Transforming Toys
BEAST ALLIANCE
The non-studio toys for Rise of the Beasts are mostly under the Beast
Alliance banner. These are the "for the kids" toys, much like the Power
Series and so forth in the Bumblebee toy line.
BEAST BATTLE MASTERS
The smallest class, these are beasts that turn into weapons, as opposed to
robots that turn into weapons like previous Battle Masters.
WAVE 1: Rhinox (minigun), Cheetor (?), and Skullcruncher (cannon).
3/28/23: Just Rhinox, Target in Torrance CA. 3/30: Just
Skullcruncher, Target in Amarillo TX. $6.29. 4/2: Full case (Rhinox and
Skullcruncher shortpacked) at Target in South Carson CA. 4/6: Target in
Redondo Beach CA, full case Amarillo TX (but all the was left for me was
Rhinox). Note, some Targets may have these on clearance already for some
reason. 4/20: Full wave at Walmart in Amarillo TX.
WAVE 2: Optimus Primal (cannon) mixed in with reships of wave 1,
reportedly just one per case initially. 5/16/23: Target in Torrance
CA. 5/25: Walmart in Amarillo TX, three or four per case. 6/18: Target
in Manhattan Beach CA, South Carson CA.
"WAVE" 3: Airazor (shield/sword) mixed in with previous releases,
reportedly three to a case. Looks good, although reportedly the paint apps
are uneven. 10/16/23: Walmart in Arroyo Grande CA. 12/7: Target in
Amarillo TX.
AUTOBOTS UNITE POWER PLUS
Basically repacks and a few redecos of 2018 Bumblebee Power Plus (Power
Series with the engines) toys. I have gotten zero mainstream store sightings
of these, but a handful have started hitting closeout chains like Ross in
October 2023. So far I've gotten Bumblebee (repack with maybe slightly
tweaked deco) and Battletrap (Ironhide in orange with a purple-painted
motor), I hear there's a Megatron (which didn't come with the motor in 2018
but would now). $3.99 at Ross. Amusingly, I never got the BB Camaro mold
the first time around, so I guess I have it now. And hey, four bucks.
FLEX CHANGERS
TFWiki has these under "other toys" rather than Beast Alliance, they seem to
be an attempt to put a new twist on one-step changers. They have plastic
springs in them and if you flex the sides of the altmode it'll snap into
robot mode. The result is a brick that costs more than a one-step ($17 at
Walmart).
WAVE 1: Nightbird (sportscar), Bumblebee (Camaro), Cheetor (spindly
cheetah). 4/10/23: Walmart in Amarillo TX.
BATTLE CHANGERS
Basically Core Class but with simpler transformations.
WAVE 1: Rhinox (rhino), Optimus Prime (dump truck or whatever),
Bumblebee (at the very least a new vehicle mode). 4/20/23: Walmart in
Amarillo TX, part of an endcap display. $10. 4/22: Target in Manhattan
Beach CA (just Optimus and Rhinox). 4/24: Target in South Carson CA (BB
only). 4/27: Target in Amarillo TX. $11.
WAVE 2: Supposedly Autobot Mirage (sorta-Porsche) and Scourge (evil
truck), but there might be a wave 1.5 that just folds in one of them.
5/16/23: Mirage only, Target in Amarillo TX. 6/12: Mirage only,
Walmart in Amarillo TX. 10/15: Scourge only, possibly a wave 2.5 deal,
shortpacked in with wave 1 stuff. Target in Amarillo TX.
BEAST WEAPONIZERS
These look to be Battle Masters packaged with Battle Changers-sized toys.
WAVE 1: Optimus Primal (gorilla) with Arrowstripe (tiger that isn't
Tigatron who turns into a crossbow), Optimus Prime (truck) with Chainclaw
(wolf that turns into a chainsaw). 4/15/23: Walmart in Amarillo TX.
$17. 4/24: Target in South Carson CA. 4/30: Target in Amarillo TX.
WAVE 2: Wheeljack and Rhinox (Microbus and redeco of Battle Master
Rhinox), Arcee and Cheetor (motorcycle and the Battle Master, possibly with
no deco changes). 8/15/23: Just Wheeljack shipping with more Optimus
Prime, Walmart in Amarillo TX. I might have found a wave 1.5, as there
were no Primals, no Arcees, but equal numbers of Wheeljacks and Primes on the
pegs. Later confirmed that Arcee has been delayed to her own wave.
WAVE 3: Arcee (motorcycle) and Cheetor (redeco of single-pack), plus
reships. 12/19/23: Target in Amarillo TX. 12/28: Walmart in Amarillo
TX.
BUZZWORTHY SCORPONOK/SANDSPEAR: Both Scorponok and Sandspear are
scorpions. Target exclusive, as with all Buzzworthies. 5/30/23: Redondo
Beach CA. 8/18: Amarillo TX.
BEAST COMBINERS
Similar to the Battle Class and Elite Class from Cyberverse, the animal
companion turns into armor for the main figure (who is not just a repeat of
the Battle Changer or Beast Weaponizer version). And like the Elites, the
armor comes with an almost comically oversized head.
WAVE 1: Bumblebee (Camaro, regular classic version) and Snarlsaber
(panther), Arcee (motorcycle) and Silverfang (wolf), Optimus Primal
(gorilla) and Skullcruncher (croc). 3/28/23: Just BB and Snarlsaber at
Target in Torrance CA. 3/30: Just the BB/SS pack at Target in Amarillo
TX. $22 price point. 4/2: Full cases at Target in Torrance CA, South Carson
CA. Arcee is shortpacked and BB is longpacked. 4/6: Target in Redondo
Beach CA, Amarillo TX (full case, but only BB/SS was left for me). I did
later find one Optimus Primal, oddly on clearance already. 4/14: Walmart in
Amarillo TX, $24. Full case.
WAVE 2: A running change that swaps in some Scourge (evil truck) with
Predacon Scorponok (scorpion) armor. 7/31/23: Walmart in Amarillo TX.
8/19: Target in South Carson CA, Amarillo TX.
WAVE 3: Another "swap in a single mold" pseudo-wave, this swaps in
Optimus Prime (cabover semitractor) with Lionblade (Lioconvoy as an armor up
toy). Lionblade follows the same basic pattern as Snarlsaber, and results in
an armored Optimus Prime who looks rather like Lioconvoy's robot mode.
12/5/23: Target in Amarillo TX. A single one in a case of reships.
12/28: Walmart in Amarillo TX.
SMASH CHANGERS
Slam one of these large vehicles down on the tabletop and it might transform,
it might not? At least, if the early release version of Optimus Prime is
anything to go by.
WAVE 1: Optimus Prime (looks like a simple repackage of the Cyberverse
version), Optimus Primal (gorilla), Scourge (evil truck). 4/14/23:
Optimus Primal only, Walmart in Amarillo TX. $34. 4/20: Both, as part of
an endcap cardboard display, Walmart in Amarillo TX. 4/24: Case of just
Prime, Target in South Carson CA. 4/27: Just Prime, Target in Amarillo TX.
WAVE 2: Rhinox (very bland rhino with almost no colors but gray).
6/23/23: Target in Amarillo TX. Hard pass.
BUZZWORTHY SCOURGE: A Target-exclusive Smash Changer Scourge.
5/30/23: Redondo Beach CA.
BEAST MODE
So, these are basically Leader/Commander sized toys that have sound and light
gimmicks and a "beast mode" to the robot mode where claws and wings and stuff
pop out and a beast head emerges from the chest. $55 price point.
OPTIMUS PRIME: The 8-wheeler military truck mode, with basically a
clear Lioconvoy head popping out of the chest. 7/26/23: Walmart in
Amarillo TX. Two per case, so I guess Bumblebee is a separate wave, or
some cases will be one of each.
BUMBLEBEE: Offroad-modded Camaro, with the beast mode being a sort of
red falcon deal. I guess making it a bee would be too on the nose.
8/1/23: Walmart in Amarillo TX. Same store as the first Optimus
sighting, which had no place for there to be Bumblebees, so maybe they just
didn't put out the full case right away? (These were in a place that had
been holding TMNT stuff last week.) 8/23: Target in Amarillo TX.
2-in-1 ROLEPLAY
This time around, the roleplay items transform into robots!
ROLEPLAY MASKS: Not the full helmets we got from earlier live action
movies, but decent face covering masks of Bumblebee (open face rather than
battle mask) and Optimus Primal (looks to be beast face). Each transforms
into a robot. 4/11/23: Walmart in Torrance CA. 4/20: Walmart in
Amarillo TX. $30. 4/27: Target in Amarillo TX. $31.49.
NERF BLASTER: A brickish and leggy Optimus Prime bends in half to
become a single-shot Nerf&tm; dart gun. 4/27/23: Target in Amarillo
TX. $21.
DELUXE
A limited number of more traditional Deluxe toys, although the quality level
is more like Earthspark Deluxes than Legacy Deluxe. Not branded as part of
the Beast Alliance line.
WAVE 1: Airazor (hawk), Bumblebee (offroad variant), Cheetor
(cheetah). The Cheetor is apparently the same one as found in the Buzzworthy
Jungle Mission 3-pack, minimal or no changes.
WAVE 2: Autobot Mirage (Porsche), Nightbird (muscle car), Wheeljack
(VW Microbus). Nightbird and Wheeljack also appear to be identical to the
Jungle Mission versions.
VOYAGER
Traditional Voyagers, not part of the Beast Alliance line either.
WAVE 1: Optimus Primal and Optimus Prime. Yet another wave where
reporting "just Optimus" is not helpful. 4/27/23: Walmart in Amarillo
TX.
WAVE 2: Rhinox and reships of Optimus Prime. 5/16/23: Walmart in
Pace FL. 6/12: Walmart in Amarillo TX.
TITAN CHANGERS
The "big but cheap" line continues, including at least one character who
isn't even in the movie.
WAVE 1: Optimus Prime (repackage), Megatron (tank, repackage), Cheetor
(cheetah, new mold). 4/23/23: Walmart in Amarillo TX.
WAVE 2: Scourge (evil truck) and in some cases a repackaged Cyberverse
Bumblebee. 9/16/23: Walmart in Amarillo TX. (Scourge only) 9/24:
Both at Walmart in Amarillo TX.
CORE CLASS STUDIO SERIES
Studio Series extended down into the Core ($10 or so) size class in 2022.These are in small cardboard boxes with open windows, and have no ID
numbers.
WAVE 4: "Decepticon Rumble (Blue)" (yes, that's his name, cassette
altmode) and Laserbeak (DotM version where he becomes a tiny pink Bumblebee
for one short scene that's referenced in the package art, almost definitely a
predeco). 11/6/22: Target in Amarillo TX. Still $8.49. 11/9: Target
in Pensacola FL. 11/19: Target in City of Industry CA. 2/6/23: Target in
South Carson CA. The one in Amarillo got a fresh case recently as well, and
Wheelie's in the mix.
WAVE 5: Arcee (RotB motorcycle), Terrorcon Freezer (multiple weapon
modes). 5/14/23: Freezer only, Target in City of Industry CA.
WAVE 6: 1986 Ironhide (Ratchet retool), reships of one or both wave 5.
5/14/23: Target in Carson City CA (with RotB Arcee). 6/6: Walmart in
Amarillo TX (with Freezer). 8/30: All three of the wave 5-6 figures, Walmart
in Perdido FL.
WAVE 7: DotM Bumblebee (redeco of pink Laserbeak).
WAVE 8: Decepticon Frenzy (Red) (redeco of Rumble), Noah Diaz Exo-Suit
(turns into a jet), Terrorcon Novakane (headswap redeco of Freezer).
10/7/23: Walmart in Amarillo TX. 10/19: Walmart in Pensacola FL.
Also, Pulse is shipping this wave now.
WAVE 9: Concept Art Decepticon Rumble (fits in BB's Soundwave) and
Decepticon Mohawk (TLK). I got 'em from Pulse. 3/16/24: Target in
Loudoun VA. 3/30: Target in Redondo Beach CA, shortpacked in with
re-releases.
DELUXE STUDIO SERIES
Traditional Deluxes in boxes without motion gimmicks or autotransform, a sort
of Generations for the movies.
WAVE 19: #97 Airazor (falcon) and #100 Bumblebee (skipping some
numbers to let BB be #100, a new off road 70s Camaro mold), both from Rise of
the Beasts. Oddly, Bumblebee is very shortpacked. 3/23/23: Walmart in
Canyon TX. 3/31: Walmart in Pensacola FL (just Airazor). 4/9: Walmart in
Amarillo TX. 4/20: Target in Amarillo TX. 4/22: Target in Pasadena CA.
WAVE 20: +01 Gamer Edition Bumblebee (based on the War for Cybertron
(WfC) computer game mold), +02 Gamer Edition Barricade (never got a toy the
first time around, but from the same game). So far, only seems to exist
online. I ordered Barricade on Pulse.
WAVE 21: 86-22 Brawn (non-exploded), +05 Gamer Edition Cliffjumper
(retool of +01 Bumblebee). 8/13/22: Walmart in Amarillo TX. 8/26:
Target in South Carson CA. 8/27: Walmart in Burke VA. 10/3: Target in South
Carson CA.
WAVE 22: #104 Nightbird (RotB), #105 Autobot Mirage (RotB).
10/26/23: Walmart in Burke VA. 12/28: Walmart in Amarillo TX.
WAVE 23: #107 Scorponok (RotB) and #108 Wheeljack (RotB). 2/24/24:
Scorponok only, Target in Woodbridge VA. 3/31: Scorponok only, in kinda
shredded box so maybe a return, Walmart in Amarillo TX. 4/10: Target in Pace
FL.
WAVE 24: #111 Concept Art Sunstreaker (not seen in BB movie), +07 Gamer
Edition Sideswipe. 4/2/24: Target in Palos Verdes CA. 4/5: Target in
Amarillo TX (only Sideswipe left on the shelf). 4/10: Target in Perdido FL.
VOYAGER STUDIO SERIES
The standard more or less gimmickless Voyager size, up to $35 in 2023. The
"main" movie toys tend to be small and cheap, with the Smash Changers
occupying this price point.
WAVE 19: #98 Cheetor (cheetah) and #99 Battletrap (tow
truck). 6/25/23: Walmart in Pace FL. 6/29: Walmart in Amarillo TX.
WAVE 20: +03 Gamer Edition Optimus Prime (WfC Cybertronian truck).
12/7/23: Dedicated case at Target in Torrance CA. 1/15/24: Shipping
with Ratchet, Walmart in Pace FL. 4/2: With Ratchet, Target in Palos Verdes
CA.
WAVE 21: #103 Rhinox (rhino), +04 Gamer Edition Megatron (WfC tank).
8/18/23: Target in Amarillo TX (Megatron only). 8/26: Rhinox only,
Target in South Carson CA. 8/27: Target and Walmart in Burke VA (Megatron
only at Walmart). 8/30: Both at Target in Amarillo TX. (New endcap display,
but that was the only new thing they'd gotten yet for it.) 9/10: Walmart in
Amarillo TX. 10/3: Megatron only Target in South Carson CA.
WAVE 22: 86-23 Autobot Ratchet (retool of Ironhide). 10/16/23:
Walmart in Pace FL. 1/9/24: Walmart in Amarillo TX. Apparently also
hitting Appleton WI area along with more of the Gamer Edition Optimus.
WAVE 23: +06 Gamer Edition Starscream (War for Cybertron game), #86-24
Junkion Scrapheap (another Wreck-Gar retool, mistakenly given the 24 number
already assigned to Buzzworthy Ironhide). Likely skipping both, I have
enough Junkion cycles and I really don't like that Starscream design
aesthetic. 3/16/24: Target in Loudoun VA (Starscream only). 4/2:
Both at Target in Amarillo TX. (Left them both on the shelf.)
WAVE 24: Shockwave (BB movie version).
BIGGER
I'll report sightings on Leader and up, but I'm unlikely to actually buy
any. I've been leery of the bigger toys for some time now, and when you add
in the "Bayformer" aesthetic's challenges to engineering, I almost always
feel totally ripped off by anything above the $30 class.
STUDIO SERIES LEADER #101 SCOURGE: Evil truck.
STUDIO SERIES LEADER 86-19 DINOBOT SNARL: Ankylosaur. 3/9/24:
Secondhand reports coming in of it finally hitting Target, including North
Liberty IA.
STUDIO SERIES LEADER #106 OPTIMUS PRIMAL: Munky. Shipping with more
Snarl. 11/14/23: Target in Amarillo TX. $56. 4/5: Target in Pace
FL, no Snarls on shelf. 4/10: Walmart in Pace FL.
STUDIO SERIES COMMANDER 86-21 ULTRA MAGNUS: Entirely new mold, with no
"white Optimus" inner bot, and a trailer no one else can pull. Beware, at
least one person ordering this on Amazon got a Siege Ultra Magnus in the
Studio Series box, probably a scammer return.
MASTERPIECE MPM-14 BONECRUSHER: Large and covered in "on fire" effect
pieces. $165. 11/26/23: Target in South Carson CA. 12/15: Target in
Amarillo TX.
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