Takara Transformers Encore God Fire Convoy (RID Omega Prime) Revealed to Have a Price Point of $265

Holy swizzle sticks, I think you can get the MISB originals on eBay for less than that.

The high price is probably because of the electronics, plus they may have new sounds as the original voice actor was reported working with TakaraTomy recently. Yikes... It better have that Super God Sword!

I never heard of that character before. I take it this is some kind of reissue of a non G1 character mold?

william-james88 wrote:

Emerje wrote:I feel as though given all the parts and electronics this'll be sold for US$200 or so.

Turns out that was not a conservative enough estimate

Well, the estimate wasn't too far off with the discount, 25% off gets it down to $205. But yea, once you factor in probably $60 for shipping you're right back at the beginning. At least it doesn't appear to be a Takara Tomy Mall exclusive so it'll most likely be cheaper than buying from TFSource or BBTS even with the extra shipping.

Emerje

Rated X wrote:I never heard of that character before. I take it this is some kind of reissue of a non G1 character mold?

You bet, it's a reiusse of who we know as Omega Prime from Robots in Disguise 2001, made of Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus:


Transformers Robots In Disguise Omega Prime (God Fire Convoy) Gallery


Transformers Robots In Disguise Optimus Prime (Fire Convoy) Gallery


Transformers Robots In Disguise Ultra Magnus (God Magnus) Gallery

Thanks to a technicality, Robots in Disguise 2001 is its own universe, while the Japanese parent line Car Robots is part of Japanese G1, taking place between Seasons 2 and 3 in 2000.

Was really tempted by this, but that's a pretty hefty price will most likely have to pass...

Not that I want the toy anyways cos I find it rather ugly but that price must be a huge blow to those who do.

I was just thinking about figures that I wish they would reissue. These guys were number 1 on my list. I feel like they still hold up well and don't need an update. And then they announce it. And I'm happy. And then they show the price... And they crush my dreams of getting these guys... How much do lungs go for these days? You only need one right?

I'm interested in other people's wants of reissues.

I had both the Takara verison (MISB) and Hasbro versions (opened) way back when. Its nice to see a re-release, but I'm not too tempted. But the price hike is not unprecedented.

2006 $50

2017 $150

Triple the price in just 11 years...doesn't make sense to me...but there it is.

BBTS has him up for $280

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Search?Hi ... &Company=2

Well, hopefully it looks and still functions great! But I think I will pass now

Primus is a bit overpriced when you compare him to the titan class figures priced so close to him, yeah, although I'd say he makes it up a bit in paint operations, detail and engineering, but this is ridiculous even by that metric.

There's so much weirdness here. Encore line being used for a non-G1 line for the first time (spare me the mockery of continuity retconning done, I'm aware), wacky high price point, and only related to anything recent by way of some audio? Something's not adding up.

Both UM and that Prime are super awesome on their own, and the combined mode is glorious. Pricey though, if there was some kind of premium weapon or something it might be worth it!

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:BBTS has him up for $280

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Search?Hi ... &Company=2

Uh. More expensive than the "vintage" we can find on ebay, sill in box.

Not sure if they did a good market analysis. Or I hope there's ton of bonuses etc in the box to justify the price.

Considering its 2 really large and intricate toys with lights and sounds, that change when combined (at least Magnus's sounds change), the price tag is not as outrageous as it first seems.

$130 each for Convoy and Magnus, is not really all that high.

They may still have some other accessories packed in though.

We'll have to wait and see, exactly what the set has.

Overcracker wrote:$130 each for Convoy and Magnus, is not really all that high.

Yes, it is.

$150 for Primus this year was expensive and that toy was $50 in 2006.

$265 for God Fire Convoy next year is also expensive. Last time they were released as a set? 2005 holiday season in Costco. The price? $31.99.

ScottyP wrote:

Overcracker wrote:$130 each for Convoy and Magnus, is not really all that high.

Yes, it is.

$150 for Primus this year was expensive and that toy was $50 in 2006.

$265 for God Fire Convoy next year is also expensive. Last time they were released as a set? 2005 holiday season in Costco. The price? $31.99.

Yes, 12 years ago. While the U.S. has very minimal inflation, other countries do not. Japan had a large inflation in 2013.

The Movie the Best Prime and Jetfire releases which were less than $60 back n DOTM, are now being sold for over $100 each in the Movie the Best line. Movie the Best Revenge Prime (DOTM Prime) is now 16,000 yen at retail.

Technically speaking for current Japanese pricing, these is not out of the question.

The cost of making these 2 figures now vs what they would have cost in 2005, is very very different.

Yes it is expensive in relation to what they cost when they were released, but not in relation to what the pricing is of current figures in Japan.

4000 yen deluxe titan Masters, 8000 to 10000 yen leaders with no electronics. etc...

It is still expensive no doubt, but considering everything the figures actually need to do, and all the parts involved its still generally within the realm of logic.

If you compare God Fire Convoy to the current Super God Ginrai, its an incredibly more complex set than those 2.

And those 2 went from 4000 or 5000 yen each when they were released alone to 18,000 yen in a box set in a span of a few months to a year. And remember no electronics.

Talk about then and now all you like. That price is still ridiculous.

OK, that is kiiiiinda expensive. Given the sheer cost of the originals on eBay though (at least over here in the UK) I think it's worth it.

What I really want though is a Gigatron reissue.

william-james88 wrote:While we had some news of an Encore Reissue of Transformers Car Robots God Fire Convoy, we now have a confirmation from the Loopaza Mega Store that this is indeed happening. We also have the MSRP price for this set, which has been revealed to be 30,000 Yen, which is the equivalent of $265 USD at the moment. Of course, many stores in Japan often sell their toys at 20%-30% off MSRP but any of those savings are usually lost on anyone either importing the toys or buying them from local importers. So for anyone outside Japan, this will probably be what you will be paying when all is said and done.

Sold! I owned both, exclusive Japanese Toys-R-Us version and the Korean Boxed Version. I HAD to sell them both!! NEVER AGAIN! God Fire Convoy/Omega Prime, is the single greatest Toy I have ever wanted to own outside of G-1 Masterpieces and The ressurected Movie Masterpiece Line, I shall have him as mine!!.

While it's true that the cost to produce these have gone up thanks to their part counts and electronics, people are forgetting something else rather important: These are only getting a limited collector release. Don't get me wrong, they wont be exclusive and will be sold at several retailers, but they aren't going to be made in the numbers they were made in in 2000. Smaller runs for collectors, probably in a nice display box at least, will always cost more.

Pricing these at less than the cost of two Unite Warriors sets seems about right to me.

The Movie the Best line probably didn't suffer all that much from inflation when you factor in possible mold alterations for better plastic color matching, premium paint decos, and smaller production runs. Since even molds from 2017 in the line saw a hefty markup it just doesn't seem like inflation was a major factor.

Emerje

I pulled out my Prime and Magnus to to take some pictures comparing it to Legends Super God Jinrai, and I was surprised at how similarly both combinations work.

Magnus legs and feet, form boots for Prime.
Magnus arms form arm covers / bigger arms for prime.
Magnus's torso goes over Prime like an armor vest in a very similar configuration.

Anyway, Height-wise they end up being about the same size, but damn, if God Fire Convoy (Omega Prime) isn't at least 3 times as heavy, and bulky.

Plus there's all of Prime's trailer / Super mode parts left over, to add to the part count.

Overcracker wrote:I pulled out my Prime and Magnus to to take some pictures comparing it to Legends Super God Jinrai, and I was surprised at how similarly both combinations work.

Magnus legs and feet, form boots for Prime.
Magnus arms form arm covers / bigger arms for prime.
Magnus's torso goes over Prime like an armor vest in a very similar configuration.

Anyway, Height-wise they end up being about the same size, but damn, if God Fire Convoy (Omega Prime) isn't at least 3 times as heavy, and bulky.

Plus there's all of Prime's trailer / Super mode parts left over, to add to the part count.

The style of combination between two robots (core + armor) is pretty common in other series, but Transformers has only done it... 2 times, 3 if we're counting Victory Saber?

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Overcracker wrote:I pulled out my Prime and Magnus to to take some pictures comparing it to Legends Super God Jinrai, and I was surprised at how similarly both combinations work.

Magnus legs and feet, form boots for Prime.
Magnus arms form arm covers / bigger arms for prime.
Magnus's torso goes over Prime like an armor vest in a very similar configuration.

Anyway, Height-wise they end up being about the same size, but damn, if God Fire Convoy (Omega Prime) isn't at least 3 times as heavy, and bulky.

Plus there's all of Prime's trailer / Super mode parts left over, to add to the part count.

The style of combination between two robots (core + armor) is pretty common in other series, but Transformers has only done it... 2 times, 3 if we're counting Victory Saber?

True, assuming you don't count Energon Prime + Wing Saber, or Cybertron Prime + Wing Saber in those Inner Robot + Armor combinations.

Overcracker wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Overcracker wrote:I pulled out my Prime and Magnus to to take some pictures comparing it to Legends Super God Jinrai, and I was surprised at how similarly both combinations work.

Magnus legs and feet, form boots for Prime.
Magnus arms form arm covers / bigger arms for prime.
Magnus's torso goes over Prime like an armor vest in a very similar configuration.

Anyway, Height-wise they end up being about the same size, but damn, if God Fire Convoy (Omega Prime) isn't at least 3 times as heavy, and bulky.

Plus there's all of Prime's trailer / Super mode parts left over, to add to the part count.

The style of combination between two robots (core + armor) is pretty common in other series, but Transformers has only done it... 2 times, 3 if we're counting Victory Saber?

True, assuming you don't count Energon Prime + Wing Saber, or Cybertron Prime + Wing Saber in those Inner Robot + Armor combinations.

Movie jetfire?

I've Got God Fire Convoy and the Universe versions too. I've got some less than perfect Hasbro ones If I recall.

I like them but I don't tend to use them much due to fragility and the chrome ware potential. I've always wanted the Black ones though. My Go to one was the Banana yellow one though - I always liked that one.

I'd rather welcome a store exclusive or Web exclusive repaint of them along with the reissue. Not sure what the appropriate deco would be though perhaps some sort of Nemesis Prime or Grand Scourge inspired deco. They'd look great in darker colours but if they used a bit of grey and other colours they'd not step on the toes of the black ones then.

I guess another idea might be to go with Powered Convoy inspired deco with lots of Blue and Black. I have seen the actual fire truck that SFC is based on in white though and that looked nice. I suppose they could even see if they have that Defensor head around still some place and release that.

But for the straight re-issue i'm not over bothered - as like others have said I have the original one/s still.

But if they sell it at a premium price it might not get a lot of interest what with the RID one being pretty easy to get still and not expensive if you buy them in parts lots. Heck the hardest thing to get is likely the small pistol everything else is easy to find.

I have not Idea where the idea they are rare or expensive comes from. Maybe the Japanese Giftset is but the RID one is really easy to get. Sure there are some muppets on ebay trying to con people into paying a premium for all sorts of crap (like Armada Scavenger) but that doesn't mean other people are.

Courtesy of Takara Tomy and via site sponsor TFSource, we have the official images of the upcoming reissue in the Transformers Encore line of the Car Robots God Fire Convoy combined form of God Magnus and Fire Convoy - or Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime for Anglophone audiences. Check them out below, and compare them to the Seibertron.com galleries of the original release of the toys.

Two of the first non G1 Transformers I bought when I got back into collecting.

Still great toys.

I always wanted them repainted as Scourge and Motormaster with their combined form Nemesis Prime.

I always felt that the only flaw in this Prime was his feet being a bit small in robot mode. I remember buying Fire Convoy years ago at a local shop that sold collectibles which is gone today.

It's a great figure IMO which I even got the Sams Club release and I removed the screw holding the ladder making it much more enjoyable in Battle mode and paired up with AM Firebolt.

So I read that the tires issue is most common with the Hasbro figures...?

Windsweeper wrote:Two of the first non G1 Transformers I bought when I got back into collecting.

Still great toys.

Same here. I need to pull them out and have a play with them again. They're just so good!

I wonder if this is the final product or hand painted prototypes because it doesn't look like there's a lot of bare plastic on these. If they're giving these the masterpiece treatment and giving them a nice consistent coat of paint they're going to look amazing!

If these are indeed indicative of the final figures then the biggest change is the lack of red and blue chrome on Fire Convoy and God Magnus respectively. If that's the case then I'm definitely sold on these.

Emerje

I bought the Japanese Versions back when Hasbro wasn't saying they were bringing the toys over here, and I have never been able to figure out how to combine them with the instructions.

Translucent Super God Sword!!!!!

It doesn't look like there's as much chrome on these as before, as God Magnus's front bumper, Fire Convoy's standard robot chest and eyes, and Super Fire Convoy's eyes don't look to be that shiny in these (admittedly rather dulled) images.

It seems all the chrome short of the Autobot symbols, rims, and antenna is no longer chrome (I would say this is a good change).

Fire Convoy has C-001 on his front bumper (I'm guessing God Magnus might have his Car Robots designation too, it's just too hard to see in these photos).

The most obvious change is the coloration of the Super God Sword. It's no longer solid blue with a blue sticker but clear gray / purple with a silver sticker. This is animation accurate.

For those who were looking for it to pair with your Brave Maximus, it's not going to match as nicely.

Randy

Sword included to help with combined mode stability/pose-ability?

Kyleor wrote:Sword included to help with combined mode stability/pose-ability?

More like "sword included because it should be included".

I transformed my original just a few months ago when cleaning my Transformers, and it really was a great toy. The pair of figures were some of the very few (out of 900 or so) that I transformed, without instructions, no less. While the first Transformers in my collection were from '84, I started collecting as an adult as the RID series started. This pair/combiner was definitely a favorite, although I still like Sideburns a great deal, too... especially the blue version. I wonder what the interest in the reissue will be like? That's a pretty steep price tag. I can't imagine the orginals are anywhere near that price.

Bah, I keep holding my finger over the TFsource pre-order, but I just can't bring myself to do it

fenrir72 wrote:http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/detail?gcode=FIGURE-033857&page=top

Y 22860

That's a little more palatable, even though it will a giant box that can't go through SAL.

Thus far, the main differences in this set from the originals appear to be some mild paint differences (on both the toys and the sword), less chrome, and possibly brand new voice clips recorded by Satoshi Hashimoto (Fire Convoy's original voice actor).

fenrir72 wrote:http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/detail?gcode=FIGURE-033857&page=top

Y 22860

Huh. They aren't usually the first ones to list. It's nice to finally see an overseas listing... I was waiting for confirmation this was actually "Encore".

Even better images of this set - https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0765ZPG6X?tag=seibertron00-22&

Including some new pics, as there are 14 in all.

It's a straight reissue? Preorder cancelled.

zodconvoy wrote:It's a straight reissue? Preorder cancelled.

Just curious what were you expecting it to be?

They do look off without all the Chrome, especially Prime, but for those who have not experienced these molds, its still a solid option.

zodconvoy wrote:It's a straight reissue? Preorder cancelled.

No no, there are changes:

Fire Convoy:
-bright red instead of metallic flake red
-flat blue instead of metallic blue (all the blue on the original is painted so I’m assuming this one is the same)
-white instead of light cream parts
-dark gray instead of metallic gunmetal
-and in addition because of that the feet and shins (and other parts like that) are now the same color
-painted eyes instead of chrome in both modes
-waist is a flat gray (interesting cuz on the original it if the same color as the ladder and small robot ears, which are still metallic silver plastic here)
-possibly brighter orange on super mode chest?
-painted red chest with clear windows with blue paint underneath instead of red chrome chest with windows painted on top
-C-001 license plate
-only small robot’s inner calf is painted silver (on original the silver extends to the rest of the leg behind the sculpted part)

God Magnus:
-dark flat blue instead of metallic medium blue
-a lighter shade of light blue for the light blue parts (they appear less turquoise and more sky blue)
-flat white instead of metallic white
-painted blue and silver front bumper instead of chrome blue and silver
-painted eyes instead of chrome
-gold detailed head crest
-dark gray parts instead of gunmetal (matches change to new Fire Convoy)

God Fire Convoy:
-all the components color changes obv carry over
-translucent sword tip instead of opaque blue
-silver detailing instead of blue (possibly tampos instead of stickers?)
-possible “off black” instead of black on sword (could just be a trick of the lighting)
-black (off black?) sword handle/staff instead of metallic gray

And brand new voice clips recorded by Satoshi Hashimoto and Takashi Matsuyama

Thanks to fellow Seibertronian Sabrblade, we found more stock images of Encore God Fire Convoy on Amazon Japan. These give us our first look at God Magnus' robot mode for this reissue as well as clearer images than before.

There are several changes from the original release like the addition of circles at the base of the small robot's pectorals. Powered Convoy lists more differences found when comparing to the original releases of both the robots and the sword.

Powered Convoy wrote:- It seems all the chrome short of the Autobot symbols, rims, and antenna is no longer chrome.

= Fire Convoy has C-001 on his front bumper .

- The most obvious change is the coloration of the Super God Sword. It's no longer solid blue with a blue sticker but clear gray / purple with a silver sticker. This is animation accurate.

I still have the originals and the same thing I've had on the shelf long enough to drive themselves isn't worth the money. I preordered in the hopes that it was an MP release like Star Saber and Primal had but just a rerelease isn't worth it.

kurthy wrote:

fenrir72 wrote:http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/detail?gcode=FIGURE-033857&page=top

Y 22860

That's a little more palatable, even though it will a giant box that can't go through SAL.

yeah so the final cost wont be as far off from what the US collector shops are selling em for (final cost would be around 27000 yen). The better deals are always on high priced smaller items because the fee to import them (ie shipping cost) is cheaper.

zodconvoy wrote: I preordered in the hopes that it was an MP release like Star Saber and Primal had but just a rerelease isn't worth it.

Hope is just undiscovered disappointment.

I hoped the season finale to Twin Peaks would make sense