[trebleshot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazy Jetty

They're mainline in the same way that PCC is mainline, in that you can buy them anywhere and everywhere, and in that Hasbro likes to chuck them into gift sets that can be used to create some sense of scale (like "The Fury of Fearswoop)

Ah, I think I understand your point, but I believe we are having parallel conversations. I feel that the Legends class is part of the same mainline because they share the same packaging as the larger size classes with no additional labels to designate them as a separate line (or even subline). Granted, some characters look ridiculous when their Legends version is next to other size classes.

But there's no label on them designating them as a separate line, aside from the possible exception of Cybertron since it had the title "Legends of Cybertron". But the ones released for the movies, Universe 2.0, and now HFTD all share the same packaging as the deluxe, voyager, leader and even supreme releases of those lines.

Compare that to Gravity Bots, Fast Action Battlers and RPMs. Forgoing the obvious transformation and gimmick differences, each one has distinct packaging traits that separate them from ROTF, even though the same characters appear in each line.

To me, you seem to be looking at it more from a scale and character perspective, whereas I'm looking at it more from a toy line perspective, regardless of the characters.

For example, let's look at ROTF. Based on your criteria, would Leader Starscream count as mainline? He's much closer to scale with the others than his voyager counterpart (and certainly better than his legends version). But where does that leave voyager Starscream, then? He doesn't fit well with most of his size class and actually seems a better fit standing with the Legends.

Quote:

Even the Minibots. Cosmos, Warpath, Beachcomber, Brawn... all those guys look rediculous lined up on my classics shelf.
But they look great with other legends.

Personally, I think the Minibot Legends look great next to other Classics, since that is about the same scale as the G1 toys were and for the most part, backed by the cartoon. The Minibots were TINY compared to most of their fellow Autobots.

Granted, the G1 cartoon played fast and loose with scale all the time, but Bumblebee was always one of the smallest and frankly I think the Classics version of him is not in scale with Classic Prime. But I have them both on the Classics shelf because they're from the same line. I also have Universe 2.0 figures (including Legends) on the same shelves because I consider that line to be a continuation of Classics (same as I do with Generations and most of Reveal the Shield when it comes out).

Quote:

Legends was never created to *be* mainline. They were a cheap alternative to the large toys, that could be put in discount stores and pharmacies. They were ment to be impulse buys, and originally weren't available anywhere else but those places, until TRU started to sell them.
They were part of Hasbro's (continuing) campaign of making prominant TF characters available in multiple size classes so that even kids with limited funds could have their favorite character.
Legends of Cybertron was successful, and eventually Hasbro expanded it, dropped the "of cybertron" and adapted it for the movie. There, if followed the exact same purpose as it did for Cybertron. Only when it was for Cybertron, no one would critisize anyone for saying "Legends Scourge doesn't fit with Scout Scattorshot," like they will critisize you for saying the same thing about legends Trypticon.
It was only when Hasbro started making G1 homages is when people started trying to shoehorn it and claiming it's as much mainline as the deluxe.

True, LoC was originally intended to be a "Hall of Fame" type subline similar to Heroes of Cybertron, only transformable. But in my mind, the Legends class is as much a part of the mainline now as the Scout, Deluxe, Voyager and Leader classes are.

Quote:

I *would* like to see a full line that utilizes legends, though. Small vehicles like Cars relegated to Legends, while large vehicles are appropriate to large sizes.

As I said, I think the Minibots, at least, are a step in the right direction. But as we both know, Hasbro doesn't use the size classes strictly as benchmarks of scale. And I don't see them changing it any time soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Primacron

Yeah, uh, that's what I meant by 'a few other lines mostly homaging G1 in some way'..........

Well, technically you could say that about every TF line since G1. But I feel that TFA should have been mentioned in the same breath as Beast Wars or RiD. Like those, the toy line was also backed by strong fiction: a three-season cartoon that aired on Cartoon Network and a published comic book.

I could go on and on about TFA, but I'll just say this: it was definitely not a G1 retread. Sure, it had a ton of homages, cameos and inside jokes, but it did a lot of new and unique things too. I would definitely recommend it as highly as I would Beast Wars or RiD as one the best examples of TF fiction out there.