Takara Transformers Unite Warriors UN-03 Defensor

OMG a giant Motorbike and a tiny helicopter the world will end

I really dislike that streetwise. Colourwise, he just doesnt fit with that cool sterile white aesthetic the other limbs share. Groove looks great though!

william-james88 wrote:I really dislike that streetwise. Colourwise, he just doesnt fit with that cool sterile white aesthetic the other limbs share.

TT's thing is to be hardcore anime-accurate so....

Burn wrote:

Cyberpath wrote:

Scale? We don't need no stinking scale!

Way to go on being huge Groove.

Am I the only one that sees the hypocrisy in Hasbro ditching Groove "because scale", while simultaneously including a baby helicopter for ants?

shajaki wrote:

william-james88 wrote:I really dislike that streetwise. Colourwise, he just doesnt fit with that cool sterile white aesthetic the other limbs share.

TT's thing is to be hardcore anime-accurate so....

Oh I know. But all along from the very first combiner announced (superion), the reason for me to choose between Takara and Hasbro was based on how good the team looks together. This is beyond any nostalgia or need for likeness to the show. I preferred all jets for Superion because it worked better for the theme. I liked all different molds for Menasor because that team seemed to look better the more eclectic it was. And in the case of Defensor, I really like the rescue theme it has with the red white and blue. I would have preffered having that Groove instead of Rook but at least Rook fits the colour theme beautifully. Not sure if all the white is the same from figure to figure on the Hasbro version but I hope it is. That grey on Streetwise clashes too much for me.

Spanbauer wrote:

Burn wrote:

Cyberpath wrote:

Scale? We don't need no stinking scale!

Way to go on being huge Groove.

Am I the only one that sees the hypocrisy in Hasbro ditching Groove "because scale", while simultaneously including a baby helicopter for ants?

They are practically all out of scale. Since when is a normal cop car bigger than an SUV and the same size as a SWAT vehicle? I would personally preffer we keep scale off the equation and only deal with the scale of the robot modes in comparison to one another as to the way they compare to eachother in the fiction (which all these robot modes do).

william-james88 wrote:Oh I know. But all along from the very first combiner announced (superion), the reason for me to choose between Takara and Hasbro was based on how good the team looks together. This is beyond any nostalgia or need for likeness to the show. I preferred all jets for Superion because it worked better for the theme. I liked all different molds for Menasor because that team seemed to look better the more eclectic it was. And in the case of Defensor, I really like the rescue theme it has with the red white and blue. I would have preffered having that Groove instead of Rook but at least Rook fits the colour theme beautifully. Not sure if all the white is the same from figure to figure on the Hasbro version but I hope it is. That grey on Streetwise clashes too much for me.

Could always toss Hasbro's SS on there instead

shajaki wrote:

william-james88 wrote:Oh I know. But all along from the very first combiner announced (superion), the reason for me to choose between Takara and Hasbro was based on how good the team looks together. This is beyond any nostalgia or need for likeness to the show. I preferred all jets for Superion because it worked better for the theme. I liked all different molds for Menasor because that team seemed to look better the more eclectic it was. And in the case of Defensor, I really like the rescue theme it has with the red white and blue. I would have preffered having that Groove instead of Rook but at least Rook fits the colour theme beautifully. Not sure if all the white is the same from figure to figure on the Hasbro version but I hope it is. That grey on Streetwise clashes too much for me.

Could always toss Hasbro's SS on there instead

Ha! You know, part of my reasoning is always due to me wanting to limit my budget. So I find true and valid reasons (only to me of course) for not getting some toys. And then there is you with this PERFECT solution. Smart man, Shajaki, but that just means I have to find more reasons not to listen

Eh, I'm still good with Hasbros Defensor and Protectobots. They still work well for me and I'm perfectly happy with a legends Groove.

I hope Hasbro finds a reason to use that Groove mold. Because the robot mode is badass.

Spanbauer wrote:Am I the only one that sees the hypocrisy in Hasbro ditching Groove "because scale", while simultaneously including a baby helicopter for ants?

To a child, motorcycles are likely viewed as being in a different, smaller league than cars, trucks, helicopters, jets, planes, etc., while all of the latter are probably not as often or as starkly distinguished by children with them all being considered "big things", as opposed to motorcycles being "littler things".

Hasbro's likely going by this kid-based logic.

Nemesis Maximo wrote:I hope Hasbro finds a reason to use that Groove mold. Because the robot mode is badass.

This is when I hope that Computron, considering the cybertronian vehicle modes, will use the mold. scale doesn't matter at all in cybertronian forms

i love seeing adults trying to argue whether or not kids want things in scale or not. My 2 cents? Kids don't give a damn. That's what imagination is for. I don't ever recall thinking about scale when I was a kid except bigger Transformers were stronger or were the leaders. Perceptor and Soundwave were my respective leaders until Ultra Magnus with dead Optimus Prime and Galvatron came along. And Devastator was strongest because he was biggest in my childhood collection. Scale be damned.

Seibertron wrote:i love seeing adults trying to argue whether or not kids want things in scale or not. My 2 cents? Kids don't give a damn. That's what imagination is for. I don't ever recall thinking about scale when I was a kid except bigger Transformers were stronger or were the leaders. Perceptor and Soundwave were my respective leaders until Ultra Magnus with dead Optimus Prime and Galvatron came along. And Devastator was strongest because he was biggest in my childhood collection. Scale be damned.

Well, I mean, I did; It didn't really bother me, because I was used to stuff doing weird things with scale (beast wars kibble shrinking, G1 - all of it, and even stuff like Samus' morph ball) but while I thought it was weird, I got over it because:combiners. They are the best thing ever to me, and I am glad we have both of these lines so that everyone can be satisfied.

Kids are aware of scale too, it's just a lot further down their priority list than it might be for adults.

Seibertron wrote:i love seeing adults trying to argue whether or not kids want things in scale or not. My 2 cents? Kids don't give a damn. That's what imagination is for. I don't ever recall thinking about scale when I was a kid except bigger Transformers were stronger or were the leaders. Perceptor and Soundwave were my respective leaders until Ultra Magnus with dead Optimus Prime and Galvatron came along. And Devastator was strongest because he was biggest in my childhood collection. Scale be damned.

You know Ryan, so called "adults" are the mosst "kiddy" when it come to postulating silly opinions.
Scale concerns while disregarding the concept of alien mechanical lifeforms that transform to both vehicles and bipedal humanoid forms at a blink of an eye.

Screw scale I like toys.

Size matters not; judge me by size do you?

As well you should not, for mass-shifting is my ally, and a powerful ally it is... Or something like that.

Seibertron wrote:i love seeing adults trying to argue whether or not kids want things in scale or not. My 2 cents? Kids don't give a damn. That's what imagination is for. I don't ever recall thinking about scale when I was a kid except bigger Transformers were stronger or were the leaders. Perceptor and Soundwave were my respective leaders until Ultra Magnus with dead Optimus Prime and Galvatron came along. And Devastator was strongest because he was biggest in my childhood collection. Scale be damned.

Yes sir! Preach!

munkimus prime wrote:Screw scale I like toys.

As do I.

I'm really liking how this set looks. Looking at Hot Spot's fire truck mode, makes me thinking racing fire truck. Anyway, I love the grey Streetwise, the white always looked a little wrong to my G1 eye, but I still like it too. Just like the grey more!

Seeing Takara's Groove in detail, I feel like if the next two Scramble City Combiners are Abominus and Computron, that Abominus will be all new molds (excluding retools among members, like with the Aerialbots), and Computron will be all retools/repaint of older molds.

For instance:

-Scattershot could be retooled from the Silverbolt or Cyclonus molds.
-Afterburner could be retooled/repainted from the Groove mold.
-Lightspeed could be retooled/repainted from the Breakdown or Dead End molds.
-Nosecone could be retooled from the Brawl mold.
-Strafe could be retooled from an Aerialbot (OR if Takara actually makes their own Space Shuttle Blast Off) mold.

The reason I'm thinking this is because when HasTak make a new mold, they usually plan it to have multiple repaints/retools in order to maximize efficiency from the mold. And with the new reveals, there's a couple molds that don't have second uses planned/shown yet (Brawl and Groove being the main culprits, and again, if Takara has a different mold for Blast Off).

The Terrorcons, on the other hand, don't really work with any of the current Combiner Wars molds, being monsters. I imagine they'll be all new molds, with POSSIBLY Rippersnapper and Blot (Blight? Bloght? Blut? Blip?) being retools of each other (being they are kind of similar in design in monster mode). And then, Piranacon and/or Monstructor could have retools of the Terrorcons in their teams, since they also feature beastial/monster modes.

Gearslide wrote:Seeing Takara's Groove in detail, I feel like if the next two Scramble City Combiners are Abominus and Computron, that Abominus will be all new molds (excluding retools among members, like with the Aerialbots), and Computron will be all retools/repaint of older molds.

For instance:

-Scattershot could be retooled from the Silverbolt or Cyclonus molds.
-Afterburner could be retooled/repainted from the Groove mold.
-Lightspeed could be retooled/repainted from the Breakdown or Dead End molds.
-Nosecone could be retooled/repainted from the Brawl mold.
-Strafe could be retooled from an Aerialbot (OR if Takara actually makes their own Space Shuttle Blast Off) mold.

The reason I'm thinking this is because when HasTak make a new mold, they usually plan it to have multiple repaints/retools in order to maximize efficiency from the mold. And with the new reveals, there's a couple molds that don't have second uses planned/shown yet (Brawl and Groove being the main culprits, and again, if Takara has a different mold for Blast Off).

The Terrorcons, on the other hand, don't really work with any of the current Combiner Wars molds, being monsters. I imagine they'll be all new molds, with POSSIBLY Rippernapper and Blot (Blight? Bloght? Blut?) being retools of each other (being they are kind of similar in design in monster mode). And then, Piranacon and/or Monstructor could have retools of the Terrorcons in their teams, since they also feature beastial/monster modes.

Sorry, there is a 99.9% chance that it will be Computron and Victorion. Has/tak don't seem to be into making entirely new molds, despite what I've said about the ease of converting certain molds into animals, beast combiners just aren't happening in all likelyhood. Combiner wars is ending after next year, then it'll be back to the regularly scheduled generations stuff (with combiners possibly interspersed throughout the future)

Sorry to possibly ruin your evening.

i don't care who does what i don't care about scale because these are toys and transformers never really had any scale anyway! i just care if i can get that deluxe groove

Hellscream9999 wrote:Sorry, there is a 99.9% chance that it will be Computron and Victorion. Has/tak don't seem to be into making entirely new molds, despite what I've said about the ease of converting certain molds into animals, beast combiners just aren't happening in all likelyhood. Combiner wars is ending after next year, then it'll be back to the regularly scheduled generations stuff (with combiners possibly interspersed throughout the future)

Sorry to possibly ruin your evening.

I said Scramble City Combiners, meaning the G1 teams, and excluding newer "filler" combiners like Optimus Maximus, Galvatronus, and Victorion. Since we have 2/3 of the G1 rivalries (Superion and Menasor, Defensor and Bruticus), I was specifically talking about the next pair of rivals, not necessarily the next combiners to be released.

Gearslide wrote:

Hellscream9999 wrote:Sorry, there is a 99.9% chance that it will be Computron and Victorion. Has/tak don't seem to be into making entirely new molds, despite what I've said about the ease of converting certain molds into animals, beast combiners just aren't happening in all likelyhood. Combiner wars is ending after next year, then it'll be back to the regularly scheduled generations stuff (with combiners possibly interspersed throughout the future)

Sorry to possibly ruin your evening.

I said Scramble City Combiners, meaning the G1 teams, and excluding newer "filler" combiners like Optimus Maximus, Galvatronus, and Victorion. Since we have 2/3 of the G1 rivalries (Superion and Menasor, Defensor and Bruticus), I was specifically talking about the next pair of rivals, not necessarily the next combiners to be released.

Are there other combiner rivals? Who is Computron's nemesis? Abominus? That purple griffon IS a rival of the aerialbots so he might be coming afterall

william-james88 wrote:

Gearslide wrote:

Hellscream9999 wrote:Sorry, there is a 99.9% chance that it will be Computron and Victorion. Has/tak don't seem to be into making entirely new molds, despite what I've said about the ease of converting certain molds into animals, beast combiners just aren't happening in all likelyhood. Combiner wars is ending after next year, then it'll be back to the regularly scheduled generations stuff (with combiners possibly interspersed throughout the future)

Sorry to possibly ruin your evening.

I said Scramble City Combiners, meaning the G1 teams, and excluding newer "filler" combiners like Optimus Maximus, Galvatronus, and Victorion. Since we have 2/3 of the G1 rivalries (Superion and Menasor, Defensor and Bruticus), I was specifically talking about the next pair of rivals, not necessarily the next combiners to be released.

Are there other combiner rivals? Who is Computron's nemesis? Abominus? That purple griffon IS a rival of the aerialbots so he might be coming afterall

I was under the impression that Computron and Abominus were rivals, yes. And Superion seems to have moved past the Purple Griffon, unfortunately.

Although with Sky Lynx being a combiner now, the Griffon may actually have a weird place as HIS rival. Actually, now I want a retool of Sky Lynx into the Purple Griffon.

Gearslide wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Gearslide wrote:

Hellscream9999 wrote:Sorry, there is a 99.9% chance that it will be Computron and Victorion. Has/tak don't seem to be into making entirely new molds, despite what I've said about the ease of converting certain molds into animals, beast combiners just aren't happening in all likelyhood. Combiner wars is ending after next year, then it'll be back to the regularly scheduled generations stuff (with combiners possibly interspersed throughout the future)

Sorry to possibly ruin your evening.

I said Scramble City Combiners, meaning the G1 teams, and excluding newer "filler" combiners like Optimus Maximus, Galvatronus, and Victorion. Since we have 2/3 of the G1 rivalries (Superion and Menasor, Defensor and Bruticus), I was specifically talking about the next pair of rivals, not necessarily the next combiners to be released.

Are there other combiner rivals? Who is Computron's nemesis? Abominus? That purple griffon IS a rival of the aerialbots so he might be coming afterall

I was under the impression that Computron and Abominus were rivals, yes. And Superion seems to have moved past the Purple Griffon, unfortunately.

Although with Sky Lynx being a combiner now, the Griffon may actually have a weird place as HIS rival. Actually, now I want a retool of Sky Lynx into the Purple Griffon.

Since they came out roughly the same time and did battle with each other, I assumed the Predacons/Predaking were Sky Lynx's rivals.

Shuttershock wrote:

Gearslide wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Gearslide wrote:

Hellscream9999 wrote:Sorry, there is a 99.9% chance that it will be Computron and Victorion. Has/tak don't seem to be into making entirely new molds, despite what I've said about the ease of converting certain molds into animals, beast combiners just aren't happening in all likelyhood. Combiner wars is ending after next year, then it'll be back to the regularly scheduled generations stuff (with combiners possibly interspersed throughout the future)

Sorry to possibly ruin your evening.

I said Scramble City Combiners, meaning the G1 teams, and excluding newer "filler" combiners like Optimus Maximus, Galvatronus, and Victorion. Since we have 2/3 of the G1 rivalries (Superion and Menasor, Defensor and Bruticus), I was specifically talking about the next pair of rivals, not necessarily the next combiners to be released.

Are there other combiner rivals? Who is Computron's nemesis? Abominus? That purple griffon IS a rival of the aerialbots so he might be coming afterall

I was under the impression that Computron and Abominus were rivals, yes. And Superion seems to have moved past the Purple Griffon, unfortunately.

Although with Sky Lynx being a combiner now, the Griffon may actually have a weird place as HIS rival. Actually, now I want a retool of Sky Lynx into the Purple Griffon.

Since they came out roughly the same time and did battle with each other, I assumed the Predacons/Predaking were Sky Lynx's rivals.

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. It was similar to how Devastator and Omega Supreme usually were the answer to each other.

william-james88 wrote:

Gearslide wrote:

Hellscream9999 wrote:Sorry, there is a 99.9% chance that it will be Computron and Victorion. Has/tak don't seem to be into making entirely new molds, despite what I've said about the ease of converting certain molds into animals, beast combiners just aren't happening in all likelyhood. Combiner wars is ending after next year, then it'll be back to the regularly scheduled generations stuff (with combiners possibly interspersed throughout the future)

Sorry to possibly ruin your evening.

I said Scramble City Combiners, meaning the G1 teams, and excluding newer "filler" combiners like Optimus Maximus, Galvatronus, and Victorion. Since we have 2/3 of the G1 rivalries (Superion and Menasor, Defensor and Bruticus), I was specifically talking about the next pair of rivals, not necessarily the next combiners to be released.

Are there other combiner rivals? Who is Computron's nemesis? Abominus? That purple griffon IS a rival of the aerialbots so he might be coming afterall

"Scramble city" is the moniker of the system at use here, irregardless of where it came from, or what nostalgia it might hold, in the absence of a term, that I know of, it is Scrambel city. Also there was no mention of rivals in your original statement, technically all these combiners G1 or otherwise are scramble city too, just is a different scale. I was basing mine around engineering and facts that we already have.

1) wholly new animal modes would be too expensive at this point is has/taks re-shelling strategy. (I could be wrong, until proven otherwise I maintain that this is the most logical conclusion)

2) we know bruticus and sky reign are up next, and if hasbro keeps a similar amount of figures for next year, there are two slots remaining. IF victorion is a regular retail release that would (most likely) be wave 3 next year, then that leaves computron (from the, apparently very, reliable toys-r-us computers) for wave 4.

3) this series was NEVER based on G1 rivalries, it was designed to fall in line with some comic series and made to be extremely efficient at designing large numbers of figures, ergo, the re-shelling. This is technically IDW cannon, I believe, adnd therefore 30 year old rivalries hold no basis of logic against all that I've said.

This does not mean that we will never see them after combiner wars is over; I specifically wrote about how easy it would be to design a set of animals with easily re-designed parts, I just don't think it will happen amidst all these vehicles, and that we have already seen 4 of the 4 teams next year. While MAYBE victorion could be a 'wave 5' set, I severely doubt it, as it would entail hasbro engineering and releasing a 5 wave, which would be very costly.

So once again, I am sorry to have ruined anyone's evening. It's not that I wanted to, but I felt the need to point this out, so people don't get their hopes up

Shuttershock wrote:
Since they came out roughly the same time and did battle with each other, I assumed the Predacons/Predaking were Sky Lynx's rivals.

That's what the Cartoon seemed to imply.


They are animal based robots anyways so it makes sense.



Also seems like the two were switched factions in early development (look at their pages on TFwiki for more information its in the notes section)

Hellscream9999 wrote:"Scramble city" is the moniker of the system at use here, irregardless of where it came from, or what nostalgia it might hold, in the absence of a term, that I know of, it is Scrambel city. Also there was no mention of rivals in your original statement, technically all these combiners G1 or otherwise are scramble city too, just is a different scale. I was basing mine around engineering and facts that we already have.

1) wholly new animal modes would be too expensive at this point is has/taks re-shelling strategy. (I could be wrong, until proven otherwise I maintain that this is the most logical conclusion)

2) we know bruticus and sky reign are up next, and if hasbro keeps a similar amount of figures for next year, there are two slots remaining. IF victorion is a regular retail release that would (most likely) be wave 3 next year, then that leaves computron (from the, apparently very, reliable toys-r-us computers) for wave 4.

3) this series was NEVER based on G1 rivalries, it was designed to fall in line with some comic series and made to be extremely efficient at designing large numbers of figures, ergo, the re-shelling. This is technically IDW cannon, I believe, adnd therefore 30 year old rivalries hold no basis of logic against all that I've said.

This does not mean that we will never see them after combiner wars is over; I specifically wrote about how easy it would be to design a set of animals with easily re-designed parts, I just don't think it will happen amidst all these vehicles, and that we have already seen 4 of the 4 teams next year. While MAYBE victorion could be a 'wave 5' set, I severely doubt it, as it would entail hasbro engineering and releasing a 5 wave, which would be very costly.

So once again, I am sorry to have ruined anyone's evening. It's not that I wanted to, but I felt the need to point this out, so people don't get their hopes up

You havent ruined anything because you are half right. You are writing this in the Takara thread and there lies the problem. The Hasbro COmbiner Wars is linked to the comics but Takara's United Warriors isnt. At all. To the point that there is no alpha bravo. Takara's take on these is the utmost attention to G1 to the point where it might clash in colour scheme and scale (like Defensor). So all this talk of victorion and who's next doesnt really work here since these are two seperate lines with seperate toys and seperate ideologies.

william-james88 wrote:You havent ruined anything because you are half right. You are writing this in the Takara thread and there lies the problem. The Hasbro COmbiner Wars is linked to the comics but Takara's United Warriors isnt. At all. To the point that there is no alpha bravo. Takara's take on these is the utmost attention to G1 to the point where it might clash in colour scheme and scale (like Defensor). So all this talk of victorion and who's next doesnt really work here since these are two seperate lines with seperate toys and seperate ideologies.

Fair enough, while I don't think he was phrasing it correctly (from the standpoint of hasbro vs tt, he seemed to be leaning towards hasbro from reading it, but fair enough) I still don't know if tt would engineer a whole set of new molds unless hasbro is planning on using them in the future. Up until now tt has used all the molds hasbro has released (case in point the optimus supreme thing) therefore it should be logical to assume that they, too, will use skyreign and victorion along with bruticus and computron. While they have so far skipped cyclonus, that does not imply that they will skip two whole teams; but as they are only releasing them as boxed sets, it is possible that could end up happening, or that they swap out two teams (victorion and skyreign) for two other teams (abominus and someone else) (but I really, really, really, REALLY don't see that happening. ) TT has to either ignore them, swap them, release them, or induct them into some canon

Hellscream9999 wrote: Up until now tt has used all the molds hasbro has released (case in point the optimus supreme thing) therefore it should be logical to assume that they, too, will use skyreign and victorion along with bruticus and computron.

I would stop assuming, especially when that statement is not correct. Takara's deluxe Groove is an exclusive Takara mold. They will not be using Rook and the Hasbro legends groove is not part of this line (it has been redeco'd and will be part of the TAv ine with the robots in disguise toys). Also, their devastator features changes to the mold and new accessories. It is really best we look at these as different lines and not assume one from the other. Speculate, sure, be my guest, its fun. But assuming is a different thing all together.

william-james88 wrote:

Hellscream9999 wrote: Up until now tt has used all the molds hasbro has released (case in point the optimus supreme thing) therefore it should be logical to assume that they, too, will use skyreign and victorion along with bruticus and computron.

I would stop assuming, especially when that statement is not correct. Takara's deluxe Groove is an exclusive Takara mold. They will not be using Rook and the Hasbro legends groove is not part of this line (it has been redeco'd and will be part of the TAv ine with the robots in disguise toys). Also, their devastator features changes to the mold and new accessories. It is really best we look at these as different lines and not assume one from the other. Speculate, sure, be my guest, its fun. But assuming is a different thing all together.

That's fair, I was working under the idea that groove is/may be a pre-tool of the technobot, so hasbro would, conceivably, be using the same core figure as TT (tossing on a new front end on a mushroom peg doesn't really count as new or unique if hasbro is using it too), also, if TT is using the bruticus set, then tt will be using the rook core figure; wasn't really trying to split hairs, and realize that tt is making alot more changes as the series continues, but I was looking at it from the perspective of using core figures.

All of the known G1 combiner rivalries (some depending on the fiction):

Devastator - the Dinobots, Omega Supreme, Raiden

Menasor - Superion

Bruticus - Defensor

Predaking - Sky Lynx, the Dinobots, Raiden

Abominus - Computron

King Poseidon - Super Ginrai, God Ginrai

Monstructor - Omega Supreme

Dinoking - Star Saber, Landcross

Liokaiser - Star Saber, Road Caesar

Battle Gaia - Guard City

Destron Sixbuilder - Sixbuilder

Hellscream9999 wrote:That's fair, I was working under the idea that groove is/may be a pre-tool of the technobot, so hasbro would, conceivably, be using the same core figure as TT (tossing on a new front end on a mushroom peg doesn't really count as new or unique if hasbro is using it too), also, if TT is using the bruticus set, then tt will be using the rook core figure; wasn't really trying to split hairs, and realize that tt is making alot more changes as the series continues, but I was looking at it from the perspective of using core figures.

I see, thanks for explaining. However, the sad news for Groove (and sorry if its my turn to ruin your evening) is that he seems to be made in house from Takara. The use of clear plastic really sets him apart from the hasbro deluxes. There is a good chance we might not see him, but who knows. Also, what confused me about your statements was that you were mentioning Victorion who has no new molds. So saying Takara will be using the "core molds" of Victorion is a bit redundant since they already used all it's molds. Hence why I suggest keeping these seperate so as not to confuse eachother.

I personally feel after Combiner Wars we will continue to see Combiners somewhat regularly.

william-james88 wrote:

Hellscream9999 wrote:That's fair, I was working under the idea that groove is/may be a pre-tool of the technobot, so hasbro would, conceivably, be using the same core figure as TT (tossing on a new front end on a mushroom peg doesn't really count as new or unique if hasbro is using it too), also, if TT is using the bruticus set, then tt will be using the rook core figure; wasn't really trying to split hairs, and realize that tt is making alot more changes as the series continues, but I was looking at it from the perspective of using core figures.

I see, thanks for explaining. However, the sad news for Groove (and sorry if its my turn to ruin your evening) is that he seems to be made in house from Takara. The use of clear plastic really sets him apart from the hasbro deluxes. There is a good chance we might not see him, but who knows. Also, what confused me about your statements was that you were mentioning Victorion who has no new molds. So saying Takara will be using the "core molds" of Victorion is a bit redundant since they already used all it's molds. Hence why I suggest keeping these seperate so as not to confuse eachother.

Thanks, I was trying to make a distinction between core molds such as rook = swindle (tt isn't using rook for defensor, but they are using swindle for bruticus - I assume) and big groove = technobot (I assume) (we aren't getting big groove, but we are getting his core figure for the technobot - if that comes to fruition) and teams (TT seems to be skipping the core mold cyclonus, but not skipping the optimus team)

Also I belive the clear plastic is relegated to the front of the cycle, which I mentioned, which seems like the entire assembly is attached via a hinge or mushroom peg, so it really isn't too difficult to swap it out.

I hope this clears things up, I stand by my logic that TT probably won't just discard 2 whole teams just because, nor will they make whole new teams, unless they do it privately (exclusively in house funded only by them, for them) or unless hasbro is using them in 2017. If this isn't technically appropriate for this thread, please let me know.

chuckdawg1999 wrote:I personally feel after Combiner Wars we will continue to see Combiners somewhat regularly.

Most definitely, I honestly think, that once has/tak has worked out a new design scheme for them, we will see a whole host of animal combiners

Hellscream9999 wrote:

chuckdawg1999 wrote:I personally feel after Combiner Wars we will continue to see Combiners somewhat regularly.

Most definitely, I honestly think, that once has/tak has worked out a new design scheme for them, we will see a whole host of animal combiners

And I hope that when that happens, they make Predaking a Titan class combiner!!

Sowndwave76 wrote:

Hellscream9999 wrote:

chuckdawg1999 wrote:I personally feel after Combiner Wars we will continue to see Combiners somewhat regularly.

Most definitely, I honestly think, that once has/tak has worked out a new design scheme for them, we will see a whole host of animal combiners

And I hope that when that happens, they make Predaking a Titan class combiner!!

NO I want my scramble city predaking, that would be so friggin epic I also need god neptune from any eventual pirahnacons; everyone else, I'm pretty ambivalent about, but would probably get them anyways because...



Combiners f#$k yeah

Hellscream9999 wrote:I hope this clears things up, I stand by my logic that TT probably won't just discard 2 whole teams just because, nor will they make whole new teams, unless they do it privately (exclusively in house funded only by them, for them) or unless hasbro is using them in 2017. If this isn't technically appropriate for this thread, please let me know.

Everything sounds good to me

william-james88 wrote:

Hellscream9999 wrote:I hope this clears things up, I stand by my logic that TT probably won't just discard 2 whole teams just because, nor will they make whole new teams, unless they do it privately (exclusively in house funded only by them, for them) or unless hasbro is using them in 2017. If this isn't technically appropriate for this thread, please let me know.

Everything sounds good to me

That's great to hear, I realize that I have a very abstract train of thought, so my thought's/idea's don't usually translate well to written form very well

Hellscream9999 wrote:and big groove = technobot (I assume) (we aren't getting big groove, but we are getting his core figure for the technobot - if that comes to fruition) and teams (TT seems to be skipping the core mold cyclonus, but not skipping the optimus team)

Also I belive the clear plastic is relegated to the front of the cycle, which I mentioned, which seems like the entire assembly is attached via a hinge or mushroom peg, so it really isn't too difficult to swap it out.

There's more to it than just the clear plastic that points to Groove being a Takara-original mold like Prime War Breakdown, Jet Vehicon, Gaia Unicron, etc. were. But before I get into those other points, I'll address the clear plastic first.

That the figure has clear plastic while none of the Hasbro molds do suggests it was given an additional plastic sprue that all of the other Hasbro molds lack, making this figure a greater expense than your average Hasbro Deluxe class figure. After all, Hasbro has standards when it comes to the budgetary limits for figures in each of their size classes, while Takara's standards aren't nearly so rigid.

Though other toys in the other lines like the current Robots in Disguise line use some clear plastic, the clear plastic on those figures was evidently budgeted into those figures, whereas the entire Deluxe class of the CW line is fully without any clear plastic. That Takara is using clear plastic on this new Groove mold and not on any other CW Deluxes suggests that more money was put into developing this one figure over all the others so that it could have that extra clear plastic sprue, which implies that it breaks the budget Hasbro established for the CW Deluxes by having one additional plastic sprue.

That said, here are the other points about Unite Warriors Groove to consider:

It has two guns that are based directly on the guns of the G1 Groove toy, whereas the Hasbro CW Deluxe molds each have just a single weapon (aside from the foot/hand gun) that is more original in its design instead of being deliberately based on the weapons of the G1 toys.

The figure has been given special attention by TakaraTomy advertisement, which wasn't the case for either Slingshot or Wildrider since those two were treated by Takara to be just ordinary figures. But Groove here was given big focal imagery in magazines ads and online order pages to make him stand out as something unique and different from the other Protectobot figures.

And finally, when the figure was first revealed, it was still a gray prototype at that point when all of the other Protectobot toys were well passed that point, placing its development cycle far later than any other Combiner Wars / Unite Warriors molds we've seen thus far, which strongly suggests that Takara had to make it themselves since, if Hasbro was behind this plan all along, would it not have made sense for Hasbro to have initiated its development as early as the other Protectobots? After all, when both Slingshot and Wildrider were first revealed, their new heads were already done, instead of still being in the hardcopy stage like Groove was.


So as far as can be told, this Unite Warriors Groove mold really looks to be a non-Hasbro product designed solely by Takara without regards to Hasbro's standards or input. And with Hasbro having already made a Legends Groove that still interacts with the Defensor combiner in some way, Hasbro very likely might feel contented enough with the Legends Groove to consider the Deluxe Groove as an unnecessary redundancy.

Not to mention that Hasbro went to the trouble of making Rook as a replacement for Groove's limb status, and did so by making him inherently meant to be the new Protectobot character that he is and no one else, instead of another preexisting character first like Alpha Bravo and Offroad were.

Sabrblade wrote:
So as far as can be told, this Unite Warriors Groove mold really looks to be a non-Hasbro product designed solely by Takara without regards to Hasbro's standards or input. And with Hasbro having already made a Legends Groove that still interacts with the Defensor combiner in some way, Hasbro very likely might feel contented enough with the Legends Groove to consider the Deluxe Groove as an unnecessary redundancy.

But he meant we would see a hasbro version for this core mold through afterburner.

william-james88 wrote: But he meant we would see a hasbro version for this core mold through afterburner.

Would Hasbro use it, though? Or would they have already had their own plans for a toy of Afterburner all set to go independent from Takara's Groove?

Sabrblade wrote:said: quite a lot

Not, saying you're wrong, you're probably right, but the entire front end connects at one point, so it wouldn't be difficult to create a shiny new front end (still don't know the technical term, maybe bonnet?) hype it, and make a profit, they could even toss the guns and head and new(?) arms on that sprue too While rook may be unique to hasbro, has/tak probably colluded on the core mold for swindle, et al.

I dunno man; I was just trying to explain why we probably won't be getting beast combiners (terrorcons...) next year.

Sabrblade wrote:

william-james88 wrote: But he meant we would see a hasbro version for this core mold through afterburner.

Would Hasbro use it, though? Or would they have already had their own plans for a toy of Afterburner all set to go independent from Takara's Groove?

I think it would be fully independent. I just wanted to explain what was being written before so that we are all on the same page.

Sabrblade wrote:

william-james88 wrote: But he meant we would see a hasbro version for this core mold through afterburner.

Would Hasbro use it, though? Or would they have already had their own plans for a toy of Afterburner all set to go independent from Takara's Groove?

I did mean that W/J, thanks. As far as I can tell the bonnet on big groove connects at 1 point and would therefore be easy to swap out with the afterburner ensemble.

A little bit of overkill but Ocean Design Group official decals have this set for Superion

That makes it look more like the toy than the cartoon model, so its not something I would be interested in.

Amiami just shipped Superion



expecting him in a week or two.