Hasbro cancels Generations waves three and five for re-solicitation, pushing back Arcee, Scoria and Crosscut. BotCon 2014 reveals its fifth and final box set figure, Cybertronian Knight Jinrai, a Fire Guts Jinrai homage. Prototype photos of Masterpiece Ultra Magnus reignite the debate over KFC Toys’ Citizen Stack. TakaraTomy announces 30th anniversary plans, and Fans Toys shows Soar, its Masterpiece-style not-Swoop.
This Week in History
The crew remembers first watching Beast Wars and how out of left field it felt to see animal Transformers. They agree it changed the franchise for the better, which G2 never managed. In 2000, the Beast Machines episode “Endgame, Part 2” premiered. Two hosts like the second season of Beast Machines and think the show is remembered more fondly now.
News
Generations Waves 3 and 5 Cancelled and Re-Solicited
Hasbro cancelled Generations waves three and five and will re-solicit them. Crosscut is delayed with no new date, possibly to fix problems with its mold. Rattrap and Tankor are now scheduled for June. Brian understands the internet rage after past movie years but expects the toys to arrive eventually. The crew is most disappointed about Arcee and Scoria, which may now miss BotCon. Don says he has asked Hasbro for a G1-style Arcee at 19 of the last 20 BotCons. The crew wonders whether the figures will be repackaged to sit with the movie line, as Revenge of the Fallen Mindwipe once was. [Source: not found]
Masterpiece Ultra Magnus Prototype Photos
A clearer scan shows the prototype for Masterpiece Ultra Magnus. Brian is leaning toward it over KFC Toys’ Citizen Stack, though another host says the KFC Toys figure has its own charms. Don thinks the feet and trailer may break apart into armor like City Commander or a Brave robot. One host worries the shoulders sit too far back on the torso. The Japanese retail price is reportedly around $200. [Source: not found]
Masterpiece Prowl Coming to the UK as MP-04
Masterpiece Prowl gets a UK release with packaging labeled MP-04. The crew pieces together a Hasbro numbering system, with Soundwave as MP-02 and, per the chat, Acid Storm as MP-01. Brian would rather grab the Japanese version for $50 to $60 than wait. [Source: not found]
BotCon 2014 Reveals Cybertronian Knight Jinrai
The fifth and final box set figure is Cybertronian Knight Jinrai, a homage to Fire Guts Jinrai from the end of Masterforce. Brian shows his Fire Guts Jinrai on camera but cannot get excited about another Optimus Prime mold. One host likes the colors and suggests Fans Project’s City Commander armor could fit it. Brian calls this a better set than Wings of Honor and Machine Wars, with Devcon as his favorite. Matt would have saved Scorponok for the final reveal. Don notes the Iacon package runs $395 for club members. [Source: not found]
Age of Extinction Junkheap Licensed by Waste Management
An Age of Extinction Power Battler Junkheap carries an official Waste Management license. Brian loves that a garbage truck brand made it onto a Transformer and wants one for his desk. [Source: not found]
TakaraTomy Announces 30th Anniversary Plans
TakaraTomy’s 30th anniversary plans include a new Convoy mold based on a modern Hino truck. Toys R Us in Japan gets early access to the movie Advance line on May 16. Other plans include an Age of Extinction Slug painted like G1 Slag and a Super GT race car in Optimus Prime colors. Don hopes the Transformers Collectors’ Club and e-Hobby partnership might bring some exclusives to the US. [Source: not found]
Fans Toys Soar Shown in Red and Blue
Fans Toys FT-05 Soar, a Masterpiece-style not-Swoop, comes in red and blue variants with two sets of wings and a flight stand. The crew is glad Fans Toys also teased Sludge and Snarl to finish the team. Early preorders run about $175 to $189. Some of the crew will pass at that price. [Source: not found]
Q&A with Rob Springer
Plasticon Reviews asks whether e-Hobby will ever reissue Grand Maximus. Rob Springer doubts it, since e-Hobby exclusives usually come during a mold’s production run, like Black Rodimus after Masterpiece Rodimus. The Encore Fortress Maximus run wrapped a year ago, and the Pretender shell mold may not exist anymore. He adds that fans pay close to $1,000 for unofficial combiners, so never say never.
What We Got This Week
Brian visited Retro Reboot in Charlotte and finally picked up Optimash Prime, though he passed on a G2 Slingshot. He also got KFC Toys’ Bad Bat, the standalone release with a black repaint. He calls it fine but closer to the Generations Hound Ravage than to Masterpiece quality, and its head popped off on air.
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.