HasLab Liokaiser nears 5,000 backers in five days, before China, Australia and Singapore are even counted. Hasbro surprises the crew by reissuing the Siege Skywarp set, a $300 to $400 aftermarket item, plus Slamdance and G2 Sideswipe. Mark Maher’s Age of the Primes Sky-Byte and Heatwave galleries win the panel over, and preorders open for Silver Rathalos Prime and MPG Nucleon Quest Super Convoy. In What We Got This Week, Matt opens the Dramatic Capture Series Autobot Headquarters set and Don calls the Mandalorian crossover one of the best yet.

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Radio Free Cybertron Toy Fair Live Stream Set for March 1

The Radio Free Cybertron Toy Fair live stream returns on Saturday, March 1, at 5 p.m. Eastern. The show ran it for 10 or 11 years until COVID. This year’s Hasbro event is in the evening, so the stream starts later than before.

HasLab Liokaiser Nears 5,000 Backers as Overseas Orders Open

HasLab Liokaiser sits just under 5,000 Hasbro Pulse backers, a little under halfway to its minimum goal. Preorders are open in Australia, Singapore and China, but those numbers aren’t counted yet. One host expects a burst to 11,000 or 12,000 once they’re added. Hasbro closed its direct operations in Asia, so China is going through Hasbro’s official Taobao store. Manny Cara in chat said China alone may account for 4,000 backers. Japan typically opens a few weeks after North America. One host, an early backer, may cancel if the first stretch goal fails, though the crew expects to hit it. Don is weighing a second set to display the combiner and the team. Some of the crew mainly want Liokaiser himself, and they still wish for Rescue Force. [Source: TFW2005]

MegaCon Booth Photos Size Up Liokaiser Against Devastator and Deathsaurus

More photos from the MegaCon booth showed the Liokaiser prototype next to Devastator and Deathsaurus. Devastator stands a tiny bit taller, but Liokaiser clearly tops Deathsaurus. Jaruga’s legs also fold into Liokaiser’s waist, so he acts as both belt and backpack. [Source: TFW2005]

Studio Series 86 Perceptor Gets Retooling

The Studio Series 86 Perceptor in the multipack with Ratbat and Ramhorn will reportedly get retooling for better media accuracy. The crew had floated Ratbat as a Studio Series 86 Soundwave tape. Its inclusion in this pack reopens that question, since a redeco could pack in with Soundwave. [Source: not found]

Mark Maher Shows Off Age of the Primes Sky-Byte and Heatwave

Mark Maher posted Age of the Primes Sky-Byte and Heatwave on Instagram, and the crew wants both. One host says this Sky-Byte is what the 2013 Thrilling 30 version should have been. It carries less paint than the original, but the engineering and look are right. He calls it an early contender for his toy of 2025. Heatwave won over another host, who now thinks Heatwave owns the mold that never worked as Bulkhead. He compared it to Siege Ultra Magnus, a mold that only made sense as Nova Prime. [Source: Instagram] [Source: Instagram]

Age of the Primes Solus Prime In-Hand Images

In-hand images of Age of the Primes Solus Prime drew praise for the robot mode. One host dislikes the vehicle mode’s exposed legs but will still buy it. Others plan to collect all the Primes, with the Fallen, Alchemist Prime and Liege Maximo on their lists. [Source: TFW2005]

Silver Rathalos Prime and MPG Nucleon Quest Super Convoy Preorders

Silver Rathalos Prime is up for preorder for a September 27 release, at about the regular version’s price. MPG Nucleon Quest Super Convoy follows on November 29 at a considerably higher price. One host prefers the original G1 Powermaster Optimus Prime in these colors. Another called Nucleon Quest objectively the nicest deco on the original God Ginrai. He would still buy a Fire Guts version unless it becomes a pricey Tokyo Toy Show exclusive. [Source: Amazon Japan] [Source: Amazon Japan]

Hasbro Reissues Siege Skywarp, Slamdance and G2 Sideswipe Packs

Hasbro surprised everyone with preorders for the formerly Amazon-exclusive Siege Skywarp set and the Slamdance and G2 Sideswipe packs. The Skywarp set sold out early at around $50 and now runs $300 to $400 on the aftermarket. One host suspects the interlocking box art is why both sets returned together. The crew pitched a coffee table book of Siege box art, and suggested Jim Sorensen as its author. [Source: Snakas]

Timelines Hearts of Steel Optimus Prime and Starscream Go Up for Preorder

The Transformers Timelines Comic Edition Hearts of Steel Optimus Prime and Starscream set is up for preorder as a Hasbro Pulse exclusive. It hasn’t sold out yet. The Megatron and Bumblebee set shown at MegaCon comes later. [Source: TFW2005]

ChatGPT Ranks the Strongest Transformers

John asked ChatGPT to name the strongest Transformer. It ranked Unicron first, then Primus, the Thirteen Primes, Fortress Maximus and Metroplex, Megatron, Optimus Prime, Overlord and Shockwave. The crew questioned Megatron landing above the Thirteen and the Titans.

What We Got This Week

Brian

Brian had nothing in Transformers this week.

Diecast

Diecast got an Armada Mini-Con shield team set that adds a big shield over the three Mini-Cons’ shield mode. He also got the Star Wars x Transformers Mandalorian N1 Starfighter from Hasbro Pulse, which arrived undamaged. Thanks to Walmart.com’s half-price sale, he added Studio Series Gamer Edition Skywarp to go with his Starscream.

Chris

Chris had nothing in Transformers this week.

John DeLuna

John DeLuna had nothing in Transformers this week.

Matt

Matt got the Dramatic Capture Series Autobot Headquarters set, mainly for Mainframe. Mainframe now has his reds and blues, though they mostly vanish in computer mode. The surprise was the Earthrise Optimus Prime redeco. Whites replace the grays, the reds and blues are darker and flatter, and the leg vents are now molded blue. He misses the silver trim on the windshield and truck cab. Matt calls it as nice as that mold will ever look. He also liked the Takara-style packaging, with a slipcover over the box inside a Masterpiece shipper.

Don

Don got a knockoff Masterpiece Blackarachnia to fill out his Beast Wars shelf. Hasbro Pulse is replacing his damaged Mandalorian N1 Starfighter. Don calls the Mandalorian one of the strongest crossover figures yet, with a compact transformation and little hollowness. His only gripe is a friction clip over the engine housing that pops off. He also warned listeners about a Pulse Premium glitch that hid his membership and blocked the Hearts of Steel preorder.

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