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Catalog no. 496 · Aired Dec 1, 2016

I Talk Some TV!

Radio Free Cybertron launches its own Roku channel. Hasbro reveals Power of the Primes, Fans Toys Phoenix shows its colors, and the crew shares its 2016 Holiday Buying Guide, led by Unite Warriors Computron.

Listen · RFC 496

Radio Free Cybertron launches its own Roku channel. Hasbro reveals Power of the Primes as the end of the Prime Wars trilogy, with two more Machinima series on the way. Fans Toys’ FT-10 Phoenix finally shows color photos, and Maketoys’ Contact Shot wins everyone over. The crew closes with its 2016 Holiday Buying Guide, led by Unite Warriors Computron.

Radio Free Cybertron on Roku

RFC now has its own Roku channel at tfradio.net/roku. Brian is backfilling episodes and plans to add Diecast’s how-tos and reviews.

Operation Combination

Buy the toys stuck on shelves, donate them to Toys for Tots or another children’s charity, and post a photo with #OperationCombination.

This Week in History

Brian marks the anniversary of the “War, War! Stop It” single, the Japanese Beast Wars opening. He also notes the unplanned Thanksgiving week show drew thousands more listeners than usual.

News

Platinum Edition Year of the Rooster Optimus Prime Is Probably Not What You Expect

It reissues the small Hybrid Style Convoy mold, which one host owned for three days in 2006 before selling it. Another wishes they had used Galaxy Convoy instead. [Source: TFormers]

Platinum Edition Unicron New In-Package Photos

It looks like a straight reissue of the earlier Amazon exclusive Unicron. One host pitches a Unicron combiner made of transforming planetoids. [Source: TFormers]

Conclusion to Prime Wars Trilogy Revealed: Power of the Primes

Machinima also confirmed two more series after Combiner Wars. The crew jokes about Machinima saying fans embraced Combiner Wars warmly. [Source: TFormers]

e-Hobby Teases 2016 Transformers Project Number 2

The blue teaser with an Autobot symbol leads Chris to guess Twincast, which the crew would buy. [Source: TFormers]

MB-11 10th Anniversary Movie Optimus Prime Upgrades the Revenge of the Fallen Leader Mold

It gathers the mold’s best accessories, including hooks, swords and cannons, and adds articulated fingers. [Source: TFormers]

Generations Titans Return Sixshot In-Hand Photos

Early reviews confirm the Titan Master can stay attached in every mode. The talk turns to which characters deserve Masterpiece toys, and one host wants the original Autobot cars first. [Source: TFormers]

Third-Party News

Fans Hobby Debuts Master Builder Series at Shanghai

The lineup includes Black Convoy, a Powermaster Prime, the Monsterbots, Roadbuster and an Overlord. The crew likes the Monsterbots but not the block behind the Powermaster Prime’s head. [Source: TFormers]

Iron Factory Reveals 2017 Line

Legends-scale Seekers, Shockwave, Sixshot and a not-Bruticus lead the line. One host is tempted by the Bruticus, and another would like Hearts of Steel designs at this scale. [Source: TFormers]

Mastermind Creations Reformatted Series at Shanghai

The first color photos of MMC’s IDW-style Rodimus impress the crew. [Source: TFormers]

Fans Toys FT-10 Phoenix Unofficial Skyfire Color Photos

Diecast calls it the best item in a long time. One host would rather have a proper Jetfire. The crew explains why the cartoon’s Skyfire differs from the Macross-licensed Jetfire toy. Don wants a good Skyfire robot mode, and Phoenix even includes a Gerwalk mode. [Source: TFormers]

ACE Collectables Tumbler and X-Transbots Cliffjumper and Hubcap

Both borrow Masterpiece Bumblebee’s engineering, and neither nails the look. Rob notes the original Cliffjumper was a super-deformed Choro Q car, not a real one. [Source: TFormers]

Maketoys Contact Shot: Unofficial Pointblank

One host is getting it, since Pointblank is his favorite Autobot Targetmaster. He praises the Targetmaster partner design. It costs about $141 to $145. [Source: TFormers]

Toyworld Unofficial Cosmos Colored Prototype

The crew likes it more in color, though one host finds the yellow a bit mustardy. [Source: TFormers]

2016 Holiday Buying Guide

Each host picked five favorites, and the list runs 26 items. Unite Warriors Computron tops it, followed by Takara’s Legends Blur and MP-32 Optimus Primal. Combiner Wars Computron, Powermaster Optimus Prime and G2 Bruticus follow.

Platinum Edition Liokaiser, Victorion, Masterpiece Delta Magnus, Masterpiece Ironhide and Masterpiece Loudpedal also make the cut. Robots in Disguise picks include Groundpounder, Quillfire and Starscream. Rob Springer adds the Funko Hikari Optimus Prime.

Titans Return rounds out the list with Fortress Maximus, Sawback, Clobber, Blaster, Brainstorm, Chromedome, Sentinel Prime, Mindwipe and Triggerhappy. Grand Galvatron closes it out. The crew agrees 2016 was a strong year for toys.

What’s on TFormers

TFormers translated the final Unite Warriors Baldigus webcomic chapter. Chris posted galleries of the wave 3 Titan Masters, and Rob reviewed the final issue of Revolution.

What We Got This Week

Diecast got MP-33 Masterpiece Inferno and was surprised how much he likes it. His review is up on RFC Reviews and in the TFDB app.

Brian also got Inferno and finds him plain and too big. He got Masterpiece Delta Magnus from Amazon Japan in two days and calls it his Christmas present. He and Don also received Platinum Edition Liokaiser from a seller on Facebook.

Rob found Titans Return Voyager Alpha Trion at retail and likes the head sculpt and colors.

Don got Unique Toys’ Allen and has YJ’s Nemesis-colored upscale Evasion Mode Optimus Prime on the way for about $48 after Donanomics.

Radio Free Cybertron: The Transformers Podcast
Radio Free Cybertron: The Transformers Podcast
Brian Kilby

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.