Warpath makes sure the series will go out with a bang! Our Transformers Toy Galleries section has been updated with a gallery of this smooth final release (for the time being) in the Transformers Generations line. Warpath is a fantastic toy with a good, solid action figure styling and great sculpted in details. He's got a simple transformation which works extremely well in his favor - and a cool automorph head reveal as well. All in all, this is a worthy update to Warpath that embodies the true spirit of the classics series.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so I'll stop singing Warpath's praises here and direct you to the gallery, which has over 70 pictures documenting all that is awesome about Warpath.

Warpath - Transformers Generations Autobots

Many United States Transformers collectors have been searching effortlessly (and in vain) for the Reveal the Shield Scouts and Legends figures. Our friends overseas have had plenty of luck, and those who order from online collectable stores have been fortunate, but what's in the store for the rest of us?

We may have your answer, and it's not good.

According to various Hasbro Retail Merchandiser Reps, it would seem that Hasbro has chosen to cancel the Reveal the Shield Scout Assortment in the United States. Beyond the evidence that these figures cannot be found anywhere, word is coming in that some online retailers are cancelling existing pre-orders that they now cannot fill.

This means that the United States may not see a retail release of Windcharger, Chopsaw, Rumble, Bodylock, and Downshift.

As for the Reveal the Shield Legends Assortment? That is apparently still up in the air, but the major retail chains are not placing orders for these figures, as they are still sitting on Hunt for the Decepticons and there's apparently a giant, blockbuster movie and toy release on the horizon that they are ordering the H-E-double hockey stick out of...

The last bit of information we got out of our conversations is that Hasbro is currently looking at a different avenue to get these figures released. We're going to keep this as A RUMOR for the time being, but if you want to be assured any of those figures, your best bet is to start looking at imports or online retailers.

We'll keep you posted.

Check out some official images of Generations Thundecracker and Wheeljack.

• Generations Thundecracker
• Generations Wheeljack

*DISCLAIMER* May also contain Reveal the Shield and United

Our 2005 Photo Staff members SydneyY and thenatureboywoo have been hard at work delivering you galleries of all the latest Generations, Reveal the Shield and United toys, henceforth referred to as Classics for the sake of simplicity. Classics runs the gammut of classic characters, from updated versions of well known characters like Bumblebee to 1986 Movie guys like Kup and even the odd Generation 2 tribute in the form of Optimus Prime. Even Simon Furman's excellent and well-remembered run on the Marvel comics is remembered with Thunderwing.


Click on the links to check out the new galleries:

Optimus Prime - Reveal the Shield Autobots
Bumblebee - United Autobots
Red Alert - Generations Autobots
Kup (Sergeant) - Generations Autobots
Dirge - Generations Decepticons
Thunderwing - Generations Decepticons


These six galleries nicely sum up the range of what the current golden age of Classics Transformers toys have to offer, so take a look and enjoy. Like what you see? Be sure to check out the rest of our Transformers Toy Galleries for even more Transformers photo goodness. Want to learn more about the background of the characters, their bios and who else they've been recolored as? Be sure to check out our Toy Resources section. Interested in comics? We've got a Transformers Comics resources section too!

Fellow toy board HK-TF brings us another sneak peak for E-hobby's upcoming United three-pack exclusives. For now they show in-hand images of Scourge, Rodimus, Cyclonus, Galvatron, Kup and Scrapheap in alternate modes. Rodimus is not looking so minty this time.

Cick above to view all images.