"The Decepticons keep bad company - each other!" - Jazz, G2
The first four Studio Series Deluxes have now been found in the UK, a couple of weeks after Hasbro America put them up for sale on their website.... so they might be closer than we think in Australia (after seeing the shelf tags at Kmart a few weeks back).
As mentioned in the TRU exclusive Thundercracker news topic, the second wave of Japanese releases of the Studio Series toys, is slightly different to the Hasbro releases.
The toys aren't going to be different, but the numbering is, due to Thundercracker taking up the number 9 spot for Hasbro, but is absent in the Japanese series.
The second wave of Japanese figures will be released at the end of July.
Hasbro numbers
01 - Bumblebee
02 - Stinger
03 - Crowbar
04 - Ratchet
05 - Optimus
06 - Starscream
07 - Grimlock
08 - Blackout
-
09 - Thundercracker
-
10 - Jazz
11 - Lockdown
12 - Brawl
13 - Megatron
TakaraTomy numbers
01 - Bumblebee
02 - Stinger
03 - Crowbar
04 - Ratchet
05 - Optimus
06 - Starscream
07 - Grimlock
08 - Blackout
-
09 - Jazz
10 - Lockdown
11 - Megatron
12 - Brawl
Keen for Bumblebee, Stinger, Thundercracker and probably Blackout.
Amazon in America have added listings for Deluxe Jazz and Lockdown, giving us some nice new official images of each, and their packaging.
What could be the third wave of Studio Series toys have been found listed on a Swedish retailer site, revealing some new names that could be related to the Bumblebee movie (that wave should be out just before the Bumblebee movie toys come out in September-October.
(the first one though is obviously one of the drones/bots in the TF4 movie, but which one is anyone's guess... and hopefully the last item means that Ratchet is in the Bumblebee movie in some way, as he didn't really change form at all in the first four Movies, so there wouldn't be a need to have another version of him in this small series of toys)
Previously known Sentry (E0750) is named as KSI Sentry, which may mean that the toy could very well be a KSI robot from Age Of Extinction. Since it’s a Deluxe class figure, it rules out the possibility of Galvatron due to the fact that Studio Series line adheres to a relative size scale.
Code name Mercenary (E0976) is titled as Raider. It is unsure whether this is another code name or the actual name of the figure.
Blue Light (E0958) is given the name Unknown Hero, implying that the character may possibly be an Autobot.
Stryker 1 (E0975) remains as Stryker 1. Since Hasbro France still keeps their Studio Series 01 Bumblebee as Stryker 2, we know for sure that this figures is none other than Bumblebee. Stryker 1 however is speculated to be his VW Bug altmode.
Last but certainly not the least, we have another Deluxe Ratchet (E0977). He is a different listing than Studio Series 04.
Im loving what I've seen of these, so this all welcome news.
Of the "major" "characters" that would fit at Deluxe scale, we've yet to get
- Sideswipe
- Drift
- Crosshairs
- Hot Rod
- Barricade
- Dino
Having a hard time bringing myself to count Roadbuster, Leadfoot, Top Spin, and Sideways with their combined 27 seconds of screen time, but they'd also fit for a deluxe release.
I'm really just here for the free food and open bar.