Ben Yee of Ben’s World of Transformers joins Radio Free Cybertron to break down Toy Fair 2015. Leader Class Ultra Magnus with Minimus Ambus steals the show, while the six-Voyager Titan Class Devastator splits the fandom. Defensor, Combiner Wars Cyclonus and a Cobra-branded Decepticon Viper round out the Combiner Wars reveals. Robots in Disguise brings Mini-Cons, Mega Optimus Prime and a giant Super Bumblebee, and podcast listeners get audio of Hasbro’s full presentation.
News
Leader Class Starscream Retooled from Thundercracker
Exvee spotted that the new Leader Class Starscream is a retool of the Jetfire-based Thundercracker. Ben expects all three Seekers, with Skywarp held back for a store exclusive. He is happy to see the Seekers at a scale where they can be menacing again. Don notes Hasbro said at BotCon that it knows fans want trios together. The crew wants a distinct deco, not a straight palette swap. [Source: TFormers]
New Photos of Leader Class Armada Megatron
The tank mode reminds the crew more of G2 Megatron than Armada. One host likes it in some photos and not others, and wants it in hand before deciding. [Source: not found]
Ben Yee’s Toy Fair Interview with Hasbro’s Jerry Jivoin
Ben’s two-part interview at BWTF covers Combiner Wars and Robots in Disguise. Topics include why the Constructicons are Voyagers, comics versus trading cards and why combiners came back. The Robots in Disguise half covers the show’s influences and Hasbro’s three age segments. Ben had only 15 minutes before security ushered him out. [Source: BWTF]
Toy Fair 2015: Combiner Wars
The crew calls Leader Class Ultra Magnus the crown jewel of the weekend. His chest opens so Minimus Ambus can transform into the head, and he can carry Deluxe and Legends cars. Ben loves the concept as a microplay fan. The crew also credits Hasbro for building a whole toy around a character from the IDW comics.
Titan Class Devastator is six Voyager-size Constructicons, and fan reaction is sharply divided. Ben argues the passion on both sides shows Hasbro did it right. He says someone online even called him a liar over his praise. One host thinks Mixmaster’s foot and the forearms look weak. Ben says the foot is bigger in person than in the first photos, though he admits Scrapper has no elbows.
One host who saw Defensor in person likes it, though the new Protectobot Rook has a thick forearm. Ben’s interview revealed Dragstrip shipped in wave 1 only because the overseas versions were ready first. Combiner Wars Cyclonus impresses with mostly new parts over the Silverbolt mold. Hasbro was cagey when Ben asked what Cyclonus combines with. Diecast notes few big surprises this year, apart from Viper and Minimus Ambus. The crew wants to troop-build Viper, whose Cobra logo makes it an official G.I. Joe crossover.
Toy Fair 2015: Robots in Disguise and More
Mega Optimus Prime has a super-robot look, and Super Bumblebee stands one inch taller than Devastator for about $50. The crew wants Fixit, coming in both Legion and One-Step sizes. Ben was won over by the Mini-Cons, which come on sprues shaped like the Autobot symbol and launch from transforming Deployers. Diecast spent half an hour at the Metal Earth booth, where Transformers metal model kits take about three hours to build.
Around TFormers
The Space Bridge posted higher-resolution Action Master concept art, including an Ultra Magnus image Ben had never seen. Hisashi Yuki posted the TakaraTomy Adventure version of Warrior Class Strongarm. Toys R Us is hosting the vote on the fan-built combiner’s special power: earthquakes, gravity manipulation or teleportation. Exvee’s Toy Fair analysis includes size comparisons for the Constructicons and Minimus Ambus.
This Week in History
Garry Chalk, voice of Optimus Primal, was born in 1952 and just turned 63. The crew recalls his live-action roles, including a Russian commander in Stargate.
Ben Yee and Beast Wars
Ben has run BWTF since 1996. He was a consultant on the Beast Wars “The Agenda” trilogy, though he credits story editors Bob Forward and Larry DiTillio for the G1 tie-ins. He chose Ravage as the Decepticon to appear. He also mailed VHS tapes of G1 so the animators could draw the inside of the Ark. He says the original series finale was planned to involve the Nemesis and the Ark before the budget changed it.
Bonus: Hasbro’s Toy Fair 2015 Presentation
Podcast listeners hear Hasbro’s Transformers presentation with Jerry Jivoin and designer John Warden. Rescue Bots adds High Tide, Salvage and Blurr. Robots in Disguise premieres in prime time on Cartoon Network on March 14 at 6 p.m. Reveals include Legion Fixit and Underbite, plus One-Step Drift, Fracture and Thunderhoof. Warriors Sideswipe, Jazz and Steeljaw also appear, with Mini-Cons arriving in the fall. The Combiner Wars segment reveals Defensor, with Streetwise, Rook, Blades and First Aid as limbs and Hot Spot as the torso. It also shows Cyclonus and Ultra Magnus with Minimus Ambus, and ends with a Devastator video and all six Constructicons.
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.