Diecast has Masterpiece Bumblebee in hand and finds it excellent but tiny, barely bigger than Legends Cosmos. New photos show the first Combiner Wars wave, including Skydive, Alpha Bravo, Firefly, Dragstrip and Legends Blackjack and Huffer. Test shots of third-party Terrorcons spark a debate about third-party combiner fatigue. The crew also wonders when an official Elita-1 will come, and RFC renames its Toys for Tots drive Operation Better You.
News
First Combiner Wars Wave in Photos
New photos show Skydive, Blackjack, Firefly, Alpha Bravo and Dragstrip. The crew loves the name Alpha Bravo, and one host notes the figure owes more to Vortex than to Slingshot. One host loves the Legends Huffer packed with Blackjack, while others find it too much like a Legends Optimus Prime. Dragstrip is the only Decepticon in the wave, so the crew advises buying a full assortment. They wonder why preorders are not up for a February release. [Source: not found]
Several hosts like the individual figures more than the combined forms and are fine with that trade. One host explains the universal hand and foot piece. The thumb swings back as a heel spike, the guns form the toes, and it plugs in on 5mm pegs. Dragstrip also uses it as a shoulder shield.
Third-Party Terrorcons Test Shots
New test shots show a third-party Terrorcons set. Diecast, who had Abominus parts as a kid without knowing they combined, is excited and likes Cutthroat. Rippersnapper leaves several hosts cold. [Source: not found]
The talk turns to whether fans are tired of third-party combiners. One host says his enthusiasm has dulled, and another blames a flood of G1 retreads. Don prefers new takes, though the Warbotron Bruticus won him over in person. Rob notes that third parties keep redoing the same 1984 to 1986 characters for the same reasons Hasbro does. One host expects a few big companies to survive, with small ones constantly coming and going.
Toys for Tots: Operation Better You
RFC’s holiday charity is Toys for Tots again. Brian suggests buying up Age of Extinction figures to donate, and one host plans to thin his own collection for the cause. Rob names this year’s push Operation Better You, a break from the usual snark.
This Week in History
In 1999, the Beast Wars Metals episode “I’m a Crab” aired in Japan as that dub’s version of Transmutate. The crew discusses the lighter tone of the Japanese dub and its very different take on Tigatron and Airazor. They also laugh at clip shows built around Convoy’s lost banana.
Q&A with Rob Springer
Teen Geek asks whether Takara Tomy is making a new Masterpiece Megatron. The crew says MP-25 is rumored to be Megatron, and X-Transbots’ version is coming either way. TransFanatics asks when an official G1 Elita-1 will appear. One host notes the Arcee designer originally wanted one mold for Arcee and Blurr, which could lead to a Cybertron Override. Other ideas include a Nightbird from Chromia’s mold and a Blackarachnia or Night Racer from Arcee.
RFC Announcements
A new Audio Knights Theater video features Chris McFeely and David Kaye. The crew also floats a Hollywood Squares version of RFC.
What We Got This Week
Don Don’s Masterpiece Bumblebee arrived, still unopened. He also ordered both Quantron and Utopia, since he wants a good Computron and prefers Utopia to the Generations Metroplex. In the same order he added AD-31, the Movie Advanced Optimus Prime.
Diecast Diecast got Brainstorm, still boxed, and Masterpiece Bumblebee, which he calls excellent. Bumblebee stands about chest-high to the Masterpiece Datsuns and only a little taller than Legends Cosmos. Diecast says it feels more solid than a typical Deluxe, and his review with comparisons is coming to TFormers.
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.