Would You Buy All New Pretenders As Core Robots With Transforming Weaponizer Armor?

I was thinking of how the Pretender concept could be modernized. Especially since the design team is being fairly faithful to G1 with the WFC trilogy. I like their current direction and will enjoy it while it lasts.

So my idea is this, you get the core robots as in G1. Jazz, Bumblebee, Metalhawk, whomever. However, there's a twist. Instead of the Pretender shells being shells, what if the bigger Pretender bodies were Weaponizers that turned into armor for the core robots? With a human face mask to go over the face or possibly a semi-translucent face mask to look human but also holographic?

For the smaller Pretender Classics(Jazz, Starscream, Grimlock, Bumblebee), they could come at a smaller pricepoint to homage G1 toy scaling, maybe deluxe or a new class. They could use a gimmick similar to the Cyberverse Spark Armor armored up figures from last year(but without the automorphing gimmick, the support vehicle would split into armor pieces instead).

Bumblebee could come with some kind of vehicle to tow like a jet ski(Classics homage) which turns into Weaponizer armor homaging his pretender shell.

Starscream could come with a UAV drone or rocket booster that turns into Weaponizer homaging his pretender shell.

For the bigger Pretenders like Blue Bacchus, Thunderwing, et al, the shells would act more like the Shockwave armor from SIEGE and Ultra Magnus. For example, being enhancements for vehicle mode and armor in robot mode. That way the core robot is smaller but in this case, substantially bigger once the armor is attached.

Just ideas for armor integration for Pretender shells rather than just leaving them as shells(since I've got my doubts for Hasbro going that route).

 

Sure I guess. As long as it wasn't a bunch of characters everyone and their dog has ten of.

 

That's sounds similar to the Cyberverse spark armour stuff, almost the same.

 

Hell yeah. The Pretender designs are some of my favorite, I'm dying for a new Bludgeon, Octopunch, Thunderwing, etc. Weaponizer-esque battle gear would be the perfect modernization of the pretender gimmick, I really like this idea.

 

I don't see them doing fully-articulated shells at current price points, so armor that evokes the original shells would be an acceptable compromise.

 

Yes, especially if the Bludgeon mask is easy to get on other figures.

 

^This, pretty much.

 

Who told you that you're allowed to come in to our Sanctuary and make sensible suggestions? Away with you!  

 

I would be any version of Bludgeon and Thunderwing. And probably would pick up Bomb Blast, Skullgrin and Submarauder as well.

 

I'd be fine if the $50 Leader Class was consistently this. That is what bugged me about POTP Leader Class Rodimus/Optimus Prime and Siege Ultra Magnus/GF Prime. You get a pretty good core robot but the armor just kind of sits off to the side with no purpose when not attatched. Making them weaponizer parts would add more value for sure and if it means a better Thunderwing and Bludgeon, bring it on!

 

I just want updated versions of the inner robots like Titans Return Metalhawk.

 

I like the amalgam designs, wish we got more in the vein of Generations Skullgrin and Thunderwing

 

I like the weaponizer idea very much, but I would prefer the core robots to be weaponizers and all of the shells to be transforming just like the original Meha Pretenders.

If you do this instead of having the mega Pretenders reimagined a la siege Shockwave Thunderwing's core robot for example could come apart as a spy unit like in G1 but his legs could also become Thunderwing's heatseeking blasters.

For a lot of G1 Pretenders their weapons were integrated into the core robot's altmode after all, so that would be a great callback as well.

 

Nice idea, I'll pretend I thought of it first.

 

If Hasbro does that with the shell designs they could sell the core robots as weaponizers under a different name.

 

I'd just kill to have actual shells , be them articulated or block , idc , but have actual inner robots.

 

I always liked how they did those two. Robot mode based on the more unique and recognizable shell, alternate mode based on the inner robot's vehicle mode. Probably the best compromise, there.

 

I'll take Pretenders any way I can get them at this point, and this idea would fit into the WFC play pattern. Having purchased a bunch of G1 Pretenders in the last few years, I've grown fond of the subgroup and would love to see some really good updates (the PotP Prime Masters don't cut it). Ideally, I'd like to see someone do proper updates with fully-articulated robots AND fully-articulated shells. But Hasbro's definitely not going to do that, and I don't see 3P doing it either.

 

Never been a fan of the whole Pretender concept. Just makes no damn sense and I don't see any advantage it gives the TF.

That said, it seems they could do articulated shells if the inner robot could fold into a box and fit within the body. This leaves the arms and legs to be able to move around.