Emerje wrote:G2 Grimlock (I'm guessing this one will be blue) is the first time a SS mold has bee used unaltered (most likely) at retail as part of the main line outside of exclusives right? I'm really surprised this is how they chose to release him.
I'm thinking it will be the blue version as well. The only reason I'm not surprised at this is because Grimlock is more likely to get reused compared to the others. While the other four could be made into SG figures, other than that, it seems G2 is the only option. And if there aren't any plans for doing that, there are four leader class molds that have one-off uses and at best can be re-packed. That Grimlock mold is going to get milked.
chuckdawg1999 wrote:Interesting we're getting a Superion redo. If Silverbolt is a commander then I wonder if Superion will follow Menasor and be a frame with bots attached.
While I don't think new combiners are completely necessary, won't 2025 make CW ten years old? That's a substantial amount of time imo, especially when you consider we've recently seen re-do's of characters within two to three years.
Because of the amount of time that has passed, I keep questioning if I think Hastak is all that concerned about "out-doing" or "one-upping" the previous versions of combiners.
They're clearly not going bigger, at least based on Legacy Menasor (which I'm assuming has set the new standards), as well as knowing these new limb bots are deluxe class.
If Silverbolt is CC, it most definitely could include a similar system as Motormaster. Made large enough, his long, slender-ish alt mode could probably provide at least a partial "frame" for the limbs. If nothing else, at least the legs. Which would also make sense since you can bet Hastak has prioritized stability (again, Legacy Menasor is evidence).
But who knows, my counter thought to all of this is that four Deluxes and one Commander make for one expensive combiner, with the torso bot being slightly more difficult to get.
Speaking of engineering, I do wonder if the separating limb gimmick used for SS86 Ultra Magnus is a preview of the system that will be used for these new combiners. I realize it's essentially the same as what was used for CW. But to use it 8 years after it was initially introduced means Hastak clearly likes it.
My gut is telling me that one difference, and for some of us this will be considered an improvement, will be that the combined form will appear even more G1 than the older versions. Once again, I believe Menasor is the evidence for this. Obviously Hastak won't replicate the appearances of the previous CW versions. And I doubt the new designs are going to take random liberties and further stylize these characters to be less G1 (let's be honest, most people wouldn't favor that).
For me, increased articulation, stability, and even better G1 appearance will create the pull that may tempt me to bite on these new combiners. I can totally admit I may have spoke too soon about passing on Superion...
If these new versions are relatively as good as Legacy Menasor... I'll need to adjust my TF budget before next year.
