Transformer Tuesday reveals!

[griffin]

The regular retail Generations toyline used to have to release remoulds and redecos in that line to make the most of new moulds, but this year there are almost no redecos or remoulds in the regular retail line, so they seem to be having a lot of exclusive releases to cover it. And I think if they have a short-lived series (12 months this year) that is using a theme that relies heavily on an existing series, they have a lot of characters they need to release in a limited number of retail slots.
These 3 WFC toylines should have run 18-24 months each, minimum, to get all of these moulds released with enough time to collect them (and not missing out on several waves because retailers can't keep up, or skip final waves to make room for the next series)... because there would easily be a lot more redeco options that haven't yet been used, and the more obscure they are, the more enticing they can be as the limited edition exclusives. (certainly not major iconic characters like Ratchet, Thundercracker and Skywarp, just to name threee)

Let's look at the 2020 GEN toys... for me to waste some time this morning.

New Regular retail toys (not Siege re-releases) -

- WFC-E1 - BM - Soundbarrier (Auto - blue/white ramp / bot - new)
- WFC-E2 - (re-release)
- WFC-E3 - MM - Trip-Up (Auto - white car - new) + Autobot Daddy-O (Auto black car - new) (Hot Rod Patrol)
- WFC-E4 - MM - Bombshock (Decep - green tank - new) + Decepticon Growl (Decep brown armed vehicle - new) (Military Patrol)
- WFC-E5 - DLX - Hoist (Auto - towtruck - new)
- WFC-E6 - DLX - Wheeljack (Auto - race car - new)
- WFC-E7 - DLX - Cliffjumper (Auto - car - new)
- WFC-E8 - DLX - Ironworks (Auto - battlestation - new)
- WFC-E9 - VOY - Starscream (Decep - jet - new)
- WFC-E10 - VOY - Autobot Grapple (Auto - crane - new)
- WFC-E11 - LDR - Optimus Prime (Auto - truck w/ trailer - new, with some recycled parts)
- WFC-E12 - (re-release)
- WFC-E13 - BM - Slitherfang (Decep - purple ramp / cobra - new)
- WFC-E14 - (re-release)
- WFC-E15 - MM - Decepticon Ground Hog (Decep - blue race car - new) & Roller Force (Decep - purple race car - new) (Race Track Patrol)
- WFC-E16 - MM - Fuzer (Auto - front space shuttle - new) & Autobot Blast Master (Auto - rear space shuttle - new) (Astro Squad)
- WFC-E17 - DLX - Autobot Arcee (Auto - Cybertronian sports car - new)
- WFC-E18 - DLX - Airwave (Decep - battlestation (like Gen1 Airwave) / airport / weapon parts - new)
- WFC-E19 - DLX - Quintesson Allicon (Decep - alligator-bot - new)
- WFC-E20 - DLX - Smokescreen (Auto - race car - new)
- WFC-E21 - VOY - Decepticon Snapdragon w/ Titanmaster Decepticon Krunk (Decep - Jet / dragon - new)
- WFC-E22 - VOY - Quintesson Judge (Decep - Cybertronian "tank" / robot / Titan staff - new)
- WFC-E23 - LDR - Doubledealer (Decep - Missile Launcher truck / vulture / bot - new)
- WFC-E24 - CMDR - Sky Lynx (Auto - Space shuttle & transport / bird & lynx / bird-lynx "fuzor" / Rocket Launcher base - new)
- WFC-E25 - TTN - Scorponok w/ Titanmaster Lord Zarak & smaller Titanmaster head (Decep - Scorpion / Base - new)
- WFC-E26 - (expected to be an exclusive)
- WFC-E27 - (exclusive)
- WFC-E28 - (expected to be an exclusive)
- WFC-E29 - (exclusive)
- WFC-E30 - (exclusive)
- WFC-E31 - (exclusive)
- WFC-E32 - (exclusive)
- WFC-E33 - (exclusive)
- WFC-E34 - DLX - Trailbreaker (Auto - offroad - new)
- WFC-E35 - DLX - Decepticon Fasttrack (Decep - Cybertronian "tank" / robot / Titan staff - new)
- WFC-E36 - DLX -Sunstreaker (Auto - sports car - new)
- WFC-E37 - DLX -Runamuck (Decep - white car - new)
- WFC-E38 - VOY - Megatron (Decep - tank - Siege remould)
- WFC-E39 - BM - Decepticon Doublecrosser (Decep - purple/brown ramp / 2-headed bot - new)
- WFC-E40 - (re-release)
- WFC-E41 - DLX -Runabout (Decep - black redeco Runabout) (could be an exclusive as it not part of a known wave)

Ignoring E41 Runabout, as it is looking more like an exclusive (unless there is a DLX wave 4 with it packed with previously released ER toys)... that's 28 regular release "packs" with NO redecoes, and only one significant remould (Megatron). (Optimus may have some recycled parts, but not enough to count as a remould)

Then there are the exclusives (only the ones scheduled for a 2020 release) ...

- WFC-E26 - (expected to be an exclusive)
- WFC-E27 - Seeker Elite 2-Pack (RAMJET and DIRGE (both remould Starscream))
- WFC-E28 - (expected to be an exclusive)
- WFC-E29 - Voyager Seeker 2-Pack (Thundercracker & Skywarp (both redeco Starscream))
- WFC-E30 - Decepticon Clones 2-Pack (Pounce & Wingspan) (reissue JP Legends Clones)
- WFC-E31 - Autobot Alliance 2-Pack (IRONHIDE (new) and PROWL (remould Smokescreen)
- WFC-E32 - DLX - Bluestreak (Auto - minor remould Smokescreen)
- WFC-E33 - Centurion Drone Weaponizer Pack (Auto? DLX - grey redeco Siege Brunt) + 17 piece accessory pack
-
- WFC-GS10 - Soundwave Spy Patrol 3rd Unit (Decepticon Frenzy (redeco), Decepticon Wingthing (redeco), Autobot Knok (redeco), Decepticon Skar (redeco))
- WFC-GS11 - Decepticon Exhaust (Decep DLX - white/red ER Wheeljack w/ new head)
- WFC-GS12 - Greasepit (Decep DLX - blue remould ER Ironworks)
- WFC-GS13 - Hubcap (Auto DLX - yellow redeco Cliffjumper with new head)
- WFC-GS14 - Megatron (Decep VOY - green/purple camo Gen2 deco w/ new head)
- WFC-GS15 - Hot House (Auto - red minor remould Airwave)
- WFC-GS16 - Bugbite (Decep/Mercenary - white redeco Cliffjumper w/ Bumblebee head)
- WFC-GS17 - (not revealed yet)
- WFC-GS18 - Autobot Tigertrack (Auto DLX - yellow redeco Siege Sideswipe)
- WFC-GS19 - Rotorstorm (Auto DLX - blue/pink redeco Siege Spinister w/ new head)
- WFC-GS20 - Cordon (Auto DLX - white redeco Sunstreaker) & Spin-Out (Auto DLX - red redeco Sunstreaker)
- WFC-GS21 - Sandstorm (Decep VOY - beige redeco Earthrise Ramjet)
- WFC-GS22 - Black Roritchi (Decep DLX - gold redeco Fasttrack)
-
- Galactic Odyssey Paradron pack - Ratchet (Auto DLX minor remould Ironhide) & Lifeline (Auto DLX redeco Arcee)
-
- Autobot Hound (Auto DLX - offroad - redeco)
- Chromia (Auto DLX - Cybertronian car - redeco)
- Decepticon Mirage (Auto DLX - race car - redeco)
- Scrapface (Decep DLX - spaceship - redeco)
- Sideswipe (Auto DLX - sportscar - redeco)
- Decepticon Hotlink 3-pack (Decep VOY - tetra-jet - redeco) w/ Battlemaster Heatstroke (blue Blowpipe) & Battlemaster Heartburn (blue Blowpipe)
- Megatron Battle 3-pack (Decep VOY - tank - redeco) w/ Battlemaster Lionizer (orange Lionizer) & Battlemaster Pinpointer (very minor redeco)
- Ultra Magnus Spoiler Pack (Auto LDR - car carry truck - minor redeco) w/ BM Rung (red redeco)
-
- Bumblebee (Auto DLX - major remould Cliffjumper)
- Elita-1 (Auto DLX - minor remould Arcee)
- Wheeljack (Auto DLX - minor redeco)
- Red Alert (Auto DLX - minor redeco)
- Impactor (Auto DLX - minor redeco)
- Optimus Prime Battle 3-Pack (Auto DLX - cab only minor redeco & new head) w/ ENERAX (gold Terraxadon) and SHEELDRON (gold Soundbarrier)
- Soundwave Battle 3-Pack (Decep VOY - major remould) w/ RAVAGE (new head) and LASERBEAK (new head)
- Nemesis Prime Spoiler Pack (Decep LDR - redeco Siege Optimus cab & redeco ER trailer) w/ BM Slitherfang (red redeco)
-
- Alternate Universe Optimus Prime (Auto LDR - grey redeco Siege Optimus) (Amazon US Exclusive - US JULY - US$50)
- Quintesson Pit of Judgement 5-Pack (Quintesson Judge (redeco), Prosecutor (new figurine), Bailiff (remould Allicon), Sharkticon (redeco), and Kranix (new figurine))

Ignoring E41 (which could be an exclusive), that's 40 "packs" (twelve more than there will be for regular retail release), and the proportion is even worse when you count individual toys, as there are more multi-packs as exclusives than in regular retail.

Even if we had all of them released in Australia, like in America, it will just divert more of our limited budgets to online purchases, speeding up the reduction of collector-focussed lines at regular retail (specifically Generations)... and if you force more Australians to shop online (mostly overseas) for the bulk of their collecting, more of the regular release toys will be bought at the same time, either to save postage, or for convenience while you are on that site.