I just had to look up who Detritus was. But as an "arms dealer", I'd buy one using Hound's mold. I'm content with TR's Octone but Lockdown could use an update. Deadlock has a lot of current SIEGE mold retool potential. But I tend to keep characters who become another as separate entities. In my lineup Galvatron isn't Megatron, Soundwave isn't Soundblaster and Deadlock isn't Drift.

Trailbreaker is 100% HasTak knows that collections looking to finish up their season 1 G1 Autobot lineup wanted him first, so I won't be surprised if they play those "Select" games with him next year since there were about 9 in the line last year. That "Mudflap" character (in the picture above) could be a 3rd or 4th use of the Grapple mode and if they do give us another Lockdown then for the sake of Lockdown, I hope his mold is one of the taller Deluxe molds. I'm not quite sure how tall the new Wheeljack mold is but Sunstreaker and Tracks should both be okay but they would have to do a lot with Tracks to make me swap out the RTS version.

With Cliffjumper's mold, I'm still not a fan of SIEGE "Shockwave games" they're clearly playing with it. BUT..... if they can somehow make a Crankcase or Grit out of it (courtesy of IDW's take on the two) I might be interested.

 

I don’t think they’re playing MUCH of a Siege Shockwave game. They detoured off the scale charts to make him roughly Refraktor height. This isn’t a case where he’s a full size class down. Also, Shockwave basically had a full deluxe worth of extra plastic whereas this guy just has about a Micromaster’s worth.

That said, he has engineering comparable to MP-21 (and comparable size as well). He basically just lacks a licensed alt mode and Spike.

 

You think he's got potential?

 

Um, that’s “ Downshift 2, Electric Boogaloo”

 

You know who would be perfect for this new Mercenaries faction

 

Assuming Double Dealer is coming- what are his remold/redeco options?

 

 

G2 Stalker and Cybertron Defense Force Red Alert seem to be the most likely candidates.

 

we don't speak of that half assed over hyped sequel >:[

CD redalert/euro g1 stalker. just ignore the bird mode

 

Stalker, Machine Wars Soundwave (or Universe Soundwave), Darksyde (aka Pre-Beast Wars) Megatron, Cybertron Defense Red Alert, Onslaught, Beast Wars Silverbolt.

 

The concept of mercenaries being in WFC is an interesting thing. While not EVERY tf will be in this line, I have a few ideas for who these characters could be:
-Armada Sideways (Deluxe w/ minicons)
-Cybertron Mudflap (Retool of Grapple)
-Detritus (Obvious Hound repaint
-Armada Wheeljack (Sideswipe repaint)
-Lockdown (Large Deluxe/Small Voyager figure)
-Energon Inferno (I know that a G1 Inferno will be retooled grom Grapple, but this version was still a unique character)
-Doubledealer (Voyager Class)
-Deadlock (Deluxe Class w/ a Drift repaint)

 

Would like to see a voyager/Leader Grimlock in Earthrise, cause the last two voyagers we got aren’t that good. If the only good thing is their robot mode, then thats a fail in my opinion cause its his T-rex mode that makes the character what he is. I have the same problem with Seige Soundwave so I'm hoping he gets a more proper figure in Earthrise too.

And all those figures I listed were compromised by forced gimmicks that aren’t even that great(my Soundwave chest broke cause of how precise you have to be about fitting the cassettes in or else they get stuck)

Also the Mercenaries concept could give us a shot at a “G1” style Dinobot that has nothing to do with BW, cause dammit he needs a good figure that isn't a fragile $300 MP!

 

Well that new Refractor is just a cm. shorter than the new Prowl mold but wieghs 1 tenth of an ounce more and I get that the new CJ will have better quality but personally I don't want my CJ to be that height otherwise I'd have just kept the Classics version on display all these years instead of no Cliffjumper out at all.

Hmm..... You might have a point. Let's see:

The lightest Deluxe I've come across was Siege Chromia which was only 2.2oz. So you're right, Siege Shockwave comes with a "Deluxe" worth of extra plastic. The beef people still have with this Shockwave is that no one asked for that extra plastic. Plus Shockwave and the plastic together still don't add up to the average weight of Leader class figures.

 

Is there a video of the panel?

 

I see where people are coming from. I think the Armored-Up mode is really goofy but it's still charming to me. It's a very Shockwave thing to do to himself, especially if he were to, idk, depose Megatron.

The larger starship mode is really really cool imo. It's got lots of detail, an imposing silhouette, and a decisively 'Shockwave' vibe with the space-gun-esque front end, the power tube, the dual arm-guns at the side, and the cherry on top a cyclopean bridge.

Ntm the great lightpiping the bridge AND robot mode. How are great the smaller robot captures the timeless Shockwave look. How about the way the rubber hose has a joint on the end that provides the gun-arm with unrestrained articulation? What about the overall tightness of the construction?

It's the best made-up aircraft in WFC so far.



It feels like $50 worth of fun to me!

 

Oh!

Re: Doubledealer.

My HUNCH is that he’s probably a boxed set character if he’s included with Knok and Skar handled as redecos of Rumble and Ratbat. Or maybe Knok and Scar get released individually. Or he’s Voyager-ish with a suitably big cannon and two MM companions to qualify as a leader.

Power Master partners and Cassettes are probably essentially close enough to share tooling/functionality in WFC.

Likewise what I could see down the line is another go at Power Master Optimus which my best guess based on the Tommy Kennedy scenes and commercials places him at Commander Class — and at that size a cassette Hi-Q designed to fit in Soundwave or Blaster’s chest probably works.

 

(sees that the chances of a new Dealer are rising)

....

(begins to vibrate and make a noise only dogs can hear)

 

I'm sure HasTak appreciates reading this if they have plans for more overpriced Voyagers after Astrotrain.

 

Astrotrain appears to have been planned for Earthrise. His coal car connects with Micromaster bases and the new Omega Supreme, just like ER Optimus’ trailer.

So I think Astrotrain is less the final gasp of Siege and more the first glimpse of Earthrise.

I’ll be honest, every time Hasbro has done a figure undersized relative to class budget, it’s had fewer gaps and smarter engineering.

It’s sure to cause sticker shock next to Prime Wars figures but they’re basically 60% the quality of an MP at 60% the size and 33% of the price.

The figures that “need” gap fillers are the ones aiming to be bigger.

 

Can I just say that I don’t know where they said this but rewatching the Earthrise reveal, they said they wanted to make Cliffjumper feel like Cliffjumper and not feel like Bumblebee. Everywhere I went I couldn’t find where they said they would not do Bumblebee. So there for, Bumblebee must be coming from the Cliffjumper skeleton, just with a new car shell. Unless I can find what they actually said that Bumblebee wasn’t coming at all, I believe that this was miscommunication or something

 

I know it's kind of bad timing what with his Siege figure being released this week and all but I'm pulling for an Earthrise Ratchet down the line. I really wanna spring for the Siege one but if there's a chance at getting a proper Earth mode, I'd rather have that.

I think Lockdown and Doubledealer are the two most likely, especially the former.