Transformers: Energon & Beyond

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Originally Posted by El Chuxter

Then I shall get Blaster. Same mold with retooling for the head and chest, right?

BTW, I mentioned I'd seen Soundblaster and not thought anything of it. One detail you didn't talk about here is his bio. How is he an upgraded, more hands-on reincarnation of Soundwave (which the bio says, and consistent with what I know of the Headmasters cartoon) if he's millions of years in the past and is still Soundwave by the time Prime rolls around?

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Same mold with a new head, new chest, new wheels, and a new weapon. Also, they're planning to release Ramhorn as one of the 2nd wave minions which already gets a big thumbs-up in my book. And now I'm fearing the likelihood of me buying Blaster and Ramhorn/Eject 2-pack, I don't even like Blaster but that'd make a great counterpoint to this Soundblaster figure.

The bio is as clumsy as it is stupid:

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Restored to a fully functioning state by the loyalty of his minions and the arcane science of an alien world, SOUNDWAVE takes a new name to reflect his new lease on life. No longer content to simply manage electronic warfare for the DECEPTICONS, he charges into battle against the AUTOBOTS, using devastating sonic attacks to disable and disorient his enemies, so that his minions can finish them off.

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and then his techspec gives a 4/10 for courage. :rolleyes:
Anyway, it's clear that they're intending to sidestep the whole issue, perhaps this is a Soundwave of a future AFTER the war on Earth when he's reverted to his Cybertronian mode yet again, but do they say that? No.

Luckily, I can like the figure outside that very broken context.

I assume that if he wanted to, Soundwave/Soundblaster could chose to revert back to that form if he went back to Cybertron for an extended stay. There is a precedent for it in the current comics anyway.

I found Blaster at the super-brand-new Wal-Mart that has unfortunately opened not very far from my home. He's definitely my favorite of the three. Headsculpt has this interesting ability to emote completely different ranges when viewed from different angles. Straight on he looks like he's grinning. On his left side he just looks angry. On the right side he is rather neutral. It's kinda neat. Steeljaw is mostly the same as Ravage which sadly means he is kinda junk.

The repaints in this line really do seem to be better off in general than the original chacater/decos they have been going with.

Sorry to hear that you do not like Grimlock JT. I find that he poses pretty well despite lacking some POA that I would prefer.

I found the Beast Hunter voyagers over the weekend. I like them both, but out of the two I like Optimus the most. I didn't really like the design when I first saw it online, but now that I have the figure in hand it is rather nice. They added the green star sabre also, which is a nice touch.

Predaking is cool if you are into dragon TF's, but if you can hold out for the bigger version that is coming later.

I bought quite a lot lately and either have these in hand or will very soon.


Kre-o micro changers Hook, Rampage, Insecticon
Kre-o Superion and Devy

Cyber verse Smokescreen, Airachnid, Twinstrike, Predaking

Voyager Beast Hunters Predaking, Optimus
FOC Grimlock

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Originally Posted by JetsAndHeels

I found the Beast Hunter voyagers over the weekend. I like them both, but out of the two I like Optimus the most. I didn't really like the design when I first saw it online, but now that I have the figure in hand it is rather nice. They added the green star sabre also, which is a nice touch.

Predaking is cool if you are into dragon TF's, but if you can hold out for the bigger version that is coming later.

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I actually liked Predaking better. Didn't want to set aside space for the larger version especially if BH is only 13 episodes.
Originally I was going to pass on Optimus but seeing lots of photos with the wings won me over. Besides a Star Saber from. shape ways or anywhere else would have run around $20.

Even knowing Frumble & Ravage was going to be a bad set, it couldn't quite prepare me for the mediocrity of owning these. They do fit in Soundblaster's chest and they do pop out, but only Buzzsaw is a satisfying experience, these 2 require additional transformation and they look bad once it's done, and they don't transform nicely, and there's fit & finish issues so Frumble jams up while ejecting and stresses every part of Soundblaster's plunger system. And as bad as Ravage is, it seems like they had the ability to make it work better just by locking the back into the rear hips and didn't bother getting that right.

Frumble & Ravage - grade: D.

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Originally Posted by Adam

I assume that if he wanted to, Soundwave/Soundblaster could chose to revert back to that form if he went back to Cybertron for an extended stay. There is a precedent for it in the current comics anyway.

I found Blaster at the super-brand-new Wal-Mart that has unfortunately opened not very far from my home. He's definitely my favorite of the three. Headsculpt has this interesting ability to emote completely different ranges when viewed from different angles. Straight on he looks like he's grinning. On his left side he just looks angry. On the right side he is rather neutral. It's kinda neat. Steeljaw is mostly the same as Ravage which sadly means he is kinda junk.

The repaints in this line really do seem to be better off in general than the original chacater/decos they have been going with.

Sorry to hear that you do not like Grimlock JT. I find that he poses pretty well despite lacking some POA that I would prefer.

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Soundblaster could revert back to Soundwave with a visit to Earl Scheib. "I'll paint any bot for just $29.95!" :p


Glad to hear you like Blaster, I noticed in photos his smirk is broad enough to convey those ranges, that's cool.

You are so right about Ravage being junk, holy crap.


As for Grimlock, his stubby arms and frustrating shoulder articulation make posing an unsatisfying experience for me, but he does take a few poses nicely if you work hard enough or settle. The legs so far every time have made me settle rather than fight harder, there's an oddity in the angles on the hip joints that leaves things wonky. And like you said, this figure could really have benefited from waist articulation.

Some folks have received the Autobot disc sets from Hasbro Toy Shop, and I hear that Ramhorn may be the best of the discs and also has a complete auto-Transformation.

It would be kinda fitting if Ramhorn were the best, if only because he and Ravage were my favorites (and I already have the excellent Classics Ravage that came with Hound).

Wonder if there's any chance Hasbro will get to Overkill and Slugfest? I'd love to have updates of them. I skipped the Classics Overkill (even when I saw him at Marshalls) because he was a Grimlock repaint and would've looked silly, but that was before I had Masterpiece Grimlock for my "default" Grimlock, so there's no danger of them looking alike. Looks like he's not very cheap anymore.

Kinda doubt there will be any more discs without any future figures for them to interact with. That assortment seems to be geared towards complementing another, like the upcoming target-master esque wave/s to go with Metroplex.

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Originally Posted by Adam

Some folks have received the Autobot disc sets from Hasbro Toy Shop, and I hear that Ramhorn may be the best of the discs and also has a complete auto-Transformation.

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One more reason to get Blaster, I suppose.

JT, I highly recommend Blaster. I see that you got Soundblaster and like him, so get this one too. I love the head sculpt on this guy, plus the yellow/red paint really pops.