From what I can see now this is kind of typical of XTB. Vanguard has been "Done" for quite a while as in the Janssen, God Ginrai, Commander Stack, and now Orion Pax essence of done. They REALLY like to go from 0-80% or 90% but stall at the point before releasing something. FWIW, they may be the most productive and best at doing that in terms of quickness and amount of figures. It's sticking the landing they just appear to be no good at and delay releases. This goes back to Eligos and Ditka. They can pump out reissues faster than anyone else. I would argue that probably close to ALL of the releases they have announced are far long in prototypes. They just are not closing. Who knows how many more hidden figures they have. We know there are prototypes for Elita 1, Autobot X, Jailer, and that is before you consider other hidden characters they may be far along with at this point. Previously, we have only known of Simba as a hidden release and now have three in one year.

It appears to me they are releasing Vanguard early next year and have Paragon "Done" as well. My guess is Jian is likely at the same state they showed us Paragon. I think they will follow the last combiner where all the limbs are out and we are waiting for the skeleton as a separate release. The arm parts are done but the chest and torso will be something else, maybe a trailer for Vanguard. Who knows, they may try to recreate that repair bay thing as a third mode. I would hope it would just be a skeleton because I don't want that trend continuing. Combiners need to COMBINE.

 

@luckyman76 I don't really see them making a trailer for Vanguard out of the skeleton. more likely as you said it combiner parts will be the repair bay, since we already know Paragon will have the operating table/combiner arm bits it makes sense the rest of the combiner parts will make up some sort of aid station/ repair bay.

 

Seeing that Paragon + parts become the complete arm (expecting the same from Jian), I wonder how much of Vanguard, unlike Gravestone, actually forms the combiner torso and if the ‘skeleton’ is just the hips, legs, and feet.

 

FT simps are cancer for MP Collecting. Just the worst.


This proto is looking rough (it is a proto) but I like what I’m seeing so far. Can’t wait to have them all.

 

I am kind of like you but my opinions are based off of XTB's DNA. Right or wrong this is where they show your their passion. I think the skeleton will be sold separately with bits. That's another release that is going to be expensive. I think XTB (re Office Space) likes to show you their flair. We can almost guarantee with the medical bays for arms that we will get a repair bay but they want to show you something you need and it just makes too much sense for them to not have some solution. Hope I'm wrong. Sadly and honestly, like the trailer it probably looks good and you just have too much hope for it to work. XTB is infamous for perhaps always biting off more than they can chew. If that instinct and passion was instead transferred to that last 10% quality and dedication to getting the product done right they would be a lot closer to FT.

I think like Gravestone, Vanguard is going to fit into a cage. The combiner chest just doesn't appear to me in Vanguard and likewise I could find an excuse for the combiner thighs to come from Vanguard but they look thicker and the hip area has to be from a skeleton. The proportions just suggest a larger skeleton.

 

So wait... why is there no consolidated BotCon thread for all the third party reveals as a whole?

 

I, too, was surprised to see no thread for BotCon this past weekend.
However, I was too lazy to create one, and will now go back to my fidget spinner

After living with Raiden completed for a month, I've realized that I don't love it as much as I thought. And I'd rather put that space and money into a Defensor set. Quick question, has it been said that Hot Spot will come with the combiner parts?

 

The only thing that seemingly came out of Botcon was that handle bar mustache Wheelie.  

 

Surprise!

 

Looks like the same prototype from BotCon a couple weeks ago. A little shaky hanging on that stand, but it is only a prototype. Hope to see Vanguard a little further along in the near future.

 

Thats was really a big surprise for me  

A video of XTB UltraMagnus and Hotspot. Nothing can be seen just XTB workers cheering for their products.

X-Transbots toys | Facebook

 

Awesome job, he looks wicked good sculptwise and colours! I can imagine once he’s all toleranced up he’ll look even better posed with a blaster

 

I hope MMC won't wait too long with their Hot Spots...

 

why would they display hot spot that way? I get that its a sample etc. But from a marketing perspective, it looks like they just piffed it out of a car window into the case.
I have no doubt itll look rad when done, but i dont get who thought that would be a good idea. Its like me going to the supermarket in my undies......not a good look

 

I think it's a good idea. It shows they're making progress on it. It allows us to make educated guesses on the articulation and transformation.

 

They could've at least put a few seconds into posing him so he doesn't look like he just got the shit beaten out of him.

 

Exactly what I was thinking. When it comes to generating hype or marketing, Fanstoys smashes xtb like a real pro!

 

Cool. Show me FT's Protectobots.


Oh, that's right. they haven't even finished ONE SINGLE COMBINER YET. Real pross indeed.

 

Cue in FT simps in 3, 2, 1 ....

GO

 

THIS
this is what io meant. I like that they displayed him. But it looks like they put zero effort. Like a dude was taking a shit and someone yelled "hey moose, did you put hot spot on display" and he goes "oh shit" and does the bolt and throwed him in the case.

 

Maybe Fanstoys should take their hype and marketing experience and use it to make a combiner. Because at this point XTB stills makes a way better combiner then FT does. And that’s what counts.