It's a shame these toys can't get the paint they need to bring out the details. They look a lot more fun than what Studio Series is doing.
Studio Series is about accuracy, not fun! (j/k)
I think it really helps that the film has a far more robust cast than the Bumblebee film, and we're seeing some nifty stuff. I think the “Beast Alliance“ angle is, maybe, a bit less ambitious than the Energon Igniters from Bumblebee, I think does seem to be offering more distinction between the different price points and redundant characters.
I also find it intriguing that Hasbro is citing Maximals, Terrorcons AND Predacons in the marketing material. We’ll see how much the Decepticons and Predacons feature in the film, but it sounds like they’ll be making some appearances in the toy line.
Battle Changers: I dig them for what they are. It seems Studio and Generations Core class can be a bit too ambitious for the size, these feel…content…in their price range. More deco is always nice, but I do think that Prime and Rhinox turned out fairly solid. Speaking of Rhinox, if his design is largely reflective of this toy, I think most fans will be happy with his larger and more complex offerings later on. Listings have confirmed a Mirage in this segment.
Beast Combiners: They aren’t far off from what I imagined, but I think I like the ways they differ. I was imagining something akin to the Cyberverse Spark Armor stuff, but I think I like how they approach the concept here. We lose out on the individual figures (by virtue of standardized robot proportions), but I think the swampability makes up for that. I also like the color ranges on Primal. The extra bronze and blue accents really pop. I also think it speaks to the longevity of this segment that of the initial trio, two are sharing the same armor design. Listings have revealed a Scourge in this segment.
Beast Weaponizers: I like the Beast Battlemasters concept a little bit more than the final execution here. As stated, some of these toys are STARVED for deco, and I think that’s particularly true with Prime and Primal here. That said, the Battlemasters are FAR more interesting than what we got during War for Cybertron. Interesting to note that Primal looks more “in line” with his movie colors, rather than sport the blue that has been seen on many of the kid Primal toys. Listings also have revealed an Arcee and Wheeljack sets for this segment.
Beast Battlemasters: I’m SO here for these. I love the whole Battlemaster concept, but I think War for Cybertron kind of burned out the idea because of the sameness so many of the figures. But just in the initial wave between this price point and the Weaponizers we’ve seen a LOT more variety. Listings have also revealed Optimus Primal and Airrazor entries for this segment.
So, something I HATE is when marketing slaps “proper names” onto glorified accessories. I understand why, but just because we have a cheetah Battlemaster, doesn’t mean they NEED to call him Cheetor. So I spun up some new names for the Battlemasters:
Arrowstripe- Cryobolt (Arctic Tiger transforms into crossbow that fires bolts that freeze enemies)
Chainclaw- I mean, it’s FINE…but it’s also a “go to” name. How about Sawhowl (Wolf converts into sonic chainsaw)
Cheetor- Flashscratch (Swift Cheetah converts into claw blade)
Rhinox- Scatterhorn (Rhino converts into Gatling blaster). Other idea was “Vulkan Ripper” (Y’know, the Vulcan is popular Gatling type gun, they make a “ripping” sound when fired and because the gun comes out his posterror, and when you “rip one”..y’know )
Skullcruncher- Crocoshock (Ornery reptile converts into Pulse Cannon)
