Hasbro PR sends Brian the second BotBots Challenge pack, and he opens BotBots Series 2 blind packs live from a hotel room. Hasbro confirms Siege Omega Supreme stands taller than Devastator. New product codes point to Siege Ratchet, a Micromaster 10-pack and 35th anniversary repaints. Don beats everyone to Siege Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime, and Brian says Siege has turned out much better than the crew expected.
BotBots Challenge Series 2
BotBots Series 2 Five-Packs at US Retail
Series 2 five-packs are on US shelves. Hasbro PR sent Brian eight-packs and a box of blind packs for the second BotBots Challenge. On the stream he opens Overpack the backpack, Sriracha the hot sauce bottle, Frizzle Fry the hair dryer and Frohawk, a spray can redeco. He thinks the plastic feels a little firmer. The included checklist lists rares and super rares, and the crew hopes Hasbro still packs every figure evenly. [Source: TFormers]
BotBots Wave 1 and 2 Bios Coming as a Sticker Book
A sticker book with BotBots bios arrives in September. Brian loves the idea, and one host wonders if it is the guide Hasbro showed at Toy Fair. [Source: TFormers]
News
Is Titan Class Omega Supreme Bigger Than Devastator?
Part 2 of the Hasbro Pulse interview settles it: Siege Omega Supreme is noticeably taller and beefier than Devastator. One host was tempted by third-party Devastators, but prefers the Generations look to the Masterpiece look. [Source: TFormers]
Upcoming Transformers Product Codes: New Siege, Cyberverse and Reissues
New codes include Cyberverse Slipstream, a Warrior two-pack and Spark Armor Cheetor. There is also a G1 reissue oddly called 1986 Optimus Prime, G1 minicars and a Soundwave cassette two-pack. Studio Series adds a Voyager Megatron and a new Leader Megatron, possibly from The Last Knight. Siege lists Deluxe Ratchet, Leader Astrotrain, Deluxe Bluestreak, Voyager Soundblaster and a Micromaster 10-pack. One host worries the 10-pack is the only way to finish the Micromaster patrols. One host ties the Bluestreak, Soundblaster and special Megatron listings to the 35th anniversary display from Toy Fair. [Source: TFormers]
Brian says Siege has been much better than the crew feared, and he loves interesting repaints. Chris agrees the toys feel worth more in hand and hide hollow spaces better than Combiner Wars did. Another host is still lukewarm on the line, though he loves Cog, Sixgun and Hound.
Cyberverse Alpha Trion Ultra Class Box Image
Brian likes the look of the Ultra Class Alpha Trion. Don says Cyberverse figures such as Hot Rod are poor value next to late Robots in Disguise toys. Another host answers that Cyberverse targets young kids with simpler toys, and collectors can cherry-pick. [Source: TFormers]
Furai Model 06 IDW Megatron Model Kit
Jason has the Furai Model IDW Megatron preordered and calls it Alex Milne’s design right off the page. One host thinks the face is not quite there. Diecast already has Masterminds Creations’ transforming version. One host also notes a Humble Bundle with nearly every pre-reboot IDW Transformers comic. [Source: TFormers]
Siege Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime In Hand
Don already has one in hand. One host dislikes the official name, which sounds like a third-party product to him. Another expects IDW’s comic to explain the armor eventually. [Source: TFormers]
Siege Battle Masters Wave 2 Found in Stores
Siege Battle Masters Wave 2 is turning up at retail. One host admits he never remembers which small figures he already owns. [Source: TFormers]
What’s on TFormers
Rob points to the BotBots Challenge Series 2 unboxing [Source: TFormers], Jack’s gallery of Siege Voyager Soundwave [Source: TFormers] and Figure King scans of Legendary Nemesis Prime and Siege Refraktor’s camera mode [Source: TFormers].
Rob finds IDW’s second issue still slow. One host suspects a mandate to keep everything on model with the Siege toys is holding the artists back. [Source: TFormers]
What We Got This Week
Don
Don got Make Toys’ Cross Dimension Delta Manus, which Lucas of TFYLP picked up for him at TFcon. His surprise find was Siege Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime at Walmart. He loves it, but the Hasbro instructions left him unable to fit the shoulder armor in vehicle mode until chat helped. He also got Studio Series Cogman and Shatter, after flipping another figure for a $15 profit.
Diecast
Diecast found surprise extras in his Taobao box: a knockoff Leader movie Grimlock and a tiny non-transforming Last Knight Megatron. He got replacement chest windows for Magic Square’s MS-01 Optimus Prime from a TFW2005 seller, and a $12 knockoff of Perfect Effect’s white Prime for Combiner Wars Ultra Magnus. He also got a Masterpiece Wheeljack and a knockoff of Make Toys’ black Manus. Make Toys’ Cross Dimension Jetfire armor, Zeta Toys’ Skydive to finish his Superion, and FansToys FT-10X Phoenix round it out.
Rob
Rob got Siege Starscream. He likes the engineering and the jet mode, but wishes he had the version with the chest pin, and likes its head sculpt least among his Decepticons. A full review is coming to TFormers.
Matt
Matt went looking for Siege Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime but could not find one.
John
John had nothing in Transformers this week.
Brian
Brian has been rebuying toys he regrets selling, using 100 saved eBay searches. He got Robots in Disguise Bludgeon, Generations Skullgrin and the Generations Ultimate Gift Set, plus the Universe Spy Changer two-pack. From Beast Wars, he got the white and gold Grimlock, missing its mutant head, and a complete 1996 Ultra Class Megatron. From Siege, he got Starscream, which he finds too panel-heavy, and Soundwave, his favorite Voyager Soundwave yet. He also bought a Sixgun at Walmart despite having two on preorder.
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.