SDCC 2023 rolls out this week and thanks to Hasbro who just sent us the full previews of the Erial & Dion War Dawn 2-Pack from Transformers Legacy Evolution. Check out the official images of the figures and their packaging in the gallery below. We'll be covering the news from SDCC all week long, so be sure to check back for news and preorders updates from the convention.
Release Date: Summer 2023
Witness the dawn of the Cybertronian war with theTransformers War Dawn 2-Pack! From the iconic animated series, The Transformers, this multipack comes with 5.5-inch Cybertronian Erial and Dion action figures with 2 blasters, missile launcher, and Energon canteen accessories. Each figure converts from robot mode to vehicle alt mode (convert Cybertronian Erial robot to Cybertronian motorcycle mode in 19 steps; Cybertronian Dion robot to Cybertronian truck mode in 20 steps).
The package art is inspired by the scene in The Transformerswhere dockworkers Orion Pax, Erial, and Dion are struck down during a Decepticon raid at the docks. Available exclusively at San Diego Comic-Con. Attendees can visit the Hasbro Pulse Desk at the Hasbro Booth (#3213) to receive a one-time use code, which can then be scanned to pre-order. One code per customer. Limited quantities will be available to pre-order on HasbroPulse.com after the convention. While supplies last.
While I don't like Orion and Dion sharing a mold, Dion looks really good. Better than Orion for that matter since there's more retooling that's gone into it. Had Orion had new arms as well then I'd like it more. But as these in hand images show, using PotP Orion won't work either. While it looks better in robot mode and is a different mold than Dion, it's too big and well, the vehicle mode is that of Optimus, not Orion. If only TR Orion was retooled to better resemble Orion like SS86 Kup was. And T30 Orion doesn't look like G1 Orion so that's not really an option either even if that mold still holds up. Dion looks better overall though since SS86 Kup's design works better for Dion's character model than it does for Orion's.
Ariel looks okayish I guess. I mean the robot mode of Legacy Prime Arcee looks somewhat like G1 Ariel but that's about it. It's just a passing resemblance at most. This is more "shoehorning" it to work more than anything. While not as bad as Tow-Line, it's still pretty bad. What doesn't help is that the mold in general isn't that great. I don't hate it but having three versions already is more than enough, even if there's still others I'd want from this as well and Ariel was never one of them. It wouldn't make sense to use the Elita-1/Minerva mold since we know Ariel and Elita have different bodies entirely and the mold would need quite a bit of retooling to make it work. So there's the real problem, there aren't any other mold to really use at that point. Siege Chromia or SS86 Arcee wouldn't work and Blackarachnia and Airazor really wouldn't work. Possibly Siege Arcee? More "shoehorning" though but at least it's a more solid robot mode and is easy to mod. It's not like Elita-1 is using that mold anymore either lol. Going from a retooled Arcee car to the Elita/Minerva car would seem like an upgrade too and work better than a motorcycle being upgraded into a car. Maybe be just need Hasbro to stop being scared and do Elita as a voyager again but as her own mold and not based on around another character like Minerva or Starscream. PotP Elita is okay but she's too tall now with the new scale since Siege. She towers over Optimus.
I'm still going to get the set though. I'm just typing down my thoughts.