COUNTDOWN: New Haslab project – 12 Victory toys it could be

Unless you’ve been residing in the furthest reaches of the galaxy over the last few years or so, it cannot have escaped your notice that Hasbro Pulse recently dropped the first Transformers project from their Haslab crowdfunding platform. Yep, I am of course referring to the chaos bringer himself, Unicron!

The toy finally arrived this year to much fanfare after what seemed like an eternity (worth waiting through!) of development news and photos. Although the dust has just settled, it appears as though Hasbro Pulse isn’t wasting any time as they just revealed the first teaser for the next Haslab project!

Next Haslab project teaser. V for Victoreeeee. pic.twitter.com/PT0J6oFV5a

— Sixo (@SixoTF) July 14, 2021

It doesn’t tell us much, but it’s a clear indication of one thing – that’s the Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory logo from 1989, meaning that whatever it is will clearly take influence from the accompanying line of Takara-exclusive toys. How exciting!

So, whether you’re unfamiliar with the characters on the roster or you’re a bit of a dab hand when it comes to the dubbed cartoon, today we’re counting down the potential candidates, including how likely it is to be them! Here we go…

 

#12: Galaxy Shuttle

On the one hand, it might seem like a massive lad such as Galaxy Shuttle would be a shoo-in for the Haslab crowdfunding approach, especially given that he’s almost as large as some city bots when it comes to the fictional side of things. However, there’s nothing to indicate that it’s necessarily going to be a massive toy (despite that being the case with Unicron) but merely one where Hasbro might prefer the crowd approach as a way to guarantee preorders. Besides, as cool as Galaxy Shuttle looks and as much as the original toy is a bit of a coveted item, the character in this case is a bit of a one-note no-name. He only appears in his humanoid form on sparse occasions and really doesn’t do all that much when he does.

Odds of it being him? 300/1.

 

#11: Black Shadow

The original Black Shadow toy is a fairly extensive retool of G1 Thunderwing, although has gone on to command some ludicrous prices on the secondary market in the years since release, alongside his partner in crime, Blue Bacchus. However, he didn’t appear all that much in the Victory cartoon and, given that this guy has already received no less than two modern updates in toy form (including Generations efforts in both 2011 and 2018), it seems unlikely that he’d be the candidate for a high profile new project.

Odds on this one… let’s say 250/1.

 

#10: Greatshot

I mean, if it were up to me then Greatshot would be talked about a whole lot more than he is! I recently did a couple of articles on the G1 toy, which remains a personal favourite of mine for how it really makes the most of the already-excellent original Sixshot design. Greatshot isn’t just a mere repaint, however – this guy actually *is* Sixshot, given new form as an Autobot and a brief redemption arc all of his own. With an interesting backstory and six modes of awesome, you might think he could have a great (bah) shot (oof) at being the next Haslab candidate, were it not for him having already received a new toy in 2018.

Giving this one odds of 200/1.

 

#9: Blue Bacchus

If Black Shadow is a high-priced darling of today’s aftermarket, he’s got nothing on this blue boy. Bacchus is one that can command silly sums on a good day, although the toy itself is actually a retool of the fairly common G1 Crossblades. Like Black Shadow, he didn’t have the most amount of screentime, but arguably what sets him apart slightly is that he’s never had a new toy in all the years since 1989. Could this be his big chance?

Er, doubt it. Odds of 100/1 on this guy.

 

#8: Landcross

There are two kinds of people. Those who have experienced the unadulterated joy of handling a G1 Landcross toy at some point in their life, and everyone else. If you have been lucky enough to fall into the first camp, you’ll know that this lad is one for the ages, with the ‘Multiforce’ combination gimmick offering all kinds of potential beyond just your standard Big Man mode. Each of the six robots is distinct on its own, but can then sync up with a partner in a Superlink-style debate of who becomes the trousers, making for endless play value. It’s hard not to ponder the epic potential of a full-on Haslab redo here, especially as it’s another character that’s never been redone since the original (and its subsequent reissue), although something tells me it’s sadly not to be on this occasion. As fun as Landcross is, he’s hardly a big draw in terms of profile, for starters.

Giving this one a very disappointing but probably realistic 50/1.

 

#7: Road Caesar

If like me, you grew up with at least one of the European-exclusive 1991 Motorvator team, it may have come as a bit of a surprise when you eventually learnt that they began life as this mysterious Japanese toy named after a healthy lunch option, especially given how the Western team omitted the signature combining gimmick! Since then, Road Caesar has gone on to become a bit more well-known by casual Transformers fans the world over, despite still never having another toy to his name since the 1989 original. Could Haslab finally deliver an updated take with all the goofy, awkward charm of the first attempt? He was one of the more memorable characters from the cartoon, so it could happen… gonna go 30/1 on this one.

 

#6: Dinoking

If you’ve ever sat down to appreciate (in every sense of the word) the Victory cartoon, then chances are you’re already familiar with Dinoking! After all, the Dinoforce and their combined mode crop up frequently, apportioning their time as credible threat and outright comedy relief in equal measure. The toy itself was a straight-up repaint of the Hasbro Pretender Monster combiner, Monstructor, though the big difference here was the shells that each of the team members could be stuffed into. Instead of squishy monsters, this time you had rubbery dinosaurs, all replete with painfully 1980s-looking armour that really made them feel like a bit of a Dino-Riders rip-off. None of that is to take away from the sheer awesomeness that this set represents, however, nor its standing as one of the more desirable G1 toys on today’s secondary market.

Dinoking has yet to be given an updated toy and one can immediately see the potential those shells could have for a high profile Haslab project. I’d personally love to see this one happen, although it still feels like a bit of an outsider at 20/1.

 

#5: Liokaiser

Here’s what you need to know about Liokaiser. First, the character is awesome. He’s not only one of the more heavily-armed Decepticon combiners from Generation 1, but he’s one of the most capable and intelligent to boot, and could absolutely beat up most of the other contenders on this list (and probably their dads, too). Secondly, the individual characters are also pretty awesome, and along with their combined form, all received a ton of screentime in the Victory cartoon. Thirdly, the original toy is legendary in many respects, both for being one of *the best* combining figures from the original Transformers line (no joke) but also for its desirability amongst collectors and its fragility due to right leg, Killbison’s GPS tendencies. Fourthly, no other toy made of this guy since (official or non) has ever really done any of that justice. Fifthly, a Haslab update could well be one of the most awe-inspiring new projects on the Transformers slate over the next year or more.

Odds on it being the big man? Let’s say 10/1.

 

#4: Deathsaurus

Here’s a fact for you – you cannot share photos of Deathsaurus online with other Transformers fans without at least one person replying with ‘ROBOT DEATH CHICKEN!’ or words of similar excitement. I’m sure that’s not the kind of reputation the character in question would like for his legacy, but the Internet is a harsh mistress, after all. Besides, Deathsaurus still maintains a sense of awe amongst collectors, both for being one of the most credible Decepticon commanders of any franchise fiction but also for boasting a hugely desirable toy that’s never been bettered by any update in the years since. Besides, how metal is that name? Just saying it is a fun experience – DEATHSAURUS.

He’s got the cred, he’s got the reputation, he’s got the weird dragon/chicken alternate mode quirkiness, and he’s got the need to be done justice in modern form. Make it happen, Haslab. 5/1

 

#3: Victory Leo

Victory Leo could be a fun choice for the Haslab treatment but do we really need another new Optimus Prime toy, eh? Woah, woah, ok – before the wailing and gnashing and the posting of links to TFWiki starts, yes, I know that’s not really true. However, Leo here is one of the more idiosyncratic character choices for being the overhauled form of Ginrai, the successor to Optimus (or Convoy) in the Japanese continuity and the Takara equivalent of the original Powermaster Optimus Prime toy. Still with me? If not, don’t worry, as he’s a pretty cool design even without all the canonical baggage, and transforms into both a lion and a spaceship-thingy. There was a Robotmasters update of this guy back in 2004, but he’s well overdue a new design and this could well be his chance. 3/1

 

#2: Star Saber

Even if you know virtually nothing about any of the various Japanese Transformers series from the ’80s and early ’90s, the chances are you’ve heard the name Star Saber. The main protagonist for the Victory series, the greatest swordsman in the universe and the most unconventional adoptive parent a small boy could wish for, he’s also effortlessly cool and a welcome change from putting an Optimus archetype in command of the good guys all the time. His star (I know) has been on the rise in recent years too, especially with 2015’s Masterpiece effort having forced a lot of Western fans into learning a bit more about him in an effort to decide just how complete their collections really needed to be. The answer for a lot of people at the time was ‘not very’, as although that toy was a hit in its native Japan, it didn’t quite resonate as well elsewhere. That may be cause enough for Hasbro to have decided the crowdfunding approach is the preferred option to help realise a new take on the character, and with his status as Victory poster boy, it feels like this is one we should probably prepare ourselves for. Odds of 1/1.

 

#1: Victory Saber

But wait, there’s more! Ok yeah, I’m kind of cheating a little bit with this one, but why not, eh? Besides, if the recent rumours are to be believed then it will in fact be the combined form of both Victory Leo and Star Saber that will be getting the Haslab treatment after all, meaning that the souped-up form of the so-called Victory Saber could well be on the horizon! Word on the street is that Star Saber will be the ‘main’ figure used for the crowdfund, with Victory Leo representing some sort of ‘stretch’ target incentive, so there’ll need to be quite a few backers on board in order for them both to be made if indeed that’s true. It’s not been confirmed yet but all of this seems to be falling into place at this point, so we’re going odds of 1/4 on this one!

 

So, that’s our list! Are you excited for the upcoming Haslab reveal? Whatever happens, it sounds like this is going to be one victory we can all share in.

TTFN