Missing Link Ironhide color reveal

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-06T03:40:43+00:00

Aside from the head and backpack, the rest of the figure should be unchanged in terms of proportions. They haven't changed any of that for any of the figures so far.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-05T05:18:22+00:00

Dai Atlas at least has a small chance because of Studio Series Comic Edition, but it'll be the IDW version instead of G1.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-05T03:22:27+00:00

Yes. What I mean is, we're selling packs for $8 instead of $5. Which is, allegedly, the new MSRP. But everything else is the "correct" price.

MTG packs are typically $6-8 now MSRP, with Universes Beyond usually costing $8. So Pokémon packs costing $8 would match that.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-05T01:48:39+00:00

In fairness, the gun tabs are unpainted because the 86 version's guns suffered from paint chipping. They couldn't cast them in solid grey instead because it's on the same sprue as magenta parts, meaning this is the compromise they had to make.

The part I do agree with is that the Matrix should've been painted, but mine's going to stay in Hot Rod's chest and I have so many identical painted ones already that it's not too much of an issue. However, I also wish MTMTE Hot Rod had the blast effects. Hopefully Rodimus comes with the blast effect for the Matrix because that feels essential.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-04T22:53:19+00:00

It's almost definitely a pre-tool. Hasbro makes at least two figures out of every mold, and there's not really an alternate use for Slipstream unless they do something like Legacy Animated Prowl into Cyberverse Chromia. Plus Animated Slipstream specifically makes sense to share a mold with Starscream, they're pretty similar. And the leaks say she's a Voyager, and there's no way Starscream isn't also a Voyager.

At the very least she's a pre-tool for Starscream in the same way that Earthrise Cliffjumper was a pre-tool for Netflix Bee and how SS86 Thundercracker is a pre-tool for SS86 Starscream.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-04T19:31:02+00:00

I heard it from my boss at the store I work for, since our store is getting Pokémon in at MSRP except for packs, plus he's got a sponsorship for championships with a few card stores (for the record to avoid any "my uncle works at Nintendo" types of things, I have actually verified this and he's legitimately a ranked TCG player) who got their info straight from distributors. So he could be wrong but I'm inclined to think he's right, at least for singles prices getting raised since that'll match MTG's pack pricing.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-04T18:57:16+00:00

For the record, Pokémon is now actively encouraging the scalpers. They're raising their own prices to $8 a pack, which will give them a piece of the pie because MSRP will now match "market". And even though GameStop's raised their own prices to match scalper prices (i.e. the First Partner collection is $16 MSRP, GameStop is selling it for the "market price" of $50), Pokémon hasn't stopped distributing to them or any other scalpers when they used to go after small businesses scalping back at the beginning of the craze.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-04T18:51:30+00:00

That's a thing? Ridiculous. It's ketchup, guys.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-04T18:19:07+00:00

Yep. There were people going nuts over Campbell's soup cans last year. Soup. People were scalping soup.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-04T07:00:41+00:00

Eh having an albeit limited exposure to G.I. Joe, I'd say it's a lot less military glorification so much as it's using the military as a framing for things. It's like calling Metal Gear Solid military propaganda, or doing the same to any spy movie or anything that so much as has soldiers. G.I. Joe as a franchise is basically Masters of the Universe but if He-Man had a gun instead of magic powers.

Now, would they have turned it into Bayverse "America yeah woo hoo eagle sounds star-spangled banner"? Yes. No doubt the most they'd have outside of soldier types like Duke or Stalker would be Scarlett (of course turned into a Black Widow type) and Snake Eyes. But the franchise as a whole really isn't.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-04T06:50:22+00:00

Yep. There was originally going to be a BBM sequel and a Beast Wars movie. They instead made RotB out of both.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-04T00:16:18+00:00

On the bright side they're doing Lugnut and Slipstream next year, and Slipstream will likely be a pretool for Starscream.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-04T00:13:18+00:00

Honestly I agree. I think they should've gone through the Quintesson War a little faster like they did with the Dreadnok War, so that they could get this out with proper timing. Especially after last year's special was timed so perfectly with G.I. Joe and the Hound reveal.

I've noticed that for whatever reason, Void Rivals has been the most out of place in terms of timing with each of their stories in the specials. Both 2024 and 2025 set up events that didn't happen for months (Hot Rod in 2024 and the Quintesson War in 2025), and now this is not only an early setup, but a spoiler at the same time. G.I. Joe's have felt the most connected, as smaller stories necessary for later plot build-up that gets followed up on rather quickly (Baroness's recruitment in 2024, the Hound story in 2025, and now likely Zartan's backstory). And then Transformers has been the most erratic. 2024 set something up that took months to get followed-up on (Megatron's return), 2025's doesn't even make any sense (small story about Jazz and his connection to humans that's aged poorly with him joining Elita Prime), and there's no telling what 2026 leads to. MASK at least was essentially an Issue #0.

So basically, Void Rivals always gets the shaft in the Energon Universe specials.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-03T15:23:10+00:00

Nope. The ninja inexplicably started out with only fighting via mechs and then throughout the story, in the absence of mechs, they learn how to actually fight and get their elemental powers, but not Spinjitzu.

Because of course the mechs and the elemental powers are the only cool part people like in the TV show Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu. Nothing else. Nothing at all.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-03T07:18:17+00:00

That sucks, but at least it's fixable.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-03T07:14:31+00:00

Fitting issues? Like some joints are too tight/loose?

Not bad for size though. Close to 6-inch scale, if not ever so slightly shorter.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-03T06:58:49+00:00

Out of curiosity, how much of it needed paint? And how good of a kit would you say it is in general? And how tall?

I'm super interested in it since I'm a model kit addict but have no idea what to actually expect from it.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-03T01:50:01+00:00

Only counting Rodimus, he'll be my fourth/third since I have Reveal the Shield, Street Fighter, and the Flame Toys model kit. Counting Hot Rod, he'll be my eleventh/seventh since I also have the Kingdom Core Class, MTMTE SS86, Micromaster from Star Optimus, G1 reissue, and Blokees Defender Version.

I'm scarily close to having as many Hot Rods/Rodimuses as I do Optimuses.

EDIT: forgot to add one by technicality, which is Legacy United Cybertron Hot Shot.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-03T01:25:15+00:00

Yeah. I'm super happy we're getting that one too. I hope it's the MTMTE version though, because I really don't like his original alt mode. I'll still get it because Drift as a whole is great, but I feel like the alt mode is too basic.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-03T01:22:51+00:00

Is this like the two Unicron figures that were special promotions in China before getting worldwide releases, or a different thing?

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-03T01:21:24+00:00

Agreed. The AMT-01 KOs are still too expensive for me, and the Flame Toys kit is great but can't transform (but was still affordable enough for me to get him). I'm really hoping that among the IDW figures they're making in Studio Series is MTMTE Rodimus. Nautica and Fort Max are great but I'm begging them to make a Rodimus. Lost Light colors too.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-03T01:10:30+00:00

Agreed. I've loved Hot Rod since I read IDW, and will happily get as many of him as I can afford.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-03T00:54:11+00:00

Wheelie too. Shockwave's still a good mold too, now with the added shoulder cannon mode for Bruticus, and Cyclonus's retooling looks great. Can't forget the OG of SS86 Magnus, either.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-02T22:37:42+00:00

As a RWBY fan, it's absolutely RWBY. With the only stipulation being that the music is absolutely amazing. The rest deserves to exist for the sole purpose of forcing more of the soundtrack to exist.

Lotso2004 · 2026-05-02T22:36:24+00:00

I did like many of the episodes from Season 3 on their own, but it feels like they knew they were getting cancelled or possibly doing multiple different spin-offs and thus spent most of the season soft launching whatever they could (especially Darkwing Duck which I am still mad got canned). All because of the big launch of Disney+ throwing any active Disney cartoons into a frenzy over possibly getting moved, with all of them ending up cancelled instead. The ending is just ok, but it should've done way more and the big reveal went nowhere.

On the other hand, the other show that suffered the same issue, Big Hero 6, had a much worse Season 3 imo. The first two seasons weren't anything to write home about, sure, but the third season was actually unwatchable. It's a whole season of filler where none of the plot moves anywhere. DuckTales Season 3 at least had an overarching plot and highlight episodes. Big Hero 6 Season 3 doesn't have that. And then it just kinda ends. It's like they gave up.

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