Alleged art for a Titan Class Ark surfaces, showing a Teletraan I console that turns into a shuttle. Leaked packaging points to a Transformers Prime 10th anniversary War Breakdown. The final Transformers Tuesday reveal, a Shattered Glass Optimus Prime and Ratchet two-pack, splits the fandom. TakaraTomy makes its Generations Selects Dinobots official, and Earthrise Runabout gets a first look. The show also moves from Skype to Google Meet.
News
Alleged First Look at the Rumored Titan Class Ark
Images that look like design art, with possibly one early build in an inset, show a rumored Titan Class Ark. A Teletraan I console appears to turn into something like the Autobot shuttle. Earlier rumors said the Teletraan piece would transform, and that the transforming part would be a Beast Wars-style shuttle. Both turn out to be right. One host realizes it will likely be in scale with the small core class figures and calls it an easy skip at around $160. Brian could see himself paying that for a nice Teletraan I. The crew expects a real reveal at PulseCon. [Source: not found]
Apparent Transformers Prime 10th Anniversary Packaging Leaked
Two photos from the Cybertron Philippines Facebook group show Generations Selects-style packaging with Transformers Prime 10th anniversary art. It looks like Breakdown and a Vehicon. The label says deluxe class, which rules out a reissue of the Arms Micron Vehicon Breakdown set. The packaging lists one figure in several languages, so it may not be a two-pack. The name War Breakdown matches TakaraTomy’s naming for the character. The crew jokes about Schrodinger’s Breakdown, since nobody knows what is in the box. [Source: not found]
Transformers Tuesday Part 5: Shattered Glass Optimus Prime and Ratchet
The last Transformers Tuesday reveal is a Generations Selects Shattered Glass two-pack on the Earthrise Optimus Prime and Ratchet molds. Brian notes it caused angst on both sides online. One host likes the Ratchet but has enough Optimus Primes, while another is happy to see the Earthrise mold reused. Don likes Shattered Glass and already owns the BotCon versions, so he does not need another Prime. One host notes many Shattered Glass color schemes are Diaclone colors and would have preferred Road Rage, black Ironhide or Loudpedal. Another finds the mirror universe concept derivative but is happy for fans who want it. Nobody in the week of speculation guessed Shattered Glass, so Hasbro did pull off a surprise. [Source: Toy Hype USA]
TakaraTomy Generations Selects Dinobot Box Set
The Volcanicus set is the Power of the Primes Dinobots with new decos and swords and guns for every Dinobot. One host congratulates TakaraTomy on finally making a combiner he does not need. The crew worries the heavy swords will make the combined mode less stable, and Studio Series Dinobots are coming. It looks like one last milking of the molds, like MP-10 before MP-44. Diecast is buying it for the G1 colors and the blue-visor Grimlock. It runs over $200, and Hasbro Pulse does not appear to be offering it. [Source: TFormers]
First Look at Earthrise Runabout
Images of Runabout came bundled with updated stock photos of Runamuck. The crew thinks the slightly different head sculpt looks better in black than Runamuck does in white. Runabout is expected to be a Target exclusive in the US. [Source: Entertainment Earth]
Hasbro and the Fandom
Don wonders whether today’s brand team will ever be as in tune with fans as Aaron Archer’s team was. He would like casual monthly fan chats. Others point out that every Hasbro address now passes through legal and PR, and casual talk is easier off the record. Don recalls BotCon showing G2 toys that were never made, like the Laser Cycle Jazz and Soundwave and the GoBots Racing Rig.
What We Got This Week
Chris
Chris’s second Quintesson Judge arrived for $15 thanks to Target’s pricing error. Studio Series Cliffjumper reminds him of the 2010 War for Cybertron Bumblebee transformation, so it stays in its very solid vehicle mode. Earthrise Airwave is pretty okay, though its airport mode needs more paint and has few spots for extra ramps.
Matt
Matt finally got Rung from Big Bad Toy Store, with another Slitherfang. Generations Selects Rotorstorm arrived from Hasbro Pulse, and he calls the head sculpt fantastic.
Rob
Rob got the $50 Walmart Sky Lynx. He calls it a really good toy for the price despite minor tolerance issues, and it weighs a ton.
Diecast
Diecast posted a review of Quintesson Allicon, which he praises for its face sculpt and simple transformation. He calls the Earthrise Arcee transformation horrible and stressed the plastic forcing a peg, though he likes her robot mode. He also got Generations Selects Rotorstorm from Hasbro Pulse.
Don
Don’s Transformers Generation 2 game finally arrived from GameStop after a month in its warehouse. He gave the Micromasters one last chance with Fuzer and Blast Master and picked up Studio Series Leadfoot at Target. His Earthrise Coneheads arrived, along with a $49 Sky Lynx. He also bought a knockoff of Masterpiece MP-44 Optimus Prime, which the crew calls theft.
John
John passed this week, with more on the way.
Brian
Brian got Studio Series Leadfoot only because the other deluxe version is hard to find, and calls him a robot Santa Claus. He also bought a mint-in-box G1 Action Master Slicer, a European exclusive, and is tempted to open it.