Studio Series 86
- Thread starter GNT
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I preordered scourge from amazon. Ever since I've seen the 3rd party Masterpiece like sweeps, I'd been wanting an affordable G1 Scourge.
These are hitting Targets now. Found a couple Hot Rods yesterday. No Scourge in sight though.
Definitely a cool nod to a classic. As cool as the all look and wouldn't mind getting them for obvious reasons, I just can't get caught up or get too deep into another line. That said I may fold and buy Hot Rod, Scourge is very neat looking too but I doubt I'll ever spot him. lol
Now light our darkest hour.
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I've found everything released in this sub-line so far. This is what I've always wanted in a G1 themed line. I want all of Transformers from the '84 Sunbow cast up through Japanese G1 (Headmasters, Masterforce, Victory, Zone). I know that's not going to happen, but I can dream, right?
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Partly because of cost and partly because the vast majority of what I budgeted over the years fell to Kenner/Hasbro's Star Wars line, I have usually limited myself to significant sales, clearances or the warehouse-emptying retailers when it comes to Transformers. And the handful I picked up have always been G1, because that's all I have ever cared for. Nothing bigger than that Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime evolutions or whatever from a few years back.
But I never had a Dinobot as a kid. I was real tempted to go all-in on the wave from a couple years ago, but some of them were impossible to find at retail. And then I found out there was some sort of noncanon Combiner mode. By Scourge's pornstache, no, a thousand times no!
And then I found out about Studio 86. I actually found Grimlock at my local TVC-less Walmart last month. Fifty bucks was a tough call for someone who's never spent $100 on a single mass-retail toy (The 2003 Imperial Shuttle and the 2008 TLC BMF came in just under the mark).
I opened him up tonight - just the core figure. It is glorious. By the Matrix, it is glorious.
But I never had a Dinobot as a kid. I was real tempted to go all-in on the wave from a couple years ago, but some of them were impossible to find at retail. And then I found out there was some sort of noncanon Combiner mode. By Scourge's pornstache, no, a thousand times no!
And then I found out about Studio 86. I actually found Grimlock at my local TVC-less Walmart last month. Fifty bucks was a tough call for someone who's never spent $100 on a single mass-retail toy (The 2003 Imperial Shuttle and the 2008 TLC BMF came in just under the mark).
I opened him up tonight - just the core figure. It is glorious. By the Matrix, it is glorious.
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I've been so burned by the Star Wars line over the last dozen years among price increases, lack of articulation, poor paint apps, the perpetual distribution thing, the Walmart Mando debacle, stunningly bad repack choices, insane exclusives and that recent issue with... I think it was Grogu's Instagram account... I've hit the wall. I don't think I ever walked away from 3'3/4" so much as it was taken away from me. Maybe Studio 86 is where I will go. Or maybe I will stop buying these things and enjoy what I already have.
I really feel we are in a golden age of sorts when it comes to G1 style Transformers. Be sure to take a look at the other Transformers series like the Kingdom line that is out right now. They are throwing in some studio style characters in the mix like Cyclonus and you can get another stab at Optimus Prime from the Earthrise line. People are calling some of those "mini-masterpiece" or "budget masterpiece" figures.
If you like Grimlock you will be pleased to know that Slag with Daniel is coming in the Studio line
Also, you may want to start picking up the small core class characters like Optimus Prime in the Kingdom line. Soon we'll get Megatron and Starscream. There is also a Bumblebee with Spike in the Buzzworthy Bumblebee line at Target right now. These should go well with the rumored Ark toy expected this year.
If you like Grimlock you will be pleased to know that Slag with Daniel is coming in the Studio line
Also, you may want to start picking up the small core class characters like Optimus Prime in the Kingdom line. Soon we'll get Megatron and Starscream. There is also a Bumblebee with Spike in the Buzzworthy Bumblebee line at Target right now. These should go well with the rumored Ark toy expected this year.
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I want Sludge. 
I got that Fall of Cybertron Astrotrain for less than $20 at Ross. I had an Astrotrain back in the glory days of G1, and this was much, much better than getting the stunted-arms rerelease from Walmart. All I still have from the actual G1 days is a damaged Rodimus Prime (no gun, no trailer), my brother's damaged Huffer and maybe the twin-nosed Technobot. In modern times, I've gotten the Hot Rod from around 2009 or so, the G1 rerelease of the same character, that Rodimus I mentioned a couple posts above, the Blur from about five years ago that for whatever reason was a de facto Headmaster, and I think Scrapnel from that Power of the Primes era. I guess about everything other than the oldest Hot Rod was either from POTP or FOC era releases.
I got that Fall of Cybertron Astrotrain for less than $20 at Ross. I had an Astrotrain back in the glory days of G1, and this was much, much better than getting the stunted-arms rerelease from Walmart. All I still have from the actual G1 days is a damaged Rodimus Prime (no gun, no trailer), my brother's damaged Huffer and maybe the twin-nosed Technobot. In modern times, I've gotten the Hot Rod from around 2009 or so, the G1 rerelease of the same character, that Rodimus I mentioned a couple posts above, the Blur from about five years ago that for whatever reason was a de facto Headmaster, and I think Scrapnel from that Power of the Primes era. I guess about everything other than the oldest Hot Rod was either from POTP or FOC era releases.
Man some of these are really calling to me, and I don't know how much longer I can hold out!
Heck, maybe since Star Wars is so scaled back I should jump ship to TF's.
Heck, maybe since Star Wars is so scaled back I should jump ship to TF's.
I have Hot Rod, Kup, and Scourge so far. Decided to pass on Blurr cuz I have the Takara legends version and I prefer it over the new SS86 one. With the exception of Kup's iffy head sculpt, they're all amazing. Hot Rod's shoulder joints are a bit tricky to work with, but once you mess with them a bit, you figure out how to get some cool poses going. Still looking for Cyclonus...
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That's what I'm saying. The One True Scale has been my thing since I was a cub, and it's been 99 percent of what I have gotten since the academy, but if the troika of Hasbro, Disney and retail can't cooperate, I can... uh... give Hasbro and retail that same money.
But seriously, SS86 Grimlock is $50. That should be four or five TVC figures, or one or two ships. Hell, that would be a fleet of the scout Y-Wings sitting in 5 Below a scant year ago. That money didn't exist in a vacuum. That's money not going to Snaggletooth or "Nice try, but the hairsculpt is inaccurate and I can't find it at retail anyway" Leia.
Went ahead and bought Hot Rod yesterday!
I know I should have probably started earlier so I could have gotten Prime and a couple others at "retail prices", but I don't plan to get too deep into this line like I was in Star Wars. Just a few of the core characters.
I know I should have probably started earlier so I could have gotten Prime and a couple others at "retail prices", but I don't plan to get too deep into this line like I was in Star Wars. Just a few of the core characters.
I opened up Jazz yesterday after having had him sitting in a pile since maybe the last week of January. He's a great figure, easily the nicest Jazz since the original '84 one.
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Same thing with me. There are three Falcons ranging from vintage to TLC in my house. And one wife. And more modern figures than I care to either admit or inventory. I'm not going there with TF. Just a dab'll do me.
You should be able to still find Prime at regular prices. He was carried over from Earthrise into wave 1 of the newest Kingdom series. Wave 2 is barely hitting stores these days. I know Pulse has him in stock.
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And if people have them near, there's Ollie's. They have been getting in TF leaders for Easter. I grabbed a Prime for my nephew, $19.99.
Wow, I'd definitely buy Prime for $20! it's the $50 price tag that's kind of tripping me up. You guys who have Ollie's are pretty lucky as we don't have anything like that around her, Ross or TJ Maxx is the closest thing and they never have anything that cool to buy. Plus i don't care to wait in their hour long lines.
Finally locked in a pre-order for Scourge and Cyclonus, was tough to find a place that still had them both.
Finally locked in a pre-order for Scourge and Cyclonus, was tough to find a place that still had them both.
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The first WFC version of Ultra Magnus and Astrotrain were at my local Ross for less than $20 each last spring. I picked up the latter, because I had the original G1 version back in the day, and it seemed silly to get the remake of stumpy arms Astrotrain.
Got Hot Rod in the mail today and boy is he really nice looking, I almost don't even want to remove him from the box!
But I will soon.
I kick myself for holding off and missing my chance on a few past ones, especially the Netflix Trilogy Bumblebee.
But I will soon.
You touch on something that has stuck in the back of my mind and why I never could bring myself to buy the new Movie versions, I just really like the G1 aesthetics/design. Although I will say that I do like the newer take on POA compared the old style of G1 with their limited stances, these newer versions certainly have more options for pose-ability. Which is one reason why I'm leaning towards getting them a few more than I would have.
I kick myself for holding off and missing my chance on a few past ones, especially the Netflix Trilogy Bumblebee.