Radio Free Cybertron makes its Toy Fair 2015 predictions, led by a Titan Class Devastator reveal. A Hong Kong retailer event points to a Trypticon reissue, Blitzwing and Astrotrain in a two-pack, and Masterpiece Tracks, Road Rage and Ironhide. Combiner Wars Defensor appears on a Windblade comic cover, and Masterpiece Exhaust’s Philip Morris troubles continue. Breaking news brings the first look at Takara’s Unite Warriors Superion, with Slingshot in place of Alpha Bravo.
News
Leaked Combiner Wars Art Hints at a New Combiner
Close-cropped banner art, allegedly from Hasbro’s UK Toy Fair setup, shows an unknown combiner. It appears to have a white Optimus Prime torso, a Legends Rodimus on the chest and Mirage- and Sunstreaker-colored limbs. The crew guesses Ultra Magnus, though one host hopes for Thunderclash instead. [Source: not found]
Combiner Wars Defensor on the Cover of Windblade #2
Defensor appears on a cover for the Combiner Wars comic crossover, confirming what was hinted at New York Comic Con. The crew spots recolored toys in the art. They also notice how much Defensor’s chest resembles Bruticus. That fuels hopes that Hot Spot could later become Onslaught for the Combaticons. [Source: not found]
Hong Kong Retailer Event Lists Reissues and Masterpieces
AC Toys reportedly learned of upcoming releases at a Hong Kong event with Hasbro and Takara Tomy. The report says the Titan Class Devastator figures will not be full Voyager scale. The crew notes that Titan Class is a price point, not a size. Rumored reissues include Trypticon, a Blitzwing and Astrotrain two-pack, and Blaster with a possibly retooled Perceptor. Masterpiece numbers are listed as MP-25 Tracks, MP-26 Road Rage and MP-27 Ironhide. That ends the rumor of MP-25 being Megatron. [Source: not found]
The Never-Ending Story of Masterpiece Exhaust
Philip Morris has sent cease-and-desist letters to online retailers planning to sell MP-23 Exhaust in the US. Its hood logos became plain rectangles, its release slipped to March, and one retailer still reports it cannot sell it. One host notes the reception has whiplashed from complaints about the character to outrage over losing him. The crew wants more Decepticons and Diaclone homages in the Masterpiece line. [Source: not found]
UK Toy Fair: Rescue Bots High Tide Playset and Robots in Disguise Optimus Prime
A big Rescue Bots boat playset comes with High Tide. One host owns the giant Rescue Bots Optimus Prime and calls it fun to own. An 11-inch one-step Robots in Disguise Optimus Prime also appears, and the crew likes its red and black look. One host says the Robots in Disguise designs make far better simple toys than the movie designs. [Source: not found]
Combiner Wars Wave 1 Deluxes to Reship with Comics
The crew does not read this as a shortage. One host thinks the comics were simply not ready for the first run. Wave 2 preorders also went up, along with Leader Class Megatron and Armada Megatron. [Source: not found]
Upgrade Kits for Generations Jetfire, Roadbuster and the Aerialbots
New forearms for Roadbuster and Jetfire add swiveling wrists, and Jetfire’s will get articulated fingers. The set also includes generic 5 mm missile launchers. One host wants a kit that covers Jetfire’s hollow forearms. [Source: not found]
Around TFormers
TFormers’ TNI Toy Awards let fans nominate the import figure of the year for a chance at a $100 Big Bad Toy Store credit. Rob Clay has compiled his Combiner Wars reviews, and Exvee’s article explains why Combiner Wars works: simple designs built on rethought engineering. The site also has new photos of Masterpiece Star Saber and Robots in Disguise Titan Heroes.
Breaking: Takara Unite Warriors Superion
Rob finds the first Japanese magazine scans of Takara’s Superion, labeled UW-01 in the new Unite Warriors subline. It swaps Alpha Bravo for Slingshot. The crew calls the lemon-yellow Silverbolt horrible, though Superion as a whole looks fine. They expect a boxed set.
Toy Fair Live Coverage
Toy Fair 2015 coverage runs February 14 and 15, with the Hasbro live stream starting around noon Eastern on Valentine’s Day. Diecast will be at Toy Fair from the 14th, possibly through the 16th. His list includes Hasbro, Bandai, Playmates and Mattel, though LEGO could not fit RFC in this year. He will tweet photos live from the TF Radio Twitter account.
This Week in History
In 1987, a strategy guide came out for the Famicom game Transformers: Mystery of Convoy. The crew remembers the game as famously brutal shovelware. One host notes it was re-released in 2014 and is still bad.
Toy Fair 2015 Predictions
The crew expects Titan Class Devastator as the big reveal, following Bruticus in 2012, Metroplex in 2013 and Jetfire in 2014. Rob warns that the hype could sink the figure if it misses expectations. Reissues seem less likely, since Toy Fair rarely shows store exclusives. One host predicts Masterpiece Ultra Magnus for the US, while others think Hasbro will save it for BotCon. Several hosts expect the Protectobots and a Masterpiece Bluestreak. One host wants Robots in Disguise Warrior Class figures of the weekly villains, like Thunderhoof. Long shots include Computron, the Seacons and a Broadside whose redeco becomes Tidal Wave. One host predicts a surprise announcement nobody sees coming. Another host says Devastator would have been that surprise if it had not leaked. Don guesses retailer recolors, like G2 Aerialbots, and the crew suggests SDCC sets for a G2 Devastator or Superion.
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.