Chris reviews nearly all of Transformers: War for Cybertron Earthrise wave 1, from the tiny but clever Cliffjumper to a precise, demanding Starscream. TakaraTomy shows Masterpiece MP-51 Arcee and MP-50 Tigatron at Winter Wonderfest 2020, and Don’s long-shot prediction of a Masterpiece Arcee comes true. VIZ Media adds a third volume of Transformers: The Manga, due in October. Plus a look at the Earthrise space map hidden in the packaging.
News
Winter Wonderfest 2020: MP-51 Masterpiece Arcee Photo Roundup
TakaraTomy revealed Masterpiece Arcee as MP-51 at 14,000 yen, about $135. Brian credits Don’s prediction, which only missed the number by one. Don calls the car mode immaculate and likes the robot mode, and another host calls it the best Arcee vehicle mode yet. He wants to see the accessories, since the announced price matches Hound’s, and he hopes for a Headmaster Daniel. The crew expects a display stand, given her tiny feet and large backpack. One host objects to the rounded midsection and thighs, which are not animation-accurate. Paradron Medic and Nightbird come up as likely repaints. [Source: TFormers]
Winter Wonderfest 2020: MP-50 Beast Wars Masterpiece Tigatron Photo Roundup
Masterpiece Tigatron was the surprise of the show. Don calls Tigatron his favorite Beast Wars character. He notes the figure builds on Masterpiece Cheetor’s engineering, scaled up, but uses the real tiger head on the robot chest and adds more leg joints. He also likes the metallic green, which recalls the Telemocha version. Despite a price over 20,000 yen, Don will cherry-pick Tigatron from the Beast Wars Masterpiece line. Matt is not interested. The crew jokes about a Snowstalker accessory. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers: The Manga Volume 3 Hits Amazon Preorders
VIZ Media’s third volume is due in October, with volume 1 out next month. Brian has wanted to read this material for years and preordered right away. The chat reports volume 3 is billed as the final volume, so the crew hopes it reaches Victory, Zone and Battlestars, and ideally Operation Combination. [Source: TFormers]
War for Cybertron: Earthrise Space Map
Every Earthrise deluxe, Voyager and Leader includes a piece of a space map in the tray, with a red decoder strip. Micromasters print theirs on the card back. Chris warns that Astrotrain owners would need the Earthrise version for a complete map, and he expects Hasbro to release a full poster version someday. [Source: TFormers]
Chris Reviews Earthrise Wave 1
Cliffjumper is a little bigger than a Legends toy but packs deluxe-level engineering. Its hands hold the roof panel in car mode, and Chris found the first transformation a satisfying challenge. Paint scraped off the red-painted shoulders, and the bazooka doubles as car parts. He believes the mold could be reused for a Bumblebee with an Exo-Suit Spike.
Wheeljack has small wings that peg in at 5mm, so aftermarket wings would be easy. Windshield pieces in the legs must move at just the right moment, and tight tolerances make the car panels hard to close at first. The sponsor tampos are clean, and a mystery keyed port sits on the shoulder launcher.
Hoist is like a Rice Krispie, big but mostly air, with hollow limbs and odd shoulders. Chris cannot get the tow truck to sit level and has seen others report the same problem. It is the weakest deluxe, but he still looks forward to Trailbreaker on the same body. He also notes rivets have replaced most screws across the line.
Ironworks is base mode first and robot second, with parts that can be rearranged into other builds. Chris liked it enough to buy two.
Starscream has an impressive jet mode, but the legs must be set exactly three steps early or the jet will not lock. A pelvis panel spoils the robot mode, and the chest has unavoidable gaps. He misses the classic jet-engine heels, yet he is happy with it at the Voyager price.
Grapple is blocky, simple and safe. Chris filed down two tight pegs that others have reported breaking, and he likes the flip-around hands with 5mm ports.
Optimus Prime has a desaturated red and slightly high hips. The whole front of the truck folds into the chest, which Chris finds novel. The bland gray trailer and repair drone need labels or a light wash, but he still sees it as better value than Astrotrain. The Matrix has a 5mm port, and the chunky rifle looks right.
What We Got This Week
Brian
Brian has spent the week checking Targets for Earthrise. He found a store where someone had swapped a Siege Hound into a Cliffjumper box. He picked up Studio Series Soundwave for its robot mode. He also bought five Cyberverse figures despite trying to trim his collection, including Ramjet, Dead End, and One Step Changer Repugnus and Bludgeon. He calls Repugnus and Bludgeon great for one-step toys.
Chris
Chris now has nearly all of Earthrise wave 1, everything except Battle Master Sound Barrier, reviewed above.
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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