TF4 "Then & Now" sets coming to ToysRUs

[Bidoofdude]

We can 100% guarantee that it won't be G1 Slag in a $24.99AU two-pack.

Wishful thinking on my part, hope Takara pulls something with recreating the original moulds. Give me G1 Slag with G1 painted Gens Slug, I'd buy 2. Something chronicle-esque would be great.

[Paulbot]

What if in some bizarre mistake in ordering from the factory, instead of a G1 Slag with Slug, they re-release G1 Slog (hopefully with less GPS)

[Gofigure]

I have read of the Hasbro CEO at the time, Stephen Hassenfeld posing with a few Slags (behave) for a photoshoot in '84, but that doesnt hold much water for determining his release date when you consider the variables behind it.

The 1984-2014 branding is just another reminder of how old the franchise is

We have all posed with one or two Slags in our time also if we are being completely honest

[DELTAprime]

I am not convinced of this since the KOers can do it so easily at acceptable (matching with current reissues) levels of quality.

I say they just couldn't be assed. Yeah it cost money to recreate the mold but regardless of the cost amount, they probably just won't do it because there is a cost.

I am sure the people who made 'Bommander' Grimlock have less monetary resources to recreate a mold than Hasbro.

We know from the recent interview with Shogo Hasui that until recently even the MP line which is produced in large numbers and very popular wasn't produced in big enough numbers to do one off moulds like Smokescreen and Wheeljack. I'm guessing for the older MP's like MP-01/04 they planed in advance to reissue him many times over the years.

Also I bet the smaller companies use cheaper moulds. When I was looking into the toy making process a couple of weeks ago I found that high end toy moulds require special CNC machines and tools because of the fine details and then a person has to finish off the mould with even finer details. As for material you can get away with using lead, which is cheaper but the higher end moulds use a harder more durable metal which I've unfortunately forgotten the name of.

I think we should be a little skeptical about how much it actually cost, but realise that it isn't cheap.

[DELTAprime]

We have all posed with one or two Slags in our time also if we are being completely honest

And thats why we can't call him Slag anymore, even tho the name is obviously from:

slag |slag|
noun
1 [ mass noun ] stony waste matter separated from metals during the smelting or refining of ore. the burning liquid iron was forming a scum of slag.
• stony material ejected by a volcano; scoria. [ count noun ] : flow after flow of lava, slags, powders, and ejecta cast upon the previous outpourings in grotesque patterns.

[Sky Shadow]

We know from the recent interview with Shogo Hasui that until recently even the MP line which is produced in large numbers and very popular wasn't produced in big enough numbers to do one off moulds like Smokescreen and Wheeljack.

I'm not sure that you mean Smokescreen, but the argument (whether true or false) has always been that the reason why Takara/Tomy can't recreate old G1 moulds as easily as bootleggers do is because the production numbers on official reissue lines are far greater than those of knockoffs, and would wear out cheaper moulds.

[DELTAprime]

I'm not sure that you mean Smokescreen, but the argument (whether true or false) has always been that the reason why Takara/Tomy can't recreate old G1 moulds as easily as bootleggers do is because the production numbers on official reissue lines are far greater than those of knockoffs, and would wear out cheaper moulds.

^I should run my thoughts by you before I post, thats what I'm trying to say in my inelegant way.

As for Smokescreen, from interviews it sounds like they made a completely separate mould for him based on the MP-17/18 mould.

Back on topic... so we have Energon Grimlock as G1 Grimlock, who could they use for cheap rest of the G1 Dinobots?

[Sky Shadow]

As for Smokescreen, from interviews it sounds like they made a completely separate mould for him based on the MP-17/18 mould.

Wow - that's intriguing - I get that the head, shoulder/biceps, car modifications and weapons are different, but I assumed they'd use the same core mould for all the rest of him. It would indicate that they really are going to keep pimping out the new Masterpieces (which the upcoming rereleases of Sideswipe and Red Alert would also suggest.)

Back on topic... so we have Energon Grimlock as G1 Grimlock, who could they use for cheap rest of the G1 Dinobots?

If they're going really cheap, then the Mini-Cons Knockdown/Ironlunge/Stockade/Triceradon for Slug, while Strafe would be Swoop/Reptix/Windrazor/Rav.

[griffin]

The interview of the Designer from about a week ago, commented that the success of Prowl & Sideswipe moulds, allowed them to spend the extra money to make the extra parts or modifications to create Smokescreen.
I wonder if we'd have seen Smokescreen as just a straight recolour of Bluestreak otherwise, or would we just have not had Smokescreen without the modifications.

[BigTransformerTrev]

There will probably be some geewunner who thinks that's a G1 Grimlock.

I don't mind the Energon Grimlock mold, but I already have it and have no urge to get another. I like the G1 colours in robot form but those yellow forearms in T-Rex mode just wrecks it. An easy skip for me, I'll just be getting one of the biggest Grim movie toy they make, though cant remember if that's a voyager or leader class.