S250 has posted an interesting picture on his Twitter account – a blue redeco of the Energon Downshift toy. Who could it be?
Given the markings on the hood, and the fact it’s a redeco of what is still the best modern representation of Generation 1 Wheeljack, all signs are pointing to Slicer. Slicer was an Action Master, a Decepticon redeco of Action Master Wheeljack, who was released with Rumbler as a part of the Action Master Exo-Suits assortment at the very end of the Generation 1 line, after the line had already been dropped in the US.
Given the obscurity of the character, and his status as a “post US G1” toy, it is all but assured that Slicer here will be a Botcon souvenir pack exclusive. As always though, make sure to keep checking back here for more news and revelations about this item and all other new happenings on the Transformers news scene.
Absolute
I'd prefer this, but my wallet doesn't
Sidecutter
Yes and no. Yes to all the rest, but it's not necessarily fitting with the G2 aesthetic, so much as quite possibly being part of a "backfill" pairing of figures. Though it does happen to be rather loudly colored if the robot mold holds true to the Slicer toy.
mrduce1018
Good point, so the tooling may have already been there, thus it would not be an added expense. Well then a SG Wheeljack seems like a good candidate for this item. We could still possibly bet a G2 Slicer from Cyb DS. If this is the case then we would be getting SG Wheeljack and G2 Slicer from two distinct molds, that is a win in my book!
Thundershot
I was gonna bring that up earlier, but Hasbro may have already done it when they were gonna do Spacewarp…
mrduce1018
Didnt FP fix the molded emblem on Jetfire to make him into Astrotrain? smoothed over or something?
Beastbot X
True, it's not 100% yet, but it's certainly looking that way. As others have said, Energon Downshift has a molded-in Autobot symbol. That would make the SG repaint way more likely than just "G2" Slicer. Granted, FP has done something like this once before– DoFP Rhinox– but at least there they just said that he loved the older version of their own faction. Justifying an Autobot symbol on a Decepticon would be much tougher.
mrduce1018
Your house, I'll bring the potatoe salad!!
Botcon.com
Richard598
Where is Botcon this year?
BScorpinok75
I guess a SG Wheeljack would be cool. I'd rather get a G2 Slicer instead. And a possible Generations Wheeljack deserves a new mold.
Bogatan
True but ony relevant if they set out to make SG Wheeljack, if the initial idea was Slicer then either mould should have been under consideration.
Bass X0
While its true that Cybertron Downshift is the better toy, SG Wheeljack being based on the Downshift mold is already established. It would be pointless to have gone with a different toy for this, even a better one.
Rabbit
So…a working theory is that it's Shattered glass Wheeljack that looks like Slicer thereby having the molded Autobot symbol make perfect sense and and fitting with the G2 aesthetic of this years Botcon toys?
Bogatan
This is one of those cases I can't really complain, it seems about a 50/50 as to which one people think is a better choice. As a repaint of a wheeljack homage E downshift makes perfect sense.
My own leaning towards C Downshift is that aside from a better looking head and my own preference for the toy and dislike of the majority of Autbot Energon deluxes, the alt mode has a tough looking vibe that matches both Slicers bio and also his exosuits vehicle mode. Still from the one photo I like what has been done.
xZAOx
Ditto on all counts. We got the best ever repaint out of that mold already anyways
Jarodimus
No, it doesn't. But I'm glad the Energon version is being used. The Cybertron toy is VERY cool, don't get me wrong. But it has never seemed like Wheeljack/Slicer to me at all beyond the head.
Edgewise
It has stopped, probably because of this. And I'm partially glad for that, though molded faction symbols are sometimes a nice thing.
What could be done is something spark-crystal style. Have a place where a separate molded faction logo piece fits in. Make the mold with a 'bot and a 'con symbol and just use one or the other… just as we know Cyb. Scrapmetal's mold was set up that way with 2 heads. (Regular & Coby/Ramble head, each used for the 2006 Botcon customizing class figures: Inferno & Rumble)
Thundershot
Fortunately, this practice seems to have ceased in recent years (classics and beyond).
Abrogate
This actually started before the Unicron Trilogy. Remember BW Tigerhawk, a Maximal, was redone as Universe Razorclaw, a Decepticon with a big Maximal logo on his chest?
RedAlert Rescue
Yeah Molded logos are a really silly idea – they should provide a shield shape to puta tamporgraph onto instead.
I'd not be at all surprised if logos like that have stopped things being made that otherwise woul;d have been like Nemesis Prime/Scourge.
Technically It's easier to make Armada Superbase Prime into Superbase Scourge as it has no molded logos than it is to make Leader Energon Optimus into a Leader Scourge as it would involve a remold to make the Decepticon logo for the arm.
It's a problem with many Unicron Trilogy toys that would otherwise be well suited to repaints.
I can understand why might think it's unlikely to repaint something into the other faction. but I think we perhaps have missed out on Overload as The Fallen because of the Faction logo problem.
Scrapper6
I fail to see why Hasbro would repaint a mold that's at least 5 years old by now for a Main Line like Generations. The combiners don't count, the combiners are different, but Energon Downshift hasn't been seen for a long time and on top of that he has that annoying combination gimmick so if he were re-released it would mean a second mold had to also be re-released if they wanted to capitalize on that combination thing.
Of course I could be totally wrong, but I suspect this is in actuality a Botcon figure, if it's anything at all and not some custom… Simply because we're getting closer to the time when Botcon happens and those figures would be in production.