Age of the Primes Leader Class Liege Maximo is out at US retail, and he is packed alongside yet another Big Convoy. The new Voyager wave of Nexus Prime and Armada Sideways leaves the crew underwhelmed. Hasbro confirms its G2 Stunticons are still in the works, but Takara Tomy’s New Legends set looks like the one to own. In What We Got This Week, Diecast’s Fans Toys Devastator hits four of six, and Brian finally lands a boxed G1 Grand Maximus.

News

Age of the Primes Leader Class Liege Maximo Out at US Retail

Liege Maximo turned up at a Walmart in Milton, Florida, alongside another round of Big Convoy. Brian didn’t pre-order and expects to hunt for it at retail. The crew expects plenty of Big Convoys to sit on shelves. Liege Maximo fits Starscream’s throne, and one host worries that will drive up the throne’s price. Others doubt casual shoppers will make the connection. Another host pre-ordered to avoid the hunt. Rob compared pre-orders to setting a live grenade in your bank account. [Source: TFW2005]

TAKARA TOMY MPG-20 Hot Rod Transformation Video

The crew found MPG-20 Hot Rod’s transformation uncannily close to the Studio Series 86 Hot Rod. One host summed it up as the same toy at five times the price. If Masterpiece is your thing, he says, this is your Hot Rod, but he is sticking with Studio Series. A Rodimus-colored version might change his mind. Another host placed a safety pre-order but won’t pay that much for a slightly bigger Hot Rod. [Source: TFW2005]

Transformers Age of the Primes Wave 5 Voyager Nexus Prime & Armada Sideways Found at US Retail

One host called this the most whelming Voyager wave in years. Another wants to love Nexus Prime for its ties to the old collectors’ club but sees it as just a Voyager. Two hosts will buy Nexus Prime on clearance. One host still loves that you can build a combiner with none of the team’s members. Armada Sideways drew harsher words. One host said it costs four and a half times the 2003 toy and does most of the same things worse. Another argued the designers did their best with a style of toy that can’t do what Sideways needs. [Source: TFW2005]

Hasbro G2 Stunticons Still in the Works

Brian says this puts a bullet in Don’s theory that Takara Tomy’s set was Hasbro’s only route to the G2 Stunticons. JT Prime posted that Hasbro’s versions are coming sooner than later. Don was happy to be proven wrong. He plans to own both sets, one for robot mode and one for combined mode. The crew loves Motormaster in particular. [Source: TFW2005]

Takara Tomy Transformers New Legends NL-02 Menasor G2 Color Ver. Official Stock Images

The new comparison photos show Takara Tomy put real money into the paint, including names printed on the arms. One host said Takara beat Hasbro up and took its lunch money on this set. Don hopes strong sales lead Takara to G2 Superion and Bruticus. He still winces at about $279 domestically. Don also wants a Battle Gaia for himself, Brian and anyone else who wants one. [Source: TFW2005]

What We Got This Week

Diecast

Diecast got Fans Toys Long Haul. It took him a good hour to reach dump truck mode because of all the little clips. The truck is heavy and looks great, though the dump feature only half works. His Fans Toys Devastator is now four of six, with one leg and one arm to go.

Don

Don opened Wheelie and calls him really good. The chest is fiddly to peg in, and the front of the car keeps popping off its friction hinge during transformation. He likes the unique transformation, but the Core Class Wheelie feels more in scale with the cast. Don still hasn’t transformed Breakaway. Listener Shannon on Facebook suspects the bracket holding the arms is riveted upside down, which the crew thought was plausible.

Rob

Rob got a secondhand copy of the second Transformers Compendium. With it, he owns the full Marvel G1 and G2 comic run for the first time.

Matt

Matt is holding off on buying anything with expensive Missing Link pre-orders looming.

Brian

Brian bought EarthSpark Cyberglow Megatron because it glows in the dark, and it stays on the card. Outback stays carded too. A Walmart clearance aisle gave him a Blokees Transformers One Soundwave for $15 and a $3 transforming Bumblebee plush. On vacation near Pigeon Forge, he found a freestanding Toys “R” Us at the outlets and left disappointed by its cheap shelving and stock. He did grab the AMK Mini Wave 2 Arcee for $15. He also found a sealed Spanish Gold Box Inferno on eBay for his Spanish Gold Box set. A graded Optimus Prime he bought from a favorite dealer had already sold at TFcon. The dealer offered something from a fresh Japan haul instead, at a discount with free shipping. That got Brian a boxed, complete G1 Grand Maximus with instructions, which he never expected to own. Next on his list is a US-box Fortress Maximus.

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