New Picture and Preorders Up for E-Hobby Exclusive Transformers Combo Bat (Optimus Primal)

william-james88 wrote:E-Hobby has tweeted a new image of their exclusive Combo Bat, which homages the Optimus Primal bat toy from Beast Wars. In this image we can see him fighting Megatron which is simply the Megatron head he comes with attached to Skullsmasher (sold seperately of course). This confirms that this is what the head is intended for and that there will not be a seperate release for Megatron. That means you save some money which is good news once I tell you how much this guy goes for. If you are in Japan, you can get him directly from E-Hobby for 5,000 Yen ($50). If you are not in Japan, you can currently preorder him from HLJ for $74, Robot Kingdom for $70, or if you want to buy from an American importer, TFsource has him for $90.

Just to give you a rundown of what this combo set includes:

Bat Primal which is a redeco of the Mindwipe mold with the Sentinel Prime face
A Megatron face which is taken from the Nucleon mold (Galvatron's Titan Master)
2 swords from prime Wheeljack
The vehicle that comes with the Apeface Titan Master coloured to resemble Optimal Optimus

Thanks to Seibertronians Sabrblade and Spider 001 for the info!

Do we know if Takara TOMY Legends Skull green will match Hasbro Titans Return Skullsmasher/Skulkcruncher?

Nik Hero wrote:Do we know if Takara TOMY Legends Skull green will match Hasbro Titans Return Skullsmasher/Skulkcruncher?

I may be wrong, but it looks like that is the Hasbro version used on that picture. The salmon colour looks less fluo

william-james88 wrote:

Nik Hero wrote:Do we know if Takara TOMY Legends Skull green will match Hasbro Titans Return Skullsmasher/Skulkcruncher?

I may be wrong, but it looks like that is the Hasbro version used on that picture. The salmon colour looks less fluo

I think that is the Takara one. The legs and claws are too white to be the Hasbro version.

william-james88 wrote:

Nik Hero wrote:Do we know if Takara TOMY Legends Skull green will match Hasbro Titans Return Skullsmasher/Skulkcruncher?

I may be wrong, but it looks like that is the Hasbro version used on that picture. The salmon colour looks less fluo

That is the Takara version pictured.

But previous comparison pics between the two versions confirm that the Hasbro and Takara versions have very similar, nigh-identical greens. The Hasbro version should do fine for those who wish to use it for Megalligator's body.

Thank you. Note I can save some money on this.

Nik Hero wrote:Thank you. Note I can save some money on this.

However, that also means Megalligator wouldn't get to use the purple tyrannosaur Partner Drone that comes with Takara Skullcruncher.

Sabrblade wrote:

Nik Hero wrote:Thank you. Note I can save some money on this.

However, that also means Megalligator wouldn't get to use the purple tyrannosaur Partner Drone that comes with Takara Skullcruncher.

True. There is some value in that. Also it is a place to store the Headmaster to Skull/Skullsmasher/Skullcruncher too.

Sabrblade wrote:

Nik Hero wrote:Thank you. Note I can save some money on this.

However, that also means Megalligator wouldn't get to use the purple tyrannosaur Partner Drone that comes with Takara Skullcruncher.

I mean you could just buy Crashbash

Kurona wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Nik Hero wrote:Thank you. Note I can save some money on this.

However, that also means Megalligator wouldn't get to use the purple tyrannosaur Partner Drone that comes with Takara Skullcruncher.

I mean you could just buy Crashbash

Does his pink and purple match Skullcruncher and Megalligator?

Nik Hero wrote:

Kurona wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Nik Hero wrote:Thank you. Note I can save some money on this.

However, that also means Megalligator wouldn't get to use the purple tyrannosaur Partner Drone that comes with Takara Skullcruncher.

I mean you could just buy Crashbash

Does his pink and purple match Skullcruncher and Megalligator?

He's not as purple-y as Batora:




Plus, Batora's bird mode brings to mind Megatron's Transmetal 2 red dragon form.

Sabrblade wrote:

Nik Hero wrote:

Kurona wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Nik Hero wrote:Thank you. Note I can save some money on this.

However, that also means Megalligator wouldn't get to use the purple tyrannosaur Partner Drone that comes with Takara Skullcruncher.

I mean you could just buy Crashbash

Does his pink and purple match Skullcruncher and Megalligator?

He's not as purple-y as Batora:




Plus, Batora's bird mode brings to mind Megatron's Transmetal 2 red dragon form.

Looks like Takara is the way to go for this then. I wish HLJ had him.

Ahhh! Why do I want this so bad? I didn't even have the Bat Optimus in my Beast Wars heyday...

Thanks for the infos on where to find him. I pulled the trigger and preordered at HLJ

Ordered one off HLJ, but I might cancel it and see if I can get one direct from e-Hobby through a proxy and save a few more dollars (I think it'll run about $75 total that way).

Emerje

Mr Skram wrote:Ahhh! Why do I want this so bad? I didn't even have the Bat Optimus in my Beast Wars heyday...

I didnt have it either but I do want this too

Ultra Mad wrote:Thanks for the infos on where to find him. I pulled the trigger and preordered at HLJ

I will be doing that too!

Oh, I forgot how expensive E-hobby figures were. I dunno now. I think I'll try and wait for a sale.

SureShot18 wrote:Oh, I forgot how expensive E-hobby figures were. I dunno now. I think I'll try and wait for a sale.

Dude, these don't make it to sale's

(except for the one's that fall flat, but they tend not too)

Got mine reserved, a bit expensive, but, I feel it's worth it, and I'll have a bit of wiggle room since I'm basically skipping this line

SureShot18 wrote:Oh, I forgot how expensive E-hobby figures were. I dunno now. I think I'll try and wait for a sale.

Only wait for a sale if you are comfortable with the idea of not getting him. This could easily sell out. That recent exclusive two pack of dogfight and runamuckwas insanely expensive but sold out really quickly: http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail

SureShot18 wrote:Oh, I forgot how expensive E-hobby figures were. I dunno now. I think I'll try and wait for a sale.

It's very rare that a Tokyo Toyshow exclusive or E-Hobby toy survives in stock long enough to go on sale - it happened with some of the cloud toys or Clear Prime Optimus First Edition Voyager but it's more common for them to sell out. Sometime they vanish so completely they are barely on sale anywhere after a while.

You can sometimes pick up the older ones - but only if you think you are still going to want this toy in say 2024. as it's only when something is irrelevant to the contemporary gloss of the new that they get cheap - an example being some Animated toys now.

Things seem to go in cycles though as I notice a lot of people have -restarted Movie Collections lately, which is a pain if like me you are still looking for a Human Alliance Mudflap.

Yeah I realize they barely make it to sales and they often sell out fast but there's a chance. I'll be fine if I never get it. Plus I already have MP Cheetor on preorder and I'd like to make only one expensive commitment at the start of the year. And Cheetor is on a much higher level of want than this.

SureShot18 wrote:Yeah I realize they barely make it to sales and they often sell out fast but there's a chance. I'll be fine if I never get it. Plus I already have MP Cheetor on preorder and I'd like to make only one expensive commitment at the start of the year. And Cheetor is on a much higher level of want than this.

I agree on that cheetor part. And isnt it cool how MP cheetor is cheaper than this toy?

william-james88 wrote:

SureShot18 wrote:Yeah I realize they barely make it to sales and they often sell out fast but there's a chance. I'll be fine if I never get it. Plus I already have MP Cheetor on preorder and I'd like to make only one expensive commitment at the start of the year. And Cheetor is on a much higher level of want than this.

I agree on that cheetor part. And isnt it cool how MP cheetor is cheaper than this toy?

Which is... really kind of insane when you think about it.

I mean I love this set but jesus.

Ages 3 and Up has it available for preorder now too: http://www.agesthreeandup.com/takara-tr ... a4bb06656e

Nik Hero wrote:Ages 3 and Up has it available for preorder now too:
https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy ... fb77d4.jpg

What's with the download link?

Oops, http://www.agesthreeandup.com/takara-tr ... a4bb06656e

Sabrblade wrote:What's with the download link?

I fixed it. Sorry about that. I tried copying and pasting from my mobile app.

william-james88 wrote:

SureShot18 wrote:Yeah I realize they barely make it to sales and they often sell out fast but there's a chance. I'll be fine if I never get it. Plus I already have MP Cheetor on preorder and I'd like to make only one expensive commitment at the start of the year. And Cheetor is on a much higher level of want than this.

I agree on that cheetor part. And isnt it cool how MP cheetor is cheaper than this toy?

Only because HLJ is basically reselling Convobat from e-Hobby. e-Hobby is only asking ¥5,000 for Convobat and ¥5,460 for Cheetor.

Emerje

Emerje wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

SureShot18 wrote:Yeah I realize they barely make it to sales and they often sell out fast but there's a chance. I'll be fine if I never get it. Plus I already have MP Cheetor on preorder and I'd like to make only one expensive commitment at the start of the year. And Cheetor is on a much higher level of want than this.

I agree on that cheetor part. And isnt it cool how MP cheetor is cheaper than this toy?

Only because HLJ is basically reselling Convobat from e-Hobby. e-Hobby is only asking ¥5,000 for Convobat and ¥5,460 for Cheetor.

Emerje

But cheetor is only 4900 at Anime export: http://www.anime-export.com/product/32786

So still cheaper than if you get Convobat from e-hobby directly. Speaking of doing so, have you chosen who you will go with yet to forward him to you? Do you know what options are out there? Does e-hobby charge shipping to a japan adress?

william-james88 wrote:

Emerje wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

SureShot18 wrote:Yeah I realize they barely make it to sales and they often sell out fast but there's a chance. I'll be fine if I never get it. Plus I already have MP Cheetor on preorder and I'd like to make only one expensive commitment at the start of the year. And Cheetor is on a much higher level of want than this.

I agree on that cheetor part. And isnt it cool how MP cheetor is cheaper than this toy?

Only because HLJ is basically reselling Convobat from e-Hobby. e-Hobby is only asking ¥5,000 for Convobat and ¥5,460 for Cheetor.

Emerje

But cheetor is only 4900 at Anime export: http://www.anime-export.com/product/32786

I was thinking more along the lines of Japanese retailers where you can buy both.

So still cheaper than if you get Convobat from e-hobby directly. Speaking of doing so, have you chosen who you will go with yet to forward him to you? Do you know what options are out there? Does e-hobby charge shipping to a japan adress?

I'm still trying to figure it out, but I do have my HLJ pre-order just in case. Right now I'm looking at either Tenso or Big in Japan for forwarding services. Based on the weight given at BBTS both should be the same rate, but Tenso requires ID before they'll ship, BiJ doesn't which makes them seem like a better bet.

e-Hobby does charge shipping as well as sales tax so the total on ConvoBat is ￥5,940 within Japan after ￥400 tax and ￥540 shipping. For me both Tenso and BiJ will charge around ￥1,400 to ship SAL after a ￥500 handling fee (BiJ is a fixed rate, Tenso's is based on weight, but both should be the same in this case). The total works out to a little less than what HLJ is asking before shipping. These seem to be the two best options, others seem to charge quite a bit more. For example, CDJapan has a special shopping service where you give them the link and they do all the work, but they'd charge ￥2,000 for the service before EMS-only shipping so that's not an option, it'd be more expensive than most resellers.

I'm really leaning towards BiJ on this.

Emerje

Emerje wrote:e-Hobby does charge shipping as well as sales tax so the total on ConvoBat is ￥5,940 within Japan after ￥400 tax and ￥540 shipping. For me both Tenso and BiJ will charge around ￥1,400 to ship SAL after a ￥500 handling fee (BiJ is a fixed rate, Tenso's is based on weight, but both should be the same in this case). The total works out to a little less than what HLJ is asking before shipping.

Do you count the 500 handling fee in that 1,400 to ship SAL? I didnt quite understand that part.

Convobat shipped from EHobby with Tax: 5,940

Add 1,400 for SAL shipping : 7,340

If handling fee isnt included, it comes out to 7,840

Also, BIJ charges an extra paypal fee. Its not much but I thought it was worth mentionning so no one gets an added surprise fee when trying to order.

E-Hobby has released the first page from their 16 page comic book which will come with Convobat. This is in a very different style than the usual Legends comics. Some easter eggs include Megalligator's head shouting "D-6" which was the ID name on the original Beast Wars toy's box and the inclusion of familiar toys like RobotMasters Wrecker Hook.

Hailstorm and Terradive are there too. But I thought they were Movieverse guys.

Sabrblade wrote:Hailstorm and Terradive are there too. But I thought they were Movieverse guys.

Could it be that they are all repurposed as Beast Wars characters? Like Wrecker Hook would be tarantulus?

william-james88 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Hailstorm and Terradive are there too. But I thought they were Movieverse guys.

Could it be that they are all repurposed as Beast Wars characters? Like Wrecker Hook would be tarantulus?

There doesn't seem to be any indication of that.

Wrecker Hook I can understand since he is a Japanese G1 character. I'm just a little surprised to see the other two since I thought Takara had considered their Autobot Alliance line to have been an entirely Movieverse line.

The Megalligator head isn't the one shouting D-6, it's Wrecker Hook shouting it at him, the head is then surprised and finally angered by it. It's really weird reading these from left to right...

The e-Hobby comics aren't afraid of cross dimensional travel so I would just assume they all came together from outside their own universes. By the looks of it they only threw in those other two as fodder anyway.

I wonder if this will lead to them being attacked by Grand Scourge and a team-up with Deadlock? Maybe then leading into Go Prime being saved through the Headmaster technology for the Alpha Trion repaint I've been hoping for?

Emerje

Emerje wrote:The Megalligator head isn't the one shouting D-6, it's Wrecker Hook shouting it at him, the head is then surprised and finally angered by it. It's really weird reading these from left to right...

Thanks I made the edit, an yeah it is weird.

Can you get back to me about the question I asked regarding the costs of forwarding and if the prices youmention include the 500 yen fee or not ?

Interesting how the Titan Master's legs fold up to look like additional barrels in gun mold. Has anyone tried this??

Menace-Or? wrote:Interesting how the Titan Master's legs fold up to look like additional barrels in gun mold. Has anyone tried this??

Yeah, thats the way the instructions show it so I thought we always had to do it that way.

william-james88 wrote:Can you get back to me about the question I asked regarding the costs of forwarding and if the prices youmention include the 500 yen fee or not ?

Sorry, I missed it. Yes, that did include the fee, that's what I meant by "after a ￥500 handling fee". Tenso estimates the shipping alone at ￥890 which should be the same at BiJ. I did just notice that Tenso has a small packet air mail service that I've never seen anyone else use that's only a little more than SAL (which I just noticed is registered so that's unusually cheap) at ￥1,100, but for half the delivery time. Starting to lean towards Tenso now. The figure is "made to order" so there's no huge rush until the deadline.

Emerje

Love the toy, and the comic looks cool as well!

So Ape-X Arms is primarily for Megalligator to pilot, as he's the one who originally summoned it.

Another thing to note: you know how in the Headmasters anime, they shout "Head On" when connecting to their Transtector? This comic introduces another Voice Command, "Soul In" for connecting with Partner Drones it seems. Ape-X Arms' weapon mode also gets named: Hyper Sonic Plasma Cannon.

From the bio, it seems that Mega-Ligator and Convo-Bat (my choice of spelling) were cloned test subjects who broke out of a cloning lab (much like Reverse Convoy/Rebirth Megatron) during the G1 period. This was in order to make biometal bodies, and were prototypes to the then subsequent Maximal and Predacon bodies. It wouldn't surprise me if this was the same lab used to birth Reverse Convoy, on the planet)oid) called "Vehicon".

In my own interpretation, most other clones of OP and Megs also originated from here (Nemesis Prime/Scourge, Guiltaur, Toxitron, Megastorm, Megaplex, Archforce, Destructicon Bludgeon, etc) were made (like the lab from "Alien 3"). I suspect it was one of Shockwave's cloning labs during G1, but was found and used by BW Megs during Beast Machines.

If you check CB's bio, its an amalgamation of Grey OP's bad mode, the red "Convo-Bat" and "Onyx Primal" (as he was an assassin with a stealth mode). As CB refused to be an assassin, perhaps we will get a black repaint later on? Maybe a red and blue one?

Anyway, I REALLY hope they use the Megatron mold to make Reverse Convoy, although his colours and bio are now similar to Convo-Bat...

primalxconvoy wrote:From the bio, it seems that Mega-Ligator and Convo-Bat (my choice of spelling) were cloned test subjects who broke out of a cloning lab (much like Reverse Convoy/Rebirth Megatron) during the G1 period. This was in order to make biometal bodies, and were prototypes to the then subsequent Maximal and Predacon bodies. It wouldn't surprise me if this was the same lab used to birth Reverse Convoy, on the planet)oid) called "Vehicon".

But... Reverse Convoy wasn't a clone.

This is all his bio says:

A warrior born on Planet Vehicon. Also an authority on energy production. In actuality, use of the black hole link system Reverse Convoy possesses caused him to become the rebirth of original Destron Emperor of Destruction, G1 Megatron.

Where did you get that he was a clone birthed in a lab?

Sabrblade wrote:

primalxconvoy wrote:From the bio, it seems that Mega-Ligator and Convo-Bat (my choice of spelling) were cloned test subjects who broke out of a cloning lab (much like Reverse Convoy/Rebirth Megatron) during the G1 period. This was in order to make biometal bodies, and were prototypes to the then subsequent Maximal and Predacon bodies. It wouldn't surprise me if this was the same lab used to birth Reverse Convoy, on the planet(oid) called "Vehicon".

But... Reverse Convoy wasn't a clone.

This is all his bio says:

A warrior born on Planet Vehicon. Also an authority on energy production. In actuality, use of the black hole link system Reverse Convoy possesses caused him to become the rebirth of original Destron Emperor of Destruction, G1 Megatron.

Where did you get that he was a clone birthed in a lab?

1/ Here is a translated bio of Convo-Bat from Hobby Link Japan:

-

This awesome figure, exclusively offered by E-Hobby, commemorates the 20th anniversary of "Beast Wars"!  A clone of Optimus Prime (a.k.a. Convoy), the bat-winged Combobat was the result of an attempt to introduce organic elements to Transformers. With his silent flight ability, Combobat was engineered to be an ideal assassin, but he would prefer a different path. He comes with his Headmaster Megalligator, two energy swords, and the Ape-X Arms drone. A 16-page comic book is also included! 

(Source: - https://hlj.com/product/TKTE-0044-TF?utm_source=seibertron.com&=&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=news%20post )

2/ Yes, officially, Reverse Convoy is not a clone. In MY interpretation, he is. I inferred the "planet Vehicon" as "Vehicon planet", in the sense that it was rediscovered and reclaimed by Megatron's Vehicons, who restarted the cloning experiments using G1 OP and Megs as their templates. In my interpretation, Reverse Convoy (or whichever clones were created around that time) were engineered alongside other clones or hybrids of long-dead "leaders", in order to create the perfect "generals" for Megatron's Vehicon troops/drones. TFwiki, at the time I came up with that theory, did not have an "ask Vector Prime: section on the character, so I inferred any Tf "born" on a Vehicon planet to be created by Megatron. This is also where megatron would have created the cloned/hybrid "Optimal Optimus" form for himself (or developed on Cybertron via tech taken from the planet).

Regardless, I don't think the toy will come out, as it is too similar to Convo-Bat (Op/Prime headmasters, and similar colours). In this case, I REALLY hope I am wrong, though. I LOVE Reverse Convoy almost as much as I love Primal Prime...

- http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Reverse_Convoy

primalxconvoy wrote:1/ Here is a translated bio of Convo-Bat from Hobby Link Japan:

I was talking about Reverse Convoy.

I've already seen Convobat's bio (I'm the one who posted it here, even):

In a sense, Convobat is "Convoy changed his form in preparation for aerial combat. Unfurling his elastic bat wings, he can fly completely silently, with hovering capabilities. With Convoy's strategic and commanding abilities, he is easily up to the task of scouting without being spotted by enemies." But he is a clone of Convoy; to introduce the traits of organic lifeforms to the next generation of Transformers, Straxus has performed experiments to create the latest hybrid TFs.

With bat-like wings, he can fly and hover in silence, which made him perfect to train as an assassin robot. He rebels from his chosen career and plots to escape. He thinks that Megaligator, from the same stock of experiments and circumstances as him, is his only friend. To compensate for his lack of firepower, his partner drone Ape-X Arms was created.

primalxconvoy wrote:2/ Yes, officially, Reverse Convoy is not a clone. In MY interpretation, he is.

Ah, headcanon. Got it.

Thought you were speaking of something from Takara before.

primalxconvoy wrote:TFwiki, at the time I came up with that theory, did not have an "ask Vector Prime: section on the character, so I inferred any Tf "born" on a Vehicon planet to be created by Megatron.

Well, even before the AVP backstory was written, the RobotMasters fiction itself showed Megatron possessing Reverse Convoy's body to impersonate its original owner from the Planet Vehicon so as to infiltrate the Autobots and gain their trust before stabbing them in the back.

Though, looking at the Wiki page, it seems to be missing Reverse Convoy's RobotMasters cartoon info. Odd.

Sabrblade wrote:

primalxconvoy wrote:1/ Here is a translated bio of Convo-Bat from Hobby Link Japan:

I was talking about Reverse Convoy.

I've already seen Convobat's bio (I'm the one who posted it here, even):

In a sense, Convobat is "Convoy changed his form in preparation for aerial combat. Unfurling his elastic bat wings, he can fly completely silently, with hovering capabilities. With Convoy's strategic and commanding abilities, he is easily up to the task of scouting without being spotted by enemies." But he is a clone of Convoy; to introduce the traits of organic lifeforms to the next generation of Transformers, Straxus has performed experiments to create the latest hybrid TFs.

With bat-like wings, he can fly and hover in silence, which made him perfect to train as an assassin robot. He rebels from his chosen career and plots to escape. He thinks that Megaligator, from the same stock of experiments and circumstances as him, is his only friend. To compensate for his lack of firepower, his partner drone Ape-X Arms was created.

primalxconvoy wrote:2/ Yes, officially, Reverse Convoy is not a clone. In MY interpretation, he is.

Ah, headcanon. Got it.

Thought you were speaking of something from Takara before.

primalxconvoy wrote:TFwiki, at the time I came up with that theory, did not have an "ask Vector Prime: section on the character, so I inferred any Tf "born" on a Vehicon planet to be created by Megatron.

Well, even before the AVP backstory was written, the RobotMasters fiction itself showed Megatron possessing Reverse Convoy's body to impersonate its original owner from the Planet Vehicon so as to infiltrate the Autobots and gain their trust before stabbing them in the back.

Though, looking at the Wiki page, it seems to be missing Reverse Convoy's RobotMasters cartoon info. Odd.

I already knew about the Robotmasters bio. I just combined a mad scientist tinkering with power to someone being experimented upon BY a mad scientist.

Slightly related, but off-topic, I inferred that instead of Megatron getting his green G2 tank mode, it was given to two clones, Megastorm, and Archforce; two brothers who would later become the Predacons Gigastorm and Galvatron respectively.

Anyway, I have preordered Convo-Bat and am looking for a spare, headless, cheap unboxed (although a cheap full version is fine) Skullcruncher to repaint into Mega-Ligator now.

If I recall correctly Reverse Convoy is also called "Rebirth Megatron" so that is who I see him as myself as a post G2 Megatron.

The Bat and Croc these days I guess could be some sort of clone - but they could also be from a rather interesting alternative Universe where for some reason Transformers were forced to adopt Beast Modes after G2.

There is a lot to discuss there though - if there is interest in the topic it might warrant it's own thread called something like "The organic Influence on Transformers".

RAR wrote:If I recall correctly Reverse Convoy is also called "Rebirth Megatron" so that is who I see him as myself as a post G2 Megatron.

"Rebirth Megatron" was the moniker Megatron assumed while possessing Reverse Convoy's body, yes, but that was because Megatron had been lost in some previous incident and his return in Reverse Convoy's body was like his having been reborn, metaphorically-speaking. Afterward, he'd get released from his possession of Reverse Convoy and return to his old body just in time to partake in events that would lead up to Transformers: The Movie. His time as Rebirth Megatron occurred in 2004-2005 during the post-season 2/pre-movie era of the Japanese G1 cartoon timeline (decades before G2 would occur in the late 2030s).

RAR wrote:The Bat and Croc these days I guess could be some sort of clone - but they could also be from a rather interesting alternative Universe where for some reason Transformers were forced to adopt Beast Modes after G2.

We'll just have to wait and see what the full comic says.

RAR wrote:If I recall correctly Reverse Convoy is also called "Rebirth Megatron" so that is who I see him as myself as a post G2 Megatron.

The Bat and Croc these days I guess could be some sort of clone - but they could also be from a rather interesting alternative Universe where for some reason Transformers were forced to adopt Beast Modes after G2.

There is a lot to discuss there though - if there is interest in the topic it might warrant it's own thread called something like "The organic Influence on Transformers".

If this is the G1 universe, then these would be clones created around the time of Headmaster Juniors, like Fangry, and Pretenders, as both incorporated biometal in their designs. As far as I can recall, "beast modes" are a combination of pretender and other biometal forms (Fangry et al) for the physical frms, with the synapses linkeing the mechanical to the cybernetic/biological derived from Nebulan Head/Power/Targetmaster tech (with those synapses derived from combiner synapses). I think some of this info was taken from the Beast Wars or G1 "MTMTE" sourcebooks?

If not, then it's all in my head.