Hasbro’s 10/27 Pulse stream delivered the first look at Studio Series 86 Devastator, with Scrapper and Bonecrusher leading the way and preorders selling out fast. The same stream previewed Age of the Primes Megatronus the Fallen, which the crew calls a heavily Dreamwave-inspired winner. Hasbro’s Q3 report names Transformers a growth brand even as revenue falls 15 percent. The crew also covers MCM London’s Studio Series reveals, an Evan interview on test shots and combiners, Takara Tomy’s new Wild King line, and Studio Series 86 Galvatron next to Legacy. In What We Got This Week, Brian struggles with Blokees blind boxes and Rob raids Ollie’s for Beast Alliance sets.

News

Hasbro’s Q3 2024 Earnings Name Transformers a Growth Brand

Hasbro’s Q3 earnings report called out Transformers as a growth brand. Overall revenue fell 15 percent, or 9 percent excluding the sale of Entertainment One. Hasbro came in 1.4 percent under plan and reported $87 million in cost savings for the quarter, $177 million year to date. Diecast expected worse and noted the plan was fairly realistic. The crew wondered whether last week’s layoffs fall in this quarter or the next. One host thinks the Transformers One line helped, but not the way the Rise of the Beasts line lifted sales. [Source: TFW2005 Boards]

Hasbro Pulse 10/27 Event Reveals Studio Series 86 Devastator

The 10/27 stream showed an unpainted, first-stage test shot of Studio Series 86 Devastator, plus Bonecrusher and Scrapper. It was billed for Pulse Premium members but hit YouTube about a day later. One host’s only quibble is the low-sitting chest wing, which an aftermarket adapter could fix. Don appreciated Hasbro’s transparency: Scrapper is a $35 Voyager because he needs a ratcheting torso joint to bear Devastator’s weight. Hasbro also laid out its plan for sets B and C and showed the complete combiner. Bonecrusher and Scrapper stand about as tall as Studio Series 86 Ironhide. Hasbro has no gift set planned soon, so early buyers won’t feel burned. Matt and Chris want G2 orange, and a Tonkanator-style yellow version would also be welcome. Preorders sold out within hours, though Bonecrusher popped back up on Amazon. [Source: TFW2005]

Age of the Primes Megatronus the Fallen Previewed

The stream also previewed Age of the Primes Leader Megatronus the Fallen. Don first assumed it reused the Legacy Armada Megatron mold, but Chris pointed out it shares nothing with it. Chris sees Siege Megatron’s engineering upscaled to Leader size, without shared parts. He also thinks the tank’s barrel hints at a Studio Series 86 Megatron partial coming later. One host expects third-party Megatrons or upgrade kits if that figure misses the mark, since New Age’s Romulus runs a bit short. One host loves the Dreamwave-inspired furnace look, the first since the Titanium Series figure, plus the clear flame effects. The crew isn’t excited about the 13 Primes, but Megatronus looks like a must-buy. Box art also teases a G2-styled Liege Maximo and a Star Convoy with a Powermaster Optimus Prime chest. [Source: TFW2005]

MCM London Comic Con Studio Series Reveals

Hasbro’s MCM London panel revealed a Bumblebee movie Bumblebee, Rise of the Beasts Apelinq, Gamer Edition Ironhide, Dark of the Moon Que and Age of Extinction Knight Optimus Prime. One host explained the new Bumblebee is partly retooled to match the final film model, though the door wings still can’t fully hide. The figures were hard to see against the Space Bridge background on a projection screen. Hasbro said the Knight Optimus Prime render is missing some color. One host has a soft spot for Apelinq, and the Jazz on display is a package refresh. [Source: TFW2005]

Toys Are Russ Talks With Hasbro’s Evan

In an interview with Toys Are Russ, Hasbro’s Evan explained that engineering pilot test shots are resin castings of a master 3D print. Evan is confident more Comic Edition packs are coming, since Grimlock and Straxus did well. Hasbro is working to reissue hard-to-find items, including Studio Series 86 Ultra Magnus. Evan wouldn’t confirm more combiners, but said any future ones would follow the Commander Class torso model. One host suggested the Devastator approach could make a six-member Liokaiser. [Source: YouTube]

Takara Tomy’s New Wild King Series

Takara Tomy has a new line called Wild King, with a “wild docking” gimmick. G1-styled Optimus Prime and Megatron core figures wear animal partners as armor, including a Longrack-like giraffe and a Beast Wars Megatron-like dinosaur. Other partners include an elephant or mastodon, a triceratops, a wolf and a Spinosaurus. Core figures run 4,950 yen, partners around 2,900 yen and starter sets at 7,700 yen. A YouTube web animation is due in March, with toys in April and May. One host expects a fun play pattern rather than a collector piece. Combining the G1 and Beast Wars Megatrons yields something like Armada Megatron, which one host sees as simple design lineage. [Source: TFW2005]

Studio Series 86 Galvatron Versus Legacy Galvatron

A side-by-side comparison makes the color difference clear. One host saw the Studio Series 86 Galvatron in person and says it looks more purple than in photos. Another explained that it follows the movie’s palette, while Kingdom and Legacy lean on later cartoon interpretations. Discord member Blade Raider shared screenshots showing season three Galvatron favors purple. One host likes the gray face over the metallic one, and may add it to the Galvatron collection if the price drops. [Source: Snakas blog]

Masterpiece MPG-08 Trainbot Yamabuki In-Hand Images

In-hand photos are out for Masterpiece MPG-08 Yamabuki, a retool of Yukikaze. Brian thinks Matt ordered about three, and Matt calls the Trainbots his favorite toys ever. One host said the Masterpiece Trainbots are what it takes to make them skip a combiner. [Source: TFW2005]

What We Got This Week

Brian

Brian thanked John Triclops for sending toys for the Elf on a Shelf Warmer drive. He also picked up two $5 Blokees blind boxes at Walmart, expecting Optimus Prime and Megatron. He got Ironhide and Optimus Prime, and found the build less fun than Yolopark, with a shoulder that wouldn’t seat.

Diecast

Diecast had nothing in Transformers this week.

Matt

Matt had nothing in Transformers this week.

Don

Don had nothing in Transformers this week.

Rob

Rob decided Studio Series 86 Galvatron’s changes weren’t worth the price, so he bought Legacy Galvatron on Amazon for $28. Amazon also restocked Legacy Evolution Silverbolt, which he likes a lot, despite fake torso hinges that drive him slightly insane. At Ollie’s he found Rise of the Beasts Beast Alliance sets for about $8. Optimus Prime and Chainclaw look good, though Chainclaw is hard for Prime to hold. He also got Wheeljack and Rhinox, plus the last Beast Wars Iguanus on the shelf.

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