in the post above yours there are 2 images from the show/movie that show galvatron and cyclonus as roughly the same height, so no, cyclonus is not legitimately taller than everyone else, that is due to poor consistency in the animation

 

Generally, animation errors tend towards “normalizing” the heights of characters. Regardless, one of the few symmetries we have is Rodimus and Ultra Magnus vs. Galvatron and Cyclonus. When they made Magnus taller, I think it tees up the potential of a similar size Cyclonus.

Regardless, any Voyager is potentially a Leader as Astrotrain and Shockwave demonstrate. So when looking at slots in the line, I think it’s fair when looking for a space for Voyager-ish characters to consider Leader slots if there are any left.

 

thats fair, but also of quick note, in the scale chart @barry posted cyclonus is taller, but if you look close they are about eye to eye with cyclonus' ears and forehead being the only reason he is taller. if ears and a fivehead (becuase its massive in the scale chart) are enough extra plastic to charge $20 extra for i will be sorely disappointed  

 

I feel you on that. It depends partly on the design, wingspan, etc.

I wasn’t saying Cyclonus would NEED to be Leader but my larger point is that cramming the TFTM characters into Earthrise means we can’t also finish the G1 homages or JG1/late 80s groups.

They can possibly do neat things with redecos and retools. Maybe Thunderwing and Cyclonus could share engineering. Octane and Rodimus Prime could conceivably overlap.

But if you crammed every TFTM character possible into remaining Earthrise slots, you wouldn’t “finish” anything Siege started, you’d be ruling out further Earth vehicles except maybe a Sunstreaker and Trailbreaker, you’d be leaning hard on Cybertronian designs in a line where Hasbro says they only REACH Earth at the end, etc.

It really takes 3 lines to more or less accomplish an 84-86 plus late 80s-in-need-of-update line. Most of the flex for Beast Wars/UT/Bayverse/IDW etc. imported characters is in Deluxe size class. You can do some in larger scales especially when a mold can be shared but not too many without giving up on TFTM and 84 and late G1 updates with a bunch of gaps.

If they skipped Jazz, Huffer, Arcee, Blurr, and Gears (and larger Dinobots!) to jump straight into an all BW line, I think you’d see a lot of pushback. It would turn into a lot of BW fans saying, “Now you know how we felt!”

I think if we are going to get a BW heavy phase, WFC STILL has to do a lot of heavy lifting in terms of finishing up late G1 homages and getting reasonable, non-gimmick, animation updates of all the popular characters.

Hasbro hasn’t finishing sowing its wild oats with G1 yet and can’t reasonably without WFC3 doing some more work there.

Deluxe scale on down is the main wildcard.

Heck, the rumors today about a Quintesson Voyager and Quintessa Deluxe underscore that. If true, Hasbro is taking a leisurely approach to bigger scales by doing a Quintesson Voyager (no realistic longer room for Galvatron, Cyclonus, Scourge, and Rodimus) and Quintessa is an example of Deluxe scale being where all the surprises are.

I don’t think we’d see a Quintesson take up a slot in Earthrise if WFC 3 wasn’t still largely filling out G1 in Voyager+ scale.

 

People are also mixing things that have been said, warden said bw fans would be happy in 2021, warden did not say wfc3 would be bw, so I’m not seeing the need to cram everything into wfc2

 

...
No way...
Optimus Prime is also SG-06?!

 

for takara? if so then it seems they are using the same number
Takaratomy Mall Exclusives Transformers Siege SG-06 NEMESIS PRIME. Preorder. Available in March 2020.
Transformers Siege SG-06 Nemesis Prime Takara Tomy Mall Exclusive

here is the google translate from takara tomy malls site
"SIEGE" is a realistic battle scene with a wide range of joint motion that reboots popular characters from TF history, effects parts, weathering, 3mm bosses and 5mm holes that can be equipped with weapons and effect parts. It is a completely new series that reproduces the battle of super-robot lifeforms unfolded on their mother planet, Cybertron stars with a new TOY concept!
Nemesis Prime is transformed from robot mode to vehicle mode (trailer type). In addition to the gun that came with SG-06, two new swords are included.

so it seems like nemesis being labeled as sg-06 on robotkingdom and tfsource may be a translation error due to SG-06 being in the description (but referring to optimus) but he still carries the siege banner, not the generation selects banner (this image is pulled directly off of takaras site)

 

What if generation selects hate plague repaints?

 

Well well well, these new rumours certainly point to WFC2 having the speculated TF:TM theme.

 

I don't think WFC # will be BW I think BW will get a dedicated line like studio selects that will run along side WFC3 SS and cyberverse…. Far be it from Hasbro to skip a chance to over complicate re4tail real estate as much as they can.

 

Must be an error in the system.

 

I can for sure see that as an Optimus vs. Rodimus two pack if we get a solid same-scale Rodimus.

There are so many ways you can do that. They could be translucent with stabilized opaque pieces like Hologram Mirage. They could be glow in the dark. They could be metallic red with accents.

I don’t see that, really. I see about 1/3rd of ER slipping in part of TFTM with Rodimus Prime and Galvatron likely not hitting until WFC3, which I expect to do a lot of “cleanup”.

IMHO, Jazz, Gears, maybe Bumblebee, Blurr, Blaster, maybe Arcee, Rodimus, Galvatron, Scourge, Cyclonus, maybe Wreck-Gar, Alpha Trion, Needlenose, Star Saber, etc. will probably hit in WFC3. Would not be stunned to see Metroplex redone. Dinobots as possibilities. The larger size classes (Voyager+) are too cramped to fit TFTM’s main cast into Earthrise while still doing enough Earth vehicles and we’re also unlikely to finish the reboot of Earth vehicles in Earthrise.

Meanwhile, the Deluxe slots are so plentiful that there’s gonna be room for WEIRD STUFF there.

 

With every new tidbit of information, the case gets stronger. I'll give you two obvious examples.

#1 - Optimus Prime, on his back, chest open, showing the Matrix. It's very reminiscent of one famous scene. Of all the angles for a promotional shot, they chose this.


#2 - Starscream, onboard a ship, giving orders as bots float helplessly out in space. Once again, very reminiscent of another famous scene. Again, of all the settings for the artwork for Starscream they could have gone with, they chose this.


When you add Quintessons to the mix, the picture really starts to come together.

 

So Optimus Prime dies before he gets to earth?

Because Earthrise ends with them arriving on earth just like Siege ends with the Ark launch.

 

Could be. We know there are treacherous bots on board the Ark.

Plus, if Starscream is jettisoning weight, Megatron may have bought it, too.

Two things I think we're likely to see repeated in each of the WFC lines are fembots and troop-builders.

Fembots - No TF line should go without them. The hints of a mysterious Quintessa figure could certainly be a fembot in ER. Arcee is an obvious candidate. Blackarachnia and Airazor are obvious choices in the future too.

Troop-Builders - Fans seem to enjoy them, and it's easy cash for Hasbro. Siege had Refraktor, who you had to buy at least 3 of to get the full experience. If the Quints are on their way, Sharkticons and Allicons would be no-brainers (noting that Gnaw was a candidate in the recent fan vote). Insecticons would also be a good one as well, creating your own swarm of clones. If Beast Wars figures are forthcoming, some little Battle Master or Micromaster arachnoids for Tarantulas would be a nice touch.

While not a theme of the lines so to speak, they're just repeated features of each.

 

why would optimus die before getting to earth? he has an earth mode

 

I was responding to Verno's idea that Earthrise is the main TFTM homage of WFC.

I think the bigger TFTM homages have to be in WFC3 but everybody here seems to be in a rush to get there despite Hasbro setting this up to move fairly slowly.

If anything, I'd find it likelier that Optimus dies at the midpoint of WFC3 and the trilogy ends with Rodimus and Galvatron as faction leaders.

 

I would love a new Rodimus - I'm not massively fussy on scale, but the POTP Rodimus looks a little ridiculous now compared to the rest. If they're following the cartoon, I think vol 3 will end with the movie - purely because if i remember the 'war for cybertron' technically ended there with the autobots reclaiming Cybertron. Season 3-4 was a lot more minor scurmishes on earth and other worlds.

 

I just want to preface this by saying that I'm saying I think your prediction is unlikely, just providing an alternative  
That said, some very compelling arguments! That Optimus pose is likely a reference to that scene though I wouldn't necessarily count it as 100% foreshadowing of the movie as it's a shot that shows off a lot of this Optimus' unique play mechanics such as the repair bay in his trailer and the opening chest with the matrix.
As for Starscream it's possible the artwork has him on the Nemesis as they attack the Ark and the bots floating by are casualties from that attack.
Again, that said I don't necessarily think you are wrong.  

I've also previously speculated that WFC2 thematically might actually cover the entire range from Ark crashdown to just before the Battle of Autobot City, much like how Siege while it's figures can cover any of the battles on Cybertron narratively it was the final hours before the Ark took off.
If WFC2 is basically the entirety of the Earth conflict up to the Battle of Autobot City it gives Hasbro the greatest freedom for who to include without having to worry about fans saying "Oh but such and such didn't turn up till Season 2" or whatever and can potentially include Hot Rod and anyone else who was introduced on Earth in the Movie.

However I speculated all that before Quintessons became a lock for WFC2 so who knows?  

 

If that promotional shot of Prime was the only one featuring his trailer, I wouldn't be as confident. But it's not. There's another one with it standing upright. Therefore, I can't help but conclude that this particular shot is specifically designed to homage that scene in the film.

Just give us some more official reveals already, Hasbro!