Studio Series '86 Appreciation Thread

Discussion in 'Transformers Toy Discussion' started by barry, Sep 14, 2020.

  1. Nova Maximus

    Nova Maximus Well-Known Member

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    Well I mean, half of siege was figures with earth modes with a bit of kibble on them, so...
     
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  2. Fenrys

    Fenrys Formerly Tigatron2002

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    Plus there's still a lot of characters from Siege that haven't, and won't, gotten do overs in Earthrise
     
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  3. BidoofdudeofOz

    BidoofdudeofOz The Stench of Discovery

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    I think there is a crucial piece missing from the puzzle of this argument. When Siege came out, despite the “Cybertronian” modes (often a stretch for some figures), a lot of the Siege figures were clearly supposed to be new definitive sort of figures of many characters. For example, Prowl has not had a unique mould figure since 2008, and a repaint in 2015. Ironhide and Ratchet both have not gotten a single update since 2008.

    For many figures in the line, they were not simply a side/accessory line of Cybertronian mode figures besides the tetrajet seekers, one of very few specific media appearances we have. In fact, the two Cybertronian modes we all anticipated (Wheeljack and Bumblebee) never even got made.

    It is only when Earthrise wave 2 (Smokescreen) was revealed that we realised they were gonna redo basically the entire line as Earth mode retools, and it’s because of time. Having new releases of characters so soon after another came out is almost completely unseen previously, save for the big characters like Optimus. Pretty safe to say a vast majority of people buying Siege figures from store shelves were not anticipating them to be sold back to us a year later with quite small changes, but just enough to be worth replacing for most people as the new ‘definitive’ versions. It’s also pretty safe to say that had we known in advance that we would be getting Earth mode figures a year later, Siege would be nowhere near the success that it was, a big chunk would have just waited.

    We are in new territory for collecting, nothing is off the cards and we don’t have to wait 5-10 years for updates anymore. It is much easier to say we should pick and choose what figures we go for now, but we were at the very beginning steps of this new era, and for the most part the blame is on Hasbro here for some kinda shifty business. The Siege figures are still great figures in their own right, but the kind of unwritten common knowledge/attitude around here is that they live in the shadow of their newer Earth modes. That stings for heaps who bought into the line early, who can either cut their losses and stay with the ones they got, or double down and get all the new versions.
     
    Last edited: Oct 18, 2020
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  4. Fenrys

    Fenrys Formerly Tigatron2002

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    Ratchet and Ironhide both got updates in Combiner wars, not every do over in Earthrise is a retool either (some are new molds) and nowhere near the entire line was redone in Earthrise
     
  5. BidoofdudeofOz

    BidoofdudeofOz The Stench of Discovery

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    As far as I am aware, all the Siege figures that got Earthrise versions are based on the former or share many parts with it:

    - Megatron
    - Optimus Prime
    - Ironhide/Ratchet
    - Prowl/Bluestreak/Smokescreen/Barricade
    - Soundwave (Netflix version lines up with Earthrise timing)

    The exceptions to updates are Sideswipe/Red Alert, Hound and Mirage, which are already pretty Earthen. The heavy presence of hard to find, costly exclusives in the potential overlap list for those who bought in all the way makes it a potentially very expensive mistake for some fans who had they known would not have:

    - Siege Bluestreak
    - Siege Ratchet (virtually impossible to get internationally- costed me $70 AUD total to source one)
    - Siege Smokescreen
    - Earthrise Prowl
    - Earthrise Ironhide
    - Earthrise Ratchet (part of two pack)
    - Netflix Soundwave
    - Siege Soundblaster

    This circles back to anti-consumer behaviour. Not every collector is the same, but Hasbro quite clearly capitalised on people’s willingness to jump on new versions of characters.
     
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  6. Fenrys

    Fenrys Formerly Tigatron2002

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    The Datsuns are entirely new molds that don't share any parts, Prime shares the fronts of his lower legs, elbows, feet, head and a pair of panels for the cab but has entirely different engineering. The Seekers are also entirely new molds as well that don't share any parts with Siege.

    Also, funny that you say Ratchet was impossible to get internationally as I got mine from a non US retailer.
     
  7. flik68

    flik68 Well-Known Member

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    Well this thread isn't about seige or earthrise so why are we discussing them?
     
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  8. Ditko

    Ditko Well-Known Member

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    I bought into SIEGE early and don't feel like I got jipped. Not for one second, that's nuts. I feel like I got Part 1 of the story then Part 2 in Earthrise. Earthrise never replaced anything for me. Plus they're toys, I budget for this stuff and am not exactly unhappy to be buying my favorites again.....actually I would be disappointed if I didn't have toys to buy the following year.

    The only thing I feel disappointed in is the reduction in paint weathering, but given the source material it made sense.
     
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  9. BlaminisPrime

    BlaminisPrime Neighborhood cute boy

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    They're different enough for me. And there are a hefty amount of siege figures with no earthrose counterpart

    A lot of what you say makes sense. But for me personally its cool to have n official "cybertronian" set of datsuns and seekers next to the earth versions
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 24, 2020
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  10. JJJ

    JJJ Well-Known Member

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    Yup. And if it wasn't so mind-bogglingly difficult to actually put that simple dozen together, I might try it. But Hasbro has made it stupidly hard to do so.
     
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  11. Fenrys

    Fenrys Formerly Tigatron2002

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    Yep, just to point it out for people there is

    Sideswipe
    Cog
    Hound
    Skytread
    Chromia
    Sixgun
    Red Alert
    Barricade (coming in Netflix wave 3, not officially revealed yet)
    Refraktor
    Brunt
    Impactor
    Mirage
    Spinister
    Crosshairs
    Springer
    Apeface
    Ultra Magnus (though he is getting a do over in Kingdom but isn't officially revealed yet)
    Shockwave
    Jetfire
    Omega Supreme

    all didn't get earthrise do overs (and this is just mainline, not exclusives)

    vs

    Ironhide
    Prowl
    Optimus Prime
    Megatron
    Starscream
    Astrotrain (repack)

    That did get Earthrise counterparts. That's it for mainline releases. The numbers get more balanced when you include exclusives, but this is it for mainline deluxe and up
     
    Last edited: Oct 19, 2020
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  12. daimchoc

    daimchoc Well-Known Member

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  13. Leopold Xerovsky

    Leopold Xerovsky Capricious Chill

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    (Watches transformation)

    Well, save for the clear plastic roof (which always scares me), that's pretty much everything a jazz needs to be to be a good and proper jazz. Kudos for everyone involved in the making of it.
     
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  14. Robogeek28

    Robogeek28 Proud grandpa

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    Now THAT'S how you handle a car roof backpack Hasbro!

    Why they have so many of them that hang so low I'll never understand.
     
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  15. doomtron

    doomtron Hunter

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  16. Billy Hoyle

    Billy Hoyle Well-Known Member

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    That's a beautiful figure
     
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  17. daimchoc

    daimchoc Well-Known Member

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  18. Ditko

    Ditko Well-Known Member

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    These look soooooo good to me. Long live Studio Series '86!
     
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  19. NemesisJazz

    NemesisJazz Well-Known Member

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    I was admiring bluestreak so much that i can totally see them making a ss86 Prime but hopefully with a new head and perhaps a bit more of a mini mp44 with a better trailer. That would be amazing.
     
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  20. cyberpredicus

    cyberpredicus Well-Known Member

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    New SS86 Prime like Nemesis said but with a swappable damaged head.
     
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