Hasbro dropped Studio Series 86 Cyclonus, Blitzwing, and Cliffjumper at CCXP — and the RFC crew has some feelings. Cyclonus gets new legs and a new head and basically earns unanimous approval. Cliffjumper… does not. Plus Iron Studios’ $350 Soundwave statue, a massive New Age Junkion wave, Brian’s surprise acquisition, and what should happen at episode 1,000?

News

RFC discussed the recent CCXP event in Mexico, where Hasbro revealed several new Studio Series 86 figures. Studio Series 86 Cyclonus drew the most enthusiasm from the panel. The figure features an extensively remolded lower half — new legs, new head, and a revised transformation scheme that allows the knees to lock into ports rather than floating freely. The outside-hinging knees sacrifice the thruster covers behind the jet mode, leaving empty space where the folded feet sit, but the overall figure appears taller and more polished. The nylon parts that have caused yellowing in the Kingdom Cyclonus have reportedly been recast, including at the elbows, and the gun has also been recast. The new head sculpt was widely praised — Matt noted that was his primary issue with the Kingdom version. Brian confirmed he’s buying it again without hesitation.

Studio Series 86 Blitzwing was discussed primarily in the context of the earlier Hasbro Pulse Fan First Friday Dramatic Capture Series release. The consensus: if you already own a version of the Blitzwing mold you’re content with, there isn’t enough difference to justify another purchase. The 86 version is more color-saturated, and the Dramatic Capture painted the sword blade while the new release does not. Don, who skipped the Dramatic Capture, was advised by the panel that he’s likely fine staying with his existing version.

Studio Series 86 Cliffjumper was the most criticized reveal. The figure shares engineering with Bumblebee, and the color layout of the shared mold results in reversed black and gray placement on the legs and waist — a flaw the panel agreed looks wrong in robot mode. Additionally, Cliffjumper’s car spoiler, which should appear on his chest in robot mode, does not due to the transformation design. A gray unpainted plastic patch above the rear wheel well is also visible in car mode and cannot be painted due to the sprue it sits on. Diecast stated he won’t buy it until the colors are corrected. Don said he’ll keep his Buzzworthy Cliffjumper.

The show noted the passing of Gerry Conway, writer of The Death of Gwen Stacy, co-creator of the Punisher, and writer of the Transformers animated episodes “Forever Is a Long Time Coming” and “Money Is Everything.” He was 73.

Iron Studios revealed a G1 Soundwave statue at 1/20th scale (approximately 11.5 inches, $349.99). The panel agreed it looks dramatically better than recent AI-assisted statue work from other companies. The inclusion of Buzzsaw rather than Laserbeak was appreciated, though the flatness of the mouth plate was noted as slightly off. Diecast pointed out that statues under $500 are relatively rare in this space.

DNA Design DK-69P — a purple Max Sword upgrade kit compatible with Omega Prime — was briefly discussed. Don has an existing sword for his Omega Prime and passed.

New Age Toys revealed a wave of Junkion-themed Legends-scale figures: Ghost Wan, Cowboy, Cleon, Ajax, and Rembrandt, plus figure 871, a Sideswipe with G2 deco options. The Junkion figures were praised across the board. Don noted that Show-Z Store is offering the forthcoming Wreck-Gar figure (named “Wyatt”) at pre-order for $55 with free shipping domestically, versus $85 at BBTS. The group reflected on how New Age pricing has climbed from roughly $49–$60 domestically around 2020 to $80-plus at U.S. retailers today.

Dr. Wu / Mitch revealed Tanystropheus-themed MicroMaster-scale Sludge and Snarl color renders, likely intended as part of a combiner set.

Magic Square MSB-63 ENIAC — a Legends-scale Nosecone — was noted. Don has the Craftmaster Toys version and appreciates that the Magic Square figures carry a slightly stylized look reminiscent of older third-party aesthetics, but he’s holding out for the Bingo Toys Masterpiece-scale Technobots combiner.

Brian previewed his plans for the 1,000th episode, currently on track for early August. He wants to pull real-time archive clips covering the biggest Transformers news moments from the past 27 years — letting listeners hear what the RFC crew was actually thinking at the time, rather than reflecting back with the benefit of hindsight. He put out an open call for listener suggestions: what are the biggest moments in Transformers history that you’d want to hear RFC react to in real time? Listeners can reach Brian on Discord, email, Facebook, or Instagram.

What We Got This Week

Diecast picked up Studio Series Thundercracker (TF1 film) and was impressed that the head differs substantially from Starscream — more than just a new facial expression. He noted it raises his anticipation for Skywarp. He also obtained a Swerve figure, which he gave to a friend as a gesture of appreciation.

Don picked up the Go Better Studios upgrade kit for Studio Series Windcharger, which adds gap fillers to the inner thighs and leg panels and plugs holes in the rear of the figure. The panels fold out of the way during transformation without requiring part-forming. He paid $17 after a coupon with free shipping and called it a strong recommendation — the color match is close, and the slight red variance on the inner leg fillers is far less noticeable than the hollow gaps they replace. Don called Windcharger and Trailbreaker two of his quiet favorite Studio Series figures.

Brian picked up Shield D Prime (a Diaclone/Zoids/Transformers crossover figure) from Mandarake. His assessment: the joints feel premium and the motorized lion mouth is satisfying, but the toy doesn’t fully succeed as a Diaclone, a Zoid, or an Optimus Prime. The Diaclone design elements feel more like a marketing hook than core to what the toy is — it lacks the accessories count, part-swapping depth, and customization play value of a proper new Diaclone release. He’d rate it a C+/B overall, doesn’t regret it, and understands why John recommended it, but wouldn’t push it as a must-buy. He also acquired a sealed Takara Break vs. Dead End two-pack from Mandarake — the Takara version, replacing Sonokong editions he previously owned.

John DeLuna picked up nothing on topic this week.

Rob picked up nothing on topic this week.

Matt picked up nothing on topic this week.

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