Botcon 2014 Figure Reveals

[BigTransformerTrev]

Scorponok's in the box set. You can order the box set without going.

Had a look and (predicatably) it's not up for order yet. They still have last years box set at $365. You think they would have dropped the price by now, especially since it was not as popular as the Stunticons the year before.

[Paulbot]

Preregistration for BotCon is taking a long time to happen but as soon as it does, register for a non-attending BotCon set and you'll get that box set sent to you at some point after the convention when they get around to it.

I'd like to buy that Scorponok (and Cannonball too), but I don't want to give money to their organisation for the usual long list of issues.

[1AZRAEL1]

Scorponok's in the box set. You can order the box set without going.

You can do that? From FunPubs website? I only want a loose set which I figure you get with a boxed one for attending the show.

[Paulbot]

You can do that? From FunPubs website? I only want a loose set which I figure you get with a boxed one for attending the show.

When you register for BotCon, you can
a) register to attend (you get a boxset and a freebie)
b) register to attend and buy a loose set (you get the box set, loose set and a freebie)
c) register as non-attending (you get a boxset)

If you want to get the box set figures then option C is the best way to guarantee it, otherwise it's up to those attending to offer to do option B (but there's always more people wanting the toys without going, than there are people actually going).

[Sky Shadow]

Well that's a game changer...

[griffin]

They ended up doing the Headmaster gimmick in a way that I was originally thinking was possible - plugging an existing Headmaster into something that was essentially a "remoulded" head (a base-plate in place of the original head).

The wording on the site says that it is the Reissue Spike that has been remoulded into a Scorponok head (since the Fort Max mould is recent, so that component was available... but not remoulded into Zarak, because he did not originally form the entire Scorpy head).

I can see why they included this in the box set (to get people pre-registering, as they don't promote the at-show toys, no matter how much more popular they could be to get people in), but does Gen1 Scorponok scream Pirate or Knight?
I guess if all 14 toys this year are Pirates and Knights, and now includes Devcon and Scorponok, then maybe the story this year is set somewhere in the Gen1 era?

I still think they could have promoted this year, the anniversary year, a lot better, by starting out with teases and hints of when the series is set (or features some classic Gen1 characters), instead of putting off just about everyone with their first impression of "Knights Vs Pirates" as a 30th Anniversary theme.

[1AZRAEL1]

Pirate or not, G1 Skorponok to me for my classics shelf lol. And I doubt I'm alone in that. If you look closely enough at the head, you can see it is Spike.

[griffin]

It will be interesting to see if it helped turn the tide towards registering to attend, from just buying non-attendee sets, or just pre-ordering from online stores.

I think the first day of pre-registration will give us an idea of if this really has pushed enough people into attending, just to secure these figures... as FunPub will reduce the number of non-attending sets (which would include those online stores) if they actually sell at least 75% off the attending sets on the first day (sales drop off significantly after 24 hours).
Last year they only got 30% sold in the first day, and kept moving stock to the non-attendee pile, and still didn't sell out throughout the entire convention.

I think the pirates and knights theme is still putting people off... which should have been a sub-title to a big bold 1984 Transformers logo on a glossy black Box lid.
Then it would have been dismissed more easily by those looking for an anniversary homage set,
If the fifth figure is any good, it will help as well, but their policy of not announcing any of the at-show toys, means they can only promote a third of the toys, and just hope people will take a blind jump at committing themselves to about US$700 for all 14 toys... and the recent few years haven't made that a worthwhile risk.

[Deonasis]

I can only commend FunPub with this figure. Nothing related to the FunPub figures is as important as the figures themselves including the theme. This mold was crying out to be given a G1 redeco and (i think) they nailed it. The genius inclusion of an updated G1 headmaster is a cherry on top. Scorponok as far as i can tell has not been compromised by costs, poor mold choice or Hasbro in any way - which I think is unusual for a FunPub toy.

I am preparing myself for having to deal with the club again soon. I will try not to complain about it but accept it.

[Bidoofdude]

Scorponok looks totally amazing. Alas, I cannot hope to afford to buy him, let alone the set. I just started watching Headmasters and I love it. Really want this guy.