Sideshow and Pop Culture Shock’s cel-shaded Classic Scale Soundwave statue wins over the whole crew. Generations Selects Siege Smokescreen goes up on Hasbro Pulse for $20, and the Transformers trading card game bans its first card. Studio Series 44 Dark of the Moon Optimus Prime finally brings the trailer that becomes a re-equip ring. Diecast shows off 3A’s DLX Bumblebee, and Brian catches up on three weeks of pickups, including Big Powered and Gigastorm.
News
Soundwave Classic Scale Statue from Sideshow and Pop Culture Shock
The cel-shaded Soundwave statue is one of the best Transformers statues the crew has seen. It avoids the usual problems, such as odd detailing or a dead Autobot on the base. It is $230 on Sideshow’s site. Brian loves cel-shaded looks but worries he would knock a statue over and shatter it. One host says a photo of it beside an apple gives him an uncanny valley feeling. [Source: TFormers]
First Look: Generations Selects Siege Smokescreen
Siege Smokescreen is up for preorder on Hasbro Pulse for $20, and Brian ordered one right away. It is also listed in Diamond’s Previews for comic shops. Brian dislikes putting a real-world rally car deco on a Cybertronian car. Others wish the robot mode had more red or silver. Diecast suspects Selects repaints help Hasbro recoup mold costs as retail waves shrink, and Chris agrees the online model suits characters like Smokescreen. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers TCG Bans Its First Card from Tournament Play
Players found a combo that grants infinite turns and deals damage without attacking, so Wizards of the Coast banned Swap Parts. Rob likes that they published their full reasoning, including players checking their phones during endless turns. He calls a first ban a rite of passage and a sign of a healthy game. [Source: TFormers]
Studio Series SS-44 Leader Dark of the Moon Optimus Prime with Trailer
Autobase Aichi posted images of the Leader Class Optimus Prime, the first official version with a trailer that becomes his re-equip ring. Brian says the Dark of the Moon toys feel recent even though the movie is eight years old. Several hosts say they do not need it. [Source: TFormers]
Color Images: 3A DLX Optimus Prime from Bumblebee
3A’s next DLX figure is the Bumblebee movie Optimus Prime, shown with a stand that plugs into its back. One host is not drawn to it, and another notes it follows the busier movie model more closely than the Studio Series toy. [Source: TFormers]
Star Convoy Webcomic Posted to TakaraTomy Mall
A webcomic called Matrix Weapon Big Bang Cannon promotes Generations Selects Star Convoy and features Galvatron. The crew identifies the looming villain as Dark Nova from Battlestars. Brian loves it, while Diecast only sees a Power of the Primes Optimus Prime. [Source: TFormers]
Banana Force MPL-02 Great Armor: Unofficial Robots in Disguise Ultra Magnus
Banana Force’s take on 2001’s Ultra Magnus is built to combine with its Fire Convoy. The crew jokes about its tiny biceps and huge forearms. They like the revisions, mostly because the original toy was so regrettable. [Source: TFormers]
Third-Party Update: FansToys Roadking and More
Diecast reports that FansToys’ Roadking, their Motormaster, is shipping to North America. FansToys told him their Silverbolt is next, so both centers come before any limbs. Late in the show he adds that FansToys’ Menasor renders show Motormaster as the core, with the other Stunticons attached as limbs. He also says MMC has a Bruticus coming that stores even its hands and feet. [Source: not found]
What’s on TFormers
Siege Stop Motion Video: War for Cybertron the Fighting Game
Hasbro Taiwan’s stop-motion short is set up like a fighting game, and it is labeled episode one. Rob likes how it uses toys such as Cog and Skytread that come apart. [Source: TFormers]
Rob finds the third issue still slow, with stiff dialogue, and says it needs to pick up the pace at $4 an issue. [Source: TFormers]
Unboxing: BotBots Series 2 Blind Packs
Exvee unboxed all 24 BotBots Series 2 blind packs. [Source: TFormers]
What We Got This Week
Brian
Brian covers three weeks of pickups. From Hasbro Pulse he got the Siege Micromaster Laserbeak and Ravage, Big Powered, Ironhide, Chromia, Prowl, Red Heat and Stakeout, and a second Sixgun. He agrees with Chris that every modified Big Powered toy came out worse, Roadfire excepted. He also got two Studio Series Cogmans. He has been buying cheap Rescue Bots, including Rescue Roar Grimlock, two Hot Shots and Morbot. NewAge’s Mini Warriors Max, a Cosmos, has a great robot mode but an inelegant transformation for $25. He also got Beast Wars Telemocha Wolfang with its DVD, a cab and missiles to complete his childhood G1 Ultra Magnus, and a $15 Beast Wars Megatron. He added a sealed rooster-themed Hybrid Style Convoy Optimus Prime and Gigastorm from Allen Young. His holy grail is the Beast Wars Second game for Game Boy Color.
Diecast
Diecast got his first 3A figure, the DLX Bumblebee, for about $135. He loves the light-up eyes, battle mask and detailed knee, but his arrived missing a headlight, and he is working with 3A on a replacement. He also got the Wave 2 Micromasters.
Chris
Chris had nothing in Transformers this week.
Matt
Matt had nothing in Transformers this week.
John
John had nothing in Transformers this week.
Rob
Rob got Siege Sixgun and Prowl from Hasbro Pulse, shipped in the same box. He likes Sixgun but wishes the tolerances were tighter for the weaponizer gimmick. Prowl surprised him, since nothing falls off and it beats Universe Prowl. He may get Barricade from the mold.
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.