My understanding, and Randy can correct me if I'm wrong, is that this was the plan before Hasbro found out about Takara's Computron offering. After they saw the "competition," they decided to bring over Afterburner and modify Strafe.

 

Okay so I remember some talk about Rook/Groove being "compatible" but I don't remember anything beyond fan combinations. Does someone have a link to the closest approximation (if not an official look) at what this is?

Considering Siege Ultra Magnus dropped an RiD reference out of nowhere, I wouldn't rule it out. Especially with Takara/Hasbro revealing combiners are very much not dead with that Snaptrap silhouette.

 

I have seen Hasbro Pulse place a pending charge/hold on my card for the preorder amount, but no actual charge is placed until they are ready to ship.

 

I didnt like him at first but ive warmed up with what they are doing here, will get him

 

Best I could do. Not to shabby, actually. It's hard to see but it requires the rifle to be attached in the back for stability.

 

If they'd just retooled the leg panels, I think this would also have been workable

 

interesting that they are underselling takara tomy mall, thats kind of stupid of them isnt it

 

Not really. Takara Tomy Mall only services Japan, Hasbro Pulse services other countries, if not the entire world. (I'm not sure where all they ship.) Hasbro only promises not to undercut their resellers such as Walmart and Target. They're more than welcome to undercut Takara Tomy, and honestly, the $80.00 is closer to what the asking price for this remold is worth, compared to Takara Tomy's asking price, which is assinine.

I'm incredibly disappointed in this figure, I feel he's an absolute waste of plastic and effort. It wouldn't have required massive retooling to give him a long nose cab option (like a detachable shield or something) and put some oomph into the vehicle mode. The fact that the fans have to guesstimate a base mode out of thin air is just crap icing on the crap cake. I don't have a lot of hope for their upcoming Armada Optimus, at this point. The cab robot looks good, much like the Optimus/Convoy in Star Convoy does, but the rest is just an utter mess. =\

 

robot kingdom is underselling takara tomy mall and hasbro pulse by about $10 (the post i quoted is about the robotkingdom preorder, assuming you may be ignoring that poster), that is what i was referring to since theyll have to source it from takara they will be selling it at a $10 loss per figure. that is pretty stupid

 

That is correct. Original Computron had no new tooling and featured Rook with Brawl's head as Ironclad (I believe was his name). Afterburner was a redeco of the Legends scale Groove and can peg into the Rook mold.

Some point later Hasbro changed their plans and utilized the new Deluxe Groove that had new parts designed for Afterburner and added the new parts for Strafe from the Air Raid base mold. Ironclad was mostly tan and white, with a dark brown helmet and red face. Strafe as Air Raid reminds me a bit of SG Starscream with more red and less black. The original mockup also used the HFG's associated with those molds, not the new ones Hasbro made for their Computron. The original mockup was nice, but not as nice as either version that actually came out. Ironclad was shown to be the left arm (with Afterburner pegged in) and Strafe the right arm.

 

Hey, random thought, did any 3P companies make filler pieces for POTP Optimus' thighs?

 

Nah, not blocked. I see you were responding to AZT. I was more or less just directing my response to your comment, itself. I didn't even see his comment because I started typing a response before all of the page elements loaded. (I'm on a slow PC.) Plus, once I get typing and I'm on a roll, I tend to block out other things. Sorry for any confusion.

 

no worries   its all good

 

Can someone show me a pic of this combo because I've got Rook and and TAV Overdrive looking for a home and this would be a great way to build out a new CW team.

 

Yeah, but Star Convoy needs Optimus Prime's head and arms sticking out. That almost looks TOO good. LOL!

 

I pulled this from a YouTube review. It's semi-adequate at giving the motorcycle profile to the leg.

I'm okay with the head sticking out because that was both ridiculous and funny, but covering the arms seems more like a proper update (e.g. Optimus and Ultra Magnus no longer have detachable hands) where G1-slavishness is the wrong choice. If they'd replaced all the leg panels to both make MM ramps as well as make the blue stripe flat (instead of rising at the back of the trailer), I think there'd have been a lot less outcry about the trailer mode.

 

In my opinion Hasbro always lags behind on Takara when it comes to the "feel" with the fanbase and the lore of TF. Which in itself is a bit odd. Since most of the lore is American adaptation of Japanese figures. Hasbro designers just has a way different way of thinking. Clearly shown with Devastator as well. With the lack of articulation. Excuses abound but with Computron it shows esthetic choices really are different and not in favor of Hasbro.

Btw a lot of original ideas got ditched that we don't even know of or simply are hinted in the molding while not in instructions. Like the oddity of both Bombshell and Groove having a 5mm post. For what purpose? Seems weaponizing has been in the designs as well but ditched.
And I can think of other novelties like the plug in posts for the arms of Optimus Prime Leader class, or the Steeljaw RID mold that had the ability to fold the backpack locked "probably due to stress testing". I really enjoy looking into these design evolutions btw. How they work at the designer desk. Like going over the Hun-Gur mold. In comparison with Silverbolt.
At least HasTak realize what are good molds and which are not. Though the Grimlock torso I bet you will come back for Monstructor/Dinoking. As does Hun-Gur for Snaptrap.

 

Kinda wished the trailer had treads vs. the tires

 

Yeah... kinda regretting preordering so fast.
I feel like the truck mode got zero effort, maybe even negative effort. Like, they could have at least angled his shoulder cannons to be on the truck roof or something.
At the very least changed his side panel decal for cripes sake.