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[Sabrblade]

Yeah I can see those whose POV enjoy the cartoon accuracy much more. I for one dig the homage to the G1 toy this really represents then that of Hasbro's.

Wait, what? Takara's isn't homaging the G1 toy. It's based on the preliminary stock photos of the Hasbro version before Hasbro decided to chrome theirs out and remove a few paint apps.



Notice the black cannon barrels, red ankles, and the read torso stripes. All present on Takara's, but missing on Hasbro's. Yet, this image was from Hasbro way back at Toy Fair 2014.

Later this year, Hasbro released newer official images that reflected the changes made to the final toy:



Thus, Takara's ends up looking more like the original plans for the figure from Hasbro (and in turn ends up looking more comic-accurate:)

[fenrir72]

When it rains, it pours!

Just got Whirl and Roadbister. Whirl, I was verrrrrrrry with his knee though transforming him made me sweat like crazy. I don't think I'm transforming him back to copter mode again.

RB is kind of weird. My Hasbro version's feet when pushed in locks well but the Tomy version, it's hard to lock in place and the shoulder joints are very loose. Has the mold deteriorated that fast? And the brown ain't so dark.

Both guys come with a comic+instruction manual. In Whirl's case, there's a scene with Ai chan with a swords and sorcery bikini armor Whirl RB's comic, there's a scene where Whirl sort of imprisons a girl with pig tails.

Will upload pics later.

[Sabrblade]

Just got Whirl and Roadbister. Whirl, I was verrrrrrrry with his knee though transforming him made me sweat like crazy. I don't think I'm transforming him back to copter mode again.

With my Hasbro Whirl, I just never bent his upper knee joint and always left it straight. If I want him to have a bent knee pose, I just rotate his legs around to face backwards and use the lower knee joints as his knees and his ski heels as toes (which make for a more G1-accurate look anyway).

Ryan's done the same in some of his Whirl gallery pics:

[fenrir72]

Just got Whirl and Roadbister. Whirl, I was verrrrrrrry with his knee though transforming him made me sweat like crazy. I don't think I'm transforming him back to copter mode again.

With my Hasbro Whirl, I just never bent his upper knee joint and always left it straight. If I want him to have a bent knee pose, I just rotate his legs around to face backwards and use the lower knee joints as his knees and his ski heels as toes (which make for a more G1-accurate look anyway).

Ryan's done the same in some of his Whirl gallery pics:

Thanks for the heads up Sabr. Also, thanks to Ryan's pic, the rotor blades on his rear tail, no red stripe. Hasbro has the decals, that's a plus but his G1 toy color motiff is easy on the eyes.

Edit: His arm joints are sooooooooooooo thin. These should have been made die-cast, like those knee joints of his (similar to Delicate Warrior. This by no means putting down the mold but should that not have veen considered?

[shajaki]

Whirl, I was verrrrrrrry with his knee though transforming him made me sweat like crazy. I don't think I'm transforming him back to copter mode again.

that blows my ideas out of the water
ive got legends whirl and cloud shockwave on the way hoping that they had fixed those knees.

i was examining my generations whirl to see if there was a way to dismantle the knees and shave down those joints, but it appears they are held in with pins. does anyone know how to take pins out?

[Sabrblade]

i was examining my generations whirl to see if there was a way to dismantle the knees and shave down those joints, but it appears they are held in with pins.

They're also hexagonal. Shaving them would destroy their ability to function.

[fenrir72]

Whirl, I was verrrrrrrry with his knee though transforming him made me sweat like crazy. I don't think I'm transforming him back to copter mode again.

that blows my ideas out of the water
ive got legends whirl and cloud shockwave on the way hoping that they had fixed those knees.

i was examining my generations whirl to see if there was a way to dismantle the knees and shave down those joints, but it appears they are held in with pins. does anyone know how to take pins out?

If I left the impression I busted my Whirl, nope. Still functional but I'm kind of scared transforming him back to copter mode again.

[william-james88]

Takara, you mad genius you.

Mad genius? Please explain?

And compared to this image, its even more genius since they are in very similar poses. Cant be a coincidence.

[megatronus]

Whirl, I was verrrrrrrry with his knee though transforming him made me sweat like crazy. I don't think I'm transforming him back to copter mode again.

that blows my ideas out of the water
ive got legends whirl and cloud shockwave on the way hoping that they had fixed those knees.

i was examining my generations whirl to see if there was a way to dismantle the knees and shave down those joints, but it appears they are held in with pins. does anyone know how to take pins out?

The scary knee joint loosens up some after you manipulate it the first time. Just make sure you're holding the base of the joint by the thin black connector piece when you apply force, and you should be OK.

[william-james88]

Whirl, I was verrrrrrrry with his knee though transforming him made me sweat like crazy. I don't think I'm transforming him back to copter mode again.

that blows my ideas out of the water
ive got legends whirl and cloud shockwave on the way hoping that they had fixed those knees.

i was examining my generations whirl to see if there was a way to dismantle the knees and shave down those joints, but it appears they are held in with pins. does anyone know how to take pins out?

The scary knee joint loosens up some after you manipulate it the first time. Just make sure you're holding the base of the joint by the thin black connector piece when you apply force, and you should be OK.

Thanks! I have him on the way too (and maybe shockwave is the bidding works out)

[shajaki]

Whirl, I was verrrrrrrry with his knee though transforming him made me sweat like crazy. I don't think I'm transforming him back to copter mode again.

that blows my ideas out of the water
ive got legends whirl and cloud shockwave on the way hoping that they had fixed those knees.

i was examining my generations whirl to see if there was a way to dismantle the knees and shave down those joints, but it appears they are held in with pins. does anyone know how to take pins out?

The scary knee joint loosens up some after you manipulate it the first time. Just make sure you're holding the base of the joint by the thin black connector piece when you apply force, and you should be OK.

Thanks! I have him on the way too (and maybe shockwave is the bidding works out)

when i was bidding on lena's last round of cloud shockys, they ended around 30 bucks, so good luck!

and thanks megs, ill work my gen. whirl a bit to see if it loosens up

[Wolfman Jake]

Takara, you mad genius you.

Mad genius? Please explain?

And compared to this image, its even more genius since they are in very similar poses. Cant be a coincidence.

Oh, that IS clever. Now it makes sense why Tankor was lumped with Roadbuster and Whirl in the Legends line. That's a sneaky little homage. Touché, Takara. Touché! Hasbro, take notes.

[Sabrblade]

Those poses aren't that similar. The angles and positions don't match up at all.

[Wolfman Jake]

Those poses aren't that similar. The angles and positions don't match up at all.

Yeah, the pictures and poses don't really make the homage interesting. It's the fact that Tankor makes a fair proxy for the Bonaparte Tulcas transforming tank that was left out when Hasbro licensed the other two deluxe vehicles, who became Roadbuster and Whirl, from Takatoku Toys from their Special Armored Battalion Dorvack line. Now, almost 29 years later, Takara Tomy has spiritually reunited this trio in there Transformers Generations line. Like I said, it's just a clever nod to Transformers history on Takara's part.

[Sabrblade]

The story goes that Tankor built Roadbuster and Whirl. That's why the three are together seen together so much in stuff.

[Wolfman Jake]

The story goes that Tankor built Roadbuster and Whirl. That's why the three are together seen together so much in stuff.

Sure, that's the reason in-fiction to have these three grouped together, but I think the larger idea was to homage the original Special Armored Battalion Dorvack figures that two of these characters were originally based upon, not so much based upon THAT original fiction, but because Tankor is a good proxy for Tulcas. It's more of a "wink-wink" homage than a literal one, but it's no less deliberate on Takara Tomy's part, I would bet.

[Evil Eye]

Takara, you mad genius you.

Mad genius? Please explain?

And compared to this image, its even more genius since they are in very similar poses. Cant be a coincidence.

That is pretty damn smart. Hats off to you Takara you sly foxes.

Also, those paintings are beautiful. I kinda wish Generations Whirl looked a bit more like that proto-Whirl art (proportion/poseability wise- I love his colours, although if they did him in those colours too that would be awesome).

[Jelze Bunnycat]

New comics are up on the Transformers Legends page

The Predacons are joining the fray, with Megatron and Waspinator taking center stage. Of course, they too represent an aspect of the fandom, here's what I seem to understand:

Megatron: the new guy who tries to learn, but fails miserably
Waspinator: the encyclopedia of all roles. Alas, even this universe seems to hate him.
Blackarachnia: the groupie. What else?

A note on the last two comics (#15):

1) Waspinator explains about the origin of Roadbuster and Whirl, including their prominence in the Marvel UK comics. And Megatron completely misses the point with them being "English"
2) The Maximals turn into mockeries of their Beast Machnines bodies. Rhinox seems to like it though, as he became Tankor in that series.

[Sabrblade]

Interesting how the Preds are in robot mode here while the Maximals still remain in beast mode.

1) Waspinator explains about the origin of Roadbuster and Whirl, including their prominence in the Marvel UK comics. And Megatron completely misses the point with them being "English"

That explains why they look like Holmes and Moriarty in that one panel.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Interesting how the Preds are in robot mode here while the Maximals still remain in beast mode.

We do get to see them in Beast Mode, Waspie and Mega each in a single panel of comics #13 and #14.

1) Waspinator explains about the origin of Roadbuster and Whirl, including their prominence in the Marvel UK comics. And Megatron completely misses the point with them being "English"

That explains why they look like Holmes and Moriarty in that one panel.

Sure does, ol'chap

[william-james88]

Any idea when Legends Arcee, Chromia and Windblade come out? And have they announced a version of Crosscut coming out too?

I was looking at the generations wiki under the Japan section and they dont have any of these listed.

[Sabrblade]

Any idea when Legends Arcee, Chromia and Windblade come out?

February.

And have they announced a version of Crosscut coming out too?

No.

I was looking at the generations wiki under the Japan section and they dont have any of these listed.

That's because the Japanese Generations line is dead. Legends is a different line.

[Wolfman Jake]

Does anyone have an idea of why TakaraTomy has skipped over Skids entirely so far?

[Sabrblade]

Does anyone have an idea of why TakaraTomy has skipped over Skids entirely so far?

Well, they are releasing the AOE Rollbar version (the one we got in the Platinum Edition Breakout Battle) as a TRU exclusive.

But Skids isn't the only one they've skipped. Takara's skipped a whole bunch of Generations toys that Hasbro's released.

[william-james88]

Thanks buddy. Other question: how do you know so much?