Transformers: Age of the Primes toyline discussion || update: 2026 Computer Listings - Big Convoy, Quickstrike, Armada Sideways, and more.

[Shadewing]

Bruticus is one of the few that I might double dip on. Just becuase he's my favorite. Him and Computron are the two that would most get me to buy these new framejob combiners. Though I am getting the G2 Stunticons... again sucker for wild colors. a g2 Defensor would also grab me.

 

[LordGigaIce]

I continue to be all in on the Thirteen. Every iteration has been great so far. I even love how Alchemist's gauntlets seem to have the symbols of Primus and Unicron on them. Very swank. Whatever else you can say about this brand team, they are super into the worldbuilding of Transformers and that is awesome.
Onyx is just fantastic, and I adore how they've worked a bipedal robot mode, a beast mode, and a centaur mode into one figure. I also dig his colours. Onyx has not been very consistently coloured through the years, but the dark metallic copper is a good starting point, imo.

Vortex looks amazing. I'm still not into Superion, but I might just go in on Bruticus. He's my favourite G1 Combiner too, and if all the components look as good as Vortex? That's gonna be a get. Plus unlike Superion, his frame won't be a complete WTF Burger.

I've still got my movie one Crasher repaint of Classics Mirage so I don't need this refresh, but I'm happy she's getting out there for anyone who wanted her but missed her.

Topspin vs Spinister is a get. I need to complete my Diaclone Flip Changers and Decepticon double Targetmasters.

I'm also liking Carnivac vs Ironfist Fistron... but my hesitation is that I prefer Fisty's toy deco. The IDW deco isn't bad... I'd be perfectly fine with it... but I suspect that a toy deco version will happen at some point. He's the main draw of this two-pack (sorry Carnivac) so if I decide to wait it out for toy deco Fistimus Mucho then this will be a skip.

Trypticon looks nice but I'm far less interested in him now that I know his purple is purple and not bright neon pink.

Cybertron Sideways is INCREDIBLE. Just perfect in every way. Last time I saw an original for sale it was for $90 which is... no. So I'll definitely be happy to get a remake this good at retail prices.

Excellion is... what he is. I'm probably going to skip him to be perfectly honest.

 

[Blot]

Onyx is the worst toy of the entire line. Gonna wait for a deep clearance for him.

 

[LordGigaIce]

Onyx is the worst toy of the entire line. Gonna wait for a deep clearance for him.

This is a bias against time travelling cyclopses.

 

[PrimalxConvoy]

 

[PrimalxConvoy]

Some great new figures but also several disappointments, including:

- Perceptor (a greedy money-grab to get us to buy the same mold again just to get the new casette molds that never came with that character to begin with).
- Crasher (just a re-release).
- Vortex (not significantly better for me over the Unite Warriors version).

LOTS of money saved with all these recent new TF offerings.

Also, I haven't seen any pictures of Carnivac. Anyone got one to share please?

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

Guess that answers my question about whether Perceptor is a new mold or not.

When was the mold previously used, though?

Okay, looked it up -- he already had a Studio Series release? Is there anything different about this one?

Well, I don't have anything more recent than Classics, and I did have the original as a kid. If he can assume tank mode, I'm golden.

Especially since I want Ramhorn and Ratbat.

Also that is a chonky Ramhorn..

The better for doing this:

 

[Steevy Maximus]

I am having a bitch of a time trying to discern WHAT about it has been changed (it was remarked by Hasbro that some minor retooling occured). Part of me is saying they DID tweak the face, but I’m not sure if they actually tweaked the mold or simply casted it in grey plastic removing some of the “visual quirks” of Studio Series’ painted face.

 

[Exatron]

So we now have SS86 versions of Rumble, Frenzy, and Ratbat that all have new tooling, albeit only an accessory for Ratbat rather than a new mold. Who wants to bet that once SS86 Soundwave is revealed, he'll likewise come with new-mold versions of Ravage and Laserbeak, with Buzzsaw once again being the odd bot out?

To be fair, he was the only cassette left out of the movie, but I'll still want a matching version of him to come out eventually!

Anyway, loving the new reveals. I was a little skeptical of Onyx from his box art, but he turned out great! And I'm willing to bet he can easily be posed as a Shockwave-in-disguise pseudo-centaur too. Alchemist looks good too. I was honestly expecting to see a bit more Cyberverse in the final design, but I'm happy with him. I can't wait to have all of the 13!

Carnivac looks good. I really hope we get a new Snarler to go with him. Ramhorn looks solid. Excellion and Sideways are both gets. And Vortex looks like a great start for Bruticus. Lots to like here.

 

[unluckiness]

Guess that answers my question about whether Perceptor is a new mold or not.

When was the mold previously used, though?

Okay, looked it up -- he already had a Studio Series release? Is there anything different about this

Looks like a brighter red, tealer blue, a flatter white vs the pearlescent on Studio Series, gray instead of black and the chest window being opaque red instead of clear.

 

[lastmaximal]

Noticed that too. Although the lighting in general seems to change a lot about how the colors come across; I note the same flattening or deepening in Hearts of Steel/Timelines OP.

I sold my SS86 Perceptor in preparation for this, so getting this either way. But I hope the headsculpt is indeed improved.

 

[PrimalxConvoy]

Carnivac looks good. I really hope we get a new Snarler to go with him.

It's just a recolour of Weirdwolf. It doesn't even seem that they gave the headmaster a remolded POTP pretender shell either. Can't really agree with you that it looks 'good' because of that.

 

[Superomegaprime]

The Weirdwolf mold isn't that great, the back panel of the body doesn't hold that well and it breaking on my copy as they used clear plasic, so its just holding on, but I will get Carnivac! For the Primes, they are easy passes as they aren't saying buy to me and that leader class, the robot mode head just feels wrong, its like its just squished in there! Vortex on the other hand looks great, I could see them repainting him into Alpha Bravo for those looking to have alterative Superion

 

[ZacWilliam1]

Carnivac and Survivor look AWESOME to me. It really captures the feel of the original, looks great, and hey I was wondering if we'd ever get any Pretender Beast updates at all.

He's the number one thing I want out of everything shown. (The awesome looking Onyx is number two.)

-ZacWilliam, Now do Catilla, @Hasbro, PLEASE.

 

[Shadewing]

Perceptor (a greedy money-grab to get us to buy the same mold again just to get the new casette molds that never came with that character to begin with).

 

[Shadewing]

So we now have SS86 versions of Rumble, Frenzy, and Ratbat that all have new tooling, albeit only an accessory for Ratbat rather than a new mold. Who wants to bet that once SS86 Soundwave is revealed, he'll likewise come with new-mold versions of Ravage and Laserbeak, with Buzzsaw once again being the odd bot out?

To be fair, he was the only cassette left out of the movie, but I'll still want a matching version of him to come out eventually!

Best solution: We need a cassette player Soundblaster, and he's usually paired with Buzzsaw nowadays. Even in my own collection I've given him Buzzsaw (and Night Strike from the pirates set) to give him some cassettes to display with. So even if a selects exclusive or something, give him Buzzsaw and someone else

 

[lastmaximal]

Iirc in a recent panel/stream the Hasbro TF team mentioned they'd sorted out the Weirdwolf panel thing. Seems like an easy enough thing to do with a small tooling change to only be one solid panel so the hinge can be thicker.

And lol, I think by this time the ship has sailed on "greedy money-grabs". We haven't even seen what the SS86 Soundwave is going to be.

Why the hell anyone would think they'd blow money on retooling a tiny Pretender shell NOW is beyond me.

 

[MrBlud]

Perceptor’s upper body is apparently retooled to be slightly wider and he has a new panel to cover the huge hole in robot mode where his head stores.

 

[Sabrblade]

Or his chest door is just smaller.

 

[lastmaximal]

I wish Perceptor had come with Rewind instead of Ratbat (if only to complete the Movie roster of Blaster's cassettes after Eject and Steeljaw); Ratbat could've come with SS86 Soundwave. Unless this distribution was decided on before making an SS86 Soundwave was.