Transformers |OT| Transform and Roll Out!

[justin haines]

Looking for my 5 year olds first Transformers toy. I myself have very little to do with the franchise as it was before my time a bit but I do enjoy my time with it, and love mech type stuff.

I think I want him to very slowly grow his own collection because what kid doesn't? Plus I would enjoy it too.

The problem is without any knowledge I don't know where to start. I would preferably order it off of Canadian Amazon but am open to going to ToysRUs, or kijiji?

Can you nice fellows send me in the right direction, I would greatly appreciate it.

Edit: I should add my cap is 80 dollars canadian.

 

[Weltall Zero]

Looking for my 5 year olds first Transformers toy. I myself have very little to do with the franchise as it was before my time a bit but I do enjoy my time with it, and love mech type stuff.

I think I want him to very slowly grow his own collection because what kid doesn't? Plus I would enjoy it too.

The problem is without any knowledge I don't know where to start. I would preferably order it off of Canadian Amazon but am open to going to ToysRUs, or kijiji?

Can you nice fellows send me in the right direction, I would greatly appreciate it.

Edit: I should add my cap is 80 dollars canadian.

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Are you asking what Transformer to buy, what shop to buy from in general, or both?
- Regarding the first, there's Transformer lines for pretty much any age. For a 5 year old I guess it would make the most sense to get something either in the preschool line (Transformers Rescue Bots) or the elementary school ones (Transformers Robots in Disguise).
- Regarding the second, the help I can provide is limited as I'm not only not Canadian but not even American. However, even with shipping costs, BigBadToyStore (and US shop) has served me excepcionally well over the years:
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/brand/Transformers
I'm assuming shipping to Canada would be considerably cheaper than to Europe (hopefully comparable to US shipping), but I have no clue. Otherwise, I'm sure folks here will know of nice Canadian TF shops. :)
BBTS often has deep discounts on older stuff they need to clear, so if you're not looking for anything specific, you can build a veritable army with these:
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Sear...rue&PageSize=50&SortOrder=Discount&Brand=1971
Look at this for example: these are Legends (the smallest size) but for six bucks you're getting two transforming figures that don't look bad at all:
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/14596

It pays to familiarize yourself with Transformer size designation; the most common from smaller to larger are Legends, Deluxe, Voyager and Leader, etc.).
https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Size_class

Any other question, e.g on specific toys, don't hesitate to ask. :)

 

[justin haines]

Great info. I will look and see if I can find the right first transformer for him!

I should have been more clear. Im looking for a great toy, but without knowing them at all, im sure there are so many lines and characters it would be overwhelming for me to figure out.

Here is a few examples from what amazon try's to sell me when I search transformers, and I have zero idea. Can I trust amazons reviews on these things?

Transformers Studio Series 05 Voyager Class Movie 2 Optimus Prime https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B072QWP8MT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_lAddCb3XTWDXG

Transformers: Bumblebee Movie Toys, Power Charge Bumblebee Action Figure - Spinning Core, Lights and Sounds - Toys for Kids 6 and Up, 10.5-inch https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07B3F2HN9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_sEddCb9CYR5NA

 

[MikeProtagonist]

The smaller "regular" figures are often complex enough for a kid that size. No need to go for the designated "kid" Transformers, they are mostly really dumbed down. Then again the movie lines are often too complex. The Robots in Disguise/Cyberverse line is a decent compromise with at least some posable characters and good designs.

Then make sure to get Fortress Maximus while it's still relatively available to get your kid a Transformer who is as big as him.

 

[Weltall Zero]

Great info. I will look and see if I can find the right first transformer for him!

I should have been more clear. Im looking for a great toy, but without knowing them at all, im sure there are so many lines and characters it would be overwhelming for me to figure out.

Here is a few examples from what amazon try's to sell me when I search transformers, and I have zero idea. Can I trust amazons reviews on these things?

Transformers Studio Series 05 Voyager Class Movie 2 Optimus Prime https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B072QWP8MT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_lAddCb3XTWDXG

Transformers: Bumblebee Movie Toys, Power Charge Bumblebee Action Figure - Spinning Core, Lights and Sounds - Toys for Kids 6 and Up, 10.5-inch https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07B3F2HN9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_sEddCb9CYR5NA

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As a parent, you might want to stay away from toys with light and sound if you value your sanity. :D They tend to be overpriced and compromised in other ways to house the electronics, too. Additionally, I personally find Bay movie Transformers ugly as sin; I think your kid would be better served with toys in lines associated with cartoons.

I think currently the Robots in Disguise main line nails the balance for kids between simplicity, aesthetics and price. You don't need to drop 60$ on a single, huge, heavy, noisy toy when you could buy five or more toys that are more pleasant to transform and play with.

Did you look into how much shipping costs are from BBTS? I think they're always going to beat Amazon in prices.

 

[justin haines]

Man I typed out a whole reply but I must not have posted it.

I am going to try buying some of that line off that site tonight. Any certain figures u guys think would be cool to pick up? There's lots to choose from and I bet you guys can parse through the 2 pages pretty quickly and see any nuggets of gold.

Def going to start with Robots in Disquise in that site and move up from there

 

[Weltall Zero]

Man I typed out a whole reply but I must not have posted it.

I am going to try buying some of that line off that site tonight. Any certain figures u guys think would be cool to pick up? There's lots to choose from and I bet you guys can parse through the 2 pages pretty quickly and see any nuggets of gold.

Def going to start with Robots in Disquise in that site and move up from there

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Sure, let me parse quickly...
... this StrongArm is a steal for that price. This specific version of her is the only figure in the entire line I own, since she only appears in Robots in Disguise and it's the only way to get a toy of her:
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/13722

I'm going to post figures that caught my eye in the Warrior / Deluxe size (same thing) like the above, since I see that's where most of the deals are (which makes sense as it's kind of Hasbro's "flagship" size). It's also my favorite size for figures, so that works out. Strangely there's better deals in the adult / collector oriented lines than RiD, so I'm going to recommend mostly those, since you're getting better engineering on top.
- I have all four of these (bought separately for quite more money) and they're fantastic (Hardhead is one of my favorite TF figures ever, and keep in mind I own hundreds; the others are top notch as well).
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/45081
- I have two of these three and they're similarly fantastic:
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/60459
All of the above are Titanmasters / Headmasters: the head is removed and turns into a tiny, "human-sized" pilot that sits within the vehicle (or beast) mode's cockpit. Surprisingly fun even for adults, I can imagine it being tons of fun for kids (also as a result, heads are interchangeable).

- I don't have these, but a Deluxe for this price is always a good deal:
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/6240
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/10008
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/9300

- And for the "out there" pick, going the opposite route, this dude is absolutely monstruous in size (although I can imagine shipping would be pretty steep too):
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/54487
I'm probably not getting across how big he is, here's a review. Fast forward a bit as he reviews the smaller "minion" robot first; and yes, this is a grown-ass dude handling it, not some kid's hands:


Someone else can probably also post their picks!

 

[MikeProtagonist]

Yeah, Trypticon would also be something a kid would go crazy about.

 

[Neo0mj]

Man I typed out a whole reply but I must not have posted it.

I am going to try buying some of that line off that site tonight. Any certain figures u guys think would be cool to pick up? There's lots to choose from and I bet you guys can parse through the 2 pages pretty quickly and see any nuggets of gold.

Def going to start with Robots in Disquise in that site and move up from there

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What pages specifically? Can't tell reading the above.

 

[Duane]

Note too that the elementary school level Robots in Disguise line was replaced earlier this fall by Cyberverse going forward. So anything you see from either of those lines are roughly the same skill level/quality. But stay away from anything in Cyberverse that calls itself "1 step changers", and Cyberverse Scout class (the smallest size in that line) are awful. However the Cyberverse Warrior and Ultra Classes are okay, and the Ultimate Class (which so far is just Optimus Prime and Megatron) are actually pretty good.

My son is 7 and mostly has Generations toys (which has a line name that changes each year, Power of the Primes is currently coming to an end and Seige is now beginning). He's always been pretty mechanically talented, but I've had to transform all of them a zillion times (which I don't mind at all, lol). So that said, expect to give him a lot of help transforming them if you go RiD/Cyberverse, but especially if you get any from PotP/Siege. But he'll definitely grow into the latter better. And of course, he'll be happy to mix them... we have Cyberverse Ultimate Class Megatron (which is a great, substantial toy for his price point), and he leads our playroom full of PotP Decepticons just fine :)

 

[justin haines]

Wow I'm going to have to stick around in this community. You are guys are so helpful.

Life been crazy but as soon as I finish work time to do some shopping from the couch with your guys recommendations.

Again huge help. So much appreciated have a good day all

 

[mrmoose]

My five year old basically inherited all of my transformers toys, plus is my excuse for expanding my collection. But he can't transform any of the generations-level of figures (not that something like Trypticon is going to be transformed that often... he mainly likes the feature where he can eat small figures). He can barely do RID stuff, I'm always transforming them for him. Some of them are actually pretty complex (the simplest are probably the combiners which are all pretty similar to each other). But yeah, if I didn't already collect the main generations line I'd go for the cyberverse line, and stay away from the movie lines for the most part.

It's such a magical age for kids toys, though. People always say that kids toys were better when they were young, and certainly I was blessed in having a ton of toys from my relative's trips to Japan, but I would have killed for a line like Imaginext when I was young. The play value of those (and transformers) is great. Then later on you end up spending 20 to 25 bucks for a Marvel Legends figure with no accessories.

 

[Dongs Macabre]

The transformation for MP-44 is actually quite astounding. I wouldn't have guessed that the entire side of the truck collapses into his legs now. Also love the way the arms work. Takara has been doing some crazy engineering lately with the Masterpiece line, even if I hate the robot mode aesthetic.

EDIT: Just got Siege Sideswipe and Flywheels. They're kinda small compared to the other Generations figures I have, but they're both fun little figures.

 

[CoolestSpot]

Are they still trying to connect all Transformers products? I enjoyed that and feel with Bumblebee and a soon to be new comic relaunch they could go hard with it, but dunno if they dropping that concept.

 

[Weltall Zero]

Wow I'm going to have to stick around in this community. You are guys are so helpful

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Hahah, we just like our plastic crack (and pretending our encyclopaedical knowledge thereof can be used for good).

The transformation for MP-44 is actually quite astounding. I wouldn't have guessed that the entire side of the truck collapses into his legs now. Also love the way the arms work. Takara has been doing some crazy engineering lately with the Masterpiece line, even if I hate the robot mode aesthetic.

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The most shocking thing to me is that it transforms in a mere 12 steps. That's quite straightforward for a Masterpiece!

 

[mrmoose]

That seems like a lot of origami. Commendable from an engineering standpoint, but how many times are you really going to transform it? I think the one I have is good enough...

is what I say right now. Who knows when the thing actually comes out. I mean I'm dumb enough to purchase consoles when they release.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Why does the art style change between volume 5 and volume 6 of MTME? Is it only the same in name only or something

 

[Keldroc]

The last issue of Vol 5 is drawn by James Raiz while the first issue of Vol 6 goes back to regular series artist Alex Milne, if that's what you mean.

 

[1upsuper]

Hello. I'm just here for my biannual question: have there been any Masterpiece and/or third party figures released over the last several months that have especially crazy/complex/cool transformations? Any new G1 Megatrons? I'm also interested in figures that have lots of different transformation modes.

 

[Keldroc]

Hello. I'm just here for my biannual question: have there been any Masterpiece and/or third party figures released over the last several months that have especially crazy/complex/cool transformations? Any new G1 Megatrons? I'm also interested in figures that have lots of different transformation modes.

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MP-36 Megatron has a very complex transformation. The upcoming MP-44 Convoy/Optimus Prime has a pretty complex one, as seen earlier on the page. MP Dinobot was moderately complicated although mainly he just has a lot of little things you have to remember to get him back into beast mode.

Can't think of too many super complex recent third party figures, although Fanstoys Rouge (Arcee) is a particularly irritating combination of complex and fragile. If pure "explodes into panels and recombines in a different shape" is what you're after you can't go wrong with a Badcube release, though, especially Sunsurge and Wardog. And if you go back a few years, the old FansProject Diesel (Motormaster) is one of the most complicated toys I own.

 

[Parisi]

Hello. I'm just here for my biannual question: have there been any Masterpiece and/or third party figures released over the last several months that have especially crazy/complex/cool transformations? Any new G1 Megatrons? I'm also interested in figures that have lots of different transformation modes.

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When did MP Inferno come out? That had a pretty complex transformation.

 

[Deleted member 29660]

Today I bought something I wanted since I first saw it when I was a child so long ago, a G1 Starscream! Was finishing Christmas shopping and I decided to see what they had and there were four of him and a bunch of Hot Rods. I had wanted to get a reissue long ago when they first came out but never saw one. My neighbors had the three main seekers when I was a kid and my love of planes and overall being a fan of the screamer always made me wish I had one. It took 30 plus years but it finally happened.

 

[Neo0mj]

Hello. I'm just here for my biannual question: have there been any Masterpiece and/or third party figures released over the last several months that have especially crazy/complex/cool transformations? Any new G1 Megatrons? I'm also interested in figures that have lots of different transformation modes.

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Not really a transformer, but I bought the DX Chogokin YF-19 a couple of months ago and transforming it was pretty impressive.

Today I bought something I wanted since I first saw it when I was a child so long ago, a G1 Starscream! Was finishing Christmas shopping and I decided to see what they had and there were four of him and a bunch of Hot Rods. I had wanted to get a reissue long ago when they first came out but never saw one. My neighbors had the three main seekers when I was a kid and my love of planes and overall being a fan of the screamer always made me wish I had one. It took 30 plus years but it finally happened.

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Congrats!

 

[Deleted member 29660]

Not really a transformer, but I bought the DX Chogokin YF-19 a couple of months ago and transforming it was pretty impressive.

Congrats!

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That's beautiful! I had planned on getting one until I decided to go for a brand new computer. I got the SDF-1 and some Hi Metal R planes shortly after several months back.

 

[Keldroc]

Not really a transformer, but I bought the DX Chogokin YF-19 a couple of months ago and transforming it was pretty impressive.

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This and the YF-21 are my favorite Macross designs of all time. I wish someone would destroy Harmony Gold so I could get a domestic blu-ray release of Macross Plus already.

 

[Weltall Zero]

This and the YF-21 are my favorite Macross designs of all time. I wish someone would destroy Harmony Gold so I could get a domestic blu-ray release of Macross Plus already.

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Macross Plus is among my favorite movies of all time (personally I much prefer the movie than the OVAs). Not anime movies; movies in general.

I have an old Yamato YF-21 I bought nearly two decades ago that I even jury-rigged a missing inner piece for (the piece that enables the detent on one of the legs' collapsing was missing, causing the leg to collapse if leaned on). I was waiting for them to re-release their YF-19 but they never did, so my poor YF-21 has been all alone since then...

 

[Keldroc]

I vastly prefer the OVAs but my ideal version would be the OVAs with the movie's version of Guld's battle with the Ghost.

I have the 1/60 Yamato YF-19, YF-22, and VF-11, but I gotta track down that Chogokin now. I didn't know it existed before Neo0mj's post just now. Which sucks, because being late to the Chogokin party is always expensive.

 

[justin haines]

Reading that size chart now, looked at all the options sent, might just pick em all up and some for other gifts to him

Is there a good way to search on that site or transformers for that matter of things like construction equipment, tractors, jeeps

 

[1upsuper]

MP-36 Megatron has a very complex transformation. The upcoming MP-44 Convoy/Optimus Prime has a pretty complex one, as seen earlier on the page. MP Dinobot was moderately complicated although mainly he just has a lot of little things you have to remember to get him back into beast mode.

Can't think of too many super complex recent third party figures, although Fanstoys Rouge (Arcee) is a particularly irritating combination of complex and fragile. If pure "explodes into panels and recombines in a different shape" is what you're after you can't go wrong with a Badcube release, though, especially Sunsurge and Wardog. And if you go back a few years, the old FansProject Diesel (Motormaster) is one of the most complicated toys I own.

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When did MP Inferno come out? That had a pretty complex transformation.

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Not really a transformer, but I bought the DX Chogokin YF-19 a couple of months ago and transforming it was pretty impressive.

Congrats!

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Thanks, everyone! The two Masterpiece Megatrons are my favorite Transformers toys. I love how absurd they are in very different ways. I'll definitely check out all your recommendations. That DX Chogokin YF-19 looks awesome. I've been really interested in getting into Macross figures since they look so stylish and the transformations look complex but I've heard some complaints about some figures being really fragile -- too fragile to transform more than once or twice. But given how good Chogokins usually are I assume that's an issue with a different toy line.

 

[mrmoose]

Anybody see the new line stocked at Target? I've only seen the tiny weapons. I'd really love to use those toy coupons this week...

 

[Barrow Roll]

Not really a transformer, but I bought the DX Chogokin YF-19 a couple of months ago and transforming it was pretty impressive.

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That is stunning. I haven't bought a Macross toy since the Yamato Macross Zero days. How do Bandai's offerings compare?

 

[Deleted member 37143]

On the subject of Macross, what is the best version of Jetfire (G1) currently available?

 

[Weltall Zero]

Reading that size chart now, looked at all the options sent, might just pick em all up and some for other gifts to him

Is there a good way to search on that site or transformers for that matter of things like construction equipment, tractors, jeeps

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You mean searching on BBTS? It has both a search field and a button for the Transformers catalog on top.

As for the vehicle types you mention, you mean Transformers that turn into them, or, like, normal, regular non-transforming jeeps and such? :)

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

The last issue of Vol 5 is drawn by James Raiz while the first issue of Vol 6 goes back to regular series artist Alex Milne, if that's what you mean.

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The art is a little different, but I'm also noticing the story feels a bit weird? Megatron is suddenly in the whole thing after not even seeming to be around for 5 volumes. Unless it's a bit of a flash back but just not clearly indicated as such. Though looking at TFWiki I think I see what happened:

• The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 5 (November 13, 2013) ISBN 1613778023 / ISBN 978-1613778029
• Contains issues #17 to #22.
• The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 6 (December 10, 2014) ISBN 163140184X / ISBN 978-1631401848
• Contains issues #28 to #33.

So I should probably find the Dark Cyberton volumes to fill in the gaps

 

[Weltall Zero]

The art is a little different, but I'm also noticing the story feels a bit weird? Megatron is suddenly in the whole thing after not even seeming to be around for 5 volumes. Unless it's a bit of a flash back but just not clearly indicated as such. Though looking at TFWiki I think I see what happened:

• The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 5 (November 13, 2013) ISBN 1613778023 / ISBN 978-1613778029
• Contains issues #17 to #22.
• The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 6 (December 10, 2014) ISBN 163140184X / ISBN 978-1631401848
• Contains issues #28 to #33.

So I should probably find the Dark Cyberton volumes to fill in the gaps

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Yeah, as I was reading your first sentence I figured out you were missing the Dark Cybertron issues. Man Dark Cybertron as a whole was such a trainwreck, but the fact it's not collected in the MTMTE volumes takes the cake.

I'm realizing it's so similar to The Defenders, which is kind of necessary to understand what's going on with Daredevil season 3 but is so bad itself. :P

 

[Neo0mj]

I've been really interested in getting into Macross figures since they look so stylish and the transformations look complex but I've heard some complaints about some figures being really fragile -- too fragile to transform more than once or twice. But given how good Chogokins usually are I assume that's an issue with a different toy line.

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Even Bandai's line is fragile. I was fucking terrified when twisting the legs. That's the issue when you have something with such small parts.

That is stunning. I haven't bought a Macross toy since the Yamato Macross Zero days. How do Bandai's offerings compare?

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I think they're thought of as being better. Bandai are the Kings of toys, after all.

On the subject of Macross, what is the best version of Jetfire (G1) currently available?

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You just missed out on a huge sale that BBTS had for Fan Toys Phoenix. Other than that I'm not sure. Guess it's Thrilling Thirty Jetfire.

 

[Weltall Zero]

You just missed out on a huge sale that BBTS had for Fan Toys Phoenix. Other than that I'm not sure. Guess it's Thrilling Thirty Jetfire.

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Thrilling Thirty Jetfire is absolutely amazeballs and just so fun to fiddle with. I painted over all of the ugly red chrome on mine (used red for the bulky parts, black for the gun barrels), though, which improves its look 3x.

 

[justin haines]

You mean searching on BBTS? It has both a search field and a button for the Transformers catalog on top.

As for the vehicle types you mention, you mean Transformers that turn into them, or, like, normal, regular non-transforming jeeps and such? :)

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I tied searching for stuff but didn't work. Maybe I need to learn the site better.

We are Jeep fans and my grandfather also has a successful construction business with gravel dump trucks, excavators, bulldozers etc. He also takes his grandson out in his farm tractors etc.

So Transformers that are still good but turn into those would be neat for all of us.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Yeah, as I was reading your first sentence I figured out you were missing the Dark Cybertron issues. Man Dark Cybertron as a whole was such a trainwreck, but the fact it's not collected in the MTMTE volumes takes the cake.

I'm realizing it's so similar to The Defenders, which is kind of necessary to understand what's going on with Daredevil season 3 but is so bad itself. :P

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So should I just skip it? It just feels weird to be in this point of suddenly Megatron's on trial

 

[Mindwipe]

So should I just skip it? It just feels weird to be in this point of suddenly Megatron's on trial

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Ideally not, there are definitely a few bits in it that are helpful.

 

[mute]

Anybody see the new line stocked at Target? I've only seen the tiny weapons. I'd really love to use those toy coupons this week...

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I was travelling in Atlanta and ran into the minicon 2 packs, weapons, and deluxes at Target. No voyager/leaders. Picked up a couple of the minicons and Flywheels/Cog.

They were on their own endcap thing not in the usual spot.

 

[Weltall Zero]

So should I just skip it? It just feels weird to be in this point of suddenly Megatron's on trial

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Nah, it's a very important piece of the story. Megatron's arc doesn't quite make sense without it; it's also the resolution of Shockwave's arc. It's my least favorite part of MTMTE, but it's still part of it.

The one thing is that, again like Defenders, if you've not been following MTMTE's sister comic, Robots in Disguise, there's a bunch of characters and plot points you're going to be missing from that when you read Dark Cybertron, as well. Aren't crossovers wonderful?

Robots in Disguise is actually pretty decent so I'd recommend to read it if you have it from, say, the Humble Bundle. It narrates what's happening back in Cybertron while the Lost Light is out there partying, and it's often quite interesting due to how unique it is to have a TF narrative about getting society to at least a semi-functional state after a mind-bogginlingly long war.

And the good news is that this is the only time a crossover even entangles MTMTE in this way; the rest of the crossovers either don't touch it or affect it in very minor ways that makes them entirely skippable.

 

[Weltall Zero]

I tied searching for stuff but didn't work. Maybe I need to learn the site better.

We are Jeep fans and my grandfather also has a successful construction business with gravel dump trucks, excavators, bulldozers etc. He also takes his grandson out in his farm tractors etc.

So Transformers that are still good but turn into those would be neat for all of us.

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For construction equipment, the Scoop I linked above is a total no-brainer for 8 bucks (Deluxes are normally priced 15 and above):
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/6240

Then the next obvious answer would be the Constructicon team, which combines into Devastator, one massive giant. Depending on how much this is a gift for your kid or for yourself (or your grandpa), you might want to look in particular into an adult collector oriented (but still rock solid) huge but quite complex version of the latter in the Combiner Wars line. In turn, you have two options for this: the American version, or the Japanese (Takara) version, which is better, with additional component robot articulations and so on(it's the version I have and one of the jewel crowns of my collection). It may be outside your budget, at $200$+, but you definitely get what you're paying for, and more:
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/19730
The Japanese version above apparently restocks in January, so it wouldn't be there for Chrismas. Still, I can't even find the American version for sale, so the Japanese might be your best bet. Each individual bot is large (about Voyager sized, or larger) and the combined form is absolutely MASSIVE. It's about the same size of the Trypticon I linked above. Above all, don't get confused and pick any other Devastator, especially the original 1985 reissue, which is also expensive but far, far smaller (the entire combined bot isn't much larger than one of the components of the Combiner Wars one!). Make sure you're getting the Combiner Wars one (American), or the Unite Warriors one (Japanese). It's the same line.

Finally, for jeeps, Hound in all its incarnations turns into one. I think currently your best bet would be the version of him that's out in December as part of the new Cybertron line:
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/83509

 

[Parisi]

Hmmmm, Does anyone know if the Fans Toys FT-16 Sovereign is going to be out of stock again moving forward? I went on BBTS and TF-Source and both of them have it listed as Sold Out.... I hope I didnt miss out on the 2nd production run.

Also, not sure if anyone cares, but if you really want to get MP-44 (Optimus V3), Amazon JP has it up for Preorder for 36,129Y, which roughly converts to about $319 USD.

https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product...0fc-38dbaedf3574&pf_rd_r=80BJMER5XGSF982D1T04

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Nah, it's a very important piece of the story. Megatron's arc doesn't quite make sense without it; it's also the resolution of Shockwave's arc. It's my least favorite part of MTMTE, but it's still part of it.

The one thing is that, again like Defenders, if you've not been following MTMTE's sister comic, Robots in Disguise, there's a bunch of characters and plot points you're going to be missing from that when you read Dark Cybertron, as well. Aren't crossovers wonderful?

Robots in Disguise is actually pretty decent so I'd recommend to read it if you have it from, say, the Humble Bundle. It narrates what's happening back in Cybertron while the Lost Light is out there partying, and it's often quite interesting due to how unique it is to have a TF narrative about getting society to at least a semi-functional state after a mind-bogginlingly long war.

And the good news is that this is the only time a crossover even entangles MTMTE in this way; the rest of the crossovers either don't touch it or affect it in very minor ways that makes them entirely skippable.

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Ah I was going to read Robots after MTMTE but maybe I'll pause now and catch up there. At what point does Robots begin to hit that cross over with Dark Cyberton?

 

[mute]

Also, not sure if anyone cares, but if you really want to get MP-44 (Optimus V3), Amazon JP has it up for Preorder for 36,129Y, which roughly converts to about $319 USD.

https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product...0fc-38dbaedf3574&pf_rd_r=80BJMER5XGSF982D1T04

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Well that takes me from "fuck no" to "hmm..." for sure.

 

[justin haines]

That devastator that's costs almost 300 when I'm done.…I know in the LEGO world stuff like that eventually comes on sale. Is this something I can wait for or do transformers work in a limited quantity and than they are gone?

I did get that scoop and was happy about that.

 

[mrmoose]

You just missed out on a huge sale that BBTS had for Fan Toys Phoenix. Other than that I'm not sure. Guess it's Thrilling Thirty Jetfire.

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Wait, what? When was it on sale? I swear I looked through their offerings on Black Friday...

I finally found Optimal Optimus at Target, just in time for the coupon, though still no newer stuff besides the tiny guys. Just really bad timing with the new movie, the movie line, the cyberverse line and PotP all taking up the shelf, I guess.

I really dislike the newer Macross designs (Frontier and beyond) because they're so fragile looking and don't really make great toys. Plus they became almost impossible to preorder on sites like amiami. I still remember that first Frontier valk, changing it to gerwalk mode and it was like held together by friction. Compared to the classic macross design, it just didn't do it for me, I hate toys that I'm afraid to transform.

I realize the YF design is from before Frontier, just venting. Plus they are super super expensive, both Bandai and Arcadia.

 

[Neo0mj]

Wait, what? When was it on sale? I swear I looked through their offerings on Black Friday...

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Oh wait, I was wrong. It wasn't the Fan Toys Phoenix, it was the Mechaform Sky Guardian, which is still on sale (but not as impressive looking).

 

[mrmoose]

Oh wait, I was wrong. It wasn't the Fan Toys Phoenix, it was the Mechaform Sky Guardian, which is still on sale (but not as impressive looking).

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Ah. I already have a disappointing Skyfire in Kronos, even though this one is relatively cheap I guess I'll just save up for Phoenix.

edited to add: or not, since it's already sold out where I checked. Ah well.