FWIW, thats the only mode that matters to me for combiners. I'll happily sacrifice the bot and alt mode "accuracy" for a better combined mode. That said, I still don't like the decision to only have them just stick on the back of the leg.

 

The point of my example was that cheap Legos aren't fun. I chose that as an example 'cause it's the last set I've bought.

 

"I tried to make him cool but the cheapskates wouldn't let me, what can ya do?"

 

This was the one Behind The Scenes I was really curious to hear. And I know that Mark always has to try and put a positive spin on everything too. I think that in the long run Mark and whoever else involved with the design process are doing a good job with the Legacy line so far, but I don't believe every decision they make can be defended. Like Pointblank, for example: even though I like the figure overall and I definitely want to get it, I agree with the criticisms about it being very hollow, not having bicep swivel, and having a TM that is marginally better than the original. In fact, even though I believe the TM figures should come with their original partners in the first place, if that means the quality of the figure overall is going to be greatly compromised, then I believe at this point the figure should not have its TM partner, and should be sold separately, even though that has its drawbacks too. The Legacy line is still doing a great job of not just retooling/redecoing the shit out of the first wave of figures for the rest of the toyline and calling it a day, which is what I hate most about the entire PW trilogy. I have no problem with that type of stuff in general, but I do when it's grossly overdone.

If any other G1 combiner is going to possibly get the same treatment of one or two members having to be retools or redecoes of other members, I definitely agree with some of you guys that Superion will probably have that happen if the Aerialbots get made again. And I get it because they have very similar transformations and will all be roughly the same size too. If they can at least make sure the alt-modes are distinct enough, then I won't really complain, but I won't hold my breath.

 

They seem a bit stuck on don't they, like Vehicular Barnacles.

Though to flip the point around and raise the question "why would someone care about a combiner team member"

Well far be it for me to use the Cartoon defense, but we had First Aid get what amounted to his own episode, Swindle is a recuring stand alone character these days in some fiction as is Dead End. War Dawn is as much as it's about Orion Pax is also about Slingshot. So sometimes the team members for enough spotlight for someone to care about them.

A bit like how Thundercracker is a very popular character now, where as originally he didn't do that much, I'd say Swindle especially is a noteable stand alone character on his own.

Personally though I just like Dragstrip as he's novel for having 6 wheels. But in a broader sense the Stunticons also speak to other icons of the 1980's in what they evoke, be it Magnum PI, various truck content, The Cannonball Run they kinda feel like little bits of 1980's Nostalgia in vehicle form too to me. Which is something else to like about them besides them being just a giant robot titan to have wrestling with another giant robot titan.

Ricochet is a real puzzle by his lack, he seemed like he'd have been an ideal wave mate for Silverstreak (Blue Bluestreak) for example and some of those sorts of things also complement what they are doing with their Diaclone homages too.

But it isn't just repaints they can make money on it's Toy colour versions they can do sure but even straight up repacks that are more desirable, they inexplicably repainted Siege Soundwave, but why not Siege Springer in a Clean deco at some point ? Sure there is the wrecker version but I actually liked the colour of the Siege one = i'd just have prefered a clear one of those (just as an example) and that could perhaps apply to Takara as well = but Takara Springers are often bizzare colours though.

Just a quick look at a product list suggests things to make them money even on just Legacy/WFCT repaints and if you step back even further there is plenty more that seems ideal for Shattered Glass or G2 repaints (even when they never had a deco before). Or there is even something as simple as POTP Optimal Optimus as Primal Prime which is surely some easy money it's almost a Gorilla stuff year (2023) and they have a ready option for a Optimus Prime coloured Gorilla just sitting waiting to be made. "easy Money" and also visually appealing to a broader demographic too if they put it in a pretty box.

If they want to push something easy just sell Earthrise G2 Megatron in Purple and Holiday Prime in G2 Hero Optimus colours.Lavender coloured Galvatron, or Make a Nightbird out of Studio Series Arcee.. and so on and so.
They still have the option of making a Twincast and Cassette Player mode Soundblaster too.

Loads of money just sitting there really, so you want Budget... sell some more F-15 Repaints. & you'd be thanked for it too.

 

The main line is the best it's ever been these last few years. You're off in a very weird area here. Breakdown looks fine.

 

We all want things but this is simply too funny.

The leadership/management of a company has literally 1 job. One. Make money for the OWNERS of the company.

Hasbro management said never “Yeah, today guys we’re just going to take a flyer on why we were hired. Cool?”

Conversely, busting a budget guideline here or there can actually be a money maker long term. Which again, is what management was hired to do.

TLDR; Occasionally flip the bird to “the shareholders”? Good one. Strategically but a budget here or there to drive long term goals? Sure, maybe.

Edit: and to be clear, I’m pretty salty about my favorite alt mode ever getting the short stick.

 

I actually really liked the look of the Dragstrip mold as a stand-alone figure (unlike the rest of the Deluxe stunticons), I was happy they made the the G2 version so I can kind of justify having the 2 versions (CW+TFL)

 

What bothers me most about Breakdown, more than the fact that he's minor retool, more than my suspicion that he was revealed last because they knew he was the dud of the group, is the fact that you actually have to choose between giving him a spoiler or weapons in vehicle mode. They made the same top-mounted ports they did for Wildrider and plugged a spoiler in there with zero regard for weapon storage. It's baffling too, because that whole rear section is new molding. They could have just added more ports on the side. But no.

There are a lot of things that are beyond the designers' control, like budgeting, but this is purely on them. It's just bad design.

 

That camper van looks awesome.

You're absolutely looking at it from the eyes of an adult, not a kid. LEGO caters to the AFOL group, particularly with the ever-increasing number of pricey expert sets/lego store exclusive sets. There are piles of sets 30 bucks and under (and I'm talking CANADIAN) that are excellent fun for kids. My 8yo got a small set recently and it was a huge hit. I literally just clicked the "sets under 25 CAD" tab on the shop and there is a terrific variety of sets from almost every theme. Shit like Star Wars *always* costs a premium. Always has, like the SW advent calendar always being ten bucks more than the others even if it had the same or less parts. If I went to the price of a deluxe in Canada --- now 35.99 --- and compared lego sets from that it would be even more variety.

Look at the LEGO aisle in any store. Always large, typically well-stocked. It's rarely difficult to find the set you want in-store or online. LEGO is evergreen. The play value from a lego set of 25 bucks vs ONE transformer at 25 is not even close for the average kid; and certainly people looking for kid's gifts are happy to pick LEGO up for birthdays, xmas, etc.

From spending (too much) time in the aisle at TRU and all that, the amount of kids and parents and grandparents I've seen just straight bypass the transformers... this is a collector oriented line. I'm sure overall purchasing still sways towards kids but I don't believe for a nanosecond that adult collectors are a tiny group that Hasbro doesn't give a shit about appealing to. Siege and onward has been pure nostalgia bait.

Cyberverse is for the kids, as will be the new earthspark line.

 

A pointless BTS.

“we repainted wildrider and gave him a new head”. There, that’s all it is.

 

Idk if this has been said yet but... This is a still a bad figure from a design standpoint.

If Hasbro only listened to fans defending this lazy cash grab, all figures would be repaints and slight retools of other figures and we wouldn't get to enjoy the wild diversity of characters we all love.

It's sooooo ridiculous that anyone thinks it's unfair or silly to fairly criticize this crap when figs are quickly rising in price while their designs and overall quality are plateauing/starting to go backwards.

And that poor designer, having to talk so positively about a character that hardly looks like the character it's meant to portray. </3

 

I can’t wait for this guy. I never owned any form of Menasor. I liked Wild Rider so Breakdown being a retool is ok in my book. This is so much better than what Combiner Wars did.

 

unless you're talking about alt mode, Robot mode looks spot on to me 

 

Because Armada Hot Shot is a big part of why TFs are still on shelves today.

 

Still can't tell the difference between repaint and retool.

 

They retooled so little of him that he might as well be classed as just a repaint.

 

Is that why he's only had a few toys in the last decade then & many of them were blue & kinda nameslaps ?

I wasn't actually suggesting that they not make him at all or that he was a waste of a slot, I was more suggesting that that the main justification for his existance I can see is because they already made Starscream, and if they had not he'd be as hard to justify as a new Energon Ironhide toy would be. I don't mind novelties.

I just see AEC, Animated, The Live Action Movies as something one quarantines away from other things due to the issues with plot, lore and nameslapping... As typified by the "Ironhide" I just mentioned.
Hotshot I guess is OK in that regard, unlike Blurr, Prowl, Mirage & as I've said before I actively encourage Prime Arcee to be turned into an Energon Arcee deco at some point... she's pretty much perfect for that.

I was just saying to be kinda brutal about it that wave & the current one is kinda filler, enough that they could delay or drop something in favour of said Breakdown 'done right' which apparently Hasbro thinks we do not deserve in favour of a lanky hollow Pointblank with broken arms, a rubbery Skullgrin with no vehicle mode to speak of, A Hotshot with no Minicon compatability at all... or a bunch of other stuff which I am struggling to even remember right now it's so obscure.

Obscure is "good" just not at the cost of the essential = and finishing Menasor properly should have always been a priority over anything in the current or next wave which is all quite ditchable.