I totally agree. I don’t think a CW-style combiner can hold a deluxe size figure. And I don’t think this update will keep the insane gimmick of making all the limbs into targetmasters too. There has to be and will be a compromise (this doesn’t bother me, we have to be realistic.)

I think it’ll be either just a 5-bot CW combiner with or without a legends bonus figure and it’ll be sold as a giftset. We’ll see though. Exciting times nonetheless!!!!!

 

Right. That’s what I meant.

 

I think they'll have Targetmaster modes, but it will be like the Topspin/Twin Twist mold base modes and be more like fan modes with make shift handles and maybe a gun barrel inserted into the hole where the hand/foot gun usually goes.

 

I posted pic a long while back with my G2 Superion holding Air Raid as a gun as proof of concept on this very subject.
Required both hands to hold him up, but it is possible.

 

IIRC, pretty much every CW/UW limb-bot creates an elbow for the combined figure by rotating its waist, and utilising said limb-bot's knees and/or hips as the 'elbow joint'.

By not rotating the waist (and instead rotating the combined figure's hand at the wrist), the arm could stay completely straight (from a front-on perspective), which would theoretically eliminate the 'weak-elbow' issue.

It would then come down to the combined figure's shoulder joints and/or overall weight distribution, as to whether the arm holds up and/or the figure topples over (I think the shoulder joints should be fine, based on past experience).

If the hypothetical gun-modes are designed such that most of their body weight is largely leaning on the top of the arm (when held in the combined figure's hand), this might mitigate any weight-distribution issues.

 

I'm not looking to come down hard on what's possible or not. I was mostly just trying to explain why we're even having this discussion about doing one of the characters in a non-traditional way.

That said, while the "just don't rotate the waist" thing certainly helps, I find that i already have to do that with the Legends-sized weapon (see Powerglide in the picture below). A Deluxe-sized weapon is still going to put a lot of stress on that limb.

Is it too much to be surmountable? I'm not sure. I'm certainly not keen on a "use both arms to hold the weapon up" solution. Neither am I convinced that Siege's "tighter joints" are a sufficient solution.

Mostly, I'm just going to wait and see, and hope for the best.

 

Full Disclosure: TFC tackled Piranacon a few years ago. All 5 limb bots has weapon modes. Even with 3P engineering, the combined mode couldn't hold that much figure.

They did it anyway.

So there's nothing stopping HasTak from going forward with a weapon mode even if the combined figure can't hold it easily. Hell, G1 Piranacon struggled at times.

Or, they simply exclude the weapon mode and you have a spare Deluxe of your choosing. Similar to many of us who bought CW/UW teams and then invested in the missing members when they were available.

 

There’s no precedent to compare and speculate on what Takara will do in this specific case. I mean, Takara tries really hard to be as accurate as possible but they also compromise because even they have budget considerations.

The Big Powered set and Star Convoy clearly show they will go the extra mile for heavy retools. But bother those also showed there were some limitations on how far they could go. We’ll see.

I’m ecstatic that Takara is tackling this. I’m ecstatic over Armada Convoy and Super Megatron. I really can’t wait for what comes after that. I mean, it’s inevitable we’re gonna get Star Saber and Victory Leo...

 

What if the Sixth Seacon turns into weapons in a similar way Sixgun or Cog. It splits apart to become additional chest armor, guns and whatnot? I'd be cool with that.

Or that. I'd be okay with that more.

 

Ultimately, I'd prefer any solution that gives us all six members to any solution that gives us only five. That said, in order of preference from worst to best (among those solutions I've heard):

1. Weaponizer a la Sixgun or Cog
2. Legends-sized figure (the only one that can actually turn into a weapon)
3. All 5 limb-bots are Deluxe-sized, but only one is given a weapon form.
4. All 5 limb-bots are Deluxe-sized, and each turns into a unique weapon form.

(Note that for 3 and 4, there's also the preference of "combined form can hold the weapon on its own" over "combined form has difficulty holding the weapon," but note that this subset only applies to 3 and 4. If they settle for 1 or 2, not being able to hold the weapon well isn't even a satisfactory solution.)

 

Would it be possible for any weapon forms to be held by the combiners with both hands. Like you would a minigun. Not sure how well it would work but it could be an option.

 

The current crop of combiners are capable of posing with their weapon in "both" hands. As in pegged in to one and resting on the other.

Depending on how tight the joints are, it's possible a CW/PotP combiner could hold a Deluxe in one hand and support the remaining weight on it's other arm.

Except then he wouldn't have a free hand for his sword, and judging from Snaptrap pics he's going to have that in some form. (And fans would also want to have him posed like that.

As one person pointed out, if you did a "weaponizer" type figure that could armor up Piranacon...you could make that Nautilator, then retool him in Constructicon colors and sell as a Scorpulator weaponizer that's compatible with CW Devy.

One thing about the "they're all Deluxes but none have weapon modes" option...looking at Snaptrap's weapon he has a number of peg holes, which is similar to UW Computron's weapons.

So they may forego a weapon mode for all 5 limbs, but they allow you to take all of their weapons and form a giant cannon for the combined mode to hold (funny enough, TFC Poseidon did this as well).

 

In all likelihood the Seacons will be retools for POTP toys. However, the G1 Seacons all had stands for their weapon modes, so they could have a gun mode, just not one that Piranhacon will be running around the battle field with.

 

It doesn't necessarily need to be a handheld weapon either. It could be arm- or shoulder-mounted, or even attached to the hip like Galaxy Prime!

 

I'd be fine if they took one of the limb Seacons and turned it into a weaponizer also. It would definitely provide some options. I'd also accept one of the extra Seacons being downgraded to a scout class figure with blaster mode for Pirhanacon but I like the weaponizer idea better.

 

Well my expectations were blown when Snaptrap/Turtler was revealed in Selects. I'm honestly not sure what to believe. =/ I just hope that their turret modes at least are Siege effects parts-compatible.

I guess we'll see when we learn more.

 

Well, IF one of them had to be a scout or weaponizer, it’d have to be Nautilator since he’s the only one not used in God Neptune, who is an easy repaint.

 

Easy repaint =/= inevitable repaint.

I honestly doubt that God Neptune considerations are entering into Hasbro/Takara's thoughts in any way.

 

I can easily see Dinobot Slash with extensive new tooling to become a Seacon with a weapon mode.

 

I like the Scout/weapon option, but the weaponiser idea sounds pretty interesting, as long as they make it look good. I'm not a fan of the idea of giving all of the Seacons weapons modes like the original ones, especially if it compromises the other modes (G1 accurate is not always a good thing (looking at LG Dai Atlas's legs)).