Hello everyone. I have a theory supported with some tentative data that may explain why certain MUSCLE sculpts were made/not made in certain colors. That is, while the MUSCLE Color Code can predict which sculpts will be found in which colors (and which sculpts will not be found in which colors) we don't know the reason for these patterns. We know the patterns, but not why the patterns exist.
Like I said, I have a theory that may explain why the patterns exist, and some tentative data to support this theory. The problem is 1) good information is hard to come by, and 2) I haven't had the time to search/ask for it.
So, I wanted to post what I have so far here at LRG in the hopes that someone else might be able to use this idea and the data to finally figure out the reason for MCC pattern.
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A set of 4 28-packs is the largest unit
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20 trees/molds per set
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Each set was guaranteed to have all 8 colors (we think)
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There were 112 unique sculpts in a 28-pack set
A tree/mold is the smallest unit
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The number of sculpts a tree had does not appear to be a factor at all
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That is, they focused on the 20 trees/molds
There were three “color” waves
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Flesh (1)
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Flesh, R, DB, and P (4)
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R, DB, P, S, LB, M, O, G (8)
The Kinnikuman line seems to have had two waves
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Flesh (1)
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O, G, B, Y (4)
Thus, the number four seems significant
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Number of machines?
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Number of colors the main machine could handle at once?
One case of 28-packs contained x2 28-pack Set for a total of 8 28-packs
Each Set had 4 28-packs with a unique color combo for that Set.
Stores could order varying number of cases. Each case would contain a unique set.
1 Case - Set 1 - 8 total packs (224 sculpts)
2 Case - Sets 1 and 2 - 16 total packs (448 sculpts)
3 Case - Sets 1, 2, and 3 - 24 total packs (672 sculpts)
4 Case - Sets 1, 2, 3, and 4 - 32 total packs (896 sculpts)
5 Case - Sets 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 - 40 total packs (1120 sculpts)
6 Case - Sets 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 - 48 total packs (1344 sculpts)
28-pack sets that went to stores with 4, 5, and 6 case orders will be uncommon and rare, because fewer stores will have made such orders.
MM - 5 Trees - 5 Colors per 28-pack (28* total sum unique colors each Tree in 28-pack)
CC - 5 Trees - 5 Colors per 28-pack (28 total sum unique colors each Tree in 28-pack)
CS - 6 Trees - 6 Colors per 28-pack (24 total sum unique colors each Tree in 28-pack - I think 4 colors were “double dipped”)
TB - 4 Trees - 4 Colors per 28-pack (24 total sum unique colors each Tree in 28-pack - I think four colors were “double dipped”)
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No Tree in any of the 28-packs was cast in fewer than 4 colors
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No Tree in any of the 28-packs was cast in more than 6 colors
Production Scenario: Think of a set of 4 28-packs as a set of 20 molds. These 20 molds must go into a Case. They want all 8 colors to be represented at least once in the 20 molds. There’s no way they did complicated math to make sure they did this. I think they simply pumped out the 8 colors 2.5 times until all 20 molds were done. Something like this:
M1 = Mold One, M2 = Mold Two, etc
Mighty Mauler
M1 - Red
M2 - D. Blue
M3 - Purple
M4 - Salmon
M5 - Magenta
Cosmic Crunch
M6 - Green
M7 - Orange
M8 - Light Blue
M9 - Repeat 1 - Red
M10 - D. Blue
Cosmic Showdown
M11 - Purple
M12 - Salmon
M13 - Magenta
M14 - Green
M15 - Orange
M16 - Light Blue
Thug Busters
M17 - Repeat 2 - Red
M18 - Dark Blue
M19 - Purple
M20 - Salmon
All colors will get used twice, 4 colors will get used 3 times. I do have the breakdown of how often each color is represented in the 28-packs. This could tell us which order the colors were cast in: which colors were used twice and which were used thrice.
Boom! Confirmation (I think). Bellatrix posted (what may be a) 28-pack set on LRG. (This post is here on LRG somewhere but I can't find it.):
I have 4 sealed 28 packs.
Set #1 has Green, Light blue, Dark Blue and purple.
Set #2 has Green, light blue, Orange, Salmon, and magenta.
Set #3 has Red, Purple, Light blue, Green and Dark blue.
Set #4 has Orange, salmon, Purple, Dark Blue and Magenta.
Just like I predicted, 4 colors were used just twice, and four were used 3 times!
Ok, I applied the “2.5 dips of all 8 colors cast in a row” method to Bellatrix’s set. Here’s what it looks like:
Orange text - First Repeat
Red text - Second Repeat
1 Might Maulers (5 trees)
1 - Green
2 - L Blue
3 - D Blue
4 - Purple
5 - Red
2 Cosmic Crushers (5 trees)
6 - Magenta
7 - Salmon
8 - Orange
9 - Green
10 - L Blue
3 Cosmic Showdown (6 trees)
11 - D Blue
12 - Purple
13 - Red
14 - Magenta
15 - Salmon
16 - Orange
4 Thug Busters (4 trees)
17 - Green
18 - L Blue
19 - D Blue
20 - Purple
If we can find another 28-pack set, we should be able to suss out this same type of pattern. What would be super helpful would be a mint case filled with 28-packs sets (a group of 4 28-packs). The reason a case is importtant is because we would then know for sure that the 4 28-packs were a set -- let's call it a "Factory Set." This won't work with 4 random 28-packs, even if they are mint. The idea is that all 4 28-packs (Mighty Maulers, Cosmic Crunchers, Cosmic Showdown, and Thug Busters) were made together as one Factory Set.
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Did they arrange the 20 trees/molds the same way for each 28-pack set? (Looks like no)
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Did they cast the colors in the same order for each 28-pack set? (Looks like no)
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Current “evidence” indicates they kept the mold order the same for two 28-pack sets, but switched color order for each set.
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They may have then switched the mold order for an additional two sets, and switched the colors again.
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We need more 28-packs and preferably a set or two (or three) to confirm.
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It looks like they used a different method for the Flesh/Color 28-pack sets. It was always Flesh that got double and even triple dipped…
It looks like they made each 28-pack in Red, Purple, and D Blue, and whatever trees were left they made in Flesh. Simple. Easy.
Edited by Soupie, 01 August 2014 - 12:19 PM.