They said it couldn't be done...literally.
So, after months of "omega level" hints, a 40th anniversary focus, and Evan's proclamation that Optimus Prime would never need a Haslab release, the 4th Transformers Haslab project is revealed to be none other than Robots in Disguise Omega Prime!
There was really only one other major contender for what this would be - Primus. It could have fit the hint due to the Omega Lock feature from the Cybertron show/toyline, served as a counterpart for Haslab Unicron (which, barely, just got a sort of rerelease last month), and of course Cybertron itself would be a fitting 40th anniversary tribute.
Instead, we see that the team has used the logic of focusing Optimus Prime but also a character/toy from the midpoint of the franchise's history that is seen as something of a "grail" figure that many have sought after since its release in 2001.
That last part - I can certainly understand that. While I actually did see RiD Optimus (not Magnus) himself on the shelf of at a rural Walmart sometime in 2003, this was after I'd already acquired both bots from an eBay purchase that was one of my first as a collector (not the very first - that honor went to RiD Storm Jet) that was also a local meetup to hand off the item. Once I had the toys in my possession, pulling off the Omega Prime combination was a sight to behold, but also not a terrifically fun end product. Rarely capable of achieving any other stance than straight up, and even then only on a rough surface, and including more than a few unstable connection points (especially the Bluebolts weapon), Omega Prime was certainly a contrast to the much more toyetic Armada Optimus Prime supermode that I purchased a few months later.
I also can see what Primus/Cybertron wasn't pursued (at least not yet) - Unicron was incredibly expensive and only succeeded in earning backers with a very generous time extension and added bonuses. I never seriously considered being able to purchase one, even though I would have enjoyed having it. On the other hand, Victory Saber, which the Omega Prime set is very similar to, was much more successful in comparison and thus a proven model. RiD, as a series, also hits sort of a sweet spot between something as obscure in the west as the JG1 lines like Victory and more popular domestic lines of the 2000s like Armada. As such, I expect Omega Prime to exceed Victory Saber's success, but maybe I'm off base. Also in regards to Primus, I suppose there might be some question as to what he should look like, as his only existing (normal) toy is the Cybertron release, but it differs from the very popular Don War Within concept art, which also received its own Ultimate Guide coloring that was a bit in-line with G1 Optimus, while the Cybertron version has a more unique deco. Then there's the matter of the planet mode, and how it has had an even greater variety in aesthetic depiction. And, of course, making something comparable to Haslab Unicron - even if it were a bit smaller, as how Cybertron Primus is a bit smaller in bot mode than Armada Unicron - might still result in an even higher price point than Unicron's nearly 600 2019 dollars.
On the matter of the project selection, I'll finally add that I'm kind of grateful for Omega Prime due to the condition of my RiD/Universe originals. Again, I have second-hand copies of RiD Optimus and Magnus that I got in 2003; I then later (the same year?) received the Universe redeco of Magnus as a gift; I kind of preferred its darker coloration. At any rate, like with everyone else, the tires on my RiD Optimus split, but then much later, the chromed plastic that makes up the ball joint socket on the super mode head cracked, making the super mode for Optimus defunct. On top of that, one of my two Magnuses (can't remember which one) has suffered from some yellowing due to my poor display practices many years ago. And as I mentioned earlier, both figures and their combination were not well known for sturdiness and stability; Magnus doesn't even have real feet. With all this in mind, I definitely welcome a replacement for my originals that will (presumably) avoid some of the engineering pitfalls of the older design.
So, back to the matter at hand:
Ahem.
Let's start with Optimus's core robot mode, which looks wonderful, even better than the original:
What I like most here is how much the torso has been improved. The torso on the original toy looked cool and it helped set RiD Optimus apart from the G1/G2 designs, but it was very clearly just a plate of shapes intended to invoke a torso while also echoing the G1 chest windows. This version, with the window pecs being articulated/transformable, makes Optimus feel much more like a transformer than he did before. Evan also pointed out how the gauntlets now slide back to provide clearance for the hands, which is a nice touch. While not seen in this image, he does include the little wheel pistol. However, I am not certain that the antennae rotate, which would be one point of disappointment.
Next up is the Mega Robot mode, which I'm actually pretty fond of. It's the only reason the supermode boots have the blue warhead molding, and while they do make for outsized shoulder pads, it's a nice way to take the already cool core robot and give it something extra. It also retains a lot of the blue, which the supermode doesn't really do. I'm especially hopeful that the connections for the shoulder pads are secure, as I remember them easily swinging around on my original.
Here's the base mode, looking just as good (?) as on the older toy. This has always been pretty weak for a superarmor base mode, but I have always like the comm tower look it has. It sounds like the connections will be more secure for this mold, which again was a problem for the older toy. Some great improvements include Titanmaster seating on the ladder and blast effects compatibility on the nozzles and "missiles." I do wish it included some more blue effects parts, even possibly some specifically shaped like water (even a recolor of the one included with SS86 Scourge might work), but I suppose most will use Kingdom Rodimus's parts.
Truck mode! Our first Optimus as a fire truck, this is of course why this Optimus has a red-dominated deco. The truck looks good, and I like the change of the cab's shape to give it some angularity versus the curvature of the original. Again, I hope things hold together better here, as the old toy had a habit of the tire panels not locking in place.
And finally for Optimus, we arrive at the super mode. I think this has always been the most unique super mode for Optimus, the one that most changes his look versus the core robot and also looking the least like the visual concept of Optimus, and this has become more true over the years since the bend has moved away from the kind of reinvention that was prevalent in the 2000s. Once more, I appreciate that I'll be able to not just replace my broken original copy, but upgrade it. I do wish we got a shot of it with the ladder cannon deployed, but that will come sooner or later. I really do appreciate the size increase and the removable Matrix, as previously RiD Optimus's Matrix was one of the least interesting versions of the concept.
Moving on to Ultra Magnus, I'll take a moment to appreciate that we have now finally gotten a good commander-sized Magnus revealed! Sorry, I just couldn't get excited over SS-86 Magnus omitting the core robot. Of course, RiD Magnus never had an inner/core robot mode and is instead really tall single robot, albeit one that is a partsformer. I really love the improvements given to Magnus; he now looks like he'll be stable and posable; he finally has real feet! I also like the more dynamic wings. One of his best new features, however, has been the addition of a matrix chamber AND his own copy of the matrix.
The truck mode looks exactly as it should. Still possessing the capability to carry three deluxe cars, I hope that means that Prowl and X-Brawn are planned along with the Sideburn we know is coming. The Bluebolts weapon system looks great up top. Speaking of which:
Yes indeed, they made Bluebolts into a transformer! I initially thought it would be a core class targetmaster; it's a deluxe weaponizer! He looks very good; I really enjoy the gun barrels serving as his hands. The new head sculpt looks sharp and is reminiscent of Optimus, which is amusing.
Here's the weapon mode. I don't know if Bluebolts can anymore form the two long rifle configurations; they weren't shown, but since he breaks apart maybe it's possible. It also looks like the missiles were dispensed with to allow for more blast effect ports, which I won't complain about too much. Overall, Bluebolts's new functionality is a great new feature and helps add value to the set.
Here we can see how the three robots (excepting the core mode for Optimus) stack up to each other and also with Deathsaurus's alt mode. Bluebolts is a bit taller than Siege Hound at the head, whereas Optimus and Magnus are the same height at the head. If you set Optimus's armor aside, however, we can form...
...Omega Prime! While not the first Optimus Prime combiner - that being God Ginrai/Apex Armor Powermaster Optimus Prime - Omega Prime was the first "modern" example and of course featured full articulation and the like. It also set off a string of successive Optimus combiners, with the Armada, Energon (three different kinds, in this case) and Cyberton each having their own unique takes, some times with not just one extra robot but two, and the specifically Armada-originated Optimus/Jetfire combination would reemerge before the end of the decade during Revenge of the Fallen. Probably due to the size and more premium feel of the detailing and engineering, Omega Prime has pretty much always been seen as the ne plus ultra of the archetype. As I detailed above, though, the original Omega Prime is nowhere near as stable or playable as some of the other Optimus combiners, with pretty much all of the Unicron Trilogy examples being superior in this regard, and hopefully this will be something that changes with the new edition of Omega Prime.
As for the figure itself, I firstly love that the handshake function is still present. This was always a neat aspect of the original, and while I've never watched the show, the fact that it was represented on screen adds to the appeal. The subsequent inversion of the forearms is a great example of partsforming/combining, and even the molded Autobot symbols on the Omega forearms have been improved with better positioning and more standard proportions/shaping.
I do agree with others' assessments that the torso feels long/the hips are low, but I'm not sure if that could have been avoided without more significantly changing how the combination works. I do think it's interesting that they've removed Magnus's hips/upper thighs from the torso, which cleans that area up a bit, and allowed them to replace it with an abdominal piece that recalls more of a traditional Optimus ab-grill. As with Magnus, the wings look much better this time around (and I hope that the jetpack is blast effect-compatible).
Two stretch goals have been introduced, with the first being the Matrix Blade that unlocks at 13,000 backers (10,000 is the minimum needed to fund the base figure set). I was honestly a bit shocked when they brought this out, initially assuming that it was just one of the original Takara swords included as a prop, sort of a "hey, if you still have this from yesteryear, the new one can use it too!" situation, but no - this is a brand new tooling and it's huge. Literally just under two feet long, this will definitely be the largest TF accessory I will own assuming it gets funded. It's like they've wanted to outdo themselves each time for the past three Haslabs - The V-Lock Cannon was pretty huge, and then they boasted about how much bigger the Living Metal Destroying Cannon was by comparison...and now there's this! All three of these, notably, have been stretch goal items, and while fans initially really disliked that for Victory Saber (and I agree that the V-Lock Cannon is a more critical component for Victory Saber than these other weapons are for Deathsaurus or Omega Prime), but in both prior cases it really didn't end up mattering, since the weapons have always been the first stretch goal tier, making them the most likely to be unlocked. And, of course, all tiers have been unlocked in both prior projects anyway.
The second tier stretch goal, unlocked at 16,000 backers, is a pair of display bases, both of which can combine into a single platform. This is intended to represent the Global Space Bridge road system from the cartoon, and while in some respects I think it's a bit visually underwhelming compared to Victory Saber's base, I do appreciate that it, like Deathsaurus's base, represents a real object. Also, the simple fact that two bases are included is great since this set includes two large-scale robots, whereas Victory Leo didn't really warrant his own unique base in the same way that Ultra Magnus does. Also, the combined platform makes for a good alt mode display base, something that wasn't needed in the same way for Victory Saber and Deathsaurus, as neither of them turned into ground vehicles.
As with every other Haslab, this set is controversial, though for some unique reasons this time. Unicron made sense as a Haslab just because of the scale and cost being untenable for normal retail, and both Victory Saber and Deathsaurus will sold on the notion that their design, features and scale would be compromised under normal retail price points. For example, both were originally considered for Power of the Primes leader class, and while those older leaders were larger than more recent offerings, they still wouldn't have captured these toys the way the Haslab projects have. Deathsaurus was later considered for an SS86 Grimlock retool, which made some sense considering their design similarities, but he would have been too small to really square off with Victory Saber.
Many of the complaints focus on the fact that this set includes an Optimus Prime, especially with Evan's "no Optimus Haslabs" comments in the background. I do think Evan was right that a Generation 1 Optimus would never need the Haslab model to justify production of a special release, but RiD Optimus is kind of niche. His only previous toy aside from the original was the Titanium Series toy (which was actually pretty neat), and even it was released way back in 2007 in a pretty unpopular toyline and of course not in a more typical scale. Even the RiD Optimus and Megatron Robot Heroes figurine set was cancelled. RiD, as a series, has suffered a bit from not having its cartoon be available for easy viewing since its original airing and also from its fairly small character roster, which meant that there weren't a ton of characters/toys to revisit in the first place. Sky-byte and Scourge have really been the most successful in setting a legacy, with both getting a few new toys over the years and remaining popular characters. As such, I don't know that a RiD Optimus was going to be as likely to get a normal retail release as compared to Optimus - though I will say that the willingness to do Magmatron at normal retail throws a wrench in this logic, at least a bit. Even so, it would be difficult to achieve the same level of execution as the Haslab project through normal retail. Yes, both RiD Optimus and Magnus could, with some level of feature pruning, have been done in the Commander class. But both would be part of Legacy (or its future equivalent), not the new SS86 Commander class - meaning that we would be looking at least a year delay between getting one and then the other. People have already not been too happy about this approach with Legacy Armada Megatron/Tidal Wave and any putative Armada Jetfire or Overload that will hopefully be released to combine with Armada Optimus. In the case of Haslab RiD Omega Prime, none of this is now a concern.
I'll make a similar argument here for Omega Prime that I did for Victory Saber - the Haslab offering allows for feature-completeness. I just brought up Legacy Armada Optimus Prime. He's a wonderful figure, my figure of the year for 2023 and probably the best retail Commander class toy. And yet, he doesn't include a mini-con, and again, Jetfire and Overload are nowhere in sight - at least for now. If Star Saber won the PotP fan choice contest, we wouldn't have Victory Leo/Saber and also I'm sure the brainmaster function would be gone, or at best just replaced by the Titans Return headmaster system. In no possible world does a retail Deathsaurus reach the size of the Haslab while also including so many accessories. I would be really interested to see what a retail neo-RiD Omega Prime would look like, just for curiosity's sake, but I'm also glad that corners weren't cut. I don't consider the lack of spring-loaded gimmicks or electronics to be a negative, and aside from those things, the Haslab does everything the original did and more - and it does it better.
Also, a note about pricing. $250 is a lot of money. Even the newer $200 price for Legacy titans has put me off from purchasing Cybertron Metroplex and Nemesis despite liking both - though Tidal Wave is appealing enough for me to buy it outright. However, a Haslab purchase can't be perfectly compared to a Titan class. It makes a lot more sense to compare this with Haslab Victory Saber, as the sets have a lot of similarities. However, Victory saber was a set that essentially broke down into a older-style leader class (or maybe a shorter Commander class) in Star Saber and a newer-style leader class in Victory Leo, along with some pretty decent accessories - V-Lock Cannon, two micromasters, a large shield, display base, and blast effects. It, along with Deathsaurus, came in a bit shy of $200. This also helped them feel like a bit of a value compared to the newer Titan price point, but now Omega Prime is $250. However, everything in this set is big. The core Optimus bot mode is enormous compared to any modern leader figure, to the point that people dislike Velocitron Scourge being too small by comparison. The super mode is bigger than Victory Saber, and Magnus is just a bit shorter. Bluebolts is a full-sized deluxe. Omega Prime himself is again bigger than Victory Saber, and all components are larger than the originals. This is more like getting two commanders and a deluxe, which would be about $205 before taxes at retail. Throw in the enormous sword and both display bases, and you can begin to see why this creeped up to $250. I was a bit hesitant after seeing the color renders, but after seeing the size comparisons, I was sold.
Other objections I've seen are simply chalked up to disinterest, or in some cases, stranger reasons. I've seen a fair number of posts with abnormally strong vitriol for this project, all in spite of its backing progress, which at the time of this edit has just recently crossed the 50% mark a little more than 24 hours after going live. I sympathize with anyone who is upset because they like the set and can't afford it, but I can't shake the impression that some people in that position are then taking their displeasure and using it to fuel undue criticism. I was never going to be able to justify purchasing Haslab Unicron, but I never wanted to it to fail or thought it was a bad project. I am happier that the recent projects have been much cheaper, but can also understand why, after two projects in a row at less than $200 we suddenly get a new one at $250 (this may be compounded by folks who just preordered Titan Tidal Wave a few weeks ago, even though they will be charged for it later in the year compared to the mid-March change for Omega Prime). It also seems like a lot of younger fans are the ones behind some of the negative feedback, and again I partly blame that on RiD's lack of legacy versus Beast Wars/Machines, and the Unicron Trilogy. Older fans who were around at the time (mind, I got into collecting proper about halfway into Armada, early enough for RiD to still be on shelves in some places but after the line proper had concluded) have rightly upheld the line's role in reinvigorating the brand after the less than stellar showing of Beast Machines, while simultaneously continuing the return to vehicles that Beast Machines began. For me at the time, RiD was a nice counterpart to Armada, offering detailed, highly articulated contemporary takes on G1 aesthetics that went in a very different direction from Armada, which was also a neo-G1 in its own distinct way. I imagine that RiD Optimus/Omega Prime was something of a revelation, being the first new take on Optimus Prime - all other versions were either the G1 character or the new, distinct character of Optimus Primal - and done with incredible style.
Lastly, I have to admit that this project, with the near-certainty of its funding goal in sight, certainly begs for more RiD representation in Legacy. I was eager to get Velocitron Scourge despite the inaccurate deco (to me it was close enough), and while I like Tow-Line, I've not purchased him since he's not a major character to me. We could easily get a RiD Sideways from the Arcee/Road Rocket mold even if it's been used many times, and it seems like we are getting a Road Pig from the Crashbar mold, so an Axer repaint could be done there as well. More prominently, we know we are getting Sideburn from Shadow Striker, and of course we'd want Prowl and X-Brawn to complement him and help fill out Magnus's trailer. Also, we now have a growing list of missing rivals, with Leo Prime, Magmatron and Omega Prime missing BWII Galvatron, Big Convoy and Gigatron/RiD Megatron respectively. Of these, I think I'm most anticipating a BWII Galvatron. I really enjoy my original (which I got from eBay in 2009 or so), but I'm sure that it would fall victim to GPS if I messed with it too much; I think he could be successfully done at leader scale. RiD Megatron I have more doubts over, as dropping features has been a common theme with modern updates, so I wonder if Megatron would retain all 6 or 10 modes. I would say that leader class could work for him as well, but I'm not sure, and I've seen a lot of posts saying either commander or Haslab would work best. A lot of folks now want a newer, larger G2 Laser Optimus mold so that we can have a RiD Scourge that scales better with Haslab Omega Prime. I don't fault people for this, but I already now own the Legacy Laser Optimus mold three times over (and would absolutely buy SG Optimus and G2 Magnus versions as well), so I'm not really sure if I want this. I do think those that want the RiD trainbots are being too optimistic, as much as I enjoy those designs. A better mold for Skybyte would be nice.
To summarize, I haven't backed Omega Prime yet (I'm now finally posting on day 3), but I plan to. I have now doubt that the set will meet all of its goals and I'll be excited for it to arrive next year.
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