Power of the Primes Nemesis Prime and Predaking land, and Brian calls Predaking’s individual robots kind of garbage. Ahead of SDCC, Hasbro teases a War for Cybertron subline that looks like “Siege” and a new axe-wielding Optimus Prime. Walmart lines up more G1 reissues, and TakaraTomy’s Encore Unicron of Light is confirmed. Masterpiece Beast Wars Megatron also turns out cheaper than feared, at about $227 shipped from Amazon Japan.
News
MP-43 Beast Wars Megatron Official Images and Interview
Last week’s 35,000 yen scare turns out to be wrong. Ant at TFU.info shared that Amazon Japan lists Masterpiece Beast Wars Megatron at 26,000 yen, and the price drops once Japan’s sales tax comes off for a foreign address. With shipping, it works out to about $227. Later, a designer interview reveals TakaraTomy sized Masterpiece Optimus Primal around how big it planned to make Megatron. A Dengeki Hobby photo shows Megatron much bigger than his show model suggests. [Source: TFormers]
SDCC 2018 Transformers Hasbro Panel: Generations War for Cybertron, Bumblebee and More
Several hosts plan to livestream the Hasbro panel on July 19. It should preview War for Cybertron, the Bumblebee movie and Cyberverse. One host has watched overseas reviews of the Cyberverse Warrior Class figures and says the gimmick limits the figures, like Armada’s Mini-Cons did. Another suggests Hasbro wants more distance between Generations and its cartoon line, since Robots in Disguise Warriors often lingered on shelves. [Source: TFormers]
SDCC 2018: War for Cybertron Trilogy Reveal Teased With Possible First Subline Title
A poster glimpsed in an Instagram video shows the letters G and E. The crew agrees “Siege” fits the spacing perfectly, and that Hasbro’s teases are never accidental. [Source: TFormers]
SDCC 2018: New Optimus Prime Toy Teaser
Hasbro Pulse posted a silhouette of a new Optimus Prime with an axe. The crew is shocked, shocked, that it is another Optimus Prime. One host wonders whether it is a Generations-level take on the Cyberverse design, since that Prime also has an axe gimmick. [Source: TFormers]
Official Throne of the Primes and Bumblebee Hasbro Toy Shop Exclusives Coming August 13th
The SDCC exclusives arrive on Hasbro Toy Shop on August 13, limited to two per household. Throne of the Primes Optimal Optimus is $70, and the Bumblebee set with cassettes is $60. Rob calls $70 fair after last year’s Primitive Skateboarding Prime. Jason agrees the price is fair but prefers the regular release colors. The crew hopes DNA Design’s upgrade kit will fit both versions. [Source: TFormers]
SDCC 2018: Wizards of the Coast Transformers Trading Card Game Announced
The crew likes the art but doubts many Transformers fans will cross over. Rob knows people who love both Magic and Transformers. Another host would only get hooked if cards came packed with figures. Brian recalls promising to buy DropMix after HasCon, then passing it up on clearance. [Source: TFormers]
Official Images of Repugnus and Punch/Counterpunch Generations Figures
Punch/Counterpunch is an entirely new mold, while Repugnus retools Twinferno. One host expects these to reach most retailers rather than just Amazon. Another explains Punch/Counterpunch has no combiner port because the car hood folds into the torso. One host prefers Repugnus and is glad to finish his Deluxe Monsterbots. Another is impressed by everything Punch/Counterpunch pulls off at Deluxe size. Robot Kingdom expects Repugnus on August 1, and the crew praises MackTackle’s digibashes of the mold as Pointblank and as Drift and Deadlock. [Source: TFormers]
More Exclusive G1 Reissues Coming From Walmart: Starscream, Autobot Mini-Vehicles, Devastator
Brian calls most of it unnecessary for longtime collectors. Starscream comes with the Megatron gun accessory, which differs from the old Commemorative Series release. The mini-vehicles retread an Encore set, and Robot Kingdom prices suggest about $40 for Starscream and $80 for Devastator. One host would love a purple G1 Galvatron at US retail. [Source: TFormers]
Unicron of Light Confirmed: Transformers Encore Unicron Stock Photos
The Lucky Draw-inspired Unicron is $200 with a new, clearer deco, and Diecast has already preordered it. One host warns the last Unicron reissue is not holding up, and clear plastic on that mold sounds risky. Another loves the look but does not want the mold again. [Source: TFormers]
TakaraTomy December Power of the Primes and Masterpiece Stock Photos
TakaraTomy will release Wreck-Gar and Nemesis Prime at the end of the year, giving fans who miss the Hasbro versions a second chance at about twice the price. The crew swoons again over Masterpiece Beast Wars Megatron’s paint. [Source: TFormers]
Transform Element TE-01: Another Unofficial Masterpiece-Size Optimus Prime
The unpainted prototype reminds the crew of a bar of oatmeal soap. The vehicle mode is nice apart from gaps by the wheels. One host says these third-party Primes hit a checklist of Optimus features without capturing what makes him Optimus Prime. [Source: TFormers]
JiangXing JX-MetalBeast-01 Winged Dragon, an Unofficial Transmetal 2 Megatron
It looks nice, though one host found the show’s Transmetal 2 Megatron a step down from Transmetal Megatron and expects it to be overpriced. [Source: TFormers]
YouTube Has the Power of the Primes Machinima Cartoon
With go90 shutting down, the Power of the Primes cartoon now lives on YouTube. The crew liked the series until a disappointing final episode. [Source: TFormers]
What’s on TFormers
Rob reports Universal Studios is auditioning live performers to voice Optimus Prime and Megatron, ideally both at once. [Source: TFormers] The first Predacon review covers Torox and Headstrong together. [Source: TFormers] Chris reviewed Unicron #0, thanks to copies from Alex Milne. [Source: TFormers] Rob reviewed Optimus Prime #20. [Source: TFormers]
What We Got This Week
Brian
Brian got Power of the Primes Nemesis Prime and plans to add Toyhax Decepticon symbols to the shoulders to match the box photo. He also got Predaking. The combined mode is okay, but he calls the individual robots kind of garbage and suggests waiting for a discount.
Rob
Rob found Power of the Primes Slash at Walmart and likes the articulation. He also needs a new Tailgate, since his lost its windshield.
Jason Kirk
Jason got Nemesis Prime and, with an eBay coupon, Studio Series Starscream, which he loves. He is skipping Studio Series Megatron.
Matt
Matt got Nemesis Prime and finally found the Prime Master Submariner. He preordered the wave 3 Prime Masters. His Grand Maximus is out of the box, with tolerances between Fortress Maximus and Trypticon.
Don
Don’s Transformers pickups are Outback, Cindersaur and Hearts of Steel Bumblebee. He also used an eBay coupon to get TakaraTomy’s transforming Millennium Falcon crossover for a little under Japanese retail.
Diecast
Diecast got Hearts of Steel Bumblebee, which is nearly Deluxe-sized. He also got DX9’s Dutch, whose tight leg panels pull the legs off the hip joints, plus a small third-party Bumblebee that he loves. Both are reviewed on RFC Reviews. He spent four hours applying an Exhaust sticker kit and paid about $100 for Energon Unicron.
Radio Free Cybertron is the world's first and oldest toy and action figure podcast — broadcasting from the heart of the Transformers fan community since October 1999. What started as a scrappy fan show has grown into an institution, with nearly 1,000 episodes and over 25 years of coverage. Every week, host Brian Kilby and the RFC crew dig into the latest Transformers news, toy reveals, collecting, and everything hitting shelves from Hasbro, Takara, and beyond. No fluff, no hype — just informed, passionate collectors who have been doing this longer than anyone else on the planet. The original. The longest running. Till all are one.
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