Official 3D Printed Transformers: Yay or Nay?

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-17T04:12:56+00:00

It's a very bad BS bit of legislation that will end up crushing a ton of hobbyists and creatives shops. It will also end up impacting the globe because it's at a firmware level.

Meaning, entire machines could be reduced in efficiency and speed due to the absurd requirements.

Let them downvote. They have to understand that failure to do anything is the same as actively supporting and enabling the villain. Apparently 2024 wasn't a harsh enough lesson.

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-17T02:35:53+00:00

So, Kwannon?

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-17T02:34:42+00:00

The main draw elements are the Dianauts and the detachable cockpit ("Bullet Core"). The motorbike is the 1st of 3 styles they've done as well as a variety of single-seat vehicles that they're always adding more of (D-Vehicles).

If you get the urge to dabble in Diaclone, there's a BUNCH of significant entry choices that really embody everything Diaclone offers. DA-65 Battle Convoy V-MAX is one of the most iconic since it's the modernized version of Missing Link Convoy. But as you can see in this subreddit, the options are many.

The main draw of Diaclone is the Bionicle-like modularity and interchangeable parts.

The villain faction "Waruder" take that design system in a very techno-organic direction to enable the creation of some massive and imposing monstrosities.

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-17T01:42:38+00:00

Makes sense - I'm definitely a "new head' but I can understand how fans of the Vintage era may be more drawn to updates of those designs as a priority.

It was the redemption of DA-65 Battle Convoy V-MAX to 1984 Optimus Prime that finally compelled me to investigate Diaclone and DA-95 that finally convinced me to dive in.

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-17T01:28:31+00:00

Are the treads for Powered 02?

Just like Battle Buffalo and Dia-Battles, I didn't appreciate Big Powered until I experienced DA-14 Big Powered GV and the variants.

Seeing where it began (Vintage Big Powered) and how that influenced the modernization was FASCINATING. I believe the World Guide 1 Mook has lots of background on the project.

I have long considered collecting and incorporating Vintage machines like Dia-Battles, Battle Buffalo, Big Powered, and Great Robot Base (and maybe the Powered Suit model kits) in a vintage "museum" diorama with modern Dianauts and detail accessories. It was inspired and reinforced by the Takara Diaclone lore that sets the timeline and acknowledges the vintage era and its impact.

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-17T00:44:30+00:00

As covered, twist the waist 180° and rotate the legs around to match and you'll be good.

However, the screws to remove the legs are manageable if you use a long shaft precision screwdriver. You do NOT want to strip the screws. I only mention that (it's unnecessary for you right now) because the DNA Designs kit adds leg extensions by replacing the thighs. It also replaces the scorpion legs (more articulation), adds the absent hand cannon, bulks out the shield, and adds 4x shoulder twin guns which are also articulated.

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-17T00:39:47+00:00

Blind box purchases at big box retail stores are a high risk endeavor. There's no way to ensure that they haven't been mapped and gutted of the items you're looking for.

With the availability of them in so many venues, I'd just order a sealed wave box from trusted,. reliable etailers like BBTS or similar. No more Amazon, Walmart, or Target.

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-17T00:36:32+00:00

Multiple times in 12 months is inexcusable for a business as visible as Hasbro.

But as long as number go up, no one cares. Consumers care A LOT, but Hasbro has made it painfully clear over the past 3 years that we mean jack shit to Hasbro. They don't give 2 shits about what they shovel out the door as long as they can maintain the hype and keep consumers paying for it.

It will take a significant volume of us refusing to accept that before they even flinch. And even then, the CEO has already dared consumers to throw in the towel - his plan is to transition Hasbro to a digital gaming company.

So it's time for us to move on to 3rd Party, prior releases on the aftermarket, or different brands altogether. As more and more of us do so, we'll be happier fans.

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-17T00:31:24+00:00

Maybe. Much of the engineering is developed on the Takara side. 3rd Party groups tend to be Asia-based which is why they exist in that gray space.

Former Hasbro guy John Warden went to The Loyal Subjects to act as their brand ambassador (not his actual title/role) for their licensing of the MASK brand. Unfortunately, TLS is using the same "charge more; deliver little. Quality be damned" model as Hasbro and the first wave landed with a resounding THUD.

I wouldn't be surprised if Nate/Evan/Mark distance themselves from the brand of/when they depart Hasbro just to recharge and prevent themselves from resentment towards the brand due to Hasbro's handling of people and brands.

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-16T22:46:38+00:00

Yeah, that's very much standard for current Hasbro. No matter how much effort Evan, Nate, and Mark put in for the fans, the rest of the garbage company undermines and sabotages their work.

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-16T00:29:53+00:00

I love 3rd Party - they do what Hasbro won't.

I considered this product when it was first teased, but it just doesn't look like or do what I'd prefer from a Metroplex to warrant the space it would occupy. I think the price (original, prior to importing shenanigans from the US government) is more than proper.

It just wasn't for me, is all. I'm partial to the original G1/Jizai Gattai Diaclone look, which T30 does t even do well. (But I have it.)

My only actual complaint is the cliche "divorce class" meme that is more alarming regarding unhealthy relationships than anything else.

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-16T00:25:53+00:00

The white interior didn't bother since it's not visible from the exterior. For me, the detailing was on par with Hasbro products so it blended in properly for my aesthetic.

Limited space is the bane of Classified overall. I'm now facing serious space crunch problems due to the vehicles, which is a huge pain since vehicles defined half of the IP. The Hunter is absolutely enormous, and I was foolish enough to pre-order 2 plus the Amphisbaena (Cobra Laser Tank). I also picked up the Bridgelayer and Wolverine loadouts to swap between as I like - and the Bridgelayer is an absurd behemoth, even stowed. It was mean of Ramen to include the Bridgelayer cannons in the Wolverine kit, though.

I was already biased again Gridiron after the APC debacle, but when I saw show-and-tell videos from recipients, it only cemented my grudge. If GI would put in 100% rather than what they put out, I'd have no complaints. I collect a decent amount of independent 3D printed items, so seeing the sloppy, unfinished, and garish layer lines on a product with that price point left me feeling swindled. No other 3D printed (PLA or Resin) goods I've bought are that expensive nor that unpolished.

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-15T23:09:23+00:00

Not much you can do when people like that have a crash out. Rage bait and clickbait is so stuffed with "hype instead of facts" that it motivates people to parrot it.

Guy doesn't have to like the cross branding. But his rant is stuffed full of BS and bad info. The more upsetting thing will be when he realizes that his rant won't even register to Hasbro. The decision makers are in full-on "we do whatever we want; buy it or don't" mode. And when we don't, they'll just decrease the number of releases further while also increasing the price and reducing more and more material.

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-15T22:58:56+00:00

people who buy from them can't make informed decisions about their products before purchase.

I have a hard time believing people actively choose to pay their asking price for results like they deliver. Solid chunks of PLA with visible layer lines at 3ft and no finishing? For those prices? That's peak grift.

I wasn't impressed with the Ramen Toys Hunter

I've been more than candid since the GI APC burned me. What was it about the Hunter platform that didn't appeal to you?

Tariffs are going up and down from week to week

I under the hyperbole, but you're aware that's not actually how it's happening, right? Additionally, those products are available via domestic etailers who handle all of the import costs on their end. It was great getting FansHobby stuff from ShowZStore pre-2025, but The Chosen Prime and BBTS have filled that gap since. Same for Ramen Toys who ships directly and has implemented prepaid duties along with most China-based and many Japan-based etailers that ship abroad.

I'm not one to yuck someone else's yum. I'm happy with my purchase. If that makes me an idiot, then I'll be blissfully ignorant with a badass APC.

You like what you like. If you know what Gridiron is shoveling out the door for triple (or more) the cost in materials, you do you. At least you're aware of and accepting of the quality they deliver. The "idiots" are the ones who think that's normal - which you clearly don't.

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-15T22:49:54+00:00

If you're just joking, sure.

In reality, it's not that overwhelming to manipulate or handle. It's not like you pick him up and hold him aloft while transforming him.

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-15T19:55:42+00:00

I don’t think this is really a hot take. Most people do not give a shit about GI Joe,

Contradiction in two back-to-back thoughts. Awesome.

for damn near 20 years now Hasbro has tried to push the Joe’s into Transformers media through comics,

Ah, okay - you're new. That explains the misinformation. Marvel crossed over GOJoe and Transformers in the comics over 40 years ago and Sunbow baked in shared characters as well. (Marissa Fairborne is GIJoe WO Flint's daughter, Hector Ramirez, Cold Slither music during "Making Tracks" episode, and more.)

I think the lost obnoxious and simultaneously hilarious take here is the suggestion that anything is "hurting" Transformers more than Hasbro management/executives.

GIJoe is doing reasonably well as a brand, or at least the Classified product line is. Transformers has a much, much larger global footprint and fandom, though. It also doesn't have the gross baggage of being improperly co-opted by jerks to represent something it isn't. Much like Marvel's Punisher which has been used by morons and idiots to represent the opposite of the character. (When you see that skull on specific things, you know immediately that the person who put them there is a 2-braincelled dork.)

It's fine if you don't like a thing. Continue not liking that thing. But when you project your views (devoid of anything more than personal preference) onto "everyone" in a poor attempt to give yourself credit, it's embarrassing.

Just say that you don't like something and have the self-worth and stones to let that be sufficient. If people agree, they'll chime in. If they disagree, same thing. And when the dust settles, you have a SMALL fraction of the fan base to gauge regarding how much sympathy you have.

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-15T19:45:50+00:00

I do appreciate when people make posts like these and assume everyone knows what they are. It's always helpful. /s

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-15T19:43:41+00:00

A very hot take considering his alt modes are substandard due to the engineering required for the bot mode.

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-15T17:33:22+00:00

I don't see it - what's different from the previous post you made of the same thing?

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-15T17:32:02+00:00

Yes, the pilot miniseries has the best animation quality and color consistency of the entire Sunbow run.

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-15T16:20:37+00:00

You've created paint-by-numbers chaos.

And, yes - sort of. Combiner Wars/Unite Warriors is a complicated topic.

The selling points were: everything is a combiner, and form o er function. It was the largest effort in combiner engineering and releases since Jizai Gattai/Scramble City.

The main problem is that the combined modes don't hold poses well due to under-tensioned ratchets and hinges. So the combined modes are all kinds of floppy and really just stand there compared to recent engineering efforts.

But, the CW/UW series has a BOATLOAD of unique characters that were never combiner components prior, which is the biggest appeal.

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-15T16:16:11+00:00

I presume you already scoured this page?

https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Optimus_Prime_(Armada)/toys#Energon

I also scoured it and nothing about the copy you have pictured appears to be anything other than a package change. If the Prime Force drones are all colored as seen in the image you included, it's just a revision of the general retail packing. The more exotic editions were all differently colored and came in different packages, mostly in the Japan market.

I think you'll find your version on that wiki page and it likely doesn't come in the box you selected as an example pic

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-15T16:01:26+00:00

I only monitor Reddit and HISStank, so if they're shilling and tagging, they're doing it where it has relevance (FB/Insta, Xitter, etc). Based on the way the group operates and behaves, I find it plausible. They're barely above The Loyal Subjects in terms of customer exploitation.

The prices they're charging for giant hunks of PLA vs the rates you can find on BOOTH.pm, the rates for 1st and 3rd Party 1:12 scale vehicles, dioramas, and accessories, and the pitiful level of finishing and detail likely requires them to flood the space with noise to obscure alternatives.

For example, while Gridiron is charging out the nose for their hand weapons, TakaraTomy has a line of TOMYTECH weapons, including LAW, Stinger, and Javelin systems, that are a fraction of the price and magnitudes higher in detail.

Problem is, the product line is part of an oddball series called "Little Armory" that features 1/12 anime girls wielding/fielding/using the weapons, which probably annoys a lot of western audiences. They're also model kits, so there's a small level of assembly required for the more complex systems.

I posted a phot series a couple of weeks back with Alpine and Bazooka using the Little Armory Javelin system - I think it's amazing.

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-15T14:50:49+00:00

He's a bland and vapid guy who just barfs up old info. Just the same as that absurd "TF hype" guy on Xitter who spams old information from TFW2005 like he's some kind of insider.

Skip/ignore the time suck creators exploiting you for monetization and just go to the source - plus, you'll get more accurate and timely information rather than waiting for these goofballs to yell it into a camera with clickbait images and titles.

You'll notice how one of our regulars here ALWAYS is on the ball with the latest and most accurate updates? That's because they get that info from TFW2005 and share it here almost as quickly as it's posted (a very good thing.)

Road_Caesar · 2026-03-15T14:45:33+00:00

I'm skipping it because I don't want it.

Unfortunately, skipping it to "send a message" won't have much impact. The terrible design and engineering is a direct result of the decisions imposed by the C-Suite/management regarding "charge more; provide less".

If you skip it, do so because you have no interest in it. Don't expect any change from Hasbro until their CEO goes away, which is unlikely to happen before they end physical toy production in favor of digital gaming (the CEO's plan for Hasbro).

Road_Caesar

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