That is great. What a cool detail.

 

Very awesome.

 

Not that they meant to do this, but why wouldn’t they be a code for cybernetic organisms?

Right now all smartphones have QR code readers built right in the camera. I think this is a great design philosophy, and I think the implementation is spot on.

Bravo.

 

Yup.

These are robots. They can quickly scan the icon and process a ton of info about the rank/role of who they're encountering. It only seems complex because we don't personally use it.

Seriously are we not doing phrasing anymore?

 

As cool as the symbols are, I think I'd rather just have it spelled out to me via Rank and Function on a tech spec card.

 

Cool, I was wondering if those designs meant anything a while ago!

 

Unsure

 

Wow, this is all pretty nice.   I love how much thought went into these which are essentially just backer cards in boxes.
The Con system is nice but I'd like to see a list of division options. Also, unless Shockwave has a submarine mode... not sure how Sea will ever come to play. Hmmm. Unless we get Seawatch soon in a micromaster pack!  

 

QR codes are simple — black boxes on white — they’re just dense with information.

These insignia have very little information, and are needlessly complex anyway.

It’s not the same.

Anyway, even if it was the same, good luck scanning these symbols (or a QR code) from a hundred feet away after it’s been battle-scarred and oil-smudged. Simple geometry has the advantage of being understandable even if more than half of it has been obscured.

 

They all make awesome tattoos
I like the whole code thing, hidden info has always been a part of Transformers, and it's an extension of Cybertronian language.

 

Next year’s Titan please?

 

Same here.
Probably not feasible while manufacturing remains overseas, as the packaging protects the product. Not to mention the logistics of carrying both packaged and unpackaged items for Hasbro Pulse.

 

Or...Seaspray...or....Octopunch. Or Cyberverse Bumblebee Battleship.

 

Posted in the Pulse thread but also sharing here:

WHO IS ORTHIA? THE STORY BEHIND THIS MYSTERIOUS ALL-FEMALE COMBINER – Hasbro Pulse

You've caught whispers. Maybe you've seen an Easter egg or two we've hidden out there. But now, you can dive in and discover the story behind the all-female Combiner, called Orthia. Your interest in this Combiner has unlocked a Teletraan-1 data file. Enjoy!

//Teletraan-1 data file unlocked //

COMBINER NAME: Orthia

TEAM NAME: Shield of Solus

POWER: Forge powerful weapons when team is combined

"In the darkest days, I am the light."

All know of the great and powerful Primes, the god-like bots who shaped the Transformers universe. And all know of the one called Solus Prime and how she forged the mystical weapons and artifacts the Primes used to battle elemental forces of evil. Those legendary weapons and artifacts remain among the most powerful objects in the universe. But known to only a few is her most potent creation: a fierce team of heroes, formed in her spirit to carry on her legend...

At the apex of creation, Solus Prime planted the seeds of a shared destiny within the sparks of five brave warriors. These protectors, united by common cause and uncommon courage, together form the last line of defense, a chosen few to be summoned in Cybertron’s greatest hours of need. They are the constant guardians. The unyielding defenders. They are the Shield of Solus.

Led by Elita-1, this select team is made up of Moonracer, Novastar, Greenlight, and Lancer. They have a great power hidden within them that can only be unlocked when their unique sparks come together within a Combiner form.

When Cybertron faces its darkest days, Elita-1 and her team must combine together to meet their destiny and form…Orthia. The combination of their unique sparks infuses Orthia with the creation power of Solus Prime. This power gives Orthia the ability to forge immensely powerful weapons to be used against the planet's greatest threats.

Orthia stands up and fights when all seems lost. Her resolve has been forged in the fires of battle. Her legend steeled by the selflessness of sacrifice. It is in times of greatest despair that her greatest victories are won. She is light, she is hope, she is Orthia -- the fiercest guardian of Cybertron.

 

Yay! Lore!

Also yay!

I love the idea of combining being a thing while the resulting combinations have their own rules. In this case, we get further evidence that while each member individually can combine, it's only when the right combination is made that you get certain characters.

So Elita-1 herself can combine with anyone to form Elita-Infinite, however she needs the remaining members of the Shield to become Orthia.

(Also relevant...)

 

So she's here to battle Haslab Unicron when he gets here in 2021.

 

I love it! It's fluff for sake of fluff and it's a very nice touch!

 

I hope they do something similar for Unicron and settle the origin discussions once and for all.

 

What's funny is we have some backstory for Orthia now, but we never got any real payoff to Victorion's fan-poll derived rivalry with Galvatronus.