Hasbro Australia reveals Titans Return Misfire and Slugslinger at Toy Fair Australia. The Chromedome with a Takara Tomy head is confirmed as a widespread factory error, not a running change. Unite Warriors Baldigus shows off production samples, and OcularMax crowdfunds its not-Artfire with prices that drop as backers sign on. Mastermind Creations adds a Masterforce upgrade for Carnifex, and X-Transbots’ Kup flops. The Radio Free Cybertron crew also previews its Toylanta weekend.
Toylanta Preview
Most of the crew heads to Atlanta for March 11 and 12 at the Marriott Century Center. Rob will miss it this year. Panels include toy reviews with Chris and Diecast, a live RFC, Donanomics and a 2017 toy preview. Brian, Dusty Griffin and Rob Springer cover the Michael Bay movies, and Brian hosts Transformers trivia. Dusty will show how he designs Toyhax repro labels, Crazy Steve brings his Transformers ad research and Chris joins a non-Transformers robot toy panel.
This Week in History
In 1992, Scotti Bros. reissued The Transformers: The Movie soundtrack on CD in the US. The crew admits it loves the soundtrack anyway, and the score is better still. In 2002, Sony Wonder and Maverick released Generation 2 on DVD in the UK. Chris remembers watching G2 before the school bus in high school.
News
Official Images: Titans Return Misfire and Slugslinger from Toy Fair Australia
Their Titan Masters appear to keep the names Aimless and Caliburst. Misfire reworks the Trigger Happy mold with a simpler upper-body transformation. Wave 5 is now Windblade, Misfire, Twin Twist and a Weirdwolf reship, and Slugslinger is expected in wave 6. [Source: TFormers]
Titans Return Chromedome Update: Legends Head Variant Real, Probably Not a Running Change
The variants are turning up widely, mostly at Walmart, and Phil found one. The head matches the Japanese release down to the paint and screw. The crew plans to check extra Walmarts on the drive to Atlanta. [Source: TFormers]
LG-43 Legends Series Dinosaurer: Trypticon vs. Metroplex
One host cautions this may be a Trypticon sample rather than final LG-43. Don jokes the box should fold into a diorama, and the crew wants a pop-up Ark for it to smash. [Source: TFormers]
Unite Warriors UW-EX Baldigus: New Production Sample Photos
Brian did not preorder but now plans to buy it, upside-down G2 Autobot symbols and all. The crew wonders whether new combiners have dried up and still hopes for a Takara Tomy Liokaiser. [Source: TFormers]
The Last Knight Video Game Teased: Destiny Is in Your Hands
Rob thinks it is the smartphone game hinted by scannable cards on Tiny Turbo Changers. [Source: TFormers]
New The Last Knight Toys Revealed via Amazon Spain: Voyager Bumblebee, Leader Dragonstorm
There are listings but no photos yet. This is the first confirmation of a Premier Edition Dragonstorm. [Source: TFormers]
Third-Party News
OcularMax Perfection Series Kojin (Limited Edition)
OcularMax is crowdfunding its unofficial Artfire, Kojin, from an opening price of $107. The price drops to $97 and then $87 as more backers join. Brian calls it exactly how he would run a third-party company. Don may get it to own the other Inferno mold. [Source: OcularMax]
Mastermind Creations Carnifex Continuum Set: In-Hand Photos of Masterforce-Inspired Upgrades
The set adds Giga, Mega, a new head and base guns. The crew calls it a proper Masterforce Overlord, and one host is suddenly tempted by Carnifex. [Source: TFormers]
MakeToys Contact Shot: Re:Master Series Unofficial MP Pointblank In-Hand Photos
Pointblank is one host’s favorite Targetmaster, but the figure is huge. He has not seen a way for it to hold its Targetmaster on the forearm. [Source: TFormers]
PC-16 Perfect Combiner Wars Upgrade Set by Perfect Effect
The transforming cab works with both Ginrai and Powermaster Optimus Prime. At about $60 without the super mode head, a complete setup runs about $100. [Source: TFormers]
X-Transbots Reveals Unofficial MP-Scale Kup Design Render
The crew counts this as the fourth unofficial Kup. They call it the worst yet, with big lower legs, a tiny head and a huge truck back. [Source: TFormers]
Prize Inside Dispensor Conversion Kit
Trent Troop’s new Prize Inside label offers a Shapeways head and soda-can grenade to turn Rewind into Dispensor. It pairs with a Toyhax sticker set. The crew wants more soda-themed versions of the cassette molds. [Source: Prize Inside]
What We Got This Week
Rob finally got the Titans Return wave 3 Voyagers. He realized Optimus Prime matches the Universe Spy Changer Optimus Prime deco. The jet mode gets more care than the truck, and the thin foil stickers peel straight out of the box. He likes Megatron, especially the tank mode in hand, but his copy has loose parts and he lost Doomshot’s arm.
Diecast got the other two ToyWorld coneheads from Taobao for about $100 each. He also got Titans Return Voyager Megatron, Roadburn and Masterpiece Cheetor, which he reviewed on RFC Reviews.
Don picked up a Leo Prime for a friend and Masterpiece Cheetor for himself. He also got the last two figures he needed to finish his third-party Dinoking.
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.