The Combiner Wars animated series premieres, and its first five-minute episode leaves most of the crew cold. Cybertron Con 2016 reveals Leader Class Sixshot in all his modes and a first prototype of Titan Class Trypticon. Rob has Combiner Wars Computron in hand and says Scattershot looks far better than his solo release. MakeToys reuses the name Despotron for a Cross Dimension Megatron, and Masterpiece-scale Hoist and Trailbreaker figures arrive from Ocular Max and Mastermind Creations.
Combiner Wars Episode 1
Want to Watch the Combiner Wars Animated Series Outside the US? Machinima Has You Covered
The first episode premiered Tuesday, August 2. It streams on Verizon’s go90 in the US and on Machinima’s YouTube channel in most other countries, except Japan and China. One host calls it pointless and unappealing, and dislikes the low frame rate at 1080p. Another watched on an iPad because the app blocked Chromecast, and thought it was decent apart from Menasor’s voice. Diecast says it is free and easy to watch, and he sums up Windblade’s arc in 35 seconds. Rob says needing the prequel shorts to follow the story is a failure of the show itself. With eight episodes of about five minutes, the crew suspects it was written as one 42-minute special and cut up, like G.I. Joe: Resolute. [Source: TFormers]
This Week in History
In 1995, BotCon 1995 opened, run by Raksha. Don remembers her as a passionate Decepticon fan and says her exclusive Nightracer was the first female character Hasbro officially produced. He finished his Victory collection at that show. Also this week in 2011, Dark of the Moon passed $1 billion at the worldwide box office in just over a month. The crew credits movie money for much of the toy line.
News
Cybertron Con 2016: Titans Return Sixshot Revealed With All Modes
Leader Class Sixshot keeps most of his G1 modes, but a submarine replaces the gun. The crew jokes that the submarine looks like an upside-down gun. The battle station mode seats two Titan Masters side by side. The crew hopes for a Greatshot or Quickswitch retool, and a test shot on display had an unknown face. [Source: TFormers]
Cybertron Con 2016: Titan Class Trypticon Prototype Reveal
One host’s theory is that Full-Tilt’s tank becomes Trypticon’s head, keeping the Titan Master gimmick. A machine-translated report says its base footprint could beat Metroplex’s. Don hopes for a Dinobot Island repaint. [Source: TFormers]
Cybertron Con 2016: Titans Return New Reveals, Voyager Optimus, Deluxe Hot Rod, Kickback and More
The Voyager triple-changer Optimus Prime is clearly a future Octane, and his Titan Master Diac resembles a Diaclone driver. One host compares the jet mode to a flying Pringles can, modeled on the F-104 Starfighter. Deluxe Hot Rod shares the Cybertronian car look of Wheelie. Legends Kickback comes in yet another purple. The crew worries about finding enough Gnaws, and the Platinum Rise of Rodimus Prime set reuses the Titanium Rodimus. Titan Master Fangry inspires ideas for Pretender updates at that price point. [Source: TFormers]
John Warden Interviewed in Forbes: No Generations Interruption for The Last Knight?
The interview suggests Generations will keep going through the next movie line. The movie line itself may be smaller than Age of Extinction’s. Don hopes Hasbro learned from shelves clogged with look-alike Power Battlers. The crew notes the movie lines have shrunk since Revenge of the Fallen. [Source: TFormers]
Titans Return Brainstorm Walgreens Exclusive Single Pack in Hand
The crew likes it, though the green hands are a bit much. Rob notes the jet nose doubles as a gun, but Brainstorm has his own sidearm too. Don likes it more than Blurr because of its color. The Titan Master’s new name, Teslor, gets praise. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers AAA Massively Multiplayer Mobile Game Coming in 2017 From Kabam
Kabam made Marvel Contest of Champions. So far the announcement is just a statement of intent for an online multiplayer game. [Source: TFormers]
TFSS 4 Thunder Mayhem: Photos of the Assembled Combiner
John’s photos show the combined Mayhem Attack Squad, and one host calls the head a bobblehead gone wrong. Don still can’t justify $70 for the club’s Skywarp. The club is also clearing Machine Wars Sandstorm-colored Skyhammer for $6. [Source: TFormers]
Third-Party News
Apex Armor for Optimus Prime-Based Combiners With New Godbomber-Inspired Add-On
The add-on wraps around the combiner torso and locks the legs, like Perfect Effect’s Menasor kit. It has no robot mode, but the crew likes the Godbomber styling. [Source: TFormers]
MakeToys MTCD-02 Cross Dimension Despotron
This Megatron joins Striker Manus and looks like it turns into a gun. The crew is confused that it shares a name with MakeToys’ Masterpiece-style Despotron. DX9 does the same with Tyrant, and the crew debates whether third parties register names at all. [Source: TFormers]
Ocular Max PS-07 Artifex and Terraegis: Masterpiece-Scale Hoist and Trailbreaker
Artifex is Hoist, and Terraegis is Trailbreaker. With BadCube and Mastermind Creations both offering the pair, Don can’t decide. The crew steers him away from BadCube’s tough transformations. Trailbreaker is one of Don’s unsung favorites. [Source: TFormers]
Fan-Custom Unite Warriors Raiden Combines Combiner Wars and Titans Return
A fan built Raiden from mostly Alpha Bravo molds. The crew calls it beautiful and wishes for official Japanese combiners like it. [Source: TFormers]
What We Got This Week
Rob got Combiner Wars Computron. Scattershot looks far better than his solo release, and Strafe’s remolding looks great. His one complaint is that Computron has no hand weapons. He also got Sentinel Prime, his first Titans Return toy above Titan Master size where everything works.
Diecast got a knockoff Ghost Shooter with a Carzap head, and a Titan Master fits it with an adapter. He also got an upscaled Grimlock model kit at Voyager size and TakaraTomy’s Leader Jetfire for about $15 from Taobao. He added an upgrade kit for an upscaled knockoff Predaking, an upscaled movie Lockdown and an upscaled Dark of the Moon Leader. His big arrival is Pandanus, shipped by Chosen Prime, and he loves its temple mode.
Don got Hellfire off eBay as his Masterpiece-shelf Inferno. He also got Titan Masters Brawn and Apeface.
John got Subscription Service Bludgeon, easily the best of the five. It has the same misassembled-leg issue as Pyro Magna, but it isn’t crippling. The combined Thunder Mayhem is okay, and the head is the weakest part.
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.