Transformers Netflix Series Exclusive Megatron and Hotlink Found in Canada

I'm interested to see if Walmart will honor the original 4/7 release date for the online pre-orders, with all that has happened lately

D-Maximal_Primal wrote:I'm interested to see if Walmart will honor the original 4/7 release date for the online pre-orders, with all that has happened lately

4/7?
where are you getting that

Sarahthecutevixen wrote:

D-Maximal_Primal wrote:I'm interested to see if Walmart will honor the original 4/7 release date for the online pre-orders, with all that has happened lately

4/7?
where are you getting that

My order states 4/7 as the release date from my 2/22 pre-order

I wonder if Hotlink would make a good base for a custom Skywarp.

Tuned Agent wrote:I wonder if Hotlink would make a good base for a custom Skywarp.

Eh... For one thing, I think these releases will be a bit rarer than the main SIEGE stuff. For another, he seems to have the frowning head (Yes, I know the official Skywarp had that - and that was stupid).. I guess if that doesn't bother you.. But then, if that doesn't bother you you could also repaint Starscream (who is not exactly hard to find).

What I would do with Hotlink is strip off the excessive black weathering. Because it's just too much in his case. Unless they toned it down for the production version...

He's way too shway to be turned into skywarp, though it doesn't look like he will be as hard to get. He should go nicely with redwing. Photo lifted from CyclonusG1s post.

Oh good, they did throttle back on the weathering for the production version. On the toy fair version and the stock image, the black weathering obscured most of his base plastic color!

Isn't most of him cast in black / dark gray, though?

Tuned Agent wrote:Isn't most of him cast in black / dark gray, though?

No. Not even close. Hotlink is cast in purple plastic, which was clear even from the heavily blackened prototype version. Where did you get the idea of him being cast in black/dark gray from?

Hmmmmmmmmm. I dunno Zel, I think it's the other way around. I think he IS cast in black or dark grey plastic and all the purple is paint.


All that purple looks to have a lot of variation in gradient. A result usually only achievable through airbrushing. It's especially noticeable on the wings.

Cobotron wrote:Hmmmmmmmmm. I dunno Zel, I think it's the other way around. I think he IS cast in black or dark grey plastic and all the purple is paint.


All that purple looks to have a lot of variation in gradient. A result usually only achievable through airbrushing. It's especially noticeable on the wings.

I kind of wish that Hotlink had the same battle damage paint mask as all the other Seekers from Siege. Now he stands out with a completely different take on the idea. I guess the "charring" does play to his use of a flamethrower as part of the "Welcoming Committee."



It's interesting that "Siege" Hotlink comes with two identical Battle Masters colored to look like the flamethrower he used in the scene above. I hope that means we have a Bitstream coming sometime soon to give the extra Battle Master to.

1. The variation in gradient of the purple looks more like an effect of lighting to me. There might be some paint to it, but only for the extra-light patches.
2. If the purple was airbrushed, I think it's the purple that would have soft edges. Instead, it's the black that has soft edges.
3. The soft edges of the black (and any stray drops from it) can also contribute to the illusion of a gradient on the purple.
4. The inner wrists are purple, and no way are those painted. Some of his plastic probably is black (like the guns), but not all of it.
5. Even on a series with a higher paint allowance, why would Hasbro use black as the dominant plastic color for a character who's meant to be purple?

There are a few parts that are cast in purple, like his wrists, ankles, heel spurs, around his neck, and possibly his wings, but most of the rest looks cast in dark gray / black. The purple on his pelvis and shoulders definitely looks painted. The purple on his shins also has a painted look to it, and it wouldn't make much sense to paint the insides of his thighs black (though stranger things have happened). The purple on his forearms doesn't match the purple used anywhere else on him and it fades to the dark gray / black color near his wrists, so that is likely paint as well (just not enough coats to fully cover the plastic color). This would also make sense layout-wise, as it would pretty much just be replacing the light gray, red and blue on Starscream with dark gray / black, and replacing the metallic gray with purple (though this wouldn't explain the wings, assuming they are purple). It's admittedly a bizarre deco choice, but that's what it looks like to me. I guess we'll know soon enough.

Tuned Agent wrote: I guess we'll know soon enough.

This.

Only one way to know for sure.

So was Hotlink actually available online at any point. I don't remember seeing him when I was ordering the Walmart Exclusives when they were announced.

Finally got Siege / ER Astrotrain. Mainly for the robot mode, which I think is better than Legends AT (which I also have). I had AT as a kid, so I have a fondness for the guy he probably doesn't deserve.

I have to say, though ... Henkei AT is probably the best AT. Sure he has train bits on his Space shuttle mode, but the space shuttle is still pretty convincing. And, while his train mode isn't a steam locomotive it is also a more convincing train than Siege's. It's a shame he's just too small now.

But I still like Siege's robot mode a whole lot. The transformation is also pretty fun. And I have a (definitely illogical) fondness for AT. so I'm glad I got him.

Well Henkei/Classics Astrotrain was developed in the mindset of updating the original alt modes and I thought they did the best they could at that price point. It would have been fun to see what would have came out if it was voyager instead.

I think a steam engine would have been cooler... damnit Archer... Classics/Henkei is definitely the tidiest modern AT tough. I think going off the original toy's chest design helped a fair bit with that.

Finally going to have my hands on Apeface soon; the tracking that for two weeks was stuck on "Processed through facility in Guangzhou" now says "Processed through Los Angeles ISC".

Yeah, Hasbro's mindset at the beginning of the Classics and Friends era was "Why would we make new toys in 2006 that turn into outdated altmodes from the 1980s? That's backwards thinking. Kids want to play with altmodes from today that they see every day."

Oh, how little did Archer and co. realize the power/demand of 1980s altmodes.

The Walmart exclusive Netflix Series voyager three packs are out in Canada and your fellow news editor found them while getting some milk today. Since these are all simply redecos, I felt in hand images would be all that was needed for a review since all of these molds have already been released multiple times.

This review will be for Hotlink with Battlemasters Heatstroke & Heartburn. Now first, there is indeed a difference between the two targetmasters. Heatstroke has a red visor while Heartburn has a yellow visor. And that's it.

Now as for Hotlink, while the mold is the same as all other Tetrajet Siege seekers, his deco and it's application is the most different so far. Unlike the other toys, he is spray painted to offer some purple highlights throughout the toy, to the point where he ends up being more purple than dark grey/black, which is the plastic colour he is mostly made of. Some joints and smaller parts are made of purple plastic, but it's mostly black and that black is spray painted in gradient patterns. The purple goes from lilac on his chest and pelvis to bright grape on the forearms to a more muted purple on most of the figure. It is more even in jet mode, where we see him mostly in that same muted purple. This does mean he has more paint than any other seeker so far, they even paint the inside of his wings to keep that purple theme. And since he ends up being more purple than black, fans wanting to turn him into Skywarp will have to remove a lot of the paint.

The really cool part of this new spray painted deco is that you no longer have the same kind of battle damage seen on the other seekers, which was always in the same place. I don't really know what the gradient is going for though, if it's meant to represent it's own battle damage or not, but it makes for a unique look. Enjoy the photos and let us know if you'll be getting this guy when he comes out.

Rodimus Knight wrote:So was Hotlink actually available online at any point. I don't remember seeing him when I was ordering the Walmart Exclusives when they were announced.

Yes, all 8 (5 deluxe, 2 voyager and 1 leader) were put up for pre-order during toyfair, but I think Scrapface and Hotlink sold out the quickest. I ordered immediately, so I'm not sure how quickly.

Tuned Agent wrote:I wonder if Hotlink would make a good base for a custom Skywarp.

it would be since his base colour is indeed black plastic. So you could use whatever custom people do to remove the paint where you don't want it and you'll pretty much have a skywarp.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:

Tuned Agent wrote:Isn't most of him cast in black / dark gray, though?

No. Not even close. Hotlink is cast in purple plastic, which was clear even from the heavily blackened prototype version.

To reuse your words: No. Not even close. Hotlink is cast in dark grey/black plastic.

I have him in hand and put the pics in the review above.

I can't wait to customize this into Skywarp since the actual Skywarp was hard to find.

Quantum Surge wrote:I can't wait to customize this into Skywarp since the actual Skywarp was hard to find.

But he was available for order on the largest retailing website in the world for 2 months and able to ship in most areas of the globe. I would not call that something that was hard to find, especially compared to this Walmart exclusive being released during a pandemic and whose preorder sold out in a few days. How well does your Walmart stock its TF shelves?

Nice! It looks like the Targetmasters have new blast effects, too.

Skywarp and Thundercracker didn't get to be in your photo shoot, Will?

Wolfman Jake wrote:Skywarp and Thundercracker didn't get to be in your photo shoot, Will?

Not getting them. As soon as I saw Earthrise Starscream, I decided to wait to get those in earthmode (along with the coneheads) like that I get some nice variety. Starscream would be my only double.

william-james88 wrote:

Wolfman Jake wrote:Skywarp and Thundercracker didn't get to be in your photo shoot, Will?

Not getting them. As soon as I saw Earthrise Starscream, I decided to wait to get those in earthmode (along with the coneheads) like that I get some nice variety. Starscream would be my only double.

Has there even been any ER listings for those two? Last I remember there was a listing for Thrust and a 2 pack which is most likely Dirge and Ramjet.

What's your plan if Thundercracker and Skywarp don't get made for Earthrise? Not saying they won't come out since they probably will but just asking just in case.

Deadput wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Wolfman Jake wrote:Skywarp and Thundercracker didn't get to be in your photo shoot, Will?

Not getting them. As soon as I saw Earthrise Starscream, I decided to wait to get those in earthmode (along with the coneheads) like that I get some nice variety. Starscream would be my only double.

Has there even been any ER listings for those two? Last I remember there was a listing for Thrust and a 2 pack which is most likely Dirge and Ramjet.

What's your plan if Thundercracker and Skywarp don't get made for Earthrise? Not saying they won't come out since they probably will but just asking just in case.

In case they don't then I already have a blue and black/purple tetrajet on the squad anyway.

Also, the listing you mention which I'll put below doesnt really mention who it was, so it could be anyone:

Voyager Seeker 2-Pack 477915

Isn't that the two pack he mentioned in his post though? Or was there two two-packs mentioned?

Hotlink will be mine. No matter the cost.

That said I really hope to see him in stores before I have to resort to buying online. Literally every Siege figure I've bought online has come out in a less expensive way later on. The only one I haven't seen in person is Redwing. And there wound up being a less expensive way to get him too (I live in Canada).

Hotlink looks nice with out the cybertronian seagull splatter. I'll be keeping him as is. I can't really afford to get duplicates to customise for the foreseeable but him being offered through multiple retailers in the UK is appreciated.

blackeyedprime wrote: cybertronian seagull splatter.

Cybgull?

I figured I was finished with Siegeekers, but darn it if I'm not a sucker for black and purple.
If I can ever leave the house, I'm likely to grab this one.

william-james88 wrote:

Tuned Agent wrote:I wonder if Hotlink would make a good base for a custom Skywarp.

it would be since his base colour is indeed black plastic. So you could use whatever custom people do to remove the paint where you don't want it and you'll pretty much have a skywarp.

Nice! Getting purple out from his greeble could be a bit difficult, but it's sure better than paying aftermarket prices for Skywarp. I'll probably add a bit more of his secondary colors too. Thanks for the pictorial review!

Tuned Agent wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Tuned Agent wrote:I wonder if Hotlink would make a good base for a custom Skywarp.

it would be since his base colour is indeed black plastic. So you could use whatever custom people do to remove the paint where you don't want it and you'll pretty much have a skywarp.

Nice! Getting purple out from his greeble could be a bit difficult, but it's sure better than paying aftermarket prices for Skywarp. I'll probably add a bit more of his secondary colors too. Thanks for the pictorial review!

Always a pleasure, getting onto Megatron!

ZeroWolf wrote:Isn't that the two pack he mentioned in his post though? Or was there two two-packs mentioned?

It was indeed, I just wanted to show that it didn't say which seeker it was. So it could be anyone.
I still think we'll get skywarp and thundercracker regardless.

I do as well, watch hasbro swerve our expectations and give us the recently named seekers from G2

william-james88 wrote:

Tuned Agent wrote:I wonder if Hotlink would make a good base for a custom Skywarp.

it would be since his base colour is indeed black plastic. So you could use whatever custom people do to remove the paint where you don't want it and you'll pretty much have a skywarp.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:

Tuned Agent wrote:Isn't most of him cast in black / dark gray, though?

No. Not even close. Hotlink is cast in purple plastic, which was clear even from the heavily blackened prototype version.

To reuse your words: No. Not even close. Hotlink is cast in dark grey/black plastic.

I have him in hand and put the pics in the review above.

Okay, I guess I was wrong.

And I also guess I'll be writing to Hasbro "Wrong! Do it again!" because that is really slagging stupid.

I had been wanting to get Hotlink, but with how stupid they decided to be maybe I'll get and repaint an extra Starscream instead..

That is a great looking Hotlink! I'm excited to get mine

I don't like how much of him is black instead of the purple that should be his main color, especially now that I know he's actually cast mainly in black. Why in Primus' name did you do that, Hasbro? Why? Ugh...

On a lighter note... As a Battlestar Galactica fan, I can't help but giggle at Reflector's trademark-dodge name in this line.

I'm kind of sold on this Hotlink AND Megatron, but I'll have to get the Hotlink off the shelf since I didn't pre-order him.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:I don't like how much of him is black instead of the purple that should be his main color, especially now that I know he's actually cast mainly in black. Why in Primus' name did you do that, Hasbro? Why? Ugh...

Purple is still his main colour though, it's simply painted instead of cast. Granted I do understand how he should be all purple rather than 75%. Personally, I think he looks great.

william-james88 wrote:

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:I don't like how much of him is black instead of the purple that should be his main color, especially now that I know he's actually cast mainly in black. Why in Primus' name did you do that, Hasbro? Why? Ugh...

Purple is still his main colour though, it's simply painted instead of cast. Granted I do understand how he should be all purple rather than 75%. Personally, I think he looks great.

I don't... And thanks to the purple being what's painted, one can't exactly strip off the excess black.

The Walmart exclusive Netflix Series voyager three packs are out in Canada and your fellow news editor found them while getting some milk today. Since these are all simply redecos, I felt in hand images would be all that was needed for a review since all of these molds have already been released multiple times.

This review will be for Megatron with Battlemasters Captive Lionizer & Captive Pinpointer (yes, that is their names, Megatron has imprisoned these guys).

Firstly, as a multipack, I much preferred this one over Hotlink's simply due to wanting all these toys. Lionizer is the orange redeco we always wanted. It is a perfect G1 homage to the bot that came with action master Rad. And while Pinpointer does feels cheap, with the barrel detaching rather easily, I do like that we are getting the targetmaster that goes with Crosshairs.

Now onto Megatron, while I still don't fully get what Hasbro is going for with the spray paint effect, I do prefer him much more than the other versions of this mold. For one, they fixed something with the ankles. I can't tell for sure what it is mechanically, since it does still look the same, but there's no longer the idea of locking and unlocking his ankles. And once unlocked, they don't feel loose. It results in a more satisfying time posing him with ankle pivot.

While the paint seemed to be the biggest difference at first glance (especially due to cameras picking up that silver in an oddly lighted room), I find the change in plastic itself to be more significant to the overall look. It is leagues better than on the original, now that I have them to compare. The "black" plastic on the original had a rust/brown tinge to it but here, it is actually black. It looks especially great on his legs since it created the perfect contrasting look to that spray painted silver on the front, which gives it a G1 toy homage. This adds to the G1 homage that was already on the original toy, with those red highlights in the joint areas and sword, and of course that silver paint and darker grey plastic all add to that theme.

This makes this particular version of Megatron truly shine (ha!) as a more specific homage compared to the original version which was more of an amalgamation. Also, he fact that the inner tank treads are unpainted on this new version makes them less obvious and easier to ignore. You instead get a more Megatron-like silhouette created through the colour contrast of the two different plastic colours.

The spray paint scheme is purposefully uneven, though I don't really know why (this is the case for all these Netflix series redecos). You end up with half his helmet painted. It actually reminds me a lot of that Friends episode where Ross gets a spray tan and through some mishap only gets the spray done on one side of his body. But as you can tell from the images, it still makes for a decent look. It actually ends up emphasizing effectiveness more so creating a cell shaded effect naturally.

The only thing I actually have against this deco is that they just could not resist putting that battle damage splatter somewhere. It has been greatly reduced from the original toy, but it's all focused on his crotch. It would be nice to go one year without attention being given to Meg's crotch (for a recap: MP 36 and 36+ had octo crotch, and last year we got several shots of Beast Wars Meg's broken crotch).

On that fine note, I give you all these images, enjoy!

Great review Will! I do like the sheen of this Megs.

It's too bad they couldn't have done Lionizer's legs in gray plastic, or painted them gray. He would have been spot-on G1 perfect then. Oh well!

william-james88 wrote:Lionizer is the orange redeco we always wanted. It is a perfect G1 homage to the wolf bot that came with action master Rad.

Soon we may see ultra magnus in his sspoiler pack if this is accurate he will arrive next week

Sabrblade wrote:

william-james88 wrote:Lionizer is the orange redeco we always wanted. It is a perfect G1 homage to the wolf bot that came with action master Rad.

I knew it felt weird when writing it, but I was looking at both this and the G1 toy and it really looked more like a wolf. Was it ever confirmed what animal it was imitating?

...isn't LIONizer a LION though, not a wolf?

Seeing as we have had TWO Lionizers released for WFC, I hope maybe we'll get a non-action master Rad sometime soon. In fact, I'd love to get all of the action master originals as fully fledged Transformers, as well as their partners. I'm also curious to see how they might reimagine the pretender characters to be more appealing to buyers than their last go-around. I'm thinking attachable armor to go over their inner robots. It would make them more than just a dinky Transformer hidden inside a dinkier action figure.