Hasbro unveils BotBots, one-inch Transformers that turn into everyday objects, and Brian declares them his favorite thing in Transformers. Hasbro also faces possible layoffs and an investor lawsuit tied to the fallout from Toys R Us. Amazon listings reveal a surprise Siege Barricade, and new listings hint at Studio Series Constructicons. Legends Big Powered photos arrive in full color as RFC returns from its first week off in years.
What We Got This Week
Brian got the G1 reissue Devastator gift set and a couple of Tiny Turbo Changers, the movie Bumblebee and Grimlock. He found the Target-exclusive Soundwave set but did not buy it yet.
Diecast got Mech Fans Toys’ Huffer and Papa Toys’ Legends-size Hot Rod, a new design with some drama over who did it first. His Studio Series Voyager Ironhide finally shipped from Amazon, and it is much smaller than he expected for Ironhide. He also got an oversized Studio Series Optimus Prime and an oversized Squeaks.
Don used an eBay coupon to grab a pile of third-party figures for under $200. He got Mech Fans Toys Pipes, Veteran and Grimlock, finishing their Dinobots. He also got Papa Toys Rodimus and Inferno and Ocular Max Hellion, their Cliffjumper. His first Iron Factory figure is Steel Lucifer, a Nova Prime he calls visually impressive. He also found his first Cyber Battalion Shockwave at Walgreens.
Chris had nothing new in Transformers this week.
Jason got Iron Factory’s Annihilator and the Flame Toys Furai Model Optimus Prime kit, with a Nemesis Prime version coming from Anthony. Diecast sent him FansToys Grimlock, which he calls a great upscale. His biggest pickup is the heavy bottom half of a third-party Sky Lynx, with the top half due in January.
Matt‘s pickup this week was not Transformers.
Rob‘s pickup this week was not Transformers.
John finally finished his Power of the Primes Abominus with the Perfect Effect upgrade kit and a Toyhax label set. He praises the sturdy articulated hands, the feet and the big blasters. He uses only about 40% of the labels and highly recommends the combination.
This Week in History
In 1992, the Headmasters episode Mars Explodes! The Scorpion Appears! aired in Malaysia. Brian picked it for the title and the English dub. Don has seen all of Headmasters but recalls nothing special here. The episode mostly marks Scorponok’s first base-mode appearance. The crew also marks last week’s missed 19th anniversary and the start of RFC’s 20th year.
News
BotBots: The Brand New Line of Transformer Collectibles
BotBots are one-inch collectible Transformers that turn into everyday objects, and there are 61 of them. Packs include blind-bagged two-in-one figures, Toilet Troop and Techie Team five-packs and a Greaser Gang eight-pack. Brian reads the faction bios and loves a penguin that turns into an ice cream bar. He calls it Shopkins for Transformers fans and forgives Hasbro everything. Don is not into chibi designs but hopes it succeeds. Diecast plans to use them for size comparisons, and Chris sees useful photo props. They are due in winter 2018. [Source: TFormers]
Lawsuits and Possible Layoffs: Bad Times for Hasbro
Hasbro may lay off a single-digit percentage of its workforce, which could top 400 people. It also faces an investor lawsuit claiming it played down the Toys R Us hit. Brian guesses the PR and finance messages may not have lined up. The crew feels for whoever gets laid off. One host adds that a Toys R Us severance fund is a small fraction of what workers were owed. The crew also notes Best Buy will carry toys this holiday, and several Targets have expanded toy sections. [Source: TFormers]
Power of the Primes Wreck-Gar Walgreens Exclusive Spotted In United States
Most of the crew has not seen it yet, but Matt has had four for months. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers Siege Skytread Duocon Flywheels First In-Hand Photos
The in-hand report is favorable, and one host is buying it on sight. Several hosts are glad it does not split into two robots, since Battletrap’s small robots were never great. [Source: TFormers]
Bumblebee The Movie BB-02 Legendary Optimus Prime In-Hand Images
This Takara Tomy exclusive is a larger, all-new take on the Evasion Mode Optimus Prime with no sign of a Hasbro release. The crew expects about $90 to $95, and one host would rather spend on Big Powered. Another hopes the larger size fixes the fiddly transformation. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers Siege Amazon Listings Reveal At Least One Unexpected New Toy
Listings show Red Alert, Brunt, Refraktor and the fan-vote winners Impactor and Mirage, now sold separately. The surprise is a Siege deluxe Barricade. One host preordered everything, including three Refraktors. The crew guesses Barricade will be a G1-style take on the movie character, possibly reusing the Prowl mold. [Source: TFormers]
Upcoming New Studio Series Figure Listings: Constructicons?
Brian does not want Studio Series Constructicons, though a Hightower listing points that way. The crew is more interested in a movie Jetfire and hopes the Megatron is a Leader Class Dark of the Moon version. One host says the Legends Devastator is all the movie Constructicons he needs. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers Siege Shockwave’s Alternate Super Mode In New Takara Tomy Stock Photos
One host likes having options, comparing it to Fall of Cybertron deluxes whose accessories could combine in different ways. One host is in for Shockwave, the Refraktors and Skytread. Another wants Hound only to confirm in hand that he hates it. [Source: TFormers]
Legends LG-EX Big Powered Exclusive Set High-Res Stock Photos
The new photos are in color and higher resolution, with the Titan Masters shown separately. One host is already calling it his toy of 2019. [Source: TFormers]
A Beast Mode (Unofficial) Bumblebee That Is a Tiger
The crew compares it to movie Bumblebee with Lio Convoy’s engineering. The crew finds the mechanical design solid but lacking character, with very Gundam lower legs. [Source: TFormers]
What’s on TFormers
Rob points to Figure King No. 249 scans of Big Powered and the Siege Decepticons. He also covers the SSSS.Gridman anime, whose human cast is packed with Shattered Glass Transformers references. The crew loves the Cliffjumper hair and shoes and a Soundwave with a Ravage hair tie.
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.