Studio Series Fall 2022 wave - Galvatron, TCracker, Arcee, Sideways

[GoktimusPrime]

I'm still quite satisfied with my TR Wheelie, so I think I'll pass on the SS86 Core Class figure (especially considering that they're the *same* price).

Might grab Laserbeak. I wouldn't mind seeing them release more Core Class Laserbeaks in all of his various alt modes from the movie (TV screen, photocopier etc.).

[griffin]

I can probably understand why Hasbro "needed" a Core Class for Studio Series if it helped keep the line more interesting to the Retailers who are not keen on the Leader class or Voyager class (Kmart doesn't stock the Leader class, and both Target and BigW are not regularly stocking the larger 2 size classes because they don't sell as well).... so having a new smaller size class to pair up with the more popular Deluxe class gives Hasbro a better range or package to pitch to Retailers.

Then they have the problem of deciding what to fill that size class with - how many different toys needed for the year, and what sort of characters that are recognisable enough and make sense (the alt-mode and the size compared to the rest of the SS toyline).
So far they are a bit hit-n-miss, as Ravage, Wheelie and Spike were the right scale to the existing toyline, but Shockwave and Ratchet are the wrong scale... and personally, don't/won't display well with the rest of the shelf.
Even though there are a number of easy small-size characters that they could do for the Core class, quite a few transform into cassettes... and having too many of them wouldn't sell well to Retailers. I would also like to have Daniel in a transforming exosuit, but that might be a while if that were to happen, so that the Spike figure is long gone from shelves first.

To be honest, I think that the Core Class should have been a home for Minibots (in both Legacy and Studio Series), so that they are in scale with all those Deluxe sized Autobot cars we've been getting in the last few years, instead of the Minibots in recent years that are sold as Deluxes but are smaller (less value) or too large in comparison to the other Gen1 homages.

[KELPIE]

To be honest, I think that the Core Class should have been a home for Minibots (in both Legacy and Studio Series), so that they are in scale with all those Deluxe sized Autobot cars we've been getting in the last few years, instead of the Minibots in recent years that are sold as Deluxes but are smaller (less value) or too large in comparison to the other Gen1 homages.

I know it's not strictly "deluxe" size, however this new minibot scale has been my favourite innovation since Siege. I get that it's not value either, although arguments can be made about that but that scale fits certain characters perfectly while also being able to retain the extra engineering that we all love.

As for minibots that are too large, I assume you mean Warpath? Well he was always supposed to be large in my opinion

[griffin]

Core class Wheelie and Ratchet found in Asia... and we have more in-hand images of Wheelie, confirming that the front is indeed designed to look like it is missing something... which makes it look really bad. I'm so disappointed, as the colours and styling makes it look nice in robot mode, but the vehicle mode is just shocking... both front and back.

[griffin]

Now that the new Core Class Ratchet toy is out, someone has posted up photos of the toy in both modes.